Aeronca Champion 7AC

I knew he was a gunner in the B–25 Mitchell during World War II, but he had never told me that he had dreamed of learning to fly. In fact, it wasn’t until the end of his life when he asked me to write his obituary (I said, “Daddy, I can’t until we have the lead…” and it’s something I still regret) that I learned of his early flight lessons. He said he always wished I had finished my flight lessons, as he never did his. Ah. Regret. But it means I have a special place in my heart for the Aeronca Champ.

Officially the Aeronca Champion 7AC, the aircraft was designed by Ray Hermes in 1944 to take on the reigning trainer of the time, the Piper Cub. And after the war, it was thought that there would be a great need for more trainers when the boys came home. Hermes designed the single-engine high-wing taildragger to compensate for some of the failings of the Cub: He moved the pilot to the front of the tandem-seat aircraft, which made flying easier and visibility much greater. The Champ was a success, and from its first flight until it ceased production in 1951, 7,200 were produced between 1945 and 1948. In 1946 alone, Aeronca produced up to 50 Champs a day.

Today, Champs can be flown by sport pilots without the need for a medical certificate or BasicMed, making it a great choice for pilots who just want to hand-prop the engine and enjoy some local flying time.

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