N E

VOL. 33 , No. 4

2005

CONTENTS
1 Straight and Level
2

of master restorer Jim Younkin, and when the opportunity

VAA News
Rem in iscin g with Big Nick

came to finally own one, he lovingly restored the airplane to

Fish Hassell Aviation Pioneer

ning on page _. EM photo by Jim Koepnick, using Canon

by Nick Rezich

professional digital photographic equipment. EAA photo

Th e Vintage Instructor

plane flown my Bruce Moore.

its original streamlined shape. See Jack Cox's story begin

Patterns, Part III

by Doug Stewart

BACK COVER: Aviation pioneer AI Menasco strikes a jaunty

Al Menasco Aviation Pioneer.

article continues from last month, starting on page 9.

Part II

by Chet Wellman

13

COVERS
FRONT COVER: The Howard DGA 9 was a childhood favorite

pose early in his career. Chet Wellman's biographical

The Ultimate Howard

A childhood fascination becomes reality for Jim Younkin
by Jack Cox

18

Livingston Clipwing

Monocoupe Flies Again

Production Manager
Classified Ad Manager
Copy Editor

Tom Poberezny
Scott Spangler
H.G. Frautschy
Theresa Books
Kathleen Witman
Ric Reynolds
Jim Koepnick
Bonnie Bartel
Julie Russo
Isabelle Wiske
Colleen Walsh

Mystery Plan e

Director of Advertising

Katrina Bradshaw

by H.G. Frautschy

Display Advertising Representatives:

Famous race plane back in the sKies

by Jack Cox

20

How to Fly
A Vintage member earns his tailwheel wings

by Dean Kronwall

23

Pass it to Buck

Selected sections from October of 1989

by Buck Hilbert

25

26

Mystery Plan e Extra

by Hal Swanson

29
31

STAFF

Classified Ads
Calendar

Publisher
Editor-in-Chief
Executive Director/Editor
Administrative Assistant
Managing Editor
News Editor
Photography

Northeast: Allen Murray

Phone 609-265-1666, FAX 609-265-1661 e-mail: allewnllrray@mindspring.com
Southeast: Chester Baumgartner
Phone 727-573-0586, FAX 727-556-0177 e-mail; cballmlll@mindspring.com
Central: Todd Reese
Phone 800-444-9932, FAX 816-741-6458 e-mail: todd@;pc-mag.com
Mountain & Pacific: Keith Knowlton & Associates
Phone 770-516-2743, FAX 770-516-9743 e-mail: kknowlton@eaa.org

GEOFF ROBISON
PRESIDENT, VINTAGE AI RCRAFT ASSOC IATION

Eager Spring Flying

Did someone say spring? I think I

mentioned that word a few columns
ago, and that was in anticipation of
it arriving sometime soon. With my
luck we'll go from spring to sum
mer in six days . I just spent a week
in Oshkosh, and they were experi
enCing their first real taste of spring
weather. It truly was a long winter for
us all, and we are very thankful to
finally experience some milder tem
peratures and better flying weather.
With the annual on the Cessna 120
now completed and the C-170 com
ing due, I am closer to getting fully
prepared for the spring ritual of prac
ticing up on my taildragger skills so
I can chase around to all the local
events and those Saturday morning
breakfast trips. I cannot remember
the last time I was so eager to see
spring flying time arrive. I just peeked
in my logbook and was shocked to
come to the realization that it has
been nearly three months since I last
flew one of my aircraft. So it's prob
ably best to load up my instructor and
chase the cobwebs away so the insur
ance lady is kept happy and I can con
tinue to enjoy the affordable rates that
our VAA insurance plan provides.
Are you planning your trip to
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 200S? You
better get started if you haven't. I
honestly think that this year's event
is shaping up to be the most excit
ing we have ever experienced.
What a phenomenal line-up. The
excitement of this year's event has
even led EAA to reinforce to the
membership that there absolutely
will be sufficient space available at
Camp Scholler.
I distinctly recall the excitement
of th e year that Dick Rutan and
Jeanna Yeager flew the Voyager to

Oshkosh. I clearly recall watching

the hundreds if not thousands of
people crowding around the aircraft
shortly after its arrival. The excite
ment of that event is truly memo
rable, but the significance of it really
pales a bit when you consider how
popular that event was to the mem
bership, and that was before they
actually flew it unrefueled around
the world. Now consider the accom
plishments of Burt Rutan and his
team at Scaled Composites with re
gards to the SpaceShipOne event.
Again, this is a uniquely phenom
enal and historical accomplishment
that received worldwide media cov
erage. When the actual event was
taking place, Mike Melvill had us
all on the edge of our seats, practi
cally gushing with excitement. Mis
sion accomplished, and now, in July
White Knight with SpaceShipOne
tucked up to her underbelly unre
fueled will arrive in the pattern at
EAA AirVenture 2005 for a weeklong
visit at Oshkosh on its way to its pro
per place in history at the Smithsonian.
Now then, let's double our view
ing pleasure with a similarly sig
nificant arrival of the GlobalFlyer,
flown in by Steve Fossett, to AirVen
ture. With its 67-hour flight mission
of an around-the-world, 19,880
nautical-mile solo, nonrefueled
flight also completed, it will surely
round out our week at AirVenture
as unprecedented . With Oshkosh
widely known as aviation's Mecca,
this year's event is truly shaping up
to be nothing short of miraculous.
Tom Poberezny said it best when
he recently remarked, "It's difficult
to describe the magnitude and ex
citement of the event, except to say
you've got to be there this year./I

Be sure to join us for what is

shaping up to be an incredibly stel
lar line-up for the S3rd annual avia
tion gathering set for July 25-31.
While on the topic of EAA Air
Venture, I should remark here that
the Vintage area also has been busy
working on our own show-stop
pers. This year's event promises to
attract an unprecedented number
of Tri-Motors and early Tri-Motor
type passenger transports.
If you have a weak spot in your
heart for these early transports
like I do, get your camera loaded
because this could prove to be a
unique once-in-a-lifetime photo
opportunity. Will GlobalFlyer or
White Knight fit under the wing
of an AT-S Tri-Motor? Talk about a
photo op. Hmmmmmm.
You better also plan to set aside
some time to roam around the type
club parking area this year as well.
This area is now being managed by
VAA's own Tim Fox. Tim made the
mistake of doing a really fine job of
bringing a large number of Stinsons
to this area at last year's event. This
of course earned him the new re
sponsibility of bringing even more
success to the type club parking area
again this year.
Keep in mind that we ar e al
ways seeking out new volunteers for
the Vintage area. Drop us a line at
vintageaircra{t@eaa.org if you're in
terested in enhancing your EAA Air
Venture experience. We pledge our
best effort to show you a good time.
Let's all pull in the same direc
tion for the good of aviation . Re
member, we are all better together.
Join us and have ift~

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

Notice of Annual
EAA Business Meeting
Biplane Fly-In Special Guest

So Many Forums, So Little Time

VAA Treasurer Charlie Harris also

serves as the chairman of the Na
tional Biplane Association (NBA),
and he has just announced that
famed test pilot Scott Crossfield
has accepted their invitation to be
the honored guest at the 9th Annual
Biplane Expo at Bartlesville, Okla
homa, June 2-4, 2005. Crossfield
will be recognized during a Thurs
day, June 2, evening reception at
the Hillcrest Country Club in Tulsa
and will be further honored at
a tribute on his behalf on Friday,
June 3, at Frank Phillips Airfield in
Bartlesville. For more information,
contact Charles W. Harris at 918
622-8400, e-mail cwh@hv5u.com.
or visit the NBA website at www.
biplaneexpo.com.

Where else can you learn about air

craft design, gas-welding aluminum,
1/2 VW engine conversions, and im
proving your VFR skills, and all in
one place, all on the same day? At the
hundreds of forums presented during
EAA AirVenture. To plan this year's
adventure in learning, tap into the
forums database at www.airventure.
org and search by date, presenter, or
interest area. You can also print the
Forums Map to see where your fo
rum meets, so there will be no delays
when you arrive in Oshkosh.

No Reservation Required
Like a bottomless cup of cof
fee, there's always room at Camp
Scholler for EAA members, their
family and friends before and dur
ing EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Lo
cated on convention grounds, RV
and tent campers have access to
shower facilities, portable toilets,
an RV pumping station, and por
table pumping services. Early birds
can set up camp on June 24. Visit
www.airventure.org and click on the
Where to Stay link below the Plan
for It link for a map of Camp Schol
ler and guidelines.
Also, don't forget that we al
ways have room for showplanes
at EAA AirVenture. While the
airport may have to close to
transient campers and "modern"
airplanes that must park in the
North 40, if your airplane fits in
one of the VANs judging catego
ries (see the categories at www.
vintageaircraft.org), we'll find a
place to park you during EAA
AirVenture 2005. There is no
advance registration for show
plane parking; it is first come,
first served.
2

MAY 2005

EAA AirVenture Air Show

More of the world's top perform
ers have confirmed their volunteer
appearances at EAA AirVenture's
daily 3 p.m. air shows. (Times and
performance dates are not yet fi
nalized.) Check the website at
www.airventure.org for information.
One new act in particular caught
our attention, and I'm sure you'll
want to see it:
Kent Pietsch will fly a 1942 In
terstate Cadet. In three different acts,
he'll land on a recreational vehicle,
fly a comedy routine, and perform a
dead-stick aerobatic routine.

EAA, Ohio Members Help Revise

Aircraft Tax Legislation
EAA worked with several members
in Ohio to re-introduce legislation in
February that would roll back aircraft
taxes from a flat $100 per aircraft to
$15 per seat. Now before the Finance
and Appropriations Committee,
House Bill 66 would repeal the large
increase that was established in 2003
and became effective last year.
EAAers leading the fight included
Board Member Emeritus Jim Gor
man, Donald Peters, Brian Matz
(of the Fearless Aeronca Aviators),
Frank Castronovo, and many Chap
ter presidents and VAA members.
Matz informed EAA that the floor
vote would likely occur sometime in
continued on page 28

In accordance with the Fifth Re

stated Bylaws of Experimental Aircraft
Association Inc., notice is hereby given
that the annual business meeting of
the members will be held at the The
ater in the Woods on Saturday, July 30,
2005, at 10 a.m. at the 53rd annual
convention of Experimental Aircraft As
sociation Inc., Wittman Regional Air
port, Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Notice is further given that the elec
tion will be held as the first item on the
agenda at the business meeting. Fif
teen Class I directors (three-year terms)
will be elected. In accordance with the
Fifth Restated Bylaws of Experimental
Aircraft Association Inc., the Nominat
ing Committee has submitted the fol
lowing candidates:
Class I
Richard W. Beebe, II
John A. Beetham (incumbent)
James W. Brown
William F. Chana
Michael H. Dale
Rich Davidson
Norm DeWitt
Curt Drumm
James C. Dukeman
Malvern J. Gross (incumbent)
Richard W. Hansen
William E. Harrison Jr.
David C. Lau
Daniel A. Majka
John L. Parish Sr.
David R. Pasahow
Paul Poberezny (incumbent)
Kevin Rebman
Alan J. Ritchie (incumbent)
Dan Schwinn
Frederick W. Telling
Edward T. Waldorf
Jim Weir
Joe B. Wyatt
Such candidates include proposed
successors to those current Class I di
rectors whose terms expire during 2005,
along with an additional number of Class
I directors as necessary to cause the
Class I directors to collectively compose
at least 51 percent of the board. Among
the newly elected Class I directors, terms
will be assigned so as to effectuate the
staggering of term expiration dates. The
current Class I directors whose terms do
not expire in 2005 will continue to serve
until their stated term expiration date.
Alan Shackleton
Secretary, EAA Board of Directors

The 200S Friends of the Red Barn Campaign

Many services are provided to vintage aircraft en

thusiasts at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. From parking
airplanes to feeding people at the Tall Pines Cafe and
Red Barn, more than 400 volunteers do it all. Some
may ask, "If volunteers are providing the services,
where is the expense?"
Glad you asked. The scooters for the flightline crew
need repair and batteries, and the Red Barn needs
paint, new windowsills, updated wiring, and other
sundry repairs, plus we love to care for our volunteers
with special recognition caps and a pizza party. The
list really could go on and on, but no matter how
many expenses we can pOint out, the need remains
constant. The Friends of the Red Barn fund helps pay
for the VAA expenses at EAA AirVenture, and is a cru
cial part of the Vintage Aircraft Association budget.
Please help the VAA and our 400-plus dedicated
volunteers make this an unforgettable experience for
our many EAA AirVenture guests. We've made it even
more fun to give this year, with more giving levels to
fit each person's budget, and more interesting activi
ties for donors to be a part of.
Thank-You Items
by Level

Access to
Volunteer
Center

Your contribution now really does make a differ

ence. There are six levels of gifts and gift recognition.
Thank you for whatever you can do.
Here are some of the many activities the Friends of
the Red Barn fund underwrites:
Red Barn Information Desk Supplies

Participant Plaques and Supplies

Toni's Red Carpet Express Repairs and Radios
Caps for VAA Volunteers
Pizza Party for VAA Volunteers
Flightline Parking Scooters and Supplies
Breakfast for Past Grand Champions
Volunteer Booth Administrative Supplies
Membership Booth Administrative Supplies
Signs Throughout the Vintage Area
Red Barn and Other Buildings' Maintenance
.AndMore!

Name Listed:
Vintage, Web
& Sign at
Red Barn

Donor
Appreciation
Certificate

Diamond, $1 ,000

Platinum, $750

Gold, $500

Silver, $250

Bronze, $100

Loyal Supporter,
$99 & Under

Special
FORB
Badge

Two Passes
to VAA
Volunteer
Party

Special
FORB
Cap

Breakfast
at Tall Pines
Cafe

Tri-Motor
Ride
Certificate

Two Tickets
to VAA
Picnic

Close Auto
Parking

2 People/Full Wk

2 Tickets

Full Week

2 People/Full Wk

2 Tickets

2 Days

1 Person/Full Wk

1 Ticket

VAA Friends of the Red Barn

Name_______________________________________________________EAA#________ VAA#________
Address_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _City/
State/Zip_______________________________________________________________________________
Phone________________________________________E-Mail ____________________________________
Please choose your level of participation:
__ Silver Level Gift - $250.00
___ Diamond Level Gift - $1,000.00
__ Bronze Level Gift - $100.00
___ Platinum Level Gift - $750.00
__ Loyal Supporter Gift - ($99 .00 or under) Your Support $ _ _
_
Gold Level Gift - $500.00
o Payment Enclosed (Make checks payable to Vintage Aircraft Assoc.)
Mail your contribution to:
o Please Charge my credit card (below)
Credit Card Number _____________ Expiration Date _ ___
Signature_________________

EAA, VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOC.

PO Box 3086
OSHKOSH, WI 549033086

*00 you or your spouse work for a matching gift company? If so, this gift may qualify for
a matching donation. Please ask your Human Resources department for the appropriate form.

NameofCompany~~~----~~--~~--~~--~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Vintage Aircraft Association is a non-profit edu cational organization 1ll1der IRS SOIc3 rules. Under Federal Law, the deduction from Federal Income tax for
charitable contributions is limited to the amount by which any money (and the value ofany property other than money) contributed exceeds the value of the goods or
services provided in exchange for the contribution. An appropriate receipt acknowledging your gift will be sent to you for IRS gift reporting reasons.
VINTAGE A I RPLANE

REMINISCING WITH BIG NICK

FISH HASSELL

AVIATION PIONEER

Reprinted from Vintage Airplane October 1974

Nick Rezich
All Photos Courtesy the Nick Rezich Collection

his past September 16 a

group of Rockford, Il
linois, OX-Sers and QBs
flew over the gravesite of
Bert R. J. "Fish" Hassell
and dipped their wings in a final
salute to one of America's aviation
pioneers ... and a friend of EAA.
Earlier in the year, July to be exact,
another group of EAAers, OX-Sers,
and QBs flew the same mission over
Cedar Falls, Iowa, in recognition of
another great aviation pioneer and
friend of EAA, John H. Livingston.
My most prized possessions are
the memories I have of knowing
these two great aviators. Johnny
and Fish were beacons of light in
the embryonic age of flight. Be
cause of their pioneering efforts,
we today enjoy the speed, comfort,
and safety of our flying machines.
Johnny was a man of speed; Fish

MAY 2005

was a long-distance explorer. John

ny and Fish both were mechani
cally inclined, which contributed
greatly to their success in aviation.
Johnny went from motorcycles to
airplanes, and Fish from the Cole
Automobile Company to the Glenn
H. Curtiss School of Aviation.
Fish was sent to Hammondsport,
New York, to repair the Cole car
belonging to Glenn Curtiss. When
Fish finished the repairs on the
auto, he and Curtiss went for a test
spin, whereupon Curtiss persuaded
Fish to turn his talents to airplanes.
At age 20, Fish began his fly
ing lessons and on June IS, 1914,
he soloed. Later with pilot license
number 20 in hand, he went on to
become a fancier of seaplanes-and
to acquiring his nickname. He was
a man of spirit and challenge. In
1915 he was flying a Curtiss flying

boat from Chicago to Lake For

est amid choppy Lake Michigan
waves when he decided to show his
friends at the hangar some preci
sion flying.
In Fish's own words: "As I passed
them, a huge wave broke under me,
kissed my tail section, and forced
my nose into the lake. The next
thing I saw was more Lake Michigan
herring than the local fishermen at
Waukegan ever knew there was in
the lake!" That incident and numer
ous others that ended up with both
him and his flying boats in the drink
gave him the nickname "Fish."
Fish was best known, however,
for his pioneering of the Great Cir
cle Route. He had visions of today's
air routes long before they became
the standard lanes for commercial
aircraft. In 1926 he wrote, "Flying
the Atlantic is still a stunt." Fish

urged the U.S. to look at both the

commercial and military advan
tages of using the Circle Route over
the north to Europe.
The small network of airlines
that existed at that time and the
military were not ready to exploit
Fish's ideas and route . . . so the pio
neering was left to Fish himself.
The scheme eventually decided
upon was a flight from Rockford, Illi
nois, to Stockholm, Sweden. Fish mus
tered a group of Rockford businessmen
to co-sponsor the flight. He then went
to his friend Eddie Stinson in Detroit
and asked him to build a ship that
would carry a crew of two and 700 gal
lons of fuel (4,200 pounds!).
The airplane Stinson built was
a J-5 SM-l Detroiter, which was
named the "Greater Rockford." For
co-pilot and navigator, Fish chose
Parker "Shorty" Cramer. The date
for takeoff was set for July 26, 1928.
Fred Machesney, the owner and op
erator of the airport north of Rock
ford, which was the jump-off point,
pulled up the fence posts at the ends
of his runway so it would be long
enough for the fuel-laden Stinson.
The following is Burt Hassell's own
story of the successful take-off in
1928 to prove the trans-Atlantic air
route using the Great Circle Route.
"With my co-pilot, Shorty Cra
mer, we took off from Rockford and
stuck our nose due north to find
Cochrane, Ontario. The flying over
Quebec was in the daylight hours,
but at night our attention was only
or instruments, which made the
night seem much longer. As day
light came we found ourselves over
a very familiar area-Burrwell, near
Chidley. With daylight and a defi
nite check of our location, we started
across the Davis Strait. We rode for
hour after hour-between cloud lay
ers-looking for the Greenland shore
to appear. The old J-5 purred along,
which was music to our ears.
"Suddenly, the weather started
to break and we could see a faint
shoreline and the sun shining on
the Greenland ice cap. We were
both stiff and tired (in the air for
20 hours) when we began to look

shortly before their takeoff for Stockholm.

for the fjord which would lead us to

our refueling base." But high winds
slowed them so ... "it seemed like
we were standing still. " The fuel
supply was running dangerously
low. "A careful check by Cramer
and myself showed we had fuel for
less than an hour."
Hassell reasoned that he did not
have enough power "to go looking
for a small landing strip on the side
of a mountain, and so we stuck our
nose due east, away from those hid
eous ice crevasses to where it would
be only a matter of minutes before
it would give up its long struggle
to get two pilots to our Greenland
base. With power on and off, we
were ready to land.
"To our great surprise, we landed
safely on centuries-old ice with
about 2 inches of hoarfrost on it.
We had reeled up the lead radio an
tenna and sat there like two tired
old barnstormers and rested. We
had been in the air 24 hours and 12
minutes .. . and that's a long time
sitting, even in a chair at home.
"We tied our lead antenna to an
aileron tip and pounded out like
mad: 'Landed safe on ice cap'-But
I guess no one was near enough to
read this message. I shut off this
piece of equipment, and we got
ready to go. We put on our heavy
boots, parka, took a rifle and some
pemmican. and started to walk to
our base on the Strornfjord. To make

it short, it took us 14 days to walk to

Dr. Hobbs' camp, all tired from this
healthy walk over the ice cap. We re
alized then that we two barnstorm
ers should have remained at home."
The flight never reached Stock
holm, but Fish proved his point.
Today, commercial jet airliners are
using that very same route ... thanks
to pioneer Bert R. J. "Fish" Hassell.
You would have had to have
known Fish to fully appreciate that
short story. He was a man of will,
determination, and faith in his
fellow man. I'll never forget the
story he told me about the pig
and chicken farm he had in Goose
Bay Labrador-during his service
in World War II! It goes something
like this: "You see, we had about
1,500 GIs and officers stationed on
the base, and most of them were
farm boys from the Midwest. Then,
we had all those crews coming in
daily on their ways overseas-or
coming back from a tour of duty.
Having powdered eggs and Spam for
breakfast was not much of a morale
builder, so I requested a couple dozen
hens and roosters and some pigs."
When the brass in D.C. heard
about the request, they figured 01'
Fish had flipped! The first request
was ignored, but when they received
the second one-which was worded
in the typical Fish Hassell vernacu
lar-wheels started to turn. A team
of brass flew to Goose Bay to find
out firsthand what was behind this
odd request. They were met by
Col. Hassell, and the first thing he
greeted them with was, "Where are
my pigs and how much booze is on
board?"
When the brass regained their
composure, Fish explained his rea
son for the pigs and chickens. To
make a long story longer, he got
his pigs and chickens and a guar
anteed ration of booze for his men.
His farm boys buiit a hen house
and a pig pen-not only did this
makeshift farm provide fresh ham
and eggs for breakfast, but it turned
out to be the main attraction at the
base for incoming crews and solved
the garbage problem. It also gained
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

money to restore the "Greater

worldwide fame and public
Rockford" but none of them
ity for Fish . Like he said, "I
panned out. Fish had hoped
was the only Air Force com
to have the aircraft made a
mander that gained popu
memorial to his son Peter
larity through chicken-!"
who lost his life flying an F
Besides that, the pigs gave the
100 while in the Air Force.
base a homey smell.
Eventually, the aircraft was
There are many more in
gust of 1928.
sold to the new SST Museum
teresting and humorous sto
located near Kissimmee,
ries about Fish that you can
Florida, where it was put on
read firsthand by picking up
display, awaiting restoration.
a copy of his book, The Hik
ing Viking-over 400 pages
On May 5 , 1971, Bert
"Fish " Hassell and John H.
of aviation history and hun
liVingston were enshrined
dreds of never before pub
lished photos.
into the OX-5 Aviation Pio
The famous Stinson
neers Hall of Fame at Ham
"Greater Rockford," NX-5408,
mondsport, New York. I had
the honor and privilege of
was recovered from the ice
cap 40 years later by Fish's two
giving Fish his last airplane
sons, Vic and John, and Rob With the tail section of the "Greater Rockford " are, ride. John Tasso, chief pilot
ert Carlin, district manager of from left, Vic Hassell; Robert Cariin, fonneriy of Rock for Hartzog Aviation , and
National Airlines in Houston, ford and now of Houston, Texas; Burt R.J. (Fish) Has myself flew Fish and his fam
Texas, and an antique aviation sell; and John Hassell.
ily to the Hall of Fame cer
buff and a native of Rockford.
emonies at Hammondsport.
A Sikorsky helicopter oper
A fond farewell to Fish
Hassell, a great av i ation
ated by, I believe, Greenland
Air picked the Stinson off the
pioneer.
ice and a Hemisphere Aircraft
Leasing Corporation C-46
Addendum from Big Nickflew it back to Rockford where
For you eagle-eyed read
ers, refer to the caption for
thousands of people lined the
fence to cheer the return of
the middle photo on page
the "Greater Rockford. " I was
11 of the February 2005 is
one of the privileged persons
sue of Vintage Airplane. The
who helped unload the Stin
third man from the left is
The "Greater Rockford" arrives back in Rockford via
son from the C-46. BELIEVE
not Gordon Israel as stated.
C-46 after 40 years on the Greenland ice cap.
YOU-ME, it was an honor and
Also, change "Walter French"
a thrill to grab that Hamilton
to Walter Frech, who is now
Standard prop and guide that famous in equally good shape. The yellow with the FAA in Los Angeles. I only
bird out of the doorway of the C-46. life raft was inflated, and it held had the negative available when
It is also ironic that the Stinson was air with no leaks. The "Rockford to I listed the men in the photo and
Stockholm" sign on the cowl was had to put it up to the light and
flown home in a Curtiss product.
After all the ceremonies were like new. The only fabric left after guess at the figures. Also, change
over, Pop (as the family called him) 40 years of winds and snow was "earl Sting" to Earl Stine.
...",..
asked me to remove a spark plug located on the rudder-with the
from the J-5 just to see if it would "NX-5408" still very bright.
2005 Addendum : After this was
come out. Much to our surprise,
The airplane was later trucked
written
in 1974, there was a suc
the number one cylinder plug to Machesney Aircraft and placed
cessful
fund-raising drive, and the
came out with no strain, using a in the hangar from which it left 40
"
Greater
Rockford " was restored
regular plug wrench. I then de years before. That was in 1968, and
and
placed
on display at the Mid
pressed the Alemite fitting, and be since then the steel parts have rusted
way
Village
&
Museum Center, 6799
lieve it or not, yellow grease oozed badly and some additional damage
Guilford
Road
, Rockford , IL 61107 ,
out! The aluminum tanks looked has resulted from all the moving
phone:
815
/
397-9112, website:
like new with no traces of corro around from display to display.
www.midwayvillage.com.
sion at all and the wicker seats were
Attempts were made to raise
6

MAY 2005

DOUG STEWART

Patterns, Part III

"Unhh ... Loop-de-loop Radio,

N12345 is 10 out. Which runway ya
usin' .. . unhhh ... and do you have
left-hand or right-hand traffic?"
Hearing that announcement
over the CTAF (Common Traffic
Advisory Frequency) while flying
the downwind leg in the traffic pat
tern, I thought it was the perfect
time for my client and me to take
a lunch break after our landing. I
wasn't so sure I wanted to be shar
ing the sky with any pilot who had
just made an announcement like
the one I had just heard.
I hope you don't think I'm being
overly critical, but we all know that
most midair collisions occur either
in the traffic pattern or within 10
miles of an airport. I've experienced
quite a few things in airplanes,
but a midair collision is not one of
them, and I am going to do my best
to make sure it never is.
We have many tools to aid our
awareness of where other aircraft
are in relationship to us. Good
cockpit resource management
(CRM) will draw on as many of
those tools as possible. Our eyes are
our primary tools, but certainly the
proper use of the radio is key. How
ever, the improper use of commu
nication radios can easily lead to
pandemonium in the pattern.
While my client and I enjoyed a
leisurely lunch, we discussed what
it was about what we had heard
that made me want to get on the
ground. To begin with I didn't

know what kind of aircraft I might

be looking for. I only knew its tail
number, and as my vintage eyes
might not be able to read a tail
number before I am closer to the
aircraft in question than I might
wish to be, knowing just the num
ber did nothing to help me . If, on
the other hand, I knew what kind
of aircraft I was looking for, I would
be much better equipped to see it.

We have to

remember that

the primary

purpose of

position reports

in the

nontowered

environment is

to aid in

the visual

identification

of aircraft.

Next, I knew that the pilot was

"10 out." But the question re
mained, "10 out" where? "Out to
lunch" would be my guess. (In fact,
that's what made me think about a
lunch break in the first place.)
Remember that when a tower

asks you to give a position report

at a certain distance, the tower al
ready knows the direction from
which you will be approaching. (I
know, I know, the FAA doesn't like
us to use the term uncontrolled-it
prefers nontowered-but radio an
nouncements like the one we are
discussing certainly diminish any
control there might have been.) But
when you make a position report in
an uncontrolled environment, you
should absolutely include the di
rection from which you will be ap
proaching. To not do so means that
every pilot who's looking for you
will have to scan all four corners of
the compass to spot you-and that
they might be unsuccessful in that
endeavor.
The fact that the pilot was re
questing from "radio" whether
there was left- or right-hand traffic
indicated several things. To begin
with it meant that the pilot was
unfamiliar with the airport. That
is not a danger in and of itself. As
long as we follow good procedures
in entering the pattern (discussed
last month), there is no increase in
the risk exposure for anyone in the
pattern. It also showed that the pi
lot didn't understand that we use
the term "radio" when contacting
an FSS (Flight Service Station). The
proper term is "UNICOM." More
importantly it indicated that the
pilot had obviously not done his
homework. Nor did he know how
to use the tools he should have had
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

with him in his cockpit.

Even if the approaching aircraft
did not have an AFD or similar
source of information (and let's
remember that the regulations say
that we will have obtained all avail
able information prior to flight)
or if that source was out of reach
somewhere in the back of the cock
pit (I've sure seen that more of
ten than I care to recount), did he
not have a current sectional chart
handy? Sectional charts have been
indicating nonstandard (Le., right
hand) traffic patterns for quite
some time now. In fact, if you are
flying with a chart that does not
have that information, you could
probably sell it on eBay as a "vin
tage" chart.
About the only thing the pilot
of the approaching aircraft did that
was correct was to make a position
report at 10 miles out, as recom
mended in the AIM. But nothing
else in the communication did
anything to facilitate the "see and
avoid" concept of collision preven
tion. We have to remember that the
primary purpose of position reports
in the nontowered environment is
to aid in the visual identification of
aircraft. But often, based on much
of what I hear on the UNICOM fre
quencies, it would appear that any
thing but that is the purpose.
We also have to remember that
the frequencies available to UNI
COM are limited. The primary
ones in use are 122.8, 122.7, and
123.0. With so few frequencies to
be shared by airports that are some
times in rather close proximity to
each other, it doesn't take long at
all, especially on a good weather
weekend, for the frequencies to be
come congested to the point of be
ing virtually worthless. Quite often
all that can be heard are the squeal
and screech of numerous transmis
sions blocking each other out.
With this in mind I would like to
offer a few suggestions for pilots to
consider prior to using the push-to
talk switch. Spend a little time lis
tening prior to transmitting. How
8

MAY 2005

often do I have to hear someone

request the runway in use when
it has just been self-announced
by not only the departing aircraft
on the runway, but the aircraft on
downwind and the one on base as
well? Communication means "the
exchange of information between
individuals . ..." That entails listen
ing as well as speaking.

.. . use the

same sterile

cockpit concept

whenever you

are flying with

others . ..

When you self-announce, keep it

short, sharp, and succinct. "Loop
de-loop traffic, Aeronca Champ,
10 west, 3,000, inbound for land
ing, requesting advisories" says not
only the type of aircraft making
the announcement, but also states
where it is three-dimensionally in
relationship to the airport and the
intentions of the pilot. It says it
concisely, thus minimizing the us
age of the frequency. Furthermore,
before you transmit be sure that no
one else is transmitting. If some
one else is transmitting at the same
time, it's quite likely that neither
transmission will be heard.
There's one last thing I would
like to discuss about flying in the
traffic pattern or in the "terminal
area" for that matter. Earlier in this
article I alluded to CRM. Proper
CRM will use all the tools available.
Our passengers can certainly be
among those tools, but only if they
have been properly briefed.
The airlines are mandated to
maintain a "sterile cockpit" un
til reaching 10,000 feet MSL. This
means that all crew communica
tion is to be flight-related only. No
ta lking about the ball game, the
wife and kids, or the scenery. I real
ize that the majority of you reading
this rarely, if ever, get up to 10,000

feet, but that doesn't mean you

shouldn't use the same sterile cock
pit concept whenever you are flying
with others in the cockpit. Instead
of using a 10,000-foot reference
point, use the terminal area instead.
Instruct your passengers not to
distract you anytime you are fly
ing within 10 miles of an airport
(or any other congested area for
that matter) with any conversation
other than safety-related concerns.
Without the distraction of idle chatter
you will be much better prepared to
spot that potential midair collision.
I know two pilots who, while fly
ing together in the same airplane,
survived a midair collision that
occurred on final approach. They
descended into an airplane below
them. (Miraculously, the pilot of
the other airplane survived as well.)
They admitted to me that they had
both been distracted from the job
at hand-that being scanning for
traffic-because of unnecessary
conversation. They also confided
that they were on the wrong fre
quency-again because they were
chatting instead of concentrating.
To sum up, we have to be aware
that the closer we're flying to an air
port, the greater the risk involved.
Anytime we're flying within 10 miles
of an airport we have to be vigilant
and use all the tools available to
us to avoid a midair collision. It
means we have to fly proper and
approved procedures. It means
we have to use proper radio pro
cedures. It means we have to ab
solutely minimize any possible
distractions. And it means we have
to keep our eyes open and outside
of the cockpit, always scanning for
other traffic.
lf we all share in this task, we
should all be able to keep flying on
into our "vintage" years. Won't you
join me?
Doug Stewart is the 2004 National
CFI of the Year, a Master CFI, and a
DPE . He operates DSFI Inc. (www.
dsflight.com) based at the Columbia
County Airport (lBI).
.......

In Part I, we left
AI Menasco as he and Art
Smith were preparing to
tour the Orient with three
automobiles and a trio of
airplanes built by AI. Before
he returns to Ai's narrative,
Chet Wellman fills us in
about more of Menasco's
remarkable career.

AIMenasco

iation

Pi neer.

Part II
Reprinted from
Vintage Airplane May 1985
CHET WELLMAN
PHOTOS COURTESY OF AL MENASCO
EXCEPT AS NOTED

Al said, he had been

tinkering with, re-pair
ing, rebuilding, and
building engines all his
ife, because he was fas
cinated by them at an early age. After
the disastrous experience with the
French Salmson engines, as men
tioned in his speech, Al determined
that he would build his own engines
stronger and better than any others.
Future events proved that Al would
succeed in this desire.
AI said he did not invent inverted
engines. He painted out the Euro
peans had inverted several engines,
and the Army Air Corps, under the

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

command of Col. Dargue, was plan

ning a South American good will
tour in Loening amphibians and
had ordered the Allison Machine
Shop in Indianapolis, Indiana, to in
vert some Liberty engines. This was
done so the pilot could see out over
the engine and also to get proper
clearance for the props. Thus started
the Allison Engine Co., now known
as Allison Gas Turbine Engine Man
ufacturers, a fine company still 10
cated in Indianapolis.
In 1929, AI's friend Jack Northrop,
who was experimenting with the fly
ing wing concept, convinced Al of
the advantages of an in-line, inverted
engine. Al readily agreed and com
menced work on the design. The air
craft was almost finished, and Jack
wrote the Cirrus and de Havilland
companies in England, asking if they
had considered an inverted design of
their engines. The replies were both
negative, and the de Havilland reply
was quite emphatic.
To expedite the aircraft tests, Al
decided to invert one of the Cir
rus engines until he could produce
one of his own models in the 90
to 95-hp range required. The Cir
rus inversion served its purpose to
expedite various ground tests with
the Northrop Flying Wing until the
first Menasco A-4 was finished and
installed for flight tests. These were
to be held at Muroc Dry Lake, Cali
fornia, now Edwards Air Force Base.
After the ground tests the plane was
returned to the new Northrop han
gar in Burbank.
At this time Northrop turned its
full attention to the production of
the Alpha. This plane was an im
proved air mail design that became
the leader in its field, both as a mail
carrier and as a passenger design. The
flying-wing development was put in
a corner of the hangar to be contin
ued when time permitted.
Al produced five of the Menasco
A-4 engines that were installed in
various aircraft before tooling up for
production of the 95-hp engine with
improvements that were also incor
porated in later engines such as the
10

MAY 2005

six-cylinder B6 model.
The A-4 engines were named "Pi
rate," and the first such engine is
now on display in the Dallas office
of Menasco Inc. The horsepower
then was increased to 95, and the
first of this model is on display in
the Smithsonian's National Air and
Space Museum. The success of this
engine necessitated moving from AI's
garage to a small factory on McKin
ley Avenue in Los Angeles. His work
force increased to 30 people. From
the outset, Menasco Motors tested
its engines at 125 percent of rated
power for 100 hours.
Al also pioneered the high
pressure supercharging of aircraft
engines, using manifold pressures
double those of other engines. This
with the inverted designs, small fron
tal area, and large propellers are usu
ally cited as the reasons behind AI's
ability to get higher performance from
an engine with a small displacement.
Al purchased all new manufactur
ing tools and machines and in a short
while assembled the finest and most
complete machine shop west of Chi
cago. This equipment later played an
important part in the transition of
the company from an engine man
ufacturer to the world's foremost
maker of landing gears. The Me
nasco engine became an immediate
success, and AI's shop was soon self
contained, making all parts in-house,
including the gears. His only compe
tition in later years was Fairchild, and
Sherman Fairchild became a lifelong
friend. Menasco engines were never
intended for racing, but because of

their ruggedness, reliability, power,

and inverted configuration, race pilots
found them perfect for race planes.
The fact that Al used ball bearings
instead of bronze bearings wherever
possible also gave his engines an edge
for racing. He learned this friction
saving trick from the German engine
designer Maybach.
Al said he had always been a free
soul, under no restraints and able to
do what he wanted-like a pirate.
So he named his engines "Pirate,"
"Swashbuckler," "Freebooter," "Cor
sair," and the C6S-4 "Buccaneer" (su
percharged), which Al said was his
finest engine.
Bill Boeing was on the Menasco
Board, and Al said he carried the
company during the Depression.
However, in 1937, as with most other
companies, things were not good
with Menasco. The company was still
making a few-very few-aircraft en
gines and had taken to making small
countertop washing machines, jacks,
security valves, etc.
In 1938, Al had a disagreement
with the board as to the direction
the company would take. He left
the company, but remained it's larg
est shareholder. Shortly thereafter,
the Air Force asked the Menasco Co.
to build landing gears, largely be
cause of its complete machine shop
and skilled workers. That contract
brought with it unlimited financ
ing. Because of the war, business
exploded, and Menasco became
the largest manufacturer of landing
gears-including gears for the space
shuttle-and remains so today. Next

time you fly commercially, chances

are you will take off and land on Me
nasco-built landing gears.
Menasco engines enjoy an envi
able record as racing engines. In 1933
and 1934, these engines won three
times as many races in the United
States as all other engines combined.
The greatest number of victories won
by a single airplane was powered by a
Menasco C6S engine. This model, the
Buccaneer, was the result of six years
of development work. It was sold as
a commercial engine, but the racers
soon took it to heart. In 1937, Me
nasco engines took both the Greve
Trophy Race (550 cubic inches) and
the Thompson Trophy Race, the 200
mile unlimited against l,800-cubic
inch racers.
While Menasco-powered planes
were a single-engine design, there
were a few twin-engine designs, in
cluding the American Gyro Crusader
and at least one tri-motor, the 1930
Ogden. Incidentally, the American
Gyro Crusader was the November
1984 Mystery Plane in Vintage Air
plane. The plane was designed by
Tom Shelton, who authored a de
tailed report of it in the July 1964
issue of Sport Aviation. Two C4S Me
nascos giving excellent performance
powered the ship. Tom still lives in
Burbank, California.
After leaving the company, Al
could not remain idle for long, so
he opened a Ford auto dealership
in Culver City, California, with
great success until World War II,
when he received a commission as
a major in the U.S. Government
Material Command.
Al was stationed in Detroit for
much of World War II, assigned to
the production of large military air
craft manufactured and assembled
by the nation's major automakers as
part of the war effort. He returned to
Los Angeles in 1945 and opened a
new Ford dealership. Al remembers
that among his best customers were
actors, directors, and producers from
the motion picture industry and that
some of the great movie stars were
among his close personal friends.

Clark Gable visited AI's ranch on sev

eral occasions.
In the middle 1950s, Al decided
to get out of the auto business and
into the wine business. So he sold
his dealership on contract and pur
chased a ranch and vineyard in the
beautiful Napa Valley, north of San
Francisco. This engaged him for
many years. He recently sold the
vineyard, retaining more than an
acre on which his residence is lo
cated. He lives there today with his
lovely wife, Julie, who is a talented
and devoted golfer and has headed
several women's golf associations.

While Menasco

powered planes were

a single-engine

design, there were

a few twin-engine

designs ...

Julie took an active part in Ron

ald Reagan's campaign and election
as governor of California and to
two terms as president of the United
States. She has received special com
mendation for her efforts. Julie and
Al make a good team, and she tends
to keep Al on an even track. Al is al
ways thinking of new projects to do
because, at heart, he is still the kid
who skipped school to see the air
meets in Los Angeles.
AI, at 88, is as energetic as a man
of SO. He has a keen mind and is in
terested in everything. He is engaged
in creating a small museum in a re
modeled barn behind his and Julie's
cozy residence in St. Helena, Cali
fornia. Al has boxes of photos and
memorabilia of the old days. Many
photos are already on the walls, and
Al has an interesting story for each
of them.
Al is extremely proud of his part
in the evolution of the aircraft indus
try. One notes when conversing with
him that his recall of each event is
immediate and accurate.

His friendship with aircraft piO

neers such as Donald Douglas, Bill
Boeing, Lindbergh, Doolittle, Hai
zlip, Claude Ryan, and almost every
early"aviation great" is clearly re
membered. One feels that the events
he describes so vividly could have
happened yesterday.
It has been more than 70 years,
and Al has moved from bicycles and
models to motorcycles; from home
made race cars to stick and wire,
open pusher Wright flyers; and from
biplanes to the moon and space
shuttles . And, Albert Sidney Me
nasco, the pioneer who was there to
experience it and actually be a force
in the birth of it all, is still here to
tell it like it was.
Following is the conclusion of AI's
story as told in his own words in a
speech he made on January 29, 1969,
to the Menasco Manufacturing Com
pany's California Division Manage
ment Club.-C.W.
"It took me from Monday morn
ing until Wednesday to arrive in
San Francisco, closing out my shop
and everything in Los Angeles, ar
riving in San Francisco on the USS
Yale or Harvard, I forget which,
that cost 10 bucks from San Pedro
to San Francisco.
"That started an association that
lasted a long time. We went to Japan
first-but I am getting ahead of my
story-we started to build the cars
and planes in a shop in San Francisco.
We never finished them because the
boat schedule caught up with us, and
I spent the last hectic days and nights
without sleep, making a catalog of all
the parts and materials and checking
them aboard ship.
"We took off for Japan March 4,
1916, as scheduled on the Chiyo
Maru-a big liner for the Pacific of
22,000 tons. Down in the engine
room they had a machine shop,
including a lathe, drill press, and
shaper. I did not see much of the
Pacific, because for 17 days I was
down there machining the unfin
ished parts.
"We had differentials on the jack
shafts with chain drive to the rear
VINTA GE AIRPLANE

11

wheels, somewhat of a reverse from

the new front-wheel drives on the
cars today. The steering gear, hubs,
and axles for the cars and parts for
the airplanes were all semi-finished
incidentally we had rack-and-pinion
steering that is so highly touted to
day for sports cars. I did most of the
finish machine work in the engine
room of the Chiyo Maru. I wish you
could have seen the equipment. I can
still remember it all today.
"When we arrived in Japan, every
thing was semi-finished. We had a
big team of six racing car drivers, in
cluding myself, and an organization
of 23 members assembled in Japan,
including advance men, photogra
phers, etc. It took six weeks in To
kyo before we had three cars and one
airplane ready for the first show at
Aoyama Parade Grounds at Tokyo.
Two hundred twenty-five thousand
people paid admission to the parade
grounds, and I am sure that most of
the 5 or 6 million other residents of
Tokyo at least saw Art Smith in the
sky. And from then on, he was taken
into the hearts of the Japanese.
"He was a little guy, 5 feet 6
inches~about the stature of most
Japanese-and was always pleasant
and even tempered. He just clicked
with them-that was all. We made
a tour over most of Japan. I stayed
in Tokyo most of the time after we
were well organized and built up
the second airplane and finished the
eight cars.
"With our new Curtiss 90-hp
eight-cylinder engines and other
improvements, the aircraft perfor
mance enabled Art to fly from fields
that were impossible before. We
would arrive at a field with Chinese
laborers pulling five crates, which
contained the airplane. We assem
bled it ready to fly in an hour and a
half. From the time he landed, it was
back in the crates in 45 minutes.
"Our controls were the same as
today, except we used the wheel to
control the rudder, with ailerons
controlled with the feet. We used an
altimeter the size of a pocket watch
strapped around the pilot's leg and a
12

MAY 2005

tachometer alongside the seat. That

was the instrumentation. A ground
wire from the magneto to a switch on
the wheel and a foot throttle on the
aileron bar were the engine controls.
The ground wire was disconnected
from the magneto in disassembly.
At the show in Sapporo, the
ground wire was installed badly, caus
ing it to short on takeoff. Attempting
to avoid a landing among spectators,
Art crashed and was severely injured,
and we had to ship home, washing
out the tour. Financially we came out
about even-steven by the time we re
turned to San Francisco.
Art's injuries, including his left
leg broken in three places, required
his being sent to a hospital in Chi
cago, while I stayed in San Francisco
and rebuilt the equipment. We re
turned to Japan six months later a
little bit smarter.
"We did not take a big crew, just
Art and myself, his mother, and one
Japanese assistant. Japanese promot
ers had contacted us meanwhile, and
money was deposited in the banks at
Yokohama before dates were assigned
by our Japanese manager in Tokyo.
"We were booked ahead in Korea,
Manchuria, China, Formosa, and the
Philippines besides returning to all
the cities of Japan. There was not
an end in sight-Singapore and be
yond. Our lowest fee for the smaller
towns was 5,000 yen-$2,500 for
two flights-the larger cities were ne
gotiated upon gate receipts, and the
money was rolling in.
"We had two sets of equipment
which we could grasshopper over each
other-our Tokyo office lined them
up so that we averaged as many as
five different cities a week. When the
United States declared war, we decided
to come home and join the Army.
Art took time out to give me some
very expensive flying lessons, can
celing about five dates to do so. We
laid over at Niigata on the west coast
of Japan. We used the home stretch
of a mile racetrack there for takeoffs
and landings and simulated landings
on a beach nearby until I had 180
minutes of instruction, which Art
II

II

II

deemed sufficient.
"I had previously had acrobatic
lessons, being one of the very few
who learned to loop before the art of
taking off and landing. We had our
last show in Shanghai, where we had
a good field enabling me to solo, and
I was considered a full-fledge aviator.
"We arrived back in San Francisco
in November, both volunteering for
the aviation branch of the Signal
Corps. They turned me down be
cause of my bad ears-maybe they
were right, beca use my hearing is
still bad-and sent Art back to the
new Langley Field, Virginia, as a
test pilot.
"I joined the Canadian Royal Fly
ing Corps in Vancouver after being
turned down by the Navy. At Toronto
the RFC was adopting United States
procedures, so again I was grounded,
and I finally wound up at Langley
Field also, where I was put in charge
of engine testing and instruction for
the Signal Corps as an aeronautical
engineer with a civil service salary
of $1,800 a year-that was a great
thing-I was an engineer.
liMy work embraced some correc
tions to the Hispano-Suiza engines
then being built as the choice for a
fighter program, which led me to
joining the builders-the Wright
Martin Co.-who was the licensee
in the United States. Wright-Martin
later became the present Curtiss
Wright Co. who built the Wright J-5
engine that Lindbergh flew the At
lantic with.
"I decided to come home after
the war-we had trained 18,000 pi
lots in Jennys, and you could buy a
surplus Jenny for $350. Pilots were
a dime a dozen, giving passenger
rides for $5 from cow pastures all
over the country.
"I took a job as a machinist in a
shop on West Pico St. for 60 cents
an hour. Art stayed on, and the in
fant air mail was born. He flew the
mail. From the shop in Los Angeles,
I graduated to selling machine tools,
then started my own shop building
air compressors."
To be continued. . .
......

By one of those coincidences in

life that ultimately seems to have
been destiny, the latest manifes
tation of Jim's obsession with aes
thetics is, believe it or not, an early
Howard .. . that was built in 1938
... and is painted orange!
That Howard, a 285-hp Jacobs
L-5 powered DGA-9, NC18207,
serial number 206, emerged from
Benny Howard's small factory in
Chicago on February 28, 1938, but
someone mistakenly stamped the
data plate 9-28-38 instead of 2-28-38.
William D. Owens of Atlanta,
Georgia, became the first owner of
14

MAY 2005

NC18207. The bill of sale and, pre

sumably, his check for $10,487.50
were signed on March I, 1938. The
base price for a DGA-9 was $9,800,
but Owens had ordered a number of
options that bumped up the price an
additional $687.50, including a 37
gallon aux tank to go with the stan
dard 60-gallon main tank, flares, a
steerable tail wheel, Pioneer com
pass, a Lear transmitter and receiver,
and a trailing antenna. Surprisingly,
wheel pants were not included.
18207 was involved in an acci
dent on September 29, 1939, that
smashed a good part of the leading

edge of the right wing all the way

back to the main spar and bent the
Curtiss Reed propeller beyond re
pairable limits.
Southern Airways in Atlanta
made the wing repairs, replaced the
prop, and signed the Howard back
in service on November 24, 1929.
On December 14,1940, NC18207
was sold to R.J. White of Atlanta ...
who sold it eight months later, on
August 16, 1941, to James R. Har

rington, doing busi

ness as Harrington Air
Service of Mansfield,
Ohio. On January 28,
1942, the plane's Cur
tiss Reed prop was re
placed by a Hamilton
Standard 2B20-209 con
trollable propeller, which
allowed an increase in
gross weight from 3,600
to 3,800 pounds.
On May I, 1942, James
Harrington pu t the
Howard in his company's
name, possibly to reduce
his personal liability, be
cause the airplane was
heavily mortgaged for a
time. That was probably
a good move, because it
was involved in another

"Somehow,
though," Jim
says, "I figured
that eventually
1 would be able
to get my hands
on the airplane
and correct that
front end."
acciden t on Jan uary 5, 1943, re
quiring a rebuild of the left wing
that included a splice in the main
spar. In November of 1943 the air
plane was signed back in service,
following a repair to the right wing,
including another spar splice, and
in April of 1945, the propeller,
which was "bent within limits for
cold repairs," was refurbished by the
Ford Motor Company at the Ford
Airport in Dearborn, Michigan.

E.C. Patterson Jr. of Chatta

nooga, Tennessee, bought 18207
on April 28, 1945, and sold it the
following August 3 to Ed Milam
of Milam Charter Service in Lake
land, Florida. On February I, 1946,
the Howard was sold to another
Lakeland company, Florida Fresh
Air Express Inc.
Apparently, Florida Fresh flew
the airplane straight to Decatur,
Georgia (Atlanta), where Aircraft
Major Overhaul Inc. converted it
from a DGA-9 to a DGA-ll by re
moving the Jacobs L-5 and re
placing it with a firewall forward
installation of a 450-hp Pratt &
Whitney R-985-AN-l-everything:
engine mount, engine, all accesso
ries, and cowl. Many of the parts
were new DGA-15P (NH-l/GH-l)
spares sold as surplus by the Navy
in October of 1945. Aircraft Ma
jor Overhaul had bought it all as
"five tons of scrap aluminum" and
"eight tons of scrap steel."
In addition to the P&W R-985,
the Howard had its entire electrical
system rewired to DGA-15P specs;
had the later-type rudder pedals,
the 15P's heavy-duty brakes and
larger wheelpants installed; and
the propeller blades were shortened
2.5 inches and re-indexed for more
pitch travel. The new empty weight
was 2,731 pounds, and gross in
creased to 4,100 pounds. Max level
speed increased from 172 mph true
to 200, but the redline was reduced
from 288 to 270 mph true. A third
belly fuel tank holding 30 gallons
was added, which brought the total
capacity to 127 gallons. All of this
was a testament to the structural
integrity of the DGA-8 through-12
airframes-the fact that they could
handle this much additional power
and weight without modification.
Florida Fresh Air Express sold
18207 to U.S. Airlines Inc. of St.
Petersburg, Florida, on Septem
ber 26, 1946, for $11,000. The fol
lowing summer, on July 5, 1947,
the Howard was sold to Dr. Joseph
J. Locke of St. Petersburg-he im
mediately had the elevator torque

tube repaired and "all the fabric on

the underside of the airplane" re
placed. In February of 1948 he had
the steerable tail wheel modified
to "automatic full swivel with an
additional lock-controllable from
the cockpit."
Dr. Locke was the commanding
officer of the Pinellas Squadron of
the Civil Air Patrol in St. Pete, and
he either donated or sold the How
ard to the squadron on October 10,
1951. Then, a couple of years later,
he bought it back and sold it the
same day, June 3, 1953, to St. Pe
tersburg Aviation Services.
T.B. and H.R. Holman of Vera
Beach, Florida, bought 18207 on
October 6, 1954-with the total
time at 2,887.11 hours. They had
the rudder and fin recovered with
Grade A cotton in February of 1957,
then sold the airplane the following
November 30 to Maurice E. Brown
of Ft. Pierce, Florida, for $2,250.
Brown, in turn, sold the Howard to
Robert D. Bleifield of Coal City, Illi
nois, on October 13, 1963.
William H. Wright Jr. of Tulsa,
Oklahoma, bought 18207 on June
29, 1970 ... only to have it severely
damaged when a tornado collapsed
the hangar in which it was stored.
The fuselage was crushed just
ahead of the tail down to about
eight to 10 inches in height, and
the left wing was rotated back and
down, breaking the main spar and
twisting the big strut attach fitting
on the fuselage. Amazingly, how
ever, the wing struts themselves
were not damaged.
Robert L. Younkin of Fayette
ville, Arkansas , Jim Younkin 's
brother, Bob-bought the wreck
age from Bill Wright on August 30,
1971. Bob operated several aviation
businesses and thus had the facil
ities and resources to rebuild the
Howard. After the airframe repairs
were made and a freshly majored
R-985 was installed, the airplane
was recovered in Grade A cotton
and finished ... as you might imag
ine ... in orange dope.
Bob made one trip in the HowVINTAGE AIRPLANE

15

ard, to Blakesburg
in 1979, and ended
up placing it in the
Arkansas Air Mu
seum in Fayette
ville, which he and
brother Jim helped
found in the late
1980s. Between the
two of them, they
had enough antique
airplanes to virtually
fill the museum's re
stored World War II
hangar from day one. On De
cember 28, 1997, Bob formally
signed over ownership of the
Howard to the museum.
Jim Younkin had his Mr. Mulli
gan and Travel Air Mystery Ship in
the museum, so he was frequently
in and out of the facility. And on
every occasion, his aesthetic sensi
bilities were offended by the big,
blunt DGA-15P cowling and large
wheelpants on what he considered
to be the otherwise sleek, narrow
fuselage, high-firewall NC18207 .
Jim was well versed in the his
tory of the early production How
ards and, in particular, how the
prototype DGA-11 came about...
and how it looked. That airplane,
NC14871, serial number 72, was
in his opinion the most beautiful of
all Howards . .. of all airplanes ...and
that's how he thought 18207 should
be made to look.
When Benny Howard conceived
of Mr. Mulligan and had Gordon Is
rael engineer it, he was already look
ing ahead to a production version ...
and, indeed, it soon appeared in
the form of the DGA-7 "Mr. Flani
gan." Unfortunately, however, that
airplane could not be certified in its
original configuration. The problem
was its relatively small vertical tail,
which was very similar to that of
Mr. Mulligan. The feds had come up
with a new rule that required an air
plane to recover, power and hands
off, from a six-turn spin in one-and
a-half additional turns, and to re
cover from a six-turn spin entered
with crossed controls within an ad
ditional six turns, again with power
16

MAY 2005

and hands off. Flanigan would read

ily recover with normal anti-spin
control input, but not hands off un
til a much taller, high-aspect-ratio
vertical tail was installed. This was a
problem encountered by a number
of new mid-1930s aircraft designs,
including the Rearwin Speedster,
Spartan Executive, and Harlow, and
all ended up with significantly larger
vertical tails.
The reconfigured DGA-7 Mr. Fla
nigan was certified on July 15, 1936
(ATC #612). Redesignated as a DGA
8, it was the first of a batch of about
a dozen airplanes produced by How
ard Aircraft's work force of some 25
30 employees. After Mr. Flanigan,
the first production DGA-8 was the
Wright 320 powered NC14871, serial
number 72 ... which would have a
further role to play in Howard Air
craft history, and a significant bear

ing on our story.

In 1937 How
ard Aircraft certi
fied the DGA-9 and
DGA-12. These
were DGA-8 air
frames powered
with less expensive
285- and 300-hp
Jacobs engines
"economy mod
els" the company
hoped would in
crease sales. It was
not a successful venture, how
ever. All the Howards were very
expensive airplanes-the DGA
8s had a base price of $14,850
at a time when the average
American physician made just
over $4,000 per year-so the
reduction in price of the DGA
9s and -12s meant little to the
very few who could afford such
aircraft. They preferred higher
performance, which was why
Howard quickly got back to re
ality and plugged a P&W R-985
into the nose of its airframes to
create the DGA-11 series.
The prototype DGA-11 was
actually a retrofit of the first
DGA-8 (after Mr. Flanigan), the
aforementioned NC14871, se
rial number 72, which was owned
by the Morton Salt Company. Its 320
Wright was replaced by a P&W R
985, but, uniquely, its tapered cowl
ing and small 7:50-by-1O wheelpants
were retained-at least long enough
for the photo on page 251 in Jupt
ner's U.S. Civil Aircraft, Vol. 7, to be
taken. Later DGA-lls had blunter
cowls and 8:50-by-1O wheelpants.
It was that aircraft, the prototype
DGA-ll, that Jim Younkin consid
ered to be the most beautiful of
all the production Howards, and
was what he thought brother Bob's
NC18207 should be changed to re
semble. He tried for years to buy the
airplane or trade Bob something
for it, but to no avail. Initially, Bob
said Jim simply didn't need it, what
with all his other airplanes, then
later said he was concerned with
the integrity of the carry-through

tube for the wing struts.

"Somehow, though, Jim
says, "I figured that eventu
ally I would be able to get my
hands on the airplane and
correct that front end."
And he did. Bob died sev
eral years ago, and on Decem
ber 18, 2003, Jim traded his
1930 Stinson Junior S to the
museum for the Howard. Jim
had a template for a DGA-8
cowling and had the original
cowling off the Wallace Beery
DGA-ll, which is owned by John
Turgyan, in his shop, but work on a
new tapered cowling did not start im
mediately because Jim was heavily
involved in the development of the
TruTrak digital autopilots at the time.
"But I had access to a very tal
ented individual, Darrell Williams,
who had just done an engine change
for me on my Mullicoupe, so I pro
ceeded to introduce him to the
power hammer and have him build
the new cowl. He is a very quick
learner and did a beautiful job."
The cowl was built in four pieces,
each stretched and shrunk until it
fitted a buck in the shape of the
DGA-8 cowl. The Howard cowl was
split vertically, so two of the quar
ter panels were welded together
to form each of the cowl halves.
Rather than trying to roll the lead
ing edges, Jim has come up with
the practice of shaping and welding
on one-inch heavy wall aluminum
tubing to produce the same effect.
The one other difference from the
original hand-hammered cowlings
was the means of attachment.
"They didn't know much about
moun ting cowlings in those
days," Jim says, "so we incorpo
rated mounting hardware from a
Twin Beech to be sure our cowling
wouldn't come off./I
The boot cowl between the fire
wall and the engine cowling was
completely different than that of
the later DGA-1SPs, so it had to
be custom fitted for 18207. Some
how, Jim did find time to make the
carb air scoop and gear leg/wheel
pant intersection fairings because
II

Jim and Ada Younkin

"I hadn't shown Darrell the ways of
doing that yet./I
That left the small wheelpants,
and there Jim got lucky. Years ago
Ron Rippon and Ron Cook bought
a cache of Howard parts from a
jump club in Illinois, and Ron Rip
pon seemed to recall that a pair of
small Howard wheel pants was in
cluded. A call to Ron Cook, who
had the remaining parts stored in
his barn in Iowa, revealed that, yes,
the pants were still there, so Jim
bought them.
"They were in terrible condi
tion,/I Jim says, "but they were orig
inal DGA-8 Cincinnati Streamliner
pants, name tags and all, so they
were worth every effort to make
them like new again./I
After all the new parts were
made-and painted orange-a thor
ough inspection of the airplane
was performed to make it ready for
flight. Jim estimates that it only had
about 20 hours since the rebuild
by his brother, but it had been idle
in the Arkansas Air Museum for
many yearS. The fabric was good,
and the dope, which Jim says was
military surplus, was still as pli
able as new. The forward belly tank
was removed to allow inspection
of the carry-through tube Bob had
expressed concern about-and it
was found to have been reinforced
by sections of the heavier DGA-1SP
carry-through.
"Once I got the wobble pump
primed and could get fuel pressure,
the engine started as though it had
been run the day before-no mag
drop, nothing. Everything on the

airplane worked initially, but

one of the old gyros did give
up after a few hours," says
Jim.
A unique thing about the
airplane is that it has never
been fully restored. It has un
dergone extensive repairs on
several occasions, has been
recovered, and has had an
engine change, but some of it
remains today as it was when
it left the factory 67 years
ago-the instrument panel
and upholstery, for instance.
It's the appearance of the 01'
Howard, with its new/old shape
that matters most to Jim, however.
He; his wife, Ada; and John Turg
yan flew it to Oshkosh last summer,
and the interview for this article
was conducted in a car sitting be
side the Howard, which was on dis
play in front of the VAA Red Barn.
Throughout the time, I noticed
that Jim couldn't keep his eyes off
the airplane, and at the end of the
interview he remarked, "The inter
esting thing about this Howard
and I'm not the only one who feels
this way-iS that every time I look
at it, I just can't get over it. I just
can't look enough. I can't imagine
a grown man looking at something
like that and not appreCiating how
beautiful it is. In my eyes, it is one
of the prettiest airplanes that ever
was. In my opinion, it's the ulti
mate Howard."
At EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2004
Jim Younkin received the Bronze Age
(1937-1941) Outstanding Closed
Cockpit Monoplane award for his
Howard DGA-ll, NC18207. .......
Jack Cox is the retired editor
in-chief of EAA Sport Aviation
magazine. He and his wife,
Golda, retired managing edi
tor of EAA Publications, write,
produce, and publish the quar
terly magazine Sportsman Pilot.
For more information, con
tact them at: Sportsman Pilot
Magazine, P.O. Box 400, Ashe
boro, NC 27204-0400, E-mail:
spilot@sportsmanpilot.com.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

17

im White's resurrection
of the legendary Mono
coupe, NCS01 W, made its
flying debut at the annual
Cactus Fly-In at Casa Grande,
Arizona, in early March.
This is the 1930 110 Mono
coupe Johnny livingston put
back through the Monocoupe
factory in 1932 to have its one
piece wing shortened from 32
to 23 feet, 2.5 inches. It thus be
came the first Clipwing Mono
coupe or, more properly, Mono
coupe 110 Special.
In 1933 Livingston sold
501 W to Jack Wright of Utica,
New York, who entered it in the
England-to-Australia MacRob
ertson Race in 1934. He and John
Polando would get as far as India,
where they had to withdraw after
the airplane was damaged.
Shipped back to the United
States, it was repaired and

18

MAY 2005

sold to Ruth Barron of Roches

ter, New York, who would die
in the crash of the airplane at
Omaha on July 3, 1936.
In 1964, Jim Heim of Granada
Hills, California, es tablished
ownership of the Clipwing,
which was Monocoupe se
rial number SW47, and be
gan building a new airframe.
He sold the project to Al Al
lin of Grand Haven, Michigan,
in 1971. Allin, in turn, sold it
to Jim White of Chandler, Ari
zona, in March of 1996. Jim had
the airplane completed and
painted in the colors and mark
ings it bore in the MacRobert
son Race, including Race No. 33
and the name of its sponsor, the
Baby Ruth Candy Co. A major
change from the 1934 configu
ration was the installation of a
185 Warner engine and an 85
inch Aeromatic F-220 propel

LIVINGSTON

FLIES AGAIN
Famous race plane back in the skies
ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY JACK

leI. In 1934 the airplane was pow

ered by a 145 Warner and equipped
with a Hamilton Standard ground
adjustable propeller. Jim kept the
Clipwing pure in one respect, how-

ever. It does not have an electrical

system and is devoid of avionics. He
says he has flown his Bucker Jung
mann all over the country, with just
a finger on a chart, and hopes to do

Cox

the same with 501 W.

Jim White retired as a captain for

America West late last year and cur

rently does corporate flying for a

Phoenix utility company.

.......

VINTAGE A I RPLANE

19

How to Fly

A Vintage member earns his tailwheel wings

DEAN KRONWALL

(The names in this story, except

"Kenosha," have been changed to
protect the innocent.)
Since April 1996 I have been con
centrating on getting my Taylorcraft
ready and learning how to fly it.
However, delays keep cropping up.
By the middle of 1997 I started
thinking about getting some dual
instruction. I needed a checkout by
a qualified tail wheel instructor, and
I needed a biennial flight review. I
really needed both since I had not
flown in more than 15 years and
had never flown a Taylorcraft.
Around this time I received a
notice that I had to vacate my low
$85-a-month hangar at Kenosha
because it was being torn down to
put up more expensive hangars. I
checked at the airport for what I
20

MAY 2005

felt were reasonable accommoda

tions, and then I expanded my
search to southern Wisconsin and
northern Illinois to find some
rental space at a realistic price. I
found very little. There was one
spot available at Velvet Airpark,
sharing a hangar with two other
planes for $125 a month. I walked
over the runways and found they
were not well maintained, if at all,
and abandoned that idea.
A day or two later I decided that
to keep my monthly costs down
I might have to buy a hangar. A
check at the Kenosha, Wisconsin,
airport revealed a few phone num
bers listing hangars for sale. I lucked
out; I found a motivated seller. We
met one week later, we negotiated a
deal, and I moved in around July 1.

Now I feel like I'm set for life with

a nice hangar that will appreci
ate while we own it. The hangar
has electricity, lights, water, and a
44-foot electrically operated bifold
door. The door has a bottom seal
that keeps out the wind and dust. I
should also mention that the floor
is all concrete. It does not have heat
or a bathroom, but there is one
conveniently located nearby in the
terminal building.
Now, more about "How to Fly."
My insurance policy stipulated that
my instructor should have 300 hours
of tailwheel time and 10 hours in
type, meaning Taylorcraft BCl2D.
I know a man with these qualifica
tions in Hartford, Wisconsin (100
miles from my home), and had
talked to him some months ago

about instruction. I had planned to

have the T-Craft flown to Hartford
by a qualified pilot, go there, and
get instruction for a few days while
I stayed with my daughter, Susan,
and her family at nearby Jackson.
I contacted the Hartford instruc
tor and learned that he already
had two students on the weekends
and was busy during the week with
his full-time advertising job so he
could not handle another student.
He referred me to a delightful lady
instructor located in Belvedere, a
loS-hour drive from my home. I
thought to myself, There has to be
a better way.
So a few days later I contacted
my insurance carrier and explained
the problem. The president told me
I could now use any instructor with
300 hours and a "written tailwheel
endorsement." Even that might be
hard to find .
I asked around and found Joe
right next door. Joe had another
job flying early-morning freight
out of Milwaukee, and he would
be available for instruction on
Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday.
So Joe and I got started on July 9,
1997. Things were going quite well,
and I received six hours of dual
through July 30.
Joe was young, handsome, per
sonable, and a recent graduate of a
well-known flight school. On the
first day of instruction I suggested
that Joe fly the left seat since that
is the only side with foot pedals for
the brakes, and as pilot in command
he needed all available features at
his disposal. Joe agreed and strapped
himself into the left seat. I explained
the many features and controls and
then stepped out in front of the
plane and hand-propped it. The
engine started on the second pull.
I climbed in on the right, and after
a short warmup, we taxied away for
the plane's second flight in 46 years!
It was my first flight in a plane that
had taken me S.S years to restore.
I was concerned that I might have
forgotten to tighten a critical bolt,
install a cotter key, or safety a nut.

However, any concern was quickly

replaced with a feeling of deep sat
isfaction and confidence when I re
alized we were actually flying and
the plane was not falling out of the
sky. No problems were encountered
on that flight or any subsequent
flights. The only adjustment made
was to add a small fixed trim tab to
add more right rudder. The aircraft
is stable when properly trimmed
and will fly hands off.

They sat in the

cockpit and talked

for a while~

looking very much

like student and

instructor. 1 had

nothing to lose~

so 1 decided

to inquire. 1

went over and

introduced myself

to Fred~ the

instructor~ and

asked him to stop

over when he

was through.

On the second day of instruc

tion I took the left seat and Joe the
right. We looked at each other, and
Joe said, "I don't do props." I was
disappointed because I thought ev
ery instructor ought to know how
to safely prop an engine. I did not
want to make the effort to locate
another instructor, so from that
point I did all the hand-propping.
We developed a procedure whereby
Joe would take the left seat so he
could hold the brakes while the en
gine was started; then he'd jump
over the radio console to the right

seat while I entered and strapped in

on the left. It was an inconvenient
but workable solution. Perhaps
modern flight schools should teach
hand-propping just in case.
At the end of July, UPS was hit
by a strike, and Joe became busy
flying packages around Wisconsin .
He was not showing up for our les
sons and was not answering phone
messages or pages. A few days later
I learned from the office lady that
Joe was not coming back to Supe
rior Flying School, and the month
of August was almost gone. So I was
back to square one, trying to locate
another instructor.
Superior was going to get an
other instructor, but I didn't want
to wait another week while he
came on-board and got up to speed.
The Grass-Roots Fly-In at Brod
head, Wisconsin, was coming up
soon, and I wanted to be ready, if
possible. Then one day I was in
the hangar cleaning and caressing
the T-Craft when another plane,
with two people in it, taxied up and
parked across the aisle. They sat in
the cockpit and talked for a while,
looking very much like student and
instructor. I had nothing to lose,
so I decided to inquire. I went over
and introduced myself to Fred, the
instructor, and asked him to stop
over when he was through.
Fred, it turns out, is a certificated
flight instructor and FAA-desig
nated flight examiner with more
than 11,000 hours, 2,000 of which
were in tailwheel type, and more
than 100 hours in Taylorcraft.
However, his last instruction in a
T-Craft was more than three years
earlier, so he was not quite current.
I asked him what he would have
to do to get current. He said he
needed to make three takeoffs and
landings in a tailwheel airplane. So
what were my options? He had the
experience and background I was
looking for, but was not quite cur
rent. I took his business card and
told him I would get back to him.
I slept on the situation and called
him the next day to discuss the
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

21

possibilities and to arrange an ap

pointment. We agreed he would fly
the T-Craft to qualify himself and
then give me instruction. The next
day we met at Kenosha and he flew,
making four takeoffs and landings
as I nervously watched over the
fence. He returned to the hangar to
pick me up, and we have been fly
ing together ever since.
Fred has been a good choice,
and he does hand-propping. He
wants to make sure I can handle
the taildragger without damaging
the equipment or its pilot. Tail
wheel airplanes are more difficult
to taxi, to take off, and to land
than tricycle-gear airplanes.
Once in the air my flying skills
such as slow flight, power-off stalls,
power-on stalls, flying straight and
level, steep turns, medium turns,
climbs, and glides seemed to return
fairly quickly. However, crosswind
takeoffs, crosswind landings, and
wheel landings gave me more trou
ble than I had anticipated. I found
I was losing directional control on
takeoff because I was raising the tail
too quickly-that is, before I had
sufficient airspeed to achieve rud
der control. Directional control is
achieved by holding the tail wheel
on the ground by pulling the con
trol wheel to the rear as the takeoff is
initiated, then pushing forward on
the control wheel to raise the tail as
the plane accelerates.
Due to poor weather I logged
little flying time in August. In
September the training continued
until September 26, with more
practice on crosswind takeoffs
and landings. However, time was
running out for me because of a
previously planned trip to Europe.
Flight training resumed on Octo
ber 16 . Finally, after 17 hours of
dual instruction and 80 takeoffs
and landings, Fred signed my log
book, allowing me once again to
enjoy the privileges of a private
pilot. I now have 150 hours of Tay
lorcraft time in my logbook and
look forward to many more enjoy
......
able hours.
22

MAY 2005

INSTALLING AN ICOM A22

While getting the Taylorcraft ready to fly, I needed to make some accom
modation fo r a radio , a requ irement for the Ke nosha airport , which has a
control tower. I didn't want it to be lying on the seat, with a rat's nest of wires
and such.
My solution was to purchase an IC-A22 ICOM handhel d t ran sceiver,
wh ich normally has an 8-inch antenna attached. The ICOM can be operated
with an AA battery pack or a rechargeable Ni-Cad battery pack. I opted for
the Ni-Cad , wh ich I bring home
and recharge after every flight ,
and carry an AA battery pack in
the glove compartment of the air
plane in case of emergency. Bat
tery power is required because
the T-Craft does not have its own
electrical system .
While flying, it is prude nt to
have one hand on the wheel, so I
designed a small console to hold
the radio . It's mounted at a 45
degree angle between the pi lot
and the copilot so bot h can use
it conveniently. It's cradled so it
will not move when pushing the
buttons, and the 45-degree angle
makes it easy for old folks to see
with their bifocals.
The console also holds the in
tercom that connects to the head
sets worn by pilot and passenger.
There are also conductors leading
from the console to push-to-t alk
switches located on each control
wheel. This arrangement allows
the pi lot or copilot to have one
hand on the control wheel and the
other hand on the throttle whi le
talking to the tower.
Another consideration was the Please note the small battery at the
ant enna. I didn't fee l the stan base of the pedestal. H is 12V, sealed
dard 8-inch antenna would be ad rechargeable, 1.2AMP HRS PS-1212
equate , so I added an extern al connected with 114" tabs. I remove this
antenna below the fuse lage and battery and radio for recharging after
con nected it to the rad io with a each flight. I also carry spare radio bat
tery pack in the glove box.
BNC connector and a piece of co
axial cable. All of these
parts are connected with
a j umble of wires stuffed
in a small box that is the
bottom of the console .
For security I disconnect
the radio and bring it
home after each fl ight.
My inst ructor remarked
that the syste m was
working quite nicely.

E.E. " BUCK" HILBERT

Selected sections from October of 1989

he end of August is almost

the end of summer here in
the nawth. I'm not looking
forward to the blowin' snow,
but the signs are there! Just a matter
of time. Maybe this winter I'll get
the other Aeronca C-3 going. (He
did.-HGF, 2005)

After Oshkosh, Dorothy and I

took off for Canada to do some
serious fishin'. Even though
Ontario seems to be acting more
and more like a police state, we
had a successful trip. We limited
out and did the catch-and-release
routine about 75 times apiece,
turning back the small ones and
those in the" slot." The slot limit
is from 19 through 21 inches for
walleyes. That's the best breeding
size for them, and so I am in
complete agreement with the
practice of releasing the slots. I'm
very greedy, though, about keeping
the bigger ones. We'll be eating
some of them tonight.
We got home Friday evening
from the fishing trip, and the stack
of phone messages went all the way
back to early July. Dorothy and I had
left here and joined the volunteer
staff at OSH right after the Fourth.
It was a pleasant time up there,
just visiting with all the rest of the
die-hard EAAers who do the same
thing. I spent some time working
with Gordy Selke and Pat Packard
building crates to be used in the
new Eagle Hangar. It was a real kick
to see them being used under the B-17
and to hold the various dioramas

One of the more

interesting
questions I ran
across th is past
week was the
eternal one of
engine "time "
versus "age ."
spread throughout the hangar. And
as for the hangar and the dedication
ceremony, I wish everyone could
have been there. The World War
II band, "Skitch" Henderson, Joe
Slattery, Bob Hoover's speech, and
the presentations of the colors
made for one great patriotic rally.
I had goose bumps and tears when
Skitch led us through the final "God
Bless America" sing-along. I even
weakened to the point where I shook
hands with one of the Warbirds
members! Now that, guys and gals,
shows how shook I was!
Back to the present. As I was
scanning the message reminders,
the phone began ringing. I've
had calls from Illinois, Indiana,
Ohio, California, Iowa, and even
Oshkosh. I can't get people to
write letters, but they sure know
how to use the phone. Most of
the calls were questions I had
answers for, but one or two were

the usual stumpers I had to pass

on to someone else. I'm fortunate
in that respect. I may not know
an answer, but I usually know
someone who does. And it is
gratifying to get another call a day
or so later telling me that advice
or name I'd given had paid off.
One of the more interesting
questions I ran across this past
week was the eternal one of engine
"time" versus "age." The fellow had
located an antique airplane that
had been in storage about 20 years.
He was elated because the Kinner
had only about 150 hours on it
SMOH. I spent half an hour on the
phone explaining to him that the
150 SMOH didn't mean a thing
because of the long storage-that
it'd be best if he tore it down right
then and there before he flew it.
Well, it was too late! He'd already
ferried it some 200 miles. He was
tearing it down now and found all
sorts of little items that all add up
to a major-valve guides worn out,
severe pitting and rusting in the
cylinders, and almost complete loss
of compression on several of the
cylinders . All in all, I hope there's
enough left to build an engine.
The point is, an engine in
storage, or one that has lain on the
shelf for a number of years, just
won't be airworthy. Even if it has
been pickled for longtime storage,
which many of them aren't, it
should be closely inspected before
anything is done with it. This
applies to modern engines as well
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

23

as the old-timers. If there is any

sign of rust on the outside, it's
bound to be inside, too! Don't try
to run it until you've looked in the
bores, inspected the valve stems,
peeked at the gear trains , and
otherwise assured yourself that it
can be run without letting loose
abrasive rust particles throughout
the entire engine.
Keep in mind, too, that there
were no 2,OOO-hour engines built
until the late 1960s. The engine
life of engines prior to World
War II was definitely limited. The
metallurgy and the lubricants were
not up to the stuff we have today.
The machining methods were
there, but the metal alloys weren't!
Neither were the great lubricants
we have today.
Lubricants serve three purposes
in an aircraft engine . We all
know they oil things up, but they
also provide cleaning as well as
cooling. They hold all that guck

24

MAY 2005

you used to find in the old engines

in suspension and transport it
away when you change the oil. A
good rule of thumb is to limit your
oil time to 25 or at the maximum
30 hours between changes if you
don ' t have a full-flow oil filter
and 50 hours if you do have the
full-flow filter. In both cases look
after the screens when you change,
and don't let more than four or
five months go by without an oil
change, regardless of the time you
put on the engine.
I recently read about the so
called fallacy of "pulling the prop
through" after your engine has been
setting for a while. Well, I've always
taught my students to do just that.
They do it on the preflight before
the first start in the morning. I feel
it serves a couple of purposes. The
main one is what I term a "poor
man's compression check."
Second, it does prelube some of
the moving parts and prime the

oil pump so it'll pick up the oil

quicker. In the case of a separate oil
tank or dry sump engine, it'll give
the scavenge pump a head start on
pulling oil out of the sump. But the
article I read was dead set against
the practice, calling it unnecessary,
old-fashioned, and a hangover
from the old radial engine days .
The author dwelled quite a bit on
how dangerous it was, too , and
how you could get hurt if the
engine fired and that it was much
safer to do it with the starter.
I can't argue with that one. You
always have to be aware of the
potential damage that prop can
cause. He also s51id that pulling the
prop through backward was hard
on the gear trains, vacuum pumps,
and stuff like that. Well, maybe
he's right on that one, too, but I'm
still going to do it. Any comment?
Over to you.

BY

H.G. FRAUTSCHY

T HIS MONTH'S MYSTERY PLANE COMES TO US FROM HAROLD SWANSON. OUR

THANKS TO HAROLD FOR SHARING THIS PHOTO WITH US.
Send your answer to EAA,
Vintage Airplane, P.O. Box 3086,
Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Your
answer needs to be in no later than
June 10 for inclusion in the August
2005 issue of Vintage Airplane.
You can also send your response
via e-mail. Send your answer to
mysteryplane@eaa .org. Be sure to
include your name, city, and state
in the body of your note, and put
"(Month) Myst ery Plane" in the
subject line.

F EBRUARY'S

The February Mystery Plane was

a true oldie, supplied to us by the
EAA Library's Dwiggins collection.
We cautioned you that it wasn't
what you might think it was (and
what I thought it was, when I
first saw it!) . A number of you,
like I, thought it was the. Curtiss
Rheims Racer, built for the 1909
Gordon Bennett race to be held

MYSTERY

in th e summer at the Champagne

region of France. It turns out
the airp lane is a Curtiss copy
iden t ified on the photograph as
a "Dechenn e" aeroplane, and the
phot ograph is dated Au gust 23,
1911. L.D. McKee is listed as the
p ilot, and the location is Caddo,
Oklahoma. The airplane is a very
close copy of a Curtiss machine,

ANSWER

and only close examination of the

photograph revealed the engine
most likely to be a water-cooled
4-cylinder upright, and not the
8-cylinder engine used by Curtiss
at Rheims. We have no further
information on the Dechenne and
wou ld be grateful to any member
who can fill in more details about
the flight.
......
VINTAGE A I RPLANE

25

THE WOODSON EXPRESS

HAL SWANSON

rom time to time our members are able to fill in

the blanks with more information concerning the
Mystery Planes we publish. Hal Swanson, a regular
contributor to Mystery Plane, wrote to tell us more
about the Woodson Express, our October 2004 mystery.
The aircraft was manufactured by the Woodson Engi
neering Corporation (WECO) of Bryan, Ohio. Orner Lee
Woodson was the design engineer.
In 1926 three Woodson Express 2A planes participated
in the second Ford Air Tour. Each was powered by the wa
ter-cooled Salmson 2A2 engine, manufactured in France.
It developed 260 h p. The Salmson was noted for several
chronic disorders; valve springs would let go, and push
rods would eject themse lves from the cylinders. Also,
crankshaft problems arose frequently. Due to engine fail
ure, only one of the three Woodsons completed the tour.
The pilots were Ph illip H. Downes (finished 16th),
H.H. Gallup, and Russell A. Hosler.
Following the competition, Downes was quoted as fol
lows: "We have rocker arms and valve springs planted in
every farm in five states. There should be a good crop of
motors next spring!"
Woodson went on to do engineering work on the

Simplex "Red Arrow" and the Cycloplane Trainer. See the

nine-volume series U.S. Civil Aircraft by Joseph Juptner
for more details on those airplanes.
......

~I

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26

MAY 2005

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A SEATING CAPACITY OF FOUR, OR A

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William Conn
Fairfield, OH

Owner of Conn Asel and

Glider (Aero Tow)
Learned to fly at MKC in
1957, amidst Connies,
DC-3s and DC-7s
Owns and flies a
1946 Aeronca Champ
and a 1962 Flybaby 1A

"I am happy with AUA - always cheaper, with less restrictions on

airplanes that have to be hand propped. If I have questions,
seems their people always have the right answers./I

- Bill Conn

AUA is Vintage Aircraft Association approved. To become a member of VAA call 8008433612.

The best is affordable. Give AUA a call - it's FREE!

800-727-3823
Fly with the pros... fly with AUA Inc.
www.auaonline.com

continued from page 2

April after the spring break.

The push to roll back the aircraft
registration tax gained momentum
around New Year's, when aircraft
owners received their first $100 air
craft registration tax notices. Own
ers and aviation enthusiasts were
mobilized to contact their elected
state officials to get the new legisla
tion introduced and passed.

Pioneer Airport Opens

Come for the weekend

BUILD FOR A LIFETIME

HANDS-ON

HOMEBUILDER WORKSHOP
SCHEDULE

May 14-15
May 20-22

Oshkosh, WI

.. RV Assembly

Griffin, GA

.. TIC Welding

April 30-May I, 2005

10 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Pioneer Airport opens for a new
summer flying season. EAA's Ford Tri
Motor leads the aircraft on display.
Enjoy special fly-ins from the Wisconsin
Wings of the Ercoupe Owners Club,
the Piper Cub Club, and the National
Aeronca Association. Those wishing
to flyin need to register by contacting
Syd Cohen at sydlois@charter.net or
715-842-7814.
.......

(Atlanta Area)
May 21 -22
June 11-12

Frederick, MD

.. Fabric Covering

Corona, CA

.. RV Assembly

ELECTRICAL

CONDUIT

ASSEMBLIES

(LA Area)
June 24-26

Griffin, GA

.. TIC Welding

(Atlanta Area)
June 25 -26

Griffin, GA

.. Spray Painting .. Finishing

(Atlanta Area)
June 25-26

Lakeland, FL

.. RV Assembly

Original equipment style Braided

Conduits in Aluminum, Brass or

Stainless Steel

.. Composite Construction
.. Sheet Metal Basics" Fabric Covering
.. Electrical Systems

We carry a complete line of AN - MS

Electrical Fittings, Backshell Adapters
and Specialty Fittings

(Sun 'n Fun

campus)
Aug. 13-14

Indianapolis, IN
(Vincennes
University)

EAA SportAir
Sponsors:

KLEIN

TOOLS..

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t_

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1-800-967-5746

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___ ~

YOU CAN BUILD IT! LET EAA TEACH YOU HOW.

28

MAY 2005

AIR/FLEX INDUSTRIES
2538 SUPPLY STREET, POMONA , CA 91767

Tel. 909-392-8474

AI RFLEXI NOUSTRIES .CO M

Something to buy,

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 (Le., January 10 is the closing date for the March issue). VAA
reserves 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 EM. Address advertising correspondence to EM Publications Classified Ad Manager, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086
BABBITT BEARING SE,RVICE - rod
bearings, mainbearings, bushings,master
rods,valves,piston rings. Call us Toll Free
1-800-233-6934, e-mail ramremfg@ao/.
com Website www.ramengine.com
VINTAGE ENGINE MACHINE WORKS,
N. 604 FREYA ST., SPOKANE, WA
99202
Flying wires available. 1994 pricing.
Visit www.flyingwires.com or call
800-517 -9278.

1939 Taylorcraft - Stored 30 years. All

original 50 hp Lycoming, one mag.
Very restorable - will need complete
restoration. $8,000 OBO. 540-325-8888

Warner engines. Two 165s, one fresh

O.H. , one low time on Fairchild 24
mount with all accessories . Also
Helton Lark and Aeronca C-3 project.
Find my name and address in the
Officers and Directors listing and call
evenings. E. E. "Buck" Hilbert.
A&P I.A.: Annual, 100 hr. inspections.

Wayne Forshey 614-476-9150

Ohio - statewide.

THERE'S JUST NOTHING LIKE IT

ON THE WEB!!

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A Website with the Pilot in Mind
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WANTED: One or more Lycoming 0

145 runouts for parts. One single
ignition. Must be complete, including
mag drives. Smith, 815-436-5917,
chazhud@worldnet.att.net
For Sale - 1939 Spartan Executive,
3500TT, 10 SMOH. 214-354-6418,
www.ipjetservices.com
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were, and in the 40's and 50's, these tires were perfectly in
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Or e-mail us at info@
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www.desser.com
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

29

VINTAGE

AIRCRAFT

ASSOCIATION

OFFICERS
President
Geoff Robison
1521 E. MacGregor Dr.
New Haven, IN 46774
260-493-4724
chie{7025@aol.com

Secretary

Vice-President
George Daubner

2448 Lough Lane

Hartford, WI 53027

262-673-5885
vaa{1yboy@tnSfl.COI1l

Treasurer
Charles W. Harris

Steve Nesse
2009 Highland Ave.
Albert Lea, MN 56007
507-373-1674
shles@deskmedia.com

7215 East 46th St.

Tulsa, OK 74147

918-622-8400

cwh@hvsu.com

DIRECTORS
Steve Bender

Dale A. Gustafson

85 Brush Hill Road

Sherborn, MA 01770
508-653-7557

7724 Shady Hills Dr.

Indianapolis, IN 46278
317 -293-4430

sst 10@comcast.net

dalefaye@msn,com

David Bennett

Jeannie Hill

P.O. Box 1188

Roseville, CA 95678
916-645-8370

alltiquer@inreach.com

P.O. Box 328

Harvard, IL 60033-0328
815-943-7205
dingilao@owc.llet

John Berendt
7645 Echo Point Rd.
Cannon Falls, MN 55009
507-263-2414

Espie "Butch" Joyce

704 N. Regional Rd.
Greensboro, NC 27409
336-668-3650

mjbfchld@rcotlnect.com

windsock@aol.com

Robert C. "Bob" Brauer

9345 S. Hoyne
Chicago, IL 60620
773-779-2105
photopilot@aol.com

Membershi:Q Services Directory

ENJOY THE MAN Y BENEFITS OF EAA AND

THE EAA V INTAG E AIRCRAFT A SSOCIATION

EAA Avia tion Center, PO Box 3086, Osh kosh WI 54903-3086

Phone (920) 426-4800

EAA and Division Membersh ip Services
800-843-3612 ........ FAX 920-426-6761
Monday-Friday CST)
(8:00 AM-7:00 PM
-New/renew memberships: EAA, Divi
sions (Vintage Aircraft Association, lAC,
Warbirds), National Association of Flight
Instructors (NAFI)

-Address changes

-Merchandise sales

-Gift memberships

Programs and Activities

EAA AirVenture Fax-On-Demand Directory
............... . ........ 732-88S-6711
Auto Fuel STCs ............ 920-426-4843
Build/restore information ... 920-426-4821
Chapters: locating/organizing920-426-4876
Education ................ 888-322-3229
- EAA Air Academy

- EAA Scholarships

E-Mail: vintageaircraft@eaa.org

Flight Advisors information ..

Flight Instructor information
Flying Start Program .......
Library Services/Research ....
Medical Questions .........
Technical Counselors ..... . .
Young Eagles ........... . .

920-426-6864
920-426-6801
920-426-6847
920-426-4848
920-426-61l2
920-426-6864
877-806-8902

Benefits
AUA Vintage Insurance Plan. 800-727-3823
EAA Aircraft Insurance Plan . 866-647-4322
Term Life and Accidental. ... 800-241-6103
Death Insurance (Harvey Watt & Company)
Editorial ................. 920-426-4825
Vintage .............. FAX 920-426-6865
- Submitting article/photo
- Advertising information
EAA Aviation Foundation
Artifact Donations ........ 920-426-4877
Financial Support. ......... 800-236-1025

Steve Krog

1002 Heather Ln.

Hartford, WI 53027
262-966-7627

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

sskrog@aol.com

EAA

Dave C lark
635 Vestal Lane
Plainfield, IN 46168
317-839-4500

Robert D. "Bob" Lumley

1265 South 124th St,
Brookfield, WI 53005
262-782-2633

davecpd@jquest.net

lumper@execpc.com

Membership in the Experimental Aircraft

Association, Inc. is $40 for one year, includ
ing 12 issues of SPORT AVIATION. Family
membership is an additional $10 annually.
Junior Membership (under 19 years of age)
is available at $23 annually. All major credit
cards accepted for membership. (Add $16 for
Foreign Postage,)

John S. Copeland

Gene Morris

lA Deacon Street

5936 Steve Court

Roanoke, TX 76262
817-491-9110

Northborough, MA 01532
508-393-4775
copeland I@jllno.com

Fax (920) 426-4873

Web Site: www.vintageaircraft.org and www.aiTventure.org

genemorris@evl.net

Phil Coulson

Dean Richardson

28415 Springbrook Dr.

Lawton, MI 49065
269-624-6490
rcolIIsonS J6@Cs.com

1429 Kings Lynn Rd

Stoughton, WI 53589
608-877-8485

Roger Gomoll
8891 Airport Rd, Box C2
Blaine, MN 55449
763-786-3342
pledgedrive@msllcom

S.H. "Wes" Schmid

dar@aprilaire.com

2359 Lefeber Avenue

Wauwatosa, WI 53213
414-771-1545

shschm id@mi/wpc.com

DIRECTORS

EMERITUS

Gene Chase

E.E, "Buck" Hilbert

2159 Carlton Rd.

Oshkosh, WI 54904
920-231-5002

P.O. Box 424

Union, IL 60180
815-923-4591

GRCHA@charter.net

b7ac@mc.net

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

EAA SPORT PILOT

Current EAA members may add EAA
SPORT PILOT magazine for an additional
$20 per year.
EAA Membership and EAA S POR T
PIL OT magazine is available for $40 per
year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not in
cluded). (A dd $16 for Foreign Postage.)

VINTAGE AIRCRAFf ASSOCIATION

Curren t EAA members may join the
Vintage Aircraft Association and receive
VINTAGE A IRPLANE magazine for an ad
ditional $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 in
cluded). (Add $7 fo r Foreign Postage.)

lAC

Current EAA members may join the

International Aerobatic Club, Inc. Divi
sion and receive SPOR T AER OBATICS
magazine for an additional $45 per year.
EAA Membership, SPOR T AER OBAT
I CS magazine and one year membership
in the lAC Division is available for $55
per year (SP OR T AVIATION magazine
not included). (Add $15 for Foreign
Postage.)

WARBIRDS
Current EAA members may join the EAA
Warbirds of America Division and receive
WARBIRDS magazine for an additional $40
per year.
EAA Membership, WARBIRDS maga
zine and one year membership in the
Warbirds Division is available for $50 per
year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not in
cluded). (Add $7 for Foreign 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.

rFritz@pathwaynet.com

Membership dues to EAA and its divisions are not tax deductible as charitable contributions
Copyright 2005 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. Periodicals Postage paid at Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901 and at additional mailing offices. POST
MASTER: Send address changes to Vintage Airplane, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. PM 40032445 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to World Distribution Services, Station A, PO Box 54 , Windsor,
ON N9A 6J5, e-mail: cpcretums@wdsmail.com. FOREIGN AND APO ADDRESSES - Please allow at least two months for delivery of VINTAGE AIRPLANE to foreign and APO addresses via surface mail. ADVERTIS
ING - 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: Readers 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 7M 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.

30

MAY 2005

MAY 28-30-Welland, Ontario, Canada-Beside Niagara

Falls, New York. USA-Canadian Stinson Fly-In. 37
Stinsons coming so far, trying to get at least 50
Stinsons. All welcome. Niagara Falls tour. BBQs. Camp
on airport, or hotel. Info: Roger, 416-919-3810 or

rogernoke@sympatico.ca.
r.

~~
'==~~~~~~~' WM&W~

The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers

as a matter of information only and does not constitute ap
proval, sponsorship, involvement, control or direction ofany
event (fly-in, seminars, fly market, etc.) listed. To submit an
event, send the information via mail to: Vintage Airplane,
P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Or e-mail the
information to: vintageaircra(t@eaa.org. Information should
be received four months prior to the event date.
MAY 6-8--Burlington, NC-Alamance County Airport
(BUY). Carolinas-Virginia VAA Chapter 3 Spring
Fly-In. BBQ at the field Friday Evening, judg
ing in all classes Saturday. Awards Banquet Sat.
Night. Everyone welcome. Info: 843-753-7138 or

eiwilson@homexpressway.net.
MAY 7-Meridian, MS-Topton Air Estates, EAA Ch.
986 Annual Fly-In. Free BBQ lunch to all who
fly in. Everyone welcome. Info: 601-693-1858 or

{iddleross@msn.com.
MAY 7-Kennewick, WA-Vista Field. EAA Ch. 391 Fly-In
Breakfast. Info: 509-735-1664.
MAY l 3-lS-Kewanee, IL-Municipal Airport (EZI). 3rd
Annual Midwest Aeronca Festival. Flying events, food,
seminars. Breakfast 14th & 15th. On field camping or
motels. Info: Jody, 309-853-8141 or jodydeb@earthlink.net
or www.angel{ire.com/stars4/aeroncafest.
MAY lS-Romeoville, IL-Lewis Lockport Airport (LOT).
EAA Ch. 15 Fly-In Breakfast. 7am-Noon. Info: 630-243
8213.
MAY lS-Warwick, NY-Warwick Aerodrome (N72). EAA
Ch. 501 Annual Fly-In. lOam-4pm. Unicorn advisory
frequency 123.0. Food available, trophies for various
classes. Registration for judging closes at 1pm. Info:
973-492-9025 or donproV@optonline.net.
MAY l S-l 6---Tallahassee, FL-Air Fest. All vintage owners,
pilots, and enthusiasts are welcome. Info: Pete, 850
656-2197 or flyn{ish@Unr.net.
MAY 2l-Middletown, OH-Middletown Municipal
Airport (MWO). "Chris Cakes" Pancake Breakfast Fly
In, 7am-11am. Sponsored by the Middletown Aviation
Club. Info: Bill, 513-423-1386, Bob, flyboybob@core.com.
MAY 2l-22-North Hampton, NH-Hampton Airfield
(7b3). VAA Ch. 15 Giant Fly Market Fly-In. Pancake
Breakfast & afternoon BBQ dogs & burgers each day.
Info: Joe, 603-539-7168 or president@Vaa15 .org, or
Hampton Airfield, 603-964-6749.

JUNE 3-S-Troy, OH-WACO Field (1 WF). VAA Ch.

36 Vintage Strawberry Festival Fly-In. Open to all
planes, vintage and newer. Lunch available each day.
Transportation available to Troy city's Strawberry
Festival on Saturday and Sunday. Vintage autos,
tractors, motorcycles, and more. Info: Dick & Patti,
937-335-1444 or dicandpatti@aol.com; or Roland &
Diane, 937-294-1107, navion@gemair.com
JUNE 3-4--Bartlesville, OK-Frank Phillips Field (BVO).
19th Annual Biplane Expo. Info: www.biplaneexpo.com
or Charlie Harris 918-622-8400.
JUNE S-DeKalb, IL-DeKalb-Taylor Municipal Airport
(DKB). EAA Ch. 241, 41st Annual Fly-In Breakfast. 7am
Noon. Info: 847-888-2719.
JUNE S-Juneau, WI-Dodge Count Airport (UNU),
unicorn 122.7. EAA Ch. 897 Fly-In/Drive-In Breakfast.
8am-Noon. Pancakes, eggs, sausage, milk, OJ, Coffee.
Cost: Birth-2 Free; 3-10 yrs $3; 11 and up $5. Displays
of members projects, hotrods, antique tractors &
motorcycles, scenic airplane rides avail for a fee from
Wise. Aviation. Event inside the hangar so you can
be comfortable even if the weather is cool or raining.
Info: Robert, 920-386-2134.
JUNE S-Tunkhannock, PA-Skyhaven Airport (76N) Fly
In Breakfast. 7:30am-1pm. Pancakes, eggs, sausage,
& ham. $3 children, $5 adults. Antique & homebuilt
aircraft. Info: 570-836-4800 or {iji@ptd.net.
JUNE lO-12-Arlington, TX-Gainesville Municipal
Airport (GLE). Texas Ch. Antique Airplane Assn. 42nd
Annual Fly-In. Info: Jim, 817-468-1571
JUNE l6l9---St. Louis, MO-Dauster Flying Field, Creve
Coeur Airport (lHO). American Waco Club Fly-In.
Info: Phil Coulson, 269-624-6490 or rcoulson516@cs.com,

www.americanwacoclub.com
JUNE 2S-Prosser, WA-EAA Ch. 391 Fly. Info: 509-735-1664.
JUNE 2S.26---Bowling Green, OH-Wood County Airport
(lGO). EAA Ch. 582, Plane Fun fly-in, 9am-5pm
each day. Pancake breakfast and food all day. Young
Eagles rides, warbirds, homebuilts, vintage, and car
show (Saturday only). Info: Brian, 419-351-3374 or
brianmacleod@juno.com or www.eaa582.org
JULY 8lO-Alliance, OH-Barber Airport (2D1) 33rd
Annual Fly-In and Reunion sponsored by Taylorcraft
Foundation, Owner's Club, and Factory Old-Timer's.
Breakfast served Sat & Sun by EAA Ch. 82. Info: www.
taylorcra{t.org or 330-823-1168.
JULY lO-lS-Dearborn, MI-Grosse Ile Municipal Airport.
Int'l Cessna 170 37th Annual Convention. Info: 936
369-4362 or www.cessna170.org.
JULY 11 l 4--McCall, ID-McCall Airport. Cessna 180/185
Int'l Convention. Many fun things planned. Call for hotel
and other info: 530-622-8816 or mullettj@cwnet.com.
continued on page on the next page
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

31

JULY 22-25-Waupaca, WI-Waupaca Airport (PCZ). 2005

Annual Cessna and Piper Owner Convention & Fly-In.
Info: 888-692-3776 ext. 118 or www.cessnaowner.orgor

www.piperowner.org.

SEPTEMBER 3-Marion, IN-(MZZ) Fly/In Cruise/In. Info:

www.FiylnCruiseJn.com.
SEPTEMBER 3-Prosser, WA-EAA Ch. 391's 22nd Annual

Labor Day Weekend Prosser Fly-In. Info: 509-735-1664.

AUGUST 6-7-Santa Paula, CA-(SZP) Santa Paula 75th

OCTOBER 5-9-Tullahoma, TN-"1932 to 2005-The

Anniversary Air Fair. Exhibits, vintage and experimen

tal aircraft displays, flybys, hangar displays, vendor
booths, dinner-dance, and other community activities.
Info: 805-642-3315.
AUGUST 7-Queen City, MO-Applegate Airport 18th
Annual Watermelon Fly-In. 2 PM 'til dark. Info: 660
766-2644.
AUGUST 19-21-Alliance, OH-Barber Airport (2D1). 7th
Annual Ohio Aeronca Aviators Fly-In. Join us for a
relaxing weekend of fun, food, friendship and flying.
Breakfast served by EAA Ch. 82 Sat & Sun, 7am-11am.
Camping on field, local lodging and transportation
available. Forums on Saturday. Info: Brian, 216-337
5643 or bwmatzllac@yahoo.com or www.oaafly-In.com
AUGUST 20-Laurinburg-Maxton, NC-Ercoupe Owners
Club Awesome August Invitational. North /South Caro
lina members and guests. Lunch, awards, Young Eagles
Flights. Info: 336-342-5629 or bandman@netpath-rc.net
AUGUST 20-Newark, OH-Newark-Heath Airport (VTA).
EAA Ch. 402 Fly-In Breakfast. Info Tom, 740-587-2312
or tmc@alink.com
AUGUST 20-Niles, MI-Jerry Tyler Memorial Airport (3TR).
VAA Ch. 35 Corn and Sausage Roast. 11am-3pm . Rain
date August 20. Donations $5 adults, $3 children 12-yrs
and under. All you can eat. Info: Len, 269-684-6566.

Tradition Lives: Year of the Staggerwing" Staggerwing,

Twin Beech 18, Bonanza, Baron, Beech owners &
enthusiasts, Sponsored by the Staggerwing Museum
Foundation, Staggerwing Club, Twin Beech 18 Society,
Bonanza/Baron Museum, Travel Air Division, & Twin
Bonanza Assn. Info: 931-455-1974
SEPTEMBER 16-17-Bartlesville, OK-Frank Phillips Field
(BVO). 49th Annual Tulsa Regional Fly-In. Info:
www.tuisaflyin.com or Charlie Harris at 918-622-8400.
SEPTEMBER 17-18-Rock Falls, IL-Whiteside County
Airport (SQI). North Central EAA "01d Fashioned" Fly
In. Forums, workshops, fly-market, camping, air rally,
awards, food & exhibitors. Info www.nceaa.org
SEPTEMBER 23-25-Sonoma, CA-Sonoma Skypark (OQ9).
23rd Annual West Coast Travel Air Reunion. Come to
wine country for the largest gathering of Vintage Travel
Airs. Info: 925-689-8182.
SEPTEMBER 24-0ntario, OR-Onfario Air Faire-Breakfast
by EAA Ch. 837. Large warbird collection, acro airshow,
car show, stage entertainment. Free admission. Info:
Roger, 208-739-3979 or ristps@aol.com
OCTOBER 1-2-Midland, TX-Midland Int'l Airport. FINA
CAF AIRSHO 2005 will commemorate 60th Anniversary
of the end of World War II. Info: 432-563-1000 x. 2231
or publicreiations@cafhq.org

REGIONAL FLY-IN SCHEDULE

32

MAY 2005

EAA Southwest
Regional Fly-In

EAA AirVenture
Oshkosh 2005

The EAA TEXAS Fly-In

May 13-15, 2005
NEW LOCATION!
Hondo, TX (HDO)
www.swrfi.org

July 2 5-31, 2005

Oshkosh, WI (OSH)
www. airventure. org

EAA Mid-Eastern Fly-In

August 26-28 , 2005
Marion, OH (MNN)

Golden West EAA

Regional Fly-In

Virginia State EAA Fly-In

June 3-5 , 2005

Marysvi lle, CA (MYV)
www.go/denwestflyin.org

October 1-2, 2005

Petersburg, VA (PTB)
www. vaeaa. org

Rocky Mountain EAA

Regional Fly-In

EAA Southeast
Regional Fly-In

June 25-26, 2005

Watkins, CO (FTG)
www.rmrfi.org

October 7-9 ,2004

Evergreen, AL (GZH)
www.serfi.org

Northwest EAA Fly-In

Copperstate Regional
EAA Fly-In

July 6-10, 2005

Arlington, WA (AWO)
www.nweaa. org

October 6-9, 200 5

Phoenix, AZ (A39 )
www.copperstate.org

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In more ways than one, it pays to be an EAA member. Take

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You must be an EM Member for 1 year to be eligible. This offer is available to residents of the United States and Canada.
Certain restrictions apply. Please refer to www.eaa.org or call 800-843-3612 .

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