August - Antique Airplane Association of Colorado

Upcoming Events
Aug. 20 Sat. Front Range 7th
Annual Classic Airplane and
Car Show. Sausage and
Pancake breakfast. Last
year over 500 collectable cars Wednesday August 3rd. Guest Speaker: Len Mayo, who worked on the
Lockheed SR-71. Because of its Top Secret nature, he cannot reveal all of his
attended.
photos of “the project”, but will have a large scale model of the aircraft and
Aug. 26-27-28 AAA of Neb. will reveal some amazing facts about the “Blackbird” and its history.
Minden Fly-In Fri-Sat-Sun. Location: D’Agostino’s Mugg&Pye 141 Main St. Frederick. 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Right on the way to
Blakesburg!
Aug. 27-28 Colorado Sport
Airshow BJC. If you can’t
go to Minden this will sooth
your pain. Great time for
kids of all ages.
Aug. 31-Sept. 5. Wed-Mon.
BLAKESBURG! Life begins
at Forty! See You There!
At press time...our Pres has no thoughts to report
There is something profound in the contrast.
At 0345 last Thursday
morning, the Space Shuttle Atlantis made it’s final landing...ending the
135th mission in our space program...to place this country in a beggar’s
role for future launches. A general lack of vision and will power is
bringing our country’s space program to a grinding halt.
At about the same time, a 90 year old man climbed out of bed to prepare
an airplane he built for a flight to Brodhead, Wisconsin, some 800 miles
distant. The spirit shown in that action should inspire those who have
given up. I, along with Don Singer in the Champ, was fortunate enough
to accompany that man, Jack Greiner, on an epic flight across the
Heartland of America....and the story follows in this issue.
Thank You Georg Becker, Herrill and Daphne Davenport...for your photos
and written reports on the Kelly Airpark and Longmont Fly-Ins. There
was a four-leaf clover in someone’s pocket when the weather gods drew
up the daily plan. It must have been a perfect day for two back-to-back
flying events and I am sorry I missed it.
Broadhead.
I had heard of it and yet
had never been there. Not more than
a hop from Oshkosh and almost
Oshkosh is running and I am here, during a rain storm, finishing the report hidden from view, it is an entirely
for you. In spite of high fuel prices and some hot weather, the turnout is different experience. Folks at
exceptional. Planes fill the North Forty and are parked all the way South Broadhead are rightly proud of what
to the “Welcome to Fond du Lac” sign. It’s another great time at Oshkosh. they have here. It is now on my “Be
Back” list and near the top too. Right
after Blakesburg.
Dave Walmsley is recovering quite nicely as you will see in the report.
The Tiger Moth needs you, Dave!
You could spend a month here and
not see everything. The hangar
owners make you feel as if you are an
old friend dropping in....open their
doors and stop whatever they are
doing to tell you about their rare and
perfectly restored treasurers.
An E-2 Cub, for example, sports a 40
hp Salmson radial engine.....amazing
to have all those finely machined
parts working together to put out all
of 40 horsepower. It is like a
watch...many pieces in unison.
Aeronca C-3’s and Curtis Juniors
round out a fleet of larger
airplanes...and I found a Waco Cabin
there...I had once been a passenger in
that Waco when I was living in
Texas. You need to see this place
too!
RH
Last Month’s Mystery Airplane was: The Fleetwings F-101.
The Fleetwings Corporation was incorporated on May 23, 1930 in Delaware by Carl de Ganahl.
First located
at Roosevelt Field in Long Island then relocated to Bristol, Pa. In 1934 and remained there until it merged with
Kaiser Industries in 1940.
De Ganahl was an M.I.T. Trained engineer and during his graduate years decided that wooden aircraft wings
had design limitations and represented significant structural compromises. Aircraft design would continue to be
monumentally stagnated until some form of all metal wing could be built with a focus on the advancement of
aircraft design. One of his early design investigations focused on developing a 100 percent metal aircraft wing.
Chromolly spars when heated failed by deformation and spot welds of any kind failed by separation. However
it was found that stainless steel had no adverse qualities or failures of any kind. Therefore, having met or
exceeded all design criteria, it was clear that stainless steel would be an ideal material from which to fabricate
aircraft wings. Special manufacturing techniques would have to be developed for fabrication, but stainless steel
was to be the material used.
A design project was started to create a test bed for the first stainless steel wing. The design objective was to
develop a single engine monoplane from stainless steel and cover it with fabric. Designated the F-101, the
aircraft was powered by a Wright Whirlwind J-6 radial engine with a ground adjustable, Hamilton Standard
propeller. The project established Fleetwings as the most technically advanced aircraft company for the
manufacture of stainless steel structure in the industry.
After correcting a tail heaviness by lengthening the fuselage and increasing the height of the vertical tail for low
speed control, the aircraft was flown by the company until 1934. Since it was considered an R & D vehicle it
was intentionally scrapped when the company moved to Bristol, Pa. In 1934.
The direct benefit and application of this in-depth
research and development project was the design and
production of the first all stainless steel amphibian,
the Fleetwings Sea Bird (F-1-F-5).
(Photo and words from Skyways Magazine, April 1998. The author is Arthur C
Leise whose father and twin brother both worked on the F-101 project)
Gene Horsman, Aviation Historian
The Annual Kelly Airpark Fly-In Breakfast
Chuck Schumacher and I took off a little after 6:30, bound for Kelly Airpark.
We cleared Metro’s airspace
(BJC) and started our gradual turn to the southeast. It was severe clear and smooth. Our short trip was over
fairly quick as we fit into the traffic pattern. As we exited the runway and proceeded down the taxi way, I
wondered how much rain they had gotten the night before. It was a little soft but worked out well.
Our timing was superb! The stacks of pancakes were hot off the grill and the selection of fruit was great! The
flow of arrivals kept our heads turning. There were repeat appearances from last year, most notable was the T28, and a plane I had not seen before, a bright red Howard DGA-15. The newly finished Fleet (Bud Silver’s
ed.), Mark Holliday and the Mullicoupe were there.
Dave Allen gave us a tour of his Cabin Waco and showed us the current phase of re-construction and the
challenges of engine baffling. We departed soon after, as we didn’t want to be late for lunch in Longmont.
Herrill Davenport, contributing reporter
And....Followed by...The AAA of CO Longmont Pot Luck Fly-In
“A good time was had by all.”
Mary summed it up rather well and there is not much more to be said on the
subject....except that congratulatory speeches tend to be longer and contain a few thank you’s.
We were grateful to Mother Nature for holding off on the buckets of rain from last year and sparing some
sunshine this year. J.D. And Al kindly opened and cleared their Longmont hangar so more than 100 of their
Antique buddies could share food, friendship, and a grand mountain view decorated with a steady stream of
airplane pasengers eschewing the normal landing procedure.
Can’t have grilled stuff without people willing to stand up and take the heat and a heartfelt (and stomach felt)
thanks goes out to the grill masters: Rick, J.D., Al and Willie, and an apology to any I missed. Thank you to
Barbara, Mary, Connie, and Al’s mom for keeping the food tables organized and servicable. And Yay to all of
you who helped clean up!
About a dozen airplanes were on hand, including Jack’s Pietenpol. A 1959 Corvette convertible was on hand.
The variety of vehicles was rounded out by George Hayes, who bicycled up to grab the last brat. And thanks,
Dave Walmsley, for coming and looking better!
Indeed, a good time was had by all.
Daphne Davenport, contributing reporter
Scenes from Longmont
“There are three kinds of people...
Those who make things happen...
Those who watch things happen....
and those who wonder what happened”.
Jack Greiner announced at the age of 88 that he was going to
build a Pietenpol....and some did not really take his comment
seriously. Would that our nation could share his spirit! The
man is now 90 and, with some help from the AAA of Colorado
friends, has now flown that airplane across the breadbasket of
America to Pietenpol Haven...Brodhead, Wisconsin. I came
along to marvel at the event.
Chasing a Pietenpol.....
As I approached my Front Range hangar I knew the Cub and I The Pietenpol doesn’t carry much fuel and
would be airborne in a matter of minutes. My cell phone rang
and it was Jack Greiner....reporting that he and Don Singer
would be taking off shortly, headed for Ft. Morgan first. We
were to meet somewhere in Nebraska...location yet to be
determined. Don was flying the Champ as a “Chase Plane” for
Jack’s recently finished Pietenpol. The Dawn Patrol was on!
staying low meant a headwind. Climbing to
4,000 MSL earned a tailwind, but Jack began to
freeze in the open cockpit. We stayed up in the
tailwind until after crossing the hugely flooded
Missouri River basin north of Omaha. A gaggle
of other aircraft, bound for Oshkosh, landed
with us at Denison.
My hangar door opener then threw a belt and stopped moving
three feet up. I was trapped! Long story short...I fixed it and
left the ground three hours late. The concept of “chasing a
Pietenpol” was somewhat amusing to me. Not knowing where
they were, I set Lexington as my destination. With sheer dumb
luck taking over...I arrived overhead “three plus twenty” later to
see them taxi in to the pumps...the force was with me.
The next morning saw our 0600 departure plan
thwarted by weather, but we again had a
After lunch we were bound for Columbus and I assumed that
tailwind. We let Jack go first out of
would be our stopover for the night. But you can’t keep a good Marshalltown and promptly lost him. Thinking
man down and Jack pointed out the ample daylight left. I was he was ahead of us, we pushed to catch him. He
shamed by a 90 year old...into pressing on to Denison, Iowa.
was nowhere to be found at Monticello.
We would be touching down right at sunset...too pooped to pop.
We had been plagued from the start with radio trouble.
Jack had problems operating the multi-featured Icom
radio (it has memory features and is far too complex for
easy operation). Don could hear but not transmit.
Jack’s map flapped in the open cockpit so that his
bifocals made it unusable. I made 360’s trying to find
anyone and Don was right behind me, in trail, and 100
feet higher...I never saw him and went on.
About when we were really worried, a fuzzy black spot
in the West turned into a Pietenpol. Jack had landed at
a midway airport, found another pilot there, and had
received some “dual” on radio operation. The “Clear”
button solved the problem. We were relieved to see
him again.
One more leg and Jack joined the 6 or so Pietenpols in
the pattern, doing a fly-by on runway 27. What a great
arrival! What a Great Flight!
We all tied down and settled in to join the
Pietenpol/Hatz combined fly-in. Jack now says his next
airplane will be a Hatz Biplane with a Rotac Radial
engine... I look forward to seeing that happen soon.
RH
Don Singer, Jack Greiner at Brodhead...well done!
Calendar of upcoming events 2011
Every Wednesday the Colorado Pilot’s Association has a lunch fly-out (and we can’t muster one a year) decided
on the night before, to a not-too-far-away airport destination. Arrival time is the same for all, usually
11:30 a.m., so the slow airplanes can get a head start. If you are in a Pietenpol, you may still beat a
Staggerwing to lunch. If the weather turns bad, there is always another lunch fly-out the following
Wednesday. Walter Bell, Meteorologist and pilot, makes the decision the Tuesday night before and sends out
a notice to those aviators who enjoy some fun flying to different airports. If you would like to join in, contact
Walter Bell at 303-886-4575 or [email protected].
August 20 Sat. Front Range 7th Annual Classic-Antique Airplane and Car Show! Pancake and Sausage
Breakfast. Last year over 500 collectable cars attended. Like old airplanes? Need a Ferrari? C’mon out!
www.ftg-airport.com (It’s also a free prostrate screening event...optional, of course!)
August 26-27 Friday-Sunday. Antique Airplane Association of Nebraska Minden Fly-In. This event has
become mandatory as it is right on the way to Blakesburg and timed so we can attend both events on the
same flight. Our good friends in Nebraska know how to hold a great fly-in! Visit the Pioneer Museum,
best described as “The Smithsonian of the Prairie”. I’d bet Georg Becker has been there and knows how
all of those inventions work!
August 27-28 Colorado Sport Airshow Metro (BJC)
August 31-September 5 Wednesday-Monday. BLAKESBURG! “Mecca” for all of us! Life begins at
forty! Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the first AAA fly-in at Blakesburg. This year features
Monocoupe aircraft....I have “Monocoupe Fever” too. www.antiqueairfield.com
September 10 Sat. National Radial Engine EXPO. Akron, CO AKO. Bring your radial-engined airplane
out for others to see. Colorado Plains Airport Akron AKO. www.nree.net 800-945-0161.
September 24 Sat. AAA of Colorado Fall Pot-Luck Fly-In. Details TBA.
September 29-October 2 Thursday-Sunday Forty-First International Cessna 195 Convention. Lee’s
Summit , Mo. KLXT with a fly-out to Branson.
October 5 AAA of CO First Wed. meeting TBA.
October 16 Sunday Colorado Aviation Hall of Fame Banquet. On behalf of the
Colorado Aviation Historical Society (CAHS) chaired by Dave “Doc” Callendar, an antique aviation icon
and caretaker of a very rare Harlow PJC-2, the AAA of CO is invited to be an exhibitor at this year’s
event. The banquet will not be held in or near Boulder county, but rather at the Wings over the Rockies
Air and Space Museum. Further details to be announced.
November 2 AAA of CO First Wed. Meeting TBA. Will we follow the bylaws and have an election this
year? Stay tuned for the answer.
December 7...Pearl Harbor Day and AAA of CO First Wednesday meeting TBA.
Treasurer’s Report 7-6-2011 by Allan Lockheed:AAA of CO has 73 paid members for 2011
up 6 since June, compared to the roster of more than 120 folks. Bob Taylor has reasonably requested a copy of
the AAAC Roster for AAA National info base. Special Events insurance remains undefined and not paid as yet.
General membership...$844.93, Scholarship...$325.07, Spl Events/fly-in...$$2,092.28, Lowe fund...$67,356.54
Total: $73,669.70
All the Best to Everyone! Allan H. Lockheed, Treasurer
Just a short report here:
Showers have cooled things down to a pleasant level and the turnout is much better
than expected. The Cessna 195 gaggle numbers over 40 with Arnold Peckar’s award winning 195 parked out
near the runway. The vendor booths are crowded, as always, and the best time to cruise through the pavilions
is during the air show. Tributes to 100 years of Naval Aviation, Bob Hoover and Burt Rutan are featured.
On the bus ride from the dorm to the airport today I sat next to an Aussie Gentleman. Our conversation
revealed that he had flown his own airplane , at age 74, to Oshkosh....from Australia! He left in early June in
his Piper Twin Comanche...crossed the Pacific Ocean to Chino, California. There he had an Aspen EFIS
display installed. He then flew on to Winslow, Arizona and came on to Oshkosh. Hard to beat that!
Tribute to Bob Hoover
Steve Beach bargains for
a new panel.
Fifi Escort
First Class
AAA of Colorado, Inc.
5557 Aspen Ave. Erie,
Colorado 80516
The purpose of the AAA of Colorado is to promote the preservation and flying of the antique and classic airplanes and other flying machines. Also to
encourage young people to become interested in flying old aircraft. Any communication issued by the AAA of Colorado, regardless of the format
and/or media used is presented only in the context of a clearing house of ideas, opinions and personal experience accounts. The AAA of Colorado
does not project or accept responsibility of participation by any member or newsletter reader at any fly-in function or event that may be publicized in
this newsletter. Any ideas or opinions presented in this newsletter do not necessarily represent those officially held by the Association.
Please submit any stories and photos, classified ads, complaints, or suggestions to [email protected]
Association Officers
President
Jim Sutton 303-775-1690
[email protected]
Vice President
Don Singer 303-485-0977
[email protected]
Association Directors
Carol Leyner (2010) 303-442-5002 [email protected]
Jack Greiner (2010) 303-652-0676 [email protected]
Dave Walmsley (2011) 303-284-3132 [email protected]
Dan Wine (2012) 303-465-2825 [email protected]
Treasurer
Rick Spears (2012) 720-560-5275 [email protected]
Allan Lockheed 303-238-2414
[email protected]
Mike Gugeler (2011) 720-890-0552 [email protected]
Secretary
Lorraine Kirkland 303-682-9244
[email protected]
Newsletter Editor
Richard Hawley 303-838-4670
[email protected]