The Membership Newsletter for The Military Aviation Museum Winter 2016

Inside this Issue: Dance the Night Away: Valentine’s Hangar Dance Preview

Landing Signal Officers 2 Goxhill Tower Update 2 Messerschmitt Bf 109G-4 3 Hangar Talk: Best-Seller 3 Cadence Fest at MAM 4 Planes, Trains & Santa 4 Over the Beach 5 SHRMF Open House 5 Old Friends Reunited 6 Civil Air Patrol Medal 7 Creeds Elementary 7 Saturday, 13 February, 2016 This coming Valentine’s Day weekend you’re welcome to jump, jive, and swing the night away at the Military Aviation Museum, from 6:00pm to 10:00pm! You’re invited to our eighth annual 1940s Valentine’s Han- Military Aviation Museum gar Dance, on Saturday, 13 February, 2016. Come dressed in your finest www.MilitaryAviationMuseum.org ‘40s-vintage fashions, alongside your sweetheart, as our Navy Hangar is Virginia Beach Airport transformed for an exciting dinner and dance. Seating is limited. Make www.VBairport.com sure to buy your tickets early before we sell out! Seats are $50.00 per person. Singles are welcome! Telephone (757) 721-7767 or go online to Fighter Factory www.militaryaviationmuseum.org to reserve your seats! Thank you to www.FighterFactory.com Atlantic Shores Retirement Community for sponsoring the Hangar Warbirds Over the Beach Dance and their support throughout the year. So don’t forget to mark this www.VBairshow.com Valentine’s Day weekend in a swingin’ fashion February 13th, at the Military Aviation Museum. It will be a date to remember! q

A Toast to the Past: Wine Classic - Saturday, 16 April, 2016

For more information and to purchase your tickets for this event, visit www.VBWineClassic.com. the third annual “Aerodrome Wine Classic”. To be On 16 April, 2016 from noon til 5pm, the Mili- eration, and the inseparable link between motoring enjoyed by all in attendance: the finest vintages of tary Aviation Museum will celebrate an occasion and aviation. You are invited to savour the varietal Virginia’s wineries, grown in the ancient soil of the we hope embodies the spirit of a bygone age, pay- bouquets of regional wines, the romance of aero- New World. A vestige of this tradition lives on in the ing homage to aeronauts, the joie de vivre of a gen- planes, and the elegance of artisanal automobiles at form of this annual springtime event. q PAGE 2 VOLUME 9, ISSUE 1 Hangar HappeningS

Landing Signal RAF Goxhill Control Tower Update Officers Visit The Museum

By Mike Potter

RAF Station Goxhill, near Hull, England, was the first English airbase turned over to the arriving Americans in 1942. The base became known as “Station 345” in American service.

One of the most ambitious projects undertaken by the museum is the ongoing rebuilding of the original “Watch Office” that was relocated from Goxhill, England to our museum. The unmistakable vision of this iconic sym- bol of the air war in Europe is nearing its external completion, and it is easy to see in one’s “mind’s eye” the base commander standing on the balcony, awaiting the return of the P-38’s of the First Pursuit Group’s training missions. The brickwork is almost complete, and when the temperature allows, the concrete for the roof Landing Signal Officers, also known as LSOs, will be poured. It is easy to see in the photograph where the beams will support the wooden balcony, are an integral part of carrier aviation in not only and soon the door and window frames (built by modern Navy carriers, but since day one in car- the same manufacturer that did the originals in rier operations by every country that operated 1942) will be added. aircraft carriers. LSOs are the onboard eyes of the As this building nears completion, other activi- pilots as they try to land their warbirds aboard ties seem to be heating up as well. A certain eBay carriers. The Navy selects and trains experienced troll has evidently been working overtime, lurking pilots to become LSOs in today’s fleet. Part of that in the ether in the wee hours of the morning. A cu- training is to learn the history of LSOs. To that rious item appeared this month on the Director’s end, several of the Museum’s volunteers, all re- desk. As seen in the photograph, a curious blue box tired Naval Aviators and fellow LSOs, donate their ( blue to be exact), has white stencil lettering that says “Do Not Remove-Officers Mess” time and host the current LSO class from nearby as “RAF Goxhill” and “Station 345” as well. NAS Oceana here at the museum and present a lighthearted look at the history of LSO through As many already know, RAF Station Goxhill slides, real historic equipment and then by walk- near Hull, England was the first English airbase turned over to the arriving Americans in 1942. ing these airmen around our Navy Warbirds. The The base became known as “Station 345” in Amer- highlight is an up close look at our FG-1 Corsair ican service. Might this piece of recreational equip- cockpit as explained by our veteran Corsair pilot ment find its way into the Watch Officer’s quarters Obie O’Brian. q in the control tower? q VOLUME 9, ISSUE 1 PAGE 3

and the method of assembling the wood and metal parts The Mossie Goes To Oshkosh together. Fortunately for me, Warren Denholm and his crew from AvSpecs in Ardmore, New Zeland was there to handle the particulars of the restoration project. And they should know, as they took on the 8 year project to re- store this Mosquito for the owner Jerry Yagen. Jerry and his wife Elaine were also there to see his greatest project in the glory it has awaited for three years. Tuesday, the aircraft was towed into center stage in Warbirds in Review. This is where the Mosquito was pre- sented, along with an announcer, Jerry Yagen, Warren Denholm, Dave Phillips (the original test pilot that flew it in New Zeland) and I, and answered questions from the announcer and a group of several hundred specta- By Chief Pilot Mike Spalding tors. This was also broadcast on the big screen there and throughout the week at Airventure. Thursday was an- It is Monday morning, July 20, 2015. I am preflight- progress. Our entry was to be in the middle of the show other day to fly in the airshow, where we flew with our ing the only totally restored DH-98 De Havilland Mos- for everyone’s first look at a . We Canadian friends at the Canadian Heritage quito in the world for a flight. Not just any flight, but a were told that we had to hold south of the airport until Museum who were there with their Lancaster Bomber. flight that has been awaited for three years by many. This the new Airbus A350 finished its demonstration. At 5 Before flying however, the judges came to look over the is not just a flight around the pattern; this is not a flight to miles out, I watched this enormous aircraft put on quite aircraft and grade it on many levels such as appearance, just another airshow; this is not another photo flight with a show of amazing maneuverability for its size. Just af- quality of workmanship, level of difficulty of the restora- a camera ship to get more stunning photos of its beauty ter the A350 landed, we were called in to do a couple of tion, its originality and attention to detail, etc… in flight…this is a trip to Oshkosh! Airventure 2015 was passes for the crowd. It was just as exciting for me as it was On to Saturday night–the awards banquet! It was the destination of the day, with the plan to arrive at 3:19 for the crowd, as it was their first time to see a Mosquito a quick and quite simple affair that cut to the chase. pm Central Standard time in the middle of the show. fly, and it was my first opportunity to fly in the Oshkosh There was some stiff competition with 2 P-51’s and airshow after many years of attending as a spectator. There was weather to clear early in the first third a post WWII Corsair, but when they announced of the flight before it rose to more towering obstacles, After landing, we were directed to the Warbird “and the winner of the Grand Champion WWII… so my crew chief and Fighter Factory mechanic John ramp, where to my surprise was another Mosquito. It N114KA, De Havilland Mosquito,” there was cheer Brawner and I departed in the morning. Our first stop was Kermit Weeks’ Mosquito that had landed there in from all, but I don’t think there was surprise. This was Findlay, OH where we took on fuel and became the late 1990s and had not flown since, and is doubtful award was 8 years in the making and another three guests of the airport manager, Matt McVicker, and the that it will fly out of there. It was a nice contrast though years in waiting. All that had kept it from winning was small awaiting crowd. After answering many ques- with our freshly restored aircraft sitting next to a bomber being present. And now it has its deserved trophy that tions from the enthusiastic greeters, Matt treated us version that appeared to have just dropped in from the is now displayed in the museum. to lunch and we then relaxed until it was time to de- war and left unattended. Our Mosquito was well received We departed the following morning, the final day part for Oshkosh. After a flyby on departure to thank by the crowds for the entire week. I could not get away of Airventure, during the show, with a couple of victory the appreciative folks at Findlay airport we headed from the plane to enjoy the rest of the Airventure event passes for the crowd before the three hour trip home, straight out across Lake Michigan direct to Oshkosh. until Thursday afternoon because of all the attention feeling very proud and honored to be so fortunate to fly Upon arriving in the vicinity of Oshkosh, we con- given the MAM Mossie with the enormous curiosity of such an immaculate and magnificent machine…and a tacted the Air Boss of the Airventure airshow that was in the crowd and continuous questions of how it was made trophy to confirm what we at MAM already knew. q

Best-Selling Author Speaks at MAM Hangar Talk

In November, the museum was fortunate to crewmen to their deaths. There is already a movie elists Marty Goode and Herb Sargent were with have an international best-selling author launch deal in the works for this book, and the museum Tom Hudner in the thick of their ground support his newest book at one of the museum’s “Hangar has told author Makos that we know where he can missions. Marine Corps veteran Dwayne Trow- Talk” events. find a genuine Bf-109 G4 for his movie rather than bridge told the crowd what it was like to be on the completely resorting to CGI! receiving end of the Skyraiders’ loving attention. Author Adam Makos walked onto the world stage in 2012 with his NY Times Best-Seller “A Adam’s new book “Devotion”, is the wonder- The museum’s own Korea veteran “Obie” Higher Call.” Aviation enthusiasts know this book fully written story of Medal of Honor recipient O’Brien joined the speakers for a book-signing af- as the real-life story of a fighter pilot Tom Hudner and his squadron mates in VF-32 in ter the talk, and the museum gift shop still has a who risked his career and likely his life by putting Korea. Flying Douglas Skyraiders from the Essex- few copies of this excellent book available that are a gravely wounded American B-17 bomber on class aircraft carrier USS Leyte during the Battle of signed by all of the participants of this memorable course for its home base instead of sending its ten the Chosin reservoir, fellow VF-32 pilots and pan- “Hangar Talk”. q PAGE 4 VOLUME 9, ISSUE 1 MUSEUM Events

“Planes, Trains & Santa” Kicks Off the Holiday Season The Museum Welcomes Cadence Fest 2015

The holiday season was kicked off in grand style of the great weather to roam the flight ramp and with our annual Planes, Trains & Santa show over lounge by the Christmas tree. Thanksgiving weekend. Record crowds turned out for the three-day event. The holiday season was kicked off The Navy hangar was emptied to make room in grand style with our annual Planes, for the Tidewater Division - National Model Rail- road Association’s layouts of model trains. We Trains & Santa show over Thanksgiving had steam powered trains and too many different weekend. Record crowds turned gauge-sized layouts to name. The pride these en- out for the three day event. gineers take in their layout details is remarkable. I haven’t seen so many buttons to push on these layouts in my life. These interactive train tables The highlight of both Friday and Saturday gave kids of all ages a wonderful weekend of fun was the arrival of the big guy… Santa arrived in and amazement. grand style from the North Pole to the flight ramp in front of a wall of children and anxious parents. The lobby was bustling with activity. The Ma- With record turnouts, Santa was escorted to his rine Corps Reserve was present gathering donat- chair by the Girl Scouts of Troop 530 and went ed toys for their annual Toys-for-Tots campaign. What goes better than warbirds, craft beer, straight to work and met with all the children lis- Of the three years I have had the pleasure of work- great food, a band concert and good friends tening to their wishes and ensuring his Nice list ing the event, this is the largest amount of dona- on a beautiful November afternoon? The an- was complete. While waiting to see Santa on Sat- tions our guests have given the Marines. swer… not much! That is exactly what hap- urday, the families got a chance to see the cadets pened this past November when Young Veter- Shane Webb worked his display of 3-D paper from the Coastal Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol ans Brewery hosted an afternoon concert and airplanes designed and shaped as realistic replicas and meet a Virginia Beach Police Officer working food truck gathering called the Cadence Fest of our museum warbirds. The guests got a chance the Crime Solvers table. on the grounds of the Museum. Young Veterans to watch him up close as he cut out and assemble Brewing Co. is a team of 2 U.S. Army veterans In the middle of all this activity, the gorgeous these 3-D paper designs. with a passion for hand crafting ales. Six bands warm weather allowed the Museum to offer plane played throughout the afternoon, headlined by The Greater Atlantic Rescue Dogs organiza- rides to our guests and many got the chance to see the Manchester Orchestra. Watch for the next tion brought out several of their rescue and ther- the B-25 Mitchell bomber takeoff and land when Cadence Fest this coming summer. q apy dogs to frolic with the kids. They posed with it launched to conduct a flyover of Old Dominion Santa, many family guests and took advantage University’s final home football game. q VOLUME 9, ISSUE 1 PAGE 5

Mark Your Calendars: Warbirds Over the Beach Air Show Returns this Spring

Our May 20-22 2016 Air Show is a destination life and then see and hear them throttle up, you are event for your calendar! Our guests come from transported to an entirely different level of under- all over the world to enjoy the sights, sounds, and standing of history. Now is your chance to enjoy it even the smell of the “glory days” of military avia- all over again! tion. Many of you grew up reading the exploits of military heroes, and you’ve watched all the great Purchase Your Tickets today online aviation movies, but when you hear the thunder of at www.VBAirshow.com or in person at a Merlin, Allison, or a Wright engine coughing to the Museum’s Gift Shop . q

MAM Participates in Education Open House at the Chrysler Museum The Military Aviation Museum was invited to participate in the annual SHRMF (South Museum Forum) Education Open House held at the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk on Janu- ary 21, 2016. The evening found Mike Potter, Mitch Welch, and myself manning the MAM’s table and rubbing elbows with representatives from other area museums such as The Hermitage, Nauticus, and The MacArthur Memorial. The event was held in conjunction with the Chrysler’s monthly Third Thursday event. Area educators were invited and admitted free to the event, and close to 150 educa- tors responded. By Joe Badali, MAM Education Outreach Lead Teachers from throughout Hampton Roads had the opportunity to check out what area mu- Chrysler auditorium. Events Coordinator Mitch cipal, I was able to provide teachers with a point seums had to offer, and it was an excellent oppor- Welch did a great job with the table presentation, of contact while emphasizing our commitment to tunity to showcase our museum to public, private, focusing on our newly formed partnership with Education Outreach. and homeschool teachers. Creeds Elementary School as an example of how We felt it was a very successful evening. Area Mike gave an informative 15 minute overview our museum can help teachers create amazing teachers left with knowledge of and information of the MAM during the general meeting in the learning opportunities. As a former school prin- about the resources that our museum has to offer. q PAGE 6 VOLUME 9, ISSUE 1

Old Friends Reunited By Lar Stampe

A memorable event occurred today, November 21, us standing back and watching the ‘two’ have some time 2015, as two old friends were reunited: Hans Meyer who together; there must have been a thousand thoughts going was a Luftwaffe pilot, and the MAM’s Bf 109 (like the one through Hans’ mind as he walked around the aircraft… Hans flew so many years ago) came together. it was much like a pre-flight inspection. We watched him as he sat in the cockpit; his eyes scanned the instrument Hans grew up in during the turbulent times panel, he checked the throttle position, and then gazed out preceding WW II; his early interest in aviation was evi- through the windscreen for several moments as if lost in dent as a teenager. Flying gliders in the Hitler Youth Pro- another time. We could only imagine what he was think- gram for him was an exhilarating experience, and when ing, but this time belonged to him and we did not break the Luftwaffe gave him the opportunity in 1944 to be- the stillness of the moment. come a ‘fighter pilot’, the seventeen-year-old jumped at the chance. Hans flew the Bf 109 on the Eastern Front and After he climbed out of the cockpit, Hans walked had confirmed kills of five Russian aircraft. Hans often around the aircraft giving it a careful look; he answered a said: “The 109 was a great aircraft…fun to fly…easy to maneu- few questions about the markings (he was quick to notice ver…responsive. To see one again would really be something.” the new insignia on the vertical stab), and jokingly added: “You now need to paint a ‘green heart’ below the canopy… Hans got his chance. The Bf 109 was waiting at the my old squadron.” Fighter Factory, and he enjoyed several minutes to qui- etly reminisce with this ‘old friend’. There were a few of It was a grand day for Hans and for us. q

Congressional Gold Medal Honors Civil Air Patrol’s WWII Service Veteran Virginia Eichbeg Bloom

On October 25th last year, Civil Air Patrol As a special treat following the awards cer- while to care for our troops ... when you’re a kid, (CAP) Cadets and staff were present to see Vir- emony, Virginia joined the Museum’s Chief Pilot, there wasn’t much you could do.” Furthermore, ginia Eichbeg Bloom receive her Congressional Mike Spalding, for a flight in the Museum’s Piper Mrs. Bloom noted that anytime someone was fly- Gold Medal for service during World War II. Cub, ‘Glimpy’. When Virginia returned, her grin ing and she could hitch a ride, she would do so. The Gold Medal was presented to Ms. Bloom was as big as Glimpy’s wings! She loved to fly. Part of her CAP service and war on behalf of Congress by Virginia Beach Mayor Born in Richmond in 1929, Virginia joined efforts was to gather scrap metal for manufac- Will Sessoms at the Military Aviation Museum. CAP in 1943. She trained as a cadet navigator in turing - even small bits of tin foil from cigarette Family, friend and members of the Coastal Com- a Piper Cub aircraft giving directions to CAP pi- packs - and deliver it to the reclamation center. She posite Squadron of Civil Air Patrol landed at the lots, checking visuals, and making avionics calcu- would also collect hats and gloves for servicemen museum to celebrate this veteran’s accomplish- lations by long hand as a 14-year old CAP cadet. overseas. She took a correspondence course in ar- ments and offer heartfelt thanks for her efforts She proudly answered the call that, as she recalled, maments related to pistols, their maintenance and and service to our country. “wished young people to do something worth- cleaning. Continued on Next Page „ VOLUME 9, ISSUE 1 PAGE 7

Creeds Elementary & the Museum Work on a Design Challenge

The Museum’s Special Consultants, Creeds El- Boeing Stearman. There our veteran pilot, Mr. Lou ementary School 5th Graders, recently conducted a Radwanick, presented advances in technology that science design challenge about momentum. As part would enhance potential energy and motion. Their of our partnership with Creeds, the Museum’s Staff final stop was with pilot Mr. Ray Scott at the P-51 and volunteers pitched in to lend our expertise and Mustang, again looking at technological advances off the Navy hangar balcony along a measured run- resources to this area of study. Creeds’ teachers pre- such as reducing drag with retractable landing gear, way below. Although there we no awards given as sented the lesson to the students introducing terms mono-wing vs. bi-wing and all metal fuselages. such as potential energy, Newton’s Law, kinetic en- this was a science experiment, we think it is safe to ergy, force, motion, etc. As part of the next phase of The next day back at school, the students were say that all the kids (young and old) had a great time! study, the students took a 1-hr visit down the road to asked to take this new knowledge and design and It sure was a unique was to help the kids understand the Museum where we presented three generations build three different typed of airplanes: a slow flying and apply these Standards of Learning (SOL) courses of warbirds to the students to represent different model, a fast model and a long distance flyer. After of study. numerous test flights in the hallways and classrooms, applications of technology that would demonstrate Representatives from the VB School System cur- and getting technical advice from about 9 Museum these new scientific terms. riculum development department were on hand, Volunteers, the students finished their airplanes. The 1911 Wright Flyer represented very early and one of the School System Board Members was aviation theory of flight. Canvas, wire and two wings Day three rolled around and the 5th graders also present to see this model partnership in action. helped demonstrate motion to the students. Fol- again found themselves at the museum, this time to Watch for our museum to be a bigger partner with lowing questions, the group moved on to the 1941 collect their analysis by launching their model planes our schools in the future! q

ƒ Continued from Previous Page

Following the war, she moved to Washing- from the National Capitol were in San Marcos and on marching and life in the barracks. ton, DC to work for the Treasury Department she joined them in ferrying several Piper Cubs to Virginia raised two daughters and one son. In and joined the National Capital Wing of the CAP Washington, DC. 1972, with four other women, she opened the first where she served as the Squadron Adjutant. Dur- She remained active in CAP through the 1950s, ing this time, she hopped a flight to San Antonio often escorting groups of female cadets to Andrews all-woman real estate office in Ft. Wayne, Ind. Vir- with the Air Attaché to Guatemala. The pilots Air Force Base for a type of basic training focused ginia currently resides in Virginia Beach. q NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID VIRGINIA BEACH, VA PERMIT NO. 235

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