1985.03.TARPA_TOPICS

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE CONVENTION INFORMATION EARLY INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS - L. TRIMBLE RAPA REPORT PERSONAL EXPERIENCES THE GRAPEVINE

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

MARCH 1985

Grapevine Editor: O. R. (OLE) Olson

Officers and Directors of the Association R. G. Derickson, President C. Ritchie Beighlie, First Vice President A. T. Humbles, Secretary Dean L. Phillips, Treasurer

D. W. Richwine, Vice President, East W. S. Cooper, Vice President, Central W. H. Johnson, Vice President, West John D'Albora, Director R. S. Hamilton, Director

Larry Decelles, Director K. L. Palmer, Director Wayne L. Haggard, Director Phil S. Hollar, Director

TARPA TO CONVENE AT DESERT INN For its seventh annual convention, TARPA is returning to Las Vegas. This will be the third time we have met there.

The first two reunions in Las Vegas were very enjoyable and this one promises to be the best ever. We are fortunate that convention Chairman Lyle Bobzin has arranged for our convention to meet at the DESERT INN, Las Vegas' premier resort.

The DESERT INN COUNTRY CLUB AND SPA extends over 200 acres of luxurious resort living and features a championship 13-hole golf course and country club, five lighted tennis courts, an olympic size swimming pool, elaborate rooms and suites, and a world-class health spa. Visible in the foreground is one of the ten hydrowhirl spas located in convenient areas adjacent to the hotel's 818 rooms.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

The time of year is here again to make your reservation for the next TARPA convention, which will be held in Las Vegas on June 4, 5 and 6, 1985. Lyle Bobzin has made arrangements for us at the DESERT INN COUNTRY CLUB AND SPA, which is by far the most stylish and fashionable hotel and sports complex in Las Vegas, or anywhere else for that matter, and the hotel and sports facility rates are quite reasonable. Dean Phillips advises that the members sending in their dues are indicating in their notes to him that we are going to have a large turn-out. That's great!

This will be a good opportunity for all of you to visit with all your old friends.

Ed Hall, Al Clay and I attended the RAPA Convention last November 28-30 in Miami. Ed, as you know, is TARPA's representative to RAPA, and Al was elected RAPA's Vice President of Pensions at the convention. (Al is also TARPA's Pension Committee Chairman).

I am happy that TARPA has two fine people like Ed and Al to help carry on RAPA's work. Ed has his RAPA November '84 convention report in this publication.

Early in December I wrote a letter to TWA top management regarding the petition that had been circulated within the TWA active pilot group advocating a lump sum option in the B plan at retirement.

I advised them that such action would be a drastic change in the philosophy of the plan and TARPA believes that pilots on TWA should have a full voice in any the retired such major changes, since we have a multi-million dollar interest in it. TWA responded that they were aware that the petition had been circulated among the pilot workforce and that they appreciated us bringing to their attention the concerns raised in my letter.

In a letter to MEC Chairman Harry Hoglander on December 6, 1984, I also advised him that TARPA believes the pilots who are already retired should have a full voice in any major changes to the "B" Plan . Specifically this should include: A.

An opportunity to participate in any vote taken of plan members.

B.

Representation on any study group or body charged with drafting the contractual changes.

C.

The opportunity to participate in any plan option open to the working pilot plan members.

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At the invitation of the MEC Chairman, I attended the MEC meeting in St. Louis On January 31, 1985. Dave Richwine also attended. Pat Murphey, Al Mundo and Don Ulrich, three members of the six man task force assigned to the lump sum issue, gave a very brief preliminary rundown on their study. The task force will make their final recommendations at the next MEC meeting which will be around the middle of March. During the nearly hour long discussion of the subject that followed the above report, MEC members repeatedly assured us that nothing would be negotiated or agreed upon with the TWA management that would, in any way, adversely affect any "B" plan members, including those already retired. I was later given the opportunity to reiterate our position verbally to the MEC. I am very pleased with the outcome of this meeting and I believe that this MEC is sensitive to all who may be involved in a lump sum settlement. Although I think that all retirees would prefer that our plan remain status quo, I am confident that the six man advisory committee will assist the Negotiating Committee in concluding an agreement fair to all concerned should the MEC elect to go the lump sum route.

I would now like to see the Dennis Maloney controversy put to rest.

The January-February issue of the TWA LANCET Flight Forum addressed the Maloney lump sum issue and, in my opinion, that should be sufficient for all of f us. I think that TARPA should devote all of its efforts from here on out to the lump sum issue itself in order to insure that our member's interests receive Toward this end, I have, in all of the protection possible. addition to the above measures: 1.

As previously announced, formed an Ad Hoc Committee consisting of Roy Van Etten, Dave Richwine and myself to pursue this matter.

2.

Had this committee consult with an actuary intimately acquainted with our "B" Plan and its ramifications, and

3.

Appointed Ed Hall to investigate the impact the lump sum option has had on the retired pilots of other airlines that already have it in operation.

We also intend to maintain close liaison with the TWA MEC and You will be its cognizant committees on future developments. kept informed.

From the beginning it has been TARPA's policy not to have a reader's forum or other similar type feature that might generate controversy and ill will among our members. In the middle of December '84, a letter from Roy Van Etten expressing his personal views about Captain Dennis Maloney and his efforts to secure a lump sum settlement option for our trust annuity ("B" Plan) was circulated to all TARPA members in a special mailing on that President's

Message

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subject.

Captain Maloney has requested an opportunity to respond to that letter.

To save the high cost of a separate mailing (approximately $400.00), we are using TARPA TOPICS only as a medium of distribution for his reply, which is contained herein as an enclosure.

This is not a part of this TARPA TOPICS issue and should not be construed as such.

As stated in TARPA By-Laws, periodic publication of the news letter is to be in the best interest of the Association. In order to preserve a reasonable degree of tranquility within our organization and out of respect for TARPA's Editor, members are requested not to submit controversial articles or reports involving personalities for publication.

Your cooperation will be appreciated.

Al Wollenberg has invited me to the Seniors Club Board of Directors meeting in St. Louis on February 27, 1985.

I have invited the following TWA ALPA Executives to the TARPA convention in Vegas: Harry Hoglander. ............. TWA Master Chairman Tom Ashwood................ ALPA First Vice President Dave Saaks................. Newly elected Executive Vice President, Group II ALPA See you all in Las Vegas.

Sincerely,

Russ Derickson * * * * * * * * * * * * COMMITTEE CHANGES The 1985 NOMINATING COMMITTEE

now consists of the following:

Lloyd Hubbard, Chairman; Don Hartman, George Hinton, Bill Merrigan and Sam Gracy.

The 1985 AWARDS COMMITTEE Chairman is Rich Flournoy. * * * * * * * * * * *

President's Message

Conclusion

PENSION PLAN REPORT By Roy W. Van Etten February 10, 1985

We finished 1984 with a profit of approximately $1,195,000.00 which, of course, does not equal our 3% assumption. However the final quarter continued on an upbeat and your check on April 1st should show a slight increase. I will be unable to give you an exact number until the actuary reviews our mortality experience and adjusts the value of the unit accordingly. I expect a unit value of about $30.00.

I spent all of last week attending Investment Committee meetings in Los Angeles. We reviewed our investments with all of our present money managers and conducted interviews with six real estate managers.

We do have a small investment in real estate as part of the Morgan portfolio. We interviewed Morgan as well as five additional real estate managers. Three of them were open-end funds and three were closed-end funds. The return expected is excellent on both types but the closed-end funds are considerably more illiquid and the returns are somewhat higher.

The expected returns from this type of investment range from 17% to 22% annually.

We now have sufficient information to make a decision however, since we already have 20% of our assets invested in GIC's which are a highly illiquid investment and, since the TWA MEC is considering the advisability of providing an option for a lump sum distribution at retirement, the liquidity of our investments is a matter that must be considered. Once we have a clear understanding of our cash requirements a real estate decision will be made. *** While I have your attention, I would like to remind you that our convention dates are rapidly approaching. We have an excellent golf course for our tournament. The Panasonic Invitational and the LPGA J&B Pro Am will both use this course prior to our convention.

Both tournaments will be televised. The course should be in top shape when we tee off.

I will be the TARPA golf chairman and what I need now is your cooperation in providing me with the names of the golfers you wish to play with. If you will please get on the phone and line up the foursome of your choice, then designate one of your group to return the form to me. Whoever returns the form should list the official handicap for each golfer, or check callaway. There will be a separate trophy awarded for each category. Those of you who wish to take pot luck in the pairings please send in the form with any qualifying comments and I will make a pairing for you.

RAPA CONVENTION REPORT

By Ed Hall

The twelfth annual meeting of the RAPA Board of Directors was held at the Airport Hilton Hotel and Marina in Miami, Florida on November 28, 29, and 30, 1984. Fourteen retired pilot associations were present with one or more delegates. TARPA was represented by Russ Derickson and Ed Hall. Many subjects of mutual interest were discussed.

The highlights of the meeting are as follows.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS: Charles Fulford of Airlift International (Slick) was elected President for a two year term. Al Clay (TWA) was elected Vice President Pensions-Benefits, George Price (PAA) Vice President Travel-Benefits, Bill Root (BNF) Vice President Insurance-Benefits, Hal Hastings (ALI) Secretary, Dan Otten (REP) Treasurer and former President and Founder, Jack Pitts (NAL) was elected President-Emeritus.

COMMITTEE: The Board of Directors voted unanimously to appoint a Presidential Committee to study, evaluate and recommend changes to update RAPA's ability to deal with the mounting problems of pilot retirees. Those appointed were Joe Buskirk (REP), George Price (PAA) and Ed Hall (TWA).

BY-LAWS: A realignment of the By-Laws eliminating the position "Chairman of the Board".

PENSIONS: This was the main topic of discussion. Each delegate covered his airline's contract on the 'B' plan and lump sum options. This complex subject will be covered in a separate report.

INSURANCE: Howard Wincele of Alexander and Alexander, brokers for the RAPA insurance plan, gave a comprehensive over-view of the plan, and then discussed at length the questions of the delegates. Most, if not all, of the plan details have been covered in the past by Dave Richwine.

It was suggested that if you join, it would pay to buy the $50.00 day package before you reach age 65. This would get you through the six month waiting period at minimum cost.

A comparison of RAPA's plan to that offered by the AARP indicates that you get better coverage at less cost by belonging to the RAPA plan.

INSURANCE COVERAGE outside the United States. Inverse of Medicare. RAPA insurance requires a $265 deductible. They will pay the balance of what Medicare would normally pay, if applicable.

Can you join after age 65?

YES.

Can the widow, or the spouse, be eligible although the member YES may not be enrolled?

DENTAL INSURANCE:

Too expensive to be worthwhile.

If any TARPA member has a question on their insurance, contact Dave Richwine, Insurance Chairman.

Each delegate discussed and answered questions GENERAL TOPICS: on their relationship with their airline MEC, passes, internal communications, Medicare and pensions.

Eastern's retiree organization has been split on rejoinEAL: There is speculation that those supporting RAPA will ing RAPA. form a separate retiree organization as a result of their political differences.

Over 40 couples took a post convention seven day cruise CRUISE: to the Caribbean on the S/S NORWAY. MEMBERSHIP:

Sixteen airlines, approximately 6,000 members.

In conclusion, your TARPA representative to RAPA OUTLOOK: RAPA feels that many of RAPA's shortcomings could be corrected The lack of adequate funding, inwith dedicated leadership. ternal communications and committee chairmen must be addressed by the new officers if RAPA is to realize its full potential. * * * * * * * * * * * * In a note to Dean Phillips, Dave Byle says: "I get quite a kick from articles in the Skyliner that tell of employees who have worked for ten or fifteen years without taking even one day of sick leave. There must be a group from TARPA who have completed their entire careers with ZERO sick leave. I am one of them (32k years). I think Joe Imeson is another. It would be interesting to see a complete list".

How about it? Let's see who holds the record for the longest continuous service without using sick leave. Write to TARPA TOPICS before May first if you think you are in the running.

First, second and third place will receive a copy of SENIORITY, SEX AND SALARY, Dave Kuhn's book that was long out of print. * * * * * * * * * * * * - 4 -

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

OBSERVATIONS OF YOUR RETIRING PRESIDENT Like most of you, I wandered into the wilderness of retirement (in 1972) without the proper guidance or pre-retirement counseling. Almost immediately, I discovered many problems in retirement that had not been addressed by either ALPA or the companies. I began to fully realize the severity of retirement. Once you had retired, the company had no further use for you. Since you no longer paid dues to ALPA, they had no further interest in you.

Once some of these retirement problems had been defined, I began to seek out some answers. The answers did not come easy. Also, it seemed logical that these same problems would exist on other airlines. It was no simple matter to locate retired pilots of other airlines, since neither the company nor ALPA kept records on their retired pilots.

In 1974, a small group of retired pilots met in Miami. It was soon evident that we did, in fact, have similar problems in our retirement. Later that year, retired pilots from 8 airlines met to form a Committee for Retired Pilots. Since I had been the ramrod, more or less, I was elected to chair this committee. From this embryo was hatched an organization that has come to be known as the Retired Airline Pilots Association (RAPA).

RAPA began to act as a clearing house to compile and analyze information on the problems of various retired pilot groups. The vast reservoir of expertise within the individual retired pilot groups began to come up with solutions and/or reccommendations for solving many of our problems.

One of the early areas of concentrated efforts was on the problem of passes and reduced rate travel. During the late sixties and early seventies, off-line travel privileges were non-existent on most carriers. Much progress has been made through the cooperation of RAPA, ALPA, and the companies in off-line travel privileges for for all retired employees. However, much remains to be done to bring these privileges up to, at least, equal to that of the active employees.

Many pilots who retired prior to the mid-seventies lacked adequate health and medical insurance benefits. Again, through the efforts of RAPA, ALPA, and the companies much progress has been made. After several years study and research, RAPA has made available to its members a plan that is not for any other group at any price. The RAPA Comprehensive Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan Pays 100% of all your hospital costs under Part A and 100% of your physician's fees under part B that is not paid

by Medicare. RAPA also has a VIP Life Insurance Plan for its members that is renewable up to age 70 for as much as $250,000.00. Other insurance plans are currently under study for our membership organizations.

There have been many problems with the funding and administration of our pension plans. First, there was the problem with underfunding and presently, we find that there are big problems with the overfunding of our plans. We have worked with our member organizations on the voluntary termination of their plans and/or terminations due to bankruptcy proceedings. In most cases, management is trying to get their grubby little hands on the huge cash surpluses in our plans. Some courts have ruled that these funds belong to the pensioners and the participants, while other courts have ruled in favor, to some degree, of managements. Presently, we are working on legislation to prevent management from raiding our pension funds.

RAPA has been very active in legislative matters at local, state, and federal levels that relate to the well being of all airline pilots. This is an on-going program that requires constant attention to all matters that could affect the welfare of all retirees. RAPA also serves as a watchdog over the many entitlement programs. RAPA is always in attendance at the biennial ALPA BOD conventions. We have appeared before various delegate committees representing the interests of the retired airline pilots. ALPA has come to accept RAPA as the unified voice of the retired pilots.

Many hundreds of retired airline pilots, their families and friends have/the tours, cruises, and conventions arranged and sponsored by RAPA. In fact, this is being written while on the S/S NORWAY during a week of cruising in the Caribbean after the RAPA convention in Miami. Due to our strength in numbers, we are able to negotiate some very good discounts. For example, the average discount on the staterooms on this cruise is about 55% or a saving of about $2,000 per couple.

RAPA publishes a monthly news bulletin on timely topics which is to be included in each member organization's newsletter. This helps to keep individual members on top of pertinent information that could affect their interests.

Perhaps, one of the greatest benefits of RAPA cannot be measured by any known yardstick. We have become known in Washington as a viable organization that speaks to the needs and problems of retired airline pilots. Both ALPA and managements have come to realize that there is one unified national organization that can and will represent their retirees. This important fact has made it much easier for the individual retired pilot groups to improve their social and economic status.

Many people have contributed untold hours and efforts to help RAPA obtain some of its goals. I shall not attempt to name all of you, it would take pages. Gentlemen, each of you know that warm feeling of accomplishment and reward for all of your hard work.

During the 1980 and 1982 election years, I had hoped to turn over the leadership of RAPA to new and younger blood. However, due pending legislation and other ALPA programs, I agreed to continue my tenure. The 1983 convention was apprised of my decision not to be available for any elected office in RAPA after the 1984 election.

Your leaders for the years 1985 and 1986 will be: President Charlie Fulford (ALI-ret) Vice President-Insurance Benefits Bill Root (BNF-ret) Vice President-Travel Benefits George Price (PAA-ret) Vice President-Pension Benefits Al Clay (TWA ret) Secretary Hal Hastings (ALI-ret) Treasurer Dan Otten (REP-ret) I am grateful for having had the honor and privilege of participating in the founding of such an outstanding organization. It has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life to have associated with such a fine and dedicated group of people.

I shall always treasure the times that we have both agreed and disagreed on the issues. But in the end, we always came away wiser and spoke in unity with one voice on behalf of all retired airline pilots.

Ladies and Gentlemen . ; it is now time for me to say "I have paid my dues. I leave you in good hands...Good Health and Happy Landings".

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

THE RAPA TRANS CANAL ODYSSEY You will be welcomed aboard the S/S RHAPSODY, pride of the Paquet French Cruises, at Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on May 12, 1985. The Champagne Welcome will set the relaxed and joyous tone for your cruise. The fabulous two weeks of Champagne Cruising will take you through the sparkling Caribbean Sea with a daylight transversing of the Panama Canal enroute via the Mexican Riviera to Los Angeles.

You should stop by your local travel agent to pick up "Paquet's S/S Rhapsody Trans Canal Cruises 1985". Please do not reveal or discuss our prices with anyone in the travel business.

The published prices for this cruise range from $2535 to $4135 per person, double occupancy. Our contract prices range from $1589 to $1889 for a saving of $946 to $2246 or discounts of 37% to 54%.

We have a deposit on 40 cabins on a first come first served basis. A priority list will be made from the postmark date on your envelope containing your reservation form and deposit check. This list will be used for all cabin assignments and for the upgrading of cabins within your category selection. Obviously, it is to your advantage to mail your reservation and check ASAP. Please make all checks payable to: J. PITTS, Special Travel Account.

• .....................................................................................

TRANS CANAL CRUISE RESERVATION FORM

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January 7, 1985

Mr. R. G. Derickson President, TARPA Six Fredonia Court Newton, New Jersey 07680 Dear Mr. Derickson: Your letter to Mr. C. E. Meyer, dated December 6, 1984, has been forwarded to me for reply.

We are aware that a petition concerning a lump sum option in the "B" Plan has been circulated among the pilot workforce.

However, we have not received any formal notification on this matter from ALPA, nor have we received any request that such an option be added to the Plan.

We appreciate your bringing to our attention the concerns raised in your letter.

Very truly yours,

and Contract Liaison cc:

R. J. Kenny R. A. Peiser

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CONVENTION ACTIVITIES If you wish to participate in the golf, tennis or bridge programs at the convention, please send the form for that activity to the person organizing that activity.

DO NOT SEND TO LYLE BOBZIN To: Roy Van Etten 4200 El Cederal Avenue Las Vegas, NV 89102

Telephone

702-871-0533

I desire to play golf in the TARPA tournament. and Please reserve a place for Signed * * * * * * * * * * * * EVEN THOUGH YOU SEND THIS FORM TO ROY YOU MUST WRITE "GOLF" ON YOUR HOTEL RESERVATION FORM. YOU WILL BE BILLED FOR GOLF AT THE HOTEL CASHIER'S DESK. YOU CAN'T SIGN FOR GOLF AT THE PRO SHOP. * * * * * * * * * * * * To: Reg Plumridge 549 Tara Court Boulder City, Nevada 89005

Telephone:

702-293-4298

I desire to play tennis in the TARPA tournament. Please reserve a place for and Signed * * * * * * * * * * * * To: Mrs. Leon Vestal 1205 Overstreet Drive.

Prescott, AZ 86301 I desire to play bridge in the TARPA tournament. Please reserve space for these players: and Signed * * * * * * * * * * * *

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CONVENTION SCHEDULE

MONDAY, JUNE 3 Hospitality suite opens at 5:00 PM TUESDAY JUNE 4 Registration starts at 9:00 AM Hospitality Suite opens at 11:00 AM Tennis: Four courts available for practice 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM Golf: Space available basis today WEDNESDAY JUNE 5 Registration continues 9:00 AM Golf: Shotgun start at 7':30 AM Tennis: 8:00 AM til noon Bridge: 9:00 AM Hospitality suite opens 11:00 AM TARPA MEETING 1:00 PM THURSDAY JUNE 6 Golf: Shotgun start at 7:30 AM Tennis 8:00 AM Bridge 9:00 AM Hospitality suite opens at 11:00 TARPA MEETING 1:00 PM Hospitality room will be open before banquet Banquet 7:00 PM Dancing begins at 8:30 PM IMPORTANT NOTES RESERVATIONS DEADLINE: The cut-off date for guaranteed reservations is May 2nd.

All reservations after that will be space available. Present hotel bookings for this period are heavy,. so make yours now. 'Nuff said!

ATTENTION BOARD OF DIRECTORS: The annual Board meeting is set for 0900 Monday, June 3rd, so please plan to arrive at the hotel Sunday, the 2nd.

CREDIT CARDS: If you wish to use Master Card or Visa to pay your reservation deposits, charges will not actually be made until you arrive at the hotel.

GOLF: Don't forget to write GOLF somewhere on your reservation form, so that golf can be arranged through the hotel desk. There is simply not enough room or personnel in the Pro Shop for over a hundred golfers to sign up for golf at 7:30 AM. DANCING will be to the music of Jimmy Duffy, who played for us at the Dunes, and whose music was most enjoyable.

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INTO THE SWING - Golfers can always get into the swing of things on the DESERT INN COUNTRY CLUB AND SPA's 7,018 yard championship golf course.

In the background, the seven story Wimbledon pyramid structure and fourteen story Augusta Tower can be seen. * * * * * * * * * * * *

In Memoriam CLIFFORD V. ABBOTT Cliff Abbott, one of the early prime movers of our present retired Pilot's Association, died January 13 at a hospital in Scottsdale, Arizona at the age of 78.

Below is some obituary data that appeared in the Kansas City STAR. Elsewhere in this issue is an excellent feature article

by Ed Betts on Cliff's personal history and his involvement with TWA. * * * * * * * * * * * * Mr. Abbott was a pilot for Trans Continental Air Transport, which was later absorbed by TWA, and was a divisional superintendent with TWA before he retired in 1957. He was an Army Air Forces veteran of World War II. He was a member of the Old Mission Masonic Lodge, the Scottish Rite bodies and Ararat Shrine.

Mr. Abbott was the first president of the TWA Seniors Club, and a member of the Quiet Birdmen, the Saddle and Sirloin Club, the American Royal Board of Governors, the Order of the Daedalian and the Friends of Art, the Lake of the Ozarks Yacht Association and the Ocean Reef Yacht Club in Key Largo, Florida.

He was born in Kinderhook Township, Michigan, and had lived in this area most of his life.

He leaves his wife, Mrs. Virginia S. Abbott of the home; a son, James C. Abbott, Elizabethtown, Illinois; a daughter, Mrs. Peggy Lee Dubach, El Macero, California; two granddaughters and two great grandchildren.

The family suggests contributions to the American Diabetes Association or the American Heart Association, and they requested no flowers at the ceremony. * * * * * * * * * * * *

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In the December issue we reminded retirees or their spouses under age 65 and covered by TWA Connecticut General Group Medical Policy that they are eligible for reimbursement of 80% of their prescription drug costs. (This is also retroactive for up to two years, if you have receipted bills for proof).

One pilot recently received a retroactive payment for over $500.00, and another pilot received a check in excess of $1300.00.

Hal

If you drink, don't drive - don't even putt!

Ed Betts

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UPBEAT USA

THE HUMAN SIDE OF THE NEWS

It's the Truth, Tar Heel towns are pretty Radical WHYNOT, N.C. — This community in Randolph County isn't the only town in the Tar Heel State with a name that has something to say, For Instance: Truth, Charity, Thrift, Erect, Alert, Relief, Trust, Delight, Joy, Friendship and Dandy. Some other North Carolina towns, by category: ■ Political parties: Republican, Democrat, Liberty and Radical.

■ Far away places: Honolulu, Houston, Minneapolis, Quebec, California, Nebraska, Maine, Belfast and Dublin.

■ Animals: Hare, Turkey, Falcon, Alligator, Cricket, Duck and Eagle.

Wolf Mountain, Beargrass , BuffaloQuarter, City,Hog Cat Square, Goose Hollow and Possomtrot ■ Plants: Hickory, Hollow Poplar, Magnolia, Rose, Waterlily, Azalea, Cranberry, Fig Grapevine and Bamboo.

■ Fish: Bass Crossroads, Gill, Roe, Perch, Rockfish, Spot and Trout Needmore? That's in Rowan County. Then there's Intelligence, Perfection prosper, Bachelor, Matrimony .. .

Yes, North Carolina does have some interesting place names.

Our Secretary is from Frog Level and once played first base for the Frog Level Frogs.

A real jumping team! * * * * * * * * * * * * The probability of RUBY'S PRINCIPLE OF CLOSE ENCOUNTERS: meeting someone you know increases when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with. * * * * * * * * * * * * JACOBS' LAW: To err is human - to blame it on someone else is even more human. * * * * * * * * * * * *

BILL DIXON IS ESSAY WINNER TARPA member Bill Dixon is the winner of an essay contest sponsored by the Coast Savings and Loan Association.

The topic of the essay contest was "Bill of Rights, the Key to Freedom - What it Means to Me." Bill won the Senior Citizen Division first prize.

At an awards dinner at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, Bill was awarded $750.00 for winning. * * * * * * * * * * * * SAFEAIRE EMERGENCY HOODS AVAILABLE AT DISCOUNT Captain Floyd Brown has sent us some material about the Safeaire hoods for use in a toxic smoke environment such as during a hotel fire.

The hoods are compact (3"x5"x6") and provide twelve to thirty minutes breathing time , depending on the intensity of smoke.

A number of people took advantage of a discount offered in the SKYLINER some time ago.

Now the same special price of $79.00 is offered to TARPA members. If interested the address is: Safenet 2102 Business Center Drive #130 Irvine, CA 92715 * * * * * * * * * * * * ABOUT THAT DC-3 ON INTERNATIONAL Last issue we published an article about a TWA DC-3 which aided in the rescue of some RAF pilots who were down in the desert west of Cairo.

We have had a good response to our request for information about the incident and the airplane.

In addition to the letters printed in the TARPA TALES section, Ed Eaton called to say that a friend of his had worked on that DC-3 operation in Cairo. Ed said there were about six pilots (not on the TWA seniority list) flying the operation.

Ed added that he and his friend who flew the DC-3 had worked some airshows together in the thirties. Ed's friend flew the Eagle Rock and Ed jumped. Ed says the last time he saw his friend was when he was passing through Abadan on a C-54 and his friend was O. D. and decided that Ed couldn't take off that day so they went antelope hunting.

Also, we have an article by Larry Trimble which gives us a lot of information about the DC-3 and, most interestingly, about the

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European and Mid–East operations in the early days of TWA's commercial flying in those areas.

COMPASS HEADING RUNWAYS BEGAN IN 1941 CAA CHANGES METHOD OF RUNWAY NUMBERING ON JUNE 20, 1941: MANY AIRPORTS SLOW TO CHANGE

THE EVOLUTION OF THE RUNWAY NUMBERING SYSTEM

Ask 100 veteran pilots when the magnetic compass runway system started and one hundred pilots will usually respond "they don ' t know. " It happened so gradually.

On Aug. 3, 1940 the first meeting of the new Interdepartmental Airport Advisory Board, made up of members of the CAA, Army, Navy, and WPA, was held. It called for the development of a unified policy for a national airport system to be used as part of the National defense system.

With a major airport construction program underway, the CAA opportunely changed the method of runway numbering.

The old system of numbering consecutively, beginning with the most northerly runway as number 1 and proceeding counterclockwise, had nothing to commend it to an inexperienced pilot. Unless the pilot knew the layout of the airport, a runway number gave him no clue to the direction of the approach. A more rational numbering scheme; to identify the runways by numbers such that the addition of a zero to them would indicate the plane ' s compass heading on landing and taking off. Thus a south-north runway would be number 36(0), west to east would be 9, etc. This also would require less radio conversation, an important consideration.

The new system went into effect on June 20, 1941, though many of the airports were slow to make the change.

The above information is derived from the book, "Turbulence Aloft" by John R. M .

Wilson and published by the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, FAA, Washington D.C. Other books in this series are:"Bonfires to Beacons; Federal Civil Aviation Policy under the Air Commerce Act, 1926-38; "Takeoff at Mid-Century," 1953-1961 and "Safe, Separated, and Soaring." A history of Federal Civil Aviation Policy, 1961-72.

by Richard J. Kent, Jr. Copies of these very interesting books may be received by writing the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Govt. Printing Office. Washington, D.C. 20402.

Courtesy:

From tail skids on grass fields to tail wheels on paved strips, the above changes made flying much safer to the increased traffic that was using the airways in pre-World War II.

Florida Aviation Historical Society * * * * * * * * * * * *

CHEIT'S LAMENT: If you help a friend in need, he is sure to remember you - the next time he's in need. * * * * * * * * * * * * - 16 -

AVIATION HISTORY BUFFS SEEK HELP Peter Kirkup, of Bay Shore, N. Y., has written TARPA TOPICS to say he and his brother, both 25, are aviation historians who collect and display uniforms of units which served in WW II, including WASP and A.A.F. He says that they are in need of an Air Transport Command uniform from the WW II era, and says their goal is to preserve an individual's records and history in conjunction with the items in their care.

If you can help with insignia or uniform items, Peter's address is: Peter Kirkup 24 Tillie Street Bayshore, N. Y. 11706 * * * * * * * * * * * * CONGRESS NEEDS TO HEAR FROM YOU We lost some things when the rules for treating fringe benefits were changed.

The obvious loss is the taxes that must be paid on free or reduced rate transportation for parents of employees.

Less obvious is the fact that many companies are going to examine any benefit that requires more bookkeeping on their part, possibly finding that they would like to eliminate benefits.

One reason we didn't lose more than we did is because there was such a large number of letters written to Congress. This session should get your opinions on such things as ERISA, taxes on Social Security and retirement pay.

Spend sixty-six cents and a little of your time to write to your representative and your two Senators and let them know how you feel. * * * * * * * * * * * * SUPREME COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF PILOTS Six years ago Hutch Thurston, Cliff Parkhill and Chris Clark filed suit against TWA because they were denied the opportunity to qualify as flight engineers upon reaching the age of sixty.

They were later joined in the suit by other pilots.

The case finally reached the Supreme Court, and on January 9, 1985, the court ruled that the pilots were entitled to recover pay losses resulting from their forced retirement. * * * * * * * * * * * * - 17 -

BY LAWS CHANGE The Board of Directors has approved the following dues policy change: To encourage membership growth throughout the year, new members who join TARPA January through June will pay full dues. New members who join TARPA July through September will pay half dues. New members who join TARPA October through December will pay full dues, but will be credited for payment of dues for the following year.

REMINDER FROM THE TREASURER If you have not as yet paid your dues, please make out your check to TARPA for $20.00 and mail to your Treasurer, Dean L. Phillips 7218 Onda Circle, Tucson, Arizona 85715 Add an extra $10.00 if you have a foreign mail address.

Thanks to all of you who made early dues payments. This is the best response we have ever had. * * * * * * * * * * * * PETER'S POSTULATE: By doing without the necessities, you can afford the luxuries. * * * * * * * * * * * * ANTHONY'S LAW OF FORCE: Don't force it. Get a larger hammer. * * * * * * * * * * * * FIRST LAW OF EXPERT ADVICE: Don't ask a barber whether you need a hair cut.

From a column by Dave Knickercocker Sent by Ritchie Beighlie * * * * * * * * * * * * - 18 -

The Active Retired Pilots Association of TWA

TREASURER' S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1984 Cash Balance December 31, 1983 p Cash Recei ts 1964 Membershi p Dues & Assessments 1984 $19,095,21 Prepaid Membership Dues & Fees For 19 6 5-6 9,565.00 1,180.10 Interest - Checking Account Total Support And Revenue Total Cash Balance And Receipts Expenses Memorials - Contributions $ 450.00 Convention Costs 1.120.94 768.84 Telephone Printing 6,141.96 Supplies 202.89 Postage 2,687.40 Dues Refunds - Overpayments 35.00 Secreterial 645.00 Dues - Retired Airline Pilots Assn. 1984 400.00 Travel E x p enses 72.72 Legal Fees 140.00 Bank Charges -0Award Of Merit Plaques 87.55 RAPA Delegate Expenses 1983 & 1984 463.36 Accuarial Fees & "B" Plan Study Committee 271.01 Other Committee Expenses 352.04 Total Expenses Cash Balance December 31, 1984

$ 6,636.65

29,840.31 $36,476.96

$15,843.51 $20,633.45

Memorial gifts to The TWA Pilots Retirement Foundation totaled $450.00. We honored the memory of eighteen members in 1964.

Eight members were deleted from the membership rolls and mailing list for non-payment of dues.

110 dues-paying members were added to the rolls in 1984, making a total of approximately 1,000 dues-paying members.

Expenses were reduced by the change in publication dates of TARPA TOPICS. Three issues and the Membership Directory were published in 1964. Four issues and the Membership Directory are scheduled for 19b5.

Printing, mailing and other costs varied from $1.45 to $2.00 per copy for TARPA TOPICS and $1.40 per copy for the Membership Directory.

Printing and Postage will remain our major cost items. However, our present dues structure should provide sufficient funds to pay our projected expenses for 1965.

To the best knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the information contained in this Treasurer's Report is accurate and complete.

Dean L. Phillips, Treasurer 19-

-

FAA APPROVED

PILOTS

749-749A NORMAL CHECK LIST

FLIGHT ENGINEER

When Fishermen Meet "Hiyamac" "Lobuddy" "Binearlong?"

"Coplours" "Cetchanenny?"

"Goddafew" "Kindarthay?"

"Bassencarp " "Ennysizetoom?"

"Cuplapowns" "Hittinhard?"

"Sordalike" "Wahchoozin?"

"Gobbawurms" "Fishanonaboddum?"

"Rydononaboddum" "Whatchadrinkin?"

"Jugajimbeam" "Igoddago" "Tubad" "Seeyaroun" "Yeahtakideezy" "Guluk. " -

4589 INDIAN CREEK PARKWAY 1-435 and ROE OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS 66207 (913) 649-8727

21 -

PILOTS RETIREMENT FOUNDATION MEETING

By Harry Mokler, President

The annual membership meeting of the Foundation was held in St. Louis on January 19, 1985. Over 150 proxies were received.

The main items of business were the Board of Trustees election and several amendments to the By-Laws.

The president's report covered the Foundation activities for the year of 1984 and the Secretary/Treasurer's report dealt mainly with the handling of Foundation finances.

Our fund is now over $80,000.00. Expenses continue to be negligible and outlay has been for assistance to beneficiaries.

The quarterly Board of Trustees meeting followed the membership meeting.

Though I had informed the membership in mid-year that I would not be a candidate for re-election, I was outflanked and out maneuvered and re-elected. Bill Polk continues as Secretary/Treasurer and Bob Essaf as Vice-President.

Persons receiving assistance from the Foundation are required to file updated applications for assistance at the end of each year and these were reviewed by the Board. Two new applications were reviewed and discussed.

Applicants having been screened, they were approved for assistance. Other cases were discussed but not approved.

The Board wishes to express its deepest appreciation to all supporters of the Foundation.

We hope you never need our help, but we are all subject to the strikes of wilful calamity.

We hope to grow stronger each year and to be available to any retired brother or sister if misfortune turns your way Harry Mokler

Please send contributions or requests for applications for assistance to: Captain Bill Polk 9800 S. Longwood Drive Chicago, Illinois 60643 * * * * * * * * * * * *

A C EL R T D GROUND TRAINING, Inc. AN INTERNATIONAL AVIA EDUCATION INSTITUTE

Corporate Offices 1 9531 Airport Way south Santa Ana, California 92707 (714) 756-1040

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

October 30, 1984

TARPA 410 Harbor View Lane Largo, FLA 33540 Gentlemen: We are interested in hiring turbojet simulator and ground instructors.

Since our equipment and materials feature TWA specs and procedures we feel that many of your readers would also be interested in us.

Will you please send us information about how we may advertise or publicize in your newsletter?

J. T. Sakert Vice President Operations JTS/cl

- 23 -

Los Angeles/Santa Ana/Santa Monica/Van Nuys/Paris

EDITOR'S NOTES

Thanks to all who helped with this issue, especially those who took the time to write articles and personal experiences for publication. We need input from you to keep the newsletter going.

Write of your past or current experiences. It's a good way to pay old friends a visit.

REDUNDANCY One of the problems that plague small publications is redundancy.

On the surface it would appear that this would be a very simple problem to solve. Probably so, if you had lots of help, a sure hold deadline, and the ability to retype, re-sort and correlate everything in the last few hours before the manuscript is sent to Secretary A. T. Humbles and then to the printer.

We often have some material that comes in after the first part of the manuscript is typed and pages arranged for content.

When new material comes in late, to delete the redundant material from either the late arrival or the previously typed copy would completely disorganize that selected for publication.

Therefore, sometimes the redundancy goes into publication because it is the lesser of two evils. * * * * * * * * * * * * GRESHAM'S LAW:

Trivial matters are handled promptly: important matters are never solved. * * * * * * * * * * * *

JOHN'S COLLATERAL COROLLARY: In order to get a loan, you must first prove you don't need it. * * * * * * * * * * * * WESTHEIMER'S RULE: To estimate the time it takes to do a task, estimate the time you think it should take, multiply by 2, and change the unit of measure to the next highest unit. Thus we allocate 2 days for a one hour task. * * * * * * * * * * * * *

- 24 -

CLIFFORD V. ABBOTT

By Ed Betts

Retired Captain Clifford V. Abbott passed away on January 13th He would have been 79 years of age on in Scottsdale, Arizona.

April 10th. Cliff was among the elite group of the original TWA employees whose aviation career, both in the cockpit and in management positions, contributed so much to the company's growth, success and industry leadership during the formative years that led into the jet age.

He was born in Kinderhook township, located near the southern border of Michigan and the northern borders of Indiana and Ohio.

All three states were, at one time or another, considered home two years at Tri-State during his early years. Upon completing college in Indiana, he applied for pilot training in the Army Air Corps. After taking the preliminary exams and physical at nearby Selfridge Field there was a frustrating wait of nearly one year before he was ordered to report to Brooks Field for further screenOf the original 5,000 applicants, only 240 ing and examinations. had been selected for this second stage of screening and one half of them were washed out after the first week. Nearly one year later, on February 4, 1928, Cliff was among the 26 cadets at Kelly Field who received their coveted wings and later a commission as Second Lieutenant.

This was during an era when many new airlines were being formed or established airlines were expanding to fly either mail or passengers.... hopefully both. The most popular pool for experienced pilots was from the military. The most lucrative pilot job was flying the mail flights for the companies that had conA number of Cliff's tracts with the Post Office Department. colleagues had already landed jobs with Western Air Express: Royal Leonard and Ed Eshelman (and "Mo" Bowen, from the Marines), were flying the mail on the Cheyenne-Denver-Pueblo route (headed

by Lew Goss), and Lex Klotz was flying the Salt Lake City-Las Vegas-Los Angeles run.

Transcontinental Air Transport had been formed in May of 1928, but it wasn't until May and June of 1929 that they started hiring pilots. First pilots (the Captain title didn't come until years later) generally had several thousand hours of flying time, including multi-engine experience (preferably at the Ford training school at Dearborn). Most of the copilots came from the military.

TAT offered a flat $500 a month salary for first pilots and $300 for copilots, a "Second Looie" made $246, including flight pay.

John Collings did most of the hiring of the 18 copilots in the From Langley Field came Otis Bryan, Harry Camporiginal group.

- 25 -

bell, Bill Campbell, Fred Richardson and J. J. "Jack" Zimmerman.

Among those interviewed and hired at Selfridge Field (from an observation squadron) were Cliff Abbott, Joe Bartles, Nick Laurenzana and Les Munger. Copilots had no seniority other than company date of hire, pilot seniority was established after first trip on the line as first pilot. Cliff's date of hire was May 24, 1929 and at the time he had approximately 600 flying hours, The prospect of advancing to first pilot was pretty bleak as TAT was losing money, cutting all operating costs as well as fares in the battle to survive without benefit of a mail contract.

Fred Richardson was the only copilot to advance (September 9th) during the year. In the meantime copilots were taking over the courier ("bull hostesses") duties of catering to the passengers.

It was rumored that copilots would be replaced by "mates" (mechanics) at a lesser rate of pay, or, if retained, would have additional duties such as the ground servicing of aircraft. Cliff and Joe resigned in favor of pilot jobs with NAT (United's eastern division) flying the mail.

The job with NAT didn't pan out. Fortunately TAT was in the midst of an expansion program with additional flights in the midwest as far as Columbus and the two men were rehired without loss of seniority. Howard Hall had checked out in January of 1930, his Transport license number was 3317. Little did this small group of new first pilots realize, then, what an important role they would play in decades to come to help build TWA into a leading world-wide air carrier.

The merger agreement between WAE and TAT-Maddux to form the new T&WA in order to receive the coveted mail contract for the central route was anything but harmonious between the stockholders, management and the pilot groups. There were a few exceptions as the WAE pilots were assigned to fly the Fokker equipment to the west of Kansas City, and the TAT-M pilots the Fords to the east. On the inauguration of the new 36 hour passenger and mail service, October 25, 1930, there were three sections westbound from Newark; two Fords and one single engine F-14. Bartles flew the Fokker, one of the slowest aircraft TWA had in its fleet, to Columbus where Abbott flew it on to Kansas City. The flight was late arriving at every stop.

TWA has experienced several periods of turbulent times, a struggle to survive as well as compete with the other major carriers.

The early 30's, the beginning years, were among the most difficult as there was the great depression and passenger loads were too low to support the airline. Mail pay was the only salvation and the former TAT copilots, now the junior captains, were among the group to fly the single engine equipment that was added to the fleet for this purpose. First of the speedy new planes was the Northrop Alpha, which inaugurated a 24 hour coast-to-coast mail (only) service on April 20, 1931. Cliff flew the inaugural flight from Newark to Columbus.

- 26 -

Until the introduction of the DC-2 in mid-1934, the single engine planes provided the bulk of TWA's income and it was up to the pilots to use their own ingenuity and resources to complete the schedules under most any type of weather condition.... while the passenger flights (with the Ford or Fokker equipment) sat on the ground awaiting improvement or the passengers were transferred to a train.

Radio aids for navigation were primitive, or non-existent.

A good illustration was a night flight Cliff made between Kansas City and St. Louis. He departed with a 300 foot ceiling with snow, St. Louis was reporting a 6,000 foot ceiling. Flying in the snow conditions created a static condition on the radio that made it impossible to read for either navigation or weather reports.

When he assumed that he was near St. Louis, he started letting down and at 500 feet he could barely see lights on the ground, but could identify a train that he decided to follow and maybe find the airport. He circled the train several times, but lost it in the snow and soon found himself over a river.... but which river: the Missouri, Mississippi or the Illinois? A smell of oil gave him the clue, it was the Wood River Oil Refinery near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers; he took up a 240째 heading and found the airport with less than a half mile visibility prevailing.

With the introduction of the DC-2, the company experienced a rapid expansion program with the number of line pilots and copilots doubling within a one year period. The former TAT copilots were now in the senior captain category (Cliff was #36 on the first pilot seniority list issued in 1924 after the air mail cancellation fiasco).

As fine an airplane as the DC-2 was, it was not without some early problems. A certain accumulation of ice on the ailerons could cause the plane to flip over on its back at slow approach speeds. Carburetor ice was always a potential hazard even with heat available to melt the ice. The steam heat system for the cabin and cockpit had a habit of freezing or breaking water lines during the most unfavorable conditions.

On one flight Cliff was approaching Albuquerque, at the time reporting a ceiling of 800 feet with heavy snow. Busch Voigts was the copilot.

While descending through 13,000 feet, snow pellets were encountered and full carburetor heat was applied.

At 10,000 feet, with the carburetor heat temperature reading 150 0 , both engines quit.

While Busch steered the plane, Cliff used full force on the throttles to literally break the ice loose and at the same time moved the mixture controls back and forth, causing a backfire to rid the ice and first one, then the second, engine began to function normally. They overflew Albuquerque and landed at Winslow pending weather improvement.

As a sequel, Busch was later the copilot on a flight when a similar emergency occurred while approaching Pittsburgh. He told the captain about Cliff's getting the engines started on throttle and mixture control (backfiring the engines); he did it, and a successful approach and landing was made.

- 27 -

Not so successful, but a test of Cliff's pilot skill, happened in August of 1935 with a flight departing Albuquerque.

Low ceilings and thunderstorms were reported to the east and several flights had been holding on the ground for improvement.

A reported break in the weather and Cliff took off using the standard procedure to use the more expen sive 87 octane fuel until at cruise and then switch fuel tanks to use the cheaper 81 octane fuel until landing. Over the Sandia Mountains the fuel supply was switched to the lower octane tank and both engines quit. It was later determined that the fuel loaded at Albuquerque was from an underground storage tank that was contaminated with water. Cliff suspected the problem, he and the copilot immediately switched fuel tanks, worked the wobble pump and tried backfiring in an effort to get either or both of the engines started. Nothing worked and they were now in a steep glide with little time to spot a clearing for an emergency landing.

Cliff Abbott Circa 1936 - 1938

A message was radioed to a second section of the flight, piloted

by Jim Roe, with Walt Hamilton aboard, describing the situation.

They switched fuel tanks in time to avoid a similar problem.

Cliff headed the plane towards US Highway 66, but he couldn't stretch the glide. Both landing flares were released and soon the plane was hitting some small trees, then a large one severed the right wing and engine and spun the plane 180 where it came to a stop. Cliff ended up against the passenger compartment door still clutching the control wheel. Both he and the copilot, Wally Jones, received some cuts and abrasions, but none of the passengers were injured.

One, a Father Plummer, got out his flask and offered Cliff a drink....as Cliff put it, the only time he ever drank on a TWA plane. All of the passengers were taken by taxi to a hotel and flew out the next day.

It had always been a TWA practice (a requirement when the CAA was formed in 1938) to have veteran pilots assigned as dispatchers - 28 -

(later titled Flight superintendents) assisting the pilots flying the line with weather forecasts and other pertinent flight information, as well as coordinating flight movements, delays, etc.

As a financial reward a higher ($425 a month) base pay was paid, although it didn't mean too much of a net gain in a month over flying the line as two pilot/dispatchers generally split a line of time so far as the additional flight pay.

It often led to promotions in other management positions.

On August 25, 1936, Cliff was assigned as a dispatcher at Chicago, and in early 1938 he transferred to Kansas City, which was to be his permanent "home base". In November of 1939 he bid back to flying the line, which he did until he entered the military service in early 1942.

In the latter part of 1941 TWA had been awarded a military contract to train Army pilots with four-engine equipment, the "Eagle's Nest" operation at Albuquerque. In early 1942 the Air Force took over its own training of four-engine equipment and among those heading the B-24 Liberator bomber were Cliff, Harry Campbell and Floyd Hall. Cliff retired from active duty with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and was later promoted to Colonel in the reserve.

According to company records, Cliff returned from his military leave of absence on August 30, 1945. I would like to add a personal note and observation here. I had just completed three weeks of copilot ground school and a few hours of transition instruction in the DC-3 and the next stage of my training, before reporting to SFO, was to ride as observer on a scheduled flight from Kansas City to LaGuardia and return. This happened to be on September 7th, Flights 24 and 11. We must have made all of the stops because my logbook shows 7:55 flying time eastbound and 8:13 westbound.

Cliff Abbott was the Captain, getting a line check from Busch Voigts. I learned more about the airline operation from observing those two airmen than you could ever learn in a classroom...they were gentlemen who were pleasant to work with, competent with a very professional approach to their job, dedicated to the company and the welfare of their passengers.

They were both very patient with me and explained in detail the workings of the airline, weather trends, etc., and on arrival they made certain that I had a hotel for the night (they were hard to get and I didn't have a reservation).

Two months later Cliff was appointed Central Region Operations Manager which was then the division Superintendent. A few months later he was the Regional Director of Operations, the job he held until he took early retirement on June 30, 1954, after twenty five years of dedicated service to TWA.

- 29 -

Cliff retired from TWA and flying, but not from his TWA friends, as he was ever present at retirement parties, the annual reunion of the "Conquistadors" at Wickenburg, TAT reunions and wherever his good friends got together. In 1957 the TWA Seniors Club was officially organized, with Cliff as the first president.

In addition to his TWA activities Cliff was an avid boatsman and was a member of the Ozarks Yachting Association as well as the Ocean Reef (Florida) Yacht Club. He was a Mason and member of the Old Mission Masonic Lodge in Prairie Village, and for many years a member of the Saddle and Sirloin Club, and a supporter and Governor of the American Royal. His aviation associations included the Quiet Birdmen, the Order of Daedalions (military) and TARPA. Cremation was in Scottsdale, Arizona, with the ashes scattered over the ocean near Fort Lauderdale. A memorial service was held in Kansas City on January 28th.

Cliff is survived by his wife, Virginia, son James Clifford Abbott, daughter Peggy Lee Dubach, two grandchildren and two great grandchildren. * * * * * * * * * * * *

GETTING READY There is only one way to get ready for immortality, and that is to love this life and live it as bravely and faithfully and cheerfully as we can.

Henry Van Dyke

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Leave retirement act alone ■ The writer, Republican senator from New York from 1957 to 1981, was one of the principal authors of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. ■

By JACOB JAVITS

As the administration looks for ways to narrow the budget deficit and to simplify our tax system, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), just 10 years old this year, is coming under attack.

Increasingly, ERISA is depicted as an inefficient and costly program that deserves to have its tax exemption cut. this would be a grave mistake. in fact, ERISA pension plans are a critical supplement to Social Security and, by the end of the century, they will provide the country's largest pool of private investment capital. For both reasons, we need to preserve the program intact.

As a set of government regulations for private pension, health and welfare plans, ERISA deals with the lives and futures of at least 10-million retirees and 45-million workers in private employment. It is also a basic arm of social and political policy and an outstanding example of business taking over a responsibility for retirement security generally considered best vested in government.

WHY IS ERISA under attack? Mainly because it allows employers to deduct pension contributions, while employees pay no tax on these contributions until they begin to collect their benefits. Last year, these deductions cost the Treasury $27-billion in lost tax revenues, a considerable sum in our era of fiscal austerity. The next session of Congress will undoubtedly see some highly contested action on this issue, provoked by Labor Department recommendations made last week.

Why is it so important that ERISA be saved? It was established when it became clear that Social Security could not provide adequate retirement income, considering the present cost of living. The alternative was either a vast addition to the Social Security system — unacceptable because of the added tax burden on younger workers — or mandating a private pension system, which would have caused a revolt among employers.

Before ERISA existed, private pension plans were rife with inequities and covered far fewer workers than now.

Workers were often fired or laid-off immediately before their retirement or the moment, known as the vesting date, when they became eligible for benefits. Thus, workers who had spent 20 or 30 years with a company could suddenly find themselves deprived of a pension. Similar-

ly, because many pension plans were underfinanced, beneficiaries and retirees were often deprived of their pension rights when their former companies failed.

Today, ERISA regulates all these matters. It has established a proper vesting time of 10 years on the job. It insures adequate employer financing of pension plans, establishes standards of honesty in administration of the plans and, through its "prudent man" rule, guides the use of pension funds for making private investment. It has established an insurance company, the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corp., which guarantees the payment of pensions to retirees who have participated in pension plans.

It also constitutes a vast pool of investment capital — more than $900-billion.

THE PROGRAM would certainly not have achieved all this without its tax-exempt status — now under fire.

However, the government does not lose all the tax revenues that it is claimed it does, since payments to retired employees are ultimately taxable as ordinary income.

Moreover, the government could hardly afford to take over the pension plans now provided privately under ERISA. Clearly, then, the tax exemption for private pension plans is as justified as any in the tax system, and much more so than the vast exemptions involved in tax shelters, capital gains taxes and federal tax subsidies.

What's more, as the assets of pension plans regulated

by ERISA grow to between $2-trillion and $3-trillion by the end of the century, they will become ever more important to the nation's financial health. Constructive investment of this capital can be of enormous benefit to both our business system and, through the resulting tax revenue, increased employment and lowered interest rates, to the government.

Finally, it must be remembered that individual retirement accounts (IRAs), which are also written into ERISA, are tax-deductible to the extent of $2,000 per year.

Certainly, these savings and investments are socially and economically most desirable — and should not be jeopardized any more than should ERISA itself.

Retirement sits firmly on a three-legged stool — Social Security; pension, health and welfare plans under ERISA; and IRAs and the savings of individual workers.

Together, they form a powerful underpinning for our society and economy, a great asset insuring our people stability and security. They should be retained in the national interest, not emasculated.

From the St, Petersburg TIMES, December 13, 1984 — 31 —

AVTEK FLIES AVTEK Corporation passed a major milestone when the prototype AVTEK 400 made its first flight on September 20, 1984.

Retired Captain Bob Adickes is president of AVTEK. You might have seen the plane pictured on the cover of the December 3 issue of AVIATION WEEK. Bob sent the latest news about the airplane in a letter to your Editor, the body of which follows: "Your recent letter was most appreciated, and all of the old time TWA pilots working with Avtek are pleased to know of your interest in our project.

Next week we're beginning a new series of flight testing on the prototype, and performance to date has been well in excess of our engineering predictions. For example: the climb rate is 3800 fpm (with the gear down) at 75% of climb power; level cruise with IAS 220 mph with only 25% of rated power.

Our take-off distance is less than 1000 feet, and landing distance about 800 feet!

"You might wish to mention several of our TWA buddies involved in this project, In addition to John Carroll, they are: Stuart Nelson, Hutch Thurston (famed for his Supreme Court victory), John Boren, Vern Lowell, Charlie Strickler, Bob Honeycutt, Jim Abbitt, Fred Hazlett, and several other ALPA fellows from other airlines....Braniff, American, Continental, Pan Am, United, Delta, Eastern, Golden West ....

"We are planning to fly the Avtek 400 prototype over to Las Vegas during the TARPA convention, and hope you will take the time to give us an 'inspection'." * * * * * * * * * * * * NEWS ABOUT NEUMANN It has been learned that Harold Neumann, in company with Jim Doolittle, Jimmy Mattern and Steve Wittman, participated in the opening and dedication of the Smithsonian's new wing of the National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D. C., last April.

In August of this year, Harold will be inducted into the Midwest Aviation Hall of Fame, sponsored by the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland, Ohio.

Somewhere along his busy way, Harold even found time to do some sky writing for Warner Brothers in Los Angeles.

What are you going to do when you retire, Harold? * * * * * * * * * * * * - 32 -

Aviation Hall of Fame WESTERN RESERVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

10825 East Boulevard Cleveland, Ohio 44106

721-5722

April 11, 1984

Mr. Harold E. Neumann 9301 Canterbury Leawood, Kansas 66206 Dear Mr. Neumann: I am pleased to officially inform you that you have been unanimously elected for induction into the Western Reserve Aviation Hall of Fame. With your induction we hope to properly recognize your remarkable career and outstanding achievements in aviation.

You, along with fellow 1984 inductees Brig. Gen. Lester Maitland; the late aircraft builder Clayton Brukner and World War II ace Don Gentile, will be honored during enshrinement ceremonies to be held at the Frederick C. Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum on Friday evening, August 31, 1984.* Chuck Yeager and Senator Barry Goldwater will receive our Al J. Engel Award and Meritorious Service Award, respectively. Also, Anne Morrow Lindbergh will be present to receive an award for the late Charles A. I have enclosed a copy of last year's program. I will be contacting you shortly regarding pertinent details.

Congratulations and best wishes.

Sincerely, *Unanticipated circumstances forced the cancellation of the 1984 Hall of Fame inductions. They will be held on August 30, 1985.

WJA:era

- 32A -

William J. Allen Chairman

" GEE, BOSS, I THOUGHT YOU WERE IN FLORIDA!"

- 33 -

HEART ATTACKS - YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED (A Doctor's booklet by Merck, Sharp & Dohme pharmaceuticals) What is a heart attack?

The condition myocardial infarction, which is commonly called by the public "heart attack" (not a medical term), is a disease of the heart that results when one of the main arteries or its branches feeding blood to the heart muscle become blocked with a blood clot. That part of the heart muscle nourished by that blocked artery is damaged.

What are the symptoms of a heart attack?

The symptoms may be mild - slight chest pain under the breast bone, a feeling of "indigestion" - or they may be more severe.

When the symptoms are prominent, they include sudden severe chest pain with the pain going from under the breast bone to one or both shoulders (mostly the left) and down one or both arms (again mostly the left), The pain may go to the back (between the shoulder blades) or up to the jaw. The pain in the chest is often described by the patient as a "crushing pain".

What causes a heart attack?

The chief cause of a heart attack is hardening and blockage of the arteries that nourish the heart muscle. Hardening of The the arteries is known medically as atherosclerosis. arteries of the heart (and elsewhere in the body) tend to harden (become stiffer or less elastic) as we grow older.

Fatty material is deposited on the walls of the arteries, causing the vessels to "clog up" so that adequate amounts of blood often cannot get past these fatty blockages.

Certain conditions contribute to a speeding up of this hardening process in the arteries - uncontrolled high blood pressure, smoking (especially cigarettes), a diet high in fatty foods, too much weight, and too little exercise.

Recovery from a heart attack Many people recover so well from heart attacks that they may resume a very productive life after the event. President Johnson was one such example. He became Vice-President and President of the United States (very difficult jobs) after a serious heart attack.

Recovery is gradual, however, and return to full activity must be carefully controlled by you, your doctor, and your family.

- 34 -

Your old lifestyle may have to change significantly - a different diet with good weight control, a graduated exercise program, careful control of your blood pressure (if it is high), and no smoking are all examples of things that may have to change in your life permanently.

Chances are you'll remain healthier longer if you do these things anyway, even if you never had a heart attack.

Exercise Graduated exercise, i.e., starting slowly and gradually increasing what you do and how you do it, will be an important part of your long term recovery program. Exercise is good as your heart heals because it helps to stimulate blood flow to the heart itself.

By gradually increasing the work the heart does during exercise, you gradually increase the strength of the heart muscle.

Don't make up your own exercise program. Get advice from your physician before you begin or participate in any exercise program.

Generally, fatigue and strain are bad and should be avoided.

Smoking The best advice is STOP, as your doctor will tell you. Don't just cut down, just STOP. It will be hard for you at first, but millions have done it before you, and you can too! Chances are you'll feel much better for having given it up.

Diet Your local heart association can supply you with material about a prudent diet for people with heart conditions. It's a good idea to eat more poultry, fish, skim milk, cottage cheese, lean meat, vegetables, and fruit, and to cut way down on fatty meat, cream, eggs, butter, ice cream, cake, and other rich foods. Rich foods are often high in cholesterol or in other substances that the body converts to cholesterol, and cholesterol appears to be one of the main factors in causing those fatty deposits that block arteries.

Weight If you're overweight, bring your weight closer to normal. This is a good health habit for all of us.

Blood Pressure High blood pressure makes any heart condition worse, because it makes the heart work harder and it hastens the process of atherosclerosis.

That's why your doctor checks your blood pressure regularly.

- 35 -

Medication Your doctor may prescribe medications for you for any one of a number of reasons, such as to bring down your blood pressure if it is high, to "thin" your blood to try to prevent another heart attack, or to try to prevent another heart attack with medicines that work in other ways than by "thinning" the blood.

If medicines are prescribed, be sure you take them exactly as the doctor instructs you to for maximum benefit. If you have any questions about your medicines, don't hesitate to ask questions of your doctor.

Rest and Relaxation Developing a better balance between your work habits and the amount of time you spend at rest and in relaxation is part of the change that is required in your style of living. Finding ways to reduce tensions at home and at work is important to help you achieve peace of mind - something that can be helpful to the patient who has had a heart attack.

Sexual Activity People who suffer heart attacks can almost always resume their normal sexual activity after their convalescence. Your doctor can tell you when your heart has healed sufficiently for you to begin sexual relations.

Angina When a person has chest pain after exercising or walking stairs or uphill or running to catch a bus, he or she is said to have "angina".

If you have angina, it occurs because the exercise you do by walking, or climbing uphill, or running makes more demands on your heart than when you're sitting quietly. The demand is for more blood, and the heart muscle can't get it because the artery carrying that blood is partly blocked by The artery is not those fatty deposits mentioned before. completely blocked but blocked enough to prevent enough blood from getting through when your heart muscle is working harder than it does when you are resting.

There have been great advances made over the last ten years in helping patients with angina - both newer medical and surgical treatments. Many patients can be helped by one or the other of these treatments.

What does the future hold?

With the proper attitude regarding lifestyle change, diet, weight control, no smoking, high blood pressure control, exercise, regular medical checkups, careful attention to a reduction in emotional. tensions at work and in the home, and proper medication, many of those who have had heart attacks can lead useful, happy, productive lives.

- Submitted by Ole Olson - 36 -

From Ben Young: "Didi and I went on the TWA SENIORS Trans Canal Cruise on the FAIRSEA for two weeks. The cruise was great, as were all the seniors. Lum Edwards does an outstanding job as Tour Director.

"After one of the cocktail parties we got the TARPA group together and Didi took the enclosed picture."

Back row, left to right: Tex Manning, Don Minske, Richard Faulds, Ben Young, Russ Drosendahl, LeRoy Smith, Louis Barr, Van Thompson, Frank Saylor, Joe Stonskas, Meredith Moffett, Leonard Hylton, Bob Voss.

Front row, left to right: Chief Purser, Lum Edwards, Ship's Captain, Domenico Tringale, and the social director.

* * * * * * * * * * *

37

TARPA TALES

PAGE ONE

We received several replies to our request for information about a DC-3 operation in Cairo.

From Bud Elliot: Regarding the article in the December issue of TARPA TOPICS about the DC-3 in North Africa, perhaps I can help answer your question.

Twice while I was based in Rome I was a co-pilot on a DC-3 engine carrier.

The first flight was January 21, 1948 from Rome to Geneva. The plane was NC 204, TWA plane number 548. The Captain was Stanley Stanton.

On the last leg we were vectored to the airport by GCA. We were IFR and we encountered a lot of ice. It was an unforgettable experience.

The second flight was February 24, 1948 from Rome to the Milan area. We had a CAA man on board. The purpose of the Flight was to meet with the Milan City engineers to establish the airport.

I don't know of any other TWA DC-3's around at that time, but perhaps some of the crews that were based in Cairo may remember the plane. * * * * * * * * * Dean Phillips also forwards a note from Idus Inglis which Idus sent in along with his 1985 dues.

"DC-3 on International? Yes. Cairo and Tel Aviv.

TWA had one and flew it between

"I flew co-pilot on it with Captain Joe Park. Joe was upset because he was assigned to fly it. I questioned my assignment because I had never been to school or even sat in a DC-3.

"Bob Cummings, the Chief Pilot at that time, said to both of us, 'Shut up and take the trip'. We did.

"Cairo and Tel Aviv were both British Empire at that time. We flew a shuttle between the two cities in a TWA DC-3".

Idus didn't shed any light on who the TWA crew was that sighted and gave aid to the downed British aircraft. * * * * * * * * * * * * Another letter just received was from Bill Greer who wrote:

TARPA TALES

PAGE TWO

"During my stint as a relief pilot in Cairo from February, 1948 to December, 1950, TWA operated a DC-3, registry! ETT-12. Checking my log book, I find among other entries a local mission with Captain Neal Lytle.

A photographic crew took pictures of one of our "Connies" with the Sphinx and pyramids in the background.

The results appeared on our TWA calendars.

"In a more somber vein, my log shows a local flight on September 20, 1950 to the site of our Connie, which crashed and burned Captain Walt Webb and crew, as minutes after departing Cairo. well as all passengers perished.

"While I cannot confirm the rescue episode inasmuch as it predates my arrival in Cairo by about a month, I strongly suspect that it involved ETT-12 and possibly was flown by Hugh Herndon.

In any event, I'll wager that Neal Lytle or either of our Chief Pilots - Bob Cummings or Bob McReynolds could or will supply information to solve this mystery.

"I enjoy TARPA TOPICS and hope to attend the convention in LAS". * * * * * * * * * * * * From Bob Gwin: "Yes, Yes!

TWA had DC-3's in Egypt.

"When General Giles was a TWA Vice President and Ray Wells was Director of Cairo, Egypt, with offices on the Nile, downtown Cairo, TWA had at least one DC-3. ETT-12, I believe, was the number on it.

This was 1946-52.

"Hugh Herndon was Director in Cairo after Ray Wells, and this airplane was used to carry engines around the system, until Larry Trimble set up the engine carrier Fairchild, with the little Jet on top, to do this job.

"Did you know TWA was going to overhaul airplanes and engines at Cairo, and had the staff almost set up? Jim Davis was Director of Maintenance, 1947.

"See you at the Southeast Seniors, May 1985." * * * * * * * * * * * * From Werner Romanello: "With reference to the December 1984 TARPA TOPICS issue, pages three and four, DC-3 on International. I was hired by TWA in June, 1949, but I do recall even in 1949 and following years a TWA DC-3 was based in Cairo. Its registration was ETT-12.

It showed the TWA red painting and logo and was flown under Ethiopian registration.

Some of the captains who flew the ETT were Swede Golien, Neal Lytle, Neftsinger, Joe Carr and Jack Robertson."

TARPA TALES

PAGE THREE

MORE ABOUT THE DC-3 AND EARLY INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS

By Larry Trimble The December 1984 issue of TARPA TOPICS on pages three and four of the TARPA TALES section asks for any information on the R. J. Saunders article sent to Ed Betts by Assistant SKYLINER editor Anne Sanders. The inquiry wanted to know about a TWA DC-3 operation in Cairo in 1946 and who the TWA crew was who were flying the DC-3 in this instance. Perhaps I can help on this bit of TWA history on both pilot and airplane.

The airplane, though painted with TWA markings, was not a DC-3 but a C-47 owned by TWA and registered under Ethiopian registry as ETT-12. It was being flown on this occasion by Captain Hugh Herndon, the Director of TWA's Africa Middle East Region.

Hugh Herndon and Clyde Pangborn had made aviation history by making the first non-stop trans Pacific crossing from Japan to the U. S. west coast in a single engine Bellanca during the pioneer days of transoceanic flying.

During the war Herndon was hired by TWA as a pilot for our Intercontinental Division, operating out of Washington, and worked for me when I was Chief Pilot of the ICD. After the war, Hugh, who was not on the TWA seniority list, was sent to Cairo as Director of Operations of the Africa Middle East Region of TWA's overseas operation.

I went to Paris as Director Operations of the European Region of the overseas operation and saw and talked to Hugh at least once a week in either Paris or Cairo. He told me the story of this spotting of the Saunders Dakota in the desert and how he had landed at the RAF airdrome at El Adem to report it and of picking up a parachute drop kit containing water and food which he flew back and dropped at the crash site. I don't recall him saying who the copilot was. Usually Herndon flew the airplane himself with a mechanic as copilot or one of the Cairo based cockpit crew members on their own time.

TWA never conducted any type of a DC-3 commercial operation in Cairo and was never based at Cairo West Airport, but rather at Payne Field or Cairo International, as it is now known.

However, there is quite a story here about this particular airplane and a major C-47 modification activity by TWA that, like the history of the ICD and early international, as well as our other airline operations and support activities, is almost totally unknown in TWA today.

Following the war', TWA started the International or Overseas Operation as it was originally known, with 10 C-54's and four TARPA TALES

PAGE FOUR

L-049 Constellations. We bought the C-54's almost new from the U. S. Army Air Corps, which had declared them surplus, for forty thousand dollars each.

The C-69, as the Army called the Connie, had just gone into production for the Air Corps and we had two of them on ICD which we were shaking down for the Army. With the war over, President Truman cancelled all wartime contracts and the C-69's on the production line immediately became availBecause of all kinds of problems with the able as L-049's.

L-049 and three major training accidents, the C-54 was the backbone of the overseas operation for quite a few months.

Overseas we had two operating regions, the European Division and Africa Middle East Division or AME. The European Division covered the route from Gander to Shannon to Paris and Rome, plus Madrid, Lisbon and Santa Maria, under the direction of John Harlin initially.

The AME covered Dhahran and Bombay east and North Africa's Tripoli, Tunis and Algier plus Tel Aviv and Athens.

TWA, under the Marshall Plan and other aid programs, started and began the operation of Saudi Arabian and Ethiopian Airlines. we had assistance programs with the Greek, Italian, French and Under these programs we trained or supplied German governments. other assistance to launch the re-established French Air France, German Lufthansa and the predecessor of today's Greek Olympic Airlines.

In Italy we actually owned a 49% interest in LAI and ran it under Swede Golien. Eventually LAI was merged by the Italian government into what is today's Al Italia and TWA got out of the Italian picture.

In regard to the Greek, Saudi and the Ethiopian efforts we supplied the airplanes as well as pilots and management. To supply the airplanes, TWA bought from the Army Air Corps forty five surplus C-47's which the Army had simply lined up on Payne Field, as Cairo International was then known, walked off and left. TWA took over this base and used it to convert the C-47's we had purchased to different configurations best suited to the airline As I recall it, about forty involved and their intended use. or forty one were converted and licensed under Greek, Saudi or Ethiopian registry and the rest cannibalized for parts.

Hugh Herndon, as Director of the AME Region, had a difficult transportation problem across North Africa and out to Bombay, as there was no other airline service east except BOAC twice a week and none in North Africa, as TWA then operated Rome to Tripoli, and Hugh had to come up to Rome to get to his North Herndon looked over the junked remains African stations via TWA. of the cannibalized airplanes left and decided to build himself an airplane. TWA, in the meantime, decided to abandon the overhaul base in Cairo at Payne Field when we couldn't get Egyptian permission to operate it commercially to serve all present and future airlines in the Middle East area as we had hoped to do.

We had even bought a complete surplus Army engine overhaul facility in the Philippines and shipped it half way around the world to Cairo.

The engine overhaul facility was all that was TARPA TALES

PAGE FIVE

needed to give the Payne base the aircraft and engine overhaul capability of our Kansas City overhaul base. In addition to the Egyptian refusal to permit us to operate the base on a commercial basis, they demanded that we pay exorbitant customs duties on the new value of every tool and piece of equipment in the place, as well as on all materials the Army had imported in building the buildings.

When we would not pay either the customs duties or the "Baksheese" which would have practically been equal to the customs duty, the Egyptians took over the base, lock, stock and barrel. They did not know how to run it or what to do with it, so they closed it down. Within weeks every bit of equipment in it had been stolen.

Herndon had used his own TWA Cairo mechanics to build up a TWA C-47 out of the junked remains The airplane that TWA owned. finally produced had a right wing off one series C-47 and a left wing off another series, plus a stabilizer off still a third series.

Herndon bought two new surplus 1830 P&W engines and props in Europe, bought the radios, which had been stolen from the overhaul base at Payne Field, on the black market in Cairo, got the instruments from old TWA surplus and eventually had an airplane which he placed under Ethiopian registry as ETT-12.

He use the airplane to cover his region on company business, flew TWA visiting brass around on sightseeing tours up the Nile to Luxor to see the temples of Karnak and tombs, and also on hunting trips to Ethiopia and Nigeria and on fishing trips to the Red Sea. Hugh, flying ETT-12, was on the Hugh Herndon on the first return leg of a trip from Tripoli TWA ICD layover in Paris. to Cairo when he spotted the RAF Dakota down in the desert. ETT was to go on and make TWA and Because of its illegitimate birth airline maintenance history. and background it could not be placed under U. S. registry either in the NC or NL categories. The Egyptians wanted 100% new Douglas cost price as the cost basis for custom duty to import the airplane and register it as Egyptian, so Hugh talked "Dutch" was running Dutch Holloway into an Ethiopian registry .

Ethiopian Airlines for TWA as General Manager and also functioning as the Director of Civil Aviation for Ethiopia for Emperor Haile Selassie.

Under him, a licensing procedure was set up to identify and give flag status to the eleven converted C-47's TWA had TARPA TALES

PAGE SIX

supplied to Ethiopian Airlines. Herndon's patchwork airplane was given the registry number of ETT-12 as the twelfth airplane ever to be registered in Ethiopia. Since we were not basing the airplane in Ethiopia and never imported it, the question of custom duties never came up.

Hugh Herndon died in 1952 and TWA consolidated his Africa Middle East Region with my European Region into a single overseas region, and I became Director of the new region. The new region subsequently expanded to include LON, FRA, ZUR and GVA in Europe and Ceylon, Bangkok and Manila in the Far East. Later, when Floyd Hall became General Manager, U. S. Operations, I became General Manager, International and picked up direction of the International cockpit crews in KIDL. Later on, when Floyd Hall went up to Vice President Operations, I became Vice President of Operations or Transportation, as it was known then, of Intternational.

The International Region expansion ended with the extension around the world, adding Hong Kong, Taipei, Okinawa, Guam and Hawaii.

From the start of the overseas operation, TWA had based flight crews in Cairo. When the two overseas regions were consolidated into one, TWA decided to close out the crew domicile in Cairo and all cockpit and hostess crew members were returned to the U.S.. Because American hostesses had no foreign language capability and had been a constant problem while based in Cairo, I established the overseas Foreign National Hostess group based in Paris and Rome and late r Hong Kong.

Thereafter, all international flights were Floyd Hall and Larry Trimble flown by New York based cockpit crews and hostesses to the gateways. Beyond the gateways, foreign National hostesses replaced the American girls throughout Europe, the Middle East and the Far East.

With region headquarters in Paris, I moved ETT-12 to Paris, originally intending to sell it if possible. My maintenance

TARPA TALES

PAGE SEVEN

Director, Jim Davis, suggested the possibility of making an engine carrier out of it. We were making from 90 to as high as 110 engine changes a year overseas. Connies were on the ground sometimes as long as a week, while TWA flew an engine over from the States in one of the C-54 cargo flights, and it was expensive. We checked with Douglas and found they had done the engineering for the Air Corps for a C-47 engine carrier with a special large door, an underfloor tracked winch the length of the cabin and an aluminum girder folding exterior platform from which the engine could be winched in or out of the airplane.

It was removed or placed on the platform with a Plan D tower which every TWA station had. Further, Douglas had already built a prototype modification kit when the war ended and the Army dropped the project.

I talked John Collings into the idea of a C-47 engine carrier and he bought the prototype parts kit Douglas still had and approved a $30,000 overhaul of the airplane and installation of the special equipment.

We flew ETT-12 to Prestwick, Scotland and turned it over to Scottish Aviation, who did a complete airplane overhaul and performed all Douglas ADs on it and painted it silver for corrosion protection.

Radio and instrumentation was conformed to Constellation configuration for parts availability in the field and a second reincarnation of the old C-47 was finally ready to begin its fabulous airline career.

Over the next six years, ETT-12, flown by myself or one of my successive Staff Directors of Flying Joe Carr, Gordon Granger or Neal Lytle as Captain and Claude Girard or Pete Boe or Engine Change Foreman Lucien Picollier as copilot, covered every engine change in International for TWA and also for Air France. It flew International Red Cross emergency airlifts, flew rescue crews into aircraft accident sites, flew search missions, evacuated critically ill or injured medical patients, carried out the bodies of aircraft accident victims and many other mercy missions.

All the original VORS on the TWA route were bought and installed by TWA and were flown into the sites of Elba, Cantanzaro, Crete, Alexandria and Cairo by ETT-12. a spare Connie engine on a special cradle was kept In Paris, loaded at all times, cleared through customs, fueled to Rome distance and on a constant fifteen minute day and a thirty Any time a Connie reported an engine minute night standby. failure in flight and which airport it was proceeding toward, ETT-12 would be airborne within fifteen minutes or less, cleared by customs and ATC direct from the hangar. Our maintenance standard was to put a Connie back in the air within twelve hours of the engine failure anywhere within one thousand miles of Paris.

South of Rome and east of Cairo, longer engine delivery times were naturally dictated by the distance to be flown.

The ground station where the Connie landed was responTARPA TALES

PAGE EIGHT

Transcontinental & Western Air, Inc. PROPOSED

AROUND the WORLD ROUTE

This was the original Frye/Hughes dream. Note the extensive European Captial coverage and the Middle East and Orient coverage. Frye told me they did not want Bombay and Colombo; neither did he or Hughes like the Pacific crossing via Guam and Honolulu.

- Larry Trimble TARPA TALES

PAGE EIGHT-A

sible for having the old engine off and its Plan D tower available when ETT-12 landed and was positioned in front of the Connie. A special engine change crew was carried on ETT-12 and was responsible for installing and testing the new engine.

Winching the engine out of the cabin and onto the platform was a five minute job and picking it up off the platform with the Plan D tower and moving it to the Connie nacelle took another five to six minutes. Many a BD engine was running in two to two and a quarter hours after ETT-12 taxied into position.

The turbo-compounds usually took forty five minutes longer.

The all time classic record occurred or was set in Shannon in the mid '50's with a 749A under a rare combination of wind and weather circumstances.

The Connie had blown a jug on takeoff from London westbound to SINN with a most unusual, extremely strong east wind.

London went below limits right after takeoff and Paris was below Connie limits, so the flight advised it was proceeding to SINN. ETT-12, flown by either Carr or Granger, I don't recall which, was airborne nine minutes after LONE advised Paris Dispatch of the failure and that the cylinder was sticking through the cowling. With strong helping winds, ETT-12 covered the six hundred miles to SINN in three hours and fifteen minutes flat. Also aided by the strong east wind, the nine actually made four engine schedule time on three engines into SNN. ETT-12 landed just at the scheduled departure time of the Connie flight from SNN. SNN maintenance had the prop and badly damaged cowling off but not the engine, so the ETT-12 special crew took over and pulled the engine in forty five minutes. The new engine was hung and running in two hours and forty five minutes, which included exchanging engines on the Plan D tower and the installation and alignment repairs on a complete new cowling we had borrowed from Air France in Paris.

The Connie was test flown for thirty minutes, then refueled and passengers loaded and the flight departed SNN westbound four hours and fifteen minutes late. A practically calm wind ocean crossing, plus Gander making up ground time, enabled the flight to complete into New York only two hours and fifty five minutes late with a field engine change enroute and the new engine and cowling flown six hundred miles! Ray Dunn still says it couldn't be done but ETT-12 and the Paris engine change crew did it, and set an airline field maintenance record that still stands.

The arrival of the 1649 with its heavier engine severely restricted the range of the old "Gooney Bird" and the forthcoming 707 with its larger size and heavier jet engine would definitely limit its future.

Accordingly, we started to look around for its replacement about a year ahead of the arrival of the 707's.

TARPA TALES

PAGE NINE

Ed Zak, then my Staff Director of Maintenance, found a surplus Air Force Fairchild C-82 in Tel Aviv owned by former TWA Flight Engineer Al Schwimmer who had demonstrated it to the Israeli Army as a heavy equipment carrier, but had to give up the idea when the Army wanted an equipment carrier that could carry two tanks.

Because of the reputation ETT-12 had established and the uncertainty of the reliability of the future jet engines, it was surprisingly easy to talk John Collings into buying the C-82 for $50,000, plus an additional $50,000 appropriation for modification and overhaul.

Granger and I flew the C-82 to Paris under its old Air Force serial number.

Once in Paris our TWA mechanics undertook a major overhaul of the airplane, aided, when required, by Air France's major overhaul base at Orly. The military engines were removed and CB-16 certificated engines retired and surplus off the Martin fleet Surplus Connie props and new certifiwere installed instead. cated wheels and brakes off commercial Curtiss C-46's were also installed. Complete Connie radio and instrumentation was conformed to Constellation wiring and plumbing diagrams and layout.

The world's first auxiliary jet engine installation was made by placing a Fairchild jet on top of the center section of the wing above the cabin. Because of the extensive changes from the military version, we knew our FAA would not give us an NL and certainly not an NC license on the C-82. Also, because of reciprocal agreements the French would not license it in France if our FAA wouldn't in the U.S. We solved this by falling back on our old Ethiopian friends, since TWA was still running EAL and for all intents and purposes, the Ethiopian Ministry of Suffice it to say we transferred the Ethiopian Civil Aviation. license number ETT-12 from the C-47 to the C-82, which then bore that number for the next ten years until another license crisis arose and we had to change the license again. We sold the old "Gooney Bird" C-47 for $100,000 to Air Inter, a French internal airline which imported it, put it under French registry , changed its configuration to a passenger DC-3 and operated it in regular airline service for several years. Because of its heavy cargo floor, Air Inter later chartered it to the French postal service which ran a regular night airmail service from Paris to all the major cities of France. They flew converted C-47's in a weather hundred foot ceilings and be damned operation where under one hundred fifty foot visibility were considered duck soup.

It served in this operation until the Postal Service changed to larger equipment and gave it back to Air Inter. Back in passenger service it flew the line until Air Inter went jet and sold all its old DC-3's in the Far East and South America.

Whatever happened to old Easy Tare Tare 12 I don't know, but it's probably still around flying drugs up from South\America or smuggling something out in the Far East.

TARPA TALES

PAGE TEN

Sorry this has been so long and much of it perhaps irrelevant to the original subject, but Hugh Herndon and this airplane played a significant part in my twenty year career overseas. I flew many ocean crossings with Herndon when we were together on ICD. I flew old Easy Tare Tare - 12 over 2100 hours of the more than 10,000 hours we flew it on TWA. I feel it represented and made a significant bit of TWA history.

Certainly Captain Herndon and this airplane, involved in the Saunders Dakota sighting, made aviation history in which the Saunders incident was a very minor part. *

* * * * * * * * * *

Larry Trimble PERSONAL EXPERIENCES From DICK BECK comes the following report: My most interesting flights were the around the world flights in the Boeing 707, which I flew from August 1969, until January 1972.

I always bid to fly the west bound flights so that when I crossed the International Date Line, I'd lose a day and thus delay my retirement!

Most unusual: Delayed departure from London on a 747 polar flight to Los Angeles. The take-off was just past dusk. The sky brightened between Scotland and Iceland.

We were on the most northerly route and somewhere around Greenland, the sun rose in front of us - in the west! It remained low on the horizon and finally set behind us in the east. I believe we were within 60NM of the North Pole.

Most exciting: Several.

One time we ferried a B-17 from McDill Field in Florida to Java via Trinidad, Brazil, Africa, Iraq, India and Ceylon.

On take-off from Belem, Brazil, January 16, 1942, with a heavy load and full tanks, we staggered over

TARPA TALES

PAGE ELEVEN

the palm trees at the end of the runway. Upon landing at Natal, Brazil, we found palm leaves in the landing gear.

Note: Dick sent along some other personal experiences which we will print in another issue. * * * * * * * * * * * * Ed Boqua didn't have anything unusual to report about his first flight but his crew list was interesting.

"My first trip on the line was from Los Angeles to Albuquerque on Ford Trimoter #9606.

"Captain L. J. Chiapprino--- Copilot and Flight Attendant E. Z. Boqua". * * * * * * * * * * * * From Bob Gwin: Did you know department: Captain Jim Wheeler and Jack Miller from Idlewild took three DC-3's over to Turkey in 1946.

In December 1946, I replaced Mr, Miller for maintenance training of the Turkish mechanics and operations for the pilots, mostly engine icing and engine operation. Jim Wheeler checked out nineteen Captains and qualified them for instrument flying, all over Turkey and once a week to Athens and later They had a total of thirty three DC-3's - actually Cairo, three DC-3's from USA and thirty C-47's from sales in Germany and Cairo. I set up maintenance training on the DC-3's for Mr. Miller was to return in six months fifty Turkish mechanics. and did so, coming home to twin babies. We also had a radio operator to help set up the "range" that was being installed

by Westinghouse.

We all returned to the USA in December of 1947.

Bob's most interesting flight was on a trip from Cairo-CyprusAdana, Turkey-Bab el Hawa, Syria on December 22, 1942. At Accra, Africa, November 1942, many crews were checked out in C-87's (B-24 Bomber cargo planes) under the direction of Chick Fredricks, Chief Pilot.

Larry Trimble checked out December 9, 1942 in airplane #11675, Accra to Accra, 2:30.

On December 18, President Roosevelt sent TWA ICD a message to have a crew return a B-24 bomber to Turkey from Cyprus. A crew was made up in Accra composed of Captain Cliff Dombroski, FO Joe Grant, SO Ray Jennings, F/E Bob Gwin, Navigator Fred Ellis and RO John Lane. We went to Cairo via PAA Military, Accra, Kano, Khartoum to Cairo. Colonel McCalley was in charge of the American military at Cairo.

The next day we were flown over to the Canal Zone for a nose wheel tire and some hydraulic fluid that was needed for the B-24 which was at Cypress. We left the Zone and flew up to Cypress. The B-24 was looked over and inspected TARPA TALES

PAGE TWELVE

as one engine was feathered, but only because they were running out of oil. The nose tire was blown, so Cliff and Joe Grant took it to town to have a garage change the tire for us. In the meantime, I was checking the engines and getting the fuel on board.

Since all fuel had to go through chamois and a five gallon bucket, it took a long time. They wanted to give us only 900 gallons, but Cliff insisted that we have at least 1200 gallons, and to help, I added my own 125 gallons. This airplane used about 200 gallons per hour. The next morning we took off on a test hop around the area, taking everyone who wanted to go for about a half hour, and then took off for Adana, Turkey, thirty two miles north of Cypress. We landed and talked to the authorities and I was having a Turkish coffee and getting a Turkish note of money for my "short snorter" collection. We were to take the airplane to Eskisehir, a Turkish military base, where the American Ambassador was to meet us and then we would be taken back to Adana and the British were to take us back to Cairo. We took off and headed toward Eskisehir on December 22, 1942. We were at 14,000 feet with mountains breaking through the clouds, an overcast, and with a map the size of a standard office paper, no radios or any other navigation equipment and probably over Eskisehir, on top at 14,000 feet. Cliff decided to go back to Adana.

We did not find Adana, so the next best thing was a water landing in the Mediterranean Sea. We flew south looking for the Mediterranean, but a west wind had blown us to the east and we finally saw a set of runways. Ray Jennings was in the Bombardier's nose and came up to the cockpit to tell us about the runways below. Cliff racked it over and down we went, to land on this field, with many fighters around. We found out that they were all paper and moved around everyday to fool the Germans into believing it was a full fighter base. We also understand they had an "air raid warning" as we were making our landing; if they had had guns, we would probably have been shot down.

As we were about to land we saw 55 gallon oil drums all over the runway and Cliff pulled off the runway but by then we were crossing another runway and hit a barrel with the nose wheel, which was thrown up into number one engine prop and we ground down to a halt. I was out the Navigator's station hatch and over the nose yelling, "There's no fire", and then we were surrounded by military with drawn bayonets. They decided we were friends, and took us to the tents for a meal of eggs. In those days, flying in the tropics, we had military officer khaki uniforms, and the Captains wore four black stripes on the khaki jacket. We were in a very cold place, in the mornings the puddles were all frozen. We had been given some flying boots and English wool jackets when we were at the Canal Zone, but there we were, Cliff in a summer uniform coat, black stripes and a pith helmet. In the morning people came to see what was going on, and we discovered that we had landed at a new fighter strip, but with no facilities, and all those fighters were made of paper and moved around every day for the Germans to photograph.

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PAGE THIRTEEN

The people with whom we first made contact were Free French and the field was operated by the Australians. Every day they would send a "signal" but we never received an answer. Finally after two weeks, Major Ed Coates (American Airlines) and a Lt. Hart landed in a C-47 to take us back to Cairo. I understand the airplane had a new nose gear put on it and the nose dropped down and covered.

It was then flown to Gura, Ethiopia, where there was a big overhaul base for airplanes and engines. The crew was flown to Accra and via TWA Stratoliner to Natal and EAL back to Miami. At Miami we had a few days off, and I remember one party where Fred Ellis met his school sweetheart and they were married.

I finally got a seat on EAL and at Jacksonville the flight was cancelled because of very bad weather. I was put on a Pullman train with a wood stove in the center and proceeded on to Washington and TWA's ICD headquarters. No one knew whether we were captured, interned or dead! Al Brick gave me a month off and then I went to work F/E instructing at Washington on C-87's. * * * * * * * * * * * * More PERSONAL EXPERIENCES from Jack Asire: I have my copy of "Making of an Airline" and note that the master seniority list does not show a number 345. If a master does exist, just for the record, number 345 is Jack B. Asire.

Also, the December issue has an interesting story on Dutch Holloway's "Reminisces".

I did not know Dutch well or for long, but TARPA and Luella A. Seibel might enjoy my brief contact.

In November of 1962, Ethiopian Airlines took delivery on their first two Boeing aircraft, 720-B's.

The inaugural flight departed IDL December 1 and arrived Addis December third. Included in a distinguished guest list on the first commercial jet to land in Ethiopia and the first aircraft to land at the new Haile Selassie airport were Mr. and Mrs. Charles Tillinghast, Mr. and Mrs. Cocke and the previous general managers of Ethiopian Airlines with the exception of "Swede" Golien, who regretfully was physically unable to be there.

In Addis Ababa the first radio communications station was named in honor of its founder and has always been called Holloway radio.

Since his time, a long range VHF station has been remoted to the crest of Mt. Entoto and was manned to serve the jets. It, too, was known as Holloway Radio. As we passed the northern frontier, I asked Dutch to come forward and take my seat for the initial contact.

He picked up the mike and called "Holloway Radio from Ethiopian jet AAH, Dutch Holloway".

Holloway radio came alive as the surprised Ethiopian radio man came back with, "Ethiopian AAH Holloway from Holloway Radio. Over".

We were all proud that day to be a part of such a fine airline

TARPA TALES

PAGE F OURTEEN

to which many people contributed greatly. Most crew members were Ethiopians who were fully qualified and at Addis our training school had many maintenance people ready to go.

Holloway radio did more than serve the airline. I remember the Army Chief of Staff calling one day to ask how many men and munitions were available at Cambulcha. I laughed and he said rather defensively, "If you don't know, Mr. Asire, nobody does." I reassured him I would have the answer in minutes and call him back.

And I did,via Holloway Radio HF and our radio room at Cambulcha.

Dutch and our other guests were with us for several days to tour and meet the Emperor before returning home. * * * * * * * * * * * *

COMPARISONS Friendship

-

Like music heard on the waters,

Like pines when the wind passeth by.

Like pearls in the depths of the ocean, Like stars that enamel the sky.

Like June and the odor of roses, Like dew and the freshness of morn, Like sunshine that kisseth the clover, Like tassels of silk on the corn, Like mountains that arch the blue heavens, Like clouds when the sun dippeth low, Like songs of birds in the forest, Like brooks where the sweet waters flow.

Like dreams of Arcadian pleasures, Like colors that gratefully blend, Like everything breathing of kindness - Like these is the love of a friend.

-

A. P. Stanley

* * * * * * * * * * * * * TARPA TALES

PAGE FIFTEEN

THE TARPA

GRAPEVINE Many new members continue to join TARPA. At the same time, unfortunately, a few members become delinquent and are dropped from the mailing list. The reason, most likely, is simply because they forgot to send in the $20.00 dues for last year. The dues we pay are used primarily to cover the cost of printing and mailing four quarterly copies of the TARPA TOPICS and a copy of the Membership Directory, which is updated and reMost of what's issued after each annual convention. left of the $20.00 goes to telephone, stationery and miscellaneous expenses.

If you haven't already paid for 1985, mail your check now to DEAN PHILLIPS, our patient Treasurer, at 7218 Onda Circle, Tucson, Arizona 85715.

He sheds a tear every time he removes a name.

We hate to see a grown man cry. * * * * * * * * * * * * Now is the time, also, to send in your 1985 convention room reservation to the DESERT INN HOTEL in Las Vegas.

A form for this purpose was included with your December TARPA TOPICS. If you've misplaced it, just mail one night's deposit ($48.15) with your name and address to the DESERT INN, 3145 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas Nevada 89109.

The dates are June 4-5-6. Be sure to specify "TARPA - TWA". * * * * * * * * * * * * LLOYD W. OLSON, former TWA Chief Pilot in San Francisco, has passed along the information that WENDELL (PETE) PETERSON is in a convalescent hospital in Poway, California.

"L. W." says Pete would really appreciate hearing from his TWA friends. Just a card or short note Address to Pete at the would suffice.

Rancho Bernardo Convalescent Hospital, 15632 Pomerado Road, Poway, California 92064. * * * * * * * * * * * * AL BRICK, C. H . MOLLINEAUX, JOHN SOULE, SETH STRAHAN and FLOYD VALENTINE are all recent graduates to the EAGLE ranks (75). Congratulations!

And a belated "Happy Birthday". * * * * * * * * * * * * THE GRAPEVINE

PAGE 1

A hearty welcome to the following new members: Bradford Berg Claude M. Betting Allan A. Biermann Roy Chamberlin Richard B. Cooper Samuel B. Croyle Charles V. Debresch Orestes J. DeoGuardi Fred Doery David Fellows Warren George Eugene F. Clifford Horace J. Greeley Lawrence T. Haake

Vernon T. Hitchcock John Hoag Barry Hoffman H. E. Jaynes Leroy A. Johnston John Jomo, Jr. William A. Kaltenbach Fred Keller Kent Kuester Lee L. Lasswell Charles Lancaster Earl Lima Donald E. Montgomery Richard E. Murray

Richard V. Nielsen Harry S. O'Brien Robert S. Schneider Bill Shaw Stephen L. Sheedy Steve Snead Donald B. Snyder Richard J. Stone Patrick J. Timmins Alfred Weber Frederick L. Werner Howard H. Weston Lewis W. Whitaker Morris O'Connell Robert G. Schaeffer

Honorary: Mary Bras, Doris Brodecky, Patience Jones, Alma Maguire, Lynn McGregor, Starchy Officer, Dorothy Weaver, Love Whiting * * * * * * * * * * * * The annual TWA Seniors Round-Up at the Rancho de los Cabelleros near Wickenburg, Arizona, came off in early November with "PARKY" PARKINSON still in full charge, as he has been for 23 years.

Rooms at the ranch were filled to capacity, with some spill-over into hotels in downtown Wickenburg. Spouses were housed this year at the "Cab" for the first time, straight through to the About 160 Seniors, including several "drive-in's" last day. from Sun City and other nearby points, attended the Saturday evening banquet.

One of the highlights this year was an appearance by RUSS DICK and his wife, JUDY, They had made Wickenburg their layover and turn-around point on an extended automobile tour through the middle west and back to their home in Florida.

(Attendance list at the end of The Grapevine). To everyone's regret, Parky has announced that his management of the annual Wickenburg meeting may be drawing to a close. The 24th (1985) and 25th (1986) will be held, but after that Parky says he will retire.

Any volunteers? * * * * * * * * * * * * GEORGE HINTON has issued an invitation to all TARPANS, but especially in the Boston area, to attend a retirement party in Boston, Wednesday, March 20, to honor his good wife, AMY. (Oppedisano-Hinton), as she retires from her position as TWA Passenger Relations Representative at Logan Airport, where she has promoted TWA for about 30 years. The president of Towle Silver Company will head the arrangements committee, and serve with several city and state officials. Kirk Douglas is Chairman of the honorary committee and it is anticipated that he and Mrs. Douglas will attend.

Also, John Havlicek , Bobby Orr, Curt Gowdy and other sports and public figures are expected. The place is LOMBARDO'S in East Boston, March 20 at 7 P.M. The charge for open bar and the banquet will be $25.00. Plans are for a crowd of 400-500.

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HORACE J. GREELEY, JR. added a note in the envelope with his dues to say he's joining up because he'd "like to hear how everyone's doing". Reading that name, of course, is like hearing "Go west, young man!" We got out the encyclopedia: "GREELEY, HORACE (1811-1872), America's most famous journalist, the founder and first editor of the New York TRIBUNE, and the most influential of that famous group of American editors who represented the 'old school', etc." Surely, there must be a connection; we'll expect Horace to tell us more. We're proud to have the name on the TARPA roster. * * * * * * * * * * * * Trivia time!

If you'd like to make an easy buck, bet a friend that he (or she) can't spell correctly the following six words: desiccate, rarefy, villify, supersede, inoculate and queue. * * * * * * * * * * * * JOHN HENDRICKSON send his dues to A. T. and says he and DORIS will be seeing us in Las Vegas. This lanky, ever-young Flight Engineer flew with us on one of our first trips as Captain (Washington to Karachi, 1945).

We were just boys then and every With John we visited such attractions as day was an adventure. the pyramids near Cairo - and, of course, we still have snapshots showing us perched on top of the traditional camel. John has always been one of our favorites - competent, conscientious and even-tempered - a typical Scandinavian! * * * * * * * * * * * * JOHN LEIN also writes to say, "We plan to be in Las Vegas in June.

We are looking forward to seeing our friends". At the same time, John suggests to A. T. that his mail be sent to the Honolulu, Hawaii, address, "Since we are there as much, if not more, than we are in Nice". Wow! What a combination of first rate locations! Our pallid complexion suddenly turned green.

But we'll be glad to greet John and Danielle and Las Vegas. * * * * * * * * * * * * DAVE FELLOWS, in Carmel, California (ah, the flowers and fauna!), writes that he "would like to hear from any of my TWA friends who may come by this area". Considering the punishing weather east of the Rockies so far this winter, that invitation may bring a full house. We're thinking of packing, Dave. * * * * * * * * * * * * If any other airline's Flight Operations people are as fortunate as we are to have a history book as interesting and impressive as TWA'S "MAKING OF AN AIRLINE", we'd like to see it. With its 421 pages and 3000 photographs of crew members and hundreds THE GRAPEVINE

Page 3

of pictures of TWA planes and other Flight department people, plus a well-written history of TWA from its primitive beginnings to the present, the book is a real treasure - and a bargain.

Captain ED BETTS, our unflagging historian, has earned our unreserved appreciation for his tremendous research and detail work and for the many years he has devoted to accumulating and finally organizing the contents of this book. Copies of the book are still available at the Jack Frye Training Center, Room 401, 1307 Baltimore, Kansas City, Missouri, 64105.

Contact Bill Stansbeary. You can pick it up or have it mailed. Do it!

This is our last reminder - and may be YOUR last chance. * * * * * * * * * * * * And another name from the past has reappeared. We were surprised and pleased to see the name "JOHN JOMO, JR., retired TWA Navigator" come through on a "count-me-in" letter to TARPA from Lantana, Florida. Although we were never on the same crew with the legendary "JOMO", we do remember that there were many humorous tales of his exploits during the TWA-ATC-ICD operation in the war years from 1942 to 1946. He retired from International in 1960 and will be 85 this year. At some earlier time, he served several years in the U. S. Navy; was a tanker Captain for a while; later became a Pan Am Navigator; and joined TWA in September, 1942.

On his application, he said, "I am trying to extend my 84 years to 94 by reading health magazines and taking vitamins ".. Whatever "Jr." stands for, we now have a bonafide "Jr..' EAGLE! Welcome to TARPA, Jomo!. * * * * * * * * * * * * In a note accompanying his check, HOWARD (HOWIE) WESTON says, "A. T., please come back! We need a good Housing Chairman in Council 24". (No reflection on present company, we hope).

Hearing from Howie again brings back vivid memories of MATS trips to Vietnam about 1968, when he was our First Officer.

We enjoyed those layovers in Hawaii and Okinawa. We'll dig out some of those old pictures one of these days. * * * * * * * * * * * * JIM GILMORE writes that he is enjoying a lot of traveling in the motorhome, "mostly in the western states".

He adds, "We camp on the lakes and streams and do a lot of fishing and hunting.

We caught a 6i-pound Rainbow trout a while back on a 4-lb. line.

What a fight! Took 45 minutes to get it in the boat. I still think retirement is the best job I have ever had!" * * * * * * * * * * * * JIM SCHMITT, now retired, sends a copy of his family Christmas THE GRAPEVINE

PAGE 4

letter from Olde Noah Hunt Road at Cream Ridge, N. J. (near Six Flags Great Adventure) and brings us up-to-date on his With wife CHARLENE'S help, Jim many interests and activities. is still involved in the travel agency business and also with ducks, geese, chickens, bees, blueberry plants, and a vegetable garden - and flies occasional trips as a 707 Captain for Skystar International, a "not yet fully certificated" charter airline.

(Yes, he said he was retired.) * * * * * * * * * * * * DICK MURRAY, currently on 747 Reserve for trips to Europe, tells us that TWA is "doing well" - International loads are running heavy. Dick says he was married some years ago, in Las Vegas, to Mickie Wright, a former flight attendant, and they intend to return there at the time of the TARPA convention. Sounds like a great opportunity for a memorable Second Honeymoon - for at least three twenty four hour days! * * * * * * * * * * * * B. KIETH STUESSI, in a note to A. T., says he would like to thank "all the hard-working TARPA officers for the fine job being done on behalf of the retired group. I have never forgotten what a pleasure it was to be associated with you in our TWA years.

Hope to be able to visit with you some day at a TARPA meeting". * * * * * * * * * * * * A. T. has received several letters of appreciation from the widows of recently deceased members for TARPA's memorial donations names ($25.00) to the TWA Pilots Retirement Foundation in the Each of these ladies has been made an Honorof their husbands. ary member of TARPA and will continue to receive TARPA TOPICS They also have a standing invitation to and the directory.

We thank them for their letters as attend TARPA conventions. we continue, in our hearts, to share their recent bereavements. * * * * * * * * * * * * EARL LINDSLY spent some time recently in the hospital to have the angioplasty (balloon) procedure performed on one of his He explained to us that this is an alternative to arteries. having a by-pass operation. He's home and "doing O.K.". * * * * * * * * * * * * DAVE BROWN writes that he and his wife, JACKIE, are having fun down in Florida, flying their little Piper, especially now that she has her private license. Dave had seen JIM LYDIC at the Sun and Fun meeting (EAA) in Lakeland last summer and also ran

THE GRAPEVINE

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into GEORGE GAY at Tico. (Seems like the world gets smaller when you attend a national aviation show - TWA people are enthusiastic devotees.) * * * * * * * * * * * * And here's one of those rare birds who gets things done IN ADVANCE! BARRY HOFFMAN tells A. T. he won't be fifty until June, "but I am completing the application for TARPA and enclosing my check for $20.00 in the hope that you will accept a slightly premature membership.

If not, hang on to it until June 26."

He continues, "Things are going well for us. We enjoy Rhode Island - the sailing is the best, We took a three week cruise in September, touring Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, The Elizabeth Islands, Buzzards Bay and the south shore of Cape Cod". * * * * * * * * * * * * Short notes, thank you's, Christmas and holiday greetings, Happy New Year's and good cheer wishes came in with many dues checks to A. T., our sagacious secretary, and we will acknowledge some of them here - and return our "Thanks, fellows" to the following: BOB SPRINGER, STEVE SNEAD, DICK BECKNER, CASEY RODDY, MARV HORSTMAN, DWIGHT KERNS, BOB MUELLER, RUSS YOUNCE, BILL MCMINN, FLOYD VALENTINE and JACK WEYRICH. * * * * * * * * * * * * From here we are adding items from DEAN PHILLIPS mail bag, most of which he received with dues payments during the last month of 1984, in his own words. Here's Dean! * * * * * * * * * * * * Dear Ole: Before I get involved with the year-end financial report for TARPA, and the proposed budget for 1985, I thought I'd send you a condensation of notes and letters I have received from so many of our TARPA members. * * * * * * * * * * * * SAM GRACY sent a note on a Generic Pad consisting of "cheap paper, cheap ink and minimal effort". In spite of all this generic stuff, Sam says he and Betty are enjoying living out West. * * * * * * * * * * HANK KIRST sent a note with his early dues payment. Hank enjoyed seeing lots of old friends at the Phoenix retirement party. * * * * * * * * * * * * THE GRAPEVINE

PAGE 6

DAVE LEHRER has joined the retired category. Dave is busy and finds retirement "much easier on the old body". * * * * * * * * * * * * DON DORMAN, an early dues payer, is busy building an airplane.

Don says it seems as though he'll never get it done, but is hoping to finish by next fall. * * * * * * * * * * * * CHRIS CARPER was confined to the hospital last fall. He's feeling fine again after recovering from gall bladder surgery and hernia repairs. * * * * * * * * * * * * KEN HIPPE, another early dues-payer, says he keeps busy and wonders how he found time to fly. (TIME, for sure, is the one thing that flies!) * * * * * * * *.* * * * DICK and GEORGIA COLBURN will be heading for the hills of North Carolina and probably won't be able to make Las Vegas in June.

And we're sorry to hear that. * * * * * * * * * * * * After receiving a "short note" from Al Clay, which he ran off on his new word processor, I am considering the use of a larger file.

Al says, "The formatting is not so good, but maybe I'll improve".

I think he bought a "paper processor"! * * * * * * * * * * * * The June convention in Las Vegas is picking up steam. Almost everyone who wrote says he is planning to be there. * * * * * * * * * * * * CHUCK TSCHIRGI says he is doing fine after by-pass surgery to improve the circulation in his legs. * * * * * * * * * * * * OMAR (OLE) HANSON hopes I can get away to go fishing early.

After reading the note from NICK NICHOLS about his trout fishing in Montana with BURDICK STONE, I'm ready to head north as soon as the ice breaks. * * * * * * * * * * * * THE GRAPEVINE

PAGE 7

TARPA TOPICS is appreciated by so many. JO STRAHAN says SETH looks forward to each issue. Seth was 75 recently and joins the EAGLE group. * * * * * * * * * * * * WENDELL PETERSON and ROGER DON RAE (both EAGLES) insist on paying their dues.

Roger says, "After balancing my income against my out-go, I just happen to have $20 left over. As long as I can handle it, I will continue to pay TARPA dues.

Anyway, I feel this $20 is the best investment I ever made".

(Thanks, Roger, for a pleasant, expressive note.) * * * * * * * * * * * * AL WALL says, "It's a pleasure to pay dues to an organization such as ours". * * * * * * * * * * * * TOM ANDERSON is looking forward to more tennis. He suggests I improve my serve and wonders if anyone ever suggested that I play left-handed? (I thought I was a "port-sider" but maybe it's only the "vino" kind.) * * * * * * * * * * * * BOB THUNE is enjoying retirement in spite of recent surgery for "rotator cuff" on the right shoulder. * * * * * * * * * * * * Thanks to NEUMAN RAMSEY for his article on wills and estates.

It was worth the price of admission. * * * * * * * * * * * * I have processed over 500 1985 dues payments. Still have at least that many more to go. It wasn't long ago that 500 was our total membership. * * * * * * * * * * * * JOHN HAPPY says things are "klunkin'" along in Florida. He's back in the advertising business and is also doing some flying, even in a hot air balloon. * * * * * * * * * * * * BILL McMINN is still "doing great", he says, in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. * * * * * * * * * * * *

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JACK WEISS sent in 1985 (AND 1986!) dues. He says, "At my age, I'm taking a risk, but I wanted to be first at something, just once!" * * * * * * * * * * * * ART SCHMIDT travels about the country to visit his family but always returns to the Chicago area where even the snow and cold, he says, is enjoyable. * * * * * * * * * * * * TOM CARROLL says "TARPA TOPICS is great". He hopes to be in Las Vegas for his first TARPA reunion. * * * * * * * * * * * * DONNA RICHARDSON sent a note with WAYNE'S dues, saying, "The information in the December TOPICS that 80% of prescription drugs are covered by the TWA medical plan (for those still eligible ) is worth a lot more than this $20.00. (Actually, this does not come into play until the $200.00 yearly deductible has been exceeded.) TWA Personnel Services says "save those prescription bills". * * * * * * * * * * * * DUB YOUNGBLOOD wrote that he couldn't make the Orlando meeting but we'll be expecting him in Las Vegas. He is a Bahamian Board member on the Senior Masters Golf Association. * * * * * * * * * * * * And that's the bottom of Dean's mailbag. See you in Las Vegas! * * * * * * * * * * * * We all extend our sympathy to Captain C. L. Beucher in the loss of his eldest son, Terrence E. Beucher, a former TWA pilot who was forced to retire medically after twelve years with the company.

Chuck writes: "The Air Force gave a very at the air base after the church service.

"Missing Pilot" formation of four pursuit were strewn over Kansas City International base from a very low altitude. These were places, It was very impressive.

respectful ceremony It included the planes. His ashes airport and the A. F. his two favorite

* * * * * * * * * * * *

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TWA SENIORS CLUB ROUND-UP RANCHO DE LOS CABELLEROS, WICKENBURG, ARIZONA NOVEMBER 2, 3 and 4, 1984

Harold and Monty Aikin Joe Bartles Steve and Martha Bassford Warren and Genevieve Berg Bob Berle Lloyd Berry Merle and Dorothy Bessey Ed Betts Hal Blackburn Lennart Blomberg Harold Brown Virginia Buchanan Frank Busch Jerry Condon Charlie Conner Joe Crede Joe Creswell Richard and Margaret Cruickshank Esther Cunningham Rusty and Jean Davis Paul Detweiler Russ and Judy Dick Herb Didlake Russ Drosendahl Thelma and Chick Dyer George Duvall Dale and Kay Ecton Robert and Anna Epp Arthur Erickson Doris Farr Jim Fennell Eugene and Charlotte Fox George Friedrich Ruby and Beth Garrett Bill Geiger Charles and Mildred Golzio Clayton Graves John Guy Moe and Mary Hansen Jim and Dorothy Heimer Katie Helstrom Ted Hereford Bob and Phyllis Hester THE GRAPEVINE

Rex Hill Paul and Dorothy Houck Frank and Vilet Howell Lloyd and Margaret Hubbard Ray and Pearl Hughes George Hummel Bryce and Doris Hunt Paul Husak Al and Honor Jordan Hal and Jean Kachner Dan Kemnitz (SKYLINER) Jack and Jean Koughan Hal Kurtz Carl Lay Jack LeClaire George Levering Tom Leyland Bill and Genevieve Mailler Tex and Margo Manning Ralph and Helen McClenahan Bob and Helen McCormick Red McKenney Paul and Eloise McNew Jack and Beth Miller A. E. and Nancy Mitchell Homer Monroe Max and Vada Murray John Myers George Nicholson Irene O'Connor Orville Olson Mel and Marge Ostenberg Parky - G. R. Parkinson Tom and Peggy Poole Jim and Tina Prokay Ralph Pusey Neuman Ramsey Cliff Raub Frank Regal Dorothy Rush Bill Sanders Gerry and Peggy Schemel Manning Severs PAGE 10

Continuation of list of participants at Rancho de los Cabelleros

Catherine Scott John and Lee Soule Joe Spence Bill Slate Jim Stanton Bob Stock Thelma Stott Walter Stroemer Ralph and Carol Taggart Bill Townsend Dick and Dorothy Spater

Pauline Thomason Curt and Helen Twing Leon Vestal Busch Voigts Mike Vaughan Ross Weaver John and Helen WilkenE Bill Williams Al and Edna Wollenberg Ed and Juanita Zak Herman Zierold

* * * * * * * * * * * *

FIRST LAW OF KITCHEN CONFUSION: In a family recipe you just discovered in an old book, the most vital measurement will be illegible. * * * * * * * * * * * * * O'REILLY'S LAW OF THE KITCHEN: Cleanliness is next to impossible! * * * * * * * * * * * * * WALKER'S LAW OF THE HOUSEHOLD: laundry than clean laundry.

There is always more dirty

CLIVE'S REBUTTAL TO WALKER'S LAW: If it's clean, it isn't laundry! * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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SECRETARY'S CORNER

We have 1241 members at present. 750 Regular, 400 Associate, 63 Eagles and 73 Honorary. Eastern region has 426 members, Central region has 263 members and Western region has 552 members. We also have 11 subscribers. These are interested people who are not eligible to join such as other TWA employees, other pilots etc.

I want some help to locate three members. Even first class mail has failed to reach them. If you know them or are in their area and can call them see if you can help. These are the addresses I have; Stan Jacques 754 Indian Beach Circle, Sarasota, FL 33580 Fred Richardson 1034 Chesapeake Drive, Havre De Grace, MD 21078 William Zimmerman Box 222, Largo, FL 33541-1937