the palm trees at the end of the runway. Upon landing at Natal, Brazil, we found palm leaves in the landing gear. Note: Dick sent along some other personal experiences which we will print in another issue. * * * * * * * * * * * * Ed Boqua didn't have anything unusual to report about his first flight but his crew list was interesting. "My first trip on the line was from Los Angeles to Albuquerque on Ford Trimoter #9606. "Captain L. J. Chiapprino--- Copilot and Flight Attendant E. Z. Boqua". * * * * * * * * * * * * From Bob Gwin: Did you know department: Captain Jim Wheeler and Jack Miller from Idlewild took three DC-3's over to Turkey in 1946. In December 1946, I replaced Mr, Miller for maintenance training of the Turkish mechanics and operations for the pilots, mostly engine icing and engine operation. Jim Wheeler checked out nineteen Captains and qualified them for instrument flying, all over Turkey and once a week to Athens and later They had a total of thirty three DC-3's - actually Cairo, three DC-3's from USA and thirty C-47's from sales in Germany and Cairo. I set up maintenance training on the DC-3's for Mr. Miller was to return in six months fifty Turkish mechanics. and did so, coming home to twin babies. We also had a radio operator to help set up the "range" that was being installed by Westinghouse. We all returned to the USA in December of 1947. Bob's most interesting flight was on a trip from Cairo-CyprusAdana, Turkey-Bab el Hawa, Syria on December 22, 1942. At Accra, Africa, November 1942, many crews were checked out in C-87's (B-24 Bomber cargo planes) under the direction of Chick Fredricks, Chief Pilot. Larry Trimble checked out December 9, 1942 in airplane #11675, Accra to Accra, 2:30. On December 18, President Roosevelt sent TWA ICD a message to have a crew return a B-24 bomber to Turkey from Cyprus. A crew was made up in Accra composed of Captain Cliff Dombroski, FO Joe Grant, SO Ray Jennings, F/E Bob Gwin, Navigator Fred Ellis and RO John Lane. We went to Cairo via PAA Military, Accra, Kano, Khartoum to Cairo. Colonel McCalley was in charge of the American military at Cairo. The next day we were flown over to the Canal Zone for a nose wheel tire and some hydraulic fluid that was needed for the B-24 which was at Cypress. We left the Zone and flew up to Cypress. The B-24 was looked over and inspected TARPA TALES
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