Big Red
Super Stearman Biplane
Local pilot Susan Dacy takes the skies in Big Red. Her roaring Super Stearman biplane brings vintage barnstorming aerobatics — loops, rolls, and hammerheads.
Performance Schedule
Performance details and schedule coming soon. Check back for times and viewing information for Big Red.
About Big Red
Susan Dacy's Big Red brings the golden age of aviation back to life. Flying her restored Super Stearman biplane, she performs a classic barnstorming routine filled with loops, rolls, hammerheads, and graceful aerobatic maneuvers that showcase the skill and precision of early airshow pilots. The deep roar of the radial engine and the bright red biplane overhead recreate the sights and sounds audiences experienced nearly a century ago.
More than just aerobatics, the performance celebrates aviation history. Originally a World War II trainer, Big Red now soars in exhibition flight, demonstrating how these historic aircraft once introduced generations of pilots to flight. Susan’s routine blends nostalgia with excitement, offering a close look at the aircraft handling and stick-and-rudder flying that defined early airshows.
About the Pilot
Susan Dacy grew up around airplanes at her family's airport in Harvard, Illinois, where she fueled aircraft and worked in the office long before she ever took the controls. As a teenager she began restoring a Stearman of her own, spending spare hours bringing the aircraft back to life — the same airplane she still flies today as Big Red.
She went on to earn a degree in Aviation Operations and Systems along with her aircraft mechanic certificates, eventually flying everything from pipeline patrol and commuter routes to international airline service. Susan retired as an American Airlines Boeing 787 Captain with more than 39,000 flight hours.
Today she shares her love of aviation through airshows, performing in one of the few flying biplanes operated by a female pilot and the only woman flying a Super Stearman in airshow exhibition. Her performances honor the pilots and aircraft that inspired her to fly in the first place.
Big Red Photo Gallery
