Issuu

JULY 2011

Mark & Mary White Vero Beach, Florida ■ Mark earned his pilot’s licence at age 17 ■ Mary also has her pilot’s licence ■ EAA Vintage & Antique Aircraft Association members

Mark and Mary purchased the Fleet (1930 Consolidated YPT-6A) as a project back in 2001. They spent the next seven years restoring it and now enjoy flying to various events around Florida. The AUA team provided us top-notch service and a reasonable rate when writing a policy to insure our 1930 Consolidated YPT-6A Fleet. They were very professional and showed a genuine interest in providing coverage for antique and classic aircraft.

Thanks AUA !

— Mark & Mary White

Come see us for a no-obligation quote at our booth during Air Venture Oshkosh, July 25–31. AUA is Vintage Aircraft Association approved. To become a member of VAA call 800-843-3612.

Aviation insurance with the EAA Vintage Program offers: Lower premiums with payment options Q Additional coverages On-line quote request available Q AUA is licensed in all states

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A I R P L A N E Vol. 39, No. 7

2011

J U L Y

CONTENTS 2

Straight & Level Chapter success, the right recipe by Geoff Robison

News

A Waco Kind of Family The Applegate clan and their YKS-6 by Budd Davisson

Flashes of Purple Sparks by Daniel J. Demers

First Regular Airmail Flight

by Lieut. H. Latane Lewis, II

To Follow the Line This was the way I had learned navigation: to follow the line by E. Jeff Justis

The Vintage Mechanic Early fire-extinguishing system by Robert G. Lock

The Vintage Instructor

Vintage flying is very much alive! by Steve Krog, CFI

Mystery Plane by H.G. Frautschy

Classified Ads

Flying Outside the Fishbowl by S. Michelle Souder

STAFF

EAA Publisher Director of EAA Publications Executive Director/Editor Production/Special Project Photography Copy Editor Senior Art Director EAA Chairman of the Board

Rod Hightower Mary Jones H.G. Frautschy Kathleen Witman Jim Koepnick Colleen Walsh Olivia P. Trabbold Tom Poberezny

Publication Advertising: Manager/Domestic, Sue Anderson Tel: 920-426-6127 Email: sanderson@eaa.org Fax: 920-426-4828 Senior Business Relations Mgr, Trevor Janz Tel: 920-426-6809 Email: tjanz@eaa.org

COVERS

FRONT COVER: The Applegates of Queen City, Missouri, use their Waco YKS-6 as the family aerial SUV, happily visiting fly-ins and friends all over the Midwest. Read more about this remarkable aviation family and their favorite cabin biplane in Budd Davissonâ€™s article starting on page 6. EAA/Mike Steineke photo.

Manager/European-Asian, Willi Tacke Phone: +49(0)1716980871 Email: willi@flying-pages.com Fax: +49(0)8841 / 496012

Interim Coordinator/Classified, Alicia Canziani Tel: 920-426-6860 Email: classads@eaa.org

BACK COVER: The EAA Libraryâ€™s Grospitch Collection contains a number of photos that show life on the flightline during the early days of Air Mail and National Air Transport (eventually United Air Lines). Many of the shots like this one were taken at Hadley Airport, in New Jersey (outside of New York City). Men hustle the bags of mail into the mail bin of a Douglas M-3 Mailplane as an apparently happy armed guard watches over the operation. Hadley Field was the first terminus for the eastbound Air Mail. EAA Grospitch Collection, negative number 400.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1

STRAIGHT & LEVEL GEOFF ROBISON PRESIDENT, VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

Chapter success, the right recipe By the time this month’s Vintage Airplane hits your mailbox we will be days away from the start of the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration, known to us all as EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. As I have stated repeatedly in this column, this is yet another year at Oshkosh you do not want to miss. The planning continues to evolve in spectacular fashion. If you haven’t recently visited the convention website, www.AirVenture.org, you really need to check out all the amazing events scheduled for this year’s event. There truly is something for everyone! The monthly work parties at Oshkosh in the Vintage area continue to experience great success. I want to personally thank everyone who has attended and invested their personal resources in assisting us with this always-important task of preparing the site for our annual fly-in and convention. It is impossible for me to imagine how we could possibly accomplish so much progress without the valued assistance of our many pre-convention volunteers. I also look forward to personally welcoming back the hundreds of Vintage volunteers who assist us with all the critical responsibilities that make this event a safe and successful convention each and every year. A few pages ahead in this month’s issue, board director Steve Krog’s Vintage Instructor column takes a break from the traditional form of aviation education to talk about one of the aspects of today’s aviation trends. I mention it here because it’s important to listen to these guys who work in the trenches nearly every day, truly promoting recreational aviation. Steve rightly points out that the nega-

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tive “doom and gloom” that we all read in the GA magazines these days is absolutely the wrong message to expound upon. Relatively speaking, our vintage aircraft are as economical and safe to operate today as they were 50 years ago. Everything in our lives is impacted by the value of our dollar today as compared to yesterday. If you think about the issue in a fair and impartial manner, it really is all relative. Yes, it is more expensive to operate the aircraft I own, but so is driving my automobile. When you do a complete analysis of what’s important in your life, flying will always float to the top as one of my top three things that gives me the most pleasure in life. My very best memories are always going to include family, friends, and flying. Steve’s point of view is the right one. What are we doing individually to help grow the pilot population? Join Steve in selling the “fun” in aviation! Let’s talk Vintage chapters for a minute. What are the key ingredients to creating and then maintaining a Vintage chapter? Every chapter, EAA or otherwise, will experience the normal ebbs and flows of maintaining and attending to the many responsibilities of operating a chapter. If you leave out just one of the most key ingredients of the recipe of a strong chapter, the result will likely leave a bad taste in your mouth. So, the recipe really is a critical factor to be considered. Are you currently in a chapter that is fading or has lost the ability to attract membership? If so, then someone needs to spice up the recipe. You have to figure out what that bad taste is all about. Sometimes, the problem is standing right in front of you, and

no one is willing to address the real issue of what will potentially lead to the demise of that chapter. Sometimes the problem is that it’s the same small crowd of individuals who carry the full burden of operating the chapter, and it is way past the time to “revitalize.” Get your arms around those folks with the energy to help out. Assign some of these individuals some real responsibility; then get out of the way and let them do their thing. They may really surprise you. Remember the recipe. It’s got to be fun, safe, and it better taste good! I do have a bit of news that is of great concern about my immediate predecessor in this volunteer job, Butch Joyce. He’s one of my very best friends, and I’m very sorry to tell you he was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. The tumor was found to be malignant, and the surgical procedure to remove the tumor was less than successful. At the moment, Butch remains hospitalized at Duke University in North Carolina, where he will continue with physical therapy, and radiation and chemotherapy treatments. The only good news we’ve heard related to his illness is that the type of tumor he has can be successfully treated. Butch is well-known in the vintage airplane community; his willingness to pitch in and help his fellow members has been a big part of his life’s story for decades. I would ask that each of you keep Butch and his wife, Norma, and their respective family members, in your prayers. Cards and letters are welcome at their residence; the address is listed in the back of this publication.

VAA NEWS

To help members who fly in to understand the layout of the convention area administered by the VAA, we’ve prepared this simplified map. As you can see, camping starts at Row 74 on the east side of the main north/south road (Wittman Road), with the areas to the north of that line set up to handle display-only vintage aircraft. That’s why you may see open areas as you taxi south to your camping location. Once you arrive, you’ll need to register your aircraft and/or campsite. In addition to roving registration vehicles, there is one main aircraft registration building, located just south of the VAA Red Barn (see map). The EAA convention campgrounds are private campgrounds and are not open to non-EAA members. Each campsite must be registered by a current EAA member. Another immediate benefit of VAA membership is your free VAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2011 Participant Plaque, which you can pick up in the rear of the Red Barn. EAA and VAA memberships are available at both aircraft registration and the membership booth located under the VAA Welcome Arch, northeast of the Red Barn at the corner of Wittman Road and Vern Avenue as well as inside the Red Barn. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

Find Your Favorite Presentations and Workshops Online With hundreds of the world’s leading aviation authorities giving close to 1,000 individual presentations at nearly 45 locations spread throughout the AirVenture grounds, finding out who is presenting, where, and when can be, in a word, challenging. The EAA AirVenture website has an online tool that can make this task simple when you use the integrated AirVenture schedule. Located at www.AirVenture.org under “Attractions” and then under “Activities, Presentations & Workshops,” the database includes all the venues, subjects and topics, presenters, and events from not only Forums and Workshops, but also Warbirds in Review, KidVenture, Museum Speakers Showcase, Authors Corner, Theater in the Woods, special “at the aircraft” presentations on ConocoPhillips Plaza, and more. If it’s scheduled, you’ll find it here. In addition, the web schedule is updated on a daily basis to reflect any changes or additions that might occur at the last minute. You can even create your own itinerary of various events of interest. You can save or print it out for future reference. A quick link to this new schedule is www.AirVenture.org/schedule.

Fabric-Covering Workshop Last month we mentioned that Superflite covering systems would be presenting covering workshops in the VAA area. Changes in the company’s plans have required it to cancel its presentations in the tent near the Vintage Hangar. To learn more about fabric covering, we recommend visiting the AirVenture workshops area, supported by Aircraft Spruce & Specialty. It’s located north of the FAA control tower in the Workshops Plaza area.

Flight Planning for Your EAA AirVenture Trip As an EAA member (an impor-

4 JULY 2011

tant part of your VAA membership), you can use the EAA Flight Planner to chart your trip to Wittman Field for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2011. Just click on the EAA Flight Planner link on the left side of the VAA home page at www.VintageAircraft.org, or access it through the members’ only section of EAA’s online community at www.Oshkosh365.org.

Grass Runways and Fuel Also on our VAA website, we publish a list created by VAA member Kris Kortokrax. Kris flies a variety of old biplanes that are more pleasant to fly when they are flown from grass strips, and he and his buddies from Shelbyville, Illinois, do their best to keep the old biplanes happy (and keep tire wear to a minimum) by flying cross-country from grass strip to grass strip. Finding fuel facilities can be a challenge these days, and Kris has distilled this airport information to be useful for like-minded grass-runway-preferring pilots. This data was current as of the beginning of the year, and we’d suggest calling ahead to confirm fuel availability and hours of operation. If you have any changes or additions, drop us an e-mail here at VintageAircraft@ eaa.org and we’ll forward it to Kris. Our thanks to Kris for sharing his list. Let us know if you find it useful!

service to EAA members for whatever donation you feel is appropriate.

Breakfast and a Briefing The VAA Tall Pines Café will be in operation again this year with an expanded schedule prior to convention, and fly-in-style pancake and egg breakfasts during EAA AirVenture. Starting on Friday morning, July 22, and continuing through Sunday, July 24, the VAA Tall Pines Café will be open for breakfast (6:30-9:30 a.m.) and dinner (4:30-7:30 p.m.). Starting Monday, July 25, only breakfast will be served at the Tall Pines Café (6:309:30 a.m.) through Saturday, July 30. Just to the north, a Flight Service Station (FSS) trailer will be located near the café. At the trailer you’ll be able to check the weather for your flight and obtain a full briefing from FSS specialists without having to trek up to the FAA Building near the control tower. We’ll see you there each morning for “breakfast and a briefing.”

Are You a Friend of the VAA Red Barn?

VAA’s Portable Electronics Charging Station Do your rechargeable personal electronics like your cellphone or computer go dead before AirVenture’s over? VAA has the solution to your problem! Immediately west of the VAA Red Barn we will be providing the ability to revitalize those indispensable cellphones, computers, iPods, etc. Turn off your item and bring it and its 120V AC charger to our charging station. Leave it with the attendant—we’ll give you a claim check. Bring back the claim check in a few hours and receive your equipment all charged up and ready to go. VAA and its volunteers are providing this

If so, be sure to check in at the information desk at the VAA Red Barn. There, we’ll issue you a special name badge. We can also point out the location for the Ford TriMotor rides. If you have any questions, feel free to ask for Theresa Books, the VAA administrative assistant. If you need to reach her in advance of your arrival, call her at EAA headquarters, 920-426-6110. Our thanks to each of you who have contributed to the VAA Friends of the Red Barn 2011 campaign. We’ll have the list of contributors in the September edition of Vintage Airplane!

VAA Message Center If you would like to leave a message for people you know who frequent the VAA Red Barn, stop by the information desk. You can write them a message in our “notebook on a string,” and we’ll post their name on the marker board so they’ll know there’s a message waiting for them. Sure, cellphones and walkie-talkies are great, but sometimes nothing works better than a hand-scribbled note!

VAA Picnic Tickets for the annual VAA picnic to be held Wednesday, July 27, at the Nature Center will be available for sale at the VAA Red Barn. Tickets must be p u rc h a s e d i n a d v a n c e s o w e know how much food to order. The delicious meal will be served from 5:30 p.m. until approximately 7 p.m. If you need transportation, trams will begin leaving the VAA Red Barn around 5 p.m. and will make return trips after the picnic. Type clubs may hold their annual banquets during the picnic. Call Jeannie Hill (815-245-4464), and she will reserve seating so your type club can sit together.

Shawano Fly-Out The annual fly-out to Shawano is Saturday, July 30. The sign-up sheet will be at the desk at the VAA Red Barn, and the briefing will be at 7 a.m. the morning of the flyout. The community of Shawano, approximately an hour north of Oshkosh (as the Cub flies), puts forth a lot of effort to sponsor this event. Shawano’s residents do a great job of hosting us, and we hope you’ll help us thank Shawano by joining us on the flight.

VAA Red Barn Store The VAA Red Barn Store, chockfull of VAA logo merchandise and other great gear, will be open all week long, Monday through Satcontinued on page 34

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

Wa c o

Kind of Family

6 JULY 2011

The Applegate clan and their YKS-6 BY

BUDD DAVISSON MIKE STEINEKE

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

MIKE STEINEKE

The entire family enjoys flying the Waco all over the Midwest and beyond. The color scheme evokes the colors chosen by Wiley Post for his record-setting Lockheed Vega, the Winnie Mae.

“I

was about 6 years old, and Dad had taken us to a fly-in in Ottumwa, Iowa, in my dad’s TriPacer. We were flying home when we flew up alongside a cabin Waco. My brother took a picture of it, and I looked at that picture for years thinking, ‘I’d sure like to have one of those, but it’s probably just a dream.’ I still have that picture and looked at it often, and remembered the dream.” The speaker, Harve Applegate of Queen City, Missouri, has more than the aforementioned picture to

8 JULY 2011

show for his youthful fascination with things that fly. He now has what he wished for when looking through the window of the family Tri-Pacer so many years ago, a cabin Waco. A YKS-6 to be exact. It’s a little difficult to describe Harve Applegate’s aviation history because to do so, it is absolutely necessary that his dad be brought into the picture. And his mom, who also earned a private pilot certificate. And his wife, Carolyn, who refers to their Cub as “her” Cub. And the three Applegate kids, Taryn (22), Matt (24), and Shalyn (15).

Aviation families are quite common within the sport aviation community, but few have made aviation to be something so consuming and genetic that is passed from generation to generation. Harve says, “I suppose it started with Dad. He was a B-36 crew chief in the Air Force, and when he got out, he used the GI Bill to get a pilot’s license. Eventually he was farming 1,500 acres, so it was only natural that he would put a runway in. Except it wasn’t just a runway. It was an airport in our backyard that was later named Applegate Air-

port. That was in 1964. So, basically we’ve lived on an airport from just about the moment I was born. Now that I think about it, since I was born on the farm, it could be said I was born on an airport.” With that kind of family background, soloing when he turned 16 would be totally expected. However, even his solo indicated that his aviation life was going to be a little different than most folks. “When the day came for me to solo,” he says, “the weather was lousy. In fact, it was below minimums. And I was really bummed.

So was Dad. So, we called the FAA and got a ‘special’ VFR clearance. The last words my instructor said before I took off in the C-152 were, ‘Stay out of the clouds, come around, and land.’ So, I did.” There he was, a certificated pilot and still riding the school bus to his little country school and living the life of a typical high school kid, including going to local fairs. “It was at a local fair right after I graduated that I met Carolyn, and I asked her out for a date. On our second or third date I took her flying in Dad’s Decathlon. I guess that must have impressed her because we got married a year later.” Carolyn says, “He’s such an aviation addict that our honeymoon had us stopping at various airports as we traveled. But, I’ll tell you what. I’d much rather he be out flying or hanging out at airports than out drinking.” And she laughs. She laughs a lot. Often it is at this point in an aviator’s life story that the individual says his flying stopped while he built a business and a family, to be resumed as a later date. Harve, however, managed to sidestep that layoff. For one thing, he essentially lived on an airport, his wife liked flying (she says, “I decided if I couldn’t beat him, I’d join him and started taking flying lessons.”), and he’d grown up banging knuckles working on airplanes. So, where so many young fathers find their aviation career has stagnated, he started building up his own airplanes, the first being a Cessna 170B. “The 170,” he says, “was actually a flying project. To say it was a flying airplane stretches the definition of airplane a little. Yes, it flew and it was a very straight airplane, but it was certainly not an eye-catcher. Carolyn was even a bit taken back at the suggestion of actually purchasing it. Its aluminum looked like an old galvanized tin building, and the interior reeked of mold and mildew. There was nothing good about it other than the straight sheet metal. So, little by little I rebuilt it.

“Because we live barely 40 miles from Blakesburg, getting hooked on vintage airplanes was unavoidable. Dad would take us to lots of fly-ins, including Blakesburg, and from the very beginning, I actually liked vintage airplanes better than he did. And I loved working on them.” Harve’s love of vintage mechanics showed through many years of polishing and restoration of the C-170. It went to Oshkosh for 16 years. At first it was noticed because it looked dreadfully forlorn, but over the years it began to gain more attention and for better reasons. The judges were impressed enough in 2000 to give it the best 170/180 award. Then, it won Grand Champion in its class at the AAA Fly-In at Blakesburg the next year. “First, I have to say that I don’t build airplanes to win trophies, and I don’t go to fly-ins to be judged. I build airplanes to go to fly-ins. Period. We love going to fly-ins and attend at least 15 or 20 a year, and we do it as a family. Eventually, the kids got too big and we out-grew the 170 after putting a little over 1,200 hours on it.” While Harve might say he was building a family, the truth is that Carolyn was the one having the babies and trying to build a career. And her schedule was more than just a little tight: She started college right after Taryn was born and missed her own graduation because she was busy finishing her own homebuilt, Shalyn. Today she puts that diploma to work teaching second grade, while Harve farms 1,500 acres of soybeans and corn. Besides their growing family, another factor driving their need for a bigger airplane is that 24-year-old Matt has special physical needs, and to guarantee his mobility and comfort at air shows means carrying more equipment. Carolyn says, “Matt absolutely lives and breathes fly-ins and air shows. No one on the grounds is more enthusiastic than he is. If we go to a fly-in, he goes. He’s been going to shows with us for so long

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

that he has made a huge number of friends out of the other participants, and that’s good for all of us.” “I was looking for a bigger airplane when a friend of mine told me about a beautiful 195 with a blown engine sitting out on the ramp in Tullahoma, “ Harve says. “I contacted the airport to find out info about the owner. I contacted him and discovered it not only had a bad engine, but the finance company held the note, as the owner was going through bankruptcy. I flew down with my stepfather (who had become a pilot after marrying my mother…dad had died by then), and we looked it over. “I put in a bid and got it. I sold the 170 to a wonderful friend, and fortunately, it stayed at our airport, where it is well tended. We put a new 330 Jake from Radial Engines Limited on the 195, and it won awards at both Oshkosh and Blakesburg, as well. We kept the 195 for three years. But, it still wasn’t a Waco, something I just couldn’t get out of my head. “When I started looking for Wacos,” he says, “like everyone else, I was assaulted by the incredible number of different varieties. But I wasn’t looking for something to rebuild, nor was I looking for a rare variety. I wanted an airplane that would serve our family well. The fact that it would be an incredibly cool antique was just a bonus. Because of that I passed on a lot of projects and focused on airplanes that were flying and needed a minimum of work and could be fairly easily supported. That meant an engine for which parts were plentiful and had a reputation for reliability. If I was going to use it to carry my family around, both were absolutely necessary. I also wasn’t looking for one of the big-engine airplanes, like an SRE. Those were out of my price range, both to buy and to fly. So, basically I was looking for Continental 220-powered aircraft or any of the Jacobspowered birds. I leaned towards the Jakes because of my 195 experience.

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CRAIG VANDERKOLK

Most of the Applegate family during AirVenture 2010 from left to right: daughter Shalyn, Har ve, Carolyn, and son Matt. The Applegates’ other daughter, Tar yn, couldn’t make the trip.

“I looked at a few airplanes before a friend, Doug Parsons, turned me on to N16249, a 1936 YKS-6. It was last restored by Pete Covington in 1994, so it was in really good condition. In fact, well-known antiquer Morton Lester had owned it at the time of restoration. It was a good solid airplane that was due for some freshening up, not a rebuild. This was exactly what I was looking for. It had been through two owners since Lester owned it and was now part of an estate sale. “I got it home in July of 2005 and began working on it,” he says. “Because it had been restored nearly 15 years earlier and hadn’t been a hangar queen for all that time, it was starting to show a little of its age. The seats, for instance, were worn, as were other parts of the interior, so we redid all of that. We went over the entire airplane, doing a lot of touch-up work, including repainting the cowling and a few other panels. At the same time we added Cleveland wheels and brakes. “By far the hardest thing we did was to change the entire firewall forward. The work itself wasn’t very

difficult, but the paperwork turned out to be a headache. “The original engine was a Jacobs R-755-9, which is 245 hp, but I wanted more power. We have a pretty big useful load with this airplane, but it needs the extra power when it’s heavy. So, I wanted to go up to the 755-B2M, which is 275 hp. I had Air Repair in Cleveland, Mississippi, build up an engine for me. Since it’s virtually identical to the original Jake, putting it on was nothing. At the same time, we installed a new Sensenich wooden prop. But, then we started working on the paperwork. “This shouldn’t have been nearly the problem it was because the YKS is exactly the same airframe as a ZKS, but sometimes things that look logical take more patience than you’d expect. “Our local FSDO wouldn’t approve the change because they said it was too much of a power increase. We argued back and forth for months that the ZKS, which was 285 hp, and the YKS were on the same type certificate. They just couldn’t get it through their heads that the

The Applegates camp every year just south of the VAA Flightline Operations building so son Matt and the family can enjoy visiting with their many friends and watch the afternoon air show.

two airplanes were one in the same. Finally, we got a hold of Jeff Janus at the FAA’s Aircraft Certification Office (ACO) who said it was a nobrainer and sent it back to the FSDO and told them to sign it off. “We’ve been flying the airplane for five years now, and it’s exactly what we wanted and what we thought it should be. First, for an airplane this big, it’s really easy to fly. In fact, it lands a lot like our Cub and even on pavement isn’t hard to keep straight. “On takeoff, you can’t see anything straight ahead, which is okay because the view to the side is good. When the tail comes up, you can obviously see more, but you’re not on the ground long, and if there’s even a slight headwind, it literally floats off the ground. “Once off the ground it has a really solid feeling. I know it’s a big airplane, but it feels as if it is even bigger. But, I don’t know how much

CRAIG VANDERKOLK

A Lesson in the Learning: Caveats When Donating At one point Harve’s dad began having airport problems, and there’s a lesson to be learned for a lot of us here. “The airport had never gotten huge,” Harve says. “It was just a nice, friendly airport with a few hangars and some local tenants. But, it was the only airport in the area, so Dad deeded it over to the city. I guess you could say he donated it. For years this worked out really well, and all the aviation guys in the area loved it. We host a fly-in there each year, and that became something of a local event that everyone looked forward to. “Dad died suddenly in 1981, and we decided to build a house right near the hangars on our adjoining land. Then, just as the house was all finished and we were about to move in, the city announced that they were selling the airport. They said they didn’t want the liability of it anymore. Plus, it was attractive to developers. “That was a pretty scary time. Here we had a new house adjoining the property where friends flew in and enjoyed hanging out, and then it was going to be sold. “After some stressful conversations with city hall, we discovered that there was a reversionary clause in the original donation documentation that said the property would revert to dad’s heirs, if it was to be sold. So, we got it back. It was at that time that the airport was officially named the Applegate Airport in honor of my dad.”

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

MIKE STEINEKE

Another gorgeous picture of the Applegates’ plane flying over the Midwest.

bigger you’d want. The back seat is an honest three kids wide, and the two front seats are separated by nearly a foot. So, you feel as if you’re flying your own little airliner. And how many airplanes today let you crank the side windows down and fly with you elbows up on the windowsill? “It’s not a rocketship in climb, about 500-600 fpm, but it’ll give you that, or close to it, whether you’re loaded or not. Those big old wings can really carry a load. “It’s also not a speed demon, but it’ll indicate 120 mph, give or take 5 mph, at about 14 gallons per hour and fly straight ahead with no help from the pilot until you’re tired of sitting there. It’s amazingly stable and comfortable on crosscountries. Of course your visibility isn’t the best, since you can barely see straight ahead most of the time, but if you stretch just a little, you can. Extra cushions help. “On landing,” he says, “You’re over the fence at about 80 mph, but it decelerates in ground effect really quickly, and you just keep pulling to get the steep deck angle. In a three-

12 JULY 2011

CRAIG VANDERKOLK

The overhead skylight windows really add to the sight lines as your fly the YKS-6, especially when you roll it into a turn. point, it touches down at about 50 mph. It also wheel lands, my preferred landing method, super easy and is almost cheating. If you get it on straight, with no drift, it is literally a pussycat on the runway. If you plant it crooked, it’s not a pussycat.” Now that Harve has his childhood dream airplane safely in the hangar,

what else is there for him to do? “Well, our Vagabond is getting a little tired looking, and I need to rerag that. And I suppose the Cub could stand a few touches here and there. We’d say the moral of this story is “Don’t ever give up on your childhood fantasies. Make them come true.”

Lt. Paul Beck, left, with the Western Wireless Equipment Company A-4 wireless set in his lap while seated in a Wright biplane during wireless tests during the 1911 San Francisco Air Meet. The set weighed 29 pounds and featured a telegraph key mounted on the top of the mahogany box. JOURNAL OF ELECTRICITY, POWER AND GAS

Flashes of Purple Sparks BY

The first wireless message sent from an airplane to a ground station wasn’t very imaginative or profound. The message, telegraphed in dots and dashes, by U.S. Army Lt. Paul W. Beck on January 21, 1911, was: “Associated Press. Aviation Field. Scotford is not the only bird on the aviation board. Beck.” The message didn’t have the humbling sense of Samuel Morse’s “What hath God wrought?” or the quaintness of Alexander Graham Bell’s “Mr. Watson—come here—I want to see you” or Neil Armstrong’s inspirational “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” The rather mundane message was hastily scribbled by Associated Press reporter Guy Moysten, who was covering the January 1911 air meet in San Francisco. Moysten asked Beck what message he intended on sending. Beck told Moysten to write the message for him and to fold it so that he could not read it without unfolding it. The message had been sent over a distance of 1-1/2 miles to a ground station at the newly constructed aviation field next to Tanforan Racetrack in San Bruno, California. On the receiving end was Sgt. 1st Class Henry Dunn of the Army Signal

DANIEL J. DEMERS

Corps. Beck had been taken aloft by Philip O. Parmalee, an early aviation pioneer. The “purple sparks spluttered by the telegraph key” were also intercepted by navy wireless stations on Goat Island (now Yerba Buena Island) and the Mare Island Navy Yard. Beck’s second message was, “Three hundred feet up and riding level. It is cold. It is bumpy.” The word “bumpy” wasn’t received because Beck’s fingers were so cold that they refused to, as Beck put it, “answer the nerve impulses.” The word “Scotford” in the first message referred to Frederick E. Scotford, chairman of the Aviation Executive Committee, which had conceived, planned, and set in motion the air meet. The message referred to a previous flight “around the course” in which Scotford had been taken up by Walter Brookins. The meet was designed to show the world that San Francisco, which had been virtually destroyed by the 1906 earthquake, was back in the swing of things. Getting the War Department to actively participate in an air meet for the first time added to the drama of the event. With the participation came marching troops and horse cavalry displays and sham battles “repelling attacks from the skies.” The

army also “lent their band for daily concerts during guard mount or parade”—all this to the delight of the crowds throughout the entire affair. San Francisco was in heavy competition with New Orleans for the exclusive rights to the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exhibition (PPIE), a world’s fair, to celebrate the upcoming 1914 opening of the Panama Canal. The city desperately wanted to land the exhibition, believing it would confirm San Francisco’s phoenix-like rise from the ashes of devastation. The air show was thought of as the opening act. Plans for the PPIE had already been complicated in 1910. Just six months earlier, California’s governor had banned the Jim Jeffries-Jack Johnson fight scheduled for San Francisco—forcing the epic “Fight of the Century” to Reno—to placate church leaders who objected to interracial prize fights. Nationally leading church figures and congressional leaders had pledged to oppose San Francisco landing the exhibition if the fight went forward. By the time Beck was able to send his historic message, the air show had already witnessed the dropping of explosive bombs, air reconnaissance exercises, and Eugene Ely’s landing and takeoff from a warship. Ely’s feat over-

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

shadowed all the other historic firsts achieved at the meet. Beck described the sensation of flying at 800 feet like this: “Whirring propellers, throbbing pistons and machinegun-like gasoline explosions deafened you, while tears, bitter tears, were forced from your eyes by the back rush of air, and you have a slight conception how it feels to rival the eagle in a Wright biplane.” He had used, in his own words, “a rough, makeshift affair, weighing thirty-two pounds.” It consisted of a “small gap and interrupter, an ordinary telegraph key, a small storage cell” and a shunt “to prevent overcharging of the cell.” The entire device was contained in a wooden box that he carried on his lap. The aerial used for the experiment was a 120foot bronze wire trailing the plane connected to the “sending apparatus by a number sixteen copper wire.” The whole gizmo was grounded to a stay wire on the aircraft connected “to the sending apparatus.” Beck explained, “The wave length measured by the wave meter at the receiving station was 575 meters in length. This is rather longer than we had thought it would be.” Simultaneous to Beck’s experiment, Charlie Willard (another pioneer aviator) unsuccessfully attempted to send a wireless message using a different set. According to Beck, “His outfit weighed a trifle less than the one which I used and his antenna wire was a trifle longer.” Acknowledging that Willard was not an experienced telegraph operator, Beck wrote that, “a special code had been arranged for him.” However, none of Willard’s “impulses” were recorded on the ground receiver. An attempt to receive a message from the ground had been scrubbed 10 days earlier. Hubert Latham, a French aviator, had agreed to receive the “first ever” message in his Antoinette monoplane. Latham’s monoplane had been selected because its

14 JULY 2011

“engine is practically noiseless when compared” with the other planes at the air meet. “Silence,” wrote Beck “is an essential factor to the successful reading of telegraphic codes or the successful undertaking of human speech by wireless telephone.” Of great concern to the experiment’s sponsors was the fact that an “electrical discharge” was involved in the actual receiving of the message from the ground. Thus it was of “great importance that the gasoline tank be thoroughly insulated in order to prevent possible ignition from a spark.” Avoiding such an aerial catastrophe was to be overcome by using “one of the guy wires on the Antoinette machine as the static ground and to drag from the tail of the airship an aluminum wire of great capacity and weighing less than two pounds though 130 feet in length as the antenna.” Unfortunately, as Beck told it, “the god or gods of the elements” stepped in. On this particular day, being “aloft was dangerous to life and limb.” Latham’s beautiful Antoinette monoplane was demolished in an accident. Latham survived the crash, but a mere 12 months later he died a mysterious death in the French Congo. Beck understood that aviation was in its infancy and that “we must creep before we walk.” While the experiment to send a message had failed due to an air wreck, Beck concluded it had been “reduced to a mere question of providing mechanical devices for deadening the sound of the propellers, shutting out the noise of the rushing wind and providing some simple means for placing the received message in written form on some sheet or sheets of paper.” He knew this because of his own achievement of sending the first ever wireless message from an aircraft to the ground. Receiving a message involved simply reversing the process. Editor’s note: Some sources claim that Beck’s success with the wireless was foreshadowed by a successful test by James McCurdy on August 27, 1910 while flying over the Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Brooklyn, New York.

Sources: Chief Warrant Officer Mark J. Denger, Dominguez International Air Meet, California Aviation History, www.MilitaryMuseum.org/Dominguez.html Lt. Paul W. Beck, Aviation Meet From War Viewpoint, How Army and Navy Will Take Part, San Francisco Examiner, January 6, 1911, 5. Lt. J.C. Walker Jr., War Problems to be Solved In Air, San Francisco Examiner, January 7, 1911, 3. Lt. Paul W. Beck, What Army Is Striving For, Opening Day a Big Success, San Francisco Examiner, January 8, 1911, 76. Lt. Paul W. Beck, Wreck Spoils Wireless Experiment, San Francisco Examiner, January 11, 1911, 2. Lt. J.C. Walker Jr., Biplanes in Wind Please Army Man, San Francisco Examiner, January 11, 1911, 2. Lt. Paul W. Beck, Airplane Wireless Experiments Today, War Expert Reviews the Aviation Meet, San Francisco Examiner, January 18, 1911, 2. Lt. Paul W. Beck, Wireless Adds New Link To War Chain, San Francisco Examiner, January 22, 1911, 67. Flashes of Purple Glint From Aeroplane in the Sky to Earth, San Francisco Examiner, January 22, 1911, 67. Lt. Paul W. Beck, Novices Meet Mishap By Striving, Praised by Beck For Game Effort, San Francisco Examiner, January 23, 1911, 3. Lt. Paul W. Beck, Aviation in War Advanced, Expert Reviews the Meet, San Francisco Examiner, January 26, 1911, 3.

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

From the Archives: Reprinted from Popular Aviation, Dec. 1935

First Regular

Airmail Flight BY

LIEUT. H. LATANE LEWIS, II

The pilot is receiving his last-minute orders before shoving off with the mail. Once more old Jenny makes history. he world’s first regular airmail line was operated by the United States Army back in 1918, when a fleet of old Jennies were pushed back and forth between New York City and Washington, D.C., a distance of two hundred and twenty miles. It is true that in 1911, Earle Ovington flew special mail for a distance of three or four miles during a period of one week. But that was simply a stunt and was in no sense a regular airmail line. The Army’s route was later taken over by the Post Office Department and was the beginning of the great airmail system that we have today. The planes used were slow, under-powered and usually overloaded, and they operated out of

16 JULY 2011

the fields that no self-respecting pilot would take a second look at in these times. But those were the days of wooden ships and iron men. Chief pilot on the line was a handsome youth just out of his teens, Lieutenant James C. Edgerton, who had an unusual knack of finding his way about the sky under any conditions. Today, as he sits at his desk in the Department of Commerce, Edgerton still has a distinctly military bearing in spite of his civilian clothes. He is getting a little gray about the temples, but his eyes light up and a smile constantly tugs at his lips as his memory takes him back to those hectic days of the first aerial postman. May fifteenth was the day that the experiment in mail carrying be-

gan. There were impressive ceremonies, political speeches, bouquets of flowers for the flyers, and the President of the United States himself went down to the Polo Grounds and wished the pilot who was to carry the mail to New York, “God speed.” Almost as soon as he left the ground the youngster became bewildered, however, and finally came to earth twenty-five miles in exactly the opposite direction. Better luck was with Jim Edgerton bringing the mail south. He landed on schedule, having averaged about 90 miles per hour on the flight. There was much handshaking and back-slapping and the young lieutenant came in for some of the ennui of a matinee idol. The second day’s mail went

through with considerable difficulty. The pilot scheduled to make the flight hopped off from Philadelphia and pointed the blunt nose of his Jennie southward toward Washington. The checkerboard fields and streams sliding beneath his wings soon became a jigsaw puzzle and one that he couldn’t piece together. The flyer realized that he was hopelessly lost. He barged around for awhile and finally decided to come down and ask directions. Landing on the race track at Bridgeton, New Jersey, forty miles off his course, he became involved with a group of curious horses which cracked up the ship. The mail was sent back to Philadelphia by truck and started out in another plane with another pilot. About thirty miles out his engine began to miss and, as it was getting dark, he turned and high-tailed back to his home field. Jim Edgerton stepped forward and offered to save the face of the new service and take the mail on to Washington in spite of darkness and a bad engine. Night was coming on in earnest by this time. If his engine should conk on the trip down, there would be no flares for him to release and land by, nor would he be able to bail out with a parachute, for this was before the day of the Caterpillar Club. And at Washington he would have no floodlights to illuminate the Polo Grounds. It would mean coming into that narrow field, which was surrounded by tall trees, in utter darkness. But Jim was an impatient and adventurous young man, so he hopped off without a moment’s hesitation. Below him the earth looked like a canopy of black velvet set with diamonds. Down at Washington there was considerable excitement. Word of the flight had quickly spread and a throng of people, wondering what kind of wild man this was who would pull the whiskers of death so nonchalantly, had gathered to see him break his neck. But Jim Edgerton had a habit of laughing at the morti-

cians all through his eventful flying career. He was the least perturbed of all as he came roaring down from the north and circled the inky pit into which he must bring his ship at the speed of an express train. There were about half a dozen automobiles parked around the field and Jim estimated his approach from their headlights. Spectators heard his engine stop, then the shrill scream of the wind on his struts and wires. Then they caught sight of a ghost-like silhouette against the night sky, coming down in a dizzy slideslip. An in-

stant later a gray phantom swept across the field and settled down to a perfect landing. The mail had come through! Edgerton was the first pilot who ever flew into a thunderstorm. Up to that time, flyers all over the world looked upon electrical storms as a deadly menace and had avoided them as they would a plague. Orders had been issued that no mail pilot should take off if weather conditions were unfavorable. At Philadelphia, one afternoon during the middle of July, Jim had his ship tuned up and was ready to shove off, but down towards the southwest storm clouds were gathering. It was against orders to fly under such conditions. Jim fumed about the hangars. Mail flying was no fair weather job, he thought. To be of value it had to go through under all conditions. The motto of the later day pilots, “The mail must go!” was Jim’s motto then, too. He gave the order for the mail sacks to be loaded aboard the old Jenny. Mechanics shook their heads apprehensively as he roared down the field and disappeared over the gray horizon. He dodged the storm as far as

possible and then, as he came over the “Susquehanna River, he ran smack into it. It was a violent line squall, the storm most dreaded of all by aviators, and the kind that sent the mighty Akron and Shenandoah down to destruction. On the ground, trees were being uprooted and houses damaged. “It was the bumpiest ride I ever had, before or since,” chuckles Jim Edgerton today, as he recalls the vivid impression it left on him. “We were thrown all over the sky. The rain and hail were so thick that I couldn’t see the wingtips. The propeller was all chewed up and I had to throttle down the engine. But,” he adds modestly, “I came out right on the course.” And the mail was landed in Washington on time. That flight, and the others like it that Edgerton made, probably did more than anything else to give the public confidence in the reliability of the airmail. Frequently, he flew through dense fog and relied entirely on the crude instruments of those early days to keep him in the air. On one of these flights he escaped death by as narrow a margin as was ever vouchsafed a pilot. He shoved off in heavy rain and soon ran into thick weather. He barged on into it, flying blind for awhile and then climbing up on the top of the stuff. It was so thick that even the birds had to walk. After about an hour and a half, he decided to try to find the ground to check his course. He was coming down in a fast glide, when suddenly he noticed that just ahead the mist appeared darker than the rest. He yanked the stick back hard and saw the swirling waters of the Chesapeake Bay miss his landing gear by a scant three feet. It was a close call. Jim swung the nose of his ship around until the compass pointed northwest and hedgehopped along just high enough to clear the houses and threes that shot by under him in rapid succession. Even at that low

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

had broken and was dangling alaltitude the fog was so thick most in the shining arc of the it was like being submerged propeller. If it became entangled in pea soup, but occasionin the prop, it would shatter it to ally there would be a break a million splinters and probably and Edgerton would catch tear the engine loose. a glimpse of the ground and Throttling down, Jim maneuknow where he was. vered as best he could to keep As he passed over Havre wire and prop from that fatal de Grace, there suddenly embrace. Below him were plenty loomed up dead ahead a of flat broad fields into which church steeple. He was right he could have glided. But that on it before he saw it. He would mean delaying the mail, banked for all he was worth, so the plucky youngster kept gostanding the old crock right ing and finally sat down safely up on her ear, and missed With the mail aboard, the pilot proceeds to warm in Washington. the steeple by a miracle. Altogether Edgerton made But the crowning thrill up the OX-5 which animates the Jenny. fifty-three trips and never failed of the day came a little later to bring the mail through on any as he passed the Army Proving Authentic dope on the of them. On only one did he have Ground at Aberdeen. controversial subject, a forced landing. “We were flying at an altitude of “Who flew the first He was over Camp Meade, Maryabout 150 feet,” Edgerton recalls. land, when a magneto shaft broke. “Visibility was practically nil. Sudairmail?” In spite of the denly there was a terrific bump, almany claims to priority, by There was a terrific jolt that almost jumped the engine out of the ship. most as violent as if the plane had For once, Jim had to come down struck something. That afternoon, various pilots, we believe and come down in a hurry. He Army authorities at Aberdeen that this is the real looked below him and his heart called up and said that an airplane answer to the problem. stood still. He was plunging straight had flown over there and almost An old Jenny, as usual, towards the heads of hundreds of collided with a shell fired from a marching men on parade! 16-inch gun!” does the work. Is it any wonder that Edgerton’s Lower and lower sank the helphair has turned slightly gray? less Jenny. Edgerton flattened his On another occasion, Jim got of a lead pencil were spurting out. glide as much as he dared and tried caught in a vicious summer thun- Soon the whole forward part of the to squeeze over the soldiers. He was derstorm over Baltimore. He was fuselage was saturated. almost knocking their hats off, but Jim watched the lightning play- still the Yanks continued to hold flying his faithful old mount, No. 38274. The turbulent air tossed ing about the metal parts of the their ground. the frail wooden Jenny about like plane and waited for the spark “I just skimmed over their heads a ship on a rough sea. One instant that would blow him to shreds and and landed on the very edge of the her nose would be pointed straight splatter him all over Baltimore. But parade ground,” Jim laughingly retoward heaven and the next instant Lady Luck was riding with him lates. “It was my old outfit and they Jim would see the ground rush- again and the spark never came. certainly gave me a welcome.” ing up at him just over the engine He rode out the storm and brought It was just a bit demoralizing to cowl. He needed spurs and stirrups those precious letters in right on the military discipline of the pato ride that crate, for she was buck- the stroke of the clock. rade to have an airplane drop down Baltimore almost proved to be out of the sky and land in its midst. ing like a bronco in a Wild West rodeo. Peals of thunder drowned Jim’s jinx. A few days later he was And then to find that it was piloted out the roar of the Hisso engine pushing the mail over the Mary- by one of the old members of the and blinding flashes of lightning land metropolis when suddenly organization indeed called for a above the steady drone of the en- rousing greeting. Jim got it all right, cleaved the sky about him. Suddenly, he saw gasoline begin gine, there was a high-pitched but immediately set about to repair to leak from the tank which was metal twang like a guitar player his engine and then pushed on. carried just below the top wing be- tuning his instrument. One of the On August twelfth, 1918 the Artween the center section struts. In drift wires, which extended from my’s airmail days came to an end and several places along the edge of the the nose of the plane to the struts it turned the flying of the mail over tank, streams of fuel about the size to keep the wings from buckling, to the Post Office Department.

18 JULY 2011

AirVenture & Ford Together Again <EH: <K;B;: ;NF;H?;D9;I REO Speedwagon Concert: Monday

Cruisin’ Legends: See Mustangs and

6:00PM next to the Ford Hangar

more @ Knapp Street near Warbirds

Fly In Theater: Nightly Sunday –

Model T Experience: Tour in a Model

Saturday 8:30PM @ Camp Scholler

T @ “Cruisin’ Legends”

“Blues Brothers” Tribute Party: Saturday 6:30PM @ Ford “Hangar of Blues” Free Ice Cream: Nightly in the campgrounds – from the Transit Connect

<EH: >7D=7H 7JJH79J?EDI USS Henry Ford “Cat Launch”: Race your friend on dual Zip Lines! Bungee Burner: Leap to new heights on this bungee-trampoline combo!

Free Top Gun Hat: At the Ford Hangar! Blue Angels Edition Mustang: One of a kind build for the Young Eagles beneﬁt

Lincoln Legends and Heroes: Autographs from living lengends Rock Ladder: Climb to new heights!

To Follow the Line This was the way I had learned navigation: to follow the line BY

E. JEFF JUSTIS

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR

My son and I spent the better part of six years restoring an Aeronca 7BCM. Jeff was 13 years old when we started the project, and 19 when we finished in 1980. He earned his private pilot certificate in that taildragger. After years of enjoyment, the time finally arrived to find a new home for N66361. The occasion was bittersweet. I was sad this was probably the last time I would fly the Aeronca 7BCM my son and I brought back to life in 1980, but happy I found a good home for the craft that had been a part of our lives for 14 years. It was 1994 . . . She needs to be flown, and re-

20 JULY 2011

sponds quickly to my urging as I push the throttle control forward to begin a low-level, no-radio, notransponder flight from Charles W Baker Airport in Millington, Tennessee, to Eagles’ Landing Airpark, a fly-in community just south of Griffin, Georgia. My onboard navigational equipment is composed of an erratic compass and a sectional chart with a yellow line drawn to my first refueling stop. I felt as if I was back in time, in 1953, when the miracle of flight became personal for me. This was the way I had learned navigation…to follow the line. In the 41 years since that

time, I admit to being spoiled: first, by low-frequency “beams,” then VORs, DME, RNAV, LORAN, and now GPS. But for this flight, I left all that behind. Turning to a heading of 120 degrees, I wait for the compass to stop its oscillation; it continues to swing with each bounce and each yawing movement, but I average the swings and continue slowly en route. I move my finger along the line and look for checkpoints. I remember how I used to “bracket” my position and once again realize the importance of the river or railroad I would have to cross, thus assuring at least one line of position.

Down low it was fun once more watching the small towns pass, even being able to read the names on water towers. In north-central Mississippi, there appears a vast forest spreading out beneath my wings, an illusory remnant of the glorious wilderness that once extended from the East Coast to the Great Plains. Now, clear-cutting scars are evidence of man’s meddling, graffiti on our planet’s face. I am surprised at the hills of North Mississippi; at higher altitudes they flatten into the terrain, but here, at 1,000 feet above the ground, the hills are alive with depth and color. My craft and I, intruders in his world, pass a circling hawk. I look down and try to see the tiny creature I am sure he sees, but where he must perceive the slightest rustle of the brush, I see only patterns of green and brown and the bright blue of reflected sky. Enough of this sightseeing. I should have crossed this highway a couple of miles farther to the north. I make a slight correction. Highways! They crisscross this land, cutting it into smaller and smaller bits; these scratches of man meant little when there were fewer men, but now they separate deer from deer and life from life. At the edge of a field, pebbled by round bales of hay, rests a red tractor awaiting direction by another of my species. He too enjoys the special relationship with machines that man, of all Earth’s creatures, strives for. There is a conflict, however, between the spiritual aspect of controlling my machine to see in perspective the land below and the necessity to endorse the polluting technology that makes it possible. It is not quite the same conflict that we experience between a desire to cherish all life and the necessity to eat. That conflict, I

Jeff Justis was just 13 when he and his family embarked on the restoration of a 7BCM Champ. The photo above is just one of the photos of him alongside his teenage years project. In just about every photo he has a grin on his face just like this. In the top photo, as he and his dad prepare to send The Champ to a new home, Jeff takes one last look at the landing gear

I felt as if I was back in time, in 1953, when the miracle of flight became personal for me. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

suppose, is the essence of life. Soon the forward horizon bulges upward as I approach old tectonic ridges aligned northeast-southwest near Birmingham. The dark green of the forested ridges contrasts with the lighter, verdant hues of man’s cultivation. Ahead, a sharp razorbacked ridge prompts a climb to 3,000 feet. I teeter across the top and slide down toward the broad valley on the eastern side. My first landing after one hour and 45 minutes is

welcome. As a no-radio aircraft, I am careful to follow the standard pattern and glide down final, touching down on the much-too-long-forThe-Champ runway of Posey Airport. Most cross-country flights in the ’50s were from grass strip to grass strip. A red gas pump would be brought into service by the colorful operator/mechanic of these old aerodromes. Aeroncas and Luscombes were everywhere, and Cessna 195s were the elite air-

Jeff and his dad, E. Jeff Justis, look over their covering handiwork in the backyard.

22 JULY 2011

planes. Now, on this ramp, my Aeronca is an anachronism. A King Air is being readied for corporate passengers, and my little taildragger is lost on the large apron. Fortunately, we modified the 7BCM with a starter and generator so I do not have to find someone to help me get started. In years past almost every lineman was proficient in handpropping, now it’s almost a lost art. Soon I am on the way to my next stop, Lagrange, Georgia. I am fooled by the appearance of a large airport, an old military field, at 12 o’clock on the horizon. Only when I get close enough do I realize this is not the field I am supposed to overfly, and that I am 10 miles south of where I am supposed to be. Sometimes it’s easy to fix on a point once fooled into thinking it is on the chosen course. Constant vigilance is required for this type of navigation. I overfly a multifingered lake, one of many manmade lakes filled by damning rivers and streams that once flowed freely into the larger Tennessee or Sewanee rivers and on to the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean. I could fly on to my destina-

A foil tape antenna ground plane was just one of the nifty little touches added to The Champ as the two Jeffs restored their airplane. Doesn’t ever yone use Champ tail sur faces as decorative elements in their household decorating? Mrs. Justis is a ver y patient woman.

tion, but I will have to locate an unfamiliar grass strip, and I want to fly around a little without worrying about fuel. Once again, the large runway at Lagrange ahead offers little challenge, a far cry from the tree-surrounded fields of the past that required a slip on final to

steepen the approach, clearing the trees, the slip quickly straightened and the nose held high for the satisfying swish-swish of the wheels as they are brushed into motion by the grass. Now, with a slight crosswind I can approach the broad asphalt runway diagonally, the long taxi to the

ramp taking nearly as long as the flight itself. The cost of this slow flight is certainly minimal, with fill-ups after two hours averaging 15 or so dollars. Besides, the trip has been fun so far, relearning old navigation tricks, and seeing the country down low. Now I have only a few more miles to navigate to Eagles’ Landing. The fly-in community strip is near Williamson, Georgia, and just east of a northeast-southwest-oriented railroad. I decide to proceed due east, find the railroad, and follow it northeast toward the destination. I cross a highway but see no railroad. A few miles further, still no railroad; I must have passed it. After a 180 I find the highway again but no…wait, what is that? That is an abandoned rail line for sure, and it does parallel the road. I continue northeast, scanning the horizon, passing pretty fields and houses. I locate one airport with houses neatly lining both sides of the single runway, but it is not Eagles’ Landing. Soon I see Griffin, Georgia; I have come too far. I ease The Champ into a bank to try again, back down the rail line and…here’s a golf course… and yes, there are two grass runways meeting in a “V.” I circle and make a low pass over the northwest runway, watching my friends wave from their yard. “What a nice place to live,” I think, as I line up on final. I glide just above the grass and settle slowly onto a field that will surely make this little airplane of the ’40s feel at home. I hope so, because she started her rebirth in the ’70s when my children were small, I was younger, and my wife allowed elevators and rudders and stabilizers to stay in the dining room. This Aeronca has been a part of our family, but now, to stay happy, must move on to a place where she will be flown. That is the true destiny of any airplane worthy of the name.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

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Visit the VAA chapter nearest you and get to know some great old-airplane enthusiasts! You don’t need to be a pilot to join in the fun—just have a love of the great airplanes of yesteryear.

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OHIO

Hayward, CA, VIN 29 Meeting: 2nd Thurs., 6:00 p.m. Hayward Airport: See website for hangar info. Gary Oberti, President Phone: 510-357-8600 E-mail: info@vaa29.org Website: www.vaa29.org

Auburn, IN, VIN 37 Meeting: 4th Thurs., 7:00 p.m. DeKalb County Airport (kGWB) Hangar A—VAA 37 Clubhouse Drew Hoffman, President Phone: 260-515-3525 E-mail: drewhoffman@vaa37.org Website: www.VAA37.org

Delaware, OH, VIN 27 Meeting: 3rd Sat. 8-10AM, May thru Sept. Delaware Municiple Airport (DLZ) Terminal Building Woody McIntire, President Phone: 740-362-7228 E-mail: wjmcintire@cs.com Website: www.EAAdlz.org

CALIFORNIA

KANSAS

OHIO

Sacramento, CA, VIN 25 Meeting: 2nd Sat., 9:00 a.m. See chapter website for location. Robert Opdahl, President Phone: 530-273-7348 E-mail: bopdahl@sbcglobal.net Website: www.Vin25.org

Overland Park, KS, VIN 16 Meeting: 2nd Fri., 7:30 p.m. CAF Hangar, New Century Airport Kevin Pratt, President Phone: 913-541-1149 E-mail: kpratt@vaa16.com Website: www.VAA16.com

Zanesville, OH, VIN 22 Meeting: 2nd Fri.; 6:30 p.m. Perry County Airport John Morozowsky, President Phone: 740-453-6889

CAROLINAS, VIRGINIA Walnut Cove, NC, VIN 3 Meeting: Contact President Susan Dusenbury, President Phone: 336-591-3931 E-mail: sr6sue@aol.com Website: www.VAA3.org

LOUISIANA New Iberia, LA, VIN 30 Meeting: 1st Sun., 9:00 a.m. LeMaire Memorial Airport Hangar 4 Roland Denison, President Phone: 337-365-3047 E-mail: vaa30@cox.net

FLORIDA Lakeland, FL, VIN 1 Meeting: Contact President Bobby Capozzi, President Phone: 352-475-9736 E-mail: mx180a@aol.com Website: www.FSAACA.com

MINNESOTA

ILLINOIS

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Lansing, IL, VIN 26 Meeting: Contact President Peter Bayer, President Phone: 630-922-3387 E-mail: c180bayer@comcast.net

North Hampton, NH, VIN 15 Meeting: 2nd Sat., 11:00 a.m. Hampton Airfield 7B3 Robert Drake, President Phone: 603-942-9242 E-mail: flyer172h@comcast.net

Albert Lea, MN, VIN 13 Meeting: 2nd Thurs., 7:00 p.m. Albert Lea Airport FBO Steve Nesse, President Phone: 507-373-1674

OKLAHOMA Tulsa, OK, VIN 10 Meeting: 4th Thurs., 7:00 PM Hardesty South Regional Library No meetings in July, Nov. & Dec. Joe Champagne, President Phone: 918-257-4688 Email: skypal@groveemail.com

TEXAS Spring, TX, VIN 2 Meeting: 4th Sun., 2:00 PM David Wayne Hooks Airport (KDWH) Fred Ramin, President Phone: 281-255-4430 Email: fredramin@sbcglobal.net

WISCONSIN Brookfield, WI, VIN 11 Meeting: 1st Mon., 7:30 PM Capitol Drive Airport Office Donald Hyra, President Phone: 262-251-1778 Email: phs1@ww.rr.com

Want to Star t a VAA Chapter? It’s easy to start a VAA chapter. All you need to get started is five vintage enthusiasts. Then contact the EAA Chapter Office at 920426-6867 or chapters@eaa.org to obtain an EAA Chapter Starter Kit. EAA has tools to help you get in touch with all your local Vintage members, and they’ll walk you through the process of starting a new chapter.

24 JULY 2011

Vintage Mechanic

THE

BY ROBERT G. LOCK

Early fire-extinguishing system

When Albert Vollmecke joined Arkansas Aircraft Company in September 1927 he brought fresh ideas from his native Germany regarding aircraft design, stability, and safety. He would, on occasion, return to Germany to bring back something new for the company. In 1928 Arkansas Aircraft Company changed its name to Command-Aire Incorporated, and the production run of new ships increased in its Little Rock, Arkansas, plant. After one such visit to Germany, Vollmecke returned with the rights to import and sell the PHYLAX fi re-extinguisher system patented (GB 0267542) March 10, 1926, and manufactured in Berlin by Phylax Feuerlosch-AutomatenBau GmbH. The PHYLAX fireextinguisher system consisted of a tank containing the extinguishing liquid. From the tank, which was usually installed in the pilotâ€™s cockpit or control cabin, sprinkler lines led to the parts of the plane where fires usually break out, such as the carburetor and oil sump on the engine. See Illustration 1. The unit was manufactured in Berlin, Germany, and CommandAire had the sole distribution rights in the United States, installing them on planes it manufactured. Illustration 2 shows an

Illustration 1 VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

advertisement from AVIATION, November 1928, using the OX-5 powered model 3C3 ship to demonstrate the system. The PHYLAX system consisted of a pressurized tank of fluid with associated lines and nozzles leading to the engine compartment of the ship. Note here that the unit is manufactured in the United States by the Aero Supply Manufacturing Company located in Long Island, New York. The cost of the unit is $70 in this May 1929

advertisement in an aviation magazine. Illustration 2 shows the manufacturer’s advertisement for the product. In a letter dated April 10, 1929, Mr. Wiley Wright, assistant sales director for Command-Aire Incorporated, wrote: “Command-Aire, Incorporated acquired the exclusive franchise rights for PHYLAX automatic fi re extinguishers in the United States, Mexico and Central America. This extinguisher is the only automatic

Illustration 2 26 JULY 2011

fire extinguisher available and is standard equipment on many European lines. It is manufactured by PHYLAX Bau of Germany and is receiving great response in the United States at the present time.” In this factory Illustration 3 and from the fi les of Albert Vollmecke is a 110-hp Warner engine mounted in the Command-Aire model 3C3-A ship. Note the engine cowling being neatly fitted around cylinders and associated tubes. The 3C3-A had a very long nose due to its light weight, necessitating a longer arm for weight and balance control. In this photo the PHYLAX sprinkler heads are visible behind the magnetos, down near the carburetor and behind the oil inlet hoses on the accessory case of the engine. Illustration 3 is an original factory photograph of the PHYLAX system installed in the nose of a model 3C3-A. Illustration 4 is the same photograph with some details removed and other details added, principally the identification of the PHYLAX automatic fuse that fi red the bottle of extinguishing fluid and the sprinkler heads. These illustrations taken from a Command-Aire original factory brochure from the files of Albert Vollmecke. Illustration 5 on page 27 is a sketch from the PHYLAX patent 0267542 dated March 10, 1926. A general description of the PHYLAX system is contained within the patent and states, “The invention relates to a fire extinguishing device intended for use particularly with motor-cars, aeroplanes, motor boats, and the like, in which extinguishing fluid released under the control of fuse cords or cables ignited by the fire, is conveyed to the seat of the fi re automatically through the flame.” In the sketch the discharge line into the engine compartment is shown as item “o.” Line “b” comes from the automatic fuse located in the engine compartment down near the carburetor. The patent does

Illustration 3

Illustration 5

Illustration 4 not indicate what type of extinguishing fluid was contained within the tank; however, soda-acid was widely used in those days, and carbon tetrachloride was invented in 1912 by the Pyrene Company. In a communication from Command-Aire President Robert Snowden regarding the purchase of stock options in the company, he states, â€œOur exclusive franchise for the sale of Phylax automatic fire extinguishers should, if the War Department approves this extinguisher as standard equipment at a test to be made next week, net the corporation more than $50,000 annually. This extinguisher has been approved in all the European countries and the War Department has admitted to us that this is the only automatic fire extinguisher for airplanes in America and our patent rights on this will hold in this country and Mexico.â€? What is not mentioned in any publicity regarding PHYLAX automatic fire-extinguishing equipment is that it was brought to Command-Aire Incorporated by chief designer Albert Vollmecke. Vollmecke visited his

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

Illustration 6

Pyrene fire extinguishers were made of brass and were nicely polished. They were not high-pressure units but required the use of a hand pump to generate pressure to expel liquid from the cylinder.

28 JULY 2011

homeland on a regular basis and always brought back some new invention or new ideas on design and safety. This system was certainly ahead of its time safety-wise and a credit to Vollmeckeâ€™s focus on stability and safety for his designs. Above, in this original factory photograph (Illustration 6) of a Command-Aire 3C3-T fuselage on the assembly line at the Little Rock plant, the PHYLAX system can be seen mounted in the rear cockpit just behind the front seat, in the center of the photograph. The chemical bottles with two lines tied to the side tubes run forward to the engine compartment. One line is the automatic fuse, and the other is the extinguishing fluid. Considering this is the year 1928, itâ€™s a remarkable achievement in the advancement of safety by Albert, chief designer for CommandAire Incorporated. The factory also installed Pyrene hand fire extinguishers in the rear cockpit. The Pyrene unit was more adaptable to existing ships as was the PHYLAX system.

ton or linen fabric, and the only dope available was cellulose nitrate that burned like a torch when lit. Watching nitrate dope burn reminded me of a Fourth of July sparkler, very intense and hot. If a nitrate-doped ship caught fire in the air, there was no extinguisher that would put out the flames. The PHYLAX system had an automatic sensor that would trigger the bottle’s valve open and send the chemical into the engine compartment. The Pyrene extinguisher was more for ground use because you could not operate the bottle and fly the airplane at the same time. By today’s standards these extinguishing systems seem archaic, but for the time back in the 1920s, they were the thing to have in your automobile, boat, or airplane. Editor’s Note: WARNING! Antique carbon tetrachloride fire extinguishers like the Pyrene occasionally

show up either contaminated with the original agent or, worse yet, with the full charge of agent still inside. Carbon tet is treated as a hazardous substance (its use was banned in consumer products in 1970) and should be dealt with accordingly. In fact, carbon tetrachloride, when heated by a fi re, will create poisonous phosgene gas (World War I’s “nerve gas”), something that would defi nitely ruin someone’s day if the fire hadn’t done so already! In its standard form, this substance is very toxic to the liver, and a single significant exposure can result in sickness or death.

Have a comment or question for Bob Lock, the Vintage Mechanic? Drop us an e-mail at vintageaircraft@eaa.org, or you can mail your question to Vintage Airplane, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903.

Illustration 7 Pyrene fire extinguishers were made of brass and were nicely polished. They were not high-pressure units but required the use of a hand pump to generate pressure to expel liquid from the cylinder. These extinguishers were generally mounted in the rear cockpit to be accessible to the pilot of the ship. Command-Aire would install a Pyrene fire extinguisher for $7 in 1928 and 1929. It was a “factory extra.” Illustration 7 shows a Pyrene fire extinguisher. Pyrene had been around for some time, having invented the carbon tetrachloride extinguisher in 1912. Fire was and is still a large concern for aviators, but not as much as back then. All the early ships were covered with cot-

1903: Samuel Pierpont Langley’s “Aerodrome” attempts to take off from a floating platform.

Langley may have been the father of carrier aviation, but even Poly-Fiber fabric couldn’t have made this work. Good ideas tend to stick aro u n d , though. Hey! We named our first carrier after him.

last and last. The instruction manual is very clear and fun to read. It’s easier than falling off a... well, you know.

polyfiber.com

information@polyfiber.com

800-362-3490

Poly-Fiber has stuck around, too, about forty years worth. With Poly-Fiber you’ll get a beautiful covering job that’ll VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

Vintage Instructor THE

BY Steve Krog, CFI

Vintage flying is very much alive! Author’s Note: We held a small open house at the flight school hangar this past Saturday. Though the weather was not conducive to give many rides, we still had about 60 people show up, enjoy a brat or hamburger, and talk about flying or learning to fly. Interest in flying is not dead! One of my pet peeves is how we, in general aviation, go about attracting individuals to learn the pleasure of flight. Nearly every aviation publication I read carries articles and editorials about the downward spiral of general aviation. Flight schools are having a hard time attracting new students. “Doom and gloom” reigns, with little positive to report on the horizon. This always reminds me of the proverbial three wise monkeys who embody the principle “See no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil.” We all complain about the problem, but no one ever offers solutions. It seems as though by not doing anything about the challenge, it will eventually go away and right itself. Many of the aviation organizations are wringing their respective hands, giving great lip service to the drop in pilot numbers. Some, like EAA, have launched activities to attract new pilots, such as the Young Eagles program. This has been a good start, but it will not fill the ever-increasing void for more pilots.

What are we all missing? FUN! Four years ago I chose early retirement from a 38year career in marketing. My dream was to establish a small flight school using Piper J-3 Cubs for all flight operations. Thanks to a lot of moral support from my wife, Sharon, I launched the flight school with two Cubs. My thought was, if I could share my passion for FUN flight with a half-dozen or so new students each year, I would be doing my part to help attract individuals to the joy of general aviation/pleasure flight. I opened the door on April 1, 2007. After one week I had 22 new students appear from nowhere and sign up for flight lessons in a Cub. Four and a half years later the trend continues, 20-24 new students sign up each spring.

30 JULY 2011

The student make-up is a real cross-section of America. My youngest student to date began flight lessons at age 14 and the oldest was 77 years young. I’ve mentioned some of my students in previous articles. At year’s end 2010, while converting our student files from paper to computer, I was amazed to discover that in the previous two years, I had given instruction to more than 200 individuals. Some were new students, others were individuals in search of a tailwheel endorsement, and many were older individuals who had pursued flight training early in their lives but gave it up to raise a family. Now they had the time and still retained the burning desire to get back into flying. What attracted these individuals to the flight school? FUN! And the fun challenge of flying J-3 Cubs! Here’s a small cross-section of this year’s group of students: •A retired U.S. Navy lieutenant who flew F-4 Phantoms off carriers in Vietnam. He hasn’t done any flying in more than 10 years, but he’s been building a Skybolt, which will soon be finished, and he’s returning to his lifelong love—aviation. He also has two young sons who want to fly and will soon be joining the group of student pilots. •A young CPA from Iowa whose grandfather was a friend of Bernie Pietenpol and who has built two Piets. The CPA used two weeks of his vacation time to learn to fly so that he can fly the airplane(s) that his grandfather built and take his grandfather for a ride. •A career military person, semiretired from his second career in Chicago real estate. He’s always wanted to fly powered aircraft. Years earlier he obtained his private pilot glider rating as did his son as a fatherson experience. • An electrical engineer employed by the largest medical equipment manufacturer. He’s previously flown a lot of radio-controlled (RC) airplanes. After a job transfer and relocation, and following a breakfast flight ride with a friend, he decided to pursue his dream of learning to fly. •A 30-something auto repair service manager who has wanted to learn to fly for years. After seeing the

Cubs flying every day, he decided to pursue his passion for flight. • A national chain hardware store employee who has had a dream of flying, driving nearly two hours each way to learn to fly in a Cub. •An aviation writer/video producer who already has a sport pilot certificate but desires to obtain a private pilot certificate, and do so in Cubs. • A 30-something young family man who sells construction equipment attachments. While deer hunting a year ago he learned one of his hunting friends had recently learned to fly in Cubs. For three days they talked airplanes and flying, rather than doing much hunting. Upon his return from the hunting trip, he drove to the airport and signed up for lessons in the Cub. • A professional musician from the Chicago area who always wanted to learn to fly. Although not yet old enough to have a true “bucket list,” learning to fly a Cub was number one on his list. With two exceptions, these individuals had never before flown or flown in tailwheel airplanes but always had a dream of learning to fly in a Cub—just like dad or granddad did many years ago. Although no one in this group comes from similar backgrounds or professions, there is one common denominator among every student—FUN! None of these students are learning to fly to pursue a career in aviation (although I’ve worked with a couple who have done so). Rather, they are learning to fly, or getting back into flying, for the FUN and CHALLENGE of flight. They all have a true love of flight and seeing the world from 500 feet with the door and window open. I have also worked with a number of students who began taking flight lessons but quit after a period of time. They still had the passion for flight but gave it up. When asked why, the responses fell into one of the following four categories: •I began taking lessons but after three or four lessons, I’d be assigned to a different instructor. After 30 hours of dual, three instructors, and still not having soloed, I quit. •The instructor wasn’t teaching me anything. He was more interested in building time than teaching. •The flight school’s personnel was taking advantage of me. I was on a budget, and they kept trying to convince me to take lessons in a more expensive airplane. •The flight school atmosphere was very unfriendly. I was treated as a lowly student, and employees acted like they were doing me a big favor just talking to me. Certainly not all flight schools can be categorized by one of the four responses above. There are many good schools out there that truly do offer good value in a friendly atmosphere. If you know someone who has had a bad experience with a flight school, you might suggest he or she try another school before giving up on the dream of being able to fly for FUN.

Take a moment and think about how you first became interested in airplanes. What triggered your pursuit of learning to fl y? Did you have a buddy or maybe a family friend who encouraged you? Or even became a mentor? Do you remember your first flight lesson? Do you remember the day you made your first solo flight? Remember that passion and sense of accomplishment? Don’t hesitate to share it with anyone expressing an interest in learning to fly. At Cub Air Flight we sell FUN. When individuals visit the airport to inquire about learning to fly, we know they have made the commitment in their own mind. It then becomes our responsibility to make the visit friendly. A friendly environment is a FUN environment. Kids are always welcome. If a prospective student has children with him or her, we invite the kids to sit in the planes. At the conclusion of our discussion we emphasize the following statement: If you learn to fly with us, it will be FUN, CHALLENGING, and SAFE! I don’t believe there is a shortage of pilot prospects, but there is a shortage in how we all go about attracting these people to become active participants in pleasure flying. Remember, flying is FUN. Let’s make an effort to help others share in that FUN!

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 31

by H.G. FRAUTSCHY

MYSTERY PLANE This month’s Mystery Plane comes to us from Bruce Voran.

Send your answer to EAA, Vintage Airplane, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Your answer needs to be in no later than August

20 for inclusion in the October 2011 issue of Vintage Airplane. You can also send your response via e-mail. Send your answer to mystery

plane@eaa.org. Be sure to include your name plus your city and state in the body of your note and put “(Month) Mystery Plane” in the subject line.

APRIL’S MYSTERY ANSWER We enjoy your suggestions for Mystery Planes—in fact, more than half of our subjects are sent to us by members, often via e-mail. Please remember that if you want to scan the photo for use in Mystery Plane, it must be at a resolution of 300 dpi or greater. You may send a lowerresolution version to us for our review, but the final version has to be at that level of detail or it will not print properly. Also, please let us know where the photo came from; we don’t want to willfully violate someone’s copyright. The April Mystery Plane was no mystery for many of you north of the U.S./Canada border. Here’s an extensive answer by a first-time responder, Mr. Lynn Goyer of Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada: The Mystery Plane photograph appearing on page 36 of our April 2011 copy of Vintage Airplane is a Supermarine Stranraer. I believe the actual air-

32 JULY 2011

craft in the photo is of Canadian civil registry, CF-BXO, formerly Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) 920. This photograph would have been taken at some time between 1962 and 1967 after an overhaul at Abbotsford, British Columbia (BC), and possibly while in service with Stranraer Aerial Enterprises. The location strongly resembles the Fraser River dockings at the Vancouver airport. The aircraft had undergone a respray with a bright red cheat line. The aircraft had also been re-engined with Wright R-1820 by Queen Charlotte Airlines (QCA) replacing the original engines of British design and manufacture, the 920-hp Pegasus X. The aircraft was constructed with an all-metal hull and metal-framed fabric-covered wings in addition to a fabric-covered empennage. The Supermarine Southampton, as it was first known, (Stranraer) was designed by the famed R.J. Mitchell at the Supermarine Aviation Works as a coastal general reconnaissance flying boat

(beaching gear required) for the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1933. The prototype first flew in October 1934 with two Bristol Pegasus IIIM engines rated at 820 hp. The production aircraft were delivered to the RAF with Pegasus engines delivering 920 hp, entering service in April 1937. The British-built machines, of which 23 were ordered and only 17 being built, were all delivered by April 1939. In Canada, Canadian Vickers Limited of Montreal, Quebec, produced 40 examples, and [they] were delivered to the RCAF. The first Canadian-built aircraft flew on 14 October 1938 with pilot Herbert Hollick-Kenyon at the controls. Production ceased in 1941 after delivery of the 40th example. The aircraft was deployed to the Canadian east coast for convoy patrol, while in the west it was tasked with prowling the coastal waters and reaches for Japanese intruders. The aircraft began to be phased from RCAF service in favour of the Consolidated Canso by 1944.

David Nixon supplied us with the April Mystery Plane shot of CF-BXO, a Canadian Vickers-built Supermarine Stranraer. Two RAF Belfast freighters were dispatched, and the disassembled aircraft was transported to the United Kingdom where the machine is currently one of the centerpieces of the collection. The aircraft type had many names. The most familiar (and printable) were Stranny, Strainer, and Flying Meccano Set. The least affectionate was the Whistling S***house, as when the lid to the throne was lifted there was direct access to the great outdoors and there emitted a loud whistling noise.

Bill Bishop of Mulgoa, New South Wales, Australia, sent along this photo of the surviving Supermarine Stranraer. QCA began buying several examples and was instrumental in convincing the Canadian Department of Transport (DOT) to issue a civilian Certificate of Airworthiness (C of A). One of the first aircraft so issued was CF-BYI, which began passenger service from Vancouver north to the Queen Charlotte Islands and Prince Rupert on 5 March 1946. The aircraft was certified for 20 passengers. CFBYI, also known as the Haida Queen, flew until 24 December 1949 when it crashed in Belize Inlet, some 240 miles north of Vancouver, BC. The accident claimed the lives of two passengers, with two passengers and the three crew members being rescued; however, the aircraft was wrecked. The remains of the aircraft were abandoned on the beach. In

1980 the Canadian Museum of Flight and Transportation in BC salvaged the wreck for possible restoration. As late as April 1952 QCA still had two Stranraer in service, CF-BXO and CF-BYM. Pacific Western Airlines (PWA) also operated the type throughout its aerial network in western Canada and the Northwest Territories. Stranraer CF-BXO began its civilian life in 1944 with Labrador Mining and Exploration in eastern Canada and later entered service with QCA as the Alaska Queen. Eventually removed from service, the aircraft was resurrected in 1962 and overhauled. It once again provided yeoman service until 1967. CF-BXO was obtained by the Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon, United Kingdom, for display.

Other correct answers were received from Hillis Cunliffe, Millbrook, Alabama; Brian Baker, Sun City, Arizona; Wesley R. Smith, Springfield, Illinois; John Whitehead, Cheyenne, Wyoming; Scott Church, Cochrane, Alberta, Canada; Jay Broze, Walla Walla, Washington; Jerry Paterson, Kent, Washington; Jamie Patterson, Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada; Dennis L. Bedford; Peter Lubig, Shanty Bay, Ontario, Canada; Toby Gursanscky, Clontarf, New South Wales, Australia; Larry Knechtel, Seattle, Washington; Werner Griesbeck, Aldergrove, British Columbia, Canada; Jack Erickson; State College, Pennsylvania; Gerry Norberg, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Lars Gleitsmann, Anchorage, Alaska; Thomas Lymburn, Princeton, Minnesota; and Lane Older, Bellingham, Washington.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33

VAA NEWS continued frpm page 5

urday, 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. Early-bird arrivals can shop on the pre-convention weekend as well, during limited hours. Show your VAA membership card (or your receipt showing you joined VAA at the convention), and you’ll receive a 10 percent discount.

VAA Volunteer Opportunities Are you an ace pancake flipper? If you’re not one yet, we can help! The VAA Tall Pines Café is looking for volunteers who can help provide a hearty breakfast to all the hungry campers on the south end of Wittman Field. If you could lend a hand for a morning or two, we’d appreciate it. If that’s not your cup of tea, feel free to check with the VAA Volunteer Center, located just to the northeast of the VAA Red Barn. The volunteers who operate the booth will be happy to tell you when your help is needed each day. It doesn’t matter if it’s just for a few hours or for a few days—we’d love to have your helping hands! There is no need for you to contact us ahead of time; you can talk with us when you arrive.

VAA Judging Categories and Awards The VAA’s internationally recognized judging categories are: •Antique: Aircraft built prior to September 1, 1945 •Classic: September 1, 1945 - December 31, 1955 •Contemporary: January 1, 1956 - December 31, 1970 Any aircraft built within those years is eligible to park in the Showplane parking and camping areas. If you wish to have your aircraft judged, let the volunteer know when you register your aircraft and camping area. If you want your aircraft to be judged by VAA volunteer judges, you need to be a current Vintage Aircraft Association member. VAA contributes a significant portion of the costs related to the EAA awards that are presented to

34 JULY 2011

the award winners. Judging closes at noon on Friday, July 29. The Awards Ceremony will be held Saturday evening, July 30, at 6 p.m. in the Vintage Hangar just south of the VAA Red Barn.

Designated Smoking Areas Near Flightline Smoking on the flightline at EAA AirVenture is prohibited because it’s a hazard to all aircraft. There are several designated smoking areas with butt cans along the flightline, well away from aircraft and refueling operations. Designated smoking areas will be south of the ultralight runway; near the Hangar Café; near the Warbirds area (northeast corner of Audrey Lane and Eide Avenue); the Wearhouse flag pole area; the shade pavilion north of the control tower; and near the Ultralight Barn. Locations will be indicated on EAA’s free convention grounds map. The admission wristband also instructs visitors that smoking is allowed only in designated smoking areas.

More on the Web Visit www.AirVenture.org for more information on EAA AirVenture 2011.

EAA AirVenture Is Almost Here . . . Are You Ready? Just a few short weeks from now, many of you will make the annual pilgrimage to Oshkosh for EAA AirVenture 2011. Are you ready? Here are several handy online tools on the AirVenture website that can help you take care of any last-minute concerns. Visit www.AirVenture.org and find out what you need to know about The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration.

You’re cleared to stay connected.

Admission, Parking, Hours www.AirVenture.org/planning/admission.html Find or Share a Ride to Oshkosh www.AirVenture.org/rideshare Site Map www.AirVenture.org/planning/schedules_maps.html Where to Stay www.AirVenture.org/planning/where_to_stay.html AirVenture NOTAM www.AirVenture.org/flying Alternate Airports and Waypoints www.AirVenture.org/flying/alternate_airports.html

Get Your EAA AirVenture 2011 NOTAM Booklet Printed copies of the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2011 Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) can be downloaded directly from the web at www.AirVenture.org/ flying. It can also be ordered by calling EAA member-

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 35

Nominat ions

C A L L F OR V I N TA G E A I R C R A F T A S S O C I AT IO N

.OMINATE YOUR FAVORITE AVIATOR FOR THE %!! 6INTAGE !IRCRAFT !SSOCIATION (ALL OF &AME ! GREAT HONOR COULD BE BESTOWED UPON THAT MAN OR WOMAN WORKING NEXT TO YOU ON YOUR AIRPLANE SITTING NEXT TO YOU IN THE CHAP TER MEETING OR WALKING NEXT TO YOU AT %!! !IR6ENTURE /SHKOSH 4HINK ABOUT THE PEOPLE IN YOUR CIRCLE OF AVIATION FRIENDS THE MECHAN IC PHOTOGRAPHER OR PILOT WHO HAS SHARED IN NUMERABLE TIPS WITH YOU AND WITH MANY OTH ERS 4HEY COULD BE THE NEXT 6!! (ALL OF &AME INDUCTEEÂˆBUT ONLY IF THEY ARE NOMINATED 4HE PERSON YOU NOMINATE CAN BE A CITIZEN OF ANY COUNTRY AND MAY BE LIVING OR DECEASED HIS OR HER INVOLVEMENT IN VINTAGE AVIATION

MUST HAVE OCCURRED BETWEEN AND THE PRESENT DAY (IS OR HER CONTRIBUTION CAN BE IN THE AREAS OF mYING DESIGN MECHANICAL OR AERODYNAMIC DEVELOPMENTS ADMINISTRATION WRITING SOME OTHER VITAL AND RELEVANT lELD OR ANY COMBINATION OF lELDS THAT SUPPORT AVIA TION 4HE PERSON YOU NOMINATE MUST BE OR HAVE BEEN A MEMBER OF THE 6INTAGE !IRCRAFT !SSOCIATION AND PREFERENCE IS GIVEN TO THOSE WHOSE ACTIONS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE 6!! IN SOME WAY PERHAPS AS A VOLUNTEER A RESTORER WHO SHARES HIS EXPERTISE WITH OTHERS A WRITER A PHOTOGRAPHER OR A PILOT SHARING STORIES PRE SERVING AVIATION HISTORY AND ENCOURAGING NEW PILOTS AND ENTHUSIASTS

To nominate someone is easy. It just takes a little time and a little reminiscing on your part. s 4HINK OF A PERSON THINK OF HIS OR HER CONTRIBUTIONS TO VINTAGE AVIATION s 7RITE THOSE CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE VARIOUS CATEGORIES OF THE NOMINATION FORM s 7RITE A SIMPLE LETTER HIGHLIGHTING THESE ATTRIBUTES AND CONTRIBUTIONS -AKE COPIES OF NEWSPAPER OR MAGAZINE ARTICLES THAT MAY SUBSTANTIATE YOUR VIEW s )F YOU CAN HAVE ANOTHER PERSON COMPLETE A FORM OR WRITE A LETTER ABOUT THIS PERSON CONlRMING WHY THE PERSON IS A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR INDUCTION Mail nominating materials to: 6!! (ALL OF &AME %!! 6INTAGE !IRCRAFT !SSOCIATION 0 / "OX /SHKOSH 7) Remember, your â€œcontemporaryâ€? may be a candidate; nominate someone today! &IND THE NOMINATION FORM AT www.VintageAircraft.org OR CALL THE 6!! OFlCE FOR A COPY OR ON YOUR OWN SHEET OF PAPER SIMPLY INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION s $ATE SUBMITTED s .AME OF PERSON NOMINATED s !DDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER OF NOMINEE s % MAIL ADDRESS OF NOMINEE s $ATE OF BIRTH OF NOMINEE )F DECEASED DATE OF DEATH s .AME AND RELATIONSHIP OF NOMINEE S CLOSEST LIVING RELATIVE s !DDRESS AND PHONE OF NOMINEE S CLOSEST LIVING RELATIVE s 6!! AND %!! NUMBER IF KNOWN .OMINEE MUST HAVE BEEN OR IS A 6!! MEMBER s 4IME SPAN DATES OF THE NOMINEE S CONTRIBUTIONS TO VINTAGE AVIATION -UST BE BETWEEN TO PRESENT DAY s !REA S OF CONTRIBUTIONS TO AVIATION s $ESCRIBE THE EVENT S OR NATURE OF ACTIVITIES THE NOMINEE HAS UNDERTAKEN IN AVIATION TO BE WORTHY OF INDUCTION INTO THE 6!! (ALL OF &AME s $ESCRIBE ACHIEVEMENTS THE NOMINEE HAS MADE IN OTHER RELATED lELDS IN AVIATION s (AS THE NOMINEE ALREADY BEEN HONORED FOR HIS OR HER INVOLVEMENT IN AVIATION AND OR THE CONTRIBUTION YOU ARE STATING IN THIS PETITION )F YES PLEASE EXPLAIN THE NATURE OF THE HONOR AND OR AWARD THE NOMINEE HAS RECEIVED s !NY ADDITIONAL SUPPORTING INFORMATION s 3UBMITTER S ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER PLUS E MAIL ADDRESS s )NCLUDE ANY SUPPORTING MATERIAL WITH YOUR PETITION

36 JULY 2011

ship services at 800-564-6322, but given the time from when you read this until AirVenture, it may not arrive in the mail in time for your departure. We suggest downloading the NOTAM. The NOTAM contains the special flight procedures in effect for Wittman Regional Airport and alternate airports from 6 a.m. CDT on Friday, July 22, to 12 p.m. CDT on Monday, August 1, 2011. All pilots who fly into the event are expected to know the special flight procedures prior to arrival. EAA AirVenture Oshkosh runs from July 25 through July 31. For additional EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2011 information, visit www.AirVenture.org.

Call for VAA Hall of Fame Nominations To the left is our information for nominations for VAAâ€™s Hall of Fame, which is presented each year during a special dinner. This yearâ€™s dinner will be held Friday, October 28. Weâ€™ll have more on this yearâ€™s inductee, John Underwood, in a subsequent issue of Vintage Airplane. If you are interested in purchasing tickets to attend the dinner to honor the inductees, contact EAAâ€™s Matt Miller at 920426-6886 or mmiller@eaa.org. We would like to take this opportunity to mention that if you have nominated someone for the VAA Hall of Fame, nominations for the honor are kept on fi le for three years, after which the nomination must be resubmitted.

Upcoming Major Fly-Ins EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

Wittman Regional Airport (OSH) Oshkosh, Wisconsin July 25-31, 2011 www.AirVenture.org Colorado Sport International Air Show and Rocky Mountain Regional Fly-In

Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC) Denver, Colorado August 27-28, 2011 www.COSportAviation.org Mid-Eastern Regional Fly-In

Grimes Field Airport (I74) Urbana, Ohio September 10-11, 2011 http://MERFI.com Copperstate Fly-In

Casa Grande Municipal Airport (CGZ) Casa Grande, Arizona October 20-22, 2011

Country Legend Roy Clark’s Personal I N Piper Tri-Pacer Airplane!

Free Flying Lessons! Free Pilot License!

Proceeds from this rafﬂe

SAVE AMERICAN KIDS LIVES!

www.wingsofhoperaffle.org Only 2000 tickets will be sold 1 ticket $50 3 tickets $125

www.Copperstate.org Southeast Regional Fly-In

Ther e’s plenty mor e . . .

Middleton Field Airport (GZH) Evergreen, Alabama October 21-23, 2011 www.SERFI.org For details on hundreds of upcoming aviation happenings, including EAA chapter fly-ins, Young Eagles rallies, and other local aviation events, visit the EAA Calendar of Events located at www.EAA.org/calendar.

and other goodies at www.vintageaircraft.org VINTAGE AIRPLANE 37

VINTAGE TRADER

S o m e t h i n g t o b u y, sell, or trade? Classified Word Ads: $5.50 per 10 words, 180 words maximum, with boldface lead-in on first line. Classified Display Ads: One column wide (2.167 inches) by 1, 2, or 3 inches high at $20 per inch. Black and white only, and no frequency discounts. Advertising Closing Dates: 10th of second month prior to desired issue date (i.e., January 10 is the closing date for the March issue). VAA reser ves the right to reject any advertising in conflict with its policies. Rates cover one insertion per issue. Classified ads are not accepted via phone. Payment must accompany order. Word ads may be sent via fax (920-426-4828) or e-mail (classads@ eaa.org) using credit card payment (all cards accepted). Include name on card, complete address, type of card, card number, and expiration date. Make checks payable to EAA. Address advertising correspondence to EAA

What Our Members Are Restoring

Publications Classified Ad Manager, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.

MISCELLANEOUS www.aerolist.org, Aviations’ Leading Marketplace. Rare find Lycoming 0-145 parts inventory, blocks, bearings, rings, shafts & much more. $20,000 at 1970 prices, $5,000. Six four cylinder case aircraft magnetos, $300. Call for more details, (FL) 863-494-6749, Hal

SERVICES Always Flying Aircraft Restoration, LLC: Annual Inspections, Airframe recovering, fabric repairs and complete restorations. Wayne A. Forshey A&P & I.A. 740-4721481 Ohio and bordering states.

38 JULY 2011

Are you nearing completion of a restoration? Or is it done do and you’re busy flying and showing it off? If so, we’d like to hear from you. Send us a 4-by-6-inch print from a commercial source (no home printers, please—those prints just don’t scan well) or a 4-by-6-inch, 300-dpi digital photo. A JPG from your 2.5-megapixel (or higher) digital camera is fine. You can burn photos to a CD, or if you’re on a high-speed Internet connection, you can e-mail them along with a text-only or Word document describing your airplane. (If your e-mail program asks if you’d like to make the photos smaller, say no.) For more tips on creating photos we can publish, visit VAA’s website at www.vintageaircraft.org. Check the News page for a hyperlink to Want To Send Us A Photograph? For more information, you can also e-mail us at vintageaircraft@eaa.org or call us at 920-426-4825.

VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION OFFICERS President Geoff Robison 1521 E. MacGregor Dr. New Haven, IN 46774 260-493-4724 chief7025@aol.com

Vice-President George Daubner N57W34837 Pondview Ln Oconomowoc, WI 53066 262-560-1949 gdaubner@eaa.org

Secretary Steve Nesse 2009 Highland Ave. Albert Lea, MN 56007 507-373-1674 stnes2009@live.com

Treasurer Dan Knutson 106 Tena Marie Circle Lodi, WI 53555 608-592-7224 lodicub@charter.net

DIRECTORS

Steve Bender 85 Brush Hill Road Sherborn, MA 01770 508-653-7557 sst10@comcast.net

Dale A. Gustafson 7724 Shady Hills Dr. Indianapolis, IN 46278 317-293-4430 dalefaye@msn.com

David Bennett 375 Killdeer Ct Lincoln, CA 95648 916-952-9449 antiquer@inreach.com

Jeannie Hill P.O. Box 328 Harvard, IL 60033-0328 815-943-7205

Jerry Brown 4605 Hickory Wood Row Greenwood, IN 46143 317-422-9366 lbrown4906@aol.com Dave Clark 635 Vestal Lane Plainfield, IN 46168 317-839-4500 davecpd@att.net John S. Copeland 1A Deacon Street Northborough, MA 01532 508-393-4775 copeland1@juno.com Phil Coulson 28415 Springbrook Dr. Lawton, MI 49065 269-624-6490 rcoulson516@cs.com

Espie “Butch” Joyce 704 N. Regional Rd. Greensboro, NC 27409 336-668-3650 windsock@aol.com Steve Krog 1002 Heather Ln. Hartford, WI 53027 262-966-7627 sskrog@aol.com Robert D. “Bob” Lumley 1265 South 124th St. Brookfield, WI 53005 262-782-2633 rlumley1@wi.rr.com S.H. “Wes” Schmid 2359 Lefeber Avenue Wauwatosa, WI 53213 414-771-1545 shschmid@gmail.com

DIRECTORS EMERITUS Robert C. Brauer 9345 S. Hoyne Chicago, IL 60643 773-779-2105 photopilot@aol.com

Charlie Harris PO Box 470350 Tulsa, OK 74147 918-622-8400 cwh@hvsu.com

Gene Chase 2159 Carlton Rd. Oshkosh, WI 54904 920-231-5002 GRCHA@charter.net

E.E. “Buck” Hilbert 8102 Leech Rd. Union, IL 60180 815-923-4591 buck7ac@gmail.com

Ronald C. Fritz 15401 Sparta Ave. Kent City, MI 49330 616-678-5012 rFritz@pathwaynet.com

Gene Morris 5936 Steve Court Roanoke, TX 76262 817-491-9110 genemorris@charter.net

John Turgyan PO Box 219 New Egypt, NJ 08533 609-752-1944 jrturgyan4@aol.com

Membership Services Directory Enjoy the many benefits of EAA and EAA’s Vintage Aircraft Association

EAA Aviation Center, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Phone (920) 426-4800

Fax (920) 426-4873

Web Sites: www.vintageaircraft.org, www.airventure.org, www.eaa.org/memberbenefits E-Mail: vintageaircraft@eaa.org

EAA and Division Membership Services (8:00 AM–6:00 PM Monday–Friday CST) membership@eaa.org 800-564-6322 FAX 920-426-4873 www.eaa.org/memberbenefits •New/renew memberships •Address changes •Merchandise sales •Gift memberships EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 888-322-4636 www.airventure.org Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft Hotline 877-359-1232 www.sportpilot.org Programs and Activities Auto Fuel STCs 920-426-4843 EAA Air Academy 920-426-6880 www.airacademy.org EAA Scholarships 920-426-6823 Library Services/Research 920-426-4848 Benefits AUA Vintage Insurance Plan 800-727-3823 www.auaonline.com EAA Aircraft Insurance Plan 866-647-4322 www.eaa.org/memberbenefits EAA VISA Card 800-853-5576 ext. 8884 EAA Hertz Rent-A-Car Program 800-654-2200 www.eaa.org/hertz VAA Editorial/Executive Director 920-426-4825 www.vintageaircraft.org VAA Office 920-426-6110

airventure@eaa.org sportpilot@eaa.org stc@eaa.org airacademy@eaa.org scholarships@eaa.org slurvey@eaa.org

membership@eaa.org membership@eaa.org vintage@eaa.org tbooks@eaa.org

EAA Members Information Line 888-EAA-INFO (322-4636) Use this toll-free number for: information about AirVenture Oshkosh; aeromedical and technical aviation questions; chapters; and Young Eagles. Please have your membership number ready when calling. Office hours are 8:15 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Monday - Friday, CST)

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION EAA Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is $40 for one year, including 12 issues of SPORT AVIATION. Family membership is an additional $10 annually. All major credit cards accepted for membership. (Add $16 for International Postage.)

FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable in United States dollars. Add required Foreign Postage amount for each membership.

VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION Current EAA members may join the Vintage Aircraft Association and receive VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine for an additional $36 per year. EAA Membership, VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine and one year membership in the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association is available for $46 per

year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not included). (Add $7 for International Postage.)

WARBIRDS Current EAA members may join the EAA Warbirds of America Division and receive WARBIRDS magazine for an additional $45 per year. EAA Membership, WARBIRDS magazine and one year membership in the Warbirds Division is available for $55 per year (SPORT OficAVIATION magazine not included). (Add $7 for International Postage.)

IAC

Current EAA members may join the International Aerobatic Club, Inc. Division and receive SPORT AEROBATICS magazine for an additional $45 per year. EAA Membership, SPORT AEROBATICS magazine and one year membership in the IAC Division is available for $55 per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not included). (Add $15 for Foreign Postage.)

Membership dues to EAA and its divisions are not tax deductible as charitable contributions

Copyright ©2011 by the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association, All rights reserved. VINTAGE AIRPLANE (USPS 062-750; ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association of the Experimental Aircraft Association and is published monthly at EAA Aviation Center, 3000 Poberezny Rd., PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54903-3086, e-mail: vintageaircraft@eaa.org. Membership to Vintage Aircraft Association, which includes 12 issues of Vintage Airplane magazine, is $36 per year for EAA members and $46 for non-EAA members. Periodicals Postage paid at Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901 and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Vintage Airplane, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. PM 40063731 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Pitney Bowes IMS, Station A, PO Box 54, Windsor, ON N9A 6J5. FOREIGN AND APO ADDRESSES — Please allow at least two months for delivery of VINTAGE AIRPLANE to foreign and APO addresses via surface mail. ADVERTISING — Vintage Aircraft Association does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through the advertising. We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken. EDITORIAL POLICY: Members are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor. No remuneration is made. Material should be sent to: Editor, VINTAGE AIRPLANE, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Phone 920-426-4800. EAA® and EAA SPORT AVIATION®, the EAA Logo® and Aeronautica™ are registered trademarks, trademarks, and service marks of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. The use of these trademarks and service marks without the permission of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is strictly prohibited.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 39

Flying Outside

the Fishbowl BY

If you’ve ever watched fish in an aquarium, you’ve probably noticed how they respond differently to their surroundings. There are those that zip around the tank in a mad dash to nowhere. Some seem to sit and not go much of anywhere, and some will swim from one end to the other, turn around, and do it again. The latter are the ones that remind me of myself. I seem to fly in a fishbowl. I go from one end of our valley to the other and back and forth between the mountain ranges. That’s the extent of most of my travels . . . fly so far, bump my nose on the glass, turn around, and go back the other way. The Valley is a beautiful place to see, but that’s not what keeps me here. Besides the time factor in getting places, there’s a comfort zone that I tend to stay close to. I don’t think I’m alone. As humans we are comfortable with what we know. As pilots that can make us

40 JULY 2011

S. MICHELLE SOUDER

proficient by practicing things we know over and over, or it can make us lazy. When something becomes so ingrained that we do it from habit only, we may not be thinking about what we’re doing. On a night cross-country some time ago I found out just how easy it is to forget things that I hadn’t used in a while. While night may be a little more challenging, it still requires the basic pre-flight planning of any cross-country and following the same procedures to get into the airports. It was an excellent learning experience and a great trip, but getting the rust knocked off my piloting skills took a little while. It was absolutely beautiful (even though very cold) to fly that night. I love the view from the sky after dark. I enjoy going places away from the Valley. The world doesn’t end at the mountains. I only choose to make it so. Maybe that needs to change. One thing I do know is that

whether I go far or stay in the comfort zone I can’t let complacency take over. Those skills and experiences need to be stretched from time to time regardless of where I fly. An unexpected situation or emergency is a bad time to find out I don’t remember how to do something. Complacency also allows fear to creep in where it doesn’t belong. Some fear (I think) is a natural part of flying, but it can also unnecessarily keep us grounded because we won’t get past our self-imposed limits and become better pilots through experience. (Note: experience does not require taking stupid chances.) Are you flying in a fishbowl? . . . If so, maybe it’s time to climb up and get out a little. If staying in your comfort zone is where you’re going to be, at least challenge yourself from time to time, or have someone else (even an instructor) make you stretch a little. Don’t let the fishbowl make you lazy.

It’s gonna be a big year at Oshkosh.

Join us for a week-long celebration of the Centennial of Naval Aviation, including a special air show Wednesday. See the hottest naval aircraft in historic colors all week on ConocoPhillips Plaza.

B-29 Superfortress “FIFI”

REO Speedwagon

eVenture

Tribute to Bob Hoover

The ﬁrst visit since 1995 for the world’s only airworthy B-29 Superfortress

Oshkosh rocks Monday during the opening day concert, presented by Ford Motor Company

Innovation will be on display and in the air with the Electric Flight Prize Competition

Tuesday afternoon air show featuring aircraft and maneuvers he made legendary

Tribute to Burt Rutan

Super Saturday

Salute to Veterans

His aircraft designs changed the face of AirVenture–and aviation. Special air show on Thursday

Presented by Southwest Airlines featuring the Night Air Show, Daher-Socata Fireworks, and the “Wall of Fire”

Gary Sinise & the Lt. Dan Band courtesy of Disabled American Veterans on Friday

The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration July 25-31 | AirVenture.org/attractions

For more information and to buy your advance ticket s visit AirVenture.org. But hurry, the advance purch ase discount ends on June 15. Advance tickets made possible by