VA Vol 9 No 8 Aug 1981

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STRAIGHT AND LEVEL By Brad Thorn as
June 13, 1981 became a significant date for many
enthusiasts of vintage aircraft. In Tullahoma, Tennessee
on the grounds of the Parish Aerodrome, the Staggerwing
Museum Foundation dedicated the O. A. Beech Gallery
and Chapel. Each June, the Staggerwing Club and the
Staggerwing Museum Foundation hold their annual
Staggerwing/Travel Air International Convention. This
year the event was scheduled to include the dedication
ceremonies of the Gallery and Chapel with the normal
activities of the Convention.
The Staggerwing Museum was officially opened on
June 14, 1974. Surrounded by two acres of land, the
initial structure was dedicated as the Louise Thaden
Office and Library. It is unique that this initial structure
is a restored log cabin containing the library, gift shop
and displaying much of the memorabilia collected by
Louise during her exciting career as a pilot. Since she
originally suggested building a Staggerwing Museum,
it was only fitting to dedicate this structure to her.
On June 13, 1975 the Walter H . Beech Hangar was
dedicated. It contains over 8000 square feet of floor space,
displaying Staggerwing and Travel Air planes, parts,
engines, instruments and photographs of these aircraft
which are currently flying. Available to Staggerwing
restorers are most of the Beech drawings and specifica­
tions of all Model 17 types which were manufactured.
This momentous day culminated the dreams of the
many members who had contributed their effort, time
and financial aid toward a project that would recognize
and perpetuate the history of the Beech Model 17 Stagger­
wing.
Accepting the dedication plaque was Olive Ann Beech,
Chairman of the Board of Beech Aircraft Corporation.
She praised the Staggerwing Museum Foundation for
its effort to maintain the history of the Model 17, and
memory of her husband and founder of Beech Aircraft
Corporation, Walter H. Beech. Accompanying Mrs. Beech
were her children and grandchildren which indicated the
family's appreciation of the Foundation's effort. Beech
Aircraft Corporation was well represented by company
personnel, several of whom are restoring a model E17B
Staggerwing that will be named the Olive Ann Beech
Staggerwing and donated to the Staggerwing Museum.
Another important event occurred during the Con­
vention when Louise's son and daughter, Bill Thaden
and Pat Thaden Frost graciously loaned the famous
Bendix Trophy, awarded to Louise Thaden and Blanche
Noyes for winning the New York to Los Angeles Bendix
Trophy Race in 1936, flown by them in, what else - a
Staggerwing. This famous trophy will be on display in
the Staggerwing Museum for visitors to enjoy.
1982 will be a significant year for both the Beech
Aircraft Corporation and the members of the Staggerwing
Club and Museum Foundation. The Beech Aircraft Com­
pany was formally organized on April 1, 1932, so next
year will mark the 50th year of this famous company.
In response to an invitation from Beech, the Staggerwing
Club and Museum Foundation . voted unanimously to
hold their 1982 International Convention in Wichita,
Kansas in conjunction with the Beech Aircraft Corpora­
tion's anniversary celebration.
2 AUGUST 1981
President Antique/Classic Division Plans are underway for this event and many of the
Staggerwings under restoration will be ready for this
gala affair. Dick Hansen and Dick Perry are presently
restoring a Model B17L, serial number 3, which was the
first production model of the Staggerwing. According
to their schedule, they should have this outstanding
aircraft ready for its trip to Wichita in the late spring
or early summer of 1982.
Currently about 125 Staggerwings are licensed and
flying. Many are under restoration while others are still
basket cases. An estimated 75 to 100 Staggerwings will
attend the 1982 Beech celebration in Wichita. What
an array of these classic aircraft, from the first production
Model 17 through the last production Model G, all lined
up side by side at the Beech factory!
On Sunday, June 14, the 1981 Staggerwing/Travel
Air International Convention began to wind down. At
10:00 A.M. the first church services were held in the
O. A. Beech Gallery and Chapel, conducted by Dick
Stouffer, Trustee of the EAA Aviation Museum Founda­
tion, Inc.
Later, Staggerwings from all over the U.S. departed
for home, with the sound of rumbling round engines
echoing in the sky. Sentimental - yes! All of this began
as the brainchild of W. C. "Dub" Yarbrough, and look
what it has developed into today. It is doubtful that any
other type aircraft has been so honored and its history
preserved for future generations.
(Photo by Dick Stouffer)
The O. A. Beech Gallery and Chapel and a 1939 Beechcraft
0175, SIN 287. Aircraft owned by John Latta, 30790 W. Butts
Rd., Gustine, CA 95322.
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PUBLICATION OF THE ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION, INC. OF THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION, INC. P.O. BOX 229, HALES CORNERS, WI 53130 COPYRIGHT c 1981 EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION, INC., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
NUMBER 8 VOLUME 9
AUGUST 1981
OFFICERS
President
W. Brad Thomas, Jr.
301 Dodson Mill Road
Pilot Mountain, NC 27041
919/368-2875 Home
919/368-2291 Office
Vice-President
Jack C. Winthrop
Route 1, Box 111
Allen , TX 75002
Secretary
M. C. " Kelly" Viets
7745 W. 183rd St.
Stilwell , KS 66085
913/681-2303 Home
913/782-6720 Office
Treasurer
E. E. "Buck" Hilbert
P.O. Box 145
Union, IL 60180
815/923-4591
214/727-5649
DIRECTORS
Ronald Fritz
15401 Sparta Avenue
Kent City, MI 49330
Morton W. Lester
P.O. Box 3747
Martinsville, VA 24112
616/678-5012
703/632-4839
Claude L. Gray, Jr.
9635 Sylvia Avenue
Northridge , CA 91324
213/349-1338
Arthur R. Morgan
3744 North 51st Blvd .
Milwaukee, WI 53216
Dale A. Gustafson
7724 Shady Hill Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46274
John R. Turgyan
1530 Kuser Road
Trenton , NJ 08619
317/293-4430
609/58&-2747
AI Kelch
66 W. 622 N. Madison Avenue
Cedarburg , WI 53012
414/377-5886
S. J. Wittman
Box 2672
Oshkosh , WI 54901
Robert E. Kesel
455 Oakridge Drive
Rochester, NY 14617
716/342-3170
George S. York 181 Sloboda Ave. Mansfield , OH 44906 414/23&-1 265
419/529-4378 Stan Gomoll
1042 90th Lane, NE
Minneapolis, MN 55434
612/784-1172
Esple M. Joyce, Jr.
Box 468
Madison, NC 27025
S. H. " Wes" Schmid
2359 Lefeber Road
Wauwatosa, WI 53213
919/427-0216
414/771-1545
BACK COVER • . . 1911 Curtiss Pusher
owned and flown by Dale Crites (EAA
34160 , AlC 470), Waukesha, WI. The
motorcycle is a 1913 Yale, owned and
restored by Joe Koller (EAA 23289) of
Dousman, WI. Photographed on 6/ 14/ 81
at Watertown , WI by Gene Chase.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
414/442-3631
ADVISORS
Ed Burns
1550 Mt. Prospect Road
Des Plaines, IL 60018
312/298-7811
John S. Copeland
9 Joanne Drive
Westborough, MA 01581
617/366-7245
FRONT COVER • • • The only one flying
.. . a rare Kinner B-2 Sportwing manu·
factured on 8/ 5/ 35 and owned by Glen
Pray of Broken Arrow, OK. See Harvey
Young Airport story on Page 4.
(Photo by Gene Chase)
Straight and Level . . . by Brad Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Harvey Young Airport - 40th Anniversary .. .
2
by Gene Chase . .... .. ... ...... . . . ........ ... ... 4 The Reluctant Lady ... Chapter 2 .. .
submitted by Chapter 7, Flanders, NJ . .. ... . . .... 7
Remember Wiley Post .. . by Arch Dixon .... . . .. . .. 9
Reedsburg Fly-In 1981 . .. by T ed Koston ......... . . 11
Waukesha Flying Club 's Golden Jubilee . . .
by Charles H. Faber .. . . .. . . . . . . . .. .... ... . .. .. . 12 Members' Projects . . .. . .. . . .. . . . . .. . . . .. . .. ..... . .
Letters .. .. .... . .. ... ...... . ...... . ... .. . ... .. ... ..
Calendar of Events . .. . ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mystery Plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
15
16
17
17
Gene Morris
27 Chandelle Drive
Hampshire, IL 60140
~12/683-319Q
PUBLICATION STAFF
PUBLISHER Paul H. Poberezny, President Experimental Aircraft Association EDITOR
Gene R. Chase
Page 4
Page 9
Page 13
ASSOC. EDITOR George A. Hardie, Jr. Editorial Policy: Readers are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors.
Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor. Material should be sent to : Gene R. Chase, Editor, The VINTAGE AIR­
PLANE, P.O. Box 229, Hales Corners, WI 53130.
Associate Editorships are assigned to those writers who submit five or more articles which are published in THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE during the
current year. Associates receive a bound volume of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE and a free one-year membership in the Division for their effort.
THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is owned exclusively by EAA Antique/Classic Division, Inc., and is published monthly at Hales Corners,
Wisconsin 53130. Second Class Postage paid at Hales Corners Post Office, Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130, and additional mailing offices. Mem­
bership rates for EM Antique/Classic Division, Inc., are $14.00 for current EM. members per 12 month period of which $10.00 is for the publication
of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Membership is open to all who are interested in aviation.
.
ADVERTISING - Antique/Classic Division does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through our advertising. We invite constructive
criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken .
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3
Harvey Young enjoyed the fly-in which honored him on the
40th anniversary of his airport.
HARVEY YOUNG AIRPORT ­
40th GANNIVERSARY By Gene Chase (Photos by the Author Except as N oted ) For more than forty years, Harvey Young Airport,
located op the eastern edge of Tulsa, Oklahoma has been
known as one of the greatest for grass roots flying .
Although sport flying took a back seat to other activities
during the World War Two years, activity was always
at a peak.
In addition to his own flight training school Harvey
operated Civilian Pilot Training and War Training Service
Programs and a Pre-Glider School from 1941 until 1945
teaching primary flight training to future military pilots.
At the end of WWII he closed his own flying service and
leased the airport to Spartan School of Aeronautics for
five years for their GI Training Program. More than 200
students a day flew during the peak of this activity.
Harvey operated the canteen and lounge while Spartan's
operation was conducted from a large bus parked at the
field .
As private flying activity increased in 1950 Harvey
reopened his field to other flying schools and operations,
and business flourish ed. Many improvements were
made including the construction of several hangars .
In the years that followed, The Oklahoma Airmen, Tulsa's
largest flying club began operations there as did a
soaring club and a skydiving club.
A small lake on the western edge of the airport
provides an ideal setting for picnics, swimming, boating
and fishing. A narrow strip of land connects to a tree­
covered island in the lake where Harvey enjoys hosting
cookouts and luaus for his friends .
This beautiful airport naturally attracted antiquers
and homebuilders (and classic aircraft owners, too but
in the 1950's those were new machines). During the '50s
when EAA Chapter 10 and AAA Chapter 2 were formed ,
Harvey Young Airport was the hub of their activities.
After an attempt at having individual annual fly-ins,
Unusual formation. Upper left is the Pierce Arrow, N6622A,
rebuilt from parts of the Langley Twin, now owned by Jerry
Hinds (EAA 130618, A/C 5550), Claremore, OK. The lead plane
is a de Havilland DH-89A Rapide, N89DH , SIN HG 724,
owned by Doyle Cotton and flown by Bill Watson of Tulsa.
The Stearman is an N2S-3, N9224H, SIN 75-7636, owned by
Bob Moore (EAA 153404) of Tulsa.
~
4 AUGUST 1981
the two groups soon realized the merits of jointly sponsor­
ing the event.
Those Tulsa Fly-Ins were very popular and drew
participants from both U .S. coasts as well as throughout
the midwest. The charm of the airport and the hospitality
of the two host chapters from 1959 to 1972 resulted in
the Fly-In outgrowing the physical capacity of the field .
In 1973 the event was moved about 45 miles ESE to
Tahlequah , OK where it had room to continue growing .
. Today activity is brisk as ever at Harvey Young
Airport with two FBO's running flight schools, sales
and charter businesses. Many privately owned aircraft
are based there including antiques, classics, experi­
mentals and ultralights. Harvey is active, too and still
maintains the airport. Each summer he can be found
on his tractor, mowing the grass to give the field its
manicured look. About 180 planes call Harvey Young
Airport home.
Unfortunately, as with many other airports around
the country, the city is gradually surrounding the field
so its days are numbered .
For years Harvey attempted to get his property zoned
as an airport, but the city always turned down his
requests. He recently donated the property to a Tulsa
hospital with the provision that he can continue to live
there and operate the airport as long as possible.
With 1981 being the 40th year of the existence of
the airport, longtime AAA and EAAer Hurley Boehler
suggested to Harvey that a gala fly-in be held to celebrate
this event. Harvey liked the idea and Hurley agreed
to sponsor the fly-in and act as chairman. The dates were
scheduled for May 22-24.
Hurley dubbed the affair as an "Inflation Fighter
Fly-In" and set the registration fee at only $2.00 and
banquet tickets at $2.50 per person. The registration
fee also included a grand cookout on Friday night on
the island ... hamburgers with all the trimmings.
To help with the many fly-in chores, Hurley enlisted
the aid of the local members of EAA Chapter 10, AAA
Chapter 2, CAP, 99's and the Air Explorer Scouts.
Everyone did a super job and the fly-in was a great
success.
Even though many trophies were awarded, they were
secondary to the great time enjoyed by all participants.
One award which should be mentioned is the one for
the "greatest distance." This was presented to Martin
Pavlovich who arrived in his VariEze from Menomonee
Falls, Wisconsin.
A few days after the fly-in Hurley hosted a party at
his country home for all the workers, and while expressing
his appreciation for their help he suggested that plans
be started for a similar affair in 1982 at Harvey Young's.
The offer of support was unanimous so be sure to watch
the calendar of events for the dates next year. This fly­
in was reminiscent of those held years ago, and you will
want to attend in '82 if at all possible.
--­
L - R: 1947 Stinson 108-2, N9836K, SIN 108-2836, Linden
O. Barnett, Blackwell, OK. 1946 Stinson 108-1, N97932,
SIN 108-932, Dudley C. Armistead, Tulsa, OK. 1941 Stinson
lOA, N31555, SIN 7804, Burl D. Dodd, Sand Springs, OK.
Glen Pray (EAA 79029), 122 S. Elm PI., Broken Arrow, OK
74012 is the proud owner of this rare and beautiful 1935
Kinner B-2 Sportwing, NC14927, SIN 148. Engine is a Kinner
B-5, 125 hp. This is the only known Sportwing currently
flying .
Ray Miller (EAA 112), Broken Arrow, OK and his original
Fly Rod, N22RM. Power is a 150 hp Lycoming. At 21" M.P.
at 8,500' the true air speed is 202 mph. Range is 750 miles.
The plane is reminiscent of the racers flown during the " golden
age" of air races.
Bill Watson takes off in the Rapide with a load of passengers.
This plane won the Grand Champion trophy at the fly-in.
...
North American AT-6, N31586, SIN 493152 owned by Tulsans
Jim Dross (EAA 159583) and Dennis Chilton. Received Best
Warbird Award.
Gene Deaton of Tulsa couldn 't find a Bucker Jungmeister for
sale so he built this Jungster I.
A 1931 homebuilt, the "Georgias Special," NlllJP, owned
by Sandy and Arnold Ullrich, Sand Springs, OK.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
(Photo Courtesy of Hurley Boehler)
Harvey Young 's home on the airport. It formerly housed the
airport office and canteen. The large speaker on the corner
of the 2nd floor roof is one of four which broadcast stereo
music on the field .
Fly-In Chairman, Hurley Boehler Is pleased with the first run
of the twin engines on his Lazair ultralight. Photo taken last
February. Hurley enjoyed building the Lazalr and loves flying
it. His flying career began in 1934 and includes Air Force
duty during WWII, corporate pilot, flight instruction, charter
flying , and lots of just plain fun flying. Hurley has logged
over 35,000 hours.
George Goodhead photographed Harvey Young
in front of a Stinson 108 in 1959.
This beautiful Vee Star was built by Elmo Mauer (EAA 1057),
1227 S. 138 E. Ave., Tulsa , OK 74128. Elmo, now retired ,
was chief flight instructor for Spartan School of Aeronautics
in Tulsa. For several years he ·performed at airshows in the
midwest in his Great Lakes N315Y formerly owned by Tex
Rankin.
Two beautiful antiques. The Curtiss OX-5 powered biplane
is a 1928 Kreider-Reisner Challenger, KR-31 , NC7780, SI N
223, owned by Doyle Cotton and flown by Bill Watson of
Tulsa. The 1931 Chrysler is owned by Bill's 16 year old
son, Tom Watson.
The jig table for building the new center section spars.
"-HE llELUfTANT
~ADY •••
CHAPTER 2
Story and Photos Submitted by Chapter 7 Flanders, NJ When AlC Chapter 7 was formed and chartered, a
decision was made that we would be a group with a
project; one which would give the members a cross sec­
tion of the skills needed to restore an airplane, yet not
one so sophisticated, complicated or expensive, to burden
a chapter beyond their means. With these criteria in
mind and for a chapter our size (50 + members) the Fair­
child PI'-26 "The Reluctant Lady" has filled the bill.
In August 1980, The VINTAGE AIRPLANE pub­
lished an article "The Reluctant Lady" describing our
adventure of chopping her from the ice in - 20 0 temper­
atures to our expedition to Ohio for assorted parts and
. pieces that were needed. Since that article, the chapter
has put on two fly-ins, two dinner dances and moved from
our meeting room and club house at Flanders Airport.
When the following spring came, we went back to the
swamp. Our work party consisted of four adult members,
a daughter and Sparky, a Labrador Retriever. Our equip­
ment was two · aluminum boats, some large truck tire
tubes, rope and other miscellaneous hand tools. The
accomplishment other than observing and avoiding
snapping turtles and other swamp creatures was getting
wet and acquiring an aroma which even Sparky didn't like.
Without the swamp frozen over it was impossible to
bring out any more parts than one gas tank. The other
pieces of wing were just too big to carry, while wading
in water up to our armpits. We gave up, tired and hungry,
and decided to come back after things froze up. So we
piled the pieces on cribbing that we had made from small
saplings, so things wouldn't be frozen fast when we came
back in the winter. We loaded boats , gear, five wet
bodies, a Labrador Retriever and one gas tank , all
scented with that fragrant aroma of the swamp, into
the trucks and headed for home.
The winter trip to bring o-ut the remaining wing
parts, etc. was comprised of three members, two toboggans
and one large sled. Within a few hours all the wing panels
were pulled to the road and we were ready for our trip
home. But all was going too well; the van slid off the
road into a ditch and when the new tire chains were put
on, they were six inches too short. It took longer to get
the van back on the road than it did to bring the pieces
out of the swamp. We now have everything removed from
the swamp and back to New Jersey in Chapter 7's pos­
session.
Between the trips to the swamp our treasures from
Ohio were sorted and examined. We still needed a center
section and landing gear housing. Believe me, when a
group of individuals pool their efforts , jobs always
seem to get done. By spreading the word of our need for
a center section, we began finding small quantities of
stashed-away PI' parts. The more we searched, the more
we found . Some of the leads we received on parts are
stories in themselves, One of the early leads was of a
center section which was incorporated into a pig pen;
supposedly it would be ours if we would rebuild the pig
pen. This was a complete center section with the landing
gear attached. After many phone calls and much driving
around back country roads, this center section was never
found; neither were the pigs nor the pen.
Another lead was an elderly A & P mechanic who
had a couple of PI"s which he was supposed to recover
for someone over twenty years ago; he still had them
because he had never been paid. Again , no elderly
mechanic nor even a trace of him nor the airplanes.
One evening while talking over a cup of coffee about
motorcycles, a friend told about an old airport where he
used to tune his motorcycles for racing. He described a
couple of old wrecks which sat there with machine gun
mounts on them . We talked a little more and directions
were written down . Off we went again, and this time we
hit pay dirt. This trip netted us three PI' fuselages in­
cluding one with enough of the center section to be
able to check spar measurements. The machine gun
mounts were the roll-over structures!
Word also came to us about a PI' sitting in a junk­
yard which could be had if we were able to get it out.
It seemed that a new highway had nearly isolated the
junkyard. In attempting to track it down, we again met
with zero results.
A phone call received one night described a PI'-26
located behind a body shop, in excellent shape including
a brand new prop for only $1 ,000. This lead actually
resulted in our finding an airplane, but it had already
been purchased by a fellow who later joined the chapter.
This is probably the same plane which had been sitting
in a junkyard. ("Excellent shape" in this case meant
all or most of the pieces were attached to the fuselage
and it resembled an airplane.)
One Sunday while I was painting my house , Rich
Barry, President of EAA Chapter 501, and Mr. Gorski,
FBO of Lincoln Park Airport, stopped by with their
station wagon filled with PI' parts. Now the chapter owned
a new set of flaps , nose bowl , wing attach fittings, and an
assortment of push tubes and other PT pieces. (One
particular push tube had served duty as a window opener
in the hangar, which just goes to prove that parts and
pieces are where they are found .)
Thursday night work parties were organized at the
President's workshop and work was begun on the control
surfaces. After moving the old covering and deciding which
set was best, we cleaned, etched, and chromated the
frames . We ordered our envelopes from Airtex and as
usual delivery was prompt. Not a single work session
was missed because of waiting for material.
We found there was never a shortage of volunteers
at the Thursday night work parties. Everyone was always
busy and members learned about corrosion, repairing,
preparing, covering, doping and ribstitching. There was
never a question which couldn't be answered by someone
present (including some of a non-aeronautical nature!).
When the control surfaces were completed, we chose
to remove the skin from the horizontal stabilizer to get a
good look inside. This is when one finds out about glue
and glue strength. This became a very time consuming
job and at times there were as many as six or eight
members standing around the stabilizer scraping wood
fibers and glue with another four to six watching, learnVINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
One of the center section ribs to be located between the spars.
Rebuild of the right outer wing panel.
Rebuilding the horizontal stabilizer for the PT-26.
Shrinking the Ceconite on the right aileron.
8 AUGUST 1981
ing, and handing tools as needed. To the uninitiated it
resembled a surgical team at work in an operating room.
Before we realized, it was time to start preparing for
our Annual Fly-In. As the saying goes, if you need a job
done, give it to a busy person. We had the busy people
and the job of the Fly-In was taken on and successfully
completed.
Then came Oshkosh, and the forums were priceless.
When we attended the Fairchild forum, my wife was
given strict orders and we did our best to write down
everything which was said about PTs.
When summer activities wound down and it seemed
the work parties would ·start again, we decided to try a
new approach. A project manager was appointed. Tom
McCarney was picked for the job because he was available
and had recently completed an Aeronca llAC restora­
tion. We felt this approach would accomplish more and
use the manpower more efficiently by spreading out the
work. The Reluctant Lady project was divided up into
five major areas.
We decided to break up each area into what we call
mini-projects with parts going to individuals' homes
or shops. We hoped that work would progress at a more
steady pace.
The mini-projects were divided up as follows and
sent to different locations: we now had the landing
gear and wheels being worked on, canopy and turtle
deck, nose bowl and engine cowl, each of the two wing
panels, and the horizontal stabilizer. Managing this be­
came a full time job for Tom and it is a wonder how he
finds time to fly his own freshly restored Chief.
With our project going well, we still needed a center
section. It also seemed that everyone else who was
restoring a PT needed a center section. They seemed
to be extinct animals. So we decided to buy a set of Herb
Pluckett's plans.
When the plans arrived, our wives probably thought
we had finally found something better than the fairer
sex. We studied the plans together, as individuals, again
together, debated , decided, debated, then finally a
decision was made how to approach the building of the
spars and how to construct the jig table.
We now have the jigs made and a table built. The
jigs can be interchanged and we can use the same clamp
downs for both spars.
While the table and jig construction was underway,
we contacted aircraft wood suppliers and found that a
piece of %" thick by 11' long spruce is not an easily found
item. An order was placed with a major supplier, and
they assured us when they received their next supply
they would let us know, but they did not have an idea
when that would be.
When it seemed we were at another dead end, another
stroke of luck befell the Reluctant Lady. We were
fortunate to locate enough spruce to do the rear spar
and part of the front.
Meanwhile, jigs were being made for nose ribs and
trailing edge ribs which we planned to display at our
Fly-In on July 4.
We acquired the landing gear housing in Sublett,
Illinois. How? While sitting under the wing of John
Neumister's SR-9 at Oshkosh, John mentioned that he
once had the landing gear for a PT-19 but had given
it to a friend . The friend also was at the Convention,
and after he was located it was discovered the landing
gear had changed hands again, maybe twice. Following
up on the newly found leads, one of our members located
and obtained the gear while on a trip to visit a college
his daughter was considering attending.
The saga of the Reluctant Lady will continue, and
most definitely she will fly again.
REMEMBERING WILEY POST
Editor's Note: Arch Dixon (EAA 89955), a friend of Wiley
Post, sent the following letter to David Jameson , Vice
President of the EAA Aviation Museum Foundation, Inc .
Dave lives in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and owns several an­
tique planes including the beautiful Lockheed Vega fin­
ished in the Winnie Mae paint scheme. We are pleased
that Dave offered to share this letter with the readers
of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE.
After reading your story about Johnny Livingston's
Waco Taperwing in the February, 1974 issue of The
VINTAGE AIRPLANE, I face this typewriter with a
distinct inferiority complex. That was an excellent piece
of writing and a darn interesting article.
About my memories of Wiley Post . . . I suppose 1
could start with a catchy title like Barclay's "I Flew
With Wiley Post" in AIR CLASSIC magazine, which
1 did, or "Wiley Post Flew With Me", which he did,
but that would be a mite deceptive, like how much do
you brag about a fifteen minute check ride prior to solo­
ing Wiley's Bird demonstrator?
I first became aware of Wiley Post in late 1928 or
1929. He was in and out of the old SW 29th Street Air­
port in Oklahoma City flying a biplane for Hall-Briscoe
Oil Co. He was sort of a loner and none of the regulars
around the airport knew him very well. But we all knew
who he was, because of his eye injury and the story that
he was the only pilot cleared for right turns into landing
patterns.
Until Hall-Briscoe bought the Lockheed Vega, Wiley
'was just another guy you saw occasionally. Nobody out­
standing. You might sit down at the field's greasy spoon
and he'd be eating a bowl of chili and a hamburger or
he'd be out on the line servicing his own plane. You'd
sort of just see him around. He did strike you as a very
intense young man, intense and preoccupied. He was
also known to have a temper, with a real short fuse.
As I remember, Wiley learned to fly under Art Oak­
ley at Ardmore, Oklahoma in an old Jenny he'd picked
up and put in flying condition. After Wiley learned to
fly, Art had second thoughts about creating his own
competition resulting in very hard feelings between
the two. Wiley discovered that one of his Jenny's wing
spars had been sawed nearly in two for which he ac­
cused Art Oakley. Seems to me there was a fight and
Wiley swore to kill Art. Anyway, Wiley himself told
me this story later, probably five or six years after the
incident, and I believe he was still in the mood to carry
out the threat. But, as I said, during the years before
NC-105-W Wiley was not exactly a celebrity.
The pilots known then who were well known in Okla­
homa included Burell Tibbs, R. V. Carlton, Roy Hunt,
Jimmy Hazlip, Bennett Griffin, Jimmy Mattern, Art
Mills, Billy Parker, Bob Tarbutton, Bill Bleakley, Clint
Johnson, Claude Seaton, Cheebie Graham, Red Gray,
Eddie Ross, Tip Shirer, Jimmy Cleveland (NAT pilot),
Paul Braniff, John Lynn, Ted Colbert, Norman Powers,
Don Bridie, Warren Moseley, Hardy Young, Temple
Bowen. Even our grease monkey, Bryce Harlow, had
wider recognition than Wiley Post. Bryce grew up to
become VP of Proctor and Gamble and an advisor to
three presidents. The preceding list of names sounds
like a 1932 roll call for Braniff Airlines. Paul Braniff
started the business and eight of those listed became
pilots. The name, Wiley Post, in 1928, '29 and '30 was
yet to become a household word.
After the advent of the Vega, of course, people
started taking notice of its pilot. The Winnie Mae was
about the prettiest airplane ever built, before or since.
About a year after Wiley started flying the Vega, these
absurd rumors started floating around that this guy
with a glass eye was planning on flying AROUND the
world! Had to be a joke or else somebody was losing
his marbles. But, sure enough, it wasn't too long 'til
we noticed Wiley was hanging around the airport day
and night, training himself to go without sleep for 24
and 36 hours at a time. I suppose I could say that it
was during this period that I first became acquainted
(Dick Stouffer Photo)
Dave Jameson approaches for a landing in his 1929 Lockheed
Vega, NC-105-W, SIN 72 at Oshkosh '70. The original Winnie
Mae is in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington,
DC. Dave was fortunate to obtain the Winnie Mae's original
registration number.
with Wiley Post. I kept him company while he was try­
ing to stay awake.
The Post-Gatty 'round-the-world flight became his­
tory and Oklahoma City didn't see much of Wiley for
the next year. He was writing a book and flying around
the country making personal appearances.
I wanted an autographed copy of Wiley's book. There
was a "marble board" machine in the lobby of the air­
port and Wiley was an addicted player. We were play­
ing for ten cents a game one day and I asked him where
I could get a copy of the book for him to autograph.
Well , he just happened to have a few copies with him
at $3.95 a copy and he was happy to accommodate me.
He wrote on the fly leaf something like this, "To Arch
Dixon, the best marble player in the world," and signed
it. As I recall I'd just won thirty or forty cents from him
on the marble board.
I'm sure Wiley was thinking of a solo flight around
the world at this time, and had been since his return
frpm the flight with Harold Gatty. Wiley confided to me
that, as a navigator and radio operator, Harold Gatty
was so much supercargo. Gatty couldn't keep the radio
operating and Wiley was forced to do his own navigat­
ing. It irked Wiley that Gatty was receiving so much
credit for the success of the first flight. Wiley was
convinced that he would have done much better going
it alone. As I remember after the triumphant tour fol­
lowing the first flight, Post and Gatty went their separ­
ate ways and Wiley pretty well ignored Gatty from that
time on.
Wiley's closest friends by this time were L. E. "Red"
Gray, Eddie Ross and Ted Colbert. Red had flown the
famous Lockheed Vega, " Cherokee" for the oil pro­
moter, C. C. Julian and later was flying Vegas for
Braniff on the Dallas-Oklahoma City-Wichita-Chicago
route, as were Ted Colbert and Eddie Ross. Wiley was
an avid and energetic hunter and fisherman. Ted Col­
bert had hunting dogs and he and Wiley did a lot of
quail hunting. Red Gray had a ranch near Ninneka,
Oklahoma and he and Wiley would fly down there in
the Winnie Mae and land in a pasture near the ranch
house . They would hunt on horseback all over the
ranch. It was a great place where Wiley could com­
pletely relax, away from everybody.
After the successful solo circling of the world, there
was a period before he became invovled in high alti­
tude and speed flights when he spent a lot of time in
and around Oklahoma City. There was plenty of time
for fishing and I tagged along on a number of occasions.
One time Wiley was invited to bring a few friends
with him to a ranch near Ardmore for a barbecue and
fishing outing on a privately stocked lake. In Okla­
homa when somebody throws a big barbecue and fish­
ing party, the chances are that eating and fishing are
the excuses for a whole lot of drinking. Each one of us
was furnished a boat and a guide who did the rowing.
The fish were biting like mad and after a couple of
hours everybody got thirsty but Wiley. He stayed out
on that lake fly fishing until the moon went down about
10:30 p.m. Wiley was the guest of honor but next to
having a control stick in his hand, a fly rod was the
next best thing. The fact there were a lot of people
waiting to meet and talk with Wiley meant nothing
to him.
While Wiley had the Bird, there was one fishing
trip he, Red Gray and I took down to Lake Lawtonka
in the Wichita Mountains. The lake is at the foot of
Mt. Scott which rises some 2000 feet above sea level.
Wiley and I rode down in the front cockpit with Red
at the controls. On the first day of fishing Wiley demon­
strated his amazing energy. We were bank fishing and
while Red and I were satisfied to stay pretty much in
10 AUGUST 1981
one place and let the fish come to us, Wiley was fish­
ing about two hundred yards an hour. By the end of
the day Wiley was a good mile from where he started.
I don't remember any fish caught that day but Wiley
certainly got more exercise.
Wiley decided he'd fly back. He took off, gained a
few feet of altitude then aimed at the base of Mt. Scott.
He put that Bird's left wing right against the side of
the mountain and did a spiral climb all the way to the
top. Never, it seemed to me, were we more than fifty
feet away from the rocks, and I believe all we had up
front was an OX-5 engine.
Only one man besides Wiley ever flew the Winnie
Mae. That was Red Gray. Wiley's faith in Red's flying
ability never wavered despite the fact Red had an en­
gine failure taking off from the Chickasha, Oklahoma
airport one day; the poor Winnie Mae ended up well
splintered in a peach orchard. Looking at the Winnie
Mae today, hanging in pristine glory in the National
Air and Space Museum, you wouldn't think the old girl
ever had so much as a skin blemish. But she had more
than her share of mishaps in the relative short span
of her flying career.
Red Gray remained Wiley's closest friend right up
to the fatal accident at Point Barrow, Alaska. When
Red and I have one of our rare get-togethers, I can jog
his memory and he jogs mine and together, we can re­
member many incidents about Wiley that escape me
now. After all, recalling the details of these occurrences
of some fifty years ago is a difficult task. One tends
to forget, embellish and distort his own role in things
that happened so long ago.
I do know that when Red Gray, Ted Colbert and
Eddie Ross had been flying for Braniff for some time,
Wiley was concerned and not too keen on the future
of flying Vegas for Braniff. The pay was irregular and
the risks were high. Continental Oil in Ponca City,
Oklahoma was in the process of buying, I believe, two
Vegas as company planes. Wiley used his influence to
get jobs with Continental for all three of his friends.
Red and Eddie were with Continental until they re­
tired, with Red as Chief Pilot. Ted left Continental
about 1939 or 1940 to start up an Army Primary Train­
ing School.
When Post and Gatty returned to Oklahoma City for
a ticker tape parade after the first flight, I had to sub­
stitute for the head photographer of the newspaper I
worked for. He was suffering from one of his periodic
tumbles from the "wagon". My job was to get a shot
of the Governor of Oklahoma at the time, Alfalfa Bill
Murray, with Post on one side and Gatty on the other.
I got them lined up and was fumbling with the Speed
Graphic and, I guess, taking more time than the Gover­
nor thought necessary . Finally he said, "Son, these
boys could fly around the world again while you're fid­
dling with that camera."
What I wish we could do, Dave, is instead of me
writing all this trivia from my balky memory, would
be to get together with Red and Eddie and spend about
two days picking their memories of Wiley Post and the
Winnie Mae. If we could get to Oklahoma I'm sure Ross
would be tickled to come up from Texas and meet us.
Between the two lie a wealth of information about
Wiley and the Winnie Mae. A pipe dream, maybe but
it would be fun and productive. August 15, 1981 is
the 46th anniversary of the death of Wiley Post and
Will Rogers.
Salud,
Arch Dixon
(EAA 89955)
516 E. Doty Avenue
Neenah, WI 54956
REEDSBURG FLY-IN 1981 Story and Photos by Ted Koston (EAA 44514, A/e 2186) 38 Le Moyne Parkway Oak Park, IL 60302 The annual Reedsburg, Wisconsin Fly-In is always
well attended and this year was no exception. The April
26, 1981 event attracted over 90 people with 60 air­
planes. Reedsburg is one of eight annual Fly-Ins of
the Wisconsin Chapter of AAA. They are one of the
most active groups of antiquers in the country and most
members are also members of EAA and the Antique/
Classic Division.
Following the arrivals , a substantial lunch was
served at noon after which a brief business meeting
was held. During the meeting, Ed Wegner gave a de­
tailed report on the use of face masks during paint
and dope spraying operations.
"Newest" antique in the group was William Knight's
Waco UPF-7 which he purchased in February, 1981 in
Minnesota. Dave Neuser of Manitowoc, Wisconsin flew
in with his beautiful green and yellow Stearman sport­
ing the original 220 hp Continental engine it came with
The group poses in front of Dick Martin' s Howard DGA-15P
and Tom Rench 's Staggerwlng B17L.
(Continued on Page 15)
Ed Wegner, Joe Simandl and Tom Rench In front of Tom's
rare 1935 Beechcraft Staggerwlng B17L.
Standing left to right: Kent McMakin, Rockton, IL, Ryan PT 22;
Hap Stein, Oconomowoc, WI, Navy N3N-3; Rodney Bardes,
Oconomowoc, WI, AT-6; Chuck Faber, Waukesha, WI; Tom
Hegy, Hartford, WI, Travel Air 4000; Shelton Boyd, West Bend,
WI. Kneeling: Jim Hall, Rockford, IL, '46 T-Craft; Allen Stein,
Oconomowoc, WI, N3N-3.
Dick and JoAnn Martin and family with their beautiful Howard
DGA-15P.
Tom Hegy, Hartford, WI and his 1929 Travel Air 4000.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
By Charles H . Faber
(EAA 135542, A I C 4591 )
655 Poplar Creek Drive
Waukesha, WI 53186
WAUKESHA F
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Reserved Parking Space Across From Airport
soc Per car
NOTICE!
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Handbill for promoting the hangar dedication on August 14,
1938.
1981 will be a monumental milestone for the Wauke­
sha Aviation Club, Inc., for fifty years ago on April 23 ,
1931 the club was registered with Waukesha County and
the state of Wisconsin.
A festive dinner and open house is planned for Sep­
tember 12 and 13 to mark the 50th anniversary of the
club and also to honor 74-year-old twin brothers Dale
and Dean Crites. Waukesha Airport will be renamed
Crites Field at dedication ceremonies on that gala
weekend.
A banquet on Saturday, September 12 will be at­
tended by many pioneer aviation guests, including Steve
Wittman of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, dean of air racing,
homebuilt aircraft and the famous Wittman landing
gear. The guest speaker will be Paul Poberezny, Founder
and President of EAA. Possibly he will tell some stories
about his early days as a flight instructor for the Spring
City Flying Service.
The open house is scheduled for September 13 and
many antique and classic planes will fly in and be on
display along with some from the EAA Aviation Muse­
um's collection.
During the open house Dale and Dean Crites will
be flying their 1911 Curtiss OX-5 powered Silver Streak,
1929 Waco ASO and 1930 Davis D-1-W. Many thou­
(Gene Ch••e Photo)
(W.rren O'Brien Collection)
Dean Crites (EAA 101147, AlC 2248), 303 North West Ave.,
Waukesha, WI 53186 and his 1929 Waco ASO, NC6930, SIN
A14, powered with a Wright J-S. That beautiful wood prop Is
a Hamilton.
Several club members flew for Uncle Sam during WW II.
Shown here, left to right are Cliff De Witt, Jimmy Bruno and
Robert Booth. These three started a flying service at the air­
port In 1946 called "Captain Jim's Courtesy Air Service".
12 AUGUST 1981
(Photos Courtesy of the Author Except as N oted)
LYING CLUB'S JUBILEE (Gene Chan Photo)
sands of people have seen the Crites brothers perform
at air shows, including Dale flying his 1912 Curtiss
Pusher "Sweetheart". This plane now rests on its
laurels in the EAA Aviation Museum.
It would take many books to tell the complete story
of aviation in Waukesha County, and the part played
by the Waukesha Aviation Club in convincing aviation­
minded people to build the airport and continually
improve the facilities . Over the years the Club has
sponsored many air shows and fly-ins to promote avia­
tion and the airport. Among the most popular events
were the annual Father's Day Penny-a-Pound Flights.
In recounting the history of aviation in the area,
many well known names surface. This is well docu­
mented in a book, "The History of Aviation in Wauke­
sha County" by Warren S. O'Brien, writer for the Club
on the occasion of their 25th anniversary. O'Brien was
a noted photographer and the Club historian. The Club
also has an outstanding collection of rare 16mm movies
of early air show performances at the Waukesha Airport.
The Waukesha Aviation Club, Inc. has published a
50th Anniversary Commemorative Booklet depicting
some of its early history and containing many photos
and material from members' scrapbooks. These books
will be available at the banquet and open house cele­
brations.
It requires a dedicated ground crew to enable 74-year-old
Dale Crites to fly his 1911 Curtiss " Silver Streak". Dale, In
helmet and goggles is flanked by Harry Peterson, Bob Fel­
sing and "Woody" Lund.
(Warren O'Brien Collection)
Photo taken in the early 1930' s of club members Warren
O'Brien, Bob Huggins and Charles Guetner. Huggins was the
club flight instructor and Guetner was President of the Wauke­
sha Aviation Club in 1931. Plane is an OX-5 powered Waco 10.
(Warren O'Brien Collection)
Club members Robert Lathrop, left, and Warren O'Brien, ex­
treme right, greet two of the aerobatic pilots, Miss Ruth
Harmon and Gillie Jackson who performed at the dedication
of the Waukesha Airport on August 18, 1935. Also present at
the festivities was the famous 'round the world pilot, Jimmy
Mattern.
(Gene Chase Photo)
Dale Crites (EAA 34160, AIC 470), 804 Ridgewood Drive, Wau­
kesha, WI 53186 with his 1930 Davis D-1-W, N13546, SIN 304.
This plane was originally manufactured as a 0-1-66 (0-1-85)
with a LeBlond 5DF, 85 hp, and later converted to a D-1-W
with the Installation of a 145 Warner.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
(Dale Crites Photo)
Dean Crites and Waco Cabin in 1943 when he was a CAA
inspector.
(Warren O'Brien Photo)
Two early race pilots from Waukesha, Graham and Perrin.
Can anyone identify the aircraft?
(Dale Crites Photo)
(Photo by Ted Koston In 1969)
Many pilots learned to fly in this Swallow, " Old 244" owned
by club member Russell Schuetze in 1930 and 1931. This
plane suffered many accidents but was always repaired to
fly again. No one was ever seriously injured in these mis­
fortunes.
Dale Crites flying his Curtiss ·Pusher, "Sweetheart" which is
now in the EAA Aviation Museum. This plane was originally
owned and flown by John Kaminski. John was the first licensed
pilot in Waukesha County and the first to take off and land
there.
View taken from East end of field of air circus staged by Waukesha Aviation Club July 19, 1931 on their newly leased "airport", corner of county trunk "F" and hiway 30. At least 5,000 persons viewed the free show from these wooded slopes. 14 AUGUST 1981 This section of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE is ded­
icated to members and their aircraft projects. We wel­
come photos along with descriptions , and the proj ects
can be either completed or underway . Send material to
the editor at the address shown on page 3 of this issue.
This 1941 Taylorcraft Model B12 Deluxe was pur­
chased in 1970 by Mike Girdley (EAA 78331, A/C 1066),
4 Canturbury Drive, Danville, IN 46122. Mike spent
nearly three years doing a partial restoration, then flew
it until September, 1980 when the Irish linen would
no longer punch. During the next nine months he spent
1175 hours restoring the plane to its present configura­
tion. It is covered with Razorback and finished with
Randolph dope in blue and yellow.
This handsome aircraft, registered NC29804, SIN
2652, shows 3554.1 hours total time in its logbook and
even though it has had 16 different owners , it has
never been based outside of Indiana.
r-----------------------.. . . .
William Burkey (EAA 148908, A/C 6331) , 1058 Sky­
line Drive, Moses Lake, WA 98837 , proudly poses with
his newly restored Stearman PT-17, N909BB. Bill pur­
chased the plane four years ago. It was completely dis­
assembled and he hauled it home in several pickup loads!
The restoration work was done during slow times in his
business, which is Basin Aircraft Service at the Moses
Lake Airport.
The wings were completely rebuilt with new spars
and ribs, including the addition of upper ailerons with
the STC'd kit from Service Aero Engineering, Salinas,
California. The fuselage was sandblasted and epoxied.
All metal surfaces are painted with Imron. The Ceconite
fabric is finished with Randolph colored dope, except
the trim paint which is Imron.
Bill also rebuilt the 300 hp Lycoming R-680-13 from
the bottom up, using fresh chrome cylinders. The pro­
peller is a Hamilton Standard 2B20 constant speed. First
flight was in April of this year and he says it flies great!
Bill plaps to make all the local fly-ins with his pride
and joy.
Jim Younkin (EAA 68509, AlC 1729), 1500 S. Old
Mo Road , Springdale, AR 72674, owns this 1930 Stin­
son SM-8A, NC12143 , SIN 8201 in partnership with the
plane's second owner, Lyn Berentz of Independence, KS.
Mr. Berenz is 75 years old and maintains a current
medical certificate.
REEDSBURG FLY-IN 1981 ...
(Continued from Page 11)
from Boeing (Wichita). Dave had been flying the Stear­
man with a P & W 450 hp engine; we're sure this new
configuration will be more economical with the present
gas situation!
The prize for carrying the most people went to Dick
Martin of Green Bay, Wisconsin who flew in with his
wife and five children in a Howard DGA-15P. Martin
restored his Howard over a four year period and was
judged Grand Champion Antique at Oshkosh in 1979.
Winner of the "Crosswind Charlie" award. was Ed
Wegner of Plymouth, Wisconsin who flew in with his
bright red Ranger-powered Fairchild 24.
The dedication of this hardy group of individuals,
ably assisted by the weatherman, made for a splendid
day of.antiquing.
John Hatz's prototype Hatz Biplane flanked by Dennis Akre's
1948 Cessna 140.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
Dear Mr. Chase:
I am writing to you for help for a project I'm work­
ing on. I am trying to put together a directory of ex­
military aircraft based in my home state of Pennsyl­
vania. That will include not only military types in mu­
seums and collections, but also "veterans" that are now
privately owned. I hope to include all types, from war­
Editor's Note: We hope the readers of The VINTAGE AIR­
birds to trainer and liaison types.
PLANE can provide some of the information requested by
The FAA will help me with lists of currently regis­
the writers of the following letters:
tered airplanes , and the various aviation hi storical
groups can help me with the stored museum stuff; but,
as you well know, there are quite a few airplanes un­
registered scattered about the countryside in various
states of disrepair. This is where I need the help of my
fellow EAA Antique/Classic members.
If you can pass on the word through The VINTAGE
AIRPLANE, I would be most grateful.
In return, the information I receive will be shared
with the group, perhaps in the form of an article. What
I need to know is where there are ex-military aircraft,
of any age, that served with any branch of the armed
forces of any country, based in Pennsylvania. Naturally,
any information I receive will be treated with the ut­
most respect and all photos will be returned quickly.
Thanks for your assistance in this matter.
Sincerely,
Archie DiFante
(EAA 167030, A/C 6191)
333 Hamilton Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15235
LETTERS Gentlemen:
Enclosed please find a money order for $5.00 for two
copies each of the May, 1981 and June, 1981 issues of
The VINTAGE AIRPLANE . I enjoyed the two-part article
on the Fleet.
I have just completed a one-quarter scale model of
a 1930 Fleet Model 2. It is radio controlled, powered by
a 2 hp Quadra, has an 88" wing span, and weighs 18%
pounds. The colors are blue and yellow. The scale Kin­
ner engine is made up of plywood discs and pattern pine.
Enclosed is a photo of the model with my grand­
daughters, Melissa and Megan Patrowicy who are in­
terested in aircraft of all types.
Sincerely,
George W. Dickinson
(EAA 110985, A/C 2693)
"Millstone"
11 Amwell Road
Somerville, NJ 08876
Gentlemen:
I have undertaken the process of rest.oring a Kreider
Reisner KR-21 B aircraft . I understand that any in­
formation regarding this aircraft is very limited.
I am writing to the EAA Library in hopes that you
would have some information such as drawings, prints,
sketches, articles, etc. on this aircraft in your files.
If so, would you please let me know what you have as
I would most appreciate receiving copies or reproduc­
tions of any kind that would help in this restoration
project.
I would be more than pleased to pay for these copies
of reproductions if you have some material available.
Awaiting your reply and thanking you in advance.
Yours very truly,
R. J. Lickteig (EAA 71468, AlC 2433) 404 Robin Road Albert Lea, MN 56007 16 AUGUST 1981
Mr. Santiago's 1935 Fleet with a 165 hp Warner Scarab en­
gine, photographed in San Felipe, Chile in January, 1981.
Dear Mr. Hardie:
I am attempting to research the history of a Fleet
Model 16-B (Ser. No. 529) that I purchased recently
in the Republic of Chile, South America. The aircraft
is currently on its way to the U .S. and final destination
of Dunnellon, Florida, where it will be based.
Mr. Fred Howard of Denver, Colorado , author of
the article, "The Time of the Fleet", which appeared
in the May issue of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE, suggested
I contact you on this endeavor.
Would you be so kind as to provide me with the
address of The Antique Airplane Association? Also
the address of Consolidated Aircraft Corp. in Buffalo,
New York and San Diego, as they may have manu­
factured this airplane? Or any other person or organiza­
tion that you feel may provide information regarding
this airplane.
I'd be very grateful for any leads, suggestions or in­
formation. Thank you.
Ruben E. Santiago
(EAA 111493)
P .O. Box 986 Dunnellon, FL 32360 Note : The addresses requested above were supplied to
Mr. Santiago .
CALENDAR
JUNE 1 - SEPTEMBER 1 - MOMENCE, ILLINOIS - Second AIRPLANE
NOSTALGIA PHOTO SHOW: Over 400 gallery-mounted 8 x 10 photo­
graphs of homebuilt, private, commercial , and military aircraft from
the 1920's to the 1950's. Admission is free. The Hoosegow Art Gal­
lery, 106 North Dixie Highway, Momen ce, Illinois 60954. For further
information, please contact : Hugh Butterfield (EAA 121478) at the
Hoosegow, 815/ 472-4990.
AUGUST 1-8 - OSHKOSH , WISCONSIN - 29th Annual EAA Fly-In
Convention . It is never too early to start making plans for the
world 's GREATEST AVIATION EVENT.
AUGUST 7-9 - LEWISTOWN , MONTANA - 4th Annual Montana
Chapter AAA Fly-In at Beacon Star Antique Airfield . For further
informati on , please conta ct, Frank Bass , Beacon Star Antique
Airfield , Star Route, Moore, MT 59464. 406/ 538-7616.
AUGUST 7-9 - MOORE, MONTANA - Montana chapter AAA fly-in ,
Beacon Star Antique Airfield . Contact Frank Bass, Star Road , Moore,
MT 59464. 406/ 538-7616.
.
AUGUST 9 - MENDOTA, ILLINOIS - Fly-in breakfast 7 A.M . till noon
in conjunction with the Mendota Sweet Corn Festival. Homebuilts,
antiques, and special interest aircraft have separate parking areas .
Parade at 1 P.M. Also art show and flea market. Contact Ph il Buland ,
804 Sixth Ave., Mendota, IL 61342.815/ 539-6815.
AUGUST 9-15 - FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN - 12th Annual lAC Inter­
national Championships.
AUGUST 9-15 - PORTLAND, OREGON - 13th Annual Convention of
The International Cessna 170 Association . For further information ,
please contact : Robert C. Anderson , 3307 N.E. Academy Avenue ,
Portland, OR 97200. 503/ 253-3449.
AUGUST 16-23 - BLAKESBURG, IOWA - Annual Invitational Fly-In
at Antique Airfield . Sponsored by Antique Airplane Association and
the Airpower Museum. For information, contact Antique Airplane
Association , Inc., Route 2, Box 172, Ottumwa, IA 52501 . 515/ 938­
2773.
AUGUST 23 - WEEDSPORT, NEW YORK - Fly-In. Antiques, classics
and homebuilts welcome. Sponsored by EAA Chapter 486. Whits­
ford Airport. Pancake breakfast, air show. Field closed 1 :00 p.m.
to 5:00 p.m. IntermiSSi on for early departures. For further informa­
tion , please contact: Herb Livingston , 1257 Gallagher Road , Bald­
winsville, NY 13027.
AUGUST 28-30 - COFFEYVILLE, KS - Funk Fly-In. Sponsored by
Coffeyville Jaycees. For further information, please contact : George
E. Lipe, P.O. Box 372, So. Coffeyville , OK 74072.
AUGUST 28-30 - ARLINGTON , WASHINGTON - 12th Annual Arling­
ton Fly-In . Sponsored by EAA Chapters 26, 84, 404, 441 . North­
west's largest homebuilVantique event. Camping , meals available.
2061747-2748.
AUGUST 30 - SEPTEMBER 3 - LAS VEGAS , NEVADA - Ameri can
Bonanza Society convention and industry exh ibit , MGM Grand
Hotel. Contact ABS , Reading Municipal Airport , P.O. Box 3749 ,
Reading , PA.
SEPTEMBER 3-6 - OTTUMWA, IOWA - 8th Annual Antique Airmen
Fly-in Reunion at Ottumwa Industrial Airport . All antiques, classics,
warbirds, homebuilts, etc. welcome. For further information contact :
Gene AldriCh , 515/ 684-4774 or Andy Norton , 515/ 563-2187.
OF ~EVENTS SEPTEMBER 9-13 - GALESBURG, ILLINOIS - Tenth Annual Stear­
man Fly-I n at the Galesburg Municipal Airport . Contact Ted McCul­
lough , 43 Ind iana Ave ., Galesburg , IL 61401. 309/ 342-2298.
SEPTEMBER 11-13 - MARION , OHIO - 161h Annual Marion Merfi
EAA Fly-In , Marion Municipal Airport. Contact Louis Lendeman ,
3840 Cloverdale Road , Medway, OH 45341. 513/ 849-9455.
SEPTEMBER 12-13 - GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - Fly-In sponsored
by EAA Chapter 651 . Plainview Airport . Overnight camping. Free
meal to pilots arriving in homebuilts or antiques. Contact Dave
Frisbee, 414/ 336-3257.
SEPTEMBER 12-13 - LOVELAND-FT. COLLINS, COLORADO - 3rd
Annual Roc ky Mountain Regional Fly-In at Loveland-Ft. Collins
Airport. Sponsored by EAA Chapters 43, 72, 301, 648, 660, 720, lAC
Chapters 5, 12, 16 and the Antique Airplane Assn. of Colorado.
Contact Bill March, 303/ 986-4398.
SEPTEMBER 13 - BOLIVAR, TENNESSEE - Airshow and Tennessee
Forest Festival sponsored by Hardeman County Chamber of Com­
merce. Trophies awarded for homebuilts, antiques, warbirds and
ultralights. Airshow features Duane and Marion Cole and Ben
Morphew. Conta ct Billy Whitehurst , P.O. Box 376 , Bolivar, TN
38008. 1-800-236-6871.
SEPTEMBER 15-20 - RENO , NEVADA - National Championship air
races. Contact Floyd Edsall, air race and air show director, P.O.
Box 1429, Reno , NV 89505.
SEPTEMBER 17-19 - CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - Silver Wings
convention . Contact Haskell Deaton, Box 1822, Charlotte, NC 28218
or National Headquarters, Box 1221 , Harrisburg, PA 17108.
SEPTEMBER 18-19 - LOUISVILLE , KENTUCKY - Bowman Field
Old-Timers Reunion . Anyone active at Bowman Field prior to 1940
please contact Ed Peck, Reun i on Coordinator, 214 Lynnwood
Drive, Jeffersonville, IN 47130. 812/ 944-1028.
SEPTEMBER 19-20 - BROOKHAVEN, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK ­
Antique Airplane Club 19th Annual Fly-In. Contact Terry Ferris,
15 Bruce Lane , Farmingdale, NY 11735.
SEPTEMBER 25-27 - TAHLEQUAH , OKLAHOMA - 24th Annual Tulsa
Fly-In. Antique and experimental aircraft from all over the midwest.
Contact J. C. Treager, Rt. I , Box 406, Sand Springs, OK 74063. 918/
245-6910.
OCTOBER 9-11 - ANDERSON , INDIANA - Annual Convention and Fly­
In sponsored by the International Cessna 120/ 140 Association , Inc.
For further information, please contact : Frank Hancock, 3941 West
Cross Street, Anderson, IN 46011 . 317/ 643-1593.
OCTOBER 16-18 - CAMDEN, SOUTH CAROLINA - Fly-In. Antiques,
Classics, Homebuilts, Ultralights, and Warbirds invited . Awards
and banquet Saturday night. For further information, contact
Geneva McKiernan, 5301 Finsbury Place, Charlotte, NC 28211 .
OCTOBER 31 - NOVEMBER 1 - RAMONA AIRPORT, CALIFORNIA ­
EAA Ramona Fly-In . Sponsored by EAA Chapter 14 and San Diego
Chapter of the Antique Aircraft Assoc . Rain date November 7-8.
Contact Ben W. Hunsaker, 714/ 276-5121 .
NOVEMBER 21-22 - MIAMI, FLORIDA - Antique, Classic , and Cus­
tom Built Exhibit and Fly-In at sixth annual Harvest sponsored by
Historical Association of Southern Florida. Located at Tamiami
Fairgrounds; Coral Way at 112th Avenue in Miami. Contact Eliza­
beth Bookout, 305/ 557-5530 or Genie Card , 305/253-3776.
MYSTERY PLANE.
This month's Mystery Plane was
submitted by Mike Rezich (EAA 510,
AIC 2239), 6424 S, LaPorte Avenue,
Chicago, IL 60638.
There was no identification by read­
ers of the Mystery Plane on page 25
of the June, 1981 issue of The VIN­
TAGE AIRPLANE. We do not know
the identification of the aircraft so
it truly is a mystery at this time.
(There was no Mystery Plane in the
July issue of VINTAGE) . /
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
• Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is $25.00 for one year, $48.00 for 2 years
and $69.00 for 3 years. All include 12 issues of Sport A"/ation per year. Junior Membership (under 19
years of age) is available at $15.00 annually.
EAA ANTIQUE·
CLASSIC
• EAA Member - $14 .00. In cludes one yea r membership in EAA Antique-Classic Division , 12 monthly
issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card. Applicant must be a current EAA member and
must give EAA membership number.)
• Non-EAA · Member - $24.00. Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division, 12
monthly issues of The Vintage .A irplane, one year membership in the EAA and separate membership
cards . Sport Aviation not included .
• Membership i n the International Aerobatic Club , Inc. is $16.00 annually which includes
issues
lAC
of Sport Aerobatics. All lAC members are required to be members of EAA.
ip in the Warbirds of Ameri ca , Inc. is $20.00 per year, which includes a subscription to
WARBIRDS • Membersh
Warbirds Newsletter. Warbird members are required to be members of EAA.
Membership in the EAA Ultralight Assn. is $25.00 per year which includes the Ultralight publication
ULTRALIGHT • ($15.00
additional for Sport A"/ation magazine) . For current EAA members only, $15.00, which includes
Ultralight publication.
12
MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO EAA OR THE DIVISION IN WHICH MEMBERSHIP IS DESIRED .
ADDRESS ALL LETTERS TO EAA OR THE PARTICULAR DIVISION AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS :
P. O. BOX 229
CLASSIFIED ADS
ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of un­
limited aerobatics . 23 sheets of clear, easy to follow plans ,
includes nearly 100 isometrical drawings , photos and
exploded views . Complete parts and materials list. Full
size wing drawings . Plans plus 88 page Builder's Manual
- $60.00. Info Pack - $4 .00. Super Acro Sport Wing
Drawing - $15.00. Send check or money order to: ACRO
SPORT, INC., Box 462, Hales Corners , WI 53130. 414/
425-4860.
A UTHENTIC
WWI and WWII
MILlTARYand A N TIQUE
HALES CORNERS, WI 53130
ACRO II - The new 2-place aerobatic trainer and sport
biplane. 20 pages of easy to follow, detailed plans. Com­
plete with isometric drawings, photos, exploded views .
Plans - $85.00. Info Pack - $4.00. Send check or money
order to: ACRO SPORT, INC., P.O. Box 462, Hales Cor­
ners, WI 53130.414/425-4860.
POSER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited in
low. cost pleasure flying. Big, roomy cockpit for the over
six foot pilot. VW power insures hard to beat 3% gph at
cruise setting . 15 large instruction sheets . Plans - $45.00.
Info Pack - $4.00. Send check or money order to: ACRO
SPORT, INC_, Box 462, Hales Corners , WI 53130. 414/
425-4860.
DERRICK INDUSTRIES, INC. - Repair Station 464-6l.
Wooden propeller repair and manufacturing. 1565 North
Broadway, Stockton, CA 95205. Phone 209/462-738l.
WANTED: For my Curtiss Wright Junior restoration,
parts or pieces, any condition. Contact Gene Chase at
EAA Headquarters, P.O. Box 229, Hal~s Corners, WI
53130. 414/425-4860 or 414/425-8851.
FLYING EQUIPMENT
Props-EnRines- Wheels Hellllel.\"- CORR les- Mantlals Suils- Jack els- Parts BUY -SELL- TRADE
Send for our unique catalog listing
hundreds of pilot and Collector
needs . $5.00 per year Includes reVt ­
SI0ns every two months. and collec ­
lors ' ··Want Service ." Just adVise us
of your needs and when our staff
finds the item you will be notified of
its availability, a unique new service
to those Interested In a'JJatlon .
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575-9621
YES: My $5.00 is enc losed. Pl ease send c atal og to:
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18 AUGUST 1981
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November
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1981 - January through July Back issues are available from Headquarters for $1.25 each, postpaid, except the July 1977 (Lindbergh Com­
memorative) issue, which is $1.50 postpaid. 1973 1974 1975
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~II!!1SA~·•• .·. I'
EAA Air Museum Foundation, Inc.
Box 469 Hales Corners, WI 53130
Allow 4-6 Weeks For Delivery Wisconsin Residents Include 4% Sales Tax Jacket: Unlined Poplin jacket, features knit waist
and cuffs. The gold and white braid trim on a
Tan body emphasizes the colors proudly dis­
played in the Antique/Classic logo.
Sizes : X-small thru X-large
$28.95 ppd
Cap: Complete the look in this gold mesh hat
with contrasting blue bill, trimmed w ith a gold
braid . Your logo visibly displayed, makes this
adjustable cap a must.
Sizes: M & L (adjustable rear band)
$6.25 ppd
WEAR the IMAGE in an Antique/Classic jacket and cap Send Check To:
EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION, INC. P.O. Box 229
Hales Corners, WI 53130 Allow 4-6 Weeks For Delivery Wisconsin Residents Include 4% Sales Tax VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19