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CONTENTS

2 Straight and Level Geoff Robison 3 News 5 5 It All Started With a Pony At least you don’t have to clean up after a Monocoupe by Budd Davisson

11 The Liberating Sky Pioneering black pilots broke barriers and climbed to new heights-Part I by Philip Handleman

16 Light Plane Heritage Twelve thousand miles in an Avro Avian by Bob Whittier 20 20 Just a Long Cross-Counry in an Antique, Right? A ferry fl ight adventure by Bill McClure STAFF EAA Publisher Rod Hightower 27 Type Club Listing Director of EAA Publications J. Mac McClellan Executive Director/Editor H.G. Frautschy Production/Special Projects Kathleen Witman 32 The Vintage Mechanic Photography Jim Koepnick Repair data Copy Editor Colleen Walsh by Robert G. Lock Publication Advertising: Manager/Domestic, Sue Anderson 36 The Vintage Instructor Tel: 920-426-6127 Email: [email protected] Do you know what you don’t know? Fax: 920-426-4828 Flying is a lifelong learning experience! Senior Business Relations Mgr, Trevor Janz by Steve Krog, CFI Tel: 920-426-6809 Email: [email protected] Manager/European-Asian, Willi Tacke 38 Mystery Plane Phone: +49(0)1716980871 Email: willi@fl ying-pages.com by H.G. Frautschy Fax: +49(0)8841 / 496012 Classifi ed Advertising Coordinator, Jo Ann Cody Simons 39 Classifi eds Tel: 920-426-6169 Email: [email protected]

COVERS For missing or replacement magazines, or FRONT COVER: Cam Blazer and a few of his friends (along with some new ones he met along any other membership-related questions, please call the way) restored this Monocoupe 90A, now powered with a 165 hp Warner. Read about his EAA Member Services at 800- JOIN-EAA (564-6322). restoration odyssey in Budd Davisson’s article starting on page 5. EAA photo by Jim Koepnick, EAA photo plane fl own by Bruce Moore. BACK COVER: Popular illustrator Barry Ross created this beautiful illustration of a Piper Tri-Pacer climbing away from the Bear Island Lighthouse near Acadia National Park in Maine. Along the shoreline, the Rockefeller yawl Nirvana cruises serenely along. Prints are available by ordering from his website at http://www.barryrossart.com/. Click on the “Aviation art” link. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1 STRAIGHT & LEVEL

Geoff Robison EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VAA

Looking Ahead and Tightening the Belt

appy new year to each and ity of all this discussion results in a just four months of this current bud- every member of the Vin- dues increase of a mere 50 cents per get cycle, which extended the period tage Aircraft Association. month, or $6 per year. We are all cer- for debate and negotiation on the re- Where did 2011 go? tainly hopeful that the entire mem- mainder of that fi scal period’s budget. HWell, for me it was yet another whirl- bership will understand and support Of course, there are those who con- wind year of adventure and enjoy- this decision to raise the dues, but tinue to push for additional revenues ment of everything aviation. It’s realistically, we understand that there through the implementation of user vitally important for the staff and will be some who will question the fees. True to my word, I have person- volunteers of VAA to look back and value of staying on board. Please be ally written a number of my congres- thank the many thousands of indi- assured we will understand regardless sional representatives in an attempt viduals who support this organization of your decision, and please do not to convince them to push for adop- every year. It’s appropriate to thank hesitate to communicate any con- tion of sensible funding of the airport those on the EAA staff who work hard cerns you may have about this or any and aviation trust fund. The current every day to sell the Vintage brand other board actions. status of this debate resides in H.R. to members and potential members. Another item that was discussed in 658, which addresses the remaining Many thanks to each of you! the fall board meetings was the need period of fi scal 2012, which I am led Now, what does 2012 have in store to respond to a number of recent de- to believe still does not include fund- for us? Well, many positive things are partures from our board of directors. ing through user fees. The House and on our horizon, but we fi nd ourselves Through attrition that has naturally Senate versions of this legislation are in a fi nancial position where we can occurred over the last couple of years, currently being resolved in Confer- no longer avoid the really tough de- I felt that the board should begin ence Committee. So let’s all be sure cision about our dues structure. The the process of keeping the board of to keep our eyes wide open on this expense of operating an organization directors staffed with some new en- issue and stay in the debate. Let’s all such as ours has experienced many ergy through the Advisory Member protect our personal right to fl y. distinct ebbs and tides over the past (“Advisors”) process as allowed by our The year 2011 has proven to be a 10 years or so since we last raised our bylaws. Three active VAA volunteers banner year for our local VAA Chap- dues. The reality of the slow but ever were carefully selected and agreed to ter 37 as well as the local EAA Chapter increasing rate of infl ation has caught serve as advisors to the board. Please 2 here in northeast Indiana. I am per- up with us, even though we’ve done join me and the board of directors in sonally bursting with pride in both of our best to broaden the income of the welcoming Ron Alexander, Joe Norris, these fine examples of what an EAA division beyond dues revenue. and Tim Popp to the board of direc- chapter is really all about. These two We are simply no longer in a posi- tors. You’ll get a chance to meet these chapters provided more than 1,000 tion to ignore the realities of the rising three men here in the pages of Vintage Young Eagles rides to the youth of costs of publishing Vintage Airplane Airplane in a future issue. our local communities during 2011. magazine. Ironically, the Vintage A year ago I stated in this column, What an accomplishment! Congratu- board overwhelmingly supported a “I often wonder what government lations to all the local EAA members dues increase, but until recently, we regulatory issues we will be dealing who made this possible. ultimately chose not to implement a with in a year from now.” Yet again Remember, it’s time to run your dues increase. Be assured that a lot of we fi nd ourselves concerned with the checklist and buckle your seat belts, consternation, discussion, and very funding mechanisms of our coun- because 2012 is shaping up to be yet careful planning have now led us try’s aviation system. The hot button another exciting year for the Vintage to implement what I believe to be a concept of user fees will just not go Aircraft Association. well-thought-out plan on what the away. The fi scal 2012 federal budget actual increase should be. The real- for the FAA has been reauthorized for 2 JANUARY 2012 VAA NEWS

Cubs to Oshkosh If you’re one of the many Piper Cub pilots who are in the planning stages to make the trip to EAA Air- Venture Oshkosh to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Piper J-3 Cub, one of your fi rst stops should be to the website www.Cubs2Osh. EAAChapter.org. Volunteer Rick Rademacher of Urbana, Ohio, is helping his fellow EAA and VAAers plan their trip to Oshkosh by overseeing this special event website, including creating a list of members who wish to bring their Cubs to Oshkosh. That’s where you come in—visit the chapter and sign up as a pilot planning on fl ying to AirVenture, so we can plan for a sea of yellow Cubs. While the bulk of the parking for the J-3s will be in the Type Club parking area, the exact parking arrangements where various Cubs will be located is still being worked out, and much of that planning depends on the number of pilots who register to park their airplanes in the Vintage area. We’ll have more on this great anniversary cel- ebration for one of aviation’s great treasures in coming issues, but in the meantime, please visit www.Cubs2Osh. EAAChapter.org to get started!

EAA and Learning for Life Sign Aviation Agreement EAA’s Young Eagles program, the world’s largest youth aviation education initiative, and the school- and career- based Learning for Life (LFL) program, an affi liate of Boy Scouts of America, have entered into an agreement that will help young people discover and explore opportunities in aviation, including orientation fl ights in GA aircraft. Those opportunities will be primarily focused through Learning for Life’s Aviation Exploring program, a hands- on program that exposes young people to fl ying and of- fers aviation experiences as a possible career or for the sheer pleasure of being around airplanes. Learning for Life school-based programs serve boys and girls from early childhood through 12th grade. Ex- ploring is a worksite-based program for students ages 14 to 21 able to learn about careers through practical appli- cation guided by experts in the fi eld. EAA President/CEO Rod Hightower and Dr. Diane Thorn- The agreement will provide students with the oppor- ton, national director for Learning for Life, sign a tunity to: memorandum of understanding to create joint avia- •Highlight all aspects of the aviation industry, tion opportunities for youth. •Explore career orientation opportunities, and •Enjoy aviation education experiences. For more information on the agreement and Learn- ing for Life, visit www.SportAviation.org. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3 See Flabob Express at AirVenture 2012 Classic J-3 Cub Is 2012 EAA Aircraft Sweepstakes Grand Prize

See the DC-3 Flabob Express at AirVenture Oshkosh 2012.

Flabob Express, a DC-3 based at Flabob Airport in Riverside, California, is among the fi rst confi rmed air- craft scheduled to appear at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh CUKIERSKI STEVE 2012, July 23-29. The aircraft will serve as the center- Giveaway part of Cub’s 75th piece for “a very comprehensive event at AirVenture” anniversary celebration at EAA AirVenture by the Flabob-based Thomas W. Wathen Foundation’s The Piper J-3 Cub, one of the legendary aircraft in educational programs, said Bill Sawin, the foundation’s aviation history, will take center stage for the next executive vice president and chief development offi cer. nine months as the grand prize for the 2012 EAA Win Up to 15 students from the Wathen Foundation the Cub Aircraft Sweepstakes. Charter Middle/High School Aviation Academy & Pro- The EAA Sweepstakes, one of the longest-running grams will attend and serve as docents for aircraft tours airplane giveaways in the world, annually supports and make presentations about EAA youth programs. EAA’s aviation education programs. In a change from They will also get involved with KidVenture and inter- past years, entry forms will be available beginning act with the EAA Air Academy campers during AirVen- this week through EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2012, taking ture week. In addition, organizers plan to bring two or three airplanes built and fl own by the students. place July 23-29. All prizes will be awarded to winners For links to more information on EAA AirVenture, in random drawings at the EAA AirVenture Museum in the plane, Flabob, and the Wathen Foundation, visit Oshkosh at 5 p.m. on September 10, 2012. www.SportAviation.org. The Piper Cub grand prize in 2012 coincides with AirVenture’s commemoration of the Cub’s 75th an- niversary. The Sweepstakes Cub is a specially selected What Our Members Are model that is restored and maintained to EAA’s high Restoring standards, which will make an unmatched piece of Are you nearing completion of a restoration? Or is it fl ying history and fun for the winner. In addition, the done and you’re busy fl ying and showing it off? If so, grand prize package includes skis for winter flying, we’d like to hear from you. Send us a 4-by-6-inch print plus sport pilot and/or tailwheel endorsement train- from a commercial source (no home printers, please— ing, if desired. those prints just don’t scan well) or a 4-by-6-inch, 300- dpi digital photo. A JPG from your 2.5-megapixel (or “This is your opportunity to win one of the great, higher) digital camera is fi ne. You can burn photos to a iconic airplanes in aviation history that is perfect for CD, or if you’re on a high-speed Internet connection, you fun fl ying,” said Elissa Lines, EAA’s vice president of can e-mail them along with a text-only or Word document business and donor relations. “At the same time, describing your airplane. (If your e-mail program asks you’ll be joining the rest of the aviation community if you’d like to make the photos smaller, say no.) For in supporting EAA’s activities and programs that are more tips on creating photos we can publish, visit VAA’s website at www.VintageAircraft.org. Check the News helping to create the next generation of aviators.” page for a hyperlink to Want To Send Us A Photograph? Entry forms are available on the sweepstakes web- For more information, you can also e-mail us at site at www.AirVenture.org/sweepstakes. Complete [email protected] or call us at 920-426-4825. sweepstakes rules are also available at that website.

4 JANUARY 2012 It All Started With a Pony At least you don’t have to clean up after a Monocoupe

BY BUDD DAVISSON “Dad said . . . ‘Why would you want that when you could be fl ying a Tri-Pacer?’”.

JIM KOEPNICK

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5 JIM KOEPNICK

orses are, to many peo- ple, as habit forming as airplanes. A disease of the mind. Some breeds Hare more addictive than others. Airplanes are very much the same, and if there’s one fact in aviation, it is that once the Monocoupe bug bites, you stay bitten. “Technically,” says Cam Blazer of Leawood, Kansas, “our Mono- coupe actually started with a ciga- rette, when I was about 10 years old. Not a pony. But, there’s a def- inite connection. My dad caught me smoking, and he whipped me good. Mom saw what was going on

and asked Dad to reason with me, DEKEVIN THORNTON rather than whip. After a day or so, Since he’s from the Kansas City area, we shouldn’t be surprised to see Dad said, ‘If you don’t smoke until Cam Blazer wearing a baseball cap emblazoned with the Nicholas-Beazley you are 21, I’ll give you a pony.’” emblem. Cam credits his wife, Marie, with helping him throughout his “Skip ahead 11 years. In 1957 aviation avocation, and particularly with his latest effort, the Monocoupe I was 21 and didn’t smoke. Dad’s Sweet Marie. construction workers and family knew about the no-smoking deal that $50 pony turned into about Why would you want that when and would kid about the pony. One $500 worth of fl ying time. you could be fl ying a Tri-Pacer?’” day Dad called me at college and “As I was working on my private From that point on Cam’s story asked if I would swap the pony for ticket, I came across a 90A Mono- reads very much the way so many flying lessons because he had de- coupe that was for sale for $900. I pilots’ biographies do with mar- cided he wanted to learn to fly. A tried to get Dad interested, but he riage, family, and career slowing deal was struck, and we learned to- took one look and said, ‘It has ring- down his fl ying. But, it didn’t keep gether in an old Aeronca Chief. So worm and is leaking oil. Plus it’s old. him out of aviation. 6 JANUARY 2012 The one-piece wing was completely rebuilt by Cam and friends from his church Doesn’t everyone have tail surface group. He was thankful Ed Sampson was keeping an eye on their progress. parts as part of the décor?

“When I got married I wasn’t doing much fl ying, but I’d discov- ered homebuilt airplanes, and that looked like something I might be able to afford. I got interested in a Sport-Aire II, an Al Trefethen de- sign, and discovered a TWA pilot who lived in my ZIP code was listed as building one. So, I tracked him down and knocked on his door. I spent a lot of time working on his airplane with him, and that led me to Kansas City EAA Chapter 91. I got heavily involved and was even president for a while. “I was in partnership to build a couple of Pazmany PL-2s, but I had to sell mine as a project, including an PHOTOS COURTESY CAM BLAZER COURTESY PHOTOS Al Trefethen Lycoming O-290G. The While a complete fuselage, there was plenty to repair on the steel tube engine was $135. Hard to believe!” fuselage, which was expertly accomplished by D.J. Short at Short Air in By this time, the fi ts and starts of Warrensburg, Missouri. his aviation career were starting to form a pattern. One he didn’t like. “I was pretty broke, what with hospital, I stopped and attended “I had started a Midget Mus- the family and all, but my career as that month’s EAA meeting. I didn’t tang II when my third child came a project manager was just starting see any reason to wait another en- along, and I had to sell the proj- to take off, so I felt I could afford tire month.” ect to expand the house,” he says. to build a KR-2 with a Revmaster. Like we said: persistent. “This was getting really old, but I was doing just fine on that one “I’m glad I went because at the this time, it didn’t work entirely until I was electrocuted on the job. meeting in the ‘wants and wishes’ against me because my wife got a My hands and toes took a real beat- part, Kelly Viets said his Stinson fourth bedroom and the space be- ing, and the doctor said if it hadn’t 108-2 was for sale. low it just happened to contain an been such a dry day, it would have “It was at this point that I real- airplane workshop.” been the end of my story. ized I came really close to not liv- The next chapter is from one of Cam Blazer is nothing if not per- ing long enough to build or own those “If he didn’t have bad luck, he’d sistent. my own airplane, so I bought a Stin- have no luck at all” types of tales. “On the way home from the son 108-2 that had been restored to VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7 award-winning condition by Kelly remains, the owner said he’d got- and build a rib. Ed Samson was our Viets. It’s easy to remember the day ten all the proper paperwork and adviser. I bought the airplane, because it was it was a kosher conversion. I’d fi nd “We saved every fi tting possible, 2 degrees below zero in the hangar out later that wasn’t the case, and rebuilt them, and reused them. In when I was inspecting it. That was it would give me lots of headaches. fact, that’s the way I approached 1985, and I’ve owned it since. the entire airplane. I wanted to “In 1996 my son Steve flew his The left wingtip make it as original to 1936 as pos- 1940 Taylorcraft to Oshkosh, and sible. The bigger engine put the I flew the Stinson. He was parked got torn up a little, airplane into the custom air show/ with the Antiques, and I was parked so the airplane exhibition category, but otherwise in the Vintage area. The Taylor- it’s a 1936 airplane. To develop a craft was sitting next to the Mono- was parked out in supply of original parts, I bought coupes, and Steve said we should a donor airplane that had ground get a Monocoupe. I had never for- the weather and looped so hard that the wing was gotten that 90A I could have had mostly forgotten. broken clean through, and then for $900, so I was more than ready it sat outdoors until the fuselage for a ’coupe. “When I got it home, I had was good only for patterns. It did, “I found a D145 for sale but neither the time nor the money however, have an excellent instru- couldn’t afford it. Later Steve found to jump into it with both feet, so ment panel and most of the origi- a basket case 90A Monocoupe, and I decided to just do the engine. I nal aluminum fairings, so between we bought it on December 26, 1997. had Forrest Lovley in Minneapolis the two airplanes, we could put “If my dad had thought I was overhaul the engine. My contribu- together a full set of fairings. Most nuts for wanting that 90A 40 years tion to that part of the project was of those were beat up and required earlier, this one would have given to clean parts, which pretty much a lot of handwork to make look him a heart attack. It was a project. matched my experience level when good again, but at least they were And not a particularly good project, it came to rebuilding round motors. original. All of the instruments are as projects go. “Frankly, I was a little worried 1936, and even the radio that you “The fuselage had been stripped about the wings. Being one-piece see is a 1936 Lear.” and primed, and the tail was in tip-to-tip units, they are not only Per capita, Monocoupes have reasonable condition, but the heavy, but represent a huge amount probably suffered more ground wing, which is a huge one-piece of work. I went to visit Ed Samson loops than any other type of air- affair, was in terrible condition. in his shop to have him build a new plane (a guess), many of which In 1956, the airplane had been wing for me. Ed was thinking of re- involved a landing gear collapsing ground looped somewhere down tiring and said he would loan me from hidden rust inside the tubing. around Chicago. The left wingtip the patterns and help with ques- “The gear tubing is heat treated got torn up a little, so the airplane tions, if I built the wing myself. He to 180,000 psi, which is twice that was parked out in the weather and said I would get a great feeling of of normal chromoly, so when we mostly forgotten. A wooden wing accomplishment if I did it myself.” rebuilt the gear we had to have it like that one doesn’t like being out In another part of his life Cam heat treated. But almost no one in the weather, and it didn’t take had built a number of small, out- wanted to touch it, and those that long before it was mostly trash. board racing hydroplanes, so he did warped it, and when it was “The airplane changed hands a knew his way around a wood shop. warped it couldn’t be straightened. couple of times, each new owner The wing, however, was four times So, we annealed it, built a huge looking for a 90-hp Lambert ra- the work of a small boat. jig, TIG welded it and, when it was dial that originally powered it, “At the beginning, I barely heat treated in the jig, it came out but with no luck. So, not much dipped my toe on the water, pre- straight. That was a much bigger was accomplished in terms of re- ferring to go in little mouse-sized project than it sounds like. building it other than logging a chunks rather than whole hog, so “Earlier I had given the fuselage lot of road miles on trailers. The I rebuilt an aileron. I picked on an to D.J. Short at Short Air in War- owner I bought it from in Kansas aileron first because it was small rensburg, Missouri. He’s a magician decided to re-engine it with a 165 enough that I could see what I was with steel tube fuselages, and that’s Warner, which is signifi cantly big- in for without spending too much what this one was going to need, a ger and heavier than the Lambert. money. I did okay, so I got serious magician. The basic tubing wasn’t The biggest engine certifi ed in the about the wings in 2004. Every too bad, but it is a very complicated Monocoupe in the factory was the Thursday night some of my church little airplane, especially the con- 145-hp Warner, so the 165 was il- buddies, Walt Calkins, Dan Marvin trol system. It has tons of rods and legal. However, when I bought the and Victor Cook, would come over cast aluminum dog-bone fittings 8 JANUARY 2012 JIM KOEPNICK

that join one pushrod to another or to a bell crank. In truth, it involves a lot of monkey motion to activate the ailerons, and D.J. had to fi gure all the stuff out and $LUFUDIW)LQLVKLQJ3URGXFWV build new parts where we didn’t have the right ones. 67&·GIRU&HUWLILHG$LUFUDIW And we didn’t do the Frize aileron STC to the airplane because they’ve been known to flutter, and I didn’t want to have to worry about that. When we covered 6DIHIRU

BY PHILIP HANDLEMAN

Aiming for the Heavens: African- Americans Blaze a Trail in the Sky Long before the invention of the airplane, idealized notions of the sky suffused Western civilization. By hurtling from earthly routine into the unencumbered dome of air that encircles our world, poets and dreamers imagined that humanity might rise above itself and achieve ennobling heights. This classical interpretation holds that human flight at its finest is a liberating force that elevates the soul. An African-American who not only embraced fl ight as a means to taste the fruits of freedom but also helped to lay the intellectual foun- dation for the idea within the black William J. Powell’s 1934 book, titled Black Wings, was a manifesto that community was William J. Powell. called for African-American involvement in aviation. Here he is pictured Born in Kentucky in 1899, Powell at his Los Angeles workshop, far right, hosting famed heavyweight box- was raised by a widowed mother ing champion Joe Louis, second from left. who moved the family to Chicago in 1904. A very bright student in captivated by the historic fl ight. flight as possessing the intrinsic school, Powell enrolled in the Uni- Powell ventured to Le Bourget, power to liberate those who engage versity of Illinois at Champaign. the airport where the Lone Eagle in it. His outlook was encapsulated When America entered World had landed. While there, Powell in his statement that “Negroes will War I, Powell enlisted in the Army. paid for an airplane ride and in- never ride as free men and women He served as a lieutenant in a seg- stantly became hooked. Shortly below the Mason and Dixon Line… regated infantry regiment on the after returning, he sold his chain until they ride in airplanes owned frontlines in France. Victimized by of gas stations and moved to Los and operated by Negroes.” a poison gas attack, he needed a Angeles with the single-minded Powell incessantly extolled the ben- long convalescence. purpose of becoming a pilot and efits available to African-Americans After the war, he became a suc- pursuing a career in the burgeoning through their participation in the cessful owner of gas stations in Chi- fi eld of aeronautics. emergent aviation industry. He felt cago. In August 1927, his life took In 1934, Powell published a book that the sooner blacks joined in, a dramatic turn when he went to titled Black Wings, which was a the more prominent would be their France to attend an American Le- thinly veiled autobiographical ac- role. Unlike in such mature seg- gion convention. It was only three count of his introduction to fl ight. ments of commerce as steel and oil, months after Charles Lindbergh’s More importantly, it was a mani- he argued that there was still room famous Atlantic crossing in the festo that called for blacks to en- for newcomers in aviation. Spirit of St. Louis. Like countless ter aviation as a career choice. The Powell’s advocacy included the people the world over, Powell was book makes clear that Powell saw staging of elaborate air shows fea-

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11 turing African-American pilots and way to seize the piloting experience. stunt performers. He even orga- What these pathfinders lacked in nized an air demonstration team formal philosophical underpinnings with female black pilots, called the they more than compensated for in Five Blackbirds. One of the women raw enthusiasm for the new and ex- had been a singer at New York’s sto- citing discipline of aeronautics. ried Cotton Club. Perhaps it was precisely because Despite Powell’s undying opti- aviation was so fresh and devoid of mism, the Depression was in full regulatory constraint that the fi rst swing and nothing he did, which African-American fliers didn’t feel included the publication of a news- hamstrung by the biases so read- letter and the offering of classes, ily apparent elsewhere. It was also attracted the financial support his possible that some of them may cause needed to actualize its ambi- have known that the very inven- tion. In the late 1930s, heavyweight tors of the airplane, Wilbur and Or- boxing champion Joe Louis visited ville Wright, had befriended fellow Powell’s modest aviation workshop, Daytonian Paul Lawrence Dunbar, but even the tacit endorsement of a leading black poet of the time. In his youth, Eugene Jacques Bullard escaped his terrify- such a celebrity made little differ- It is not clear who was the first ing surroundings in Columbus, ence. By 1942, Powell was in failing African-American to have piloted Georgia. During World War I, he health due to his wartime afflic- an aircraft. By some accounts it was fought with the 170th Regiment tion. He died that year at the age of Charles Wesley Peters of Pittsburgh. of the French Foreign Legion. only 43. Like Moses, he did not get He reportedly fl ew gliders of his own Later, he transferred to the La- to the Promised Land, but he got design starting in 1906 and then fayette Flying Corps and piloted to glimpse his adherents’ fi rst steps fi ve years later installed an engine in the SPAD in air combat. into it because barely a year be- one to achieve powered fl ight. fore his death the War Department New information has emerged slaves. He was raised in Columbus, opened fl ight training to blacks. about the flying activity of Emory Georgia, where life was harsh and It is worth noting that Powell Conrad Malick. He is said to have racism overt. had deep roots in the church, both built and flown gliders along a While still in his youth, he liter- as a parishioner and proselytizer. In stretch of the Susquehanna River in ally ran from his surroundings. He surveying the early involvement of Pennsylvania in the same time frame stowed himself aboard a ship to African-Americans in aviation, it as Peters. Later on, Malick received Europe, where he made his liveli- is hard to overstate the role of the fl ight instruction at the Curtiss Avia- hood as a successful boxer. Just as he church. It is not that black pastors tion School in San Diego and earned landed in Paris, World War I loomed. believed in flight as a panacea or his pilot certificate in March 1912, Seeing his newfound friends enlist, even as a safe and wise endeavor. possibly giving him the distinction he was impelled to join the French However, in the liturgy and choir of being the fi rst African-American to Foreign Legion. Soon, he was at the music there were the familiar bibli- obtain a pilot certifi cate. front where, for the next few years, cal allusions to the angelic abode as Malick went to work for a cou- he was periodically ensnarled in a sanctuary of purity, peace, happi- ple of Philadelphia-based flying horrific battles that sometimes in- ness, and freedom. Also, a fervent services, one of which specialized volved hand-to-hand combat. mantra expressed in resonant ser- in aerial photography. In 1928, he After sustaining a severe thigh mons proclaimed that one’s dreams stopped fl ying in the aftermath of wound at Verdun, he transferred were within reach. This positive re- two serious accidents. Although he to the French air service. He had a inforcement gave encouragement kept an eye on aeronautical devel- knack for flying and was accepted to Powell and youngsters in the opments, he pointedly refused to into the ranks of the fabled Lafay- pews who yearned to fl y. fl y for the rest of his life. He died in ette Flying Corps. Composed of 1958 with his fl ying experiences as rugged American volunteers who First Flights and Baptism of Fire: a young man obscured and almost were conscious of the Marquis de Early Birds and the Black Swallow lost to history. Lafayette’s contributions in the of Death Unquestionably, the leading American Revolutionary War, the Two decades before William Pow- figure of early black flight was a Corps sought to return the favor ell launched his movement to draw dashing young man who seemed more than a century later. Bullard African-Americans into the sphere to have come straight from cen- flew the arrow-like SPAD, some- of flight, small numbers of people tral casting. Eugene Jacques Bullard times with his escadrille’s mascot, a from the black community found a was born in 1894, the grandson of pet monkey named Jimmy. 12 JANUARY 2012 Bullard previously served with the 170th Regiment, a crack French in- fantry unit nicknamed the Swallows of Death. During his short but event- ful stint as a pursuit pilot, he adopted a version of his former regiment’s nickname as his sobriquet. He called himself the Black Swallow of Death. When America entered the war, all American pilots fl ying for France were to transition to U.S. squadrons, but Bullard was alone in not being permitted to make the switch. More- over, some prejudiced French army offi cers goaded him. One refused to return his salute, the ultimate indig- nity for a member of the uniformed services. Bullard’s outburst in re- sponse was deemed insubordination. Despite his distinguished record in Bessie Coleman was the fi rst female African-American to obtain a pilot the infantry and the air service, Bul- certifi cate. It was issued by the Fédération Aéronautique Internatio- lard’s fl ying days were ended. nale on June 15, 1921. Because no airports in Chicago would provide He had flown combat for two- fl ight training to a black woman at the time, she had sailed to France for instruction. and-a-half months. During that time, he claimed two enemy pur- the late 1950s as an elevator operator suit ships. He was the first Afri- in Rockefeller Center. can-American to experience air The NBC television network was warfare from the cockpit. Sadly, as headquartered in that complex of he fought for liberty aloft, he was skyscrapers, and its news division got denied it on the ground. His experi- What these wind of Bullard’s amazing life’s story. ence foreshadowed that of similarly In addition to being the focus of a motivated African-Americans of pathfi nders lacked straight news report, the one-time the next generation, for they also pursuit pilot was featured on the were destined to confront the con- network’s Tonight Show with Dave temporaneous challenges of hostile in formal Garroway. Bullard’s many French skies and pervasive prejudice. military decorations were show- Through the interwar years, Bull- philosophical cased. Included was the Legion of ard remained in Paris, where he felt Honor, France’s highest decoration. more at ease. He opened a swanky underpinnings A further honor came in 1960. nightclub and hobnobbed with ex- The imposing president of France, patriate artists and performers like Charles DeGaulle, stopped at an Ernest Hemingway and Josephine they more than event in New York at which Bul- Baker. When France was invaded, lard was in attendance. DeGaulle Bullard assisted the underground. compensated for walked across the room to thank He even tried to rejoin his old Bullard for his wartime service in regiment. However, he was in his in raw enthusiasm France and then physically em- mid-40s and suffered from wounds braced the old warrior/pilot. sustained in the prior war. In 1961, Bullard attired him- Much as his impulses gravitated for the new and self in the uniform of the French toward staying, Paris for him wasn’t a Foreign Legion and laid a wreath viable option at the time. He returned exciting discipline at the base of the statue of Lafay- to his native country, virtually penni- ette in New York’s Union Square. A less. He found America little changed of aeronautics. few months later, the Black Swal- from his frightful childhood in Geor- low died of natural causes. For his gia. Living in a dilapidated tenement burial, he had asked that he be in Harlem, Bullard scratched out a clothed in his legionnaire’s uni- living doing odd jobs. His last was in form and that his coffi n be draped VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13 in the tricolor flag of France. He fi rst black female pilot. across the United States. said that America was his mother The problem was that no flying Finances were an unending chal- and he loved her, while France was school in greater Chicago would lenge. Living hand-to-mouth like his mistress and he loved her, too. give instruction to an African-Amer- many barnstormers of the golden ican woman. Undeterred, Coleman age of fl ight, she managed to scrape Undaunted Dreamer, Determined opted to go to France to acquire her together enough funds to purchase Barnstormer: Queen Bess fl ight training. She had the encour- a war surplus Curtiss JN-4 Jenny. For Bessie Coleman was born in ru- agement of Robert Abbott, founder the next five years, Coleman zig- ral Texas in 1892. Both her parents and editor of the infl uential Chicago zagged the country, executing stunts were illiterate. Yet, they recognized Defender, one of the country’s fore- at aerial meets. During her show- the value of education and sent their most African-American newspapers. related travels, she tried to book her- daughter off to the local schoolhouse Coleman took French classes, ap- self as a speaker at local black theaters when she turned 6 years of age. It was plied for a passport, and located a where she could spread her thoughts a 4-mile hike to the squat one-room top-notch fl ight school in France. about flight and about achieving building every weekday morning. In late 1920, Coleman sailed one’s dreams. She also made a point Amid the myriad pressures of abroad. Upon reaching France, she of appearing before groups of young- the day, which included the real wasted no time starting her flight sters at black schools and churches to threat of lynching, Coleman’s fa- training. Her instruction proceeded relate her message of hope. ther abandoned the family. Cole- in a Nieuport Type 82. Seven months The African-American media man’s mother became a domestic after arriving, on June 15, 1921, she hailed Coleman as a role model servant, and Bessie herself labored was issued her license by the Fédéra- for blacks. Her hometown paper, in the cotton fields. In her spare tion Aéronautique Internationale. the Chicago Defender, dubbed her time, Bessie read about successful Once back home, Coleman real- Queen Bess. However, though she blacks, notably of the exploits of ized that merely fl ying an airplane enjoyed the freedom of the skies Harriet Tubman in connection with wasn’t enough to earn a living as and the fame accompanying her the Underground Railroad. an exhibition pilot. She underwent pioneer status, she was never far The dramatic stories of escape advanced instruction in aerobatic from reminders of America’s ugly from bondage to freedom gave the flight on a second trip to France. underside. As an example, on La- young girl reason to believe that Thusly prepared, she embarked bor Day 1923, Coleman was sched- there could be a better life. She on an adventurous and inspiring uled to give a fl ying exhibition at a ached to break away from her stul- new life performing fl ying displays racetrack in Columbus, Ohio, when tifying existence. In 1915, she fi- nally left to join an older brother Acknowledgement who had moved to Chicago. The author is grateful for the assistance of the Tuskegee Airmen National Coleman became a hairstylist and Historical Museum in Detroit, Michigan. manicurist at beauty parlors and bar- Sources and Further Reading bershops in Chicago’s predominantly Carisella, P.J. and Ryan, James W. The Black Swallow of Death: The In- black south-side neighborhoods. As a credible Story of Eugene Jacques Bullard, the World’s First Black Combat poor black from the Deep South who Aviator. Boston: Marlborough House, 1972. had arrived in Chicago’s so-called Hardesty, Von and Pisano, Dominick. Black Wings: The American Black in Black Belt, she was part of a surge of Aviation. Washington, D.C.: National Air and Space Museum/Smithsonian migrating blacks from rural locations Institution, 1983. to the northern metropolises. Her Hardesty, Von. Black Wings: Courageous Stories of African Americans in longing for a sense of fulfi llment was Aviation and Space History. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution/ not cured. The impetus to reach for Harper Collins Publishers, 2008. something out of the mundane came Powell, William J. Black Aviator: The Story of William J. Powell (Reissue of Black Wings. 1934.). Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1994. in an unlikely way. Rich, Doris L. Queen Bess: Daredevil Aviator. Washington, D.C.: Smithso- Upon his return from service in nian Institution Press, 1993. a segregated U.S. infantry unit dur- ing World War I, Coleman’s brother [The story of African-American aviation in the pre-World War II period praised the French women fl iers who continues next month. The achievements of the fi rst black pilots laid the he had heard about while deployed foundation for a series of consequential fl ights in the 1930s by members of overseas. In the same breath, he de- the next generation of black fl iers. These fl ights, in turn, inspired the na- tion to begin a journey of its own toward an embrace of greater tolerance. rided black women as not capable of The second and concluding installment will examine the unfl agging de- such feats. It was at that moment, in termination of those daring black aviators who overcame fearful obstacles defi ance of such brazen stereotyping, to bring a new measure of freedom to both the sky and the earth below.] that she determined to be the world’s 14 JANUARY 2012 only a few miles away at the state fairgrounds a huge gathering of the Ku Klux Klan took place. Airplanes of the post-World War I era were still fl imsy contraptions and particularly unforgiving. Re- grettably, on May 1, 1926, while on a pre-show flight in Jacksonville, Florida, Coleman’s Jenny flipped over, causing her to plummet to her death. The reason for the anoma- lous motion was traced to a mis- placed wrench that jammed the controls. Coleman’s mechanic died in the same mishap. Coleman had sought to estab- lish a flight academy for African- Americans. She wanted members of the black community with an interest in aviation to not have to go through the travails she had ex- perienced in search of training. Her dream of racially tolerant flight instruction was dashed at least temporarily with her demise. Nev- ertheless, her shattering of lon g- accepted conventions about both blacks and women gave strength to the disenfranchised that they might someday take to the skies. Thanks to Coleman’s example, Chicago became a hotbed of black flying. Indeed, flying clubs bear- ing the late pilot’s name sprang up there and elsewhere. Her last- ing impact was further evidenced in 1931 when a group of local pi- lots started the tradition of fl ying over her grave site in Chicago and dropping fl owers in her memory. Years later, Coleman’s spirit was even more conspicuously honored in the city where, against extraor- dinary odds, she proudly gave flight to black wings and propa- gated her dream that anything is possible. Air travelers at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, one of the busiest air terminuses in the world, are touched daily Plush Flying Bears by the legacy of the undaunted Give an adorable fl ying bear to say your sweetest pilot. As they scurry across the sentiment.Prop spins, lights up with message as a song is played. Approx 11” grounds to make their flights to Red 5265753300020 White 5265753300100 all corners of the globe, it is hard www.shopeaa.com/vaa not to notice that the facility’s Telephone Orders: 800-843-3612 main thoroughfare is named Bes- From US and Canada (All Others Call 920-426-5912) *Shipping and handling NOT included Major credit cards accepted. $25.95* sie Coleman Drive. WI residents add 5% sales tax. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15 Light Plane Heritage

published in EAA Experimenter February 1993

TWELVE THOUSAND MILES IN AN AVRO AVIAN

BY BOB WHITTIER EAA 1235

Last month we discussed the Avro Avian light biplane of the 1920s. This month we’d like to remark that fl iers tend to become so absorbed in the technical aspects of aircraft, they of- ten overlook the wonderful human- interest stories that abound in avia- tion. At a time when our young people are so greatly in need of whole- some and inspiring role models, it’s re- grettable that many aviation heroes of the past have been largely forgotten. By telling the story of one of them, perhaps we can remind today’s avia- tion boosters that in fl ying’s great her- itage, there are many people whose Extensively modifi ed from its original 1926 Lympne lightplane competition stories are very much worth retelling. form, the Avro Avian G-EBOV carried Australian airman Bert Hinkler 12,000 One of the people who worked grueling miles from England to Australia in February of 1928. in the Avro factory in the Hamble section of Southampton, England, a busy town of 3,000 souls, and the large, long wings that give them during the 1920s was a chap from commercial center for a sugar cane magnificent soaring ability. He was Australia named Bert Hinkler. Few growing industry that had developed fascinated with them and dreamed modern aviation fans will recog- in the area. of joining them aloft. nize that name, but in his day he As a boy Hinkler was a small In the last decades of the 19th was one of the British Empire’s best- child, and even as an adult was a century, men like Lilienthal, Ader, known airmen. mere 5 feet 3 inches tall. Nonethe- Hargrave, Chanute, Pilcher, Maxim, Herbert John Louis Hinkler was less, the healthy life he led in semi- and Langley had been studying and born late in 1892 at Bundaberg on rural Bundaberg helped him to grow experimenting in the field of man- Australia’s east coast, 200 miles north into sturdy manhood, and to have a carrying aircraft. By the time Hin- of Brisbane. His mother, Frances, was mind of his own. kler was a schoolboy, literature about a strong-willed young woman from Near the grammar school he at- their discoveries had begun to reach a family that had pioneered in that tended was a lagoon where flocks even such odd corners of the world as area, and his father, John, had come of a large wading bird called the ibis Bundaberg. He managed to fi nd and from Germany in search of a better came to forage. Though ungainly devour much of it. future. Bundaberg 100 years ago was looking on the ground they have Soon Hinkler was catching birds

Editor’s Note: The Light Plane Heritage series in EAA’s Experimenter magazine often touched on aircraft and concepts related to vintage aircraft and their history. Since many of our members have not had the opportunity to read this se- ries, we plan on publishing those LPH articles that would be of interest to VAA members. Enjoy!—HGF

16 JANUARY 2012 to weigh and measure them. He even pay just to look at a real flying ma- volved hours of toil at a workbench, killed and skinned an ibis—with the chine close up. he happily realized he had a foot feathers still in place—and worked It was Hinkler’s chance to see on the bottom rung of a ladder that the skin into a crude model glider. At both a real flying machine and a soared skyward. 14 he was working in a local foundry genuine aviator, so he was one of For a young fellow from obscure and had the wherewithal to construct the fi rst to show up at the tent. Dur- Bundaberg, it was a heady feeling what he optimistically called a man- ing demonstration flights the Ble- to be in the middle of intense avia- carrying glider. But no matter how riot experienced wing problems. tion activity. He looked into learn- fast he ran, or how hard he fl apped its Feeling like a deckhand telling the ing to fly, but found the price of wings, the contrivance never got him admiral that his fl y was open, Hin- lessons to be more than he could af- up there with the ibises. kler approached Wizard and, as tact- ford—probably much to the relief Swallowing his disappointment, fully as he could, pointed out that of his parents. All through his ca- he continued to work at the foundry perhaps the overhead brace wires reer and travels, by the way, he kept and kept up with aviation’s prog- should be stronger. Wizard looked them well informed of his doings by ress. By the time he was 19, in 1911, at the short, serious youth in sur- means of long, detailed, and usually he was mature and knowledgeable prise. But apparently he felt Hin- very enthusiastic letters. enough to design and build a real kler’s advice was sound and installed War broke out in the fall of 1914. glider. It was of tail-fi rst design, and stronger wires. The Bleriot then fl ew Hinkler’s aviation experience got save for the makeshift materials used well. And wonder of wonders, right him into the Royal Flying Corps. in its construction, looked rather like then and there the astonished and Because his knowledge of aviation today’s hang gliders. thrilled Hinkler found himself hired mechanics was far superior to that Accompanied by some young as mechanic for a tour of Australia. of most recruits, he was posted to a friends, he towed it by trailer sev- The two had many adventures Royal Naval Air Service costal patrol eral miles to an area of sand dunes and misadventures. Wind and en- base at Whitley Bay near Newcastle at the seashore and set it up. To take gine trouble often kept the plane on the North Sea coast. advantage of the steady wind com- from making advertised exhibition His duties there were primarily ing off the Pacifi c Ocean and to test flights, and disappointed crowds mechanical, but he often served as it prudently, they fl ew it at the end could become ugly. The year 1913 gunner on patrol flights and began of a rope much like a kite. Hinkler saw the pair in New Zealand. One to develop “air sense.” Always highly managed to soar as high as 30 feet day, when 1,000 paying customers inventive, he greatly pleased his su- with the glider under somewhat un- showed up to watch a flight, it was periors by designing a bomb release certain control. But to him, teth- so windy that Hinkler was all in favor mechanism that weighed only one ered flight lacked the appeal that of the ship remaining in its tent. But pound, compared to the nine for he knew from his reading that free, the bold and nervous Wizard felt un- some devices then in use. propelled fl ight must offer. der pressure to fl y. In 1916 he was transferred to Lon- Progress in fl ying had been so rapid Seventy feet into the air, turbulence don and in early 1917 went to an since the Wrights first flew in 1903 upset the Bleriot, a wingtip clipped a R.N.A.S. base near Dunkirk. He served that by 1911 there were even corre- tree, and the plane cartwheeled into as gunner aboard two-seaters such spondence courses in aviation. Hin- the ground. The Wizard crawled out as the de Havilland 4 and the huge kler signed up for one and applied of the demolished Bleriot with a bro- Handley Page O/400 bombers, which himself to it diligently. That was his ken collarbone and a collection of had 100-foot wingspans. His letters character—serious, studious, persis- scrapes. The already much-repaired home were rich with descriptions of tent, yet adventurous and ambitious. plane was now obviously beyond fur- the weird, fascinating, and frighten- Hinkler’s understanding of the scien- ther repair. Hinkler was suddenly un- ing sensations of riding in gunner’s tifi c and mathematical basis of fl ight employed, and a few days later he cockpits of these huge box kites as expanded quickly. And like many boarded a ship going to Sydney. they twisted and rolled in the dark- other young people, he itched to get While waiting around for Wizard ness of night to avoid German search- out of his isolated, boring hometown. to pay him off, Hinkler hatched the light beams and anti-aircraft fi re. Hinkler’s opportunity came in May idea of going to England, where he By the time he was sent back to of 1912, with the sudden arrival in knew from aviation magazines there England in September 1917 he had Bundaberg of a barnstorming Ameri- was more flying activity. He and a been on 122 fl ights over the lines, of can airman by the name of “Wizard” buddy were able to get jobs aboard which 36 were bombing raids. He was Stone. Operating out of Sydney, he a German freighter bound for Ham- awarded the Distinguished Service travelled around setting up and ex- burg. Finally, in London in March Medal (DSM). While on homeward hibiting his Bleriot monoplane. Air- 1914, he was extremely fortunate fl ights in two-seaters, pilots often let planes at that time were still such a to get a job at the Sopwith Aero- him take the controls, and so he be- novelty that people would willingly plane Works. Although his work in- gan to learn the feel of a plane. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17 Back in England he met a hospi- tal sister named Nancy, whom he courted and eventually married. Fi- nally convinced of the value of mili- tary aviation, British offi cialdom on April 1, 1918, combined the R.N.A.S. and the Royal Flying Corps into the Royal Air Force. And at long last, Hin- kler was posted to a real fl ying school. In July of that year he qualified as a pilot. He wrote bubbling enthusiastic letters home describing what it was like to go skylarking in the fast, nim- THE AEROPLANE The Avro Avian and Bert Hinkler at Hamble before leaving for Australia. With ble, and also tricky Sopwith Camel Hinkler (center) are Roy Chadwick, chief designer, and R.J. Parrott, general single-seaters. manager of the A.R. Roe and Co. Ltd. He fi nished the war with an R.A.F. Camel squadron operating on the Ital- ian Front. Flying in that region often ling prize for the fi rst fl ight from Eng- gallons capacity. involved getting into clouds, some of land to its country. It would cost a lot And so at daybreak on the dank, which contained Alps Mountains. of money to fi nd, buy, and prepare an chilly morning of May 31, 1920, he Now, since qualifying as a pilot, he aircraft for such an undertaking. took off from Croydon aerodrome had been nursing an idea—how great Several parties tried. In a memo- and headed for the English Channel. it would be to go home to Bundaberg rable fl ight that started on November Over France and the cloud-wrapped in an airplane instead of a crowded 12 and ended on December 12 of that Alps he fl ew, and fi nally landed at Tu- troopship. While awaiting demobi- year, Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith won rin in northern Italy. This nonstop lization in England, he set about to the prize. Their plane was a war sur- flight of 650 miles took nine and a fi nd a way to do just that. plus Vickers Vimy bomber powered half hours and set a new lightplane His old employer, Sopwith, had by two Rolls-Royce Eagle engines of distance record. modified a Pup single-seater into a 360 hp each. At that time they were Two days later he took off for two-seat civilian version called the considered very dependable. With a Rome, where he made the frustrating Dove. By the time Hinkler saw it for span of 67 feet, the Vimy could carry discovery that an Arab uprising in the the fi rst time, he had already started a good fuel load but at the same time Middle East would make it impossible serious work on planning a route and was more manageable than the huge to get permission to fl y over that re- schedule for a fl ight to Australia. Sens- Handley Pages. gion to get to India and beyond. In a ing the publicity value of such a bold That triumph put an end to Hin- series of shorter fl ights, he returned to demonstration of an airplane’s capa- kler’s hopes of winning the prize. England and his work at Avro. bility, and impressed with the thor- He went to work for Avro at Ham- By now his long experience with ough seriousness of Hinkler’s flight ble. There he became intrigued with aircraft made him a valuable test pi- plan, the Sopwith people told him the Avro Baby lightplane then be- lot. He had an ability to discover and they’d be happy to work with him if ing developed. He had the privilege analyze shortcomings in new aircraft, he could fi nd fi nancial backing. and thrill of taking the prototype up which was of great help to design- The Dove was powered by an 80- for its fi rst fl ight. He liked it, became ers. He test flew the Avro Aldershot hp LeRhone rotary engine, a type very good at fl ying it, and in spite of bomber, which was powered by a designed for a short but merry life the fact that it was powered by a 35- single 1,000-hp Napier engine. This on the nose of a combat plane. hp Green engine of 1910 vintage, he huge mill had 16 cylinders arranged Everyone Hinkler approached for talked Avro into selling it to him at a in banks of four to form an “X” con- backing told him they thought he price he could afford. figuration. Because of his short stat- was bonkers. That’s British slang for He had written so often to his par- ure, he had to sit on two cushions to crazy as a coot. Among other faults, ents about the idea of flying home reach the controls. World War I rotary engines had to Bundaberg that he had come to A quirky side of Hinkler’s personal- huge fuel and oil appetites. feel under obligations to make good. ity was shown by his habit of wear- The amazing progress made in air- What appealed to him about the ing a long overcoat and black derby craft design during that confl ict had Green engine was that it was so sim- while test flying. One photo shows other people thinking of the possibili- ple that he felt he could repair it in him wearing what look like platform ties of commercial aviation. Early in almost any remote place. He over- shoes. He also had a tendency to 1919 the Australian government, for hauled both the plane and its engine, avoid the press, a trait that sometimes example, posted a 10,000-pound ster- and installed a larger fuel tank of 25 helped and sometimes hurt him. 18 JANUARY 2012 Australian pilot, and after a long, sponsible people with money took active life, it ended up on display a dim view of this kind of activity. in the Queensland South Bank Mu- But so strong was Hinkler’s desire seum in Brisbane. to realize his dream that he decided Hinkler flew Avro’s motorcycle- to make the fl ight on his own mea- engined light monoplane in the ger resources. It would be necessary 1923 Lympne competitions, and for Nancy to remain in England be- went to the United States in 1924 cause a gas tank occupied the Avi- with the British Schneider cup team. an’s passenger cockpit. In 1926 he helped develop the Avro The plane had no radio or sophis- Avian light, two-seat biplane for that ticated instruments. As in his Turin year’s Lympne contest. He was its pi- and Riga flights, Hinkler’s naviga- lot there and was doing well when tion equipment consisted of noth- forced to drop out by fuel tank and ing more than a good compass, an engine problems. ordinary groundling’s Times Atlas, In August of 1927 he agreed to and a “navigation board” he had in- go to Riga in Latvia to test fl y a new vented. This was a crude forerunner plane. By that time, he had bought of later navigation calculators and and modified the Lympne Avian could quickly perform simple wind and decided to fl y it there. Leaving drift fi guring. We can only guess at Croydon early in the morning and how he solved compass variation THE AEROPLANE Bert Hinkler in passable weather, he reached Riga problems; perhaps local airmen more than 1,200 miles away, late in along his route offered advice. He saved his money, won some the afternoon and at the end of 10.5 The morning of February 7, 1928, extra in flying competitions, and hours in the air. This and the return dawned damp and misty. The Cirrus was finally able to book passage to fl ight via Berlin gave him an oppor- was started, and while it was warm- Australia aboard a steamship. The tunity to evaluate the long-distance ing up, Hinkler and his wife bid each securely crated Avro Baby went capabilities—capable if not spectac- other nervous and thus somewhat along as freight. Arriving at Sydney, ular. The idea of a solo fl ight to Aus- perfunctory goodbyes. The Avro he got the crate out to the airfield tralia was still in his mind. taxied out onto Croydon’s turf and and quietly set about assembling The Avian’s original fi ve-cylinder took off into a ground fog, which and checking the little plane in his Genet radial engine of 60 hp had was fortunately soon left behind. usual very careful, skilled manner. been replaced with an 80-hp A.B.C. Hinkler retraced his 1921 route to Then on the morning of April 11, Cirrus having four cylinders inline. Turin, climbing to a very cold 8,000 1921, he took off and headed north The original squared-off wingtips feet to get over the cloud-shrouded toward Bundaberg, 700 miles away. had been replaced by new ones of Alps. After passing Turin he headed In those days the idea of fl ying such semi-elliptical outline, probably to down the Italian peninsula. To the a distance in a lightplane was un- reduce drag and increase range in right was the coastline, and off heard of. But several hours later the long-distance flights. The rudder- to the left were the Apennines, a little silver Avro circled low over only vertical tail had been replaced mountain range running down the Bundaberg, with Hinkler waving ex- with a conventional one having spine of Italy. These features formed citedly from the cockpit. He landed both fin and rudder. The front a corridor that led him south to in a fi eld next to the foundry where cockpit had had its seat replaced Rome. After 12 hours and 45 min- he had once worked. Then he taxied by a large-capacity fuel tank, to give utes in the Avian’s cold, drafty cock- along a dirt road and came to a stop the ship a total fuel capacity of 66 pit, he spotted an airfield at Rome at the doorstep of his parents’ house gallons. A somewhat bulgy-looking and landed in the dark. for a reunion with the family he had headrest was installed on top of Alas, the fi eld proved to be a mili- not seen for nine years. the fuselage aft of the rear cockpit, tary one and a multilingual hassle This accomplishment set world and in it was stowed an infl atable with the police quickly ensued. But and Australian records for a non- rubber raft. fi nally things were straightened out stop lightplane fl ight, and brought Convinced that he now had a and he went to a hotel. Upon re- Hinkler much favorable attention. plane thoroughly able and reliable turning to the field the following He looked into Australian civil avi- enough for the formidably long morning, Hinkler was appalled to ation, but there was so little going flight to Australia, he sought but see that the fi eld had many tall ra- on at that time that he felt it best to failed to get financial backing. A dio towers, which he had very fortu- return to England and Avro. Before number of long-distance flights in nately missed in the dark. departing, he sold the Avro to an 1927 had ended in disaster, and re- continued next month in the February issue VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19 Just a Long Cross-Country in an Antique, Right?

A ferry fl ight adventure BY BILL MCCLURE

ike many old airplane At that time I was a resident at bucket list. Then, and I’m sure you stories, my tale begins the Fall Creek Airpark in Lebanon, are ahead of me, some 15 years quite a number of years Tennessee, along with another good later the airplane in the ad turned ago, and it involves friend, Ted Beckwith. Ted is a real out to be the very same plane. It friends new and old. In pilot’s pilot and a fellow antique air- still looked very good. fact, it’s a story that is at plane admirer. He was fl ying a beau- I am blessed to have a beauti- leastL as much about people as it is tiful Fairchild 24G for an owner ful and understanding wife, Kath- about fl ying machinery. who had commissioned the aircraft leen, who at least semi-understands to be restored by a renowned crafts- this airplane obsession of mine. Al- Falling for a Pretty Airplane man, Richard Blazier of Tullahoma, though I already had two other air- More than a year ago, my friend Tennessee. Unfortunately, when the craft—a Baron for fast trips and a Mitch Garner sent me an e-mail fo- project was completed the owner 7ECA Citabria for fl ight training and cusing my attention on an online had some health problems, so he hamburger runs—I soon found my- ad for a nice-looking antique air- asked Ted to take it home to his self on an airliner heading for Twin plane. One of Mitch’s favorite hob- hangar to fl y it and keep it active. Falls, Idaho, in early November bies is helping other people find During that time I frequently vis- 2009. We are residents of Falmouth ways to spend money, and this ited Ted at his hangar, and I always Airpark on beautiful Cape Cod, and time he hit the jackpot. The ad was stopped to admire the Fairchild. I Idaho is a long way away. But the for an airplane I knew well, from mentally put the sweet fl ying “24” Fairchild is an airplane, so I could about 15 years earlier. series as an airplane to put on my fl y it home in just a few days, right? 20 JANUARY 2012 Left: “We,” after our arrival in western rants in the area. So, I was set, and that although the ceiling and vis- Tennessee. With the No. 5 piston later that night I was thrilled to ibility were unlimited out in the disintegrating and chewing up the find out my granddaughter Chloe west, as is often the case, there interior of the 145 Warner, it started smoking and dumping oil overboard, had been born that day. was a wind warning for the Rock- particularly down the belly and the The next day presented what I ies, predicting winds to 50 knots, port side of the fuselage. thought would be the toughest part mostly on our tail. This F-24G was of the trip. There are few options equipped with fuel tanks that were to get across this great land of ours unusually capacious for this model, “We” Are on Our Way that do not present the challenge of at a total of 60 gallons. So, with me The price seemed attractive, the high terrain. I had hoped to follow aboard, my bags and tools, bottles airframe looked good, and overall the old airmail route across Wyo- of oil, etc., we were at max gross the airplane looked much the same ming and the Rocky Mountains, weight for takeoff. as when I had seen it last. The 24G along Interstate 80, from Provo to I knew we would need the fuel had a 145-hp Warner Super Scarab Cheyenne and beyond. Flying a to cross Wyoming and continue installed on the pointy end, and Staggerwing I had been blessed to into Nebraska to escape the winds. although I am an A&P/IA, I knew own for 10 years, I had flown the Still, I was wary of the performance little about Warner engines. Com- route many years before. available at these weights, and the pression on each of the cylinders I studied the charts again and re- turbulence and other conditions we was good during the abbreviated membered the terrain along that might encounter, especially due to pre-buy inspection, the oil screens course ranged around 7,500 feet the winds. I resolved I would depart were clean, and the logs looked or so. I thought we would have Brigham City and climb to 8,500 okay, although it was clear that at to make at least 8,500 feet for the feet or more and see what the per- 600 hours since major, the time crossing, and as I said, I was not formance and turbulence was like. was getting long for an “orphan” sure how the plane would perform. If conditions did not seem right, radial engine. All in all, I was soon Further complicating matters was I would abandon the Highway 80 the owner of this classic aircraft. While I had quite a bit of experi- ence in old airplanes, I approached the long trip home with a fair degree of concern. After all, this was a very long ferry flight back to my home and shop, in an unfamiliar airplane. I really did not know how the air- plane would perform, particularly at the altitudes at which we would have to fl y on the trip home. I was sure it would be a challenge. But, what the heck, I thought. After retiring from an airline career a year before, I was a little itchy for another air adventure, Looking as nice as it did 15 years before, the Warner-powered Fairchild awaits my judgment. By the end of the day it was mine to enjoy and take so away we went. And I mean “we” care of. in the Lindbergh sense. It was later in the day than I would have liked to get started, but I decided to try to get a couple of hours down the road before night- fall. The weather was good and un- seasonably warm for the time of year. I resolved to make the trip as IFR (I follow roads) as possible. Sun- set found me at Brigham City, Utah. A really nice thing about travel- ing by old airplane is that people just naturally tend to come out to see the bird after you land. Nice folks steered me to a courtesy car A landing into the wind in the large, freshly harvested bean fi eld meant an and the good motels and restau- approach between the two structures in the background. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21 we were back on terra firma. I was completely spent. Again, there were more nice people to meet, espe- cially the FBO owner who also had a Fairchild, who sent me off in his courtesy car and with directions to a restaurant that served, in his opin- ion, the best beef in the country. Early the next morning we were off again. We were past the Con- tinental Divide, and the elevation steadily, but slowly, decreased. The terrain was also quite fl at now, so I abandoned the roads and “cheated” with the wonder of modern technol- ogy contained within my Garmin 496, and headed out in a straight line toward Memphis, Tennessee. My old friend and fellow antiquer Steve Freeman had just retired from Using a cruciform brace in the pickup truck’s bed, the tail wheel was secured FedEx as an Airbus training cap- to the brace with multiple straps for the 60-mile journey back to Charles tain, and I was eager to get to the Baker Airport. retirement party at his hangar at the Charles Baker Airport. While I was happy that the terrain and wind were far less threatening, wouldn’t you just know that the howling west wind had turned to a steady 15 out of the southeast! I soon realized that mathematically it was going to make the Memphis area by nightfall very diffi cult. A 15-knot head wind slows progress considerably in a 95-knot airplane. At least there was some compensation to the south- east flow. On this early November day, even at 5,500 feet, the OAT was 80° Fahrenheit. After a fuel stop at Abilene, Kan- Not quite the way I thought I’d be IFR (I follow roads). sas, we pressed on to get as far as plan and proceed across the Four sist, and at other times we were we could before nightfall. As much Corners area to Albuquerque. I was sinking with not enough power to as I wanted to make it to the party, determined to leave viable “outs” arrest it. If nothing else, we were I wasn’t going to fly this thing af- along the entire trip home. making great time with the strong ter dark. It wasn’t even close, and As it happened, we were able to tail winds. I considered forced- Aurora, Missouri, was the end of climb to 8,500 feet, and although landing situations and possible ar- our day. Again, more nice folks, an- there was wind wave activity, I felt eas where we might come down if other offered courtesy car, and di- we could make it across Wyoming. the power were to fail. I realized the rections to a restful evening. I was quite wary of the possibility outcome was dicey with that kind Another early start found us for downdrafts and realized that of wind on the ground. on our way on a beautiful, wind- this would take great care. Still, in a A tense three hours later we were less morning. Along our route I 74-year-old “wind wagon” sporting going past Cheyenne. The wind was noticed the famous Gaston’s Re- a heroic 145 horses, the route was still howling there, so as I originally sort in Lakeview, Arkansas, with much like fl ying a sailplane. planned, we pressed on to Sidney, its own gorgeous grass runway. It With the power set from idle to Nebraska, where the wind had sub- was a Sunday, and I was aware of max cruise rpm, at times we were sided to a mere 25 knots. After a Gaston’s outstanding reputation ascending with little ability to re- tough four-and-a-half-hour flight, for brunch, so what was I to do? I 22 JANUARY 2012 brought it down for a three-point that had happened before in other enough to use a little energy in the roll- landing on the beautiful turf. Up to aircraft. My mind started some self- out to swing toward the road. In the this point I had been doing wheel talk as I pondered the problem. time it takes to tell it, it is all over. landings, and while the view ahead Uh, no, that doesn’t seem to have The plane was upright, undam- was somewhat restricted, the char- fi xed anything, and if anything, per- aged, and the smoke had stopped. acteristics of the old bird were quite haps the vibration is a little more pro- It was so quiet! I sat a moment as a benign. The incredibly long Fair- nounced. Look at the gauges…nothing car on Highway 179 blasted past. I child shock absorbers made the ar- obvious there. Oh boy, now it’s start- jumped out and looked at the Fair- rival downy soft. ing to surge a bit, then more so. Try child, and the fi rst thing I did was As expected, the brunch was in- the mags, no help. Where is the near- laugh. From my first flying lesson credible, and after a little fuel, the est airport? Jackson, Tennessee, is 42 years ago I heard my instruc- meal and I tested the lifting abil- about 35 degrees left, but 15 miles. An tor telling me to keep an eye out ity of those rather large Fairchild eternity in this buggy, but we’ll turn for forced landing locations, and wooden wings. I gave silent thanks toward it all the same. A little more to think about how you would fl y to those Warner engineers of old as vibration, more power surging. Start an approach to that fi eld. Countless we climbed out of the gorge of the thinking about a decent place to land. thousands of times over the many White River. We had been cruising about 1,800 to intervening years I did just that, Two hours of fl ying found us fi - 2,200 feet AGL, and from our posi- and it might have taken a long nally crossing the Mississippi into tion above the farmland below there time, but it fi nally happened! Tennessee. Steve and some of his were many possible landing sites, but Cars continued to drive by, and friends had been loitering in their look carefully while fl ying the airplane a good five minutes passed before planes around the river, to accom- for potential hazards in the various one stopped and the driver asked if pany me to Charles Baker, but I fi elds. That one has a drainage ditch, all was okay. I guess planes trailing was late after my feast at Gaston’s. the next boulders. smoke and landing in farm fields By and by, I was meeting many of Then the smoke started, erupting is more common an occurrence Steve’s friends and sampled the out of the right side of the cowl- out there? The driver told me that remnants of his retirement cake. ing and streaming back… fi rst whit- the farmer who manages the fi eld, ish and then a black, oily smoke. I Simon Wengerd, would be along Uh-Oh hurried the landing site search and soon, and he was. A very nice fel- Early the next morning, with nursed the plane along. The smoke low, Simon offered much help and dew heavy upon the grass, we started to fi ll the cabin, and it was launched for Tullahoma. The sky time to get serious. At about 11 was slightly hazy with the sun just o’clock was a longish fi eld, parallel THE “STROMBERG SPECIALIST” above the horizon as we watched to a decent-sized road with a power R.E. “Bob” Kachergius A&P/IA for and passed the high radio tow- line alongside. There were many ers just northeast of Memphis. The fi elds, but that one looked the best. Does your Stromberg NA-S3 carburetor rather leisurely cruising speed of Okay, chop the switches and fuel… Drip - Leak - Perform poorly ? ? ? the F-24 gives you a lot of time to you’re committed now. Fly the plane, Have it Overhauled & Restored to “Grand Cham- appreciate the passing scenery, and concentrate, and rely on stick and pion” standards and quality by us… the farmland of western Tennessee rudder flying skills your instructors WE: Dismantle & Inspect – was beautiful that morning. instilled over the years. Downwind, Clean & Glass Bead Blast – Aluma-Etch & Alodine – About a half-hour out I de- judge the point for the base turn, not Custom Lap mating cided to change tanks, turning on much wind to worry about. Now the surfaces – Re- assemble using all the right tank with the “Lindberg base leg, how does it look? High, low, new AN hardware, valve,” and then off on the left. As or just right? Seems good, square the gaskets, Stainless steel or Delrin needle I wrote down the time for the fuel turn to fi nal. Think about egress if we & seat – proper metering switch on my “Howgozit” notepad, fl ip over. We are coming in between a jets & venturis… Float level is set “wet” to 13/32” – Stromberg service letter I thought I detected a slight change grain silo and a large processing build- procedure installed to raise float bowl vent position in the sound of the engine, perhaps ing; the glide takes us between the two. eliminating fuel drip – prepare a log book entry sheet… a trifl e more vibration, but mostly Okay, the speed is good, in the slot it All for $850.00 just a “change” in the sound to seems, and now fl are it for the three- + $25.00 freight & handling which I had become accustomed. I point. Glad I practiced this yesterday pondered that for a moment or two at Gaston’s! The long shock absorbers UNI-TECH AIR MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, INC. and then switched the tanks back allow the mains to start rolling long Call: 708-267-7111 to how they previously had been before any real weight is placed on Mail: 13221 WINDWARD TRAIL ORLAND PARK, IL. 60462 confi gured. Perhaps there was a bit the wheels, and the sound tells me the E-Mail: [email protected] of water in the fuel in that tank… ground is pretty fi rm. All is going well VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23 had experience with recovering off- airport emergency landings. There was little “learning curve” involved. The decision was made to tow the plane on its gear, backward, to the airport, with the tailwheel se- cured into the back of one of the trucks by means of a cruciform frame built out of 2-by-6 stock. Many straps secured the plane to the truck, and then a call was placed to a friend of Steve’s who is a sheriff, regarding the rather ex- treme width of the Fairchild wheel base. We had around 60 road miles to backtrack to Baker, and law en- forcement agencies were alerted. Long before sundown we were off, back to Steve’s hangar. While Fourteen hours after the forced landing, the Fairchild was safely stored in the back of Steve Freeman’s hangar. the towing operation is a story in itself, thanks to the efforts of the entire crew we had the F-24 back had little concern for the oil drip- Simon took me into the small where it had come from that morn- ping onto the fi eld after streaming town close by for a sweet roll and ing, in time for me to take the crew off my damaged airplane, saying coffee, where I hung out for a while out for dinner. It was a truly amaz- he would clean it up by and by. He awaiting the recovery forces. In a ing recovery, successfully accom- had seen me pass overhead, trail- little more than two hours Steve ar- plished by some great friends, old ing smoke. He said I was lucky. The rived with his brother Chris Free- and new. If you are ever in a spot week before they had harvested man, who had been out from like this, I hope you have these the soybeans that had been in this California to help celebrate Steve’s kind of people around to help. We field, and the soil had been quite retirement. Oh, and did I mention really do have some of the best soft and mushy. both Steve and Chris are both long- folks anywhere in this special world There we were, somewhere in time A&P/IAs? of aviation. western Tennessee, around 60 miles Also arriving were friends of Next began a many-month-long east of Memphis, in a field with a Steve’s from Charles Baker Airport, effort to overhaul an engine and re- quite unairworthy airplane. If you Ron Spence and Jim Dearborn, install it in the old bird. Much was are ever in a jam like this, I hope both aircraft owners and restorers learned about Fairchilds and War- you are as fortunate as I was to be and FedEx captains as well. We had ner engines in particular, before the in range of one of the best friends a convoy of three pickup trucks, a plane was good to go once again. a person could have, a fellow like long flat-bed trailer, and the tools Many of the fi ne folks at Baker air- Steve Freeman. We have known and generators to do the job. Ron port stored parts and pieces during each other maybe 25 years, and and Jim didn’t even know me, but the winter and spring for me, and we were across-the-taxiway han- they turned out at a moment’s no- many thanks to all of them. gar neighbors when we lived in Ca- tice to help a fellow aviator in need. Al Holloway of Holloway En- marillo, California. I called Steve They worked hard and quickly. Sin- gineering in California is an out- from my cellphone (thanks, Ver- cere thanks, you guys. standing craftsman specializing in izon) and told him of my plight. So, after a bit of planning, we the overhaul of antique aircraft en- He asked me where I was, and after set to it. First, we towed the plane gines, and he was selected to do an a little conversation with my new slowly, tail-first, back to the park- overhaul of a 145. The engine in- friend Simon we settled that. Steve ing lot of the soybean-processing stalled in this incident is not likely told me to hang tight, that help house I had flown by on the way to fl y as an individual engine again. was on the way. I later found out he in. We drained the fuel into many It seems the piston in the No. 5 po- was just climbing into his truck to storage cans, which were brought sition actually disintegrated. The drive to Texas when my call came in by the group. Then, the wings wrist pin was found still in its in. All plans changed, and he began were removed and placed on the proper place, but the piston was no to mobilize people, materials, tools, trailer, as were the tail surfaces. It re- longer there! and vehicles to come to my rescue. ally helped that most of the fellows While it cannot be proven, my 24 JANUARY 2012 Drive one. 2012 Ford Super Duty

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VEHICLE PURCHASE PLAN they often have available prior to purchasing a more unique machine. You may wish to download a copy of Best Practices Guide for Maintaining Aging General Aviation Airplanes pub- lished by the FAA in 2003 and avail- able on the VAA homepage at www. VintageAircraft.org. Still, you may encounter situ- ations such as what happened to me, where a new-to-you aircraft must be ferried long distances. You must take many factors into account, and by no means assume total reliability in any aircraft, espe- cially one you are only superfi cially acquainted with. Simon Wengerd, the helpful farmer who tills the western Tennessee fi eld in which I landed, saw the Fairchild trailing smoke while the Warner Indeed, in the “old days,” an was disintegrating as I made a forced landing on the recently harvested emergency off-airport landing story soybean fi eld. such as this would have been a rather common one. Assess your guess is that the piston in question where I did? experience, both as an airman and might very well have been an after- Many lessons are to be learned with this type of airplane, along market unit, although the records from this incident, I believe. First, with factors such as weather, route, were too sketchy to tell for sure. So, any delivery fl ight of a new-to-you and terrain. the shrapnel from the disintegrat- aircraft has an elevated level of risk, In retrospect, my decision to ing piston was thrown throughout particularly when it is an antique cross Wyoming on such a windy the engine; amazingly there was a or homebuilt on the far side of the day may have not been the wis- great deal of pea-sized aluminum country. It is unrealistic to expect est course, as an engine failure as I found. Not in the No. 5 cylinder, the same level of reliability in old experienced a few days later could but in No. 4, after having been antique aircraft, as in newer, more have had a much different out- sucked through the intake mani- common equipment. come that day. Also, proper plan- fold, past the intake valve, and into Engines, especially “orphan” ning for flight following could the No. 4 cylinder! engines from defunct manufactur- prove vital. Although I came down Unfortunately, debris also ric- ers, are not immune from failure. in a rural but not remote area, it ocheted around inside the case, Parts have not been made new in could have been a quite different which is tight enough to be- many cases for decades, and the situation elsewhere. I had a PLB gin with. The cylinder bases were supply of NOS (new old stock) (personal locator beacon) Spot lo- “belled out” so that most could parts often are dwindling. There cator with me, and friends actually not be removed from the case, at are a few dedicated craftsmen out saw my progress stop real-time on least without extraordinary effort. there like Al Holloway, but the their computers, and Google Earth Al Holloway reported that he had support network is getting tighter revealed to them the farmland I not seen an engine so completely all the time. alighted upon. damaged from an in-flight failure With some rare machines like Above all, work to maintain your as this one! these, it is quite diffi cult for a gen- fl ying skills, and often consider ab- Eventually the “new” engine eral aircraft maintenance shop to normal situations and the best way was completed, and Steve and I do detailed inspections and repairs to handle them. It might be on installed it over a period of many without extensive knowledge of the your next fl ight, or one many years days. Previous to this Steve asked if specific type of aircraft and/or en- down the road, but you just might I minded if he reassembled the air- gine. While FAR 43 Appendix D lays encounter something that earlier craft, knowing that loose parts tend down guidelines for performing an planning and consideration helped to disappear. Since I never look a annual inspection of most aircraft, you to deal with. gift horse in the mouth, I readily it is of necessity quite general and And never forget, friends are agreed. He and the good folks at non-specifi c. Type clubs are a valu- wonderful things to have. Anyone Baker airport worked diligently for able resource for many aircraft, and of us could be either on the help- me once again. Did I mention the it is best to do your homework with ing or receiving end, but we are cer- good fortune I had to come down them and the reference material tainly all better together. 26 JANUARY 2012 This aircraft type club information is listed on our website, www.VintageAircraft.org, throughout the year. We list it here for your added convenience. These groups can be a great resource for you. A Type Club can save you money, keep you from making mistakes others have already made, show you how to restore, maintain and fl y your air- plane — in short, provide the equivalent of many TYPE CLUB LISTING years of hard won experience at a very low cost.

Aeronca Aviators Club Bird Airplane Club Cessna Owner Organization Robert Szego Jeannie Hill Dan Weiler, Executive Director P.O. Box 66 P.O. Box 328 N7450 Aanstad Rd Coxsackie, NY 12051 Harvard, IL 60033-0328 Iola, WI 54945 518-731-3131 815-943-7205 1-888-692-3776 staff @aeronca.org Postage donation www.cessnaowner.org www.aeronca.org $49.95/yr; or $29.95 Online Dues: $32 1-yr, $60 2-yrs; American Bonanza Society Cessna magazine: Monthly Int’l $37 1-yr, $69 2-yrs J. Whitney Hickman Exec. Dir. Aeronca Aviator, Qtrly Mid-Continent Airport Cessna Pilots Association PO Box 12888 John Frank, Exec. Director Fearless Aeronca Aviators (f-AA) Wichita, KS 67277 3940 Mitchell Rd. John Rodkey 316-945-1700 Santa Maria, CA 93455 280 Big Sur Dr. [email protected] 805-934-0493 Goleta, CA 93117 www.bonanza.org www.cessna.org 805-968-1274 $62/yr. US/Canada $55 US, Canada, Mexico; [email protected] ABS Magazine, Monthly $70 Int’l http://aeronca.westmont.edu CPA Magazine, Monthly Dues: None National Bücker Jungmiester Club E-ATIS Electronic Wkly Celesta Price National Aeronca Association 300 Estelle Rice Dr. Cessna T-50 “The Flying Bobcats” Jim Thompson Moody, TX 76557 Jon D. Larson 304 Adda Street 254-853-9067 P.O. Box 566 Roberts, IL 60962 Auburn, WA 98071 [email protected] Bücker Club 253-670-8218 www.aeroncapilots.com Website Editor [email protected] Stephen Beaver www.angelfi re.com.mi2/bobcat Auster Club [email protected] Contact club for dues info Stuart Bain 614-937-4189 Publication: Qtrly 31 Swain Court www.bucker.info Lake Ronkonkoma Eastern Cessna 190-195 Association New York, NY 1179 Buhl LA-1 “Bull Pup” Owners Group Jon Barron 631-285-1095 William R. “Bill” Goebel 30530 Hwy [email protected] 894 Heritage Creek Dr. Perry MO 63462 www.austerclub.org Rhome, TX 76078 573-565-2819 940-627-5938 [email protected] Beech Aero Club [email protected] $15 initial, then as required P.O. Box 2023 Publication: 4/yr Magnolia, AR 71754-2023 Cessna 150-152 Club www.beechaeroclub.org Dan & Jo Ann Meler International Bird Dog Association (L-19/O-1) P.O. Box 5298 Dan Kelly T-34 Association, Inc. Central Point, OR 97502 343 Texas Heritage Dr. 880 North County Road, 900-E 541-772-8601 LaVernia, TX 78121 Tuscola, IL 61953-7560 [email protected] 830-391-4120 [email protected] www.cessna150152.com [email protected] www.t-34.com $35/yr Internet; $45/yr Print U.S. www.IBDAweb.com $50/yr Paper; $25 Electronic Int’l see website $30/yr US and Int’l Mentor Monitor, Qtrly Publication: 6/yr E-newsletter Monthly

Bellanca-Champion Club Cessna Flyer Association International Cessna 120-140 Association Robert Szego Jennifer Dellenbusch Christian Vehrs, President P.O. Box 100 2450 N. Lake Ave. #113 P.O. Box 830092 Coxsackie, NY 12051 Altadena, CA 91001 Richardson, TX 75083-0092 518-731-6800 jen@cessnafl yer.org 770-460-6164 staff @bellanca-championclub.com www.cessnafl yer.org [email protected] www.bellanca-championclub.com $40/yr www.cessna120-140.org $38 1-yr, $72 2-yrs; $25/yr US,Canada; $35/yr Int’l Int’l $43 1-y, $81 2-yrs Publication: 6/yr Publication: B-C Contact!, Qtrly VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27 International Cessna 170 Assoc. International Fleet Club The Arctic & Interstate League 22 Vista View Lane Jim Catalano Steve Dawson, 262-642-3649 Cody, WY 82414 8 Westlin Ln. W626 Beech Dr. 307-587-6397 Cornwall, NY 12518 East Troy, WI 53120 [email protected] 845-534-3947 [email protected] www.cessna170.org fl [email protected] Wayne Forshey, 740-472-1481 $45/yr http://web.mac.com/fl eetclub [email protected] 170 News, Qtrly Contributions Newsletter Qtrly via email Publication: 3-4/yr International Cessna 180-185 Club Interstate Club Bob Warner Funk Aircraft Owners Association Robert L. Taylor P.O. Box 306 Thad Shelnutt P.O. Box 127 Van Alstyne, TX 75495 2836 California Ave. Blakesburg, IA 52536 903-482-1805 Carmichael, CA 95608 641-938-2773 [email protected] 916-971-3452 antiqueairfi [email protected] www.skywagons.org [email protected] www.antiqueairfi eld.com $25/yr www.funkfl yers.com $18 for 3 issues, Interstate Intercom Publication: 6/yr $12/yr Funk Flyer, Monthly Continental Luscombe Association International Cessna 195 Club Al Fisher, President Coyle Schwab Great Lakes Club 28725 NE Tolt Hill Road 632 N. Tyler Rd. Robert L. Taylor Carnation, WI 98014-8205 St. Charles, IL 60174 P. O. Box 127 [email protected] 630-513-7002 Blakesburg, IA 52536 Mike Culver, Editor [email protected] 641-938-2773 17514 NE 33rd Place www.cessna195.org antiqueairfi [email protected] Redmond, WI 98052 $25/yr www.antiqueairfi eld.com 425-861-8307 Web area for Members Only $18 for 3 issues [email protected] www.luscombe-cla.org Corben Club The American Yankee Association (Grumman) $25/yr US; $27.50 Canada; $30 Int’l USD P.O. Box 127 Stewart Wilson The Courant, 6/yr Blakesburg, IA 52536 P.O. Box 1531 641-938-2773 Cameron Park, CA 95682 Luscombe Association antiqueairfi [email protected] 530-676-4292 Steve Krog www.antiqueairfi eld.com [email protected] 1002 Heather Lane $18 for 3 magazines www.aya.org Hartford, WI 53027 $50/yr US & Int’l 262-966-7627 Culver Club 1st yr U.S. +$7.50; Int’l +$10 [email protected] Brent Taylor American STAR, 6/yr www.luscombeassoc.org P.O. Box 127 $30 US/Canada; $35 Int’l USD Blakesburg, IA 52536 Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association Luscombe Assoc. Newsletter: 6/yr 641-938-2773 244411 Airport Road antiqueairfi [email protected] Tillsonburg, ON N4G 3T9 The Luscombe Endowment Inc. www.antiqueairfi eld.com Canada Doug Combs $18 for 3 issues 519-842-9922 2487 S. Gilbert Rd Unit # 106 www.harvards.com Gilbert, AZ 85295 de Havilland Moth & Chipmunk Club 480-650-0883 David M. Harris Hatz Biplane Association 480-917-0969 2024 75th St Chuck Brownlow 484-762-6711 Fax Kenosha, WI 53143 P.O. Box 85 [email protected] 262-652-7043 Wild Rose, WI 54984 www.luscombe.org mothfl [email protected] 715-572-5881 Donations. Website coming soon! [email protected] Online and Print Paper Tiger, Electronic www.hatzbiplane.com $20/yr Meyers Aircraft Owners Association Ercoupe Owners Club Publication: Qtrly Doug Eshelman Carolyn T. Carden, Membership/Editor 1563 Timber Ridge Dr. P.O. Box 7117 Hatz Club Brentwood, TN 37027 Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28469 Barry Taylor 615-400-3382 910-575-2758 P. O. Box 127 [email protected] [email protected] Blakesburg, IA 52536 www.meyersaircraftowners.org www.ercoupe.org antiqueairfi [email protected] Postage fund donation $25/yr Electronic www.antiqueairfi eld.com Newsletter: 3-4/yr $30/yr Paper US; $35 Paper Int’l $18 for 3 issues, Hatz Herald Coupe Capers, Monthly Monocoupe Club Heath Parasol Club Frank & Carol Kerner Fairchild Club William Schlapman 1218 Kingstowne Place Mike Kelly 6431 Paulson Road St. Charles, MO 63304 92 N. Circle Dr. Winneconne, WI 54986 636-939-3322 Coldwater, MI 49036 920-582-4454 [email protected] 517-278-7654 www.monocoupe.com [email protected] Howard Club &,Howard Aircraft Founda- Dues: 25/yr www.fairchildclub.org tion $20/yr Michael Vaughan, President Western Association of Mooney Mites Publication: Qtrly 6991 N CR 1200 E. Michael Harms Charleston, IL 61920 14949 Road 216 Fairchild Fan Club 217-549-6103 Porterville, CA 93257 Robert L. Taylor [email protected] 650-279-5587 P. O. Box 127 www.howardaircraft.org [email protected] Blakesburg, IA 52536 $30/yr www.mooneymite.com 641-938-2773 Publication: Qtrly Dues: None antiqueairfi [email protected] www.antiqueairfi eld.com $18 for 3 issues. Fairchild Fan

28 JANUARY 2012 N3N Owners & Restorers Association Piper Aviation Museum Foundation 1-26 Association H. Ronald Kempka 1 Piper Way A Division of the Soaring Society of America 2380 Country Road #217 Lock Haven, PA 17745 Clayton Vickland Cheyenne, WY 82009 [email protected] Secretary Treasurer 307-631-5912 www.pipermuseum.com Arlington, VA 22201 [email protected] $20/yr 703-527-5302 H $10/yr The Cub Reporter 703-626-6741 C Newsletter: 2/yr [email protected] Piper Flyer Association www.126association.org American Navion Society Jennifer Dellenbusch $15/yr (website has add’l options) Gary Rankin, President 2450 N. Lake Ave. #113 Publication: 6/yr PMB 335, 16420 SE McGillivray # 103 Altadena, CA 91001 Vancouver, WA 98683 jen@piperfl yer.org Stearman Restorers Association May - Oct: 360-833-9921 www.piperfl yer.org [email protected] Nov - April: 623-975-4052 www.stearman.net [email protected] Piper Owner Society $35/yr US www.navionsociety.org N7450 Aanstad Road The Flying Wire, Qtrly $60/yr US; $64 Canada; $74 Int’l USD Iola, WI 54945 The Navioneer, 6/yr 866-697-4737 Stinson Historical & Restoration Society www.piperowner.org P.O. Box 127 Navion Skies $49.95/yr U.S., add $20 Int’l Blakesburg, IA 52536 Raleigh Morrow Publication: Monthly 641-938-2773 P.O. Box 2678 antiqueairfi [email protected] Lodi, CA 95241 Shortwingpipers.org www.antiqueairfi eld.com 209-482-7754 Steve Pierce $24 for 3 issues Fax: 209-367-9390 196 Hwy. 380 East Publication: SHARS [email protected] Graham, TX 76450 www.navionskies.com 940-549-6415 International Stinson Club Email newsletter monthly www.shortwingpipers.org Logan Boles Donations: Min $25/yr 210 Blackfi eld Dr. NavionX...for the Navion Aficionado Online Discussion Forum Tiburon, CA 94920 Chris Gardner 415-383-3262 1690 Aeronca Lane Short Wing Piper Club [email protected] Fleming Field Airport (KSGS) Eleanor Mills www.stinsonclub.org South St Paul, MN 55075 P.O. Box 10822 $30/yr 651-306-1456 Springfi eld, MO 65808 Publication: Monthly www.navionx.org 417-883-1457 $60/yr E-mail: [email protected] National Stinson Club www.shortwing.org All Pre-War Models, 10,105, & V-77 Parrakeet Pilot Club Dues: $40/yr USA & Canada; $50/yr Int’l Charlie Gay, President Barry Taylor Publication: 6/yr for Short Wing Piper News 25 Runway Road Box 127 Tunkhannock, PA 18657 Blakesburg, IA 52536 Supercub.org [email protected] 641-938-2773 PO Box 150 570-836-3473 voice antiqueairfi [email protected] Waldron, MO 64092 $20 US & Canada; $25 Int’l www.antiqueairfi eld.com 816-200-2827 Stinson Plane Talk, 4/yr $18 for 3 issues 0f The Parrakeet Pilot www.supercub.org Donations: Min. $25/yr Sentinel Owner & Pilots Association Brodhead Pietenpol Association Online Discussion Forum (Stinson L-5) Doc Mosher James H. Gray P.O. Box 3501 Porterfield Airplane Club 1951 W. Coolbrook Ave. Oshkosh, WI 54903-3501 Tom Porterfi eld Phoenix, AZ 85023 [email protected] 3350 Co Rd U; Hangar A 602-795-0413 www.pietenpols.org Abernathy, TX 79311 [email protected] $16/yr 806-328-5347 www.sentinelclub.org Publication: Qtrly porterfi [email protected] $22 Electronic www.porterfi eldplane.ning.com $30 US/Canada Print Cub Club $40 Int’l Print Steve Krog Rearwin Club Newsletter: 2/yr 1002 Heather Lane Robert L. Taylor Hartford, WI 53027 P. O. Box 127 Swift Museum Foundation, Inc 262-966-7627 Blakesburg, IA 52536 Charlie Nelson [email protected] 641-938-2773 P. O. Box 644 www.cubclub.org antiqueairfi [email protected] Athens, TN 37371-0644 $35 US/Canada; $40 Int’l USD www.antiqueairfi eld.com Headquarters: 423-745-9547 Cub Clues, 6/yr $18 for 3 issues Parts Department: 423-744-9696 Charlie: [email protected] International Comanche Society SPARS Secretary: [email protected] PO Box 1810 Society for the Preservation of Skyrangers www.swiftmuseumfoundation.org Traverse City, MI 49685-1810 Wayne A. Forshey www.SaginawWings.com 888-300-0082 46980 Robin Road $35/yr [email protected] Woodsfi eld, OH 43793 Publication: Monthly www.comanchefl yer.com 740-472-1481 $69/yr US, Canada, Mexico [email protected] West Coast Swift Wing More options listed on website [email protected] Gerry or Carol Hampton The Comanche Flyer, Monthly 3195 Bonanza Dr International Ryan Club Cameron Park, CA 95682 Piper Apache Club Lynne Orloff 530-676-7755 voice & fax John J. Lumley P.O. Box 990 [email protected] 6778 Skyline Drive Groveland, CA 95321 $15/yr paper; $5/yr email Delray Beach, FL 33446 209-962-4631 Publication: Monthly 561-499-1115 [email protected] [email protected] www.ryanclub.org www.piperapacheclub.com $15/yr online community $36/yr VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29 Taylorcraft Foundation, Inc. Travel Air Club American Waco Club, Inc. Forrest Barber, President Robert L. Taylor Phil Coulson 13820 Union Ave. NE P. O. Box 127 28415 Springbrook Dr. Alliance, OH 44601 Blakesburg, IA 52536 Lawton, MI 49065 330-823-1168 641-938-2773 269-624-6490 [email protected] President antiqueairfi [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Web $18 for 3 issues www.americanwacoclub.com www.taylorcraft.org Travel Air Talks $35 US; $45 Int’l $20/yr Waco World News, 6/yr Travel Air Restorers Association Taylorcraft Owners Club Jerry Impellezzeri National Waco Club Steve Krog 4925 Wilma Way Andy Heins 1002 Heather Lane San Jose, CA 95124 50 La Belle St. Hartford, WI 53027 408-356-3407 Dayton, OH 45403 262-966-7627 [email protected] 937-313-5931 [email protected] www.travelair.org [email protected] www.taylorcraft.org $15/yr US; $20 Int’l www.nationalwacoclub.com $35/yr US, Canada; $40 Int’l USD Travel Air Log, Qtrly $25/yr US; $30 Int’l Taylorcraft News: Qtrly Waco Pilot, 6/yr Other Aviation Organizations

Aircraft Engine Historical Society Int’l Liaison Pilot & Aircraft Association (ILPA) Sentimental Journey to Cub Haven 4608 Charles Dr. NW Bill Stratton Kim Garlick or Rita Foley Huntsville, AL 35816 16518 Ledgestone P.O. Box J-3 256-683-1458 San Antonio, TX 78232 Lock Haven, PA 17745-0496 [email protected] 210-490-4572 voice & fax 570-893-4200 www.enginehistory.org $29/yr; $35 Int’l with Liaison Spoken Here [email protected] www.sentimentaljourneyfl y-in.com American Aviation $12/yr Individual, $17 Family, Publication: 2/yr Historical Society Int’l Wheelchair Aviators 15211 Springdale Street 923 W. Sherwood Blvd. Huntington Beach, CA 92649 Big Bear City, CA 92314 Silver Wings Fraternity 714-549-4818;Wed.10-4 [email protected] P.O. Box 1694 www.aahs-online.org www.wheelchairaviators.org Oldsmar, FL 34677-1694 $39.95/yr US, Publication: Qtrly $25/yr 513-941-8108 www.silverwings.org Beechcraft Heritage Museum Lake Amphibian Flyers Club $25/yr with Slipstream, 6/yr P.O. Box 550 Marc Rodstein 570 Old Shelbyville Hwy 15695 Boeing Court Society of Air Racing Historians Tullahoma, TN 37388 Wellington, FL 33414 Herman Schaub 931-455-1974 561-948-1262 168 Marian Lane [email protected] contact@lakefl yers.com Berea, OH 44017 www.beechcraftheritagemuseum.org www.lakefl yers.com 440-234-2301 $50/yr; $60 Int’l USD $62, $72 Int’l with Lake Flyer newsletter www.airrace.com $20/yr US; $23 Int’l with Golden Pylons, 6/yr Cross & Cockade Bob Sheldon, Secretary National Association of Priest Pilots 14329 S. Calhoun Ave. (NAPP) United Flying Octogenarians Burnham, IL 60633 Rev. Mel Hemann Bart Bratko, sec’y/treas. 708-862-1014 127 Kaspend Pl 19 Bay State Rd $20/yr, Publication: 6/yr Cedar Falls, IA 50613 Natick, MA 01760 319-266-3889 508-651-8287 Cross & Cockade International [email protected] [email protected] Roger Tisdale www.priestpilots.org $20yr with UFO newsletter, 4/yr [email protected] $25/yr www.crossandcockade.com Vintage Sailplane Association $55/yr surface mail; $66/yr airmail The Ninety-Nines, Inc., 31757 Honey Locust Road Publication: Qtrly Journal International Organization of Women Pilots Jonesburg, MO 63351-3195 Deaf Pilots Association 4300 Amelia Earhart Dr. Suite A www.vintagesailplane.org Kevin Willis, Membership Secretary Oklahoma City, OK 73159 $30/yr; $40 Int’l 1903 B Aviation Drive 800-994-1929 Bungee Cord, Qtrly Corona, CA 92880 [email protected] [email protected] www.ninety-nines.org Waco Historical Society www.deafpilots.org $65/yr, Publication: 4/yr Waco Aircraft Museum Don Willis, Exec. Dir. Reno Air Racing Association North American Trainer Association 1865 South County Rd. 25A 14501 Mt. Anderson St. (T6, T28, NA64, NA50, P51, B25) Troy, OH 45373 Reno, NV 89506 Kathy & Stoney Stonich 937-335-9226 775-972-6663 25801 NE Hinness Rd. M-F 9-noon; Sat-Sun noon-5 www.airrace.org Brush Prairie, WA 98606 Jan & Feb closed except by appt. 360-256-0066 [email protected] Florida Antique Biplane Association, Inc. [email protected] www.wacoairmuseum.org Larry Robinson www.NorthAmericanTrainer.org $30/yr 10906 Denoeu Road $50 US/Canada; $60 Int’l USD WACO Word, 4/yr Boynton Beach, FL 33472 NATA Skylines, Qtrly 561-732-3250 [email protected] Women in Aviation, International $48/yr with The Flying Wire, Monthly OX5 Aviation Pioneers 3647 State Route 503 South [email protected] West Alexandria, OH 45381 Florida Cub Flyers, Inc. www.ox5news.com 937-839-4647 Larry Robinson Dues: $30/yr www.wai.org 10906 Denoeu Road OX5 News, Monthly $39/yr; $29 students Boynton Beach, FL 33472 Aviation for Women, 6/yr 561-732-3250 Seaplane Pilots Association [email protected] 3859 Laird Blvd. WWI Aeroplanes, Inc. $48/yr with ub Tales, Monthly Lakeland, FL 33811 PO Box 730 International Fellowship of Flying Rotarians 863-701-7979 Red Hook, NY 12571-0730 Lynn Miller, Secretary-Treasurer [email protected] 845-835-8121 P.O. Box 479 www.seaplanes.org [email protected] Seabrook, TX 77586 $45/yr US; $55/yr Int’l with Water Flying, 6/yr www.ww1aeroinc.org 281-474-4260 Skyways and WWI Aero secretary@iff r.org ww w.iff r.org $40/yr US 30 JANUARY 2012 JUST A REMINDER... You can buy your tickets online now and save time and money.

Go to AirVenture.org/tickets and get to the fun faster…and cheaper. SEE YOU THERE!

JULY 23 – 29, 2012 THE Vintage Mechanic

BY ROBERT G. LOCK

Repair Data

All mechanics are accustomed to using current FAA planes came with the initiation of Aeronautics Bulletin publication AC 43.13-1B to develop repair data for air- 7A, which set forth certain requirements for design frame structures. But did you ever wonder from where that would evolve into the approved type certifi cate that data came? It did not just appear out of the blue, (ATC). The fi rst ATC was issued in March 1927. With nor was it a revelation from the FAA. The data in the the ATC in place new ships were designed and approv- advisory circular had its beginnings as an aeronautics als to manufacture and sell these aircraft to the general bulletin (AB) and was designated as AB-7H. public began. There were a few companies that manu- Before 1926, there was no regulation of aviation factured aircraft to replace the grounded Curtiss Jenny because it was a fl edgling entity. There were not many and Standard J-1 ships, the most recognizable being airplanes and pilots, and the only “commercial” activ- Waco, Travel Air, and Stearman. See Illustration 1. ity was barnstorming. The airplanes were mostly sur- plus Curtiss Jennys and Standard J-1 biplanes, which were of wood construction. The pilots were mostly World War I survivors, and they taught others how to fl y. In fact, a few pilots were self-taught. They learned how to control an airplane by what we now call on- the-job training. I once flew with Paul Hansen, a crop-dusting pi- lot from Seaside, Oregon, who had a couple of Travel Air biplanes modifi ed for dusting and spraying. Paul sprayed cranberry bogs in the area, but ventured out of the area to spray in the Yakima Valley of Washing- ton and Eastern Oregon. He was a Navy pilot, having flown Vought F4U Corsairs, including the F2G and Grumman F8F Bearcats, and he transitioned into the early jets such as the Grumman F9F Panther and F9F-6 Cougar. He was one of my fl ight instructors for a cou- ple of hours and told the story of how he learned to fl y. He borrowed a Heath Parasol, and the owner said to taxi back and forth in the pasture from fence to fence until he could control the ship on the ground. The next step was to hop the fence and land in the pasture on the other side. Finally the owner told Paul to hop the fence but not land on the other side. He was to try to fl y a rectangular pattern, keeping the nose down in turns until he could land in the pasture where he took off. He did, survived, and went on to a fl ying career! Such were the days before the government seized con- trol of civil aviation in 1926 and started putting forth reg- ulations for airplanes, aviators, and eventually mechanics. The first regulations for construction of new air- Illustration 1 32 JANUARY 2012 As the population of new aircraft and pilots grew, 7F – Airworthiness Requirements for Aeronautical there became a need to regulate those who repaired Components and Accessories damaged ships. In the early days of aviation, repairs 7G – Airworthiness Requirements for Engines and were made by providing very detailed drawings to the Propellers Aeronautics Branch of the Department of Commerce, 7H – Alteration and Repair of Aircraft such as the one shown below. The drawing is a blue- 7J – Special Requirements for Air Line Aircraft print, the only means to reproduce drawings made on The intent of this column is to acquaint the reader vellum paper with a pencil (and sometimes an inking with background information as to how alteration and pen), tee square, triangle, and scale. repair procedures were developed. For this we have to go back to the days before the Civil Aeronautics Administration came into existence. At the time, repair procedures were developed by the Bureau of Air Commerce, which was still part of the U.S. Department of Com- merce. See Illustration 3. By 1936, 621 approved type cer- tifi cates had been issued; therefore, a large number of “certificated” aircraft were flying around the country. With many landing strips being unimproved, there were many damaged aircraft. As the pa- perwork burden grew, there was a need to attempt to standardize some common repairs that were Illustration 2 being made to airframes. To trace this story we must go back to 1927 This repair is to a Challenger Command-Aire that when a young German engineer came to the United was extensively repaired August 1, 1935. The series States to represent the Heinkel Aircraft Works with an of blueprint drawings are each embossed with the offer to manufacture certain Heinkel training aircraft Department of Commerce, Bureau of Air Commerce in the United States. Part of a larger group, this young seal, which means the repairs were approved. A engineer was Albert Voelmecke (spelling later changed pencil is placed on the drawing to indicate its size. to Vollmecke), and as he surveyed the civil aviation ac- This drawing was prepared by the Aeronautical Uni- tivities in the United States, he decided to stay and ob- versity of Chicago, Illinois, and details a tube splice tain a job with a manufacturing company. He settled on a Command-Aire 5C3 horizontal stabilizer. See with Arkansas Aviation in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Illustration 2. became its chief engineer. By 1936 the Bureau of Air Commerce was really get- Mr. Vollmecke spent the next four years with Ar- ting its act together as the aeronautics bulletins grew. kansas Aircraft, later renamed Command-Aire In- They were cataloged under Aeronautics Bulletin 7, be- corporated, and designed several aircraft for the ginning with 7A. Their subjects of regulation were: company. When Command-Aire went bankrupt in 7A – Airworthiness Requirements 1931, the company eventually ceased to exist, and he was out of work. Married with two children, he sought any work in aviation to keep food on the table and pay the rent. He worked for a company building a net- work of airway beacons. With the expansion of the Bureau of Air Commerce, in 1933 he took a job with the government to put his engineering skills to use. He was assigned to head a group of engi- neers to develop repair standards Illustration 3 for civil aircraft. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33 as a drawing board with tee square, triangles, a scale, his trusty slide rule, and several pencils with erasers. There is much more to this story, but we’ll save it for another day. Shift now to 1933, just after Al was hired by the Bureau of Air Commerce and moved his family to Washington, D.C. One of his fi rst assignments was to hear a group that was to design repairs so mechanics could interpret and fabricate them on the large population of certificated civil aircraft that now inhabited the country. He assembled a small group of engineers, and they went to work. What they produced was Aeronautics Bulletin 7-H, which was the precursor to CAM-18 (Civil Aero- nautics Manual 18) and the current AC 43.13-1B. He told me that he had personally designed the steel tube and wood splices, all considered ma- jor repairs to primary structure. He said his group engineered the repairs and then took drawings to craftsmen living in the Washington, D.C., area. The steel tube and wood splices were fabricated using his drawings and then were sent to a lab to Albert and Bob be tested to destruction. Below are a few drawings from Aeronautics Bulletin 7-H and the current AC 43.13-1B. Notice how closely they resemble In 1982 I met Albert Vollmecke when restoring my each other. It’s an interesting story and probably 1929 Command-Aire 5C3, which he had previously de- one that has been hidden over all these years, but signed. He came to California to visit my shop and re- certainly worth the time to tell. AB-7H evolved unite with his airplane. He was 81 years young at that into Civil Aeronautics Manual 18, which in turn time. During the next 13 years we corre- sponded, and I made trips to his home in Silver Spring, Maryland, to visit with him and his wife, Maja. He was an encyclopedia of knowl- edge, particularly aircraft, having come through the industry at the time of very rapid expansion, particularly the issuance of approved type certifi cates. Whenever I visited, a voice-activated tape recorder was in hand, so questions could be asked and his answers closely monitored. There was no time to make notes on a pad; I just concentrated on what he had to say. Even though he originally wanted to talk about events of the day and his easy chair was surrounded with such maga- zines as Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, and others, he agreed to shift back to the earliest days of government con- trol of aviation and his design of aircraft. We talked about the approved type certif- icate process, which he said for his model 3C3 took only 10 working days (two weeks). He and his entourage traveled Illustration 4 to Washington, D.C., and took rooms at Aeronautics Bulletin 7-H, Inner Sleeve Tube Splice the Roosevelt Hotel; his was a suite with AC 43.13-1B, Inner Sleeve Tube Splice. a large dining room table, suitable to use 34 JANUARY 2012 Illustration 5 Illustration 6 Aeronautics Bulletin 7-H, Wood Rib Splice Aeronautics Bulletin 7-H, Wood Wing Spar Splice AC 43.13-1B, Wood Rib Splice AC 43.13-1B, Wood Wing Spar Splice AERO CLASSIC evolved into Advisory Circular 43.13-1, -1A, and “COLLECTOR SERIES” -1B depending on when it was published. In the illustrations (4, 5, & 6) note the simi- Vintage Tires larities between the old Aeronautics Bulletin 7-H New USA Production and the current AC 43-13-1B, Change 1 dated Show off your pride and joy with a 9-9-98. The original AB-7-H repair designs are fresh set of Vintage Rubber. These from Albert Vollmecke; the AC 43.13-1B repair newly minted tires are FAA-TSO’d and speed rated to 120 MPH. Some designs are slight modifi cations or expansions of things are better left the way they the original designs. were, and in the 40’s and 50’s, these tires were perfectly in Albert A. Vollmecke went on to have a great ca- tune to the exciting times in aviation. reer in the CAA and the FAA, retiring in 1968 as Not only do these tires set your vintage plane apart from chief of the Airframe and Equipment Branch. He the rest, but also look exceptional on all General Aviation aircraft. Deep 8/32nd tread depth offers above average saw civil and military aviation grow tremendously tread life and UV treated rubber resists aging. over his career. He was the government’s connec- First impressions last a lifetime, so put these jewels on and tion with Howard Hughes and the HK-1 and met bring back the good times..… Hughes on several occasions. His stories about this New General Aviation Sizes Available: will be good for another day. So this is the back- 500 x 5, 600 x 6, 700 x 8 ground on just a few of the repairs found in the current AC 43.13-1B. Incidentally, Aeronautics Desser has the largest stock and Bulletin 7-H can still be found and downloaded selection of Vintage and Warbird from the FAA website. tires in the world. Contact us Al passed away in 1994 at the age of 93 years. with your requirements. It was an absolute pleasure to have known him Telephone: 800-247-8473 or 323-721-4900 FAX: 323-721-7888 over a very brief 15 years. I was not able to spend 6900 Acco St., Montebello, CA 90640 enough time with him. What a talented and 3400 Chelsea Ave, Memphis, TN 38106 gifted man! In Support Of Aviation Since 1920…. www.desser.com VINTAGE AIRPLANE 35 THE Vintage Instructor

BY Steve Krog, CFI

Do You Know What You Don’t Know? Flying is a lifelong learning experience!

everal days ago, late in the afternoon, two sized guys with full parachute packs piled in on the bare young pilots stopped at my hangar. Introduc- fl oor in the back. The jumpmaster sat on the fl oor next tions were made, and then both expressed in- to me. Before I could start the engine, though, Al ap- terest in obtaining some tailwheel instruction peared out of nowhere and tactfully asked me to join and earning tailwheel endorsements. I asked him in the offi ce. It was there that I learned a valuable Seach to tell me of their flight experience. One had lesson, explained in some rather salty language. about 80 hours in a Cessna 172 and an Ercoupe, while Al made it very clear that I must first calculate a the other said he had about 120 hours in the 172 and a weight and balance before fl ight. No big deal, I thought. Piper Arrow. He added that he knew After all, the sky-diving club had about everything there was to know Al, an old barn- done this in the past. Sure there about fl ying a 172. was an extra body on board, but These enthusiastic young men stormer from the all the seats had been removed, as brought back memories of my early well as the door. That should about fl ying days and my good friend Step. 1930s and, at that equal out, shouldn’t it? After doing You may recall that I’ve writ- point in time, the calculations, I realized a serious ten of my friend “Step” (Stephen error was about to be made. Over DeLay) and our flying adventures a recently retired gross weight with a far aft CG, I together, especially our flight and crop duster, had a could easily have harmed us all! learning experience on the way to In my haste to fly, I didn’t know California. Within several weeks of Cessna 172 for rent. what I didn’t know. But I learned obtaining our private pilot certifi- a valuable lesson that day, and old cates and a round-trip flight to Southern California, Al probably saved my life! we both wanted to get checked out in every different The FBO where Step and I learned to fl y also had a available airplane based at the airport. After all, we Piper Super Cub PA-18-150 used for primary training were new young “hotshot” pilots and had a piece of in the Aerial Applicator curriculum. We both wanted paper in our pockets to prove it! But with so little fl ight to get checked out in the Super Cub, and after much time accumulated, “We didn’t know what we didn’t cajoling, the FBO fi nally relented. Some fl ight hours know!” All of our flight training was done in Piper and days later, both Step and I were signed off to rent Cherokee PA-28s, -140s, and -180s. the Super Cub. Several weeks later we rented the Super Naturally, we both wanted to fly a high-wing air- Cub for one hour, each getting 30 minutes of flight plane. Al Nelson, Nelson Flying Service, was our fi rst time. After making two full-stall landings, I tried a stop. Al, an old barnstormer from the 1930s and, at wheel landing. that point in time, a recently retired crop duster, had a It was beautiful, probably the best wheel landing I’d Cessna 172 for rent. It didn’t take long for either Step ever made. Then I turned my head to make sure Step or me to add that airplane to our respective logbooks. recognized my perfect landing. In doing so, the Super With the checkout came the opportunity to fly for Cub decided to teach me a lesson. Instantly I was do- the local college sky-diving club. Several days later I was ing S-turns before exiting the runway. Before coming called and asked to fl y for the club. The old 172 served to a complete stop, the nearly new aluminum prop as the jump plane; the right door was removed, as well had become a “Q-tip” prop. as all seats except the pilot seat. After a quick prefl ight After moving the Super Cub to the shop, the FBO inspection, I jumped into the left seat and three good- took me into his offi ce and gave me a few minutes to 36 JANUARY 2012 collect myself. I was certain I was about to get the best But he does now! butt chewing I’d ever had and would be banned from Step and I had many fun, and sometimes challeng- ever renting airplanes from him. In a calm voice he ing, fl ying adventures together during our last year of asked what happened, and I explained my stupidity. school. One of the more frivolous flights involved a Continuing in his calm demeanor, he explained that short fl ight to an airport about 20 miles away. To make when landing a tailwheel airplane, never, ever take it interesting, we planned to see how many continuous your eyes off the edge of the runway until the airplane loops we could make in that distance. Beginning over comes to a stop. I didn’t know what I didn’t know! But the top of our departure airport and at a safe altitude, I learned a very valuable lesson. we pointed the nose southwest and began doing loops. After the discussion, he then took me back to the At 26 loops we both decided this wasn’t such a good shop, provided me with the proper tools, and told me idea, as we had only covered about two miles horizon- to remove the bent prop. Step helped, and we had it tally. We didn’t know what we didn’t know, but we off in minutes. Then the FBO provided us with another were learning something new every day. prop and told us to install it, which we did. I sheep- Had it not been for Step, I may not have chosen to ishly went into the FBO offi ce and told him the prop advance my fl ying career. Alone I wouldn’t have made was on, and the airplane was ready for a test fl ight. He some of the flights, but together we supported one responded, “You broke it, you fi xed it, you go test fl y another and did a lot of flying to expand our flight it.” With Step as my passenger, I proceeded to make experience. Those experiences made an indelible im- three uneventful landings. How they could be so good pression and made me want to share the thrill of fl ight I don’t know, because every muscle in my body was with others. shaking during the entire test fl ight. Flying airplanes is a constant learning process. It is In hindsight, the experienced FBO knew exactly what vitally important that pilots, young and old, experi- he was doing. It reminds me of this old adage: When enced and inexperienced, remember this. you get thrown from a horse, the best thing to do is get The young pilots mentioned earlier have both made right back on the horse and ride! I was back in the air appointments to begin tailwheel training. I hope I can within an hour of damaging the prop. Lesson learned. share some of my knowledge and teach them a few I’ve taken what these two FBO/pilots taught me and things they don’t know! Learning together will make put it into practice in my own flight school. For ex- us all better, safer pilots. ample, I recently sent a student pilot out for his fi rst full hour of solo fl ight without fi rst riding around the patch with him. He was instructed to do three take- offs and landings, then leave the pattern practicing air work, and then re-enter the pattern for three more takeoffs and landings. While the student was away from the airport, a wind direction change occurred. The student re-entered the traffi c pattern for a land- ing on turf Runway 36, the crosswind unnoticed by him. On touchdown the left wing rose and the onset of a spectacular ground loop was underway. Fortunately, the student recognized the situation, added full power, and lifted off. The second attempt at landing was more the norm, and he taxied back to the hangar. I met him at the airplane and asked if he knew what he had done. In a shaky voice he responded that the wind must have changed. After giving him a moment or two to regain his composure, I called for mags hot and prepared to spin the prop on the Cub. The student asked what I was doing, and I replied that I was starting the engine so he could complete his fl ight with three good landings. “But this time look at the windsock on fi nal, confi rming the wind direction; then set up for and make a crosswind landing.” The CONTACT US TODAY! three landings were quite good. The student has con- TOLL FREE:  TEL:  FAX:  tinued with his fl ight training and learned two valu- SALES: VDOHV#VXSHUIOLWHFRPWEB: ZZZVXSHUIOLWHFRP Scan this QR code with your smartphone able lessons that day. First, he got back in the airplane or tablet device to view our complete line and calmed his fears. Second, he learned to always look RIIDEULFVWDSHVDQG¿QLVKHV at the windsock. He didn’t know what he didn’t know. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 37 by H.G. FRAUTSCHY MYSTERY PLANE

This month’s Mystery Plane comes to us from the Kinzinger collection of the EAA Library.

Send your answer to EAA, Vintage Airplane, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Your answer needs to be in no later than February 20 for inclusion in the April 2012 issue of Vintage Airplane. You can also send your re- sponse via e-mail. Send your answer to mysteryplane@eaa. org. Be sure to include your name plus your city and state in the body of your note and put “(Month) Mystery Plane” in the subject line.

OCTOBER’S MYSTERY ANSWER

Dan Schumaker shared the photo that was our subject for the October Mystery Plane, which admittedly was a long shot. We received two answers, one from Wayne Muxlow of Minne- apolis, Minnesota, and this one, from Wes Smith of Springfi eld, Illinois. “The October 2011 Mystery Plane is the 1913 Martin-Gage (more correctly: Gage-Martin) tractor biplane, con- structed by the Gage-McClay Co. The photo was taken at Fairbanks, Alaska, on 4 July 1913. In the picture are Mrs. Lily Martin, and her husband, James Vernon Martin, the fi rst man to fl y in 1913 Gage-Martin tractor biplane. Alaska. The aircraft was similar to the 1912-13 Fowler-Gage (Gage-Fowler) tractor and two other machines. One, We enjoy your suggestions for Mystery Plane—in fact, more built for J. Clifford Turpin, and another than half of our subjects are sent to us by members, often via e- for Roy N. Francis. Robert G. Fowler used his machine to make the first mail. Please remember that if you want to scan the photo for use flight across the Isthmus of Panama. in Mystery Plane, it must be at a resolution of 300 dpi or greater. The Fowler machine is preserved at the You may send a lower-resolution version to us for our review, National Air and Space Museum with a Curtiss OX-5 in place of the original but the fi nal version has to be at that level of detail or it will not Hall-Scott A-3. The aircraft was the de- print properly. Also, please let us know where the photo came sign of Jay Gage, Griffi th Park, Los An- from; we don’t want to willfully violate someone’s copyright. geles, California.” 38 JANUARY 2012 VINTAGE TRADER Something to buy, sell, or trade? Classifi ed Word Ads: $5.50 per 10 words, 180 words maximum, with boldface lead-in on fi rst line. Classifi ed Display Ads: One column wide (2.167 inches) by 1, 2, or 3 inches high at $20 per inch. Black and white only, and no frequency discounts. Advertising Closing Dates: 10th of second month prior to desired issue date (i.e., January 10 is the closing date for the March issue). VAA reserves the right to reject any advertising in confl ict with its policies. Rates VAA Headband cover one insertion per issue. Classifi ed ads Black 2 ply headband has a are not accepted via phone. Payment must VAA Blue Hat fl eece outer with a double accompany order. Word ads may be sent via Polar fl eece blue beanie is a layer for extra warmth. fax (920-426-4828) or e-mail (classads@ eaa.org) using credit card payment (all cards quick pull-on for light weight 52664461400000 accepted). Include name on card, complete warm comfort. $13.99* address, type of card, card number, and (One size fi ts most.) expiration date. Make checks payable to EAA. 5266461500000 $14.99* Address advertising correspondence to EAA Publications Classifi ed Ad Manager, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. VAA Neck Gaiter BOOKS Fleece lined with VAA design, Iowa Takes to the Air Volumes I, II, III this attractive brown gaiter is [email protected] perfect for all outings. (One size fi ts most.) MISCELLANEOUS 5266461300000 $13.99* www.aerolist.org, Aviations’ Leading Marketplace. REALESTATE Green Lake, WI! 100 feet of Lake Frontage for sale on beautiful Green Lake. Great fi shing and swimming. 30 miles from EAA grounds. Call Dan 608 212 9556

Florida keys Tavernaero Airpark 2/2 up and 1/1 down. CBS Construction, Central Air, screened pool, marina, air pad. $750,000 owner/agent 305-304-8393

I’ll trade my completely refurbished building w/ aircraft same value $225K www.kenosha. yolasite.com SERVICES Always Flying Aircraft Restoration, LLC: Annual Inspections, Airframe recovering, fabric repairs and complete restorations. Wayne A. Forshey A&P & I.A. 740-472- 1481 Ohio and bordering states. Fleece Flyer Hat Sherpa-lined front Detail Restoration, fabric, paint, fabrications, and earfl aps with paperwork. With 53 completed projects, adjustable elastic locking chin strap. Brave Waco’s, Moth’s, Champs, Lakes, Pitts etc. any weahter challenge with warmth. Test fl ights and delivery. Indiana 480-209- Size 7 1/2. (One size fi ts most.) 2680 [email protected], www. 5266461600000 $17.99 wildcataviation.com * WANTED Wanted for Warner 165 installation. One www.shopeaa.com/vaa control Box Type 318 for Eclipse 15V 15A Telephone Orders: 800-843-3612 Generator Model 1, Type 308. Contact From US and Canada (All Others Call 920-426-5912) [email protected] or 902- *Shipping and handling NOT included. 584-3511 Major credit cards accepted. WI residents add 5% sales tax. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 39 VINTAGE Membership Services Directory AIRCRAFT Enjoy the many benefi ts of EAA and EAA’s Vintage Aircraft Association ASSOCIATION TM EAA Aviation Center, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Phone (920) 426-4800 Fax (920) 426-4873 OFFICERS Web Sites: www.vintageaircraft.org, www.airventure.org, www.eaa.org/memberbenefi ts E-Mail: [email protected] President Vice-President Geoff Robison George Daubner 1521 E. MacGregor Dr. N57W34837 Pondview Ln EAA and Division Membership Services (8:00 AM–6:00 PM Monday–Friday CST) New Haven, IN 46774 Oconomowoc, WI 53066 800-564-6322 FAX 920-426-4873 www.eaa.org/memberbenefi ts [email protected] 260-493-4724 262-560-1949 [email protected] [email protected] •New/renew memberships •Address changes •Merchandise sales •Gift memberships

Secretary Treasurer EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 888-322-4636 www.airventure.org [email protected] Steve Nesse Dan Knutson Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft Hotline 877-359-1232 www.sportpilot.org [email protected] 2009 Highland Ave. 106 Tena Marie Circle Albert Lea, MN 56007 Lodi, WI 53555 Programs and Activities 507-373-1674 608-592-7224 [email protected] [email protected] Auto Fuel STCs 920-426-4843 [email protected] DIRECTORS EAA Air Academy 920-426-6880 www.airacademy.org [email protected] EAA Scholarships 920-426-6823 [email protected] Steve Bender Dale A. Gustafson 85 Brush Hill Road 7724 Shady Hills Dr. Library Services/Research 920-426-4848 [email protected] Sherborn, MA 01770 Indianapolis, IN 46278 Benefi ts 508-653-7557 317-293-4430 [email protected] [email protected] AUA Vintage Insurance Plan 800-727-3823 www.auaonline.com David Bennett Jeannie Hill EAA Aircraft Insurance Plan 866-647-4322 www.eaa.org/memberbenefi ts [email protected] 375 Killdeer Ct P.O. Box 328 Lincoln, CA 95648 Harvard, IL 60033-0328 EAA VISA Card 800-853-5576 ext. 8884 916-952-9449 920-426-6110 EAA Hertz Rent-A-Car Program 800-654-2200 www.eaa.org/hertz [email protected] [email protected] Espie “Butch” Joyce VAA Editorial/Executive Director 920-426-4825 www.vintageaircraft.org [email protected] Jerry Brown 704 N. Regional Rd. 4605 Hickory Wood Row Greensboro, NC 27409 VAA Offi ce 920-426-6110 [email protected] Greenwood, IN 46143 336-668-3650 317-422-9366 [email protected] [email protected] Steve Krog EAA Members Information Line 888-EAA-INFO (322-4636) Dave Clark 1002 Heather Ln. 635 Vestal Lane Hartford, WI 53027 Use this toll-free number for: information about AirVenture Oshkosh; aeromedical and technical aviation questions; Plainfi eld, IN 46168 262-966-7627 317-839-4500 [email protected] chapters; and Young Eagles. Please have your membership number ready when calling. [email protected] Robert D. “Bob” Lumley Offi ce hours are 8:15 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Monday - Friday, CST) John S. Copeland 1265 South 124th St. 1A Deacon Street Brookfi eld, WI 53005 Northborough, MA 01532 262-782-2633 508-393-4775 [email protected] [email protected] MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION S.H. “Wes” Schmid year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not included). Phil Coulson 2359 Lefeber Avenue EAA 28415 Springbrook Dr. Wauwatosa, WI 53213 Membership in the Experimental Aircraft (Add $7 for International Postage.) Lawton, MI 49065 414-771-1545 269-624-6490 [email protected] Association, Inc. is $40 for one year, includ- [email protected] ing 12 issues of SPORT AVIATION. Family WARBIRDS DIRECTORS membership is an additional $10 annually. All Current EAA members may join the EAA major credit cards accepted for membership. Warbirds of America Division and receive EMERITUS (Add $16 for International Postage.) WARBIRDS magazine for an additional $45 per year. Robert C. Brauer Charlie Harris EAA Membership, WARBIRDS mag- 9345 S. Hoyne PO Box 470350 FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Chicago, IL 60643 Tulsa, OK 74147 azine and one year membership in the Please submit your remittance with a 773-779-2105 918-622-8400 Warbirds Division is available for $55 per [email protected] [email protected] check or draft drawn on a United States year (SPOR AVIATION magazine not bank payable in United States dollars. Add Gene Chase E.E. “Buck” Hilbert included). (Add $7 for International 2159 Carlton Rd. 8102 Leech Rd. required Foreign Postage amount for each Oshkosh, WI 54904 Union, IL 60180 Postage.) 920-231-5002 815-923-4591 membership. [email protected] [email protected] IAC Current EAA members may join the Ronald C. Fritz Gene Morris 15401 Sparta Ave. 5936 Steve Court VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION International Aerobatic Club, Inc. Divi- Kent City, MI 49330 Roanoke, TX 76262 Current EAA members may join the 616-678-5012 817-491-9110 sion and receive SPORT AEROBATICS [email protected] [email protected] Vintage Aircraft Association and receive magazine for an additional $45 per year. VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine for an John Turgyan EAA Membership, SPORT AEROBAT- PO Box 219 additional $36 per year. ICS magazine and one year membership New Egypt, NJ 08533 609-752-1944 EAA Membership, VINTAGE AIRPLANE in the IAC Division is available for $55 per [email protected] magazine and one year membership in the EAA year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not in- Vintage Aircraft Association is available for $46 per cluded). (Add $15 for Foreign Postage.)

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Copyright ©2012 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 Avia- tion Center, 3000 Poberezny Rd., PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 549023-3086, e-mail: [email protected]. Membership to Vintage Aircraft Association, which includes 12 issues of Vintage Airplane magazine, is $36 per year for EAA members and $46 for non-EAA members. Periodicals Postage paid at Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54902 and at additional mailing offi ces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Vintage Airplane, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. CPC #40612608. FOREIGN AND APO ADDRESSES—Please allow at least two months for delivery of VINTAGE AIRPLANE to foreign and APO addresses via surface mail. ADVERTISING — Vintage Aircraft Association does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through the advertising. We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken. EDITORIAL POLICY: Members are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor. No remuneration is made. Material should be sent to: Editor, VINTAGE AIRPLANE, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Phone 920-426-4800. EAA® and EAA SPORT AVIATION®, the EAA Logo® and Aeronautica™ are registered trademarks, trademarks, and service marks of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. The use of these trademarks and service marks without the permission of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is strictly prohibited. 40 JANUARY 2012