Dr. Larry Howard, a retired dentist and antique aircraft builder/restorer passed away Friday.
While not well known outside the Northwest and the antique aircraft community, he was extremely talented and prolific.
Among his restorations were the sole Laird LC-1B-300
https://www.waaamuseum.org/collections/ ... -lc-1b-300and one of the oldest airworthy Stearmans:
https://www.waaamuseum.org/collections/ ... earman-C3BHe flew this aircraft from NYC to SFO to celebrate the airmail anniversary along with Addison Pemberton's Boeing 40 and Ben Scotts's Stearman Speedmail.
And his last complete aircraft, an amazingly accurate Sopwith Pup replica he built in recognition of the WWI centennial:
https://www.waaamuseum.org/collections/ ... -scout-pupYou might note all three of those are now in the WAAAM museum Hood River, Oregon.
Before I knew him, he built an aerobatic biplane and flew a lot of aerobatics.
He also recently completed a set of wings for a Standard J-1 rebuild.
I've only knew him for a relatively short time, but we shared a couple of memorable flights...going into the Magee "back country" strip in his 1956 182, and last year a great flight over northern Idaho and Lake Coeur d'Alene in his recently acquired PA-12.
Every year around the 4th of July, he'd host a huge spaghetti feed in the hangar adjacent to his home, it attracted a lot of friends and an amazing assortment of aircraft.
RIP, Larry