TAILWHEEL ADVENTURES LLC· ICAO24 a6d505· last seen 8d ago

N53959 is a Bellanca 7GCBC Citabria, a single-engine piston aircraft operated by TAILWHEEL ADVENTURES LLC. SkyMeter has tracked 1,096 flights totalling 843 hours of airtime via ADS-B across 2 callsigns. The most frequent segment is FA83 to KLEE. Service window in our records spans 412 days. Of those flights, 98 (8.9%) carry at least one detected incident: a go-around, unstable approach, stall warning, or runway excursion. The Bellanca 7GCBC Citabria has a 34 ft wingspan, a maximum takeoff weight of 1,800 lb.

About the Bellanca 7GCBC Citabria

The Aviat Husky is a rugged two-seat taildragger purpose-built for backcountry flying, where short unimproved strips, mountain terrain, and demanding off-airport operations are the norm. Introduced in 1987 by Christen Industries and later produced by Aviat Aircraft in Afton, Wyoming, the Husky evolved from the Piper Super Cub concept but with a steel-tube fuselage, composite cowling, and modern systems. The A-1C-180 variant pairs a 180-horsepower Lycoming O-360 with a constant-speed propeller, delivering exceptional short-field performance and a useful load around 850 pounds: enough for two adults, camping gear, and fuel for remote exploration.

What sets the Husky apart is its combination of rugged construction and genuine STOL capability. With a stall speed below 45 knots and oversized tires as standard, it routinely operates from gravel bars, tundra, and mountain ridges where few certificated aircraft dare venture. The tandem seating provides excellent visibility for both occupants, critical when scouting landing zones or navigating tight valleys. Large Fowler flaps and responsive controls make it forgiving at slow speeds, while the airframe tolerates the punishment of rough-field landings season after season. Pilots prize the Husky for Alaska bush flying, backcountry recreation, pipeline and powerline patrol, and wildlife survey work where access trumps speed.

The type remains in production today, with Aviat offering multiple engine options and a range of factory customizations for mission-specific roles. Its reputation for reliability and capability has made it a fixture at backcountry fly-ins and a trusted tool for operators who need to reach places helicopters find expensive and wheeled aircraft find impossible. SkyMeter has tracked flights across airframes and operators, with the largest observed operator.

FLIGHTS
1,096
all time
FLOWN HOURS
843
tracked time
📍
AIRPORTS VISITED
37
unique
📡
CALLSIGNS
2
68 routes
📅
SERVICE PERIOD
05/28/2025 → 07/15/2026
first → last
INCIDENT RATE
8.9%
98 flagged

Top routes

By flight count

10
66
36
FA83 X23
30
X55 KLEE
23
FA83 X55
15
X55 X23
11
9
KLEE X23
6
6
X23 KLEE
5

Flight numbers

Most-flown by this airframe

2

Aircraft specifications

Bellanca 7GCBC Citabria

Engines
Single Piston
Vref (approach)
56 kt
MTOW
1,800 lb
Wingspan
34 ft
Length
22 ft
Wake category
Light

Recent flights

Newest 50 operations of N53959

50
07/09/2026
42m
△ Low approach-stability score
07/06/2026
1h 11m
△ Low approach-stability score
07/02/2026
41m
△ Low approach-stability score
06/27/2026
38m
△ Low approach-stability score
06/25/2026
1h 22m
△ Low approach-stability score
06/24/2026
53m
△ Low approach-stability score
06/23/2026
32m
△ Low approach-stability score
06/22/2026
50m
△ Low approach-stability score
06/21/2026
1h 29m
△ Low approach-stability score
06/19/2026
1h 15m
△ Low approach-stability score
06/17/2026
1h 24m
△ Low approach-stability score
06/17/2026
2h 6m
△ Low approach-stability score
06/17/2026
57m
△ Low approach-stability score
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