Sparky Barnes Sargent
Sparky Barnes Sargent holds a commercial glider certificate with a private pilot single engine land rating. Her father transitioned her to tailwheel flying in his 1946 Aeronca 11AC Chief.
In 2002, she completed a seven-year, ground-up restoration of her 1948 Piper PA-17 Vagabond. The following year, she received the “Lady Antiquer of the Year” award from the Antique Airplane Association in Blakesburg, Iowa, in recognition of her aviation writing and photography.
In 2003, Sparky was selected as a flag bearer for EAA’s “50 Flags to Kitty Hawk” Centennial of Flight event, and flew the Tennessee state flag to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in her Vagabond. The next year, she flew her Vagabond in the North Carolina Vintage Air Tour.
In 2006, Flying Magazine and the EAA selected Sparky as the first female recipient of the Bax Seat Trophy, recognizing her work, which “communicates the excitement and romance of grassroots aviation.”
Sparky’s aviation writing and photography have appeared in national and international publications since 2001, including EAA’s Vintage Airplane, Sport Aviation, and Sport Pilot; Plane & Pilot; Custom Planes; Private Pilot; The Southern Aviator; and General Aviation News. Read about Sparky’s complete aviation bibliography.
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