VOL XXXII #1 1 August 2010 International Fleet Club NEWSLETTER

Cover Photo 1940 Fleet 16B owned by Cam Harrod

From the Editor Cover Story by Cam Harrod Editor / Publisher Whether I’m standing next to 615S or When Jim asked me to submit a his- Jim Catalano fielding e-mails or phone calls, the tory of my involvement with Fleet Air- 8 Westlin Lane one question that I’m asked over and planes, the dilemma was where to Cornwall NY 12518 over again is “how many Fleets are start? I guess I would have to start there and how many are actually fly- years before I was born, 1919 to be E-Mail ing?” For this edition of the Newslet- exact. That is the year my Dad, Char- [email protected] ter, I decided to answer! I took a lie, was born. He was named after a close look at the Club’s records – friend of my Grandmother, Charlie Telephone electronic and paper – and discov- Pattison, a WW II Pilot in the Royal 845 - 534 - 3947 ered, much to my surprise, that out of Naval Air Service who was killed in a 167 total Fleets of all kinds we have Sopwith Triplane crash in 1917. Grow- recorded worldwide, it looks like 82 ing up with this story, Dad naturally Fleet Web Site are flying, 43 are being restored, 11 became interested in aviation, espe- web.mac.com/fleetclub are on display, 10 are in storage and cially since there were so many avia- 21 are of unknown status. That’s tion events happening during his Fleet Net pretty impressive for such a small younger years in the 20s and 30s. By groups.yahoo.com/ group: almost half are operational! 1936, Dad was an apprentice me- group/fleetnet Club members have been the histori- chanic at the old Hamilton Aero Club ans and reporters; it’s thanks to you in Hamilton, . He worked 5 that we have as much data and as days a week and was paid in streetcar many great stories as we do in our tickets and a one hour flying lesson Designer archives. Keep ‘em comin’! per week (Remember, there was a de- Jesse Catalano pression going on. He felt very lucky to have this job!) At the club he VOL XXXII #1 2 August 2010 worked on various aircraft including early models back to original specs by providing me with eve- of the Fleet and eventually the prototype 16B. With rything from parts to advice etc. In fact we are so the advent of WW II, Dad enlisted in the RCAF and into Fleets, we pooled our resources and now have because of his background in aviation, he was so much Fleet stuff I had to buy a large shipping posted to the BCATP (British Commonwealth container to store it all! Training Plan). Serving at #9 EFTS St. Catherine’s, I have replaced many non-original items, so he flew Fleets and then Tiger Moths until 1944 far: proper mag switches and original nav lights when the war started to wind down. from the Tiger Boys; rear cockpit pocket watch Jump to 1962, the year I was born. From and holder; smooth tread tires; factory decals on day one I am pretty sure I was exposed to air- all fabric components; and from Hugo and Chris planes and was taken to airshows all over the Bartel, I’ve gotten proper flying wire spacers, new place. I think my earliest memory of airplanes is factory spec cowls and new 0-time Kinner R-55. looking at my Dad’s models hanging from the ceil- I now have over 350 hours in Fleets – and ing in his workshop. I was just dying to take them many more to come! down but was too young to reach them. My Dad took many pictures of his time in aviation, and this is where I first saw pictures of Fleet biplanes. Right MEMBERS WRITE from the start they were my favorite airplane and I dreamed about them all the time. Caps, anyone? It wasn’t until the 1980s that I actually got close to one and at the time I was an aircraft ap- TWO Fleet Club members have written to suggest prentice myself. One of our customers, Paul Soles, that Fleet-logo’d caps might be a good idea: John owned a Fleet 16B CF-GDM and brought it in Elliott ([email protected]) said he’d had every year for an annual and I would beg to work some made up and wondered if others were inter- on it. My first ride in a Fleet came in the very early ested. Buddy Wehman ([email protected]) 1990’s when I flew in Piet Bouthoorn’s Fleet Fawn wrote from the VERY HOT south to say that he and then started getting rides in both Piet’s and copied a picture from Page and Cumming's book, Tom Dietrich’s 16Bs at the Tiger Boys Airplane 'Fleet the Flying Years' and had an embroidery Works in , Ontario. company do the digitizing for the cap emblem. Tom started restoring his Fleet and his He’s happy with the results and says that if any- friend Bob Ratcliffe was doing one also. Both of one’s is interested they should contact him. these Fleets came out of Mexico through Texas, Oklahoma and then back into . Bob com- Buddy had rotator cuff surgery and facing 6 pleted his Fleet (#397) in 1989 and then flew it until months of recovery, he created a tug (lawnmower losing his medical and selling to a fellow in Colum- conversion) for getting the Fleet up the incline and bus. back into his hangar. “Now I need to convince my Eventually, Fleet #397 ended up in Harris- left arm to move outboard so that I can get my burg, PA and when that owner decided to sell, I hand on the throttle and then convince the stupid bought it and imported it back to Canada. My best thing to move forward and backward. Then it will friend and mentor, Ken Gamble, taught me how to be time to fly.” do all the paperwork, etc. and we got approval to import. (For years Ken bought John Elliott, Arlington, VA and sold aircraft across our two borders and my Fleet was the last import he was involved with. [email protected] Ken passed soon after.) It was flown up to the bor- I have always been a fan of tail draggers and bi- der for me by a great guy named Joe Kamiskis. He planes in particular, so when I completed my pilot’s and his buddy were really instrumental in helping license in 2008, I decided that I would take tail me getting the old Fleet back to Canada (thanks wheel training and look for a biplane. As a resident again, Joe). As soon as possible, I rented a hangar of Northern Virginia, I was lucky in that we have a at Guelph Airport and joined the Tiger Boys Air- barnstorming show put on by the Flying Circus plane Works and have been flying with this group Foundation in Warrenton. The show runs all sum- now since 2004. Tom and Bob helped bring #397 mer and they use several Stearmans, a Waco and VOL XXXII #1 3 August 2010 a Fleet! The guys and gals that run the show are a sures down a bit and now pavement landings are great bunch of folks and after several rides in the no big deal (as long as I keep her STRAIGHT). I do Fleet model 7 with Brian Stewart, I knew I HAD to not fly in crosswinds of more than a few knots. have one. After months of searching the internet, I love to fly the Fleet- she is noticeably lighter asking around and combing through Trade-a- than the Stearman, but also faster. She climbs like Plane, I heard that a Fleet may be available up in a rocket with just me on board and is easy to ma- PA. I immediately followed up on that lead and I neuver on the ground with just a tail wheel bar. The wound up purchasing Fleet NC86V (SN #404) from Kinner 125 seems like a perfect power match and Jack Ballard in January 2009. has so far proved easy to start and trouble-free. I Completely restored in the 1980’s by Gar have 20 hours on her now and I am still feeling my Williams, I came to find out that this aircraft was way carefully. Thanks to all who helped me in my purchased in 1931 by Cliff Durant, an aviation pio- search and to those club members that offered neer and famous racecar driver of the 1930s. Cliff advice and shared the wisdom of their experience. was the son of William Durant, founder of Durant I feel privileged to be the current caretaker for this motors and the man responsible for putting to- amazing aircraft and I am looking forward to bring- gether General Motors. It was also owned at one ing her out to some events to meet some other time by Henry B. DuPont who was a great sup- Fleets! porter of general aviation during the golden age and was at one time a director for North American aviation. The aircraft still has all the original gauges, original engine, and everything works! I was going crazy waiting for warm weather so I could pick her up but spring finally came and in May Hugo Bartel and I flew it to his shop in Wil- liamsburg, PA where it underwent a detailed an- nual. Hugo even made me up a new exhaust mani- fold for her and managed to get the famous Hey- wood air starter working again! Hugo gives John Elliott a proper send-off! Understanding that a biplane is not a Cessna 152, or even a Cub, I had enlisted the help Brad Davy, President, Fredrick Model of Dave Brown who flies with the Circus and has a zillion hours in both Fleets and Stearmans to help Aircraft Club me go pick up my Fleet from Hugo’s shop and [email protected] learn how to fly it properly. I had spent the last few The attached photos show a Fleet Model 2, Serial months training with Dave in his PT-17 learning Number 322, that was purchased by my Grandfa- how to fly a biplane so I would be ready when my ther and two other friends in July 1931. The plane chance came to take the controls of my Fleet. I got was sold and sent to Argentina, the actual sale the call from Hugo in August that she was ready to date still being determined. According to tran- go! I had a friend drive me up with Dave and we scribed records from the Smithsonian, the sale flew the one hour and 45 minute flight back to date was July 1933, but my father believes there Warrenton, VA. The 125 hp Kinner was purring the was a transcription error, as he remembers riding entire way and what a great sound she makes with in the plane as a young boy, and the actual sale that front exhaust collector ring! She sounds like a date was in 1938. Still researching that through sewing machine with a pleasant “chock-chock- FAA records. chock-chock” sound. We arrived at Warrenton for Anyway, I'm a model airplane flyer, and I'm our first pavement landing in the Fleet with some planning on building a scale flying replica. I'm hop- trepidation as all biplanes handle a little different ing to work on an article for Model Aviation on on the hard stuff, but Dave was quick on the rud- the research and building of the replica. The regis- der and kept her straight. After a little “Bob Hoo- tration number was NC755V, and I did get some ver” dance on touchdown, we had a nice smooth history on it from the archivist at the rollout and I was able to start breathing again. Af- Smithsonian. The records of the sale to Argentina ter a little experimentation, we took the tire pres- VOL XXXII #1 4 August 2010 are currently only based on a transcription that’s in Grumman Goose amphibians, a Sikorsky S-43 fly- a database. ing boat and the huge, 4-engined Sikorsky VS-44 The records I have from the Smithsonian “Mother Goose”, now domiciled in the New England indicate the fairings were in place by 1932, with no Air Museum at Hartford. Dick, a friend and mentor, mention prior to that, so I suspect my Grandfather went outbound two years ago. and his partners added the fairings. You'll also My mission was to inspect the logbooks and note that the fairing behind the pilot’s head is inventory spares that go with Dick’s Fleet 7 Special, longer than the stock faring, so I think that was NC64V, aka as the Phillips-Fleet, which is a unique another mod. I intend to show these mods on the version of a classic biplane built in 1931. It’s pow- replica I build. ered by a 120-hp inverted four inline, somewhat According to the Smithsonian records, the similar to the Menasco or DH Gipsy Major. It was plane was equipped with a Kinner K-5 engine, S/N designed by Louie Chevrolet, who had turned to 961, rated at 100 HP. IMA Number was issued 8/6/ aviation after pioneering the car that bears his 30, which I believe is the manufacture date. It was name. We are in hopes of placing NC64V with initially sold to Hayes Aviation, Cicero Airport, someone who appreciates open-air flying in a vin- Syracuse, NY. It was then purchased by Ercole tage biplane that once enjoyed worldwide popular- Frezza of Little Falls, NY, on October 29, 1930. It ity but is now approaching extinction. was involved in an accident at Fort Meyers Fl, with Dick did a lot of charter flying with his a suspended CAA license from 12/13-29/30. It was "Geese", including an outing to the Sea of Cortez sold to Wells S. Davy (my grandfather), Robert Ma- with Chas. Lindbergh. Lindbergh embraced vari- lone, and Maynard L. Seymore (owner of the barn ous environmental causes and became active in the in the background of the photo), all of Little Falls preservation of habitat and endangered species, NY on July 1, 1931. My grandfather had an active including primitive cultures. It was a week-long trip pilot’s license through 1938, which is when we be- and Dick shot some footage of the “Lone Eagle” as lieve the plane was actually sold on consignment they explored out of the way places, most of them to Argentina. accessible only by boat or by seaplane. I borrowed As I said before, I'm hoping the FAA can some of Dick’s footage to put on DVD. recover the original documents from archives that Nancy Probert, Dick’s widow, is the grand- will show a transcription error on the sale date. daughter of early movie mogul Tom Ince, builder of Otherwise I have a lot more homework to do. the town of Inceville and himself an aviation To date, I have been unsuccessful deter- enthusiast. Tom once posted a $50,000 prize for mining what color schemes would have been the first transPacific flight, but did not live to see it available on the Fleet Model 2. My father seems to happen in 1930. He died under mysterious circum- remember a lighter color, possibly a silver, but all stances while yachting with Wm. Randolph Hearst photos I've seen of fleets so far are either the mili- et al and there's a yarn still in circulation that he tary blue and yellow scheme, or a solid dark color was shot by Charlie Chaplin, but it was his ulcers (blue or red). The San Diego Aviation Museum has that laid Tom low. Ince also built the airfield at Ven- records from Consolidated Fleet before they be- ice, Ca., in 1920, which became the birthplace of came part of Lockheed, but could not find any re- the first airplane to bear the Stearman label. cords of color scheme specifications. Any informa- Nancy and Dick bought their ranch in 1970, tion you can provide would be greatly appreciated. when Dick retired from commercial flying. The ranch has an undulating 2,500-ft strip cleared in the tall John Underwood (article from July) timber for the former owner's Tripacer. It's been vis- ited by light twins of the Aero Commander variety [email protected] and easily accommodated Dick's Bonanza, several We just got back from a week in the Bay area, fol- Fleets and a Rearwin Cloudster. lowed by a stop at the Probert thoroughbred ranch at Annapolis, which is a tiny town just inland from John Cox Sea Ranch on the coast 100 miles north of San Francisco. Dick Probert is best remembered for [email protected] running Catalina Air Transport (aka Avalon Airlines) I am back working on my Fleet Model 2 N236H se- for many years, during which he operated a fleet of rial 104. I got the cd on the airplane records from VOL XXXII #1 5 August 2010

Oklahoma and discovered that the airplane was a Harvey Sawyer, Silver Ranch Airpark, model 1 when delivered from the factory and was wrecked at the Kansas City Missouri airport in the Jaffrey, NH early 30's. It was rebuilt as a model 2 by a guy in [email protected] Kansas and had a non-standard engine mount put Saw Mark White and his nice 1930 military Fleet on. It had a bunch of wash-in on the lower left wing YPT-6A at Sun-n-Fun in April. Then the front page (I think it was the left one) to compensate for the write-up in May 2010 GA News makes one want to mount not pointing in the right direction. I had Hugo finish the restoration on N289H! I bought it in 1967 Bartel replace the mount. If I might say so he did an and flew it extensively that summer and the next outstanding job. I have two Kinner R-55's and will and then in the fall, I commuted from Jaffrey to the be putting one of them on the airplane. University of New Hampshire with the Fleet twice a My wife Mary has decided that the winters week (about 60 miles each way) where I was com- here in Missouri are more than she can stand so we pleting a degree in civil engineering. I’d land on the are moving over the next couple of years to Tucson, campus agricultural field and walk to class! Flying Arizona. I have acquired a hangar at Tucson Ryan won out over engineering (and good sense) as I’ve airport and am slowly moving the Fleet parts from spent the next 42 years flying g.a. and raising a here to there. The Fleet had a Kinner K-5 on it when family and running a small airport, all the while I bought it and thinking I’ll get to the Fleet “soon.” Thanks for keep- I will probably ing the Newsletter coming. be selling the K- 5 and a bunch Ken Clark, Tulsa, OK of spare K-5 stuff when I get [email protected] organized in Ari- I sold the company I started 28 years ago; soon I’ll zona. I also have have more time for airplanes, etc. Made my first two, left and visit to Blakesburg a few weeks ago (2009) where right one each, there were 2 Fleets – Jim Bumgarner’s and Ron lower wing pan- Price’s. 729V was down for annual so I camped in els that I will be my small motorhome and met so many great guys. selling at some 792V is not a hangar queen – she just has to share point. flying time with her sisters, like N88005 J-3, N6175R/T 210 F, N11005/C 175 and 3 BC/C 182, Graham Orphan and a 7AC which I am in partners with. Just com- pleted a new 60’ x 96’ hangar as the old was was [email protected] getting cramped. Now have about 10K sq ft han- Thought you might like to see a Fleet 16B, formerly gar and 5K sq ft of lean-to on sides for non- N128H, enjoying the scenery in New Zealand. This airplane stuff! All this is on the Oklahoma plains is only the second Fleet to fly in the NZ. The first airpark (OK15). I call it heaven-on-earth! was imported new in 1937 and registered ZK-AGC. It only last until 1938 when it was wrecked flying Al Ball between haystacks - at night! No injuries, but the aircraft was a wreck and with the arrival of WW-II in I am almost done with my Air & Space 18-A 1939 and the airfield (Omaka) taken over for flight autogyro. We can call it a Fleet with a rotor on top, training to send pilots to Europe, the focus on the don’t ya think? Fleet dissipated before anything could be done to repair her. She was eventually scrapped but this Bob Dyck, Brentwood Bay, B.C. machine flies from the same hallowed grass and wears the same call-sign as her forebear, so some [email protected] long ingrained Fleet history here! My Fleet is registered as a Model 10 Replica/44 40/ C-FBJX, mostly cobbled together from Fleet parts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJfqzSG I’m currently rebuilding it and by the time you read w6m0 this it should be flying again. VOL XXXII #1 6 August 2010

Proud New Owner quality photographic prints and will return them if you indicate that’s your preference. Generally, pho- Wayne Edsall sold his beautiful Fleet Model 9 to tocopies of photographs don’t reproduce well Don Profoto, of Bozeman, Montana. Welcome enough to include. aboard, Don! How to Read Your Mailing Label FOR SALE There are 5 pieces of information on the first line, each separated by a slash [/]: 1941 Fleet Finch 16B, NC24197, s/n 303, Kinner R- Model # / Serial # / Registration # / Status of Air- 56, 390 smoh, electric start, 2 extra props, gas tank, craft / year of your last donation to the newsletter. radio, ELT, transponder, tt approx. 3000 hrs. Com- If there is a question mark [?] instead of a year, we plete restoration in 2002. Will trade for C-182. Bob have no donation record. If you see two slashes Norris, (650) 508-1079), [email protected]. together, that data is missing and we would like to hear from you about it. No data between the RESOURCES slashes means there is no record of you owning an aircraft. Also note regardless of how many aircraft you own, there is only space on the label to note The Resources section – a listing of professionals one. The label information is provided because we and providers of Fleet expertise and parts – has really need your help in updating the whereabouts remained fairly stable for many years. In order to of all the Fleets. have space for other items of interest, it will not be printed with every Newsletter. Instead, we will post Thanks for the Tow! and update the Resources section on our website, and will print it occasionally when space allows Many thanks to the following members who made and/or substantial changes are needed. If you donations to the newsletter fund since September need a printed list, contact the Editor. Vendors, 2009: please review your listing, and send any correc- Keith Anderson Carmen Perrotti tions or editions to the editor at: Antique Aero Engines Richard Piasecki [email protected] Daniel Benkert Don Profota Jim Bumgarner Jerry Reider Ken Clark Willi Reif CLUB INFORMATION John P. Coussens Paul Seibert Francis Delmar William Sieg Robert Dyck Lyle Sindlinger Electronic or Paper Editions of the News- Maurice Finkel John Skube Frank Huttle John Talmage letter Jaap Mesdag Edward Thompson With the increasing cost of paper and postage, Dan Martinez Buddy Wehman and concerns about the environment, we want to Ken Moir S. Robert Williams make sure that we’re not wasting resources. If you Robert Norris Robert Zilinsky would prefer NOT to receive the paper version of Fred Palombo the newsletter by US Post Office mail, and would prefer to read it on the website and view photos in living color, please let us know ASAP via e-mail: [email protected].

Your Photos for the Newsletter/Website We love including your photographs in the news- letter and on the website. If at all possible, digital photographs are ideal. We can also scan good VOL XXXII #1 7 August 2010

Making Donations to the account; please e-mail Editor for instruc- tions. There are no dues required for Fleet Club mem- bership. Donations of any size are welcome and Archives Do you have any photos, ads, data that most appreciated, however, to support the pro- we can add to the Fleet Club archives? Please duction and mailing of the newsletter and website. send a copy or scan and send electronically to PLEASE make checks payable to Jim Catalano; it help enrich our historical materials. is no longer possible to open a separate bank ac- count for the club without a lot more paperwork, Membership Information Form tax ID#s, etc., given new banking security regula- tions initiated since 2001. I now have a simple Use this form to become a member of the club new account in my name, dedicated to newsletter and become part of our database, or to change activities, but in order to deposit checks, they any information in your existing file (e.g. change of must be addressed to me. To facilitate interna- address or telephone number), or to report the tional donations, members can wire funds directly purchase or sale of a Fleet.

Members’ Information Form

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[ ] New Member [ ] Discontinue Print Newsletter, [ ] Continuing Member Electronic Newletter only [ ] Change Information [ ] Donation Enclosed $ ______

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NEWSLETTER RESPONSIBILITY AND LIABILITY DISCLAIMER The International Fleet Club Newsletter is a hobby type, recreational, sport flying publication and is an amateur production intended only for the edification and entertainment of its subscribers. If you have questions about ideas or suggestions from the newsletter, it is suggested that you cross check the information prior to its use. The social events and fly-ins reported in the newsletter are only suggestions, and because of location, type of airport, surrounding terrain, etc., all events reported may not be suitable for attendance by all members. Prior to attendance of any event reported in the newsletter, each member should review the proposed site of the event and in light of that, and in the light of the flying experience of the pilot/subscriber, assess the capability of the pilot to successfully and safely attend the events. The International Fleet Club Newsletter assumes no responsibility or liability for the contents of the newsletter, or for damages resulting from attendance at events reported in the newsletter.

VOL XXXII #1 8 August 2010

. Carolina South

house in Charleston, Charleston, in house

- light island Morris

rotator-cuff over the the over rotator-cuff

heads and one rebuilt rebuilt one and heads

5 freshly overhauled overhauled freshly 5 Buddy Wehman with with Wehman Buddy

International Fleet Club NEWSLETTER

Jim Catalano 8 Westlin Lane Cornwall NY, 12518

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