1946 Aeronca 7AC “Champ”

The Aeronca 7AC “Champ” was designed in 1944 by Ray Hermes. Ray started the design by listing everything he disliked about the popular Piper Cub. Working down the list, he finished up with what came to be known as the Aeronca 7AC. Unlike the Cub, it can be soloed from the front seat, has good visibility while on the ground, and is quite fast for a 65 horsepower aircraft. With a production run of just over 8100 airplanes, the original Aeronca “Champ” was and still is a favorite among pilots, both young and old. This Aeronca Champ was restored from the ground up in 2003 by the young staff at PTAM. It is flown regularly by our young pilots as a primary trainer.

Gift of Jerry and Peggy Thuotte.