JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 •Seabees at AV 2015 •AirVenture 2015 Photos Vintage Airplane Straight & Level STAFF GEOFF ROBISON EAA Publisher/Chairman of the Board VAA PRESIDENT, EAA Lifetime 268346, VAA Lifetime 12606 . Jack J. Pelton 2016 Ford F-150: Editor ................Jim Busha . [email protected] ® The FuTure oF Tough VAA Executive Administrator ..Erin Brueggen 2015—A year to remember! 920-426-6110 [email protected] Art Director .............Livy Trabbold ADVERTISING: Merry Christmas and happy new year to all our members! Vice President of Business Development The year of 2015 has proven to be a year of numerous critical deci- Dave Chaimson [email protected] sions by our board of directors that will greatly enhance the future ex- Advertising Manager periences of our Vintage members who attend AirVenture each year. It Sue Anderson [email protected] was just a few years ago that I bemoaned our financial situation in this column as being at a level where we needed to seriously address where VAA, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903 we were with our struggling finances, and it was time to take some Website: www.vintageaircraft.org Email: [email protected] serious action to address this dire development and implement some real cost-cutting policies. The VAA board of directors immediately be- gan the process with some very difficult changes in the manner in VISIT which we managed our association on a daily basis. Then, with the on- www.vintageaircraft.org set of new leadership some three years ago within the EAA officers and for the latest in information and news directors ranks, the virtually all new senior leadership team of EAA and for the electronic newsletter: stepped up and assisted the EAA divisions with a duffel bag full of Vintage AirMail process changes that have resulted in a huge impact on our ability to better manage our bottom line and get back to the business of invest- ing in our membership. The magazine is likely the biggest change and VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION improvement we have ever offered the membership. We continue to Current EAA members may join the Vintage hear accolades from the membership about the quality, content, lay- Aircraft Association and receive VINTAGE AIR- out, and enhanced feature articles within Vintage Airplane magazine. PLANE magazine for an additional $45/year. Most amazingly, we hear from members from all over the globe about EAA Membership, VINTAGE AIRPLANE this premier aviation publication, and I will remind all of our members magazine and one-year membership in the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association are available The 2016 F-150 is the toughest, smartest and most capable F-150 ever and it’s now the only full-size, light-duty truck to earn the here that this success is a direct product of the amazing efforts of staff for $55 per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not government’s highest 5-star crash rating1. and team members of the publications department of the EAA. We can included). (Add $7 for International Postage.) This F-150 is the first and only truck in its class2 with a body and bed made from high-strength, military-grade, aluminum alloys, never sufficiently thank them for their pride and hard work in creating eliminating up to 700 pounds of weight. This means greater acceleration and pulling power than ever before. Combined with the this amazing publication for us. FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS high-strength steel frame, the F-150 is more than a star…it’s 5 stars. As a good example of the enhancements we have invested in on the Please submit your remittance with a The F-150 power of choice offers four engines, including the 2.7L EcoBoost® with best in class fuel economy3, plus an impressive convention site in Oshkosh, we really must remind everyone of the all check or draft drawn on a United States 8,500 lbs. of maximum towing and 2,210 lbs. of maximum payload, when properly equipped. new Bill & Myrt Rose Memorial Park in front of the VAA Red Barn. You bank payable in United States dollars. Add have to see it to really appreciate the results of this amazing enhance- required Foreign Postage amount for each Ford F-Series – the best-selling truck, 38 years running! ment, most of which was financed with Rose family funds. We are for- membership. 1 Government 5-Star Safety Ratings are part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s New Car Assessment Program (www.safercar.gov). 2 Class is Full-Size Pickups under 8,500 lbs. GVWR based on Ford segmentation. 3 19 city/26 hwy/22 combined mpg EPA-estimated fuel economy rating. ever indebted to you, Myrt! Membership Service I must also remark here that this effort was managed and executed PO Box 3086 The Privilege of Partnership on by many key EAA staff from the maintenance department and our Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086 Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM—6:00 PM CST EAA members are eligible for special pricing on Ford Motor Company vehicles through Ford’s Partner Recognition Program. EAA development staff. This project would have never been executed To learn more about this exclusive opportunity for EAA members to save on a new Join/Renew 800-564-6322 upon without their support and leadership. [email protected] Ford vehicle, please visit www.eaa.org/ford. I recently attended the fall board meetings in Oshkosh, and all of the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh meetings were very successful. The big news of course was Jack Pelton’s www.eaa.org/airventure decision to accept the EAA board’s request that he take on the position 888-322-4636 continued on page 63 www.vintageaircraft.org 1 2016-Jan_Ford_F150_EAA_Divis_Ad-Final.indd 1 11/10/15 2:10 PM Vol. 44, No. 1 CONTENTS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 COLUMNS 12 Good Old Days 1 Straight and Level 16 44 60 The Vintage Mechanic 2015—A year to remember! 45 Years Invasion of the Seabees Evolution of aircraft instruments— Geoff Robison In the blink of an eye Celebrating 70 years of a vintage seaplane Part 4 Kyle P. White Pete Muntean 8 Ask the AME Robert G. Lock Skin cancer 20 John Patterson, M.D., AME 63 VAA New Members Vintage 2015 54 9 News/Air Mail 64 Vintage Trader Around the Pylons Picture Memory from EAA AirVenture American race planes, speediest of all, 10 How to? Oshkosh 2015 1923-1925, Part 2 Install aircraft bolts Michael Gough Robert G. Lock COVERS FRONT COVER: Jim Koepnick zooms in on a polished Seabee. BACK COVER: Celebrating the Ercoupe at EAA Oshkosh. Photo by Andy Steineke. For missing or replacement magazines, or any other membership- related questions, please call EAA Member Services at 800-JOIN-EAA (564-6322). ANY COMMENTS? Send your thoughts to the Vintage Editor at: [email protected] BRADY LANE 2 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 www.vintageaircraft.org 3 Photo story of the historic Donor Special Access to A “6-pack” Two Passes Breakfast at Tri-Motor OR Two Tickets Close Special Two Appreciation FORB Air-Conditioned of Cold to VAA Tall Pines Helicopter to VAA Picnic Auto Air Show Weekly Vintage Red Barn CONTRIBUTION Certificate Badge Volunteer Bottled Volunteer Café Ride Parking Seating Wristbands LEVELS ↓ Center Water! Party Certificate DIAMOND PLUS 2 people, 2 tickets Full week 2 people, 2 people, X X X X X X $1,500 & higher full week full week full week DIAMOND 2 people, 2 tickets Full week 2 people, X X X X X X 2016 $1,000 - $1,499 full week 1 day PLATINUM 2 people, 1 ticket 2 days X X X X X X $750 - $999 full week GOLD 1 person, 1 ticket X X X X X $500 - $749 full week SILVER 1973, the lone remnant of a long-dormant farm X X X X X became the Antique/Classic headquarters. $250 - $499 BRONZE PLUS X X X X $150 - $249 BRONZE X X X $100 - $149 LOYAL The Friends of the Red Barn program is our only annual fundraiser to sup- SUPPORTER X port the VAA members, volunteers, and Vintage hospitality at Oshkosh. The $99 and under VAA Red Barn is the centerpiece, the central gathering place for virtually all We hope each Vintage member realizes what a treasure we Please stand tall and join with us in Friends of the Red Barn; Vintage members during EAA Oshkosh each year. The Red Barn is where we have in our own facility to serve all of us each summer, and you will be forever proud and happy that you did. meet our friends, get our questions answered, sit on the front porch to rest also know that it is member-created and member-main- Charlie Harris, Director Emeritus a bit, drink lemonade, and thoroughly enjoy our aviation friends and the tained, principally through our Friends. Vintage is privileged EAA Life Member 96978, VAA Life Member 2158 spectacular events of the day. We never meet a stranger at the Red Barn; 1974, the first remodel of the Red Barn was begun to provide some very neat thank yous when you become a under the leadership of the first Antique/Classic Teveryone is on cloud nine just to be enjoying being in a place we so thor- Friend in return for your contribution. It is a win-win for all. president, E.E. Buck Hilbert (blue jump suit). oughly enjoy and, appreciate. Vintage is the very finest such organization in the world. But, the Red Barn as we know it today did not just happen. In 2000- We attract visitors from all over the world to the Red Barn 2001, Vintage found itself attempting to provide a proper, acceptable facil- and our newly expanded Vintage airplane area each summer.