KAFB Aero Club Piper PA-28-161 Warrior II

Additional Information:

The Ryan STs were a series of two seat low-wing monoplane aircraft built in the United States by the Ryan Aeronautical Company. They were used primarily as sport aircraft as well as trainers by flying schools and the military.

The Ryan Aeronautical Company was founded by T. Claude Ryan. This was the fourth company he had been involved with to bear his name, the first being Ryan Airlines who was the manufacturer of the Ryan NYP, which gained fame as the “Spirit of St. Louis” used by Charles Lindbergh. Ryan began the development of the ST, short for “Sport Trainer”, also known as S-T, as the first design of the company in 1933. The ST prototype and the first model were fitted with a Menasco B4 95 hp engine of which five were built.

Peter Dana (September 23, 1915 – September 1, 1969) was born at Stonyford, New York. Dana was a professional pilot and native of Holderness, New Hampshire and he was a great-grandson of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Dana learned to fly in 1932 at the Ryan School of Aeronautics located at Lindbergh Field, San Diego, California. He received his pilot license there in 1934 at the age of 18 and was then the youngest pilot in the United States.

On May 23, 1936, at age 20, Dana set a new record with his low-wing, all-metal Ryan S-T, NC14910, monoplane powered by a 125 HP Monasco engine by making a flight from Vancouver, Canada to Agua Caliente, Mexico in 11 hours and 6 minutes of actual flying time.
On July 19, 1936, Dana flew his Ryan S-T across the United States from San Diego, California to North Beach Airport in Queens, New York in the record time of 22 hours and 5 minutes while making eleven stops along the way.

Dana and his Ryan S-T stopped in Albuquerque for refueling on May 22, 1935.
Peter Dana (R cockpit) and Jack Fisher Being Congratulated after Their Transcontinental Flight

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