Silk Wings Aviation WACO Biplanes

Aviation’s Golden Age occurred from the late 1920s until the late 1930s, a time when aerodynamics, engine technologies, and electronic navigation systems made the leap from the trial-and-error developments of early pioneers to mature science. Indeed, many of the world’s most glamorous, most admired, and most important airplane types were developed in that Golden decade. Revolutionary advances in speed, range, payload, and safety were realized in new airplane designs that pleased the eye with sleek sophistication and elegant beauty. Of all the personal aircraft designs ever produced, one of the most desirable and sought after, then and now, is the WACO biplane. Considered by many to be the most beautiful biplane designs ever built, the WACO YMF captured the romance and adventure of the 1920s with a Golden Age flair. Pilots of the time appreciated the YMF for its strength, speed, payload, flying qualities, and classic, graceful appearance, qualities that are as timeless and enduring as they are endearing. Today, at airports, airshows, and aviation events around the world, the sight of a WACO biplane always draws admiring crowds of pilots, enthusiasts, and people from all walks of life. Truly, the WACO biplane is a unique and special treasure among aviation’s legendary airplanes.

Today’s pilots dream of flying beautiful, rare, and historic aircraft such as the WACO, and it was just such a dream that inspired the founders of WACO Classic Aircraft Corporation to resurrect the wonderful YMF design and resume factory production of brand-new, FAA-certificated WACO biplanes. Begun in 1983, the WACO Classic Aircraft Corporation builds new WACO YMF biplanes that are faithful to the original design, yet incorporate numerous improvements and modernizations. The result is one of the most desirable personal aircraft available at any price. Pilots who know love the YMF for its historic pedigree, its uniqueness, its sheer beauty, and especially for the pure fun and adventure of flying it. From the distinctive, unmistakable rumble of its 7-cylinder Jacobs radial engine, to the joy of riding in its open cockpit, to the pleasure of owing an airplane in which each and every component is meticulously crafted by a handful of world-class artisans, there is no other airplane available today that delivers the sense of romance and daring that are the essence of aviation’s Golden Age with the practicality of a newly-manufactured aircraft.

While the WACO Classic YMF-5 is prized and much-loved by aviation enthusiasts, the special romantic appeal of the WACO combined with its modern reliability and factory support have made it a successful aircraft for aerial tour operators. From Africa to Hawaii to Japan and across the USA, the fantastic experience of a WACO biplane flight has become the highlight of vacations and photo albums for thousands of tourists while giving operators a unique advantage in their respective markets.