COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE

C MPASS
The

M ISSOURI W ING
P.O. Box 637 • St.Charles, MO 63302 • St. Charles County Smartt Airport
636-250-4515 • Fax 636-250-4515 • www.cafmo.org

APRIL 2011
MISSOURI WING
E XECUTIVE S TAFF B-25'S FIRST ENGINE CHECK FOR THIS NEW SEASON
Props on. Annual finished. Engines ran up. Everything in the green.
WING LEADER
Col. Patrick Kesler
28 Confederate Way
St. Charles, MO 63303
636-928-5687
636-250-4515 Wing
wingleader@cafmo.org
ADJUTANT / PIO OFFICER
Col. Rick Rea
6854 Ardale Drive
St. Louis,MO 63123
314-960-4927
col.rickrea@charter.net
EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Col. Steve Newcombe
708 Kent Drive
Wentzville, MO 63385
636-332-6397
FINANCE
Col. Steve Gossett
4 Limerick Lane
O'Fallon, MO 63366
636-474-9763
314-306-5021
OPERATIONS OFFICER
Col.Craig O'Mara
1085 Graywolf Court
Fairview Heights, IL 62208
618-632-6113 home
618-558-7211 cell U PCOMING E VENTS
craigo777@juno.com April 9 9:30 am TBM Aircrew Flight Safety Training
MAINTENANCE OFFICER April 9 General Meeting (1:30 pm)
Col. Pat Fenwick
6 Heather Drive
April 13-17 Doolittle Raider 69th Reunion Lincoln, NE B-25
St. Peters, MO 63376 May 7-8 Smyrna, TN - Great Tennessee Airshow ?
636-441-2856 May 14 General Meeting (1:30 pm)
SAFETY OFFICER May 14-15 Indianapolis Air Show B-25,TBM, PX
Col. Tim Mohr May 27-29 Salute to Veterans Airshow, Columbia, MO B-25 & TBM
2301 Ambtose
Imperial, MO 63052
June 4-5 Ellsworth AFB, Rapid City, SD Air Show B-25, TBM
314-291-6474 June 10-11 Cameron, MO Fly-In, History Flight Event B-25 & PX
tgm01@sbcglobal.net June 11 General Meeting (1:30 pm)
June 18 Denton, TX Airshow, (Not Confirmed) B-25 & TBM
Jul 8-10 Wing Nuts Flying Circus, Tarkio, MO TBM
July 9 General Meeting (1:30 pm)
Jul 23-24 Vectren Dayton Airshow, Dayton, OH (Not Confirmed) B-25 & TBM
August 13 General Meeting (1:30 pm)
Aug 27-28 Offutt AFB Airshow, Omaha, NE B-25 & TBM
Sep 10-11 Guardians of Freedom Airshow, Lincoln, NE B-25 & TBM
Sep 17 Fly Iowa 2011, Newton, IA (Not Confirmed) TBM (Maybe B-25)
Sep 24-25 M31 Airshow, Halls, TN B-25, TBM & PX
Oct 1 Jefferson City, MO Open House, History Flight Event B-25 & PX
Bob Lawrence getting photos for the new web site.

Saturday - April 9 - General Meeting - 1:30 pm


WING
LEADER'S
REPORT
I’m sitting here in late March, bundled up, wondering what
happened to the 80 degree weather I just experienced and also
contemplating how this return to Winter will affect our
maintenance efforts in regards to getting the annual inspections
done on the B-25 and TBM. Oh - wait! I forgot the fact that
these guys have been working their tails off for the last five months
with freezing temperatures, snow, rain, and blowing winds. Their
tireless efforts have been exemplary and a reminder of just how
professional these mechanics and worker bees are. I am so proud
to have them as my friends and am certainly looking forward to
them “showing off” the results of their continued dedication in
keeping these great Warbirds flying. That should be happening
by time you read this in early April.
Many of our members have also been working hard in regards
to making our Wing one of the best in the CAF. Col. Bob Lawrence
has been spending tireless weeks contributing his expertise and
unique vision towards the development, upgrade and
instrumentation of our new, state of the art, linked-in, interactive,
eye-catching, member-friendly, awesome website. It should be
up and running by time you read this. It is in Phase 1 and will
soon be advancing to the more interactive, more informative
stages that include easier access to Air Show sign-up, timely
news alerts, and modern day links to all types of CAF and Warbird
activities. The new Rides Program (CAF Headquarters formally
designated “Living History Flight Experience” – LHFE) will be
accessible through the website and our primary way of
disseminating information on this very important, upcoming
program.
Speaking of LHFE flights, Cols. Bob Moore, Matt Conrad and
Rick Rea have taken the bull by the horns and accomplished a
whole lot of work on this revenue-generating endeavor. With his
previous experience during two decades of managing the Hangar
Dance, Bob has volunteered to become the “Rides Program
Manager”. His background and experience as a private business
owner will also come in handy as he will be the primary coordinator
for scheduling and speaking with potential riders, projecting crew
availability, scheduling contingency dates, and working with the
various modes of advertising.
Col. Matt Conrad has also aggressively taken the reins of Air
Show and flying event scheduling. He’s done a superb job so far,
but is finding that the shows are scarcer than in past years. The
economy has affected the numbers immensely and has made the
coordination more involved because of last-minute money
decisions on the part of the air show managers. Presently, we
are using the ole’ Clip Board technique for Air Show signup. (Please
check out the Air Show Signup article elsewhere in this month’s
newsletter). This method will gradually blossom into a more
accessible mode once the Member’s Only section of the new
website is upgraded.
I would like to personally thank Col. Clyde Zellers for feeding
the attendees during the annual Pilot B-25 Ground School training
session on March 5th. I brought some donuts and coffee, but Clyde
supplied 15 foot-long (30 six-inch) Subway Sandwiches,
condiments, drinks and utensils for the masses. There were also
bunches of desserts and goodies to supplement the feeding frenzy.
Hmmmm? Maybe we need to have this required training more
often… Oh, and a large amount of kudos go out to Cols. Peter
Sherwin and Matt Conrad for presenting the multitude of material.
Peter once again ramrodded the annual Ground School and Matt
briefed us on the requirements and details associated with the
upcoming LHFE program. A good time was had by all and everyone
went home with full, happy tummies.
One last bit of information before I cool my two index fingers.
Tracy Smith, Smartt Field Airport Manager, has received three
estimates on fixing our water supply problem. They have been
submitted to the County and he assured me the work will be
accomplished in the immediate future. It will consist of a rebuild
or replacement of our filtering and water softener equipment as
well as a new water heater.
Oops! One more item… Please think about getting involved
with our facilities rehab and if you have any area of expertise –
let us know. We can use all the help possible. Also, if you know
of any businesses or individuals that would consider donating
furniture, paint, restroom fixtures, or other items that would
enhance our office, entrance hall, or briefing room areas – please
contact me or any member of the Staff.
Come on out and enjoy the camaraderie and excitement.
There’s always something to do at the hangars. If you have any
specific questions, please email or call me – or better yet – write
an article with your questions in it and maybe someone with
more expertise will convey the answers.
Remember - with your help – We can Keep ‘Em Flying and
have a great, rewarding time in our life while doing so…
Respectfully submitted,
Col. Pat Kesler, Wing Leader
A BIG THANKS
The Wing thanks the following members for donating to the
Wing in support of our aircraft:
Tee Baur Bea Bond Jerry Carpenter
Logan Doyle Paul Gardner Albert Gruer, Jr.
Art Hofmann Alvin Kaser Jim Lammert
Joe Racine Shane Roden Bob Rutledge
Pete Sherwin John Scholes
Contributions are always appreciated but especially in the
winter/spring when our income is so limite.
Col. $teve Gossett
LIVING HISTORY FLIGHT EXPERIENCE
You might not be familiar with it, but Living History Flight
Experience is the official name for what we have been calling
“the rides program” here at the Wing. Both the B-25 and our
pilots are finally ready and we expect to begin this program around
the first part of May.
This will give us the opportunity to share this historic flight
experience with people who are not part of the CAF but have
seen “Show-me” fly and wished they could take a ride in it. Well
now they can!
As a member of the CAF and the Missouri Wing, we want to
give YOU the chance to pre-book any of your friends, neighbors,
relatives, or business acquaintances before this program is offered
to the general public. We expect a good response to this since
flying in the B-25 has been restricted to only our members until
now.
For a $395.00 donation, they will join four others and be treated
to a 30 minute flight over the greater St. Louis area. A preflight
and post-flight briefing plus a tour of our museum and facilities
by one of our members is also included. Their friends and relatives
are welcome to watch as they depart and return from this thrilling
experience.
What a great opportunity to share our passion for our B-25
with people we know! Contact me as soon as possible to reserve
a seat or feel free to let me if you need any additional information.
Col. Bob Moore, LHFE Coordinator
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
We have two new members, our first brother/sister team.
Hezekiah Kemp is a freshman at Francis Howell North high school.
He wants to go into aviation in some way after he finishes his
schooling. He already has been in the hangar most every weekend
doing anything he can and says he will help in any way.
Anastasia Kemp is a senior, working her way through St.
Louis University and will get both a BA and MA in Criminal Justice.
After her degrees she hopes to join the U.S. Marshall Service.
She is interested in assisting with aircraft maintenance,
restoration, and air shows.
We’re very happy to have two such nice and energetic
new members. Now let’s work on their dad, Mike.
POSITION
Thanks to Hubert Looney for giving us a great presentation
about the proper hand signals that we should use when directing
planes on the ramp. After the meeting some of the OLD GUYS
asked me to relay a few body positions that are great to use
while at the wing. These have been used successfully for many
years and will definitely come in handy when you put them to
use.
Position 1: Feet one foot apart, body leaning forward at
approximately 37 degrees, arms straight down with hands open
and palms facing down (gloves optional but recommended). Push
straight down, release, then push down again.
Result: This action will enable you to cram your trash into a full
container so that the next person will be the one who has to
dump it.
Position 2: While walking through the hangar, raise one leg so
that your foot is approximately 13 inches off the floor, take a
quick step forward while pretending not to look down and continue
walking in a normal manner.
Result: This action will allow you to walk throughout the premises
without tripping over any foreign objects that are on the floor
and eliminate hurting your back trying to pick them up to put
them away.
Position 3: Sit in you chair, keep your hands down, bend your
head slightly down with eyes staring at the floor.
Result: This is a tried and true way to keep from being asked to
volunteer for some unfilled and thankless job by the wing leader
during the monthly meeting.
Position 4: Pull your pants pockets out and place both hands on
your head.
Result: This basic position has helped many of us over the
years when the finance officer approaches you for money to help
pay for some obscure line item that he noticed was overdrawn.
Position 5: Put a big smile on your face, extend you arm, and
be on your friendliest behavior.
Result: Another tried and true way to greet visitors and new
members at the wing usually resulting in a good response and
the possibility to get them to become a part of our group.
Col. Bob Moore
Associate Member - Missouri Chapter -
Craig O’Mara Old Guys Club
APRIL SAFETY BRIEF
Due to recent events and area predictions, this month we will
review earthquake and flood preparedness. If you have not yet,
please volunteer to help our wing be prepared for possible flooding
by adding your name to the FEP (Flood Evacuation Plan). You can
go to www.fema.org to review disaster prep plans and
suggestions.
Earthquakes:
1. Check for Hazards in the Home.
2. Identify Safe Places Indoors and Outdoors.
3. Educate Yourself and Family Members.
4. Develop an Emergency Communication Plan.
5. Help Your Community Get Ready.
6. Put an Emergency Supply Kit together.
GENERAL MEETING MINUTES
Mar 12, 2011 1:30PM
< CALL TO ORDER
< PLEDGE OF ALLIGIENCE
< ROLL CALL OF STAFF: WL __ ADJ __ EXEC __ OPS __
MAINT__ FIN __ SAFE __ PIO __
< RECOGNIZE VISITORS AND GUESTS
< MINUTES OF LAST MEETING – (in COMPASS)
< INFIRMED MEMBERS – Everett is doing well.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Compass – John Coffey
Gasoline Sales – Jim Lammert/$teve Gossett
Web Site – Dave Groen/Bob Lawrence
Museum –Jack Seeman
PX – Dick Hyde
Recruiting & Membership – Steve Newcombe
Air Shows – Matt Conrad/Craig O’Mara
OLD BUSINESS
< *Please Help Keep Hangars Clean* Last “hangar worker”
in hangar to leave must insure all hangar doors are closed &
locked!
< T-33 – Still pending. Bill Wehmeier
< ENGINES FOR REBUILD – Hubert Looney (2 B-25) 2 weeks
ago to Arkansas.
< B-25 GROUND SCHOOL – Held Saturday, March 5th
NEW BUSINESS
< AIRCRAFT STATUS: B-25: Annual Insp TBM: Annual
Insp L-3: etic 2 weeks
< STAFF REPORTS:
MAINTENANCE___ EXECUTIVE___ OPERATIONS____ SAFETY___
ADJUTANT___ FINANCE___
PUBLIC INFO OFFICER___ AIR SHOW ___
< “RIDES FOR HIRE” PROGRAM – Cols. Conrad, O’Mara and
Moore. Possible start date is Saturday, May 7th.
< DO NOT TURN MASTER COMPRESSOR SWITCH OFF! Located
in northwest corner of TBM Hangar. It needs to be on in order for
the B-25 Oil Heater to work!
< WATER SYSTEM – 3 Estimates being done for submission to
County. Need new/rebuild on Filters and Softener as well as
new Water Heater.
< B-25, TBM GROUND/FLIGHT SAFETY COURSES – One held
this morning and next one is scheduled for Saturday, April 9th at
0900. L-3 to be scheduled.
< 345th BG REUNION – Scheduled for Labor Day weekend in St.
Louis. Rick Rea is OPR.
< AIR SHOW SCHEDULE/SIGN-UP – Located on clipboard in
hangar hall. Will be available on website soon.
< FLOOD EVACUATION PROCEDURES – Review procedures.
List Team Leaders and Members.
< REHAB/PAINT/CLEAN ENTRANCE HALL, OFFICE AREA,
AND BRIEFING ROOM – Inputs?
< WE NEED TO START OUR SPRING CLEANING – Grab a broom
or mop or trash can or bottle of Windex.
< WE ALSO NEED TO DESIGNATE A LATRINE OPR – To ramrod
scheduling volunteers as King/Queen for the month.
Meeting Adjourned @ 2:35PM
Flooding:
1. Plan Ahead. Dont wait until the last minute.
2. Avoid building in a floodprone area unless you elevate and
reinforce your home.
3. Elevate the furnace, water heater, and electric panel if
susceptible to flooding.
4. Install “check valves” in sewer traps to prevent floodwater
from backing up into the drains of your home.
5. Contact community officials to find out if they are planning to
construct barriers (levees, beams, floodwalls) to stop floodwater
from entering the homes in your area.
6. Seal the walls in your basement with waterproofing compounds
to avoid seepage.
Don’t Learn by Accident ~ Col Tim Mohr SO
AIRSHOWS ARE COMING!!!!
(A reprint from last year’s COMPASS)
This article might look a little long – but it is extremely
important. So, please, sit down, relax, have another cup of
coffee (or tea or whatever) and absorb as much as possible...
The 2011 Airshow schedule is being formulated as you
read this. The shows are listed on the front page of this
newsletter and new ones will be added as they are confirmed.
Because the COMPASS only comes out once a month, we will
eventually be listing the shows on our website and also have a
hard copy/clip board at the Wing. The Airshow Coordinator
(Col. Matt Conrad), Operations Officer, and Wing Leader will be
responsible for keeping this show schedule current.
Airshows not only help us pay our bills but also provide us
the ability to share our aircraft, mission, and expertise with the
outside world. They help us keep the memories of that great
generation alive and provide a visual, audio, and physical display
of history. Each show will allow Wing members the opportunity
to travel to and from the event on the participating aircraft or
PX Truck. These members are designated “Additional
Crewmembers” in so much as they complement the Pilot(s) in
performing actual crew duties.
While at the show, participants are normally provided hotel/
motel accommodations, meals, and lots of camaraderie. The
PIC (Pilot In Command) of each aircraft is in charge and
responsible for assigning duties and coordinating support of
aircraft activities. Any current Missouri Wing member is offered
this great opportunity and encouraged to participate as long as
he/she is current on Wing and National CAF dues. Remember,
all additional crewmembers must have participated in one of
the B-25 or TBM Aircrew Safety Training sessions conducted
over the past few months. The participant must also be
physically able to enter and exit the individual aircraft on his/
her own power and should expect to be active on the ground
while at the show. Duties include aircraft post-flight cleaning/
wipe-down, assembling/disassembling the viewing stand,
helping with aircraft fuel/oil servicing and manning the aircraft
during the show. One should expect to answer general questions
from the public while maintaining vigilance to provide a safe
environment around the aircraft. Rest assured - you don’t have
to be an expert! There will be aircraft-specific flyers available,
as well as experienced pilots and mechanics. You will learn a
whole lot as the weekend progresses. We will insure there are
“airshow-experienced” members in addition to the pilots on each
trip to instruct and add guidance.
Scheduling aircrews and PX support will be done by the
Operations Officer, Wing Leader and members of the Staff.
Signup will be available via email, phone calls and in person. In
some cases, where there are more volunteers than seats,
additional aircrew assignments will be based on past shows
already attended, personal desires (i.e. hometown or family
members residing close to the airshow area), and other factors.
We will attempt to be as fair as possible and include as many
different members possible in support of these shows
throughout the year. I would like to emphasize that active Wing
participation is, of course, a factor in the selection process and
might be a deciding element when a tough decision is being
made. We do realize that a lot of our members work full-time
or have family commitments that prohibit weekly participation
at the Wing, but also need to repay our hard-working members.
Bottom line is that there should be enough airshows available
to get every interested member airborne. Also, remember that
one of our primary sources of income while at the show is our
great PX trailer. We definitely need support here and will
guarantee you a good time selling t-shirts, models, buttons and
dog tags. While at the shows, we encourage all participants to
share their time between aircraft and PX support/duties.
Participating in airshows is one of the more exciting and
memorable activities offered by your membership in the Missouri
Wing. It’s always a fun time and will provide you with opportunities
enjoyed by very few individuals. However, it is also an activity
whose level of success is directly proportional to the amount of
energy and dedication expended. You will have a great time, but
you will also work for those great memories, excitement, and
feeling of accomplishment. Get ready, get excited, spend some
time at the Wing helping out and let’s all look forward to doing
something we have not been privileged to do for nearly three
years.
Col. Pat Kesler
New pitot tube cover - one slow chicken.
Please preflight - try not to cook him.
NEW WEBSITE IS NOW LIVE
The Missouri Wing is happy to announce that the new
website is now available. The web address is still the same at
www.cafmo.org . Please take a moment, take a look and share
with all you know. There are a number of enhancements from
our previous site which was a major stepping block to where we
are today.
The site will be released in three phases:
Phase 1 is the Public Phase. This is the portion of the website
that is constructed and positioned for the world to see. (LIVE
03.05.2011)
Phase 2 is the Members Section. We will begin on this section
in April. Main features of this area are communications, air show
sign ups, project assignments and so on.. (Projected 07.01.2011)
Phase 3 is the Online Gift Shop. While we know that people
are looking for Warbird merchandise this online store will act as
a portal for us to sell all of our PX items and offer quick shipping
times as any major ecommerce site would. (Projected 09.01.2011)
Another new feature that you’ll notice is that our videos
will be located on our YouTube Channel. You’ll find a link to this
on the Gallery page or you can go to www.youtube.com/user/
missouriwingcaf . If you have a user name at YouTube we need
you to subscribe to our channel and tell everyone you know to do
the same. The more people who subscribe to us the more
relevance we get when random online views are looking for videos
on B-25’s, TBM’s or L3’s.
Another new feature that you will want to share is our
Facebook page. As with the YouTube channel we need you to
“Like” our page and share that with all your friends. You can find
our channel by searching on Facebook for Commemorative Air
Force Missouri Wing.
What can you do? In order to get our website in front of
as many people as possible we need you to share it with all your
family, friends, co-workers and strangers.
We will be continuously updating these new sites over
the coming weeks to complete any portions that are still in
construction. You’ll also want to check back weekly as our new
website will be update a minimum of once a week.
Col. Bob Lawrence
 COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE
MISSOURI WING
P.O. Box 637
St. Charles, MO 63302-0637

APRIL 2011

A BIG THANK YOU TO DALE HEINING!!!
Be sure and thank Dale for making the new box for the PX
shade port poles. It's beautiful. Thanks, Dale!
B25 AIRCREW SAFETY TRAINING CANCELLED
TBM AIRCREW SAFETY TRAINING 9:30 SAT.
It was a busy day Saturday at the Wing and we were
able to run the B-25 engines with the new props. Pat
Fenwick, Tim Schantz and the magical Mechanic Bees have
done a great job with the aircraft and it will soon be ready
for the upcoming 69th Doolittle Reunion in Lincoln/Omaha,
Nebraska starting on April 14th. The annual inspection
should be nearly complete by this coming weekend and it
is fast approaching that first show date. Because of the
timing on this, I have decided to cancel the April 9th (this
coming Saturday) B-25 Aircrew Safety Training session.
Everyone will be tied up with getting the aircraft ready
and the B-25 might also be unavailable because it will be
in the air doing maintenance test flights and getting a couple
of our pilots recurrent. Additional courses will be offered
in May. Don’t worry, there is plenty of time to get the
training.
However, Dave Ceglinski and Paul Conrad have
informed me that they will be conducting a TBM
Aircrew Safety session at 0930 Saturday morning.
If you have any intention of riding in the TBM, this
training is mandatory. Please plan on attending.
There will be a Wing membership meeting at 1:30pm,
but I anticipate it being a short one.
Col. Patrick P. Kesler

April Delia Greer (15) • Eric Baldwin (7) • Bill Coffey (15)
s!
Bir thday
Mark Pruitt (18) • Darren Nash (18) • Brian Guertzgen (9) • Rick Rea (30)

Compass Deadline: May Newsletter - Need info by April 26 June Newsletter - Need info by May 23
 TBM TORPEDO COMPLETED
A beautiful replica by Paul Conley.

TBM's Full scale torpedo. What a great addition to our aircraft!

FACTS AND HISTORY (INTERESTING)

Let me tell you the story. If you look at the photos attached, I pulled out a grease fittng from the TBM on Saturday. It was
a fitting made at Lincoln sometime before 1942. Lincoln is where I work. This was the old style fitting with the ball check seat in the
throat of the fitting. Lincoln stopped producing this “old style” fitting in 1942.
Lincoln updated the design of a grease fitting to have the ball check seat at the top of the fitting late in 1941. A innovation
at the time as far as the ability to manufacture this part. This was a better design because it prevented dirt and contamination from
getting into the grease fitting. As a result, the War Ordanance department in 1942 mandated that all grease fitting purchased from
1942 would be the Lincoln “new style” with the ball check at the top of the fitting.
Lincoln had produced and licensed other manufactures to produce this fitting of which 2 million fittings per weak were made
at the hight of production. Lincoln was converted to a WAR plant in 1942 and made many war components for vehicles and aircraft
to include 20 mm shells and bullets.
This fitting I took out of the TMB is now in our musem at Lincoln and has come home after 65 year or better.
PS - Grumman and many suppliers such as GM has the old style fitting in huge stock piles so I assume this old style fitting
was put in by GM when the TBM was manufactured in 1945.
Col. Paul Conley

Old

New