I read The Cannibal Queen a few years ago, and thought it was pretty good. I still think so. But when I picked up the books-on-tape version ("as read by the author") to play in the car, was it every awful! Coonts' stream-of-consciousness style really grated (not to mention his accent). Stick to the printed version!
Other (and arguably better) I-fly-a-Stearman books are:
(1) Alan Lopez, Biplane Odessey: Flying the Stearman to Every U.S. State and Canadian Province in North America;
(2) Jim Doyle, Flying Through Time: A Journey into History in a World War II Biplane; and
(3) Gus McLeod, Solo to the Top of the World.