By James Terry Steed, EAA 83905
This story started in August 1938 on a 40-acre cotton field near the Hempstead County line in Southwest Arkansas. My dad was 12 years old and saw a J-3 Cub that was flying on a cross-country trip. Dad made a promise to himself that one day he would own one of those yellow Cubs.
In the period of time until 1952 when I was born, my dad bought five different Cub projects. But, in every case, he had to go back and cancel the deal because my mother was so mad at him for spending their money that way. He simply had the dream and would not let it die. One night in 1965, the whole family was at the dinner table having supper. I asked my dad if it was okay for me to buy a scooter. I told him that I wanted to pay for it by getting a paper route and learning to manage money.
“You don’t want or need one of those motorcycles, but if you leave that idea alone, we will together find a J-3 Cub project that we can rebuild,” he said.
Dad went to work and found NC70935 in Chicago. The gentleman who sold it to us told my dad it was ready to re-cover with fabric and he would deliver it to Arkansas for $650. The money was sent, and the project was delivered with two damaged spars. The seller took those wing panels back to his shop in Chicago to fix them, but we never heard from him again. Dad was just sick and was about to give up and take the project to the dump when he asked a friend to come over to the house and look at the project. With his friend’s help, it took four years to complete the restoration.
A few years later, in 1973, while I was in college, my dad and my uncle, Lloyd Toll, redid the fuselage. In November of that year, my father died without warning. He was 47 when it happened. I was totally lost. I knew that one day I simply had to finish the second restoration in honor of him. I kept saying, “Just give me six more months and I can start.” Then it happened: The love of my life walked by me in the student union at college. This long-haired blonde in a black leather miniskirt and heels looked back over her shoulder and winked at me. We celebrated our 42nd wedding anniversary this last June, and it has really been a glorious ride. Beverly has blessed me with three daughters who have made my life really interesting.
One day about six years ago, my bride said to me, “Why don’t you finish the restoration of your dad’s Cub?” That was all that was needed to be said. I found a shop in 2008 and spent thousands of dollars on the restoration, but the work was substandard. I removed all the work that I paid for from the airframe and started over. This was the best choice for the restoration.
I was lucky enough to get Robbie and Brian Staton at Central Arkansas Aircraft Repair to help me finish the second restoration of my dad’s Cub. The results of our J-3 when it rolled out of the shop were breathtaking. My daughter Shelly told me just after the first flight in 45 years, “Dad, you have been trying to finish Grandpa’s Cub my entire life. Just look, there it is.” I totally lost it.
Robbie wanted the Cub at their booth at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018. I got Dane Pruitt to fly with me on the trip. On Thursday, July 19, at 9:12 a.m., I hit the blue dot on Runway 18 dead center and then taxied into the grass at center stage. The feelings were overwhelming! I had flown Dad’s J-3 Cub to the big show. The week of activity just flew by. On Friday of the show, a golf cart full of judges pulled up in front of the Cub. All of them had grins on their faces, and I was informed that NC70935 was an award-winning vintage airplane.
What a journey it has been to get this memorial to my dad. I am truly blessed beyond belief. I called Beverly and totally lost it. Some of my family was present on Saturday night at the awards presentation. It was humbling to stand in front of my peers and my family and accept a Bronze Lindy for the Best Classic Class l (0-85 hp) aircraft at Oshkosh. For those who helped this miracle to happen, I am so thankful. How do I truly say thanks to everyone for an honor such as this? All I can say is thank you, Lord, for EAA, the Vintage Aircraft Association, my wife, Beverly, and all our family and friends! What a wonderful ride my life has been.
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