Who are the Champions?
Short Wings Over Saratoga – SWPC Convention 2013
July 1st through 4th
Did you read Return of the Champions!, an article about the 2013 SWPC Convention? Click HERE to read that story.
Who are the Champions was written by SWP News Editor, Eleanor Mills. The piece was published in the Jan-Feb 2013 issue of the Short Wing Piper News, pages 13-14.
(Editor’s Note: Since the 2013 convention will feature returning champions, I did a bit of research to find out just which Short Wings have been named grand champions of the conventions. While some of them have changed hands, at least two of them went to current members. Some of the owners of the champions have let their membership lapse since their awards were given, but a lot of them are still in the club. Here’s your list:)
The first grand champion named at a convention was evidently N2519P, a Pacer owned by Richard Zukowitz, in 1986. Current owner is Dean Dayton
Others are as follows:
1987 N2216A, a PA-22 owned by Ken Kellogg
1988, N4597Z, a Colt owned by Wayne Richert
1989 and 1990, N2381P, a PA-22 owned by Noel Gouldsmith (in 1989 it won Best Restored, the top prize)
1991, N5796H, a PA-16 Clipper owned by Mitch Freitag (destroyed in fatal crash)
1992, N3301Z, a PA-22/20 owned by Jim and Jerry Brown
1993, N4186H, a PA-15 Vagabond owned by Mark Kaufman
1994, N4307H, a PA-15 Vagabond owned by Paul and Joan Goad
1995, N3373A, a PA-22/20 owned by Frank Sperandeo, which was rebuilt again and won again in 2002
1996, N4742Z, a Colt owned by Wicks Aircraft
1997, N6929D, a PA-22 owned by Wayne Haub. Current owner is Dave Sterling
1998, N2848P, a PA-22 owned by Kenny Brown and his partner at the time, Joe Fleeman
1999, N5351Z, a Colt owned by Scott Brunner
2000, N9803D, a PA-22 owned by Bill Miles
2001, N6937K, a PA-20 owned by John & Belinda Hudec
2002, Miss Pearl again
2003, N3915P, a PA-22/20 owned by Ralph & Sherri Smith
2004, N5834H, a PA-16 Clipper, Red Lady, owned by Gilbert & Barbara Pierce
2005, N5191Z, a Colt owned by Drew & Jim Jenkins
2006, N2641A, a PA-22 owned by Stanley Chrobak, restored by Doug and Dan Stewart, and flown by Frans Verlaeckt
2007, N7429K, a PA-20 owned by Ed and Elise Holt
2008, N4612H, a Vagabond owned by Jim and Beth Hudgin
2009, N33144A, a PA-22 owned by Rick and Carroll Michalek
2010, NC4643H, a Vagabond owned by Don Seifert
2011, N8113D, a PA-22/20 owned by Dave Hedditch
2012, N5393H, a PA-16 Clipper owned by Roni MacPherson