WHO WE ARE
We operate a fully restored Boeing A75 biplane offering heritage rides across Southwest Missouri. Our mission is to reintroduce the magic of flight to another generation. There’s nothing quite like flying in an open cockpit biplane. For an aviation enthusiast it’s a lifetime experience second to none. Click here to learn more about our rides and rates. We also love giving back to our local veterans through our Rides for Vets program. Are you a serviceman or woman? Click here for more information.
BARNSTORMER HISTORY
Imagine a time before the routine sounds of jet air traffic and interstate highways – a time when biplanes and steam locomotives were modern technology. Just as many farmers still plowed with a mule team as opposed to a tractor. Modern machinery was still emerging, and airplanes were the cutting edge. The pilots who flew them? They were simply thought of as daredevils. Many of them tried to earn a living in their flying machines by flying coast to coast, field to field thrilling crowds across the nation with their aerial antics and selling rides to anyone brave enough to climb aboard. They became known as “barnstormers”, appropriate when considering the sound of their thunderous radial engines flying low over American farmland. Their legacy has turned mostly to legend now after more than 100 years has passed.
Our mission at Branson Barnstormer is to reintroduce the magic of flight to another generation aboard our open-cockpit biplane in the same way riders experienced the thrill almost 100 years ago. We fly an authentic and fully restored award-winning Boeing Stearman biplane that was originally used to train servicemen for combat missions in WW2. Visit our Rides and Rates page to plan your moment in history today.
ABOUT OUR STEARMAN BIPLANE "Miss Beamer"
Name and Designation
​
We operate a 1941 A75-N1 biplane manufactured by the Stearman Aircraft Division of Boeing. Pilots simply call it a “Stearman”, and the airplane is legendary amongst aviation enthusiasts for its rugged construction and reliability. The military designation of the airplane is a PT-17 (“PT” for primary trainer). The marketing nickname for the PT-17 was "Kaydet", a play on "cadet" in honor of the men for whom it was built to train. So what about the name "Miss Beamer"? We'd better leave that story for our pilot to tell if he's willing, but let's just say it's a story of love at first sight.
​
Airframe and Engine
​
The Stearman was originally designed in the mid 1930s to serve as a primary trainer for the US Army Air Corps and the US Navy. It was made to handle the abuse of daily training activities, and is constructed of a tube steel fuselage with wooden wings reinforced by steel strengthening wires and a jungle gym of aluminum struts. After the war years, Stearman biplanes were surplussed from military service and routinely outfitted with hoppers in the front cockpit and used as crop dusters. Their rugged construction and simplicity made them ideal for agricultural service. The Stearman is powered by a 7-cylinder radial engine built by Continental that produces 220 horsepower. These engines were used on airplanes, tanks and landing craft during the war years, which makes parts availability plentiful even today.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
History of "Miss Beamer"​
​
Our airplane began her life on March 8, 1941 when she entered service in the Army Air Corps at Maxwell Field in Montgomery, Alabama training WW2 cadets to fly in combat. She flew 1,042 hours and over 1,000 estimated primary military training flights before the war's end. After the war, she was sold into civilian service and converted for use as a crop duster. After 41 years of constant flying, the airplane was in need of restoration. She was crated up and put away in 1982. Six years later, Air Force serviceman, engineer, mechanic and expert restoration artist Ken Fryling purchased the airplane and began the 27-year process of her restoration. Tragically, Ken passed away in March of 2015 just months from completion. Inspired by Ken’s love of the airplane and years of devotion to the aircraft, his friends and family saw the final details of the project finished later that year, and the airplane was once again declared airworthy by the FAA in late summer of 2015. It was restored to its original Army Air Corps military paint scheme. Two years later she was flown to the world’s largest airshow, EAA Airventure, where Ken’s work won 2nd place overall in the WW2 trainer category. This was no small accomplishment, and a worthy honor for two veterans - both the airplane, and builder.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Today the airplane is operated by Branson Barnstormer over the beautiful lakes and hills of the Ozarks, and her mission would very much please Ken. True to her roots, she is introducing another generation to the magic of flight – barnstormer style!
ABOUT THE PILOT
Nate Leming has been flying since childhood and is a licensed flight instructor and commercial airline captain with command type ratings in four Boeing jets among other manufacturers. He has an extensive background in aviation training, is a published author, has written multiple curricula for airline training programs and is currently an instructor / evaluator training and checking major airline pilots in domestic and international flight operations. He has circumnavigated the globe east and westbound and flown into more than 40 countries including combat zones like Afghanistan. He learned from his dad, and his grandpa built airplanes. He’s been flying professionally for more than 20 years, and has logged well over 10,000 flight hours. He tells us that in all of those years and airplanes, His favorite flying is for Branson Barnstormer in our Boeing biplane (owned by Saint Aviation Ministry LLC).
