Stephen “Chappie” Chapis's passion for aviation began in 1975 at Easton-Newnam Airport. Growing up building models and reading aviation magazines, he attended Oshkosh '82 and took his first aerobatic ride in 1987. His photography career began in 1990, leading to nearly 140 articles for Warbird Digest and other aviation magazines. His book, "ALLIED JET KILLERS OF WORLD WAR 2," was published in 2017.
Stephen has been an EMT for 23 years and served 21 years in the DC Air National Guard. He credits his success to his wife, Germaine.
On October 24, 1977, Darryl Greenamyer set a world speed record in a homebuilt F-104. In 2012, Stephen Chapis spoke with Darryl about the record that still stands. […]
With the recent announcement that the Warbird Heritage Foundation’s Goodyear FG-1D Corsair was being put up for sale, we examine the life of this stunning warbird. […]
On June 14, 2021, the NF-16D Variable In-Flight Simulator Aircraft (VISTA) was officially redesignated as the X-62A. Stephen Chapis shares the story behind this change. […]
In recent years there has been a push to recognize individuals under 40 years old for their contributions to the warbird community. The most prominent program is the Warbirds 20 under 40, which was originally […]
With “The Other First Man,” we launch a series of articles called Flight Test Files dedicated to the captivating stories of aeronautical advancements pioneered first by NACA and later by NASA over the years. The […]