November Bloomsburg Municipal Airport BJ Teichman, Airport Coordinator - TOB Dave Ruckle, Pilot [email protected] [email protected] Bloomsburg Flying Club Memberships available! www.flybloomsburg.com Contact: [email protected] Bring a friend who is interested in joining the club! Flight Instructors: ▪ Phil Polstra – CFII (Parlor City Flying Club Member / Bloomsburg Flying Club) [email protected] 570-854-5653 ▪ Rob Staib – (Independent) [email protected] 570-850-5274 ▪ Hans Lawrence – CFII / MEI / RI [email protected] 570-898-8868 ▪ Eric Cipcic, CFI [email protected] 412-496-9954 (Based at KIPT – willing to travel to other airports) On the Horizon / Save the Date(s): What: N13 EAA Chapter 1641 Meeting Date and Time: 15 Nov, 5:00 PM Guest Speaker: Ron Andress / Gyro-Copter Location: Bloomsburg Fire Hall **************************************** What: N13 Bloomsburg Flying Club Meeting Date: 15 Nov. 2020 and Time: 6:30 PM Location: Bloomsburg Fire Hall – Park in the lot in the back of the Fire Hall 2 Bloomsburg Municipal Airport 2020 – Nov. Newsletter ON the Horizon / Save the Date What: Fly IN Luncheon Date and Time: 07 Nov., 11:00 – 14:00 Location: Sunbury on the Island Sponsored by: EAA Chapter 769 Hearty Soup on the menu *********************************************************** ACCOMPLISHMENTS: CFII – Dave ! Bloomsburg Flying Club Member, Dave L. Earns his CFII!!! Two more Solos At N13! Bloomsburg Flying Club Members, Dr. Vishnu and Ty both soloed in October. Photo not available for Ty. Congratulations Well DONE Above Vishnu on left and Phil on right 3 Bloomsburg Municipal Airport 2020 – Nov. Newsletter Our “Meeley” When an airport has been around as long as N13, nearly 80 years, there is bound to be a lot of history surrounding it, stories about people and events that created the heritage the airport is known for. One way these stories get past down from one airport generation to the next is verbally, in a manner often called “hangar flying.” It’s an acquired skill that takes years of refinement and repeated practice. Its educational value is often dubious; however, it’s found to be very effective on younger pilots in the airport community. It is the easiest way of keeping historical matters, whether factual or not, alive. Often, hangar flying is as entertaining as it is educational. Perhaps the most undisputable way of passing on historical information is by means of photographs. Like the old saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” And, some pictures speak volumes. So, it was on September 22nd when Joanne “Jo” Wright and her daughter, Lisa, paid a visit to N13, the airport where over the years, she and her late husband, Dr. William “Bill” Wright along with their son Law, had created many fond flying memories. (Above, (L) Lisa Wright Hummer and (R) Joanne Wright) One reason for her visit was to see the many changes that have taken place here since she moved to the Philadelphia area. The other was to donate a photo album entitled Columbia Airways Bloomsburg Airport 1933. When 4 Bloomsburg Municipal Airport 2020 – Nov. Newsletter asked about the origin of the album, she explained that it was a gift to her husband from Harry Magee, founder of the Bloomsburg airport. In it are intriguing pictures of the airport in its infancy, photos of classic bi- winged aircraft and repair shops that are still used today by Columbia Aircraft Services. But this article is not just about Jo’s gift, a photo album that depicts a small portion of the airport’s history from the early 1930’s. No, it’s a story about a family whose lives were immersed in aviation and their love for it based here at the Bloomsburg airport. The best place to start would be with an episode from a local news station recorded more than 40 years ago. Click on the link below to view a six-minute story that will give you an overview of the Wright family passion for aviation. It’s an amazing story. https://1drv.ms/v/s!AlSfCmNWqcIAhlVW5harE-SzoW9m?e=EgOGuU Joanne’s storied connection to N13 began when women, especially local women, were not commonly found flying airplanes. One story Jo likes to recall occurred while she was making an approach into the Harrisburg airport with two other planes already prepared to enter the pattern ahead of her. After she made initial contact with the tower, one of the other pilots, a male, instructed the controller, “Let the lady go first. “I’ve never been sure if he was just being a gentleman or if he didn’t trust me behind him,” laughed Jo. Over the years, Jo enjoyed an extensive flying career, racking up numerous endorsements and ratings, including: a commercial pilot’s license for airplane single engine land & sea, multi-engine land, instrument, helicopter and glider. To this day, she maintains her certified flight instructor rating for single and multi-engine aircraft. 5 Bloomsburg Municipal Airport 2020 – Nov. Newsletter And, as the video highlights, Jo taught her son, Law, how to fly before he was old enough to drive. Above, Joanne cuts son Law’s shirt off. It was a tradition then too! But Jo’s involvement in aviation was more far reaching than that. In 1969, she competed in the 23rd Annual All Women’s Transcontinental Air Race (AWTAR) more commonly called the Powder Puff Derby. That year, from July 4th to the 7th, the race was flown from San Diego, California to Washington, D.C. It was a 2,515-mile event, hosting 95 aircraft and 172 pilots and co-pilots. Jo’s friend, Eleanor Stilli, sat in the right seat of the Cherokee 180, N7987W, which later became part of the Parlor City Flying Club fleet. The 1969 Derby winner was Mara Culp, flying a Piper Comanche 6 Bloomsburg Municipal Airport 2020 – Nov. Newsletter On Rt. Pilot Jo Wright, with Co-Pilot Eleanor Stilli, who participated in the cross- country Powder-Puff Derby. July 1969 (L) Cherokee 180 N7987W, later became one of the Parlor City Flying Club aircraft Women’s Air Race” for more about this historical event See side story” 7 Bloomsburg Municipal Airport 2020 – Nov. Newsletter With her helicopter rating, Jo also became a member of the Whirly-Girls, a non-profit, charitable and educational organization that aims to advance women in helicopter aviation. See the additional side story “Whirly- Girls” for more information regarding this organization. Jo is also a member of the world-wide organization of female pilots known as The Ninety-Nines: International Organization of Women Pilots that provides networking, mentoring and flight scholarship opportunities to recreational and professional female pilots. For more details about this organization, see “The 99s” another side story in this newsletter edition. 8 Bloomsburg Municipal Airport 2020 – Nov. Newsletter Jo’s passion for flying is only equaled by her love of pets. She and Law are active participants in Animal Rescue Flights, a volunteer program where pilots use their aircraft to rescue and deliver dogs and cats to their “forever homes” throughout the country. Jo was also instrumental in establishing the local PA Pets, Inc, an organization dedicated toward solving the problem of pet overpopulation by means of spaying and neutering homeless or unwanted pets. Joanne, Law, and Law’s wife Susan also a pilot, following a rescue flight. The Wright family love affair with aviation actually started with Bill Wright’s father, Bill Sr., a pilot in the First World War. If you haven’t watched the video story yet, be sure to see the interesting interview with him. As you might have guessed, Joanne’s son, Law, went on to earn advanced ratings, too. He is now an accomplished commercial single and multi-engine, instrument rated pilot. And then there is Shane Wright, a grandson, who is a helicopter mechanic and the Maintenance Manager for the Geisinger Life Flight fleet. He is currently in the process of acquiring his private pilot certificate, too. Imagine…four generations of aviators that has been a part of aviation throughout most of it’s history. Well, definitely, as long as history has been made at the Bloomsburg airport. 9 Bloomsburg Municipal Airport 2020 – Nov. Newsletter By the way, in case you were wondering, Meeley was Amelia Earhart’s nickname. Pilot Joanne Wright. ********** “The Women’s Air rAce” The first Women’s Air Derby was held on August 13th through the 20th. in 1929. It was part of the National Air Races in Cleveland, Ohio that same year. Humorist and aviation enthusiast, Will Rogers, referred to it as the Powder Puff Derby and the name has stuck ever since. At the time there were only 70 licensed women pilots in the country and only 40 that met the race requirement of having 100 hours of solo flight, including 25 hours of solo cross country. Of that group there were 20 entrants in the Derby. It took eight days to fly the route from Santa Monica, California to Cleveland, Ohio. Of the 20 planes, 15 completed the race. Navigating the route, pilots only used dead reckoning and road maps. After taking off from Santa Monica 10 Bloomsburg Municipal Airport 2020 – Nov. Newsletter stops in route to Cleveland included: San Bernardino, California; Yuma, Arizona; Douglas, Arizona; Phoenix, Arizona; El Paso, Texas; Pecos, Texas, Midland, Texas; Abilene, Texas; St. Louis, Missouri; and Cincinnati, Ohio. At each stop, the pilots stayed overnight for refueling, repairs, media attention and dinner banquets. Each year, the race course was changed. Louise Thaden came in first in the inaugural race. The 14 others included: Amelia Earhart, Ruth Elder, Edith Foltz, Mary Haizlip, Jessie Keith-Miller, Opal Kunz, Blanche Noyes, Gladys O’Donnell, Phoebe Omlie, Neva Paris, Thea Rasche, Bobbi Trout, Mary von March and Vera Dawn Walker.