Ted
Aviation
Historian
Businger by Dale Glossenger (EAA 189173, AlC 9467) 70185 Beach Drive Edwardsburg, MI 49112 As most of us know, some men and women were born and fated to become pilots; others, the good people who re ligiously tend the winged machines, and some, bless their hearts and souls, are dedicated to recording the facts, feats and follies of the aforementioned people. One such gentleman is Ted Businger (EAA 93833,AlC 2333), Rt. 2, Box 280, Willow Springs, MO 65793, now retired but still active in his role as a self-taught historian of sorts. I recently had the privilege of spend ing a couple of days with Ted and his wife at their modest home. Willow Springs is deep in the Mark Twain Forest in the Ozarks and boasts many, many beautiful natural points of interest. Ted , born in 1923 in Wichita, KS , at tended several grade schools before his family settled down in Solon, Ohio Gust southeast of Cleveland) , and it was here Ted became interested in photo graphy and recording flying machines
Photo by Dale Glossenger
Ted Businger, holding one of the hun dreds of items he had collected and pre served relating to aircraft and flying. The book shelves behind Ted are lined with photo albums full of aircraft photos.
and flying events on film . Not on a grand scale at the outset, but a beginning . He first attended a National Air Race at Cleveland in 1929 and later at the 1932 Cleveland Air Races he took photos of Jim Haizlip's Wedell-Williams racer with a camera he had borrowed from his grandfather. A few years later and with little fan fare, Ted started taking flying lessons from a friend , Lou Melter, at the Solon airport. Ted learned quickly and was well on his way in his efforts to master the art of flying . However, with the grand total of 10 hours of dual under his belt, Ted 's family learned of his flying and immediately an aunt put her foot down and demanded that Ted continue his flying career under the auspices of her husband who was also a flight in structor. Now up to this point things seemed to be going well for Ted but that was short-lived. About two dual hours later under the tutorship of the uncle, Ted was primed, ready and officially named a candidate for solo flight and was cere moniously introduced to a Monocoupe 110 Special as the ship he was to solo in.
Ted Buslnger Collection
The Hopkins & Meade Sport; San Diego circa 1928. Hopkins and Meade were Navy people and apparently were trying to get Into the Naval aircraft business. Note the holes in the lower part of the fuselage; these were for the pilot to reach the rudder pedals. 8 MARCH 1986