Mark Your Calendars!
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The Membership Newsletter for The Military Aviation Museum Fall 2016 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: World War II Mustang Ace Honored at MAM Teletype Machine Display 2 Pusher Featured in Film 2 Miss Utility Board Meeting 2 Biplanes Triplanes Recap 3 Dawn Patrol Recap 3 Aviation Forum 4 Artist James Dietz 4 German Cruise Line 4 Wings Wheels Recap 5 Int’l Plastic Modelers 5 Virginia Beach Police 6 Community Concert 6 The recent closing of the Virginia Aviation Museum Preddy was one of a handful of pilots who became an (VAM) in Richmond, Virginia has brought a new exhibit “Ace in A Day” when he shot down six German fighters High Ratings TripAdvisor 6 to our museum. One of the exhibits on loan to VAM was in one day. Ultimately, George Preddy was credited Creeds Elementary 7 from the George Preddy Memorial Foundation, and they with 26.83 aircraft destroyed, making him the most wanted to know if we would like to have it at our museum. successful P-51 Mustang pilot in history. At the age of Museum Trip to England 7 25, his life was ended by friendly fire as he chased yet George Preddy grew up in nearby North Carolina. another enemy aircraft close to the ground. His younger He had been a barnstorming pilot before the war and brother Bill, a P-51 pilot, was also killed in the final year the U.S. Navy rejected him for flight training three times. of the war. He then joined the Army National Guard, and the Army Military Aviation Museum wisely sent him to flight training, given his experience. George’s biographer and cousin, Joe Noah, brought www.MilitaryAviationMuseum.org the Preddy exhibit to the Military Aviation Museum a few Preddy joined the 352nd Fighter Group as they set weeks ago. It consists of a bust that was commissioned by Virginia Beach Airport up shop in Bedney, England. He flew everything from the Memorial Foundation, two descriptive plaques about www.VBairport.com P-40’s to P-38’s and P-47’s, but wound up in Mustangs Preddy, and two wooden model airplanes in Preddy’s eventually. At first, Preddy didn’t look like he was getting Fighter Factory livery. www.FighterFactory.com the hang of aerial gunnery. He and some of his squadron mates were sent for gunnery practice to another base to The George Preddy Memorial Foundation will vote this Warbirds Over the Beach shoot at towed targets. Where did Preddy learn to become fall whether to put this memorial on loan to our museum www.VBairshow.com the top Mustang Ace ever? He learned at USAAF Station or perhaps make it a lasting gift to us for permanent #345, the former RAF Goxhill! display. q Mark Your Calendars! Planes, Trains & Santa Returns this November Attention kids of all ages…the model railroaders As part of the festivities, guess who is coming? Yep invade the Military Aviation Museum this coming it’s SANTA! Arriving all three days at 11 a.m., our trusty Thanksgiving weekend (November 25-November 27) Stearman will venture north to Santa’s workshop to and commandeer the Navy hangar for the running of bring him to Pungo for all the boys and girls to see. their annual holiday railroad show. FREE admission for all children 12 years and Their tremendous railroad landscapes and train sets under. Get your picture taken with Santa for a small run throughout the weekend starting Friday morning at donation to the Museum. This weekend is a great 9 a.m. (Friday & Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. way for the family to start off the holiday season. to 3 p.m.) Bring your family out to the museum and Don’t forget…the museum gift shop is a great place avoid the crowded shopping malls, irate drivers and the to find that special gift for a loved one or the aviation initial crush of the holidays! enthusiast in the family. q PAGE 2 VOLUME 9, ISSUE 4 Hangar Happenings Museum Acquires Teletype Machine for Pilot Gets Taste of the Silver Screen Display in Goxhill Tower in Film Featuring MAM’s Curtiss Pusher By Robert “Boom” Powell, Volunteer & Pilot museum collection. Luckily, my leather helmet “Every field order, I’m a movie star. Well, a stand-in for one. Better, let’s say stunt-double…that sounds more and goggles fit OK. every target choice, exciting. Local businessman and artist Matt There were some thirty plus people in the every bomb load Fine always wanted to make a movie and, in a film crew and they worked hard. Mercifully, the instruction and hectic three six-working day weeks, did so using all of the other professional actors and crew. enervating heat and humidity of the previous week communications —when they were shooting on the Boardwalk— The plot of Art Show Bingo involves the conflict had gone as almost all the action was outside on from senior between twin brothers whose father wants to the cross runway. commands to build a replica of an early flying machine. Where individual offices else can you find a functional example of such Matt Fine wants, “a Love letter to his home went through an aircraft but at the Military Aviation Museum? town” and has chosen local Tidewater settings for secure lines to So, our Curtiss Pusher found itself in yet another the film. Previous filmmakers would set up near movie. the World War One hangar so the background teletype machines.” Dressing in 1911 costume was eliminated as could be any airfield. The Art Show Bingo scenes impractical as the actor is a lot taller than me and were shot from the west side. As such, the As we start thinking about items to showcase for non-show flying pilots would simply wear a museum’s buildings are always in view. in the Goxhill Tower, one of the items that might normal flight suit. So we loaned him one from the Continued on page 7. be difficult to find in good condition was a Teletype machine. Teletypes were used extensively by the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) in World War Two, and especially by units of the “Mighty Eighth” 8th Air Force’s Bomber and Fighter Commands. Every field order, every target choice, every bomb Museum Hosts Meeting for Miss Utility Board Members load instruction and all of the other communications from senior commands to individual offices went through secure lines to teletype machines. The weather office in the Goxhill control tower used a Teletype, but where to find one? Teletypes were common for several decades in new organizations and some are probably still in use somewhere in the world. As the technology changed, there were many models of Teletypes. We know from photographs that the USAAF used Teletype Model 15 machines specifically, but where and how to find the correct model? Enter Bruce and Jo Ann Given, who live right here in Virginia Beach. Bruce was into HAM radio for many years, and he had a Teletype machine that he had rigged to connect to radio to communicate The museum is becoming an increasingly around the world. He had even configured his machine popular venue for meetings and meals, and the so he could make it start typing out news stories on range of catering available is growing! command in the middle of a party. The VA811 Board is made up of utility Bruce has moved on to other hobbies now, and he company owners and CEO’s and other stake- wanted to make room in his most awesome of man holders, that are the backbone of the “Miss door meeting, lunch and team building afterwards. caves, so one of the phone calls this month was from Utility of Virginia” program that is designed Jo Ann, who wanted to know if the museum “might The board members were absolutely delighted and to save lives and property damage caused by impressed with the quality of the facilities and the possibly be interested in a very heavy-duty military unsafe digging on real property. grade Teletype model 15 Baudot code page printer”? service that they experienced. Lunch was served The most recent VA811 board meeting was by Mahi Mah’s, our newest partner with some of q Say what? Hey Billy–warm up the pickup truck! held at the museum, and they had their closed the finest cuisine in Virginia Beach. Lunch was } VOLUME 9, ISSUE 4 PAGE 3 Guests Take a Trip Back in Time at Biplanes & Triplanes WWI Air Show By Mitchell Welch, Events Coordinator The Military Aviation Museum’s Biplanes and Triplanes World War One air show was held October 1-2, taking guests back to the days of The Great War for a weekend of flying, colorful World War One aircraft, live performances, elaborate reenactor encampments, and much more. “This year’s Biplanes and Triplanes show was all about immersing yourself in the days of The Great War. Between the beautifully painted World War One aircraft dancing through the sky, the military reenactor encampments, and the entertainers, patrons felt like they had taken a step back in time,” said Mike Potter, Director of the Military Aviation Museum. “It’s truly a rare opportunity to learn more about the brave men and women who risked the unknown and brought forth the dawn of aerial combat.” The weather held off both Saturday and Sunday, as guests wandered through reenactor encampments, checked out aviation memorabilia, and enjoyed afternoon flights featuring the Military Aviation Museum’s World War One aircraft.