By Angela Satterlee
Some airplanes become famous because of speed or records. Others become legendary because of the people whose lives they touch.
The 1976 Steen Skybolt, N56JD, better known as Rainbow Rider, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year after making the trip back to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, where its remarkable story continues.
Built by Mike Huffman and Mallie Norton in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Skybolt first flew on July 12, 1976. A few years later, Huffman met entertainer and aviation enthusiast John Denver, who had been looking for a Skybolt of his own. Denver purchased the airplane in 1979, and is believed to be the one who christened it Rainbow Rider.
He flew the colorful biplane for several years, featuring it in his television special The Higher We Fly and the EAA film Wings on Dreams, making the aircraft recognizable to aviation enthusiasts around the world.
After Denver sold the airplane to a friend of Huffman’s in Tulsa, Rainbow Rider passed through several owners and was eventually damaged. Dick and Barb Keil of Naples, Florida, later acquired the aircraft and spent years painstakingly restoring it to flying condition. They installed new lower wings and longer landing gear while carefully preserving the original paint scheme designed during John Denver’s ownership.
When Dick died, Barb wanted to make sure the airplane would go to someone who understood its history and significance. That person was Chuck “Charlie” Dignan Jr.
Charlie, a Colorado-based pilot with more than 20 years of experience in flight instruction, air ambulance, airline, and business aviation, first came across Rainbow Rider while casually browsing Barnstormers.com for a recreational airplane and was instantly drawn to it.
“They spent years restoring it piece by piece to the original paint job,” Charlie said. “It would’ve been much easier to start over, but they brought it back to the same condition and the same vibe as John Denver intended.”
Because Charlie shared Denver’s Colorado roots and deeply appreciated the airplane’s history, Barb believed he was the right person to continue its legacy. After purchasing the aircraft, Charlie flew it home to Colorado.
“It kind of put up a fight when I first showed up,” Charlie said. “They had restored it, but it hadn’t been flying. Once I started flying that first 10 hours, it had some little bugs to work out for sure … but crossing that Colorado border, everything gelled.”
This week, Charlie brought Rainbow Rider back to Oshkosh, arriving Wednesday to celebrate the airplane’s 50th anniversary with the EAA community.
“It’s a huge responsibility for one, but it’s also a great honor,” Charlie said.
The airplane’s story is also reaching a new audience through a documentary currently in production. Charlie’s longtime friend, filmmaker Michael Bud, is directing Rainbow Rider, which follows the aircraft’s incredible history and the people whose lives have been shaped by it.
Fifty years after its first flight, Rainbow Rider continues to inspire aviation enthusiasts, proving that some airplanes become much more than machines.