1984.04.TARPA_TOPICS

CONVENTION REMINDER RAPA NEWS TARPA TALES FEATURING FLOYD HALL ON INDUSTRY JET TRANSITION A. T. HUMBLES REMINISCES THE GRAPEVINE

THE ACTIVE RETIRED PILOTS ASSOCIATION OF TWA OlsonA. J. (Al) Clay, Jr. Editor:

APRIL 1984

Grapevine Editor: O. R. (OLE)

Officers and Directors of the Association Lyle Spencer, President R. G. Derickson. First Vice Pres.

A. T. Humbles. Secretary Dean Phillips, Treasurer

Sam Gracy, Vice Pres. East W. F. Merrigan. Vice Pres. Central Lou Cook, Vice Pres. West John D'Albora, Director A. J. McCarthy, Director

"Welcome to Orlando"

CONVENTION 1984 MAY 8, 9, 10

Larry Decelles. Director Lloyd H. Smith, Director Phil S. Holler, Director R. P. Long, Director

CONVENTION CO-CHAIRMEN BILL TOWNSEND AND DAVE RICHWINE HAVE THINGS WELL IN HAND FOR THE SIXTH ANNUAL TARPA CONVENTION. THE NAMES ON THIS PAGE ARE OF SOME OF YOUR FRIENDS WHO ATTENDED LAST YEAR'S CONVENTION. COME TO ORLANDO AND ENJOY VISITING WITH OLD AND NEW FRIENDS.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

At last we have received tax exempt status from the IRS. The complete text of this ruling is printed elsewhere in this issue.

If the Postal Service will recognize our new status it will decrease our postage costs considerably for mailing to the membership of TARPA TOPICS and the Directory.

Please note the last two sentences (underlined) on the first page of the IRS ruling.

The Convention is coming up soon. Article VIII, Sec. 1. of the By-Laws provide that any REGULAR or ASSOCIATE member in good standing may propose amendments to the By-Laws, in writing, to the Executive Board prior to the Convention.

There is already one proposed change to Article VI, Sec. 2.

The proposal is to add a sentence between the p resent first and second sentences which shall read: "In the event there is more than one candidate for any Officer or Director vacancy, election to fill that vacancy shall be by secret ballot."

Naturally any proposed changes, in writing, to TARPA Policies will also be accepted by the Executive Board.

Elsewhere in this issue should be a slate of candidates for the various Officers and Directors as proposed by the Nominating Committee.* Note that Article VI, Sec. 1. of the By-Laws provide that further nominations may be made at the Convention. However, no nominations can be accepted without the consent of the nominee.

There are still quite a few of you that have not paid their 1984 dues ($20.00). How about coughing it up if you are delinquent?

See you in Orlando in May.

Sincerely yours,

Lyle A. Spencer

*As this is being typed, the Nominating Slate has not been received, - 1 -

The last issue of TARPA TOPICS and the recent special Convention mailing contained all of the details of our forthcoming convention.

For those of you who may have missed it, or who have just failed to register, the following reminder is offered.

WHAT:

Sixth Annual TARPA Convention

WHEN:

May 8, 9 and 10 (But come early and stay over)

WHERE: Sheraton Twin Towers Hotel, Orlando, Florida TRANSPORTATION: TWA direct from STL and JFK plus 18 Also, a big discount on BUDGET car other airlines. rental in Orlando.

ACTIVITIES:

Golf, tennis, bridge, skeet, shopping

ATTRACTIONS: Disney World, Epcot Center, Kennedy Space Center, Sea World, Circus World, Cypress Gardens, etc.

Blocked rooms are only guaranteed to April 8th, REGISTRATION: but will be on space available basis after that. We are working on a "take or place" arrangement in case the hotel is booked heavily after the 8th.

If you have not already registered, please do it as promptly Send one night's hotel payment plus tax ($58.85) and as possible. $5.00 per person registration fee to SHERATON TWIN TOWERS, 5780 Telephone 305-351-1000.

Major Boulevard, Orlando, Florida 32805.

If you are not staying at the TWIN TOWERS, please let us know where you will be and send your $5.00 per person registration fee directly to one of your co-chairmen. If you need help or information, please call: Bill Townsend 813-397-1035 813-595-8945

Dave Richwine

January 10, 1983 Lyle A. Spencer President, TARPA 5886 El Parque Ave. Las Vegas, Nevada 89102 Dear Mr. Spencer: Special Health Services at TWA is essentially an identification/assessment/ referral program.

It deals with special problems such as: alcohol/drugs, psychological, financial, sexual , emotional, and family. Special Health Services has a wealth of resources for all of the above mentioned problems, and can direct our people down the right road for solutions to those problems.

The program for retirees is informational and of course, insurance coverage is the responsibility of the retired person. On many occasions, retirees have called this office concerning themselves, their children, or their spouses.

We are able to refer them to professionals in the community to help solve one of the above mentioned problems.

Special Health Services is dedicated to the well-being of all people related to TWA. We are a source of help to those in need. The program is totally confidential, and all referrals (resources; medical, psychological, financial) are thoroughly checked out for competency, cost avoidance, and quality of care.

Captain Bob Garrett and I have worked together for a long period of time, and he knows that my only goal is to make sure our people are well. Though the service for the retired persons is strictly informational, retired people feel comfortable knowing that they can call this office for at least the start of a solution to their problem.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me either by mail or phone.

Sincerely,

Ralph Manager, Special Health Services

- 3 —

Barsi

MORE ABOUT PENSIONS

By Al Clay

In the last issue of TARPA TOPICS we presented what we thought was the best available information on pensions. It seemed timely because at the RAPA convention in December, there was more discussion about pensions than any other matter. There was no intention of alarming anyone; however, it must be noted that those at the RAPA convention reporting trouble or possible difficulties with their pensions were all people who had, at one time, felt that they were in as good shape with respect to their pensions as we in TWA have.

Because TARPA membership covers a group with more than thirty years age differential, members have different areas of interest and concern.

We have been informed that since our last issue was published, a meeting was held between ALPA and Equitable and that some of the things that had been mentioned by TARPA TOPICS as areas of concern had been clarified and understandings reached which will presumably be put into written form.

In this (we hope) final report on pensions, we are printing Roy Van Etten's pension report to the TWA MEC and a letter which Barney Rawlings wrote to Russ Derickson after reading the December report to the TWA MEC R&I Committee made by Alexander and Alexander.

In a reassuring conversation that I had with Mr. Arthur Miller of the ALPA home office, he said that TWA no longer uses a three year payout for allocating funds to Equitable for the purpose of guaranteeing income to pilots for life.

Mr. Miller also told me that the reason that there was such a pension problem on Braniff was that Braniff had twice used IRS waivers, available under the law, to suspend payments into the plan, but that nothing resembling this had occurred on TWA.

* * * * * * * * * * *

4

AIR LINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION 9841 AIRPORT BOULEVARD, SUITE 1400

â?‘

L OS ANGELES FIELD OFFICE 213-649-1600

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90045 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION 213-645-4055

TWA MEC MEETING February 19th - 22nd 1984

A MASTER EXECUTIVE COUNCIL REPORT Submitted By The Chairman of The Retired Pilots Committee Gentlemen: Please accept my apologies for not having this report in your hands prior to the MEC Meeting. Some of the information contained herein was not available in time to meet the normal deadline.

The following quote is from an article that I wrote for the October 1982 issue of TARPA TOPICS: "You have probably all read about Braniff's pension problems since the demise of the airline.

The articles prompted me to contact Equitable to determine how safe are our "A" plan payments in the event of a similar financial disaster on TWA. You will be pleased to know that once you receive your annuity certificate from Equitable the amount of payment stated thereon is guaranteed by Equitable for the remainder of your life."

To further clarify the issue I wish to quote TWA on this same subject: "The Group Annuity Contract between Equitable and TWA is an Immediate Participation Guarantee contract which currently accommodates funding in Equitable's General Asset Account and certain Separate Accounts.

As TWA Reports a retirement to Equitable, a portion of the General Account assets are 'committed' to guarantee the benefit and Equitable provides the retiree with a Group Pension Notice backing up this guarantee.

In the event of a plan termination of any kind, the benefits that are guaranteed by the Equitable under the contract will remain in force as provided by law."

There you have it straight from the horses mouths. I feel quite comfortable that it would take a ruling by the United States Supreme Court to restructure the benefits that have been guaranteed by the Equitable. Our retirees should be advised that their time would be better spent worrying about their golf game than their "A" Plan benefit check.

- 5 SCHEDULE WITH SAFETY

AFFILIATED WITH AFL-CIO

I bring this to your attention because of articles that appeared in the latest issue of TARPA TOPICS. With all due respect to Dave Richwine, Russ Derickson, Barney Rawlings, Oscar Cleal, and the ALPA Home Office you cannot compare apples to oranges. I prefer to accept the analysis of the parties who contracted to provide our "A" Plan benefits. You, as MEC Members, will undoubtedly be questioned on this subject.

Now for the "B" Plan. We have continued to lose ground on our investments ever since June 30, 1983. We closed out the year with an index of change of 1.12921 which, if all our assumptions were perfect, would equate to a unit value of $31.042. The actual unit value, after its actuarial massaging, was $30.908.

Come April 1st this will mean a 3.2% reduction in benefits for our retirees.

In my opinion the 13.4 cent difference between the mathematical value and the actuarial value is excessive and we should consider revising our mortality table as of January 1985.

Jim Carmack will go over with you the recommendations he has made to the Investment Committee.

The concept is sound and our "B" fund would be worth many million dollars more today if this concept had been in operation last year. Maybe in the near future we will be able to get off this yo yo that we have been continually riding.

W. Van Etten, Chairman TWA Retired Pilots Co Committee

* * * * * * * * * * *

The following is a copy of a letter from Barney Rawlings to Russ Derickson. * * * * * * * * * * * January 10, 1984 Dear Russ; As you know, the A-Plan actuary completed the annual report and sent it to TWA in early December. We received copies from Pat Murphey (Bill's son, now chairman of the TWA-MEC Retirement Committee) a couple of days after the January issue of TARPA TOPICS went off to the printers.

You have asked me to comment on the A-Plan report, particularly from the viewpoint of TWA's possible bankruptcy. I resigned from the TWA-MEC Retirement Committee in late 1979 and am not current on retirement matters, but in light of the concern of some TARPA members I will comment as best I can. Probably we could all use a little recurrent training on how the A-Plan works, so I'll cover that ground and be as brief as possible.

For many years our A-Plan actuary has been Sy Rubinstein, F.S.A., of Alexander and Alexander. In all my dealings with him I have considered him very competent and reliable. The data for annual reports is as of May 31 of each year. The actuary does a lot of computer-assisted number-crunching and delivers the report to TWA before the year-end so that TWA's next year cost can be known.

Estimated cost to TWA depends to great extent on next-year payroll and may not be accurate. Since the last annual A-Plan report TWA paid $29,558,282 into the pilot-engineer A-Plan and the estimate for 1984 is $25,765,924.

As of last May there were 1,058 retired pilots and engineers (or their surviving joint-annuitants) who were paid $18,877,639 in the twelve month period, an average annual benefit of $17,843.00.

Ten years ago we had 183 retirees at an annual average of $6,212.

Our A-Plan is part of the all-TWA A-Plan for purposes of moneymanagement, but separate by accounting procedures.

Each of TWA's A-Plans has different benefit structures and funding. The pilotengineer A-Plan is about 43% of the total. Our A-Plan structure is maintained by the TWA-ALPA Working Agreement and a contract between TWA and Equitable Life Assurance Society. A-fund assets are invested in equities (such as common stocks), fixed income instruments and some real estate accounts. Recently 33.5% of the A-fund is in equities. The funds are held by several banks in addition to Equitable. (continued) - 7 -

When a pilot or engineer retires his benefits are funded in Equitable's Pension Account "A", a fixed-income account.

There is no provision for purchase of individual annuities and after retirement Equitable guarantees the benefit and is paid a premium from the Fund for doing so. Under the Pension Reform Act (ERISA) people retired less than three years may be subject to a reduction in benefits if the plan is terminated with insufficient assets.

I am told the premium paid to Equitable is now spread over the three year period that a recent retiree must spend in a sort of potential-penalty-box before the Equitable guarantee can legally be effective.

A-Plan benefits are funded using the entry-age normal actuarial cost method. Money paid into the Plan by TWA is invested and certain actuarial assumptions are made; most significant are the assumptions that the Fund will earn 8.5% a year compounded through investment and that the pay of unretired people will increase by 7.5% per year compounded.

The assumptions are rarely accurate by hindsight, and have been revised upward from time to time.

During the ten year period ending last May TWA cockpit pay went up, on average, by 8.7% per year compounded. For the twelve month period ending last May, the 2,843 then-unretired TWA pilots and engineers averaged $79,500, up 9.6% over the previous year. The average age of the 2,843 unretired was 48.36 with an average 21.02 years of service.

Among the unretired were 125 engineers past 60.

Recently TWA pilots and engineers have taken a pay cut, and all old-airline people are invited to dance the Deregulation Dip while the band plays Lorenzo's Lullaby. In time future A-Plan reports will reflect what appears to be a prolonged downward pressure on pay. Cost to TWA and A-Plan liabilities for future cockpit service will go down. In time the actuarial assumptions will again be changed.

As of last May the actuary reported our A-Fund to have a total market value of $430,562,157 which is about 81.5% of the "current value of vested liabilities".

This is a good gauge of progress in funding if watched year-by-year, but is not really a test of solvency in a bankruptcy situation. Vested liabilities are the total earned benefits of all Plan members for service completed up to the date of the report. The "current value" is correct if the fund will earn 8.5% a year. If TWA and the actuary were less conservative and were using an assumption of 9.5% a year we would have a report showing assets and "current value" of vested future liabilities about the same.

We might be tempted to view the Plan as in better shape but, in truth, the assets and the eventual sums to be paid out of the Plan for benefits vested as of last May would be the same.

In an ongoing A-Plan we are comforted to see a conservative low assumption of future Plan investment earnings, because a lower (Continued) 8

assumption requires TWA to put more new money in the Fund each year.

But if TWA were to go bankrupt next Tuesday that concern is gone.

Some time after TWA's crack-up a vast gaggle of people with differing views and motivation would sit down together and try to agree on the disposition of TWA's A-Plans. Among those present would be people from PBGC (under ERISA, the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation), highly motivated to not spend any PBGC funds on TWA people.

From this unhappy procedure there would probably emerge our APlan as a continuing but closed-ended Plan under trusteeship for the purpose of managing our Fund and paying out benefits. Such Plan would not necessarily assume 8.5% future investment return.

If a somewhat higher return is assumed, and if our A-Plan emerges from PBGC's ministrations otherwise unscathed, little or no cut in normal vested benefits would need to be imposed.

Having our A-Plan go through a bankruptcy process would probably The powers and procedures of the PBGC are largely be agonizing.

We could get badly mauled in the process, or untested as yet. have it all dragged through the courts so long that we lose even if we win. But I believe our A-Plan is healthier than perceived to be.

Russ, I know you just asked a simple question, "What time is it?", and I have to say I think it depends upon who winds the clock and how tightly it gets wound. I wish I could supply the exact answers many TARPA members want. I don't think any exact answers can be supplied by TWA, ALPA, the Equitable, or PBGC. It remains my opinion that TWA will suffer and change and survive.

Our mechanics and flight attendants are still too shy to get out there and dance the Deregulation Dip, but maybe if Ed Meyer and the band play a different tune they'll start dancing. Maybe something like the Pucker-up Polka.

You are, of course, welcome to use this letter in any way useful to TARPA.

cc: Lyle Spencer Roy Van Etten Pat Murphey * * * * * * * * * * *

9

Retired Airline Pilots Association 6600 S.W. 126th STREET • MIAMI, FLORIDA 33156 • (305) 665-4919

BULLETIN

JANUARY 1984 IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN

The new session of congress will convene this month. Many issues will be debated as new laws are hammered out of committees. One of these issues will affect all airline personnel and their families, including retirees.

The moratorium prohibiting taxation of employee fringe benefits expired on December 31, 1983. The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service want to include your pass privileges in your taxable income. You have heard this song before!

We believe that it is time stop putting a bandaid over this cancerous problem. It can be laid to rest permanently with proper legislation. Why not this year?

Senate Bill S.1817 will establish guidelines governing the taxation of employee fringe benefits. This bill exempts all travel privileges for airline personnel and their families from taxable income. Write a letter to both your Senators asking them to support and actively work for the passage of S.1817. Also write to the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Honorable Robert Dole, asking him to act quickly and favorably on S.1817.

House of Representatives Bill H.R.3525 exempts only the travel privileges on the employees' own airline, no off-line. Also, it does not exempt travel privileges for parents. However, the sponsors of H.R.3525 have indicated that their bill can be amended during the legislative process. H.R.3525 has now been included in another bill H.R.4170. Write your Representative asking him to support both these Bills with the proper amendment exempting all travel privileges from taxable income , also Honorable Daniel Rostenkowski, Chairman, House Ways & Means Committee.

Points to make: 1) Airlines do not give employee travel privileges in lieu of compensation; 2) Courts and the IRS have upheld the position of the airlines and recognized travel privileges to be gifts, not compensation; 3) These travel privileges can only be used when there are empty seats on a flight; 4) Taxing of your travel privileges would be a hardship; etc.. etc. etc. Address letters to: The Honorable - - - - - - - - The Honorable - - - - U. S. Senate U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20515 How did you fare in congress last year? Consider this: 1) Six months of your social security pay increase was taken away; 2) Medicare Part A deductions were increased by 17%; 3) Medicare Part B premiums were increased by 20%; and 4) one half of your social security benefits will become taxable income.

Now, they propose to increase the cost of Medicare Part A by some 107% and Part B by 140%. There are many more ideas floating around Washington on how to raise the individual's taxes.

NOW IS THE TIME HELP

YOURSELF

DO IT TODAY

A NEW MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM IS NOW AVAILABLE TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

Dear Colleague: The 1981 RAPA Board of Directors Convention charged the Insurance Committee with the task of finding a fitting life insurance program. After almost two years of research and careful evaluation we are pleased to announce this important new membership benefit --- a benefit which can better your personal welfare --- TERM LIFE INSURANCE. Members of the Retired Airline Pilots Association can now apply for life insurance in amounts of $25,000, $50,000, $100,000, or $200,000 depending on your age. This insurance will be issued through age 70, and is renewable to age 75. The premium remains the same for the first four years, and increases every four years to correspond with your new age. The death benefit is level and does not reduce as you get older.

The premium is very competitive and includes a special additional discount for non-smokers.

Should you have need for additional life insurance, we encourage you to take advantage of this new benefit being offered to our membership. Take a few minutes out of your busy schedule and complete the simple application. Select the amount of life insurance that you want and whether you wish to pay monthly or quarterly. Return the completed application in the envelope provided.

Have a happy, healthy, and successful retirement.

Sincerely

P.S.

When you return the new R.A.P.A. Life insurance application do not send any money, you will be billed later. Payment to Alexander & Alexander is only needed with your application for R.A.P.A medical insurance.

- 11 -

ALCOHOLISM: A SOCIAL DISEASE

By Phil S. Hollar Medical science has classified alcoholism as a disease - the only one in the history of man to be so classified as such by unanimous vote of the American Medical Association. All others have had this distinction by common agreement and acceptance.

This definition can be easily misinterpreted to mean that alcoholism is a disease of the body only and that its first manifestation is cirrhosis of the liver. This common misconception is refuted by the cold hard fact that only approximately 11% of all alcoholics ever get cirrhosis of the liver. The other 89% The truth is that by have perfectly normal, beautiful livers. the time one has cirrhosis of the liver, the disease is terminal.

Long before liver damage occurs, the effects of excessive drinking become evident by its effect on the mind, personality and quality of life of the affected party. This results in early damage to the drinkers family, his friends and his job. Heavy or excessive drinking affects one's judgement, behavior, performance and his health. Notice the progression, and particularly the fact that health is listed last. Health is the last to go and is positive manifestation that the disease is terminal unless arrested.

The early effects of alcoholism are easily recognizable when the person gets drunk more and more often and makes an ass of himself, causing embarrassment, pain, or injury to others. That's when friends and relatives make remarks like: "Boy, John was certainly in the bag last night." "Whew! John certainly tied one on, didn't he?"

The cumulative effects of alcohol on one's personality and mood manifest themselves somewhere between five and fifteen years of heavy drinking, resulting in social and legal problems for his family, friends and associates. In the final stages it will directly impair his job performance and if allowed to progress, Both job and him. result in termination.

Most doctors ignore the clinical indicators at their disposal for diagnosing alcoholism because they have been taught to focus The result is that our guinea pig, John, is on organ damage. lulled into a false sense of security, encouraged tacitly to continue his alcohol intake because "didn't the doc give me a clean bill of health?"

In summation, it might be better to call alcoholism a psychoThis would social disease with terminal physical consequences. allow earlier diagnosis by using information furnished by family, friends and employer who are directly involved and see the eroding effects of alcohol on the individual that affect his judgement, behavior and performance.

(Continued ) - 18 -

Without this information at his disposal, it is almost impossible for a doctor to diagnose alcoholism.

This failure is usually fatal. * * * * * * * * * * *

INSURANCE CORRECTION In the last issue of TARPA TOPICS it was stated that the RAPA Medicare supplement policy paid $350 against hospital costs encountered outside of the United States.

This is in error.

If you are hospitalized outside of the United States, you would pay the first $356., and the RAPA policy would pay everything else for the first 60 days. It would also pay for the first 20 days of post hospital skilled nursing care outside of the United States. and all but $44.40 per day for the next 80 days.

Additionally this policy now pays for 80% of immunization charges authorized by Medicare for travel overseas. (see page 19-A).

The RAPA policy does not pay for any Doctor's fees outside of the country.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Lou Cook says he stayed in touch with Jacky Maretheu, the former-bartender at the Hotel Celtic.

He says Jack would like to be remembered to his friends and would like to hear from them.

His address is.

Jacky Maretheu 23 Rue Saint Hilare Colombes 92, France * * * * * * * * * * * WHY PRINT IT ALL? We know that you are probably not interested in all the details of the IRS approval of tax exempt status for us. However, the IRS wanted TARPA to be sure to make known to its membership certain provisions of the approval.

Rather than excerpt items and possibly missing some point, it was decided to print the full letter of approval, which you will find on Page 20. * * * * * * * * * * *

- 19 -

INTERNAL

Date:

REVENUE

SERVICE

FEB 08 1984

The Active Retired Pilots Association of TWA 5886 El Parque Avenue Las Vegas, NV 89102

DEPARTMENT

OF

THE

TREASURY

EIN: 95-3465061 Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(7) Accounting Period Ending: December 31 Form 990 Required: Yes Person to contact: Desk Officer Contact Telephone Number: (415) 556-5353

Dear Applicant: Based on information supplied, and assuming your operations will be as stated in your application for recognition of exemption, we have determined you are exempt from Federal income tax under the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code section indicated above.

Unless specifically excepted, you are liable for taxes under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (social security taxes) for each employee to whom you pay $100 or more during a calendar year.

And, unless excepted, you are also liable for tax under Federal Unemployment Tax Act for each employee to whom you pay $50 or more during a calendar quarter if, during the current or preceding calendar year, you had one or more employees at any time in each of 20 calendar weeks or you paid wages of $1,500 or more in any calendar quarter.

If you have any questions about excise, employment or other Federal taxes, please address them to this office.

If your purposes, character, or method of operation change, please let us know so we can consider the effect of the change on your exempt status.

Also, you should inform us of all changes in your name or address.

The block checked at the top of this letter shows whether you must file Form 990, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax. If the Yes box is checked, you are only required to file Form 990 if your gross receipts each year are normally more than $10,000.

If a return is required, it must be filed by the 15th day of the fifth month after the end of your annual accounting period. The law provides for a penalty of $10 a day, up to a maximum of $5,000, when a return is filed late, unless there is reasonable cause for the delay.

This penalty may also be charged if a return is not complete.

So, please make sure your return is complete before you file it.

You are not required to file Federal income tax returns unless you are subject to the tax on unrelated business income under section 511 of the Internal Revenue Code. If you are subject to this tax, you must file an income tax return on Form 990-T. In this letter we are not determining whether any of your present proposed activities are unrelated trade or business as defined in Code section 513.

As a social club contributions to you are not deductible by donors. should advise your contributors to that effect,

Box 36001, San Francisco, CA. 94102 - 20 -

Letter

You

948(DO)(3-79)

INTERNAL

REVENUE

SERVICE

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

It should be noted that a section 501(c)(7) organization is permitted to receive up to 35 percent of its gross receipts, including investment income, from sources outside its membership without losing its taxexempt status. Of the 35 percent, not more than 15 percent of the gross receipts may be derived from the use of the club's facilities or services by the general public. Furthermore, such receipts constitute income from an unrelated trade or business as defined in section 513 of the Code, and the filing of Form 990-T would be required if such gross receipts exceed $1,000.00. *For tax years ending on and after December 31, 1982, organizations whose gross receipts are not normally more than $25,000. are excused from filing Form 990.

For guidance in determining if your gross receipts are "normally" not more than the $25,000 limit, see the instructions for the Form 990.

You need employees.

If application, a it. Please use dence with the

an employer identification number even if you have no an employer identification number was not entered on your number will be assigned to you and you will be advised of that number on all returns you file and in all corresponInternal Revenue Service.

Because this letter could help resolve any questions about your exempt status and foundation status, you should keep it in your permanent records.

If you have any questions, please contact the person whose name and telephone number are shown in the heading of this letter.

Sincerely yours,

District Director

Box 36001, San Francisco, CA. 94102

-21-

Letter

948(DO)(3-79)

EDITORS NOTES

1984 is the fiftieth anniversary of the Air Mail contract cancellations, an event that completely changed the airline industry.

This was a time when there was a lot of interest in We think Ed Betts has really done a aviation and airlines. fine job in his article in TARPA TALES. Ed's work is always interesting, but this time he had done extra well in presenting the way it was. I think his treatment of the Army pilots who were called upon to take over the job is the most enlightening and fair piece I have seen on this subject. * * * * * * * * * * * In the back of this issue is a new form that you can use to report on your recent activities. Have you built a boat, seen some unusual sights on a trip? Started a new career? Let's stay in touch; take a minute to make out the form and send it to TARPA TOPICS. Of course, if you want to send more material than you could get on a form, please do so. * * * * * * * * * * * Finally, please make your plans for the Sixth Annual Convention of TARPA in Orlando, May 8, 9, and 10. * * * * * * * * * * * A SMILE costs nothing, but gives much. It enriches those who It takes but a moment, but the memory of it give it. sometimes lasts forever.

None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it, and none is so poor but that he cannot be made richer by it.

A SMILE creates happiness in the home, promotes good will in business and is the cornerstone of friendship.

It can perk up the weary, bring cheer to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and is nature's best antidote for trouble.

Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away.

When people are too tired to give you a smile, give them one of yours. No one needs a smile so much as he who has none to give. * * * * * * * * * * * - 22 -

In Memoriam EVAN L. LEWIS Retired Captain Evan L. Lewis passed away on November 13th. He retired in 1964 and was age 79 at the time of his losing battle against cancer.

All TWAers who knew Evan will recall his vibrant personality, wide smile, dedication to the company and his reputation as a gentleman.

Evan's aviation career reads like TWA's roots, from the open cockpit days to the Fokkers and Fords, the DC-2 and DC-3, Boeing Stratoliner, Constellations and into the jet age with the Boeing 707.

He literally "flew them all", as well as the many domestic and international routes at that time. As a native of Pasadena, which is in the immediate area where TWA's predecessor airlines began, he took part in it all.

At nearby Griffith Park, Major Corliss Moseley (one of Western Air Express founders and Vice President of operations) commanded a National Guard Squadron.

All four of Western's original pilots were selected from this squadron when they first started flying the mail to Salt Lake City in 1926. Evan was a member of the squadron, learning to be a mechanic and finally some flying lessons. On May 18, 1929 he too joined Western as a mechanic. Soon he was dividing his time between working in the shop and working as "mate" aboard the tri-motor Fokkers. "Mates", as they were termed, worked from the copilot's seat to assist the pilot and also attend the cabin and occasionally serve meals. Although the "mate" might be given some flying time by the pilot, even a takeoff and landing, it did not count towards certified logged pilot hours. In order to gain further experience towards being qualified as copilot, Evan bought his own Travelair biplane.

By the time of the merger of Western and TAT in 1930, Evan was qualified as copilot and one of the original employees with the new company, T&WA. Two years later he met a passenger aboard a flight to SFO. They were later married and flew in the Travelair to ABC) for the wedding and honeymoan.

Evan adopted her two sons, and in later years Edmund Lewis was to have a lasting (1945 to 1970) career with TWA as a senior meteorologist, , (Continued)

- 23 -

Evan checked out as first pilot in 1936 and for a number of Many of his students years was a pilot supervisor or check pilot . or those checking out to captain look back to a flight with Evan as always a pleasant experience. In 1950, while based at LAX, he was the local council chairman for ALPA. In the early days of commercial aviation and radios, it was a requirement that the pilot giving a radio broadcast, such as a position report to the company, end the transmission by giving his initials.

It made it official and part of the record kept by the ground operator on the teletype, etc. Long after this procedure was no longer a requirement, Evan continued to end his transmissions with "EL". It became a tradition. With the postwar Connies and the Hughes Terrain Warning system aboard, Evan furthered this tradition by putting the microphone next to, and pressing the test switch, for the indicator which would give out a harmonious "ding dong" in the cockpit and on the air. It became automatic: the ground radio operator would hear the "ding dong" and come right back with "go ahead EL"...everybody knew it was Evan who was ready for a report and after he was finished the air would be full of other flight crews saying a friendly "hi, Evan".

On Thanksgiving day of 1948, Evan was the captain of Flight 211 that suffered some gear damage after landing at LAX in fog conditions.

A fire erupted that required an emergency evacuation from the rear main door of the Connie, but the cabin attendants could not secure the ladder to the aircraft for the passengers to climb down. Evan held the ladder while all passengers and crew made their evacuation and there were no injuries before the plane was destroyed by the fire. As a result of this accident, inflatable chutes became mandatory.

In his retirement years Evan continued to live in a home atop the Santa Monica mountains with an airman's view of the Los Angeles area and the jets flying in and out of the airport.

Among his many activities, he took up painting and art. Evan's many friends will miss him as well as the traditional sign off , "EL".

He is survived by his wife of the past twenty two years, Bette, and Edmund and family.

By Ed Betts * * * * * * * * * * * There is a destiny that makes us brothers None goes his way alone All that we send into the lives of others Comes back into our own. * * * * * * * * * * * - 24 -

Transition to Jets If you happened to be in New York in June of 1956, and if you happened to be a potential buyer of jet airplanes, you could go to a warehouse on West 26th street and see a spectacular display of what the passenger cabin of the new jet transports would be like. U.S. commercial jets had reached the marketing stage and Boeing had spent a half million dollars to build a mock-up for its customers to see. While it already had some orders on its books, it needed more before it would be ready to "cut tin", because it would take close to a billion dollars in development and tooling costs to build the first commercial jet airliner.

You didn't need a degree from the Harvard B School to know these airplanes were going to be very expensive.

The old warehouse had been cleaned up and part of it curtained off with blue draperies. A life-sized cabin, designed by the Walter Darwin Teague organization, with all the systems and passenger amenities, all the colorful decor, the big, comfortable seats, and the spacious interior had been carefully built to make the model airplane attractive.

Boeing had gambled at lot on it and it was a success. It gave you the feeling that the old piston airplanes were already obsolete.

The windows were back lighted to simulate outside sunlight.

They were relatively small, but were made to seem bigger than they actually were by the way the wall panels were shaped around them. The panels were made from pre-formed, fire-proof, fibre-glass decorated with the colors of the rainbow.

Here and there a brightly colored balloon seemed to float among the rainbows.

Overhead were the passenger service units containing air ducts, reading lights, emergency oxygen equipment, and speakers that produced truly high fidelity music to soothe the passengers before take-off, and through which the pilots and hostesses could make announcements so clear that the passengers could actually understand what was said. The overhead racks had been designed so that they could take carry-on articles of considerable weight, which had been forbidden on earlier airplanes.

For the most part, the display was devoted to the looks of the cabin and the possibilities for excellent passenger service. But if you happened to be a flying-type visitor, Boeing had thoughtfully provided one of their best test-pilot salesmen who could tell you in exciting detail just how it would be to fly these new airplanes. Most pilots who saw the mock-up came away excited.

But the middle 50's was not the best of times to consider putting a new airplane of such radical design and performance into service.

Neither the airways nor the airports were ready for them. The airways lacked adequate navigation devices and control procedures to assure reliable control of air traffic, and most airports had runways that were not long enough or strong enough to handle jet airplanes. Kansas City was sometimes marginal for Connies, and a circling approach seemed out of the question. You'd really have to shoe-horn a jet into Midway and getting out again was just as bad. O'Hare was sitting unused because there was no access highway to it. Idlewild could be used, but it would be some time before TWA's terminal building would be completed. Only one runway had ILS. Most approach procedures were developed for slower, more maneuverable airplanes in much fewer numbers. But traffic volume had vastly increased after World War II. Not even the most advanced planners had expected the amount of traffic that the airways and approach facilities must handle.

Page 1 TARPA TALES

When World War II ended, the CAA was part of the Department of Commerce. The Administrator of the CAA reported to the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Aviation, and the Assistant Secretary reported to the Secretary of Commerce who, as a Cabinet member, had access to the President. Everyone in government expected a major growth in flying following the war, but most expected it to be in small, personal airplanes, which would be purchased and flown by thousands of ex-military throttlejocks when they were released from the Services. The navigation facilities, and the minds of many planners, were still focusing on DC-3's and DC-4's.

With some up-dating of navigation facilities and expansion of air control centers, the traffic control system would be adequate for DC-6's and Connie's, too. But instead of private flyers filling the air in their small airplanes, excess military transport airplanes were dumped on the market at bargain-basement prices, and charter, cargo and new regional carriers began to petition the CAB for the right to operate. The CAB found it in possible to deny the men, who had only recently put their lives on the line, the right to build themselves an airline, if they wanted to.

Some plans had been made to use the newly developed VOR system to replace the old four-course low frequency ranges and a few VOR stations were actually put in service. but there was no real national plan to create a system that would handle large quantities of commercial traffic.

When the CAA tried to improve the VOR's by adding DME, it met with a almost immediate objection from the Air Force, which wanted TACAN as primary navigation device. To complicate matters, many other departments and agencies of government wanted their piece of the sky, too.

Stan Seltzer, the ATA's specialist on air traffic control, remarked that a great deal of the useable airspace was simply vanishing, as far as commercial aviation was concerned.

"It is staggering," he said, "to ennumerate all those who seek 'pieces of the sky' to satisfy their requirements. The Army requires airspace in which to conduct artillery firing. An ordinance plant requires airspace in which to test munitions products. The television industry desires to erect taller and taller towers for transmitting their programs over greater areas and into more homes.... The Atomic Energy Commission arid other developing agencies must have their share of the airspace for vital experimental test purposes."

Warnings of inadequate traffic control were everywhere. ALPA warned that a tragedy was in the making, and ATA's Stuart Tipton, agreeing with ALPA on at least one matter, urged Congress to address itself to an airway improvement bill before, not after, the tragedy occurred.

The Government's main coordinating mechanisms for post-War aviation problems, were the Air Navigation Development Board and the Air Coordinating Committee. The two often found themselves deadlocked by the differing interests of their civilian and military representatives. General Elwood "Pete" Quesada, who played a major role in developing a comprehensive national air policy and was to become the first Administrator of the FAA, called the Air Coordinating Committee the.... "most unsuccessful, abortive conglomerate of conflicting interests you could possibly imagine...."

Tragically, it would take a staggering blow to get the wheels in motion, and such a catastrophe did occur at just the time the new jet mock-up was on display in New York.

TARPA TALES

Page 2

On Saturday, June 30, 1956, a TWA Constellation and a United Airlines DC-7 collided over the Grand Canyon. One hundred and twentyeight people lost their lives. The two airplanes were off airways and therefore technically outside air traffic control. No one claimed that the CAA was responsible, although the CAA, if requested, would give traffic advisory service to off-airways airplanes.... if controller time was available. Most of us had flown the route dozens of times and never thought it dangerous. On the off-airways, direct route to Chicago, you seldom saw another airplane. Not many pilots realized it, but the head-on closure rate of even piston airplanes was so fast that pilots could not physically take adequate evasive action to avoid each other, if they were first sighted a mile or less away. No one knows if the two airplanes had seen one another, but it probably would have made no difference if they had.

The jets would multiply the exposure to mid-air collision immensely, if positive air traffic control were not provided. Pilots knew it, and airline management knew it. But because of political maneuvering and confusion within Commerce, no one could get a handle on the answer.

Ironically, on the day of the Grand Canyon accident , President Eisenhower left Walter heed hospital for a rest at his Gettysburg farm, following major surgery. But before he left, he signed into law a bill authorizing the expenditure of $33.5 million to begin a highway program across the United States that would eventually develop into the Interstate Highway system, the largest public works endeavor iii the history of the world. It would cost billions of dollars, before it was completed.

Obviously, commercial air transportation, and the CAA, needed a a strong leader in government to propose and place into law a strong domestic air policy. In the mid-50's such a leader had not yet emerged.

There had been several competent CAA Administrators, but they changed frequently, and the politics of the Department of Commerce effectively blocked a national aviation development program.

The largest aviation appropriation following the War was the Federal Airport Act of 1946. Anticipating the big rush of private flying, Congress appropriated $520 million, most of which was allocated to the airports recommended by Congressmen to please their constituents. By 1956, all but about $20 million had been spent on terminal buildings and hangars for private flying that never developed. One unused terminal building was used to store hay. By 1955, only $5 million was available for domestic airway use.

Little or no attention was given to runway approach lights, threshold lights, the "black hole", or center-line guidance lights. Some of the larger airports had surveillance radar, but it lacked the precision to guide aircraft to a landing, and although it displayed a blip for airplanes in the vicinity, it provided no information as to altitude and could not furnish positive identification.

By 1956, a few ILS systems were deployed at major airports, (the budget had been increased to $18 million) but usually they were aligned only one way on the most active runway. Logan Airport at Boston was the only airport in the United States, at the time, that had a runway long enough and strong enough for jet operations. It had a localizer both directions, but the glide slope was provided for an approach from only one direction.

Undeterred by these deficiencies, the jets were coming, even though not everyone was pleased about their imminent arrival. In 1953,

TARPA TALES

Page 3

carriers and urged production of medium-range turbo-props like the Lockheed Electra. Eddie Rickenbacker agreed with him. Pat Patterson of United said buying jets was like skating on the thin ice separating technical advancement from bankruptcy.

U.S. international carriers, including TWA, were becoming increasingly concerned because the British had been hard at work on a commercial jet transport for several years.

As early as 1932, Sir Frank Whittle, a young Flying Officer of the RAF, began studies that would lead to the first axial-flow turbine engine. By the end of the War, Britain had one or two squadrons of jet fighters, although they saw little combat duty.

When the War ended, the British found themselves at a competitive disadvantage because the Americans had virtually all of the long range transport airplanes, and were anxious to start world-wide commercial service. To overcome their lack of adequate piston airplanes, and because the United States seemed to have little interest in a turbine-powered airplane, they began at once to build the Comet I. They were years ahead of the U.S. Comet I made made its initial flight on July 27 , 1949. On May 2, 1952, it went into scheduled service for BOAC and was an instant success.

In 1950, after the U.S. carriers had pointed with alarm to the success of the Cornet, Congress appropriated $12.5 million for research that would lead to a U.S. jet transport. The fund was to be administered by the CAA through the Prototype Advisory Committee, but the greatest contribution the Prototype Committee made was to warn that the British were several years ahead of the U.S., and if steps were riot taken soon, the gap might be irreversible.

In October, 1952, Pan Am announced that it was ordering three Comets for delivery in 1956. To the credit of American manufacturers, they quickly abandoned the Committee table for their drawing boards.

Boeing took the lead, designing a commercial jet based on their experience with B-47's and development studies for a flying tanker, the KC-135.

Douglas, prodded by Boeings lead in what was perceived to be a major and important world-wide market, announced that it, too, would have a prototype ready to fly in 1954.

In late 1953 and early 1954, the Comet was involved in a series of tragic crashes. On two occasions, take-off accidents led the engineers to suspect that over-rotation might be a serious problem. On May 2, 1953, encountered heavy just minutes after taking off from Calcutta, a Comet turbulence and crashed. The investigation indicated structural failure, Cpossibly omet caused by heavy turbulence. Just short of a year later, a crashed into the Mediterranean near Naples. It was the fifth accident and this time, investigation confirmed structural failure and the airplanes were grounded.

De Haviland's unfortunate troubles gave the U.S. some breathing room and the American manufacturers took advantage of it. Boeing's prototype, the Dash-80 was ready to fly by early 1954. Douglas would fly its prototype DC-8 a year later.

De Havilland assured its potential customers that it had corrected the structural problem and would soon have an advanced design, the Comet IV, ready to fly. By early October 1958, the new Comet went into service across the north Atlantic, followed three weeks later by Pan Am's TARPA TALES

Page 4

Boeing jet. Pan Am quickly gained the lead in passenger preference and the Comet was not far behind. TWA's Connies were a poor third.

Meanwhile back at the Oval Office, President Eisenhower was showing his famous impatience and peppery temper about the lack of progress in the CAA toward a long range plan to provide a safe, adequate, route system for civil aviation in the United States. In 1954, he had appointed William Barclay Harding to survey the tangled situation over control of the nation's airways. Harding was a Wall Street investment banker, a pilot, and a former Air Force Officer. He enlisted a Professor of Transportation from Harvard, a highly respected scientist from MIT and Jerome Lederer, head of the Flight Safety Foundation, and formed the Committee on Transport Policy and Organization. The Harding Committee, after several months study, recommended that the CAA be established as an independent agency out-side the Department of Commerce, but it lacked specific recommendations for the steps that must be taken. There was strong hope that the Harding Committee would shake the White House, shaking it away from its preoccupation with the highway plans. There is little doubt that the commercial air transport industry in this country stood at the cross-roads of it's future. Traffic on the airways was heavier than anyone had expected, resulting in numerous, exasperating traffic delays, and three mid-air collisions.

In 1956 Eisenhower enlisted another expert, Edward P. Curtis, a Vice President of the Eastman Kodak Company and a former General of the Air Force during WW II, to expedite definitive proposals leading to legislation that would be a giant step toward adequate airway navigation and traffic control.

When Curtis completed his assignment, he recommended fourteen steps, all of which required legislation. The President approved the report, sent it to Congress and turned to another Air Force Officer, Lieutenant General E. R. Quesada. He made Quesada his Administrative Assistant, with the specific assignment of implementing the Curtis report.

One of the recommendations of the Curtis report, probably the most important, was to re-write the Civil Aeronautics Act to remove the CAA from the CAB and the Department of Commerce. Quesada teamed up with Senator Mike Monroney to draft the new laws and guide them through Congress with as little delay as possible.

The result was the establishment of the FAA with the Administrator reporting directly to the President. That important position went to Pete Quesada and with the help of Mike Monroney, commercial air transportation received a big boost. Had the airway navigation and control systems not been over-hauled, it is unlikely that the jet age, which was almost upon the airlines, would have been successful, and flight safety might have deteriorated even further.

TWA had many problems in the mid to late '50's. There were frequent changes in Presidents and the major stockholder made it clear, as far back as 1947, that he would select and buy all new airplanes for his airline. he had chosen and bought the Connies, and was now negotiating for several types and models of jets.

Mr. Hughes and Convair had studied a very early jet that would be specially designed for TWA overseas routes, but apparently it never went further than the discussion stage. The Convair 880's were on and off and the number of airplanes varied almost weekly. Sometimes, there were indications the deal would never come about at all.

TARPA TALES

Page 5

Until Charles Thomas became President, there was little stability in management and the lower ranking Officers had no choice but to plan for jets, based on what information was available. Bob Rummel, VicePresident of Staff Engineering, was the one man in the Company who had regular contact with Mr. Hughes, and he supplied what he could get.

Boeing jets seemed certain, although the number and model changed from time to time. It seemed apparent that the first airplane TWA could possibly receive was the Boeing 707-131 and preparations began for training and operations. A multitude of problems immediately came to the surface.

The jets would operate at a very high altitude, maybe 40,000 ft and even higher. No one knew what might happen to an airplane if it encountered turbulence at that altitude. The military told some frightening tales about B-47s at a point, called the "Coffin Corner", where they could not speed up because of high-speed buffet and they couldn't slow down, for if they did, they would stall out. Boeing, of course, denied it. The 707, they said, was an altogether different design. Still, new rumors (the favorite pastime of pilots) made the rounds almost every week.

It was known, however, that light rays "scatter" at high altitudes so that the see and be seen rule would no longer apply. That raised the question as to whether some sort of special external lighting would be necessary; and whether special cockpit designs were required to improve visibility. Obviously, positive control of jet traffic would be required. No decision had been made as to the amount of airway separation that would be required and because of the rate of fuel consumption at lower altitudes, all holding stacks would be limited to 21,000 ft. and above.

No one knew what prolonged operation at high altitude might do to the crew. High speeds were suspected of producing something called "high-speed stress." Would flight crews need more rest periods? Especially on International? What would altitude and high speeds do to hostesses?

Would they require special scheduling?

Jet-lag hadn't been discovered yet.

The biggest question mark was explosive decompression at high altitudes. Various studies were made and motion pictures taken of the results. Some showed the insides of the cabin, including passengers, being blown out of a hole that had been ripped open in the side of the airplane to simulate an explosion. Even if only rapid (almost instantaneous) loss of pressure occurred, the cockpit would fill with condensed moisture so crew members would have to grope their way around in a fog to handle emergency procedures. It was thought that immediate emergency descent was mandatory, and for that reason, at least one of the pilots should wear his oxygen mask at all times.

Because of short runways, would a drag-chute be required on landing? And would it be necessary to shut down the engines and tow the airplane to the terminal? Jet noise was so severe spectators might suffer permanent ear damage if the airplanes taxied to the terminal. There was concern about the taxi-ways and ramps, for it was feared that the very heavy jets would break the concrete, or become mired down in the soft asphalt that was commonly used at the time. Rocks, nuts and bolts and other debris must be cleaned from the ramps and runways for the great suction of the engine would pull trash right into the engines. Prototype magnetic "brooms" were designed to sweep the ramp of metal. And some protection must be provided for ramp service men working around the TAR PA TALES

Page 6

airplane while an engine was running. It was believed that the engines would suck a man right into the engine. acomdte Airport fire-fighting equipment must be designed to to the size of the airplanes and the number of passengers that might be involved in accidents. Different fire-suppressant chemicals would also be required because of the nature of jet fuels.

Some feared that the jet blasts of an airplane moving away from the terminal might break windows and blow loose ramp equipment into other airplanes. How far apart must jets be parked to provide minimum risk from jet blast? This led to a debate as to whether jets should be towed to the terminal, and on departure be towed to the end of the runway. Could a towing machine then remain with the airplane while it awaited its turn for take-off? Experience later showed that the wait could sometimes be very, very long.

How should terminals be designed? No one had ever attempted to handle such large numbers of passengers, either loading or unloading.

Passengers normally checked in during the last half hour before departure and if three or four airplanes were departing, the traffic jam and the crowd could tie up the terminal until nothing could move.

And the baggage! Baggage handling was already difficult with the Connies and jets would compound the problem. Would mechanized baggage handling systems be required to load baggage into special containers, which in turn would be loaded into the airplanes? Some people scoffed at the idea of containerized baggage; said they would only make it possible to lose bags by the dozens, instead of just one at a time. Still, some airlines, American for example, were already designing containers and the systems to load them.

Even with containers, it would be very difficult to unload all the baggage from such huge airplanes quick enough to keep the passengers happy - or reasonably so. Some thought a high speed moving belt would have to be provided directly from the airplane to the baggage claim area.

Flying operations would be radically changed, too. But at first, no one knew exactly what to expect. As a matter of fact, very few men, other than the military and the airframe Company test pilots knew much about jets at all. Especially commercial transport jets.

Would jets have to be pre-cleared for an approach and landing at their destination before they were allowed to take off? Some thought that departing airplanes would have to fly through a series of low-level "departure tunnels" until they were outside the zone where other jets would be holding at higher altitudes.

The problems of noise from departing and arriving jets over housing areas was sure to bring trouble. The town of Cedarhurst had already taken officials to court over the noise of low approaching piston airplanes at Idlewild, and jets would increase the noise tremendously. John Wiley, Director of Aviation for The New York Port Authority said, "The jet has got to adjust to civilized community life. It can't come in raw and screaming. It's got to be housebroken first." General Nathan Twining, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, said that "noise is something we are going to have to live with."

Either way, the airlines were in the middle.

Facing this vast mountain of problems, some just rumors, some factual, planning for jets did begin two full years before the first TARPA TALES

Page 7

airplanes arrived. Don Crowley was the head of the ground school. He and Warren Berg set out for Boeing to gather all that was then known. Captain Ray Rowe would be in charge of all flight training, and was responsible to see that TWA had the best flight training possible. Gordon Granger was appointed to the position of Flight Research and Development, for want of all he a better name, to follow the development of the airplane and learn could learn from the Boeing test pilots. It was his job to see to it that TWA's flight crews had the best instrumentation available and that the flight procedures were both safe and practical, under actual operating conditions. As it turned out, TWA had little choice of the procedures to be followed.

Part One of the Operating Manual supplied by the airplane manufacturer was approved in every detail by the FAA : every procedure, every paragraph, and every page of it was mandatory. The airlines must see to it that their personnel followed the approved procedures to the to the letter. Not even the most experienced pilot would be allowed to fly the airplane "his way". This didn't sit very well with some pilots.

The manuals and texts of ground school were also carefully scrutinized and when they were approved by the IAA , the inspector's initials were placed on every page of the Training Program, and the approved texts were carefully maintained by Don Crowley's office.

As book-knowledge was gathered together, "paper" flights were operated coast to coast. A make-believe flight was scheduled and a load assigned to it. Its route of flight, altitude, fuel load, alternates and all of the other details were applied to it and the flight dispatched, day after day. The purpose of the exercise was to confirm daily dispatch parameters, such as fuel load, adequacy of alternates, under actual conditions of weather and holding times to see if TWA's own operations procedures were adequate. Gordon Parkinson rode herd on the phantom phlytes.

Frank Busch, V. P . Operations, established a Jet Planning Committee to tie all of the pieces together, and the Committee reported to him weekly. Representatives of every department within TWA met regularly and began to organize the problems that must be solved before operations could begin. Each of the members of the jet Planning Committee developed lists of equipment for use in his department. Decisions to order must be made well before delivery dates because of the lead-time required to design and manufacturer some of the specialized equipment. For the most part, Maintenance and Engineering needed the most complex and expensive machinery to handle Line Maintenance at the stations, and the tools and jigs and engine test cells to perform overhaul and maintenance on the airplanes and the engines themselves. Flight Operations put in for some very expensive simulators, for it was obvious that the Company could not afford to hold an airplane out of service for periodic flight checks.

Complex computer-controlled simulators cost more than a DC-3, and eventually more than a Connie.

For several months, the Planning Committee functioned under the direction of the Operations Department, but as the introductory date of the new airplanes drew closer, Bob Rummel became its Chairman. When it came time to sign contracts and commit money, Rummel was the principle contact to the source of funds. Each department had prepared its own budgets to be ready to start service, and after the budgets were thoroughly massaged by the Finance Department and approved by the President, if there was one, Rummel tried to get approval. Sometimes, approval

TARPA TALES

Page 8

TAPPA TALES

Page 8-A.

TWA FLIGHT TRAINING CENTER INSTRUCTORS MEETING JACK FRYE BUILDING, MARCH 1958

Ray Rowe, Director of Flight Training, at podium Row 1 - Jack Frier, Warren Berg, D. H. Smith, Don Crowley Row 2 - Max Parkison, Dean Officer, Ray Hanson, Lloyd Smith, Chet Edwards, Jim Mueller Row 3 - Bronson White, Orville Olson, Melvin Williams, Paul Jones, Clem Wittman Row 4 - John Maris, Hillary McClimans , Andy Beaton, Ben Boyd, Bill Bushey Row 5 - Bob Norris, Chris Clark, Howard Hansen Row 6 - John Kieffer, Art Prestia, Joe Leonardo, Chris Carper Row 7 - Joe Crede, John Robertson Photo loaned by Captain Lloyd Smith

FLOYD HALL in a recent picture which accompanied his article on "Transition to Jets"

TARPA TALES

Page 8-B

was a long time coming. All of us, especially Carter Burgess (to whom the first cut at the budget was presented) and Charles Thomas, who came later, were astounded at the amount of money required. As it turned out, so was the principle stockholder, for the banks and insurance companies, from whom he hoped to borrow the money, balked at committing the funds until they were assured that TWA would have stable management.

Many months would elapse before TWA's financial and legal struggle would end, and Mr. Hughes engaged in some fancy foot-work to keep the deliveries scheduled for 1959. He traded some delivery positions on 331's to Pan Am to obtain better delivery of Pratt-Whitney engines, which Juan Trippe had thoughtfully tied up for his own airplanes. ln late November of 1958, TWA received its first 707-131. It had come off the production line unfinished and sent to Kansas City for training. My office was on the second floor, on the northwest corner of the old TWA hangar, looking out over the airport. For more than an hour before the ETA, almost no work was done, since everyone was watching for the new jet. When it finally arrived, it landed to the south, rolled to the end of the runway, and came to a stop. After pausing for a few minutes, it turned off the runway and parked in front of the hangar. All part of a previously prepared plan.

While the airplane was in flight, it was property of the Hughes Tool Company. But when it completed its landing roll, TWA's lease became effective and insurance and care of the airplane was solely the responsibility of TWA. Next to my office, was a conference room that had once been Jack Frye's office. Lawyers and other officials of Hughes Tool and TWA could also look out on the airport and watch the airplane complete its role.

They had gathered around the table to officially sign the necessary documents, placing the lease in effect and transferring the airplane to TWA. Lights and movie cameras were placed around the room so that the signing process could be recorded and confirmed by motion pictures. The airplane remained at M KC overnight and then was flown to MCI and training began. In spite of all the previous study and the training received at Boeing, the 707 still had some tricks up its sleeve.

When the Dash 80 first became available for potential purchasers to fly, Paul Frederickson and some of his staff went to Boeing for a demonstration flight. To better evaluate the airplane's performance, Paul asked that the airplane be loaded to max gross weight for take off. He occupied the left seat, Tex Johnson the right seat and Gail Storck was on the jump seat. According to Storck, the roll down the runway seemed normal but after rotation it was quite apparent the airplane was not accelerating. At the last minute, Tex took over the controls, slammed the nose wheel down on the runway, then lifted the airplane off, just in time to clear the fence and a grocery warehouse about a half mile from the end of the runway.

The problems of the Comet immediately came to mind and shock waves went from the flight line to engineering, and all the way to the top management of Boeing. In theory, the 707 wing design was such that overrotation was impossible. Still, it happened. There was considerable study of the load distribution, and for a while, Boeing thought the airplane had been excessively tail heavy. There was also some question as to whether the nose was raised too high. But in either case, the fact remained that

TARPA TALES

Page 9

the 707 could be placed iii an attitude producing the same problem suffered by the Comet.

Demonstration flights were suspended while the problem was The results of the investigation were never made public, but studied. shortly thereafter, the Dash 80 was equipped with new, split flaps on the trailing edge of the wing and slats were added to the leading edge. The problem was cured. To prove it, Quantas, the Australian airline, asked for and got a tail dragging demonstration and the airplane performed well.

Over-rotation was not, however, the last of the 707's tricks.

To obtain his rating, each pilot was required to demonstrate his ability to circle and land with two engines out on one side. The controls in the early airplanes were not hydraulically actuated and, as most of you know, the strain on both arms and legs was intense. On the down-wind leg, still on two engines, the airplane suddenly flipped its tail, like a flying whale.

Two ground school instructors, standing in the rear of the airplane, were thrown to the top of the cabin with enough force to leave their head-print in the ceiling fabric. They were taken to a hospital, although their injuries proved to be not serious.

Boeing's explanation was a phenomenon called "elevator hook".

When the elevators were at maximum displacement, the forces gradually built up until the surface stalled and for a quick second were ineffective.

If the forces were plotted on a graph, the force line gradually curved upward until the elevator's stalled. The curve then plotted out a button-hook shape at the end of the curve. Hence the name, "elevator hook".

Flight Operations immediately asked for hydraulic boost of the tail surfaces, but it was too late. Such a change would stop the production line at Boeing for months and other airlines refused to join TWA. In time, elevator hook was determined to be within the pilot's control, but all later model airplanes were provided with hydraulically actuated controls.

On January 29, 1959, TWA received its first airplane for scheduled service. Initially, it was added to the flight training program, but later used to demonstrate TWA's ability to handle the airplane on the ground at the stations where service was first scheduled to begin. The FAA was as strict on its requirements for ground handling as it was on flight training, and the line demonstrations took several weeks.

On March 20, 1959, The first flight was scheduled to begin, a non-stop from San Francisco to New York. TWA had only the one airplane, and Granger, Rowe and Frier were the only pilots qualified to fly it in scheduled operations. American Airlines, which was already operating jets in regular service, had a flight scheduled for departure at the same time.

The "Tie-Line" had been taken over by Frank Busch and kept open for a minute to minute description of the preparations for departure.

The airplane was full, as it would be for several months following the first flight, but all pre-flight preparations went smoothly. Ray Dunn had placed a specially trained crew at both San Francisco and New York to make sure the airplane was kept in top mechanical condition. Gordon Granger, Ray Rowe and Jack Frier flew as Captains, with a qualifying Captain acting as First Officer.

American was the first to leave the blocks and it appeared that TWA would have to settle for second place for its first departure. But American had mechanical troubles, and returned to the gate, and TWA was off the ground, right on schedule.

TWA kept the flight operating for

TARPA TALES

Page 10

thirty-three days, without a single delayed departure, with only one airplane.

It would be difficult to know how many people all across the system were on the "Tie-Line", but excitement ran high. Above all the noise Busch could be heard saying that "TWA has entered the jet age!" with only the one airplane. As additional airplanes were delivered, schedules were expanded, but the accomplishment with only one airplane was Compared to acknowledged in the industry as a significant achievement. the 1049's and the DC-7's reliability at the time, it was nothing short of miraculous.

In June of of 1959, Vice-President Nixon made a trip to Moscow, using Air Force One. TWA was asked to furnish a 707 to fly the press corps to cover his activities. TWA agreed and Charles Thomas went along.

The flight had some exacting requirements, however. The Press wanted to cover Nixon's departure and also be on hand to greet him when he arrived in Moscow. Not an easy task, with a 707-131 Water-Wagon.

Gordon Granger flew the flight and found that by refueling in Keflavik, Iceland, instead of some city in Europe, he could beat the VicePresident to Moscow. He did it, and TWA's new President was impressed.

When Premier Krushchev, after the famous debate with Nixon in the American kitchen exhibit in Moscow, asked to be shown TWA's 707, Thomas proudly escorted him. To add to the success of the trip, the VicePresident asked to ride in the TWA airplane, instead of Air Force One, on the return trip from Warsaw to Keflavik. TWA's part in the famous trip to Moscow was performed without a hitch and when Mr. Thomas returned to the United States he sent letters of congratulations to each of the crew.

"TWA," he said, "is a can-do airline!"

Looking back, many of the problems were less awesome than they had first appeared. Under Pete Quesada, a strong FAA developed and air traffic came under positive, radar-monitored control. Tough and aggressive, Quesada did not always win the applause of all pilots...especially those near sixty or those of the AOPA. But a less dynamic and knowledgeable person could not have overcome the vested interests of politically oriented administrators.

Explosive decompression? There have been some, and they are dangerous. But so far they have been manageable. The wonders of computers have made passenger handling faster than any would have imagined. But baggage...it would seem that baggage will always present unpleasant problems, even though millions are spent trying to solve its unique problems.

As this nostalgic, backward trip is written, the airline industry the United States, once the finest, safest, most economical form of in transportation ever devised, is going through another traumatic transition.

But one conclusion is sure: if you work for a "can-do airline", you'll be a survivor!

Floyd Hall * * * * * * * * * * *

TARPA TALES

Page 1 1

Dec. 3 , 1 959 Charles Thomas was President of TWA

MEET YOUR CREW Your crew on this Intercontinental Boeing 707 inaugural jet flight from New York to Paris and Rome consists of the following ten men and women: Captain-in-Command

Charles M. Horstman

Captain

Roger H. Kruse

Captain

Lawrence O. Murchan

Flight Engineer

Robert H. Gwin

Navigator

Avery Lenoir

Purser

Clayton E. McManaway

Purser

Frank F. Madonia

Purser

S. Thomas Mannino

Hostess

Patricia Anne Seastrand

Hostess

Anne Rose Reece

On the following pages we give you a brief introduction to our TWA crew members.

* * * * * * * * * * *

TARPA TALES

Page 1 2

FLYING WITH THE OLD TIMERS ON T & WA

By A. T. Humbles I consider myself indeed fortunate to have flown with so many of the old timers during my career with TWA. They were characters, gentlemen, pioneers and fine pilots.

Soon after I came to Transcontinental and Western Air, I was assigned to the Boeing Strato-Liner.

This was because I had flown the Boeing B-17 in the Air Force. Incidentally, when the U. S. Air Force modified the Strato-Liner prior to return to TWA, it became almost an identical B-17 except for the bulbous passenger cabin.

The military must have used the old landing gear screws for we had had the same retraction and extension problems TWA experienced until we modified them.

Three of us flew out to Grandview airport south of Kansas City for our three landings with Max Parkison. After our landings, Max said in that drawl of his, "You fellows could teach me how to fly this thing". Of course, it was back home for us.

Flying the line in the Strato-Liner was a real pleasure for it was the deluxe coast to coast air service. We had the finest food in flight then, although it was years later when TWA tried to advertise the "finest food in flight". We hauled a lot of celebrities.

As far as I am concerned, the pilots in command were celebrities.

The tales they could and did tell were of great interest to me.

I recall Jack Wade who, it was said, was a full blooded Indian with a sixth grade education. He was a fine pilot and gentleman.

Jack told me he flew the first airmail out of Kansas City.

There was a large crowd along with the high post office officials, TWA president and company officials and a band. Jack was dressed typically in helmet, white scarf, goggles, leather jacket, jodphurs and leather high top boots. An official handed him a sack of mail in his open cockpit and he taxied out and roared into the air as the band played with all seventy horses of power straining away.

Jack told of flying until the ice accumulation was too much and then he would land in some farmer's wheat field, find a tree limb and beat the ice off the fabric surfaces and take off They combatted carburetor ice by turning the ignition again. off and on to make it back fire and cough the ice out of the carburetor throat.

Earl Fleet was another quiet, fine gentleman and good pilot.

His tales were good. He collected dolls from all over the world which, I understand, Clara still has. Earl told me he had been in the U. S. Army Aviation Cadet training program in 1926 with an old favorite Air Force commander of mine, Colonel Pee Wee Wheeler.

(Continued) TARPA TALES Page 13

Although I was based in Kansas City, I flew once on the StratoLiner with Howard "Sonny Boy" Hall to Burbank where he was domiciled. He flew from Kansas City to Albuquerque and put me in the left seat out of ABQ. He went back in the lounge during climb and didn't come up until I had put the gear down on final into Burbank.

Made you feel good that they had some confidence in you back then. Or was fatigue overpowering?

Russ Dick seemed to take a liking to me and had schedule set me up with him for some months. Back then a co-pilot had no bidding rights, a half vote in ALPA and no voice.

Anyway, Russ taught me a lot about flying. That man could fly better with the headset hung up than most with head sets over both ears, frowning, screaming and so forth. He was calm and competent.

Thunder storm techniques I learned from Russ and others stood me in good stead through the years. I recall one night between Kansas City and Chicago, up that thunderstorm alley with storms all over, Russ had to go back in the cabin so he turned it over to me. I asked him what heading to hold or what he was using.

He told me to fly to the next light beacon, be sure it was the right code and then look for the next one and fly to it. Remember the memory code for the beacons? "When under very hard route know direction by good method." W. U. V. H. R. K. D. B. G, M. Another time with Russ, Don Terry was in a Strato-Liner a few minutes ahead of us. While I was having no problems with radio communications, Captain Terry was screaming over the radio so much he wasn't getting results. I asked Captain Dick if I could help by relaying and he said no, that if I did, we would be doing it all the way to New York. Besides, he said, Terry was enjoying it. Many times that trip and later ones I would hear Terry whistling code.

Towers were then on 278 KC's and one time, due to the skip effect, he was in contact with Banana River, Florida, wherever that is.

Mentioning Terry reminds me that once the TWA company paper, called the SKYLINER, in one issue had a reminder of how we should dress and they said the approved uniform scarf color was gray and in the same issue they had a picture of Terry with a huge white scarf.

Once with Russ Dick on a non stop between LaGuardia and Kansas City, I was flying the leg and about half way there Russ asked me if I wanted him to relieve me a while as we had no autopilot and I said no thanks. The flight engineer piped up and said, "Let him fly some, A. T., he will give it back to you".

(Continued) TARPA TALES

Page 14

Months later I was with Russ on a Constellation with Jack Frye, TWA president, on board, and we had to land at Fort Wayne because of weather in Chicago in the winter time. Russ had to go to the other side of the field to use the phone, so he left me with the airplane and passengers, and told me to run up the engines every thirty minutes as it was so cold. Jack Frye was in the cockpit a while visiting with us and he was in the left seat when it came time to run up the engines. As I read the check list he was unable to find the parking brake, so I said, "You mean you designed this airplane and can't find the parking brake?"

To which he replied, "Hell, I didn't care where they put the parking brake." Friends have told me I will never win an award for tact.

I wonder why?

Bob Wittke afforded me more entertainment than anyone. What an excellent pilot and fine gentleman!

He would be worth more millions today had he pursued a career as a comedian. He nicknamed me Senator Claghorn which has stuck to this day with some friends.

We shared rooms back then on that six dollar per day expense money.

At the Forest Hills Inn in Jackson Heights, New York, where we laid over, the shower was in a tub with separate faucets for tub and shower. I would be taking a shower and Bob would sneak in and turn on the hot water in the tub and pretty soon I'd be dancing in scalding water.

Once in the cockpit prior to take off at La Guardia, the hostess was in the cockpit and Bob told her he just didn't get any sleep on layover and she asked why, to which he replied "that a north wind was blowing and the Senator wouldn't allow a window to be opened".

Another time, same place, I had my paper work in my lap getting organized prior to engine start and Captain Wittke in his most authoritative voice said, "I want you to put all that paper and pencil away and don't get it out until we are past Allentown".

I asked why and his reply, "You'll be mapping out all these bridges and stuff and sending it down to Jeff Davis".

The co-pilot's seat in the Strato-Liner didn't push back very far because of the flight engineer's seat, but the captain's seat was on a long track that went all the way back for several feet, it seemed, in that big cockpit. I suppose the designers figured the captain needed more sleeping room. Anyway, Bob rolled out onto the runway at Kansas City one morning, pushed the throttles forward and, as his seat was not locked, the acceleration took him to the back of the cockpit entirely out of reach of the controls.

He calmly yelled, "Grab her, Senator, grab her!" I continued the take off while he observed from the rear.

On layover in New York once I was out and a WAC sergeant, who used to work for me when I was in the Air Force, called and asked for Captain Humbles, which was what she knew me as in the service.

After that, if I went back to the passenger cabin, Bob would tell me to wear his jacket.

(Continued) TARPA TALES

Page 15

We were parking at La Guardia once and, evidently had some celebrity on board as a camera crew was grinding away. Bob appeared to drop everything and put a finger in each corner of his mouth to make a wider smile and said to me, "Smile, we are on camera!"

Bob Overman, another fine gentleman, and I were laying over in Glendale. When we got to the airport at Burbank there was a captain from another domicile working on our flight plan and he told Bob he was flying back with him for qualification. Whereupon Captain Overman told him he could have been courteous enough to have called us at the hotel and asked if it was okay so I wouldn't have suited up and so now he had a co-pilot in the form of me. The other captain slammed the paper work down and stormed out.

I told Bob I didn't really mind, so he relented and I went and found this captain in the coffee shop so he got to make the run anyway.

Back then I heard of the belly landing of a Boeing at Burbank by the legendary Dave Kuhn. Come to think of it, Dave was a young man then by our present norms, but he was still an old timer to young boys like me. As Dave circled the field they said he received advice and instructions from numerous knowledgeable personnel such as maintenance foremen, chief pilots, dispatchers, etc.

Finally Dave said, "Well, if there is no one else with any help, I'll see if I can get this thing on the ground myself". Back in those days it was the procedure after parking for the captain to open the cockpit window and yell the time on to the agent.

So Dave came sliding to a halt with the sparks flying, metal screeching, fire trucks racing abreast. He opened the window and yelled, "On at 45, or whatever it was". After reading Bill Dixon's article on the 767 I wonder if the automators for the world designed some way to take care of belly landings so the company won't over pay?

Back then co-pilot check outs could be expedited when necessary and I don't think safety was jeopardized.

I was off the Boeings and only a short time on the DC-3's when the phone rang one morning and the girl said Captain Mesker wanted to see me in his office right away. Trembling with apprehension, three of us stood before Captain Mesker. He said, "We need three volunteers for Connie co-pilot". We said we would like to stay on the threes as Captain checkout might be He said, "Well, we have three volunteers in coming up soon. you, so report back at one p.m. for ground school". At one p.m. a flight engineer took us into the hangar for a very accelerated Then we were told to report back at six Connie ground school. p.m. at Fairfax for our landings.

(Continued) TARPA TALES

Page 16

It was a hot August evening in Kansas City and Harry Campbell, our instructor, stripped down to nothing except his undershorts.

We each had our hands on the controls while he made three bounces each and that was it. The next day I went out as co-pilot with Jim Walker. We were the Can Do airline back then. Too bad we let "Big Daddy" get so deep into our business.

Those were thrilling days back then before they finally grounded those early Connies for the safety mods. Hardly a trip went by that we didn't shut down an engine.

Early on I flew with Dean Officer, a truly fine gentleman and excellent flier. That early morning on my first flight with Dean between Kansas City and Midway I had a headache, took two aspirins, and inadvertently, went to sleep. I woke up when he put the gear down on final at Chicago. He just laughed and said, "I hoped I could get on the ground without waking you".

Sleeping in flight was later to become a crime in the eyes of the FAA but it was unavoidable and necessary on some of the all night, all stops, flights on the line.

I was with Captain Officer on a night take off out of the old Pittsburgh airport when number three engine caught fire. We lit up all of that city like daylight. I was scared, but very calmly Dean said, "Tell the tower we are coming back in for a landing and to call out the fire trucks."

I flew with Roy Thrush on his first captain flight on the Connie.

Some called him "Silent Thrush" as he wasn't overly talkative.

A friend of mine had flown with Roy on a DC-3 from Kansas City to Albuquerque and back, and he swore the total conversation was on the way back taxiing out at Wichita on a beautiful moonlit night and Roy said, "Nice night, ain't it?" And my friend said "Yep." On that first flight we took off at night from Kansas City to Chicago with a whole slew of thunderstorms ahead of us on the route and off.

Roy very methodically tied down the beam soon after take off and before we entered the stuff. No radar on TWA back then. He then hung up his head set, held on to that heading through all that horrendous stuff and took us straight as a die to Kirksville right on the airway. Roy was an excellent pilot, if not a conversationalist.

His landing at Chicago wasn't bad but a little bouncy. He let me fly to La Guardia and, as I had been flying the Connie a while, I made a smooth landing in New York. Roy flew the three legs back to K. C. Then it so happened I flew the next two trips with him.

Toward the end of the third trip we were walking out to the airplane in St. Louis and I thought I knew Roy well enough then, so I asked him why the ---- he never let me fly, to which he replied, "Hell, I let you fly that first trip and you flew so much better than I did, I decided I would keep practicing until I thought I could fly that good. Why don't you take her to Kansas City?" After that he split the legs with me and I enjoyed flying with him.

(Continued) TARPA TALES Page 17

I think Roy and I became good friends and some years later I had a night transition period with him on the Connie. After the session the flight engineer instructor took me aside and said, "I have been flying with Roy two years and he talked more with you tonight than he has talked all the past two years put together."

Reminds me of a boy down home who at age 21 had never spoken and his folks had thought all those years he was deaf and mute. He had spoken a few words which amazed his folks and they said, "We didn't know you could talk; how come you haven't said anything before?" His reply was, " I just didn't have anything to say".

I earlier mentioned celebrities.

Once on a flight with Seth Strachan out of La Guardia to Chicago to Kansas City we had Bob Hope, Vera Vague, Bob Montgomery and Jerry Colonna on board.

Between Midway and Kansas City Captain Strachan went back into Shortly the hostess call light on my instrument panel the cabin. came on so, being a bashful single first officer, I picked up the mike and said, "Go ahead, Honey". Instead Bob Hope was on and recognized my Southern drawl as he said, "How yawl doing up there?" Being so awe stricken at being on the intercom with Mr. Hope, I was very business like and said, "Oh, the winds are really strong on our nose and we are really going slow." His retort, "Well, let me know if the teeth of the wind get to biting into you and if they do, I'll come up and put some Pepsodent on them."

I'll wind this up by saying probably the finest exhibition of flying I ever rode through was with gum chewer, Bronson White.

I think the Connie invented hydro-planing, as I hadn't heard of it before.

My first experience with it was a thriller.

It was with Bronson going into LaGuardia in heavy rain on water He touched on as short as one could past the slick runway four. dike and applied the brakes. Pilots know the feeling in the cockpit as it leaned you forward in the seat on braking. Then hydro-planing took over and it felt like we were accelerating .

I was now pulled back against the back of my seat like my old 98 Olds used to do. It looked a certainty we were going to bathe in Flushing Bay. As we approached Runway 13 in this apparently hopeless situation, Bronson poured the coal to Number 1 and 2 engines and we slewed sideways, then, when we were in the intersection he shot the power to three and four and we went down thirteen.

We must have turned that corner doing ninety miles per hour , but he was now in control and able to stop. The tower calmly cleared us to taxi to our gate.

I sure had taken a bite out of my seat. Bronson never chewed any faster on that gum that was always in his mouth. Had I been in his place and had been able to pull off such a fantastic recovery, I probably would have swallowed my chewing tobacco.

Because of the expense, I doubt the company would ever have put reversible props on the Constellations had not the ALPA MEC ( Continued) TARPA TALES

Page 18

taken a stand that the pilots would not land at LaGuardia, Indianapolis or Midway when the runways were wet.

Another problem when we first got the Connies was that probably half the fleet did not have steerable nose wheels. Can you imagine trying to park using differential power and brakes for turning?

Of course, back then the ramp agents, glass windows and baggage carts seemed more tolerant of terrific blasts of power. I recall once when a Connie was leaving the ramp at Chicago no amount of power or brakes would straighten the nose wheel so he could taxi because the nose strut was fully extended and the nose wheel was cocked all the way to one side. Maintenance had to bring out a tug and pull it straight. It was reported the Company was going to remove the nose wheel steering from the ones that had it in order to standardize the fleet, but were persuaded to go the other way and put steering on all the Connies.

Needless to say, I enjoyed my flying career. * * * * * * * * * * *

HERSHISER'S FIRST RULE: "IMPROVED" isn't.

Anything labeled "NEW" and/or

* * * * * * * * * * * HERSHISER'S SECOND RULE:

The label "NEW" and/or "IMPROVED"

means the price went up. * * * * * * * * * * * HERSHISER'S THIRD RULE:

The label "ALL NEW", "COMPLETELY

NEW" or "GREAT NEW" means the price went way up! * * * * * * * * * * *

TARPA TALES

PAGE 19

THE 1934 AIR MAIL CONTRACTS CANCELLATION

By Ed Betts Most of today's major domestic airlines trace their roots back to 1926, the year that they, or their predecessor companies, began carrying the mail.

As a national industry, one of the most phenomenal periods of growth was from 1926 through 1932.

The pounds of mail carried had jumped from 433,649 in 1926, to 9,351,195 in 1932. Other figures were equally as impressive: express from 6,467 to 1,250,000 pounds, the number of passengers from a mere 5,782 to 504,575 and passenger miles from an estimated 1,250,000 to 143,169,682. All other parameters had shown a similar increase, such as: the number of airlines, aircraft, personnel, etc.

This growth had started during the boom times of the "roaring twenties" and continued into the early years of the great depression. It happened to occur during the years of the Republican Administration headed by Presidents Coolidge and Hoover, and Postmasters General New and Brown.

The Democrats were swept into office and took over in early 1933.

The new administration was not happy with what they had inherited; the airlines were getting paid "exorbitant" rates for carrying the mail, subsidies paid by the taxpayers! An even larger thorn was the questionable method that the former PMG, Walter Folger Brown, had used in awarding the contracts as well as organizing a number of the airlines (including TWA) involved and the routes or terminals they served.

The seeds for a possible scandal had already been planted by a cub reporter, Fulton Lewis, Jr., but his boss (William Randolph Hearst) for some unknown reason had nixed the printing of the expose'.

A newly elected senator, Hugo Black, was made privy to Lewis's "evidence" that graft, collusion, favoritism and misuse of public office had been used at the at the infamous "spoils conferences" held in 1930. Soon a full scale investigation, headed by Black, was underway. All of the airline executives and members of the Post Office Department who had taken part in the conferences were under subpoena.

Under subpoena were a number of men who helped to form T&WA including: Harris "Pop" Hanshue (former TWA president, at the time president of Western), Richard Robbins (was originally from PAIC, but at the time president of T&WA), George Hann, (president of PAIC) and Daniel Shaeffer (Penn RR, and chairman of the board for T&WA).

Contrary to usual court proceedings, it was up to them to prove their innocence. At one time during the hearings, the outspoken Hanshue was placed under arrest for contempt of court.

One of the damaging bits of "evidence" was that the former presidents' son, Herbert Hoover, Jr., had been a WAE employee - no mention was made that he was considered an expert in his field of aircraft communications.

(Continued) TARPA TALES

Page 2 0

The hearings stretched out for months. The press and radio kept the proceedings in the headlines. Nothing had been de' -fintelyprovfacimnlture, vwasbuty early 1934 Roosevelt and Farley had heard enough. Mjr. Gen. Benjamin Foulois, the Chief of the Army Air Corps, was asked if the army could, in an emergency, take over the carrying of the nation's airmail.

At the time it involved (1933 statistics) nearly 3,000,000 pounds of mail a year over some 25,000 miles of Federal airways (and about 500 aircraft). Foulois had misgivings, but he had to say yes....how could our nation's air arm be expected to fight a war on short notice, and not be able to perform a simple assignment such as flying the mail? He asked for time, however, to properly train the flight and ground crews and to prepare the aircraft. Much to Foulois surprise, on February 9th, the president issued an executive order: all domestic airmail contracts would be cancelled on the 19th, and the army would take over the mail!

To generalize that the army was unprepared, would be an underp .

Lack of past a propriations had reduced the number statement of personnel, including reservists on active duty. Pilots had been limited to a maximum of twenty hours flying a month, many had been getting the four hour minimum for flight pay. What equipment was available was either obsolete or inadequate. Few airplanes were properly equipped with radios and instruments for weather flying, and few pilots had more than four hours of "hood" time. Most aircraft had to be hastily modified. Bomb racks and machine guns removed, and necessary instruments screwed to a rigid panel. Some were hard to see in the first place, but with vibration were impossible. The compass on a P-12 was located in the upper wing, and had a habit of spinning or becoming unreliable.

The operation was termed AACMO (American Air Corps Mail Operation), headed by Brig. General Oscar Westover. Three zones were established (east, central and west) with headquarters at NYC, CHI and SLC. (Lt. Col. Henry "Hap" Arnold was in charge at SLC).

For the flight and ground crews it meant a full scale mobilization and transfer to various civilian airfields, far from the usual military bases and their homes. To make matters worse, there was no money in the military budget to pay the usual $5.00 a day per diem (it was almost 40 days in being paid). It was up to the men to make their own arrangements (and credit) for billets in hotels and private homes. A pay freeze had been in effect since mid-1933; a "second louie" made $187.50 (including the 50% flight pay) a month, a private $17.35.

The sudden cancellation could not have come at a worse time for the nation's major airlines.

There was the depression, and passenger loads had fallen, and most were already committed to huge orders for modern equipment (TWA had twenty DC-2's on order).

There was little chance for survival without the added mail pay.

Many airlines issued immediate furlough notices to all employees.

TARPA TALES

Page 21

TWA's was effective on February 28th, although this was changed and a skeleton force kept one transcontinental flight in operation.

TWA employees had offered to work, without pay, until the company recovered.

On the eve of TWA's last scheduled flight with the mail, Jack Frye and Edward Rickenbacker (then Vice President for North American Aviation, a TWA parent company) seized the opportunity to dramatize to the nation what the airlines would soon be capable of doing.

A last minute equipment substitution was made, using the prototype DC-1.

On the night of February 18, Frye, Rickenbacker and a team of TWA pilots left the Union Terminal at Burbank. The weather forecast for their scheduled arrival time at EWR was to be below limits. "Si" Morehouse and Paul Richter flew the plane to ABQ, where Harlan Hull with Richter took over to MKC. John Collings and Larry Fritz flew the leg to CMH, where "Andy" Andrews and Fritz continued.

CMH went below minimums shortly after they took off. The flight arrived at EWR over two hours ahead of schedule, a record 13 hours and 4 minutes flying time for the transcontinental trip.

Rickenbacker handed over the last sacks of mail to the local postmaster and remained about the airport for the next two hours to observe the weather.

As forecasted, EWR went below minimums.

The army was also getting its share of the publicity, mostly unfavorable Jack Frye Even before the actual operations began, there had been incidents and accidents while training or the ferrying of aircraft.

Roger Kruse was among the crew of a Bellanca C-27A transport enroute from Nashville to their new base at Chicago. Dusk overtook them, and since it was against regulations to fly at night without emergency landing flares, they landed and spent the night at Terre Haute. Upon their arrival the next morning, the Chicago papers already carried such headlines as:: DARK TOO MUCH FOR ARMY PILOTS, followed by lengthy criticism of the army's inability to fly at night.

Ready, or not, the Army took over on the morning of the 19th.

Out west Major Ira Eaker commanded a squadron of P-12's based (Continued) TARPA TALES

Page 22

at March Field. For the AAMCO operation they would fly out of WAE's Alhambra Field, and fly the CAM#4 route from LAX to SLC. His entire squadron of eighteen planes could not accommodate the extra load (1,400 lbs) of mail caused by souvenir collectors of "first flight covers". Eaker had to borrow a B-1 (open cockpit) bomber from Arnold`s group and fly the trip This lasted for over a week until Eaker could get himself. some of his fighter pilots qualified. Among the pilots in Eaker's outfit were Dan Medler and Roscoe Dunahoo.

Ray Noland was also based at March Field, but his CO (Arnold) refused his request to fly the mail. Ray was the supply officer for the western division of the CCC program and couldn't be replaced. His additional duties included that of Summary Court Officer...sorting out the belongings of the pilots who were later killed, as well as meeting the parents of the deceased when they came to claim what was left.

Bob Springer had his P-12 already warmed up and waiting at STL for the inaugural flight east of MKC. The 39 pounds of mail was transferred from the incoming plane and Bob's mechanics started cranking the inertia starter...but when it was engaged, the motor sputtered...the left magneto was dead. The mail was transferred to another P-12, but this time the pin broke on the starter energizer shaft. A third plane was readied, and a successful start. It was 6:00 P.M. and dark, and the forecast east of IND was doubtful, when he finally took to the air...but not for long. Ten minutes later Bob had returned, the single bulb that lit up the instrument panel and chart had With a new bulb, he made it as far as IND. burned out.

John George had been based at Barksdale flying A-12 attack planes, but for the AACMO was flying the route between Omaha and Cheyenne.

They had radios, but nobody knew how to navigate by them, so their only use was for an occasional weather report. The military radios were not adaptable for commercial or airway broadJohn's first incident with ice came one day when he casts. tried to circumnavigate some weather between North Platte and Cheyenne. He couldn't get through, and turned around...but in the meantime had picked up a load of ice that required full power to stay in the air and land.

Not so fortunate was Bill Sanders. Bill had been stationed at Selfridge, flying the P-12, but for the mail operation was based at DCA flying to CLE via PIT and Akron. On one flight, Bill was flying in snow conditions near Rockwood, Pa., with outside (and inside) temperature of 38째 below zero when suddenly the engine quit...carburetor ice! He was about to bail out, but a break in the clouds showed what looked to be a clearing and he decided to "ride her down". The landing was successful, but before he could get the plane stopped he plowed into a huge snowbank and ripped off the landing gear. Bill and the mail were intact, and with the aid of a local farmer and his Model T, the mail was transferred to the nearest railroad for contin(Continued) uation.

TARPA TALES

Page 23

Bruce Pettigrew, also from Selfridge, was temporarily based on "stand by duty" at IND. His equipment was a Douglas BT-2A, a two place biplane originally used for observation purposes, but converted to a basic trainer. Bruce's first, and only, While flying at 1,500' trip was a night flight to CMH and PIT. near Zanesville a snow squall line blocked his sight of the next beacon ahead. He did a 180째 back towards CMH, but from what he could ascertain from the garbled radio reports, PIT was still CAVU. Another 180째 turn and on to a landing at PIT. It was nearly zero zero with snow. For once, the local press had a favorable report, although it also pointed out the need for better alternate airports.

For the following three weeks, Bruce sat near the phone at a local hotel...no calls, no pay and no per diem. His "hitch" was about up, so rather than volunteer for another year of duty, he requested a transfer back to Selfridge and an eventual discharge.

During a three day period, From February 21st to 23rd, the army pilots were involved in seven major crashes, two were Even before any official military investigawith fatalities. tion was completed, the press was printing their own version of These included mechanical problems, the "probable cause". weather and just plain lost. All flights were cancelled from February 26th to 28th due to severe weather. More bad publicity for the army as the commercial airlines continued to operate their passenger schedules. On March 9th there were three fatal crashes, which prompted the president to issue an order cancelling all AACMO flights pending further investigation.

From March 10th until the 19th, when the AACMO resumed, the nation was without any air mail service. TWA's express business picked up 120% however, as enterprising business houses would ship their mail in bulk express packages for local distribution.

During the period of shutdown the AACMO took advantage of the time to modify its equipment and further train the pilots.

The Link Trainer became a standard tool for teaching radio Delivery had been accelerated with the new Martin orientation.

It was capable (but a military secret) of carryYB-10 bomber. ing heavy payloads at near 200 mph speed, and had an enclosed cockpit. When operations were resumed, a number of routes were dropped, leaving about 17,000 of the original 25,000 scheduled miles per day. Among those dropped was the infamous "Hell's Stretch" or "Aviation's Graveyard" between Newark and Pittsburgh.

Mail in and out of PIT was shunted by rail for connections at For safety's sake, new enroute and terminal miniCleveland. mums of 3000' were established...but they proved to be unworkable, and on the 25th were lowered to 500' day and 1,000' night.

(Continued) TARPA TALES

Page 24

Roosevelt's " Forgotten Man"—12 of them—DEAD—the air mail pilots

POLITICAL CARTOON OF THE DAY Published by Aero Digest

TAPPA TALES

Page 25

Much of the adverse publicity and criticism had been directed Noted aviators, such as Lindbergh, towards Roosevelt and Farley. had declaimed their action. Public opinion depicted them as the "Lord High Executioners", and responsible for the deaths of the brave army pilots. On March 27th an executive decision was made to once again contract the carrying of mail to private Over fifty odd bills had been introduced in the carriers.

Congress with this in mind; all had been rejected or tabled.

There wasn't time for further attempts at legislation...the awarding of bids would be temporary, and to the lowest bidder.

There was one stipulation, however, no airline that was a party to the "spoils conference", guilty or not, was eligible to bid, nor was any airline that still retained any of the guilty individuals or executives.

Postmaster General Farley.

He cancelled the air mail contracts

Postmaster General Walter Folger Brown.

Dictator and builder of the airways system

For some airlines, such as United, that had not been at the conferences, this was no problem. For those that were involved, there was a simple loophole in the restriction...change the corporate name.

American Airways became American Air Lines, and C. R. Smith was elevated to the office of president.

General Motors, by way of their subsidiary General Aviation, still had control over three airlines. Ernest Breech was the Western Air Express changed its name to president of GA. General Airlines, and ousted Hanshue. Eastern Airways became Eastern Air Lines.

With Transcontinental and Western Air ( TWA) it was a different story. A new company was formed, on (Continued)

TARPA TALES

Page 2 6

THIS IS McCLELLAND BARCLAY'S INTERPRETATION OF THE FEELING OF THE COUNTRY DURING THE UNFORTUNATE PERIOD. THIS PICTURE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE AERO DIGEST.

paper, TWA, Inc., to bid on the proposed contract. Breech was the acting president of the new company and Richard Robbins continued as president of the old TWA. Breech was determined to get the mail contracts back to his three airlines at any price; bid ridiculously low and possibly negotiate later.

TWA, Inc., bid the lowest, 24c a mile, and was awarded the new CAM#2 central transcontinental route. By comparison with earlier contracts: WAE had bid $3.00 a mile for their original CAM#4. In 1929 the Post Office paid them $2,272,974 for flying 711,517 miles (757,684 pounds of mail).

TWA for three fiscal years, 1931 through 1933, was paid under a different system but had averaged 56c a mile. 70c in 1932.

The new CAM#2 did not include several former TWA routes such as the spur via TUL and OKC, the extension from LAX to SFO, or the CMH to CHI via FTW. TWA, Inc.'s contract was not effective until May 14th.

AACMO officially terminated at midnight May 7th. A few days prior to the termination, Lt. Elwood "Pete" Quesada flew a Martin YB-10 from Oakland to Newark with a load of mail in 13 hours, 43 minutes...39 minutes slower than the DC-1 record, but 123 miles further. His last leg, from CLE to EWR was four minutes faster than the best commercial record held by United with their new Boeing 247's. The last eastbound flight by the army was equally as impressive: six pilots using A-12 attack planes and the YB-10 brought the mail from OAK to EWR in only 14 hours 8 minutes total elapsed time.

The closing down of AACMO was no easy task as some two hundred officers, three hundred enlisted men, 122 aircraft, plus all of the spare parts, desks, typewriters, etc. had to be moved back to their original bases. The total cost for the 78 day operation by the army was later set at $3,767,355.22. This broke down to an average $2.21 per mile, compared to the 54 average that the Post Office paid the airlines in 1933. Not included, were the lives of eleven officers and one enlisted man killed during the operation, or the loss of sixty six aircraft.

The record didn't look too good for the military so far as the statistics compared to the commercial airlines. However, it is seldom mentioned, and credit given, for the fine job that the men did under the most adverse conditions. It happened to be one of the worst winters on record. Most of the maintenance had to be done without benefit of a hangar; the airlines had been forbidden to lend any assistance. There were often men hungry that were working sixteen hour days. As typical of the military, the more experienced pilots were "flying a desk", most of the pilots that "flew the line" were under trained and low on experience. The equipment was inadequate for the job assigned and, at times, unbearable. Bob Springer once (Continued)

TARPA TALES

Page 2 8

lost a glove and had to sit on his hand for the remainder of the flight to keep his hand from freezing. If given more time, it was generally conceded that the army would have made a success with AAMCO. Lt. Thomas (Tommy) Gaughen made a press statement that best sums it up: "I believe I can truthfully say that the last month the army carried the mail it went through smoother and faster than the commercial airlines ever carried it."

Also, it is seldom mentioned, but when the USA entered WWII, many of these same pilots from the AACMO were the first to re-enter the service and form the nucleous for the military transport commands. * * * * * * * * * * * PERSONAL EXPERIENCES From Flight Engineer W. H. Toms: 째I flew with Captain F. Sigman, Check F/E W. Gareville from Washington, D. C., to Prestwick, Scotland, on June 20, 1945. First, I passed my initial check ride, later was introduced to my first European warm beer.

The bar in the boarding house was merely a closet shelf.

Then had our meal of terrible mutton, boiled potatoes and potato salad. My , how the meals later changed.

"My most interesting flight was from Paris to Frankfurt and Frankfurt ." to Santa Maria "First civilian crew into Frankfurt, Germany. Special mission flight ordered by General Beetle Smith. Picked up twelve German " scientists to be flown to Washington, D. C. "Later learned one of them most likely Werner Von Braun. Captain was Ken Hathaway. Also landed on wrong airport (which was merely a steel mat), took off and landed a few miles away on the right location. ( No violation, like today). " "Most unusual flight was a cargo flight. C-54, Washington to Paris.

The complete cargo consisted of five gallons of whole blood packed in dry ice. " "Return trip was 42 pregnant WAC's and Red Cross nurses. August 3, 1945.

Captain was Archie Naletko." * * * * * * * * * * * From Russ North: "My first trip on the line was from Idlewild to Orly on 8/29/51. I flew with "Chick" Chakerian, captain, and Ben " Brown, relief pilot.

"Returned from Paris with Harry Gaines. Feathered #3 and returned to Shannon.

Flew 114:47 the next month for $290.00. I was ." probably overpaid TARPA TALES

Page 29

From Ken Blaney: "My first trip on the line was from Glendale to Agua Caliente, Mexico, on August 23, 1929. I flew with Maddux Captain Milo Campbell.

Had just hired on among first Maddux licensed copilots (Transport and Mechanic's A&E ratings).

Had no training about what a copilot did. On take off in J5 Ford, Milo noticed my hands on the wheel (following through); he slapped my hands off but didn't see my feet on the rudder pedals. I learned that was not the way to be a copilot. When given the controls for the first time, had trouble keeping the wings level...no bi-plane wings in front of me on the horizon."

* * * * * * * * * * *

George Toop says he remembers two trips very well.

"My 'solo' trip after check-out to Captain....guess they didn't trust us in those days. (I'd like to know who the copilot was).

He kept asking what we were doing. I said "Frankly, I don't know", but I was having a hell of a good time!

He also remembers a trip that terminated at an alternate. "I remember sleeping two in a bed with Roscoe Donahue in Burlington, Iowa.

He said 'I'll give you ten minutes to get to sleep'.

He was a snorer.

"I remember I had to take final line check over because I was ten minutes short with Jim Eischeid. Best trip I make now is from New Jersey to Duck Key, Florida, which gets me away from my tree farm.

"Annie, my copilot of 45 years, loves trips with Lum and Betty and Jerry and Rita. See you all at the '84 convention in Florida."

* * * * * * * * * * *

TARPA TALES

Page 3 0

THE TARPA

GRAPEVINE' APRIL, 1984

We've got a sackful this time.

Clear the decks!

Letters and cards have been coming in from members everywhere to Humbles, Phillips and The Grapevine.

Annual dues time seems to bring out many friendly messages to our Treasurer and he has passed them along.

Stay with us to the happy end! * * * * * * * * * * * Did you notice the rare coincidence in the January issue of TARPA TOPICS when mention was made in The Grapevine that SILAS A. (SI) MOREHOUSE had recently become a TARPA member? Just a few pages earlier the same name, "S. A. Morehouse," appeared at the head of the list as No. 1 on the first official TWA Captain Seniority List, August 1, 1935! That list, of course, was loaned to TARPA TOPICS by BUSCH VOIGTS, who showed up as No. 62 on the first official Copilot Seniority dlist, ateofhir also on August 1, 1935. Si's actual was in 1927, when he started with Western Air Express, a TWA predecessor company, 57 years ago! * * * * * * * * * * * DICK HEMPEL, Emmett, Idaho, whose calling card pictures a 1907 White steam automobile and his identification as .

"The Steam Car Man", writes a two-page rebuttal to A. T Humbles about the virtues of north Idaho weather, which A. T. had dared to malign in an earlier note to Dick.

(We are forwarding the letter to Editor Al Clay, who may decide, of course, that it contains more about Idaho weather than anyone really cares to know). Anyway, Dick, please convey the warm greetings of former MKC TARPANS to your lovely LYNDA. Those who knew her will not have forgotten the cute brunette with the smile which lit up the old MKC training office at Goebel Hangar about 25 years ago. You make a great pair! * * * * * * * * * * * PAUL (DOC) DAUGHERTY, his dues at Christmas "Happy and Merry Bah also mentioned having sending a donation to Foundation, and ended

in the process of sending time, wished us all a Humbug" holiday season. He his phone number changed, the TWA Pilots Retirement with a "C U in Orlando".

* * * * * * * * * * * THE GRAPEVINE

Page 1

JIM SCHMITT, that unique character who can do twelve jobs at the same time, tells us he took early retirement last August and "can now PLAN to attend a New Year's party (even if his wife frowns on all that kissing stuff); he can PLAN and KEEP appointments; and PLAN to give or take a series of lectures every Monday for a couple months". He says, too, "Retirement really gives FREEDOM, as you folks already know. Even though it was the BEST job in the world, it still kept you from doing greater things on rare occasions...like giving blood...did you EVER when you were working?" One of his many activities is the Travel Agency business, which is thriving: "We sold over $2.5 million in '83 - our biggest year!" And this: "Two young fearful flyers got hold of me last spring and now I do a one week seminar for 'chickens' about every two months.

We call it FREEDOM TO FLY. I hope we may eventually take the courses beyond Newark". If there were an annual trophy for energy and enthusiasm, Jim Schmitt would be a perennial winner! * * * * * * * * * *

HERB OTTEWILL says he has restored the old J3 "from stem to stern - VNE 122; VME 161 - down hill only * * * * * * * * * * *

DWIGHT KERNS retired in November and says, "I have been so busy that I think I should un-retire. I suppose things will slow down eventually." * * * * * * * * * * *

EDWARD N. (ED) SIMMONS sends information on his 30-year study of the Civil War and Confederate arms history. He spends his time, he says, writing ordnance history and lecturing at Southern University.

Among visitors to his Alabama home have been old friends BILL (BUS ) SHOEMAKER, BURT McCONAGHY and JIM McCLURE .

Look for him in Orlando. * * * * * * * * * * * RODE RODEBERG has moved to Arkansas, "We moved into our new house on Lake Brittany in Bella Vista", he says, "and LOO and I extend a welcome to all our TWA TARPA friends to stop by for a little golf, fishing or just loafing. We have many retired TWAers here in the village and expect to form an active club next year. * * * * * * * * * * * THE GRAPEVINE

Page 2

ORVILLE B. (O. B.) SMITH is retired and back to his long"The Eastern time hobby, weightlifting.

As O. B. tells it: Masters Open in May, 1980, was my first competition in more than 25 years. I came home with a first place trophy and three national records in Olympic lifting for men 60-64, in the heavy weight class." Since then, O. B. has entered several national and world championships in both Olympic and power lifting, breaking records and earning gold medals in all his categories.

He is currently training for the 1984 Nationals to be held in Other activities include church work as an Elder and April.

Chairman of the Administration Committee, a member of the Building and Grounds Committee and manager of the church cemetery.

And he and his wife, ELIZABETH, visit a nursing home every week. * * * * * * * * * * * LARRY HECKER writes that he and CLARE have returned to the East and are "glad to be back home and near friends." They had spent the previous two years in Dallas. Larry is active again with an aviation training company, and says, "Almost all of the training we will do is computerized. It's hard to believe how far aviation has come." * * * * * * * * * * * TOM CARROLL and BILL NEWMAN say they are planning to be in Orlando in May. That list is building up! * * * * * * * * * * * Genial GENE STRAW says, "We still own our home in Saratoga, California, but LUCILLE and I have a small ranch in Gridley, where we have planted kiwi fruit. Until it becomes fully productive, we will be in Gridley about 95% of the time." * * * * * * * * * * * A. T. and LARRY MURCHAN have learned recently that they were both in the 384th Bomb Group, 544th and 547th Squadrons of the 41st Wing at Grafton Underwood in England during the grim "Summer of '44". A. T . would like to hear from anyone who was The 384th still has reunions every there during that period. two years. A. T. says the next one will be in San Antonio in August this year, and expects to see his old crew again. In THE GRAPEVINE

Page 3

1982, at the Dayton meeting, his co-pilot, Navigator, Radio Operator and Tail Gunner were all present. * * * * * * * * * * * WAYNE SEVERSON tells A. T. that he is enjoying retirement, but is in the apartment landlord business and "as every landlord knows, they keep you about as busy as you want to be". Amen.

And Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * BOB FORREST writes from Satsuma, Florida, that he's changed "We are living on our boat while building addresses again. the house", he says. "This past summer we completed a 4800 mile trip at eight miles per hour and really enjoyed every We covered the route from Florida to the Hudson; the mile.

Erie Canal; Lake Ontario; Trans Severn canal in Ontario; down the St. Lawrence; Lake Champlain and back". That voyage will be the envy of many of our other boaters, no doubt. Congratulations, Captain. * * * * * * * * * * * And speaking of voyages: PERRY SCHREFFLER, in July last year, accompanied by his wife, JOYCE, ferried a new Parten Avia from Naples through Marseilles, Prestwick, Reykjavik, Sondrestrom, Frobisher Bay and Bangor to Santa Paula, California, a trip of 8830 SM and flight time of 60 hours. Perry retired from TWA in 1981 and has reverted to his permanent rank as a Lt. Col. in the USAF. * * * * * * * * * * *

Recent new members: Glen Hanson Ed Arbon Frank Heileson Joseph Bickett Richard L. Hempel James Carey Virgil Hoffman Richard E. Dick Floyd Edwards Urban J. Kampsen Lester Laurin Clare Hammitt Lana Boxberger, Bette Joe Honorary:

Matt Musick William Newman Wayne Severson Cecil Schildberg Charles Van Winkle ("Rip") Evans, Audrey Flanagin

* * * * * * * * * * * THE GRAPEVINE

Page 4

E. V. GREEN says, "Thanks to everyone for the TARPA publications.

It's a good way to keep up with all the 'graduates' from TWA". * * * * * * * * * * *

OTTO KRUMBACH has sent us a copy of a publication called "Heritage Trails", which is described as a "journal of the European-American Folk".

Otto is one of the publication's ad hoc founders and a contributing Editor. An introductory editorial says this: "Growing interest in ancient folk practices and ethnic origins has been manifest on the American scene...Heritage Trails will seek to meet the obvious need for improved communications.

It is hoped the effort will help to enrich the lives of interested people by providing stimulating new views of their unique cultural heritage". For a sample copy, send $1.00 to Heritage Trails. P. O. Box 445, Ridgewood, N. J. 07451.

A year's subscription (four issues) is $6.00.

If you have European roots, this may interest you. Suitable material for publication is solicited. * * * * * * * * * * *

A new HEART OF AMERICA chapter of the TWA Seniors Club has been organized in Kansas City. More than 2000 TWA retirees live in the five county area comprising metropolitan Kansas City.

Approximately 500 have responded to the first mailing in January.

Officers are Mel Ostenberg, BUD POWELL, Eleanor Tarson and Jane McCabe. * * * * * * * * * * *

Among retirement organizations, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), which claims 14 million members, is one that can be recommended. They publish an interesting magazine and periodic bulletins and have several other useful services, including insurance through the Prudential Company for persons 50 and over. AARP describes itself as "a nonprofit, non-partisan, social welfare, philanthropic, educational and scientific membership organization, dedicated to helping all older men and women achieve independence, dignity and purpose".

Membership is $5.00 per year; $12.50 for three years; or $35.00 for ten years. The bi-monthly "Modern Maturity" magazine, by itself, is worth the cost of the membership. Write AARP, P. O. Box 2400, Long Beach, California 90801. * * * * * * * * * * * THE GRAPEVINE

Page 5

The Allstate-Sears conglomerate is in the process of creating another, similar organization with benefits and services for It is called "Mature Outlook". This will involve the elderly. insurance (Allstate); real estate (Coldwell Banker); investment (Dean Witter); and the Sears Merchandise Group ("America's. largest retailer").

Applicants for membership must be 55 or over'. Annual dues will be $7.50, which includes the spouse.

For information, write Allstate, , Northbrook, Illinois, or check with a local Allstate or Sears facility. Either one, or possibly both, of these plans may provide benefits and services which you can use as you reach or approach retirement. At the least, they may provide useful information. * * * * * * * * * * * The following paragraphs were excerpted from the notes and letters received with recent dues checks by DEAN PHILLIPS, our We appreciate your comments and hard-working TARPA Treasurer.

Dean's condensing and sharing them with all of us. Over to you, Dean! * * * * * * * * * * * JIM STANTON wrote: "Had a tragic loss of my ultralight plane Arizona twister removed them from the airport and and trailer. wiped them out. I am sad. Wife is happy". * * * * * * * * * * * From BOB SPRINGER: "The advantages and pleasures received through TARPA more than offset the cost of dues. I would suspect most members feel the same as I. Of course, this happens only because of those who take their time to direct the affairs To them, you, and the members, a pleasant of this organization. and enjoyable 1984." Thank you, Bob! *

*

SAM GRACY listened to Horace Greeley. Sam left New York and is now living in Santa Rosa, California. * * * * * * * * * * * THE 'GRAPEVINE

Page 6

*

The BILL McMINNS are enjoying life in Ft. Smith, Arkansas.

(At least they were until the last winter storm).

JACK LECLAIRE becomes an EAGLE this year and says he thinks TARPA is a great organization and he would hate to miss any mailings. He hopes no one will be dropped from membership for non-payment of dues without checking the person's age. Rest assured this will not be done, Jack. Only a few members have failed to pay dues since TARPA was formed.

* * * * * * * * * * * JOHN PEEK says he's not getting his TARPA mail. John's living in West Germany. Hope the problem is resolved soon and the P.O. is not holding John's mail for the next flight of the Hindenburg. * * * * * * * * * * * BART ANDEREGG, LOUIS BARR, DICK LOOMIS and PETE WEILAND all retired recently. * * * * * * * * * * * PAUL BRACKEN AND JOHN GRAHAM are recent additions to the ranks of TARPA EAGLES. * * * * * * * * * * * ELDRED OLSON had recent open heart surgery (October) and is recovering quite well.

He's ready to power that golf ball again, but his Doctor says not yet. * * * * * * * * * * * GORDON JOHNSON says the golfing around Chicago is not too good - "There's a foot of snow on the ground". (And here in Arizona I was complaining because we had a little rain.) * * * * * * * * * * THE GRAPEVINE

Page 7

In accordance with TARPA policy, memorials are made in the name of deceased members by sending contributions ($25.00) to the TWA Pilots Retirement Foundation. During 1983, TARPA honored the memory of DON AAGESEN, JOE DAEHLIN, JOHN GEORGE, STEVE HAWES, JACK KENNEDY, MAX PARKISON, HARRISON FINCH, LLOYD OVERMIER, JOHN WRIGHT, JAMES LINCOLN, EARL MCNAUGHTON, RUSS BLACK AND AL RAFFANIELLO. * * * * * * * * * * * LOUIE PROCTOR and JACK SCHNAUBELT will be 75 this year. Jack said he would like to see all the fellows again. Orlando in May is the place and the opportunity. * * * * * * * * * * * EARL HEINRICH stayed on at his Illinois farm until December to get in some quail hunting. The wet spring and the hot summer were hard on the quail population. * * * * * * * * * * * ROGER DON RAE wrote another interesting note. He had talked with HOWARD HALL and L. J . SMITH over Christmas. All are well, although L. J . Smith's wife is still bed-ridden. Roger says we who have our health should know how blessed we are. * * * * * * * * * * * LLOYD SMITH changed his status from Active to Retired on December 1, 1983. * * * * * * * * * * * FRITZ JENKINS and REG PLUMRIDGE thought it was a good procedure to send out the membership cards and the return envelopes for the dues payments. It would certainly be great to get all the 1984 dues in early this year. * * * * * * * * * * ** JACK EVANS wrote, "My wife's illness makes it difficult to attend meetings at this time, but I'll be there when I can". * * * * * * * * * * * THE GRAPEVINE

Page 8

AL BRICK, MILES LEYPOLDT, BOB MUELLER, PHIL SMITH and MEL RISTING all sent additional "TARPA, thank you" notes.

JIM McINTYRE was a panel member when the Society of Air Safety Investigators met in Washington, D. C., February 1. The theme of the seminar was "The Elements of Professionalism for Accident Investagators ". * * * * * * * * * * *

PETE SIDWAY's note said "These are exciting times on TWA. No telling where we will land!" * * * * * * * * * * *

The TOMMY ANDERSONS have given up on New Jersey and have bought a home in Scottsdale, Arizona. Tommy is ready to give tennis lessons to the Arizona Seniors. * * * * * * * * * * *

SNORKY CLARK sent a note before leaving for Madrid on 904 reads, "Greetings to all and a 'thank you' to TARPA and its officers".

It

* * * * * * * * * * *

JIM NORM is enjoying retirement raising some breeding cattle, playing golf and doing a little traveling. Yes, Jim, this is the desert.

We didn't get washed away, but it's trying. We had rain on four out of the seven first days of 1984. * * * * * * * * * * *

CLARE HAMMITT sent a check for 1984 dues and a note saying he retired December 1, 1983. * * * * * * * * * * *

THE GRAPEVINE

Page 9

CHRIS CARPER said you folks in the Kansas City area have had your share of severe winter weather. Hope it warms up soon.

(It did, from 21 below in December to 70 in January!) * * * * * * * * * * * MEL FISHER is planning a busy spring. He had 9,350 Tokay grape plants to put in. Mel says he hopes people keep drinking California wines! WALT MOREHEAD no doubt joins Mel in this wish. * * * * * * * * * * * JIM PENNY advised that WILLIAM A. (BILL) ASH passed away late last year.

Bill had been on medical retirement for some time and flew out of San Francisco as a Flight Engineer. * * * * * * * * * * * JOE HUNT of Palos Verdes, California, is reported seriously ill with cancer.

He is in a "hospice" establishment. * * * * * * * * * * * Also received much appreciated notes and greetings from AL LUSK, TERRY RAGER, WALLY RUMPH, BUD POWELL, JACK CLARK, DON DORMAN, IVAN CHAPMAN, GORDON HARGIS, BUD CUSHING and JIM SCHMITT. * * * * * * * * * * * Quite a few members have said "See you in Orlando". We're looking forward to another great turn-out. * * * * * * * * * * * That's the bottom of Dean's mailbag. If you see us buying him a Bloody Mary or a Harvey Wallbanger in Orlando, you'll know we're paying off. Come to think of it, better make that a coke or coffee.

In 40 years, we've never seen Dean in a dissipating situation.

He is - and no doubt has - a very clean liver. * * * * * * * * * * * THE GRAPEVINE

Page 10

And that's about enough from us, too. We'll see many of-you in Orlando.

If we were to make one suggestion, it would be that you plan to come early and stay over a day or two. Florida is such a beautiful place to visit. You'll be sorry if you hurry through it. * * * * * * * * * * *

HAPPY EASTER! * * * * * * * * * * *

HADLEY'S FIRST LAW OF CLOTHING SHOPPING: If you like it, they don't have it in your size. * * * * * * * * * * *

HADLEY'S SECOND LAW OF CLOTHING SHOPPING: If you like it and it's in your size, it doesn't fit any way. * * * * * * * * * * *

HADLEY'S THIRD LAW OF CLOTHING SHOPPING: it fits, you can't afford it.

If you like it and

* * * * * * * * * * *

HADLEY'S FOURTH LAW OF CLOTHING SHOPPING: If you like it, it fits, and you can afford it, it falls apart the first time you wash it. * * * * * * * * * * *

THE GRAPEVINE

Page 1 1

SECRETARY'S CORNER We are slowly gaining members. As of 7 March 84 we had 1128 members broken down by region as follows; Eastern Central Western

Total " "

366 246 516 1128

Regular

203 " 148 303 654

Associate "

136 74 159 369

Eagle " "

11 9 26 46

Honorary "

"

16 15 28 59

We also have 4 subscribers. These are interested people who are not eligible to join. They pay ten dollars per year. Eagle members are those over age 75 who are not obliged to pay dues. Honorary members are widows of our deceased members.

We exchange newsletters with the retired groups of other carriers. We send copies to the TWA ALPA MEC, RAPA people, TWA Seniors Club representatives, Mr. C. E . Meyers etc.

Again, there are a lot still out there eligible to join us that haven't. I'll bet most of you have friends who haven't joined that are just waiting for you to ask them. All they need to do is send me twenty dollars and I will handle.

Some copies of this are going to non-members. May we extend you a cordial invitation to join us? All it takes is twenty dollars for 1984 dues sent to me.

If you still haven't remembered to pay your dues just send twenty dollars to Capt. Dean L. Phillips, Treasurer, 7218 Onda Circle, Tucson, AZ 85715.

Lately I have received several address corrections from the post office and notice it looks like you are moving south. If these are just winter addresses and you will have two addresses let me know when you plan use of each one so I can address your mail accordingly.

Just noticed TWA has a pilot named Pilot based at ORD. Re Thurston, et al law suit. Understand the appellant court let ALPA off the hook on paying damages. TWA appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court and it has agreed to hear it.

The last page of this issue concerns you might not have received same. As the TWA ALPA MEC put forth a valiant ashes and saved some of you a lot of now have.

the TWA Pilots Yearbook in case some of you can see, several people including effort to pull this thing out of the money. I didn't order it originally but

Hope to see yawl at the convention in Orlando in May!

Your secretary,

Humbles

January 4, 1984

TO ALL TWA PILOTS

Gentlemen: After three long years, several false starts and many discouraging words, the TWA Pilots ' History/Yearbook is being published.

The TWA MEC authorized the funding of one half of the cost of printing, and Ed Frankum agreed to fund the other half. Both of those expenditures were based on the proposition that 2500 books would be produced, 1500 for those who have already paid and 1000 for additional sales. When the 1000 additional books are sold, at the original price of $39.95, the TWA MEC and the Company will realize a small profit.

Institutional Services, Inc., the original contractor, has long ago filed for bankruptcy protection and has no visible assets. However, prior to that action, they had our book ready for publication.

InterCollegiate Press, of Shawnee Mission, Kansas, was chosen for the printing and they are well along in that process. We are now hoping to complete this project early in February. Thus, as we complete the production phase, we turn to the distribution phase.

The only logical way to distribute a book of this size and weight is by direct mail. The printing company informs me that they can box and mail them for $2.60 each.

Since we have exhausted our resources in the production phase, it becomes necessary to ask each of you who have paid in advance to send an additional $2.60. We know that this is aggravating, but we believe it is worth $2.60 to recover your $39.95 book.

Those who have not paid in advance may send $42.55 for the book and postage.

— 2 —

We have personally reviewed the printers proofs of more than 300 pages out of 400. We have approved the cover mock-up and various other parts. We are more enthused than ever about the quality of this product, and we believe our book will be a classic.

Enclosed you will find a return envelope and a card to facilitate shipment at the earliest possible moment. Your understanding and cooperation is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely, TWA MEC Yearbook Committee J. S. Burns J. P. Donlan J. P. Gratz, Chairman