EAA "Vintage Airplane"

NOVEMBER 2010 STRAIGHT & LEVEL GEOFF ROBISON PRESIDENT, VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION More than just a bunch of planes The feature piece of this month’s been to AirVenture may say it’s just a be at Oshkosh and have a chance to column answers the age-old ques- bunch of planes, but to me it’s much salute him for his courage and service! tion, “What does AirVenture mean much more. AirVenture has long been a family af- to you?” I am oftentimes enlight- I keep asking myself, “What am I fair for me and mine over the 32 years. ened with the various descriptors going to miss?” It’s a lot like when you Oshkosh is truly my Christmas in July vocalized by the many individual were a little kid and your folks told you as well as a family reunion year after members who take the time to “time for bed,” and you didn’t want to year, but not just for my immediate fam- truly analyze the question and re- go because you thought you were going ily, but for my EAA family as well, my spond . sometimes quite artfully! to miss something. There are so many dear friends at the Red Barn, the Vintage The following piece is one of those incredible things that happen dur- Aircraft Association volunteers! moments where I thought, “Man, I ing our weeklong celebration of fl ight So, come the last week in July, I will wish I had said that.” (in my book they’re “aviation mile- be tuned into EAA Radio over the World stones!”). This year alone…the 75th Wide Web and logging into www. anniversary of the DC-3 and B-17, the AirVenture.org for the daily highlights grandest arrival of DC-3s ever seen, of the world’s greatest aviation event. As the visit of the last flying DC-2, the I listen and read, I may develop a lump chance to see the only DC-7, V-22 and in my throat and a heavy heart, because hot air balloons in action, the fi rst Air- I know I will be missing something very Venture night air show, and so much very special at AirVenture 2010. more. Don’t get me started on the milestones I have personally experi- Capt. Shawn Lynch is currently enced at past Oshkosh events (SR-71, serving our country in the United U-2, Concorde, A380). AirVenture is States Air Force. He is presently as- the chance to witness history in the signed to an E-3 Squadron in the making, and I never want to miss a Middle East, flying missions over single moment of it. Afghanistan. Shawn, along with The planes are wonderful, but the his brother, Evan, and sister, Mary, human aspect is the biggest part of have been valued volunteers with what I’m going to miss. The people of the Vintage Aircraft Association for What AirVenture Means to Me EAA are some of the most wonderful, many years. Thanks for your ser- By Shawn Lynch welcoming, salt of the earth people in vice, Shawn, and we all hope to see I’m at Wittman Regional Airport, this world. We come from every corner you at AirVenture 2011. but it’s not July 28, it’s July 8 . of the globe and from all walks of life, Here’s wishing everyone a happy three weeks too early. Sad for me, I will but share our common love for avia- Thanksgiving holiday! miss AirVenture 2010. In two weeks I tion, airplanes, and fl ight. VAA is about participation: Be a will be 32 years old, and since 1978 I I really wish I could be at AirVen- member! Be a volunt eer! Be there! have only missed four Oshkosh fl y-ins, ture for this year’s Salute to Veterans, Let’s all pull in the same direc- and this year will mark my fifth . not because I am a veteran, but to tion for the good of aviation. Re- prompted by a call to duty, an overseas honor and salute the men and women member, we are better together. deployment, by personal request from who have served our country over the Join us and have it all. dear old Uncle Sam. years. I know it will be an emotional Come share the passion! See you With this visit to Oshkosh today, and beautiful spectacle. My grand- at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh—July I begin to think why it will be harder father is an Air Force veteran of 34 25 to July 31, 2011. than ever for me to be away from Air- years, a WWII POW, and B-17 avia- Venture this year. People who have tor; it would be so overwhelming to AIRPLANE NOVEMBER Vol. 38, No. 11 2010 CONTENTS IFC Straight & Level More than just a bunch of planes by Geoff Robison 2 News 4 FAA Aircraft Re-registration Process Trying to Make the Registration Database Accurate by H.G. Frautschy 6 A Wonderful Prewar Waco Jack Hill’s longtime aerial conveyance by Sparky Barnes Sargent 6 14 One Man’s Fleet of Floatplanes Meet the current caretaker by Sparky Barnes Sargent 18 Light Plane Heritage The de Pischof Avionnette by Owen S. Billman 21 My Friend Frank Rezich, Part II by Robert G. Lock 26 The Vintage Mechanic Special inspection—Boeing Stearman 14 by Robert G. Lock 30 The Vintage Instructor Windsocks and downwind landings—Fly in the little end and out the big end STAFF by Steve Krog, CFI EAA Publisher Rod Hightower 32 Director of EAA Publications Mary Jones Mystery Plane Executive Director/Editor H.G. Frautschy by H.G. Frautschy Production/Special Project Kathleen Witman Photography Jim Koepnick 34 Classifi ed Ads Copy Editor Colleen Walsh 35 21 Art Director Dana Heimos Book Reviews EAA Chairman of the Board Tom Poberezny Publication Advertising: Manager/Domestic, Sue Anderson COVERS Tel: 920-426-6127 Email: [email protected] Fax: 920-426-4828 FRONT COVER: EAA Volunteer photographer Chris Miller captured this fi ne shot of Jack and Glinda Hill’s cherry Waco UPF-7 as it cruised along. The beautiful restoration is another Waco restoration by Senior Business Relations Mgr, Trevor Janz done by the father-and-son team at Aircraft by Shue of York, Pennsylvania. Photo by Chris Miller Tel: 920-426-6809 Email: [email protected] BACK COVER: As many VAA volunteers as we could gather without disrupting the ongoing operations Manager/European-Asian, Willi Tacke stand together around the new VAA Flightline Safety Operations building, constructed by VAA volunteers Phone: +49(0)1716980871 Email: willi@fl ying-pages.com and funded in large part by the donations of the VAA Friends of the Red Barn. We’ll see you all next year Fax: +49(0)8841 / 496012 right here in Oshkosh! Photo Steve Moyer Interim Coordinator/Classifi ed, Alicia Canziani Tel: 920-426-6860 Email: [email protected] VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1 VAA NEWS A Foot in the Slamming Door and taxi directly to the runway. road that led to the highway out EAA, lawmakers stand up against The ultimate dream for many of town. FAA’s through-the-fence policy EAA and VAA members and other That’s the situation aircraft own- aircraft owners is to have instant ers who currently have or might It’s a perfect morning; the sun access to their airplane and a run- want future access to the nation’s is just beginning to glow in a cool way, just as drivers do to their car publicly owned airports could face. blue sky, and there is not a wisp of and the street. Imagine, then, if The FAA’s proposed new through- wind. It’s a great day for fl ying, you you backed out of your driveway the-fence (TTF) policy would cut think, as you step out of your house one morning, turned the corner, off the ability to connect with the into your hangar, do your prefl ight, and found a gate smack across the very transportation system that en- Phillips 66, Skiles Team Up to Support Chapters During EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2010, Phillips 66 Aviation awarded three lucky EAA chapters with special support for one of their upcoming Young Eagles events. Three Phillips 66 Avia- tion fi xed-base operators (FBOs) hosted the chapter events—EAA Chapter 237 (Blaine, Minnesota) at Cirrus Flight Op- erations, EAA Chapter 579 (Aurora, Illinois) at J.A. Air Center, and EAA Chap- ter 810 (Payson, Arizona) at Payson Aviation. Included in the package were special fuel discounts, promotional support, and an appearance by Young Ea- gles co-chairman Jeff Skiles. Each of the events enjoyed beauti- MARK KLEIN ful weather, and Skiles was able to Jeff Skiles in the cockpit with Noah Berg, 13, at Cirrus Flight Operations. fly his bright red 1935 Cabin Waco to the Illinois and Minnesota rallies. Other EAA member volunteer pilots joined Skiles in the usual variety of aircraft present at Young Eagles events, everything from vintage airplanes to sleek homebuilts. “That was amazing,” exclaimed 14-year-old Clara Jordan after her fl ight with Skiles. The excited Minneapolis teen could barely talk as Skiles handed her a Young Eagles certifi cate. “I actually got to fl y his plane,” she said, her smile wide. “I, uh, uh, wow. I can’t wait to go fl ying again.” Phillips 66 wanted to do something special to recognize EAA chapters and their efforts to fl y Young Eagles and promote general aviation to the public. “We thought that bringing Jeff Skiles, an aviation hero, to Young Eagles rallies at our FBOs was a sure way to ramp up interest for general aviation,” explained Rod Palmer, manager of general aviation at ConocoPhillips.

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