He is survived by his wife, Holly, daughter Allison Dymacek, (Scott), and grandson Gideon, as well as an older brother, Gary and sisters Cheryl and Rebecca.
Ernie learned to fly as a teenager, and continued as a professional corporate and airline pilot, retiring from Airborne Express. He was also a U.S. Air Force Air Guard pilot.
He and his father and brother, owned, restored and flew a variety of light airplanes, and Ernie built and flew a Baby Great Lakes biplane. He purchased his Jungmann, N289BU, (E3B-348), in 1984, and flew it almost 40 years. He hangared it and a Chipmunk project at Hook Field, Middletown, OH.
In the 90’s, he and his Jungmann were the color cover photo for an issue Trade-A-Plane.
In one of those amazing aviation coincidences, Ernie had looked at buying a Swiss Jungmann in 1980…which turned out to be the very same airplane that I bought in 2007. When I showed him the disassembled Bücker in my hangar at Hook Filed, he mentioned that he has seen it in a chicken coop in Rolla, Missouri almost thirty years prior!
Ernie was an expert on the Tigre engine and keeping his Jungmann flying. He was always willing to help me with my Tigre. He had me practice pattern work in his Jungmann, prior to the test flight of my own. A kind and generous man.
I’ll miss him and am thankful for our friendship.
~John LaBarre
