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THE RESTORER'S CORNER
''I'd be glad to write for The Vintage Airplane, but I don't know how
to use a typewriter." "Sure, I'd write for the magazine, but I don't know
how to write for publication ." "You don' t want me to write for The Vin-
tage Airplane; I'm not a professional writer." Have you ever heard these
statements before? Your editors and division officers hear these and
many more similar statements all the time. For some unknown reason,
a person who can sit around and tell a great aviation story amongst a
group of fellow enthusiasts, seems to get stage fright as soon as you ask
him to put the story down on paper so that it can be published. The
psychological ramifications would be interesting to determine, but the
only thing that comes to mind is that he must have hated his fifth grade
English teacher .
Seriously, writing for publication is easy. Just tell the story in your
own words exactly as it happened. Don' t worry about punctuation,
misspelled words or grammar. Most of the time your natural instincts
in these matters will be correct. For the few times that you may make a
mistake, your editor will assume the role of your English teacher and
make corrections.
What is most important in writing for publication is the mechanics,
not the grammar or punctuation. If you write for publication and do not
use a typewriter, it is best to use lined 8
1
/2" x 11" notebook or tablet
paper and to write only on every other line. If you do type, you should
set your typewriter to type 54 characters per line and double or triple
space your lines.
Whether you type or write long hand, there are a few more pro-
cedures which are considered standard practice when writing for pub-
lication. First, you should start typing or writing your story in the middle
of the first page so that the top half can be used for titling, your byline,
and for editor's notes . The title which you give to the story and your
name should be all that appears on the upper half of this "first page".
by J. R. NIELANDER, JR.
Second you should use one side of the paper only. Third, you should
number the top of each page and also restate your title so that if the
editor should happen to mix your story with other papers on his
desk, he will not have any b'ouble identifying the individual pages and
putting your story back together. (Editors are notorious for having large
piles of papers on their desks). Fourth, at the bottom of each page,
except the last one, you should write "more" or "continued" to let the
editor know that the page he holds is not the last one in case they have
become separated. Fifth, at the bottom of the last page of your story
you should write "end" or "30" as it is done in the newspaper world, to
let the editor know that he has the whole story and has not lost any of it.
Well, that wasn't as hard as you thought it would be, was it? Just
a few simple rules of mechanics and layout, and you are a professional
wri ter already.
The only other points of importance concerning stories for publica-
tion have to do with the submission of photographs with the stories.
All photographs intended to be used along with the context of the
article should be black and white glossy prints. These prints can be of
almost any size, but generally editors like to get 5" x 7" or 8" x 10"
photographs. However, clarity and sharpness of detail are most impor-
tant and should never be sacrificed just to increase size. Color pictures
should only be submitted if you expect them to be printed in color, such
as for use on the cover, or for special color features as are found in
SPORT AVIATION, and in this case you should submit color trans-
parencies, not color prints. For color a 35 millimeter transparency is
not too small as long as it is sharp.
Now with the completion of this short course in magazine writing,
your editors will expect to be deluged with pictures and stories of your
experiences and your restorations. Please don't let them down.
EDITORIAL
STAFF
Publisher Editor
Paul H. Poberezny AI Kelch
ANTIQUE ANDCLASSIC DIVISION OFFICERS
PRESIDENT
J. R. NIELANDER, JR.
P.O. BOX 2464
FT. LAUDERDALE, FLA.33303
SECRETARY
RICHARD WAGNER
BOX 181
LYONS, WIS.53148
EVANDER BRITT
P.O. Box 458
Lumberton, N.C.28358
CLAUDE l. GRAY,JR.
9635SylviaAve.
Northridge, CA91324
JIM HORNE
3850Coronation Rd.
Eagan, MN 55122
DIVISION EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
DOROTHY CHASE, EAA HEADQUARTERS
THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE is owned exclusively by Antique ClassicAircraft , Inc.and is published monthly
at Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130. Second class Postage paid at Hales Corners Post Office, a ~ e s Gor-
ners, Wisconsin 53130 and Random Lake PostOffice, Random Lake, Wisconsin 53075. Membershiprates
for Antique Classic aircraft, Inc. at $10.00 per 12 month period of which $7.00 is for the publication to
THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Membership isopen toallwhoare interested inaviation.
Postmaster: Send Form3579 to Antique ClassicAircraft, Inc., Box 229,
HalesCorners,Wisconsin53130
VICE PRESIDENT
MORTON LESTER
P.O. BOX 3747
MARTINSVILLE,VA 24112
TREASURER
GAR W. WILLIAMS, JR.
g S 135AERO DR. , RT. 1
NAPERVILLE, ILL. 60540
DIRECTORS
AL KELCH
7018 W. Bonniwell Rd.
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E.E. "BUCK" HILBERT
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RR'18, Box 127
Indianapolis,IN 46234
Assistant Editor
Lois Kelch
Centributing Editors
H. N."Dusty" Rhodes
Evander Britt
Jim Barton
Claude Gray
Ed Escallon
Rod Spanier
Dale Gustafson
Henry Wheeler
Morton Lester
Kelly Viets
KELLY VIETS
RR 1, Box 151
Stilwell , KS 66085
JACK WINTHROP
3536Whitehall Dr.
Dallas,TX 75229
OFFICIAL MAGAZINE
ANTIQUE / CLASSIC
DIVISION
of
THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION
FEBRUARY 1976 VOLUME 4 NUMBER 2
The Restorer's Corner .................................... " .. " .... ,' 1
Stearman Fly In '75 . , , . , . , . , .. , .... , ........................... . .... " 3
Migration Of An Eaglet ...... , ... , ..... , . , .... . ........ .... .. . .. , . , . .. 7
Vintage Album ......... , . , .... . . ............ ...... ........ , .. , , .. , , ., 9
The Breath Of Life . . " .. , ................................ , .... ,', ... , 14
Whistling In The Rigging . . .. . ..... .. .. ... . ...... , .. , .... , ... ,., ... ,.. 16
The U,S. Mail, .. , . , , . , .... .. ......... , . , ...... .. .. .... , . , . , .... , .. , ,. 17
Calendar Of Events .......... , . , , , . , .. , , ..... , .. . ......... . .. , . , . . .. ,. 18
---.
,
EDITOR' S NOTE:
S.o.S.
Send Old Stories
PICTURE BOX
FRONTCOVER (Back Cover)
A beautiful Stearman to go with its owner
Even the driver of a mail truck was con-
Charlotte Parish. (See Stearman Story,
sidered an adventuresome sort for he
Page 3.)
rubbed elbows with the AIRMAIL PILOT
- an esteemed figure of the day.
Copyrightc 1976Antique ClassiC Aircraft, Inc.All Rights Reserved.
2
Dick must have enjoyed his stay because
STEARMAN FLY IN '75
he also was the last Stearman to depart
The fourth annual gathering of the
Stearman clan convened at Galesburg,
Illinois on September 5-7, 1975 and the
largest number of Stearmans yet were in
attendance. Thirty two Stearmans
spread their wings over the grass at the
municipal airport and a large contingent
of antiques, classics, a few homebuilts,
and many modern aircraft also were pres-
ent throughout the weekend. The large
By
Thomas E. Lowe
turnout of Stearmans can pay homage
partly to the good weather that pre-
vailed over most of the U.S. Gales-
burg did have IFR conditions early Fri-
day, but in general the weather co-
operated famously. However, before the
weekend was over the eastern part of the
country experienced deteriorating
weather that forestalled the arrival of
several more airplanes.
By Thursday the Fly In was off to a
great early start with eight Stearmans
already on the field. In fact, the first
arrival had flown in on Wednesday.
Airline pilot Dick Baird flew his 300
Lycoming powered MCMD Special in
from Delaware. Dick lives near Buf -
falo , New York but had spent the pre-
vious week with friends on the east
coast before starting out for Galesburg.
(Photo by Dick Stouffer)
National Stearman Fly In Co-Chairman, Jim Leahy, lifts
off at Galesburg, Illinois in his 1942 Stearman N2S-3.
for home, remaining for almost another
week. Late that afternoon all eight Stear-
mans launched off in a formation flight
a few miles to the west to Monmouth ,
Illinois to purchase supper at the air-
port where the local Prime Beef Festival
was in full sway. Chuck LeMaster was
busy barnstorming passengers in his
Ford Tri-Motor and Jim Leahy jokingly
told him that the Stearman drivers would
take a ride in the Ford if he would offer
a " special group rate" . Chuck readily
agreed and all the Stearman pilots
clambered on board and thoroughly
enjoyed the nostalgic flight backwards
into history. Another formation flight
back to Galesburg and a couple of cir-
cles over the town concluded the first
day 's activities.
Friday dawned with a low ceiling and
poor visibility and drizzling rain which
kept the field IFR until about noon. With
the weather gradually improving Dick
Baird and I obtained clearance from the
newly installed Galesburg control tower
for a two-ship formation weather recon-
naissance flight around the pattern. Any
excuse to get a little flying going! Dick
climbed into Jim Leahy's stock Stearman
and we made a formation take off and
several circuits around the pattern to
ascertain if it was legally YFR. Byafter-
noon the sun was once again shining
and several more Stearmans made it
in. Bill McBride, one of the late arrivals,
was quite chagrined when upon land-
ing he ground looped his Stearman. Bill
had been gone from home for a month
on an extended flight all over the west-
ern part of the U.S. and had been in
and out of all kinds of strips with nary
a problem. Bill's Stearman received only
minor fabric damage on one wing and
he subsequently received one of the
Hard Luck Awards. We had been justly
proud during the four years of the Na -
tional Stearman Fl y In that there had
been no ground loops whatever, but
3
(Photo by Dick Stouffer)
Illinois Governor, Dan Walker, talks with Walt Pierce
and Jim Leahy at Galesburg during the Stearman
Fly In.
this year saw two such happenings! Regardless of its
reputation, the Stearman is no more of a ground looper
than any other tail wheel airplane when handled by a
competent and proficient pilot. However, conditions
at Galesburg, not the piloting, was the greatest con-
tributing factor. The N/S runway had been under con-
struction most of the summer and the normally excel-
lent grass landing areas alongside the runway were
worse for wear and not available for use. Couple the
Stearman pilot's normal aversion for hard surfaced
runways with a very strong and gusty westerly cross-
wind that prevailed throughout the three day affair
and you have the formula for problems. By mid-after-
noon on Saturday the wind was such a factor that most
of the Stearman pilots decided discretion was the better
part of valor and sat it out awhile until the wind abated
in the evening.
Saturday was the usual beehive of Stearman activ-
ity beginning early with a mass flight dawn patrol of
seventeen Stearmans and some other airplanes to
Monmouth, Illinois for a group breakfast at Melling's
Restaurant. Bob Cassens, a local Galesburg pilot who
usually flies my Stearman some during the Fly In
each year, won for himself the SNAFU Award that
morning when he could not get the engine started. He
missed the mass take off and finally did get it going
later when he decided it might require some prime on a
cool, damp morning. Coming back to Galesburg Bob
also continued in the same vein by latching on to
several different forma tions, being out of position, and
in fun generally messing up everyone's pretty groups.
Monmouth was also the scene of another minor in-
cident. Neal Lydick was landing directly behind Jim
Leahy in the cool, dead calm air and picked up some
wake turbulence just as he was touching down and
scraped a wingtip in the grass. It seems as though some-
thing always happens at Monmouth each year, so
maybe we might go looking for breakfast somewhere
else'
That afternoon the sky at Galesburg was filled with
Stearmans participating in the flying contests as well as
much other fun flying. The contests were hotly battled
and the highlight of the day was the formation flying
contest. Stearman pilots pride themselves on their for-
mation flying ability and when all the passes over the
field had been completed, the judges decided that a tie
was in order and two groups of four airplanes were
declared as Co-Champions. That evening a mass flight
of twenty-seven Stearmans paraded through the skies
over Galesburg and then settled back to earth for all to
enjoy the excellent steak dinner and the fun and fellow-
ship of the awards ceremonies.
Sunrise Sunday morning also was greeted with
another dawn patrol of ten Stearmans with a subse-
quent return to the airport. A large gathering met in
the main hangar for a fly in breakfast and the remainder
of the morning was spent in the last rounds of fun fly-
ing, buddy hops, and conversing with old and new
friends alike. That afternoon a fine professional air-
show was presented featuring Walt and Sandi Pierce,
Jim Leahy, Darwin McClure, Dwain Treton, and J. D.
Hill. The airshow was opened with a five Stearman
formation flight led by John Hooper and John McCor-
mick in their N2S-S. As the group passed by the crowd
Dick Baird pulled his Stearman up and out of the flight
creating a "missing man formation" in honor of Lloyd
Stearman who passed away in April. Other pilots in
the flight were Allen Larson, Dick Hansen, and myself.
A group of four Beech T -34's also performed a fine for-
mation flying routine which was appreciated by the
pilots and crowd alike.
Each year the National Stearman Fly In seems to
improve and gain momentum and the participants
eagerly look forward to seeing the many airplanes as
well as renewing the warm bond of enthusiasm and
friendship that cements together the band of followers
that are devoted to this great old biplane. The great
support of the City and citizens of Galesburg, Illinois
and the continuing help from Stearman people such as
Bob Chambers and Hugh Wilson of Dusters & Sprayers
Supply and Don McKinnon of Agri-Air insure its con-
tinued growth. The annual date for the Stearman Fly
In has now been firmly established as the second week-
end of September and this year the dates are Septem-
ber 10-12, 1976. So early this fall, everyone plan to
point their machines toward Galesburg, you all are
welcome.
N NUMBER
N44JP
N4429N
N61559
N52533
N60562
N60238
N59448
N9078H
N55626
N66740
N66417
N52143
N22JH
N64993
N53040
N54601
N49999
N53422
N55809
N51062
N61496
Nl04L
N59737
N79535
NX450EE
N58233
N61V
N9914H
N61W
N4079
N58095
N50091
STEARMANS AT THE FLY IN
PILOT
Charlotte Parish & Bob Graves,
Tullahoma.Tennessee
Patrick Kelley &Jim Heinz,
Hazelwood &51 Louis.Missouri
R. F.Johansson.St. Charles. Missouri
Ron Jewell. Manchester. Missouri
John Hooper &John McCormick,
New Orleans. Louisiana
Bob Hood. Carthage, Missouri
Dick Hansen, Batavia. Illinois
F. R. & Jeannie Griffin.
Minnetonka Beach. Minnesota
Byron Fredericksen &Charles Andreas.
Neenah. Wisconsin
Dick Baird . Williamsville, New York
Tom Lowe. Crystal Lake, Illinois
Bill HUll .Alexandria, Virginia
Jim Harris,Carthage, Missouri
Peter Spear &Bill Johnson,
Morton Grove &Oak Brook, Illinois
Franklin Flying Field,
Franklin, Indiana
Wes Todd,Oconomowoc,Wisconsin
Tom Gordon &Dave Lillie
University of Illinois,Savoy, Illinois
Jarvis Knight , Leland, Illinois
Michael Hall , Palatine,Illinois
Bill Hutchinson & Mel McGee
St. Clair Shores. MichIgan
Edward Brockman, Farmington Hills,
Michigan
Christine Winzer, Elgin, Illinois
John Travios &Dick Schlegel ,
Ottumwa, Iowa
John Ruhlin, Jr.,Akron, Ohio
Walt Pierce,Avon Park,Florida
Bill McBride, Birmingham, Michigan
Neal Lydick, Louisville,Kentucky
Jim Leahy.Galesburg, lIinois
Allen Larson,Capron, Illinois
Jerry Carter, Charleston,Illinois
Larry Posey, Bryn Athyn. Pennsylvania
Loma Beaty. Fort Payne, Atabama
4
(Photo by Kenneth O. Wilson)
Two Stearman PT-17's fly formation
over the Illinois farmlands at Galesburg.
(Photo by Kenneth O. Wilson)
Charlotte Parish and Larry Posey fly
formation in their Navy marked Stear-
mans during the 4th National Stearman
Fly In.
(Photo by Kenneth 0 . Wilson)
SRA members and Stearman pilots pose with
Byron Fredericksen 's newly rebuilt N2S-3.
AWARDS
EARLY BIRD AWARD
Stearman A75, N66740, Dick Baird
TIRED BUTT AWARD
Stearman N2S-5, N60562, John McCormick &
John Hooper
BEST HANGAR PILOT
Larry Palmer-Ball, Jr.
MOST CONGENIAL
Stearman N2S-5, N9078H, F. R. " Griff" &
Jeannie Griffin
HARD LUCK AWARD
Jack Stamer
SNAFU AWARD
Bob Cassens
HERO AWARD
Stearman A75, N61559, R.F. " Slim" Johansson
COWARD AWARD
Stearman PT-17, N58233, Bill McBride
OLDEST PILOT AWARD
Stearman A75, N54601 , Wes Todd
YOUNGEST PILOT AWARD
Dan Gable
SALVO BOMBING CONTEST
Stearman A75, N61559, R.F. " Slim " Johansson
SHORT FIELD TAKE-OFF CONTEST
Stearman A75, N79535, John Ruhlin, Jr.
SLIP TO A CIRCLE CONTEST
Stearman PT-17, N58095, Larry Posey
AAA AWARD - OLDEST STEARMAN
Stearman PT-17, N22JH , Jim Harris
FORMATION FLYING CONTEST (tie)
N9914H, Jim Leahy N9078H, F. R. Griffin
N66417, Tom Lowe N61559, R. F. Johansson
N61W, AI Larson N79535, John Ruhlin , Jr.
N60562, John Hooper & N50091 , Loma Beatty
N60562, John McCormick
DUSTERS & SPRAYERS SUPPLY AWARDS
GRAND CHAMPION STEARMAN
Stearman N2S-5, N9078H , F.R. & Jeannie Griffin
BEST RESTORED STEARMAN
Stearman N2S-3, N9914H, Jim Leahy
HARD LUCK AWARD
Stearman N2S-1, N61 V, Neal Lydick
AGRI-AIR AWARDS
$25 MERCHANDISE CERTIFICATES
Stearman N2S-1 , N61V, Neal Lydick
Stearman PT-17, N58233, Bill McBride
Stearman N2S-5, N60562, John McCormick &
John Hooper
STEARMAN RESTORERS ASSOCIATION AWARDS
BILL ADAMS MEMORIAL AWARD
Ray McGraw, Galesburg, Illinois
BEST STEARMAN PT
Stearman PT-17, N58233, Bill McBride
BEST STEARMAN N2S
Stearman N2S-3, N55626, Byron Fredericksen &
Charles Andreas
BEST CUSTOM STEARMAN
Stearman, N79535, John Ruhlin, Jr.
BEST CIVILIAN STOCK STEARMAN
Stearman A75, N61559, R.F. Johansson
BLOOD, SWEAT, & TEARS
Stearman N2S-5, N44JP, Charlotte Parish
SRA SPECIAL SERVICE AWARD
John E. Peters, Kulm, North Dakota
5
..
...........

(Photo byKenneth D. Wilson)
R. F. "Slim" Johansson poseswith hisbeautiful
stockStearman.
(Photo byKenneth D. Wilson)
Line up ofpart of the Stearmans at Galesburg
during the 4th NationalStearman Fly In.
(Photo byKenneth D. Wilson)
300 Lycoming powered MCMo Special Stear-
man owned by Christine Winzer, a FAA Flight
InspectoratouPage Co. Airport.
(Photo byKenneth D. Wilson)
John Travios and Dick Schlegel, N59737, and
Bill McBride run up in the grass at Monmouth,
Illinois.
(Photo byKenneth D. Wilson)
SRA President, Tom Lowe, presents the Bill
Adams Memorial Award to Ray McGraw.
6
Firststop Cambenton, MO with Bonanza as "Chase Plane".
j.tigration01an Gaglet
By
Ken Morris
It seems that every anti quer has in hi s drea ms a barn;
not just a ny barn; not full of tractors, corn and soy-
beans; for thi s is a dream barn; a ba rn tha t no farmer
could reall y love. It is the one with the barely legibl e
" No Tres passing" sign at the mouth of the road leading
up the hill. The road itself, choked with weeds and
brush defi es entry, but to t)ur dreame r, even traversing
the Ho Chi Mein Trail would be worth the struggle.
On top of the hill is that worn out dil apidated "Gold
Mine". First glance reveals nothing more ominous than
sparrow nes ts in th e rusted door tracks. The n he no-
ti ces tha t the doors are s lightly larger than would be
useful for a tractor (unl ess it had wings). It is also
equipped with a rusty pole extending upwa rd fr om the
roof, s porting tattered remnants of cl oth .
Heartbeat qui ckens a nd a smil e broad ens as he
brushes the weeds and trash awav from the unmown
apron as he a pproaches the door. -
Once the door is opened however, we seem to have
a difference of opini on of wha t shoul d or will be in the
barn . It coul d be anythi ng from a Model A to a Tri -
motor, but I do not thin k there would be too many com-
plaints about the fra mework of a Jenny, comple te with
a dusty OX-5 hanging on its nose. A Curtis Robin or an
Ari stocrat would be ni ce. Or maybe ...
I know where there is a ba rn with just such a treas ure.
It is a real barn with a real treasure. Granted, some of
the excitement of the Ho Chi Mein Trail may be lack-
ing. An Interstate highway runs one half mil e south
and you do not even need a machine to get to the door;
you can drive right up. Once inside, trying to decide
whether to go over or under the tractor is probably the
most exciting part of th e trip.
Once pas t th e tractor, airpl ane parts a re clea rl y
visi ble and full y cloth ed . A set of ch rome yellow wi ngs
span one entire secti on as incons pi cuous, as nylons
strung arou nd the ba th room. The fuselage is suspended
fr olll the trusses, imita ting a hammock. Mi scell aneous
tail fea thers compl ete the decor.
Thi s is the Ameri can Eaglet; America n Eagle Cor-
poration's answer to fly ing through the depression
for a doll ar an hour. (Ass uming its th ree cylinde r
Szekely engine woul d ru n conti nuously for tha t
amount of time.) The Eaglet somehow seems more at
home here for the winter among th e tractors, corn,
a nd soybeans on a d irty wooden floor, tha n in a hea ted
han gar stuck be hin d a Barron where it ca nnot even
leak oil without feeling guilty.
The Eaglet was moved to its wi nter home in No-
vember; one of those long underwear, it does not want
to start days.
My dad has known of thi s particular Eaglet for
several years, owned by Earni e Seil er of Marsh field,
Missouri . Occasional visits noted the slow progress,
as Ea rnie ably res tored it over another several years,
fini s hing it in August, 1970. Since that time the littl e
Eaglet sat in its open hangar, having fl own onl y fi ve
or six times .
In April , 1975, a fr iend and I were enroute to the
NIFA Air Meet in Sa nta Fe, New Mexico in our Cess na
140A. Our first ni ght stop Wi1S Spring fi eld, Mi ssouri
and des pite our disgusting ground s peed we were
a hea d of schedul e. So, I decided to find Erni e's airs trip
a nd show Jeff Wa lter "a neat old ai rpl a ne" .
Finding Erni e's is a proverbi al needle. Aft er finding
Fairgrove, Missouri , fl y east down county EE and turn
left on th e larger hi ghway. Whe n yo u get to th e church
on th e northeast corner of an inte rsecti on, turn right,
fl y about five miles a nd pres to, si mple . While talking
to Erni e tha t aft ernoon, he hinted a t selling the Eag-
let and whil e talking to my d ad later, I "casually"
menti oned Erni e's thoughts. A very strange look came
over hi s face; simil ar to that of a ca t ca ught swall owing
a canary. Upon that, trying to be nonchala nt , pen im-
medi a tely me t pa per in letter form. Oh, I'm sure tha t he
was full y aware tha t it wo uld be, to say the least, an
expensive toy. I knew that he was acting irra ti onal
and Mary was not helping things a bit, since she had
just seen "The Grea t Waldo Pepper". But who am I to
criti cize; besides, I was conte nt to sit back with tha t
pre-di scussed look on my face a nd dream about
" Waldo". (I 've seen it six times).
Aft er totaling nearl y a dollars worth of postage th ey
fin all y se ttl ed on a pri ce and in a wea k mome nt da d
threw in hs set of six U.S. Civil Ai rcraft, by Juptner.
These have later been replaced, but at a much higher
price th an ori ginall y paid .
Somewhere in th e middl e o f the pos tage swap ping,
Dad and I fl ew down to Erni e's to "kick tires" and hope-
full y fl y th e Eaglet. (Tha t makes twice in succession
tha t I've found that Airs tri p .) Relucta ntl y a nd lovingly
Erni e un wrapped the Szekely and let us cra nk it up .
Afte r blowi ng oil all over Erni e' s new coverall s " Szek"
se ttl ed down to the mos t bea utiful racket [ havL' ever
7
Mary' s Eaglet Lesson No. 4, " No false eye lashes."
hea rd. As the Eaglet sat th ere popping and choking,
dad yell ed in my ear that the sound of that engine
was more than worth the trip.
Pl ans immediately began taking pl ace for moving
the Eaglet from Marshfield, Missouri to a private
strip just south of Marengo, Illinois. The master
plan consisted of flying the old bird that 420 miles,
using th e Bonanza as a chase plane ca rrying tools,
spare parts, etc..
Erni e was against flying the airpl ane home and sug-
ges ted trucking it. He is one of the ni cest guys around;
a real honest anti quer that knows hi s st uff. Anyone
who knows Ernie and hi s wife, Eli zabeth, will verify
that a visitor is made welcome immediately. The older
the airplane you fl y in, and the more fabric and wings
it ha s, the speedier the welcome, and as many hours of
golde n age chit- chat that each of you can spare. Any-
one who knows Erni e wi ll swear that he wi ll li ve for-
ever, even though li stening to him would give you the
impression that forever is tomorrow.
Defying all rationality and despite Erni e's protes ts,
Dad, Mary, myself, and a very hea lth y tool box boarded
the Bonanza to renavigate our way to Marshfi eld.
Ri cha rd Bach , in one of hi s books, talks about that
" big briefing in the sky"; (the one we missed) where it
is explained th at Ameri can Eaglet's just do not like to
fl y 420 mil es without so much as an irregul ar pop or
choke once in awhil e.
The American Eaglet was built in Kansas Ci ty, Kan-
sas with all its mighty horses built one at a time in
Holland, Mi chi gan by Szekely. Together, they were the
firs t two pl ace ultralights to receive an A.T.e. from the
Civil Aeronautics Admini stra ti on. (No. 380 on
Nov. 18, 1931) O ur Eaglet roll ed out of the America n
Earnest " Lindy" and Lizzy Seiler, just past owners.
Eagle factory in Kansas City weighing 450 pounds . With
its 30 horse Szekely turning 1600 rpm, it would cruise
at 55 mil es an hour.
Upon finding Erni e's and taking away the chicken
wire fence that guarded the Eaglet's nes t, we immediate-
ly began to un wra p and unstrap the littl e bird. It was
li ke unwra pping a gift without trying to save any
paper.
After adding Marvel Mystery oil to the gas, oil, and
greas ing the rocker arms and oiling the valve stems,
th e Eaglet was popping off like it was the fourth of July
and ready to fl y.
Dad clambered into the front sea t solo and off he
went ... VI . . . VR. Within approximately 100 feet the
Eaglet had accelerated to a neck stretching 30 mil es an
hour and was scratching for altitude.
The Eaglet model 230, such as thi s one, ori gi nall y
sported 30 horse power, but thi s one was factory up-
dated to 35 horse power giving it five spare horses.
After half an hour of disrupting the air over Ernie's
sh'i p, he ca me down wearing splotch es of grease all
over hi s face and a big broad smile to match.
Then having more confidence in hi s son, than hi s
son did, it was my turn for a pri va te checkout. Thrusting
my jaw forward and dawning on my imaginary lea ther
jacket, gloves, helmet and goggles I pr epared to meet
the no brakes a nd tail s kid chall enge for the first time,
even though I was alrea dy famili ar with them, having
seen "Waldo Pepper" so many times.
Taxiing to the runway I gave the old Bosch mags
a check, hoping th ey were still young at heart; wi th
that and checking my seat belt, the checkli st was com-
plete, and th e mighty Szek bl atted to li fe. I feel that
something should be sa id here about imaginary density
altitude. That is, when you think it will fly, but it
would rather play see-saw. Aft er hopping and bounc-
ing down the strip I learned . (American Eaglet Les-
son Number 1) .
After Dad, Mary, and I all had our thrill for the day,
we settl ed down for a good nights sleep anticipating
the following morning, as vi sions of Szekel ys danced
in our heads.
The next morning dawned bright and sunny. With
everyone bustling with excitement, an added touch was
riding out to Ernie's in my Grandad's 1939 LaSalle.
That got us in the spirit of antiquing.
Within an hour my dad was off for Camdenton,
Missouri, the first leg of the long ferry flight. As he
took off and flew by us, he must have sensed that he
had taken a long time friend away from the Seilers.
Within minutes Mary and I completed the loading of the
Bonanza, including spare propeller and grease gun and
took off in pursuit.
Dad and I traded off legs of about an hour each
while th e other rested in the Bonanza as Mary flew us
to the next stop.
As time and pos teriors wore on, it became apparent
that we were going to have to hustl e to get to Marengo
before dark. I got to Princeton, Illinois, the last s top
south, in late afternoon, as shadows were beginning
to exaggera te detail.
I elected to go for the las t leg and try to make ithome
whil e Dad and Mary went on to Elgin, and home, to
guard the phone.
We had noti ced that the exposed valve lifter clear-
ance grew progressively wider as the day and the
Szekely wore on. Finally ten mil es north of Princeton
the cl earance became overwhelming and one of the
spacers between th e lifter and valve departed, leaving
behind a mad lifter and a closed valve. The Szek man-
ages to pull this littl e " ultra- lite" very well indeed, but
it does need each and every cylinder to maintain its
steady racket and altitude. All of thi s ha ppened right
over the littl e town of La Moille, Illinois. The onl y land-
ing pl ace that I could see was a small but adequate hay
fi eld on the edge of town. Having just passed it I circl ed
back squeezing 1100 rpm out of it, and wondering what
I'm going to do without any tools. (American Eaglet
Lesson Number 2) Once the fi eld was made I pull ed
the power and Szek began making its usual wild gyra-
ti ons of popping, choking, wheezing and spitting.
Before r even came to a stop, what seemed like the
whole town was s tampeeding through a soybean field
(Continued on Page 18)
8
Vintage
Men and Thei
~ - : ; ~ ~ ~ .....---., . . . . . . - ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
1: Air Mail Delivery Minneapolis 1929.
2: 1934 Fairchild 22, with L-320 Wright Gipsy engine.
3: English Avro Avian taken 1929.
4: N. w.A. arriving over Minneapolis.
Album
- .
Intage Machines
, .
c-........ .- ., .,...
;;v
" . . .-' .
Hisso IN-4-0, with pilot Art Golbe and AI Johnson on
'e bicycle .
. P-1 , OX5, at Parks Airport (East St. Louis, Illinois.)
:J29 Parks.
FOKKER F-32 (1930)
SIKORSKY S-38A AMPHIBIAN (1929)
AIR EXPRESS".,.
. _ , . -:: " ..
-
FOKKER SUPER-UNI VERSAL (1 932)
W4 lb
Submitted By Claude Gray
Western Air Lines, is the only survivorofa handful of
airlines that pioneeredcommercial air transportation in the
U.s. in the mid-twenties.
Western was incorporated on July 13, 1925, with
headquarters in Los Angeles.
The first flight took place on April 17, 1926, leaving Los
Angeles for Salt Lake City via Las Vegas. Western,
which was then call ed "Western Air Express", used open-
cockpit Douglas M-2 aircraft, powered by a single
Liberty engine .
KEYSTONE-LOENI NG C2H AMPHIBIAN (1 929)
11
Tha t firs t rou te gave Los Angeles its
first transcontinental air service, and
put Southern California on the air mail
map.
Aviation was in its infancy in those
days and there was a certain amount of
b r ~ v d o attached to facing the ele-
ments in the open-cockpit planes.
Standard equipment for passengers was
a flying suit, goggles, gloves, para-
chute and lots of courage.
Much to everyone's surprise, when
1926 came to a close, Western had a net
profit of $28,674.19. And by October
1927, Western became the first airline
in hi story to pay a cash dividend to its
stockholders.
In 1928, the Guggenheim Foundation
chose Western to set up a " model air-
way" betwee n Los Angeles and San
Francisco (then served through the air-
port at Oakland). It was to incorporate
th e la test in technical perfection and
passenger safety and comfort.
With a loa n from the Foundation,
West ern purchased th ree Fokker F-10
trimotor aircraft. This per mitt ed pas-
sengers to si t in com fortable wicker
chairs inside the cabin and be served
meals by a stewa rd (the f irst flight
attendants in U.S. domes tic service).
No longer did they have to bear the
burden of a sack of mail in th ei r laps
or have to worry about not being allow-
ed aboard because there was too much
mail , which took priority over passen-
gers.
A series of weather stations was set
up along th e route, the first time any
airline had ever done so.
Because commercial aviation was a
new industry, much of the improvement
in th e "state of the art" was up to the
airlines the mselv es . Western was a
leader. It contributed many first s to the
industry - some of them technological
developmentc; soon adopted as standard
by other airlines and the government.
Under the guidance of He rbert
Hoover ]r. , son of the president, West-
ern developed the first air-to-ground
radio, in cooperation with Thorpe His-
cock of Boeing. That was in 1929.
A year later, Western introduced the
Fokker F-32 aircraft to commercial air-
line operations . It was a four-engined
plane capable of carrying 32 passengers
- by far the largest airliner in the world
at that time. Though the plane didn't
prove economical and was soon re-
placed, it did give the public a glimpse
of things to come.
A young Wes tern cargo clerk with a
yen for weather forecasting joined the
company. His name was Irving Krick.
He d eveloped the air mass analysis
sys tem of weather foreca s ting which
proved re markably accurate. Soon
Western was known as "The Airline
With Perpetual Tailwinds".
During the first five years of the air-
line's existence, it grew steadily. A
series of mergers finitlly made it the
world's largest airline in 1930, with
routes stretching 15,832 miles.
One of the most important contribu-
tions Western made to commercial avia-
tion was the use of the directional radio
compass for air navigation. This instru-
ment became the prime navigation
instrument for nearly 30 years and is
stili used today.
But the air line had its ups and
downs . In 1934, the Post Office Depart-
ment cancelled all airmail contracts.
Many airlines went out of business .
Western, which in 1930 had consoli-
dated all but its first route (Los Angeles-
Las Vegas-Salt Lake City with a San
Diego spur added) managed to keep
going. The other half of the consolida-
tion went on to become today's TWA.
Slowly, things got better. The DC-3
aircraft came on the scene and pas-
NORTHROPALPHA (1930)
FOKKER F-14 (1930)
LOCKHEED VEGA (1930)
12
LINes
- --- -".-
STEARMAN MODEL 04(1927)
BOEING MODEL40-B-4 (1930)
sengers replaced mail and fr eight as th e prime source
of revenue. To refl ect thi s change, Wes tern changed
its name from "Express" to Air Lines in 1941.
World War II stripped the company down to three
DC-3s and a couple of Lockhe ed Lodestars . But Western
was given two important war mi ssions: to train pil ots
for th e military, and to fl y men and materi al to Al aska
in the famous "Sourdough Operati on."
In 1944, a merger with Inl and Air Lines expanded
Western in the Rocki es and into South Dakota.
It was al so the year Wes tern just appli ed for new
DOUGLAS M-2(1926)
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Builtin 1925
Passenger Capacity . ...... Pilot plus oneor
two passengers
Cargo Capacity ...... ............1,000 Ibs.
Fuel load . ...... . . .... . ......180 U.S.gals.
Cruisingspeed .... . . .... .. ... ....115 mph
Engine................415 hp Liberty(one)
Cruising range ... . . .... .. . ... ...600 mi les
Ceiling . ..... . ...... . . ...........15,000 ft .
Cost ..............................$11,500
Western Airlines' first passenger aboard the
Douglas M-2 was Ben Redman who flew to
Los Angeles from Salt Lake City via Las
Vegas on May23, 1926.
First woman passenger: Maude Campbell.
Fi rst WAL pilots: Fred W. Kelly. AI De-
Garmo, JimmyJames and Maurice Graham.
routes to Hawa ii , to compet e with Pa n Ameri ca n.
On January 1, 1947, Terrell C. Drinkwater became
president of Wes tern . A lawyer from Colorado, Drink-
wa ter was also educa ted in Hawaii and hoped that hi s
airline would secur e rights to the Islands .
But the company was in financial difficulty. Drink-
wa ter accepted th e chall enge and bega n a poli cy of
"constructi ve contracti on" . At one stage, th e company
had to sell aircraft tires to meet the payroll. It worked
and soon the airline inched backed int o the black.
The ea rl y Fifti es saw th e int rod ucti on of th e Doug-
BOEING MODEL95 (1928)
,
.
WACO EQC-6 (1937)
las DC-6B. Western eventuall y bought 31 of them. The
company's ro utes s t retche d al ong th e entir e West
Coast a nd in 1957 were ext ended to Mexico City. They
went as far east as Minnea poli s/St. Pa ul.
In 1960, Wes tern ent er ed the Jet Age with the
leasing of two Boeing 707s . It was also the year that a
White House decis ion to delay internati ona l ro ut e
awa rd s in th e Pacific prevented Wes tern from operat-
ing new domesti c routes to Hawaii tha t the company
had been awa rded by the Civil Aeronauti cs Board in
the firs t Tra nspacifi c Route case. (Continuedon Page 16)
13
The Breath of Life
By Dick Wagner
Through the dedicated efforts of
many, the EAA' s Northrop Alpha,
NC11 Y, has been given a new lease on
life. A group of TWA craftsmen have
undertaken the painstaking restora-
tion of a last remaining Northrop
Alpha. The aircraft is being prepared
for presentation to the Smithsonian
National Air and Space Museum ,
where it will be displayed in their
transporation exhibit, for millions to
view.
The aircraft was originally delivered
to the assistant secretary of commerce
Alpha Project technical coordinator Dan McGrogan,
right, leads TWA volunteers in extricating N11 Y from
the barn'in Burlington, Wis., last March for the ride
home by truck to Kansas City. '
14
for aeronautics, Colonel Clarence M.
Young , as NS-1 , in November, 1930.
Subsequently, the aircraft was owned
by the Ford Motor Company, of
Dearborn , Michigan , and later was
sold to National Air Transport of Chi -
cago, where it received its current
registration, NC11 Y. It joined TWA
Airlines on November 27, 1931, when
National Air Transport sold her to
Trans Continental and Western Air ,
Inc. NC11 Y performed able service
until February, 1932, when she went to
Wichita for conversion to a Model 4A.
She flew the line evidently as a 4A
until April 26, 1935, when Mr. Frede-
rick B. Lee, of New York, acquired her.
By this time the majority of the 13
original Alphas had been retired. It
was Mr. Lee ' s desire to fly NC11 Y
around the world and have her out-
fitted with floats, as a seaplane. The
feat was never accomplished and the
aircraft was again resold to a Mr. Harry
Spalding of New York, who converted
it back to a land aircraft. Some point
late in 1937, the aircraft was sold again
to a Mr . Connoley, of Richfield, Con-
necticut . From that point until the
acquisition by Mr. Foster Hannaford,
Jr., of Winnetka, Illinois, in 1946, no
records exist. It was Mr. Hannaford' s
dream to preserve at least the last re-
maining example of the Northrop
Alpha; however, this dream was not
realized by his untimely death.
Mr. Hannaford, Sr ., donated the
Upper Left: N11 Y awaits installation
of engine. Mid-December, 1975.
Lower Left: N11 Y sits on the ramp at
Wichita in 1932 following conversion
to Model 4A for TWA. The Alpha will
be in this configuration when delivered
to the Smithsonian February 2, 1976.
Alpha and the additional material t o
the Experimental Aircraft Assoc iation
where it was moved and stored in 1972
at their site of the future proposed
world aeronautical center, adjacent to
the Burlington Municipal Airport ,
Burlington, Wisconsin . It was here that
representatives of the Smithsonian
and the TWA volunteers came and
viewed the remains after 39 years .
Headed by Dan McCorgan, the inspec-
tion team determined the feasibility
of restoration and the aircraft was
moved from its resting site to the TWA
overhaul facilities at Kansas City. It
took several months just to dismantle
for cleaning and i nspection, but in
July of 1975 the corner was turned
and the aircraft began to regain much
of its former stature. There are many
interesting stories regarding the opera-
tion of the Alphas while they served
TWA. It's alleged that the Alphas hold
the all-time record for number of
ground loops per model of aircraft.
In future issues we hope to cover
some of the pilot comments, and other
interesting anecdotes of the operation
and history of the Northrop Alphas in
their operating career.
The EAA and their members can be
quite proud of the contribution they
are making, through their efforts and
the efforts of the dedicated crew of
TWA, in preserving a piece of aviation
history.
EXPERIMENTA L
AIRCRAFT ASSN.
15
" ,
3 2 1 * /Jj
"Whistling In The Rigging"
By
Paul H. Poberezny
EAA President
The preservation of aviation history and the pro-
motion of aviation education is something that we are
all vitally interested in. Effort in these areas is es-
sential in order for aviation to prosper and grow. It
is important that we use lessons learned from the past
as a mea ns of educa ti ng present and fu ture avia tion
enthusiasts.
It is in this setting that your Board of Directors
held their first 1976 meeting at the EAA and EAA Air
Museum Foundation Headquarters complex, amidst
aircraft such as a Curtiss Pusher, a Jenny, Curtiss Ro-
bin, Monocoupe and other well known names of yes-
terday. Your Board spent over eight hours in session
discussing the problems and programs of the Antique!
Classic Division .
Over the years, EAA and the Foundation have pro-
vided a home for sport aviation enthusiasts ... a
place where all can gather to discuss problems, pro-
grams and just plain exchange stories. Away from the
hub-bub of Washington, which has become the home
of many national organizations, it allows us all to
think clearly and get together on a "grass roots" basis.
The Experimental Aircraft Association provides
th e umbrella under which all of us work. In last
month's column I mentioned that if we did not have
an organization and the backing of a reasonably large
membership, our voice would not be heard and many
aeronautical advancements will come to a standstill.
In our enthusiasm to move ahead and develop our
own special interests, we must not lose sight of the
overall big picture. We are all EAA' ers interested in
promoting sport aviation - whether we fly a home-
built, an antique, classic or a warbird - EAA is YOUR
organization.
If each of us were to go off alone, we would have
nothing. It is important that the Directors and Of-
ficers of all EAA affiliates work closely together with
the EAA Board to insure continuity in policy and pro-
duction. To coin a cliche - "United we stand -
divided we fa ll".
Since the EAA Air Museum Foundation was found-
ed in 1%3, many have questioned its value. I have
heard comments from those who live thousands of
miles away saying, "What good does it do for me? I
am too far away to visit it. Why not move it to Cali-
fornia or Texas or Florida or the east coast?" Unfor-
tunately, no matter what physical location we may
select, there will always be those who geographic-
ally are not close.
The EAA Air Museum Foundation is preserving and
telling sport aviation's story. The display of historical
aircraft, engines and artifacts is only one small part
of the work that the Foundation is doing. In addition
to the displays, which were visited by over 50,000
people in 1975, the Foundation publishes over 25
educational manuals on the constructiDn and restora-
tion of sport aircraft. These manuals are used not
only by EAA'ers, but numerous educational institu-
tions.
Project Schoolflight has become a very important
program with over 100 high schools and technical
schools participating. We have learned that the build-
ing of an aircraft does a great deal in developing
skills and pride in accomplishment for today's young
people.
One of the greatest benefits that \he Foundation
provides is an intangible one. It a setting for
important meetings that cannot be dup!icated. Over
the years we have held numeroL<S Directors meetings
and aviation conferences. To a gceat extent, the suc-
cess of each of these conference,; has been due in
part to the work of the Foundation. The aura of avia-
tion permeates through the walls and gives each
attendee that added incentive to get the job done.
Your Board of Directors kicked off our Bicenten-
nial year with an excellent meeting. Many subjects,
ranging from your publication, The Vintage Air-
plane, to the upcoming EAA International Convention
and Sport Aviation Exhibition were discussed. Each
one of you OWL" " debt of gratitude and thanks to
these gentlemen who are spending their time, effort
and finances on your behalf. The surface has only
been scratched and there is a great deal to be done.
Bu t, if this meeting was any indication, I feel confi-
dent that your Board of Directors will meet the chal-
lenges put before them.
I would like to commend all those who have in-
dicated their willingness to serve as contributing
editors for The Vintage Airplane. AI Kelch has taken
on a tremendous task in pu tting together this monthly
publication. I know he will greatly appreciate any and
all assistance he can receive in the way of articles,
photographs or just plain moral support.

;;- L \
/ "- \
j ' c \
' r$\ ltss \ .
'\\ DIYISIDN
Ii \\
II o);
.,\----==c-..,
THE OLD WEST . ..
(Contl ned f rom Page 13)
After years of litigation, the entire case was set
aside and Western's awards withdrawn. A new case
was started and the whole transpacific route pattern
was re-investigated.
On Jan. 4, 1969, Western once again won routes to
Hawaii, and finally, 25 years after first seeking the
Hawaii routes, links the Islands with direct service to
major cities throughout the West.
Western also brings Hawaii its first direct air link
with Alaska - to Anchorage. Western secured routes
to Alaska by merging with Pacific Northern Airlines
in 1967, thus extending the carrier north of Seattle!
Tacoma to nine cities in the 49th state.
From that first 600-miles route to Salt Lake City,
flown with open-cockpit biplanes, Western now serves
42 major cities - from Anchorage in the North to
Acapulco in the South and Honolulu in the West to
the Twin Cities in the East. All of its planes are jets
with the most recent jet being the wide-bodied Doug-
las DC-lO.
Western has written a proud heritage in aviation
history across the skies of America.
16
November4, 1975
Hi Nick!
I thought that you may like some informa-
tiononthe airplaneshown on page
23 ofVintage Airplane, Sept.-Oct. 1975.
It was ahomebuilt,3-place Swallow
thatwas puttogetherby Bruce
Raymond in 1930. A Hisso was the power-
plantandtheairplane serial number
was 1-R
Thewings were builtin the old Silver
Plate factoryin Elgin by Bruce,
which was also the same building that
theTA-Ho-MAwas built. Atthat
time, Bruce worked for A.S.&T. at Midway
Airportand hebuiltthefuselage
in thebackoftheirhanger. The maiden
flightwas on Nov. 1B, 1930.
This aircraft was still registered to Bruce
in 1936, withthe registration
expiring on April 1,1936. He could
haveowned itforsometimeafterthis,but
he latersold ittoa Smoky Balserof
Sacramento.
Bob Baker
1040Valewood Rd.
Bartlett, IL60103
January7, 1976
Dear Sirs:
Iwould liketo join the Antique&
Classic Division ofthe EAA.
I saw your advertisement in the August
1975issue.
For the past5years I have been
bui Idingan exact replica (as nearas
possible) ofaNieuport 2B. I have a Gnome
9'er which I have overhauled and had in
a teststand. (Runs beautifully).
Thankingyou,
A. R Quinney
RR1
Ladysmith, B.C.
Canada VOR 2EO
17
January4, 1976
Dear Sirs:
Enclosed is my checkto join theEAA
Antique& Classic Division. This is
something I should have done
long ago but justneverdid.
My interest and participation goes
backtotheearly50'swhenthe
planes were junkersand not antiques.
The first was a YKS-6 Waco which I rebuilt
and then traded fora RNF Waco. The
RNF was latertraded fora 200
Warner engine cowling and prop which I put
in my 0-145 Monocoupe.Ithas
been seen around the countryas Big
Red - N11733. I flewitup here
in 195B. Triedto give ittothe
EM Museum about 1964, it was apart in
a garage in Raleigh,NC atthat
time but could notgetanyoneto get
it to the museum.It is nowin VAorNC.
In 1957Iflew a UIC Waco upthrough
Canada and intoAlaska.
Overtheyears I have owned 5
Wacosand about4 Monocoupes,
a Dart, a Staggerwing, Air-
master, L-13 and afew odd non-
antiques.
At thistimethere is a L-5 on wheels,
skis and floats presentlyflying
and an oldJ-3and PA-12to restore.
There are still afewbits
and pieces of Airmaster and Monocoupes
around the storage area.
Am looking forward to receiving
yourmagazine.
Best regards,
Syd Stealey (EM164)
937 Bth Ave.
Fairbanks, AK 99701
Gentlemen:
In Re Yackey Sport .
TheYackey Sportwas aconversion
ofthe ThomasMorseScout originally
equipped with a nome or
LeRhone rotary moror-
manufactured fora purlluit plane
duringWWI for the U.S.
The conversion was to install an OX5
powerplant instead ofthe
rotary- some "people" in making the
conversion used 4 upperwings
becauseofthe added OX5weight.
Though theT-M could be
boughtnewand completefora
token amount, none ofthe configurations
offered much in flying qualities.
Best Regards,
JackN.Rose
P.O.Box 32
Ingleside,IL60041
February2,1976
Gentlemen:
Please enter my subscription/
membership to EAA Antique/Classic
Division.
Iwould appreciatea listing
ofback issues ofThe Vintage Airplane
ifsuch is possible.I presently
own a DeHaviliand Tiger Moth
DHB2A Serial Number734B N-B2GS.This
aircraft has been completely
restored and is presently based at
Montgomeryville, PA Airport.
Thankyou foryourcorporation.
Gerald F. Schwam
1021 Serpentine Lane
Wyncote, PA 19095
EDITOR'S NOTE: List is published on inside
backcover.
February4, 1976
Dear Sirs:
Enclosedyou will find acheckto cover
the fee to join theAntiqueand
Classic Division ofthe EAA. It is
ourhopethat we can beofsome
help to this group since repeated attempts
to be ofassistancewithin the
homebuiltand museumgroupshere in
Milwaukee havefailed.
We havenot returned ourregistration
cards concerning ouraircraft
beforesincewe were not building a
homebuilt. Now, Iwould feel itwould
be fair tostate we are restoring a C-37
Cessna Airmasterc/ n3B4
NC1B599. In addition to this we
own a Cessna 120, N19B5V, and part
interest in a J-3and aCorben JrAce.
(All ofwhichwehave restored
orhelped restore).
Thank you for your time and keep up the
good work for the 'little guy' .
Sincerely,
Paul Walter (EM90997)
107Concord PI Apt. 5
Thiensville, WI 53092
EDITOR'S NOTE: We need help. A list of
chairmen will be published later. Call or write
the one of your choice.
January 1B, 1976
Gentlemen:
Please find attached an extradollar
forwhich Iwill appreciateyou
sending me a sample copy of
The Vintage Airplane. I have been flying since
192B and flew OX5 Wacos, Robins,
Krieder-Reisner Challengers,
Stinson 5MB-A's,LeBlond
Powered Arrow Sports,etc.
Thankyou forthe extratrouble
of sending methesingle copyofthe
magazine. I was aWorld WarII
Glider Pilotbut nevercrossed
paths with Paul P.
Yours truly,
A.T. McDonough
9 Lennon PI.
Whitesboro, NY 13492
January B, 1976
DearSirs:
Enclosed please find cheque for
Twenty Dollars ($20.00) to cover member-
shipfortheyear 1976,forthe
following new members:
Tom Dietrich
633 Krug Street
Kitchener, Ontario
Canada, N2B 1L9
and
Frank D. Evans
100 Kenora Drive
Kitchener, Ontario
Canada,N2A 2BB
We are members ofthe EAA and
wish to join the Antique/Classic Division.
Please startoursubscriptionsto
The Vintage Airplane with the January,
1976 issue.
As amatterofinterest my
current project is rebuilding and
restoring aThruxton Jackaroo, which
is a modified DH-B2A tomake it
into a four-place aircraft.
Thanks forthisopportunityto join
with others ofsimilarinterests.
Yoursverytruly,
Frank D. Evans
1()() Kenora Drive
KitchenerOntario
Canada, N2A 2BB
111 MEMBERSHIP
DRIVE
One for one for one. If each mem-
ber would take it upon himself to
get one new member a year each
year, the compounded effect would
result in a very successful organi-
zation. Take pride in your activity
- make it grow.
Calelldar of Events
May 12 - Corona, California Southern
California Regional EAA Flyln sponsored by
EAA Chapters 1, 7, 11 , 92, 96, 448
a nd 494. For information contact Terry
Davis, 13905 Envoy Ave., Corona, Ca. 91720,
Phone (714) 7358639.

May 28, 29, 30 - Wat sonville, Ca lifornia
12th Annual Antiquer Fl y-In Air Show

June 46 - Merced, Ca lifornia - Merced West
Coast Antique Fly-In. For information
contact Jim Morr, Director, Box 2312,
Merced, CA 95340, or call (209) 723-0929.

June 13 - Weedsport, New York - Fly In
Pancake Breakfast 8:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.
Sponsored by Chapter 486, Whitfords
Airport, Weedsport, NY.

Jul y 34 - Gai nesvill e, Georgia - 9th
Annual Cracker Fly-In. Sponsored by North
Georgia Chapter of AAA, Antiques,
Classics, Homebuilts and Warbirds welcome.
Contact Bill Davis, 2202 Willivee Place,
Decatur, GA 30033.

Jul y 31 . August 8 - Oshkosh, Wisconsin -
24th Annual EAA Interna ti onal Fly-In
Conventi on. Start making your plans NOW!

August 22 - Weedsport, NY - 3rd Antique-
Classic and Homebuilt Flv In.
Pancake breakfas t - trophi es - Air Show
1:00 P.M. Sponsored by Chapter 486,
Whitfords Airport. Contact Dick Forger,
204 Woods pa th Rd ., Liverpool, NY 13088

August30 September 3-Fond du Lac, Wi sconsin -
11th Annual EAA/IAC International Aerobatic
Championshi ps. Sponsored by In ternati onal
Aerobatic Club.

Florida Sport Aviat ion Activities - The very
active Florida Sport Aviation An tiqu e
and Classic Associ ation has a fly-in almost
every month. So we recommend to all
planning a Florida vacation that they
contact FSAACA President Ed Escall on,
335 Milford Drive, Merritt Island, Florida
32925 for fly-in details.
MIGRATION OF AN EAGLET . . .
(Cont inued from Page 8)
to see this strange machine. The people of that town
were great; I was offered everything from help, to a
pl ace to stay the night. I settled for a 7116 wrench and
a screw driver. Within half an hour I was on a take-off
roll escorted by the town's peopl e who were running
along both sides. Kicking the Eaglet around I made a
low pass, trying to rock my wings in goodby and thanks,
but s ucceeded more in bruising my knees with the
sti ck.
With the forced landing I los t half an hour, and my
chances of making it home before dark dimmed, as did
my precious sunli ght. I decided DeKalb would have
to be my destination and corrected course accordingl y.
It was near dark at DeKalb, but who needs naviga ti on
lights with three very healthy blue exha ust flames and
an occassional spark from the tail sked on the concrete.
We let the Eaglet rcst that ni gh t, returning to De-
Kalb earl y in the mornin g to complete the 15 mil e trip.
After completing the usual grcase and oil routine,
Dad decided to do the honors and complete the trip.
After all what could happen in 15 miles? Well, num-
ber one, A&P son saw to it that dear, old Dad would
have some excitement because I inadvertantly left
the va lve lifter jamnuts loose after adjusting them.
(American Eaglet Lesson Number 3).
Shortl y after becoming airborne in the Bonanza,
fl yin g behind the Eaglet, I watched as my Dad set up an
a pproach to a young soybea n fi eld. He was about to
execute his first forced landing in 31 years of flying. I
will not go into how I happened to arrive in the same
field with the tools, but after the repairs it was decided
that my 25 pounds less weight might be beneficial in
cultivating as few beans as possibl e. The rest of the trip
was about as uneventful as could be expected flying
this type of airplane.
So, after 420 low altitude miles, 8 hours fl ying with-
out a much needed elevator trim and eight stops, in-
cluding two forced landings, the Eaglet was home. This
began an era of fl ying for me that I had only been able
to dream about in the past. It' s too bad that so much of
the joy of fl ying is smothered by today's speed and
complexity.
- MORE LESSONS TO FOLLOW -
Back Issues OfThe Vintage Airplane
Limited numbers of back issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE are available at $1.00 each. Copies still
on hand at EAA Headquarters are:
1973 - MARCH, APRIL, MAY, JUNE, JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER,
DECEMBER ,
1974 - JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL, MAY, JUNE, JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, OCTO-
BER, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER
1975 - JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL, MAY, JUNE, JULY-AUGUST, SEPTEMBER-OCTO-
BER, NOVEMBER-DECEMBER
1976 - JANUARY
18