JANUARY 2011 STRAIGHT & LEVEL GEOFF ROBISON PRESIDENT, VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION Setting a course for 2011 Happy New Year to each and every left lane of GA’s highway! What will mote access to the dream of fl ight.” member of the Vintage Aircraft Asso- we be talking about next January that This is an easy one, and can be mostly ciation. Here’s wishing you all a suc- got pushed up the pipe during 2011? accomplished by promoting mem- cessful and prosperous 2011. What are the real goals of the FAA, bership in the EAA/VAA, and by sim- What will 2011 bring to us? Time and the Transportation Security Ad- ply writing that check to renew your will tell, but we can likely assume that ministration, regarding regulatory own membership. there will be a mixture of more at- issues for GA? The best we can do to- To accomplish Tom’s third pillar, tempts to modify, restrict, or in some day is to stay informed, continue to “Preserve the heritage of flight,” just cases, even deny us the opportunity be engaged, and reach out to local visit the EAA AirVenture Museum to to further enjoy our rights to our avia- legislators, especially when they get see what your EAA organization rou- tion-related passions. it right. They need to know they are tinely does to preserve our aviation One example of course is the FAA’s supported in their efforts to defend heritage. This is why we still operate continuing initiative to eliminate GA. Let’s all stay the course. one of the few remaining B-17s, build a through-the-fence (TTF) operations I recently reread a column that was Bleriot, or restore an old Waco biplane. at public-use airports. Where is the written and published in the January And finally, Tom promoted “pre- common sense? Come on, the mice issue of Vintage Airplane magazine right paring for the future of fl ight.” Please running around in my hangar repre- after the events of 9/11. The guest col- continue to reach out to our youth, sent a lot more risk to me than the umn was written by our own Tom Po- and pave that path to a life of avia- guy with a key to a gate he can taxi berezny, and he eloquently wrote of tion, whether it’s through the spon- his Cessna through. We have seen what the terrorists did to damage gen- sorship of a young person to EAA’s Air some movement on the federal gov- eral aviation on that fateful day. Not Academy at Oshkosh or your chapter ernment’s part to continue the discus- to dismiss the tragic loss of the thou- participating with a Boy Scout Troop sions and even delay implementation sands of American lives that occurred to accomplish their aviation merit of its goals to lock out these users. on that day, but Tom did a wonderful badge. Even though these TTF arrangements job of describing to the membership The interesting element here is that have existed for years, and to date what we needed to do next to counter- Tom’s remarks of nine years ago re- have yet to represent any real threat act these horrifi c circumstances. main very much relevant to the orga- to our security, these government of- He said, “We need to protect, pro- nization today. Because of the events fi cials do seem to be polite, but very mote, preserve, and prepare. These are of 9/11, we need to continue to meet much resolute. the four fundamental pillars of main- our challenges head on, challenges Where would we be today with- taining America’s free skies.” that will not always come from the out those valued congressional mem- I will personally never forget that FAA. We truly are an entity that makes bers of the aviation caucus, our vocal day or the nagging thoughts of “What remarkable things happen. Let’s all EAA/VAA membership, and the EAA’s will become of our rights to pursue strive to help make a difference in this advocacy initiatives? For certain, our our personal aviation interests?” ongoing debate. access to the general aviation (GA) Tom continued, “Protect our right Remember, it’s time to run your system would be much more lim- to fly, and turn these negatives into checklist and buckle your seat belts, ited today. So where is this all going? positives by staying the course with our because 2011 is shaping up to be yet What new initiatives will our govern- existing ongoing initiatives, whether another exciting year for the Vintage ment propose in the next 12 months? it be through Young Eagles, advocacy Aircraft Association. You have to wonder who in the world initiatives, or communications.” is really driving this truck down the He also stated that we should “pro- AIRPLANE january Vol. 39, No. 1 2011 CONTENTS IFC Straight & Level Setting a course for 2011 by Geoff Robison 2 News 4 The May Family’s Spectacular 1936 Sportster “Rearwin popularity is proof of Rearwin superiority” by Sparky Barnes Sargent 10 Type Club Listing 14 The Antiques in Winter 4 If airplanes could talk . ., Part II by Roger Thiel 16 My Friend Frank Rezich, Part IV The war years by Robert G. Lock 22 Light Plane Heritage The Longren Biplane by Jack McRae 24 2010 VAA Hall of Fame Inductee Morton W. Lester by Jack Cox and Morton Lester 28 The Vintage Mechanic 24 Test fl ights by Robert G. Lock STAFF 32 The Vintage Instructor EAA Publisher Rod Hightower Was that a landing? Or was it a carnival ride? Director of EAA Publications Mary Jones by Steve Krog, CFI Executive Director/Editor H.G. Frautschy Production/Special Project Kathleen Witman 34 Mystery Plane Photography Jim Koepnick by H.G. Frautschy Copy Editor Colleen Walsh Senior Art Director Olivia P. Trabbold 37 Classifi ed Ads EAA Chairman of the Board Tom Poberezny Publication Advertising: Manager/Domestic, Sue Anderson COVERS Tel: 920-426-6127 Email: [email protected] FRONT COVER: The Reawin marque seems to be a popular subject for a few recently completed Fax: 920-426-4828 projects in the Antique airplane community. This is the May family’s Rearwin Sportster, originally built Senior Business Relations Mgr, Trevor Janz in the fall of 1936. Read more about it in Sparky Barnes Sargent’s article starting on page 4. Photo by Bonnie Kratz. Tel: 920-426-6809 Email: [email protected] BACK COVER: Continuing our salute to great aviation magazine covers of the past, Model Airplane Manager/European-Asian, Willi Tacke News has been a fi xture within the modeling community for over 80 years, and is still going strong. Phone: +49(0)1716980871 Email: willi@fl ying-pages.com This great cover, from September of 1934, created by famed illustrator Jo (Josef) Kotula depicts the Fax: +49(0)8841 / 496012 Italian dual-engined seaplane racer, the Macchi-Castoldi 72 racer of 1933/34. Interim Coordinator/Classifi ed, Alicia Canziani Tel: 920-426-6860 Email: [email protected] VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1 VAA NEWS Naval Aircraft Get Extreme Makeovers Help celebrate naval aviation centennial at Oshkosh EAA AirVenture 2011 is a designated Tier 1 event for the Centennial of Naval Aviation celebration this year, so get ready for a host of special appearances and activities in Oshkosh next July. While many initiatives have yet to be announced, one special treat is confi rmed and well underway: repainting several current inventory airplanes in colors from previous eras. “It’s all part of our outreach to help celebrate the centennial of naval aviation,” said Capt. Richard Dann, director of history and outreach for the centennial. “We’re attempting to teach about the heritage, which many people may not be aware of.” Examples include a pair of T-45 Goshawks painted in yellow-winged, pre-World War II tactical aircraft schemes; an S-3B Viking done up in the colors of naval airplanes that fought in the Battle of Midway; an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter painted like those of Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron THREE (HAL-3) Seawolf fi re teams from the Vietnam era; and an F/A-18F with a truly unique scheme modeled after the current Navy Working Uniform. These aircraft “in every manner of heritage paint” will take part in designated Tier 1 events—including AirVenture Oshkosh 2011, Dann said. Although he could not commit to which airplanes would be participating at Oshkosh, he indicated that several of the approximately 26 aircraft will appear. To see a photo gallery of some of the airplanes you could see at Oshkosh this summer, visit EAA’s Facebook page. You can also learn more about Centennial of Naval Avi- ation events, including the Curtiss-Ely Pusher replica (at right) built for the celebration, on page 20 of the January issue of Sport Aviation. Advance AirVenture Camp Scholler opens on June issue of Sport Aviation. The coupons Admissions, Camping, Flights 24, 2011, and those who make an are filled out and ready to mail in. Now Available Online advance purchase for camping get You can also enter online at www. Advance purchase of AirVen- the convenience of express registra- AirVenture.org/sweepstakes or during ture 2011 admission and camping tion at the campground entrance, AirVenture 2011—but why wait? is now available on the AirVenture including specially designated lines The grand prize is a Cessna 162 website, and this year you can pre- on peak arrival dates. Skycatcher, along with fuel for a purchase camping at AirVenture’s Advance admission ticketing year courtesy of Shell Aviation.