An Old Airplane Gets a Familiar New Owner

A ‘hangar boy’ who was paid in chicken sandwiches grows up to buy the airplane he helped care for.

Meg Godlewski

Wednesday, July 27, 2022 at 10:47 AM ET

Verified

Dean Del Bene, the aircraft's original owner (right), with new owner Mark Riedel. [Photo: Meg Godlewski]

Key Takeaways:

Dean Del Bene owned and meticulously maintained a 1937 Stinson SR-9C, a vintage "ROUTE TRAINER" aircraft, for over 40 years, highlighting the constant care required for such planes.
He mentored a young Mark Riedel, who helped him care for the Stinson and frequently expressed his desire to eventually own the aircraft himself.
Years later, Riedel, now an American Airlines pilot, purchased the Stinson from Del Bene, becoming its new "caretaker" and discreetly upgrading it with modern avionics while preserving its historical appearance.

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One of the best parts of attending EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, is catching up with people whom you have known over the years—for me, one of those people is Dean Del Bene from Chicago, Illinois. When I met Del Bene many years ago, he was the owner and pilot of a 1937 Stinson SR-9C painted in the vintage colors of American Airlines. The words “ROUTE TRAINER” were emblazoned on the side as this aircraft was used to train pilots.

According to Del Bene, the aircraft was used for instrument training and route qualification as simulators, as we know them today, were decades away from development. Airline pilots were required to get “route qualified,” which meant knowing every airport within 50 miles of their route.