VAN WAGNER AERIAL MEDIA LLC· ICAO24 a4de6e· last seen 2d ago

N41236 is a Piper PA-18, a single-engine piston aircraft operated by VAN WAGNER AERIAL MEDIA LLC. SkyMeter has tracked 64 flights totalling 154 hours of airtime via ADS-B. The most frequent segment is KHWO to KHWO. Service window in our records spans 33 days. Of those flights, 8 (12.5%) carry at least one detected incident — go-around, unstable approach, stall warning, or runway excursion. The Piper PA-18 has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,750 lb, light wake category.

About the Piper PA-18

The Piper PA-18 Super Cub is one of general aviation's most beloved and enduring designs, a fabric-covered taildragger that first flew in 1949 and remained in continuous production until 1994. Built as an evolution of the earlier J-3 Cub, the Super Cub added a more powerful engine (typically 150 hp), flaps, and a strengthened airframe, transforming a gentle trainer into a genuine workhorse capable of bush flying, glider towing, pipeline patrol, and aerial advertising. Its short-field performance is legendary—takeoff rolls under 200 feet and climb rates exceeding 1,000 feet per minute made it the aircraft of choice for Alaska bush pilots, backcountry adventurers, and anyone needing to operate from unimproved strips, sandbars, and mountain ridges.

The Super Cub's slow-flight handling is equally remarkable, with a stall speed around 38 knots in landing configuration and docile characteristics throughout the envelope. This makes it ideal for banner towing, where pilots must hook and release advertising banners at low altitude and slow speed—a mission that demands precision, visibility, and forgiveness. The tandem seating, large windows, and high wing provide excellent sightlines, while the rugged landing gear absorbs the punishment of rough-field operations. Thousands were built for military liaison and observation roles (designated L-18 and L-21), and the type saw service in conflicts from Korea to Vietnam.

Today the Super Cub enjoys a thriving second life in both restored originals and modern recreations. CubCrafters and American Legend produce factory-new variants with modern avionics and powerplants, while the used market remains strong for vintage airframes. The PA-18's combination of STOL capability, simplicity, and sheer flying joy has made it an icon—equally at home on Alaskan glaciers, Midwestern grass strips, and coastal beaches trailing advertising banners on summer afternoons. SkyMeter has tracked flights across airframes and operators, with the largest observed operator.

FLIGHTS
64
all time
FLOWN HOURS
154
tracked time
📍
AIRPORTS VISITED
5
unique
📡
CALLSIGNS
1
5 routes
📅
SERVICE PERIOD
06/02/2026 → 07/05/2026
first → last
INCIDENT RATE
12.5%
8 flagged

Top routes

By flight count

4
22
2
1
1

Flight numbers

Most-flown by this airframe

1

Aircraft specifications

Piper PA-18

Engines
Single Piston
Vref (approach)
50 kt
MTOW
1,750 lb
Wake category
L

Recent flights

Newest 32 operations of N41236

32
07/05/2026
1h 48m
No alerts
07/04/2026
1h 17m
No alerts
07/04/2026
4h 11m
No alerts
07/03/2026
1h 4m
⛨ TFR entry
07/03/2026
11m
No alerts
07/03/2026
4h 10m
No alerts
06/30/2026
4h 5m
No alerts
06/27/2026
2h 8m
⛨ TFR entry
06/27/2026
4h 4m
No alerts
06/26/2026
2h 6m
No alerts
06/25/2026
2h 3m
No alerts
06/24/2026
4h 5m
⛨ TFR entry
06/23/2026
4h 10m
No alerts
06/22/2026
4h 18m
No alerts
06/19/2026
2h 7m
No alerts
06/18/2026
2h 8m
No alerts
06/15/2026
4h 6m
△ Unstable approach
06/14/2026
2h 7m
No alerts
06/13/2026
2h 2m
No alerts
06/13/2026
2h 11m
No alerts
06/12/2026
2h 12m
No alerts
06/10/2026
21m
No alerts
06/08/2026
4h 8m
No alerts
06/07/2026
1h 42m
△ Unstable approach
06/06/2026
2h 29m
No alerts
06/06/2026
1h 45m
No alerts
06/05/2026
2h 7m
△ Unstable approach
06/05/2026
2h 9m
No alerts
06/04/2026
2h 1m
No alerts
06/03/2026
1h 5m
No alerts
06/02/2026
1h 4m
No alerts
06/02/2026
1h 12m
△ Unstable approach
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