1997.07.TARPA_TOPICS by TWA Active Retired Pilots Assn.

Last call ALBUQUERQUE CONVENTION '97 don't delay sign up Today... JULY 1997

NOTICE

THE NEW SECRETARY / TREASURER S CAPT. PHIL BELISLE 3145 GEARY BLVD., BOX 705 SAN FRANCISCO, CA, 941 1 8-3 300 TEL 415-567-9921 FAX 415-567-7147 DIRECT ALL COMMUNICATIONS TO THIS ADDRESS

SPECIAL NOTE: If your telephone area code has been changed, please use the "change of address form" in the back of this issue or any other form of communication to the secretary treasurer. This information is essential for the production of our membership directory next year.

CONTENTS TARPA TOPICS THE MAGAZINE OF THE TWA ACTIVE RETIRED PILOTS ASSOCIATION

DEPARTMENTS:

FEATURE ARTICLES: TARPA CONVENTION '97

TARPA Tour to Turkey by Bob Dedman Diary Of Christopher Columbus by Barney Rawlings Long Term Care by Hal Miller Decisions Decisions by Bob Sherman Tchaikovsky's 4th Symphony by Charlie Black Dog Davis A Hole In One by Lew Judd A Matter of Semantics by Hank Gastrich Tonopah AAF by Melvin S. Halpern War Stories by Michael J. Larkin

22 28 51

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE John P. Gratz

EDITOR'S NOTE John P. Gratz

TARPA TOURS by Chuck Hasler

GRAPEVINE by Hank Gastrich

FLOWN WEST coord by Bob Widholm

LETTERS

61 63 65 68 73 78 Material contained in TARPA TOPICS may be used by non-profit or charitable organizations. All other use of material must be by permission of the Editor. All inquires concerning this publication should be addressed to: John P. Gratz, Editor TARPA TOPICS 1646 Timberlake Manor Parkway Chesterfield, MO 63017 TOPICS is an official publication of TARPA, a non-profit corporation. Editor bears no responsibility for accuracy or unauthorized use of contents.

Cover: TWA Boeing 757 Photo: Courtesy of Keith O'Leary

PAGE 1 ... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

Published 3 times a year by the TWA ACTIVE RETIRED PILOTS ASSOCIATION DEDICATED TO THE PIONEERS OF TODAY'S TRANS WORLD AIRLINES WHOSE VISION, EFFORT AND PERSEVERANCE MADE IT ALL POSSIBLE. WE EXPRESS OUR SINCERE GRATITUDE.

GRAPEVINE EDITOR HISTORIAN & CONTRIBUTING ED: FLOWN WEST COORDINATOR TARPA TOURS COORDINATOR:

John P. Gratz, 1646 Timberlake Manor Pkwy, Chesterfield, MO 63017 (314) 532-8317 Henry E. Gastrich, 291 Jamacha Rd, Apt 52, (619) 401-9969 El Cajon, CA 92019-2381 Edward G. Betts, 960 Las Lomas, (310)454-1068 Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 Robert W. Widholm, 286 Bow Line Drive, (813) 261-3816 Naples, FL 33940 William C. "Chuck" Hasler, 8 Rustic Way, San Rafael, CA 94901 (415) 454-7478

TARPA is incorporated as a non-profit corporation under the non-profit corporation laws of the State of Nevada. As stated in Article II of the By-Laws, its purpose is social, recreational, and nonprofit, with a primary goal of helping its members to maintain the friendships and associations formed before retirement, to make retirement a more productive and rewarding experience and to assist those active pilots approaching retirement with the problems that are inherent in the transition from active to retire status. OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS, 1996/97 JOHN P. GRATZ PRESIDENT (314) 532-8317 1646 Timberlake Manor Pkwy, Chesterfield, MO 63017 ROBERT W. DEDMAN FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT (804) 463-2032 3728 Lynfield Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23452 ROBERT C. SHERMAN SECOND VICE PRESIDENT (408) 246-7754 1201 Phelps Ave., San Jose, CA 95117-2941 PHILLIP M. BELISLE SECRETARY/TREASURER (415) 567-9921 3145 Geary Blvd, Box 705, San Francisco, CA 94118-3300 HARRY A. JACOBSEN SENIOR DIRECTOR (407) 997-0468 848 Coventry Street, Boca Raton, F1L 33487 LOU BURNS DIRECTOR (401) 846-8626 36 Harrison Ave, Newport, RI 02840-3806 PAUL B. CARR DIRECTOR (805) 773-9677 96 Indio Drive, Pismo Beach, CA 93449 DAVID M. DAVIES EX-PRESIDENT (503) 476-5378 233 S. E. Rogue River Hwy, Grants Pass, OR 97527

Published 3 times a year by the TWA ACTIVE RETIRED PILOTS ASSOCIATION

PAGE 2... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

John P. Gratz, President 1646 Timberlake Manor Parkway Chesterfield, MO 63017-5500

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Since becoming your President, I have made every effort to foster and maintain the best possible relations with all members of the TWA family and the groups which represent them. This applies to TWA Management, TWA Senior's Club, the TWA MEC, Save-A-Connie, and the two cabin attendant's groups. I should even include the I.A.M. with whom I was involved in reaching an agreement with TWA and the TWA MEC in the matter of 7R passes. I strongly believe that efforts to maintain these close ties is consistent with long standing TARPA policies and is in the very best interests of the TARPA membership. From the time I became actively involved in TARPA in 1994, I have heard members and officers express concerns about recruiting new members. Until now, the best way to recruit younger TWA pilots has been one on one contact. I have approached every pilot I came in contact with and asked them to join. This individual effort has brought us over two dozen new members. As mentioned in the last "Topics", Keith O'Leary, the MEC Communications Chairman, asked me if I would like to write about TARPA for the MEC magazine " GLOBE". I wrote about TARPA in a way that I thought would interest current TWA pilots. It should be noted that more than half of these men and women have been hired in the last twelve years. In February, Keith asked me if TARPA would like several pages on their new TWA MEC web site. To me , this seemed like the ideal way to reach this new generation of TWA pilots, and it is free of charge. I reported on this to the Board of Directors in session and the offer was accepted. I wrote our material and designed the format and another TARPA member, Jack Irwin, as web master, placed it on the world wide web. Our web-site contains a narrative of TARPA and our activities, an ABQ convention description, and a membership. The application can be down-loaded to hard copy and used to join TARPA. Since the TWA MEC web-site and the TARPA pages went on line, , it has had 7,000 "HITS " or visits per week. Willie Sutton robbed banks because "that's where the money is". TARPA joined the TWA MEC web site because "that's where our new members are"! The address is WWW.TWALPA.ORG. or WWW.TWALPA.ORG/TARPA

PAGE 3... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

If you haven't signed up for the TARPA Convention 1997 in Albuquerque, you better get going. Klete and Lois Reed and Ken and Rosemary Slaten told me at the TWA Seniors' AGM in Denver that everything is ready. All we need is you and we will have the best convention ever. ' Some of you may remember that Albuquerque was the site of the TWA s Eagle's Nest Training in the early days of WWII. I am trying to reach all of our members who served there for special recognition at the Convention. Please let me know who you are so that I can make an accurate list. Let's all come back to the "Land of Enchantment" once again.

John P. Gratz

Due to the sudden resignation of the former Editor, I have been compelled to step in and produce this issue of "TARPA TOPICS". My decision in this matter was prompted by the short time remaining before this issue and the fact that the printing company used for several years was nearby and familiar with all aspects of our magazine. All members of the Board of Directors supported this decision and the regular contributors, Hank Gastrich, Bob Widholm, Chuck Hasler, Klete Rood, and Ken Slaten have been very supportive and helpful. We believe that future issues will build on a solid foundation and further enhance the quality of our product. Material for the next issue of "TOPICS" should be sent to me or Hank Gastrich or to Bob Widholm as appropriate..

PAGE 4 ... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

ALBUQUERQUE, LAND

TARPA

NEW

MEXICO

ENCHANTMENT

CONVENTION

1997

SEPTEMBER 2, 3, 4 COME VISIT THE LAND OF CHILE THE ALBUQUERQUE MUSEUM NEW MEXICO MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY AND SCIENCE INDIAN GAMING CASINOS HOME OF THE ALBUQUERQUE BALLOON FIESTA ALBUQUERQUE BOTANICAL GARDENS AND AQUARIUM GREAT SOUTHWESTERN HOSPITALITY

INFORMATION ON RV PARKS, RENTAL CARS AND OTHER TRANSPORTATION IS IN COVER LETTER.

PAGE 5 ... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

ATTENTION TARPA 1997 CONVENTIONEERS !!! AS PROMISED, HERE IS INFORMATION ON RV PARKS, CAR RENTALS AND TRANSPORTATION IN AND AROUND TOWN: RV PARKS KOA-OLDER WITH SHADE TREES -ABOUT 3 MILES TO MARRIOTT-CLOSE TO I-40 IN EAST ALBUQUERQUE-MAY BE NOISY-NICE AMERICAN-8-9 MILES TO MARRIOTT-IN WEST ALBUQUERQUE-SOME SHADE, CLOSE TO I-40-NOISY? NICE. STAGECOACH STOP-17 MILES NORTH JUST OFF I-25. NEW-VERY NICE-NOT MUCH SHADE. MANY AMENITIES. TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM AIRPORT TAXI CABS-ABOUT $17.00 ONE WAY. WILL TAKE 4 OR 5 PEOPLE. CHECKER AIRPORT EXPRESS-$10 ONE WAY-$18 ROUND TRIP PER PERSON. AROUND TOWN BUSES RUN FREQUENTLY TO MOST PARTS OF THE CITY. THERE IS ALSO A SPECIAL TROLLEY THAT GOES TO OLD TOWN, ZOO, BOTANICAL GARDENS AND AQUARIUM. RENTAL CARS WE HAVE SELECTED BUDGET AS OUR "OFFICIAL CAR RENTAL SUPPLIER". THE TOLL FREE NUMBER IS [800] 828-3438. GIVE THEM THE CODE-V9X. HERTZ-[800]544-0058 IT MAY BE A GOOD IDEA TO RESERVE YOUR CAR AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE AS OUR CONVENTION IS SANDWICHED IN BETWEEN LABOR DAY AND OUR STATE FAIR. IN OTHER WORDS IT IS A BUSY TIME IN ALBUQUERQUE OTHER NOTES TIE-DOWNS ABQ SUNPORT AND CORONADO AIRPORT ARE $5 PER NIGHT, WITH THE FIRST NIGHT FREE WITH GAS FILL-UP. GAS IS $2.20, BUT THEY WILL GIVE TARPA MEMBERS TEN CENTS A GALLON DISCOUNT. PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE IN THE TRAM AND OLD TOWN TOUR. WE HOPE THAT IT DOESN'T INCONVENIENCE ANYONE. ALSO THERE ARE A FEW MINOR CHANGES IN TIMES FOR SOME ACTIVITIES. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN SEPTEMBER. KEN AND KLETE PAGE 6... TARPA TOPICS .... JULY, 1997

CONVENTION

TIMETABLE

Convention Co- Chairman: Klete Rood (505) 294-4401 and Ken Slaten (505) 821-4001 Registration: George & Susie Humphries 292-4632 Tennis: Bob Kavula 823-4503 Desk registration: Ken and Nell Hippe 898-4736 Trap and Skeet: Bob Kavula 823-4503 Bridge: Trudy Borgmier 292-7671 Golf: George Borgmier 292-7671 & Dave Richards 298-4650 Tours: Ann Oeschlin 856-6106 & Dale Kavula 823-4503, Harvey Kimray 281-7081 PAGE 7... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

ALBUQUERQUE

1997

TARPA

CONVENTION

The New Mexico TARPA members and spouses are inviting all TARPA members to the 1997 TARPA convention. Albuquerque will be the host city for the convention at the beautiful Albuquerque Marriott Hotel. The dates are September 2, 3, & 4 with shoulder days at the TARPA rate for September 1 and 5. Albuquerque, the Duke City, was founded in 1706 and was named after a Spanish Duke, the Duke of Alburquerque. The first R was later dropped from the name. The city is nestled between the majestic Sandia Mountains and the famed Rio Grande. Two Interstate Highways, I-25 and I-40 intersect in the heart of the city. Albuquerque's rich history is also a study in contrasts-a dynamic blending of Indian, Hispanic and Anglo Cultures. There are many museums in Albuquerque and surrounding areas that high-light these cultures and other disciplines. One of the largest scientific laboratories in the world, Sandia Labs, is on Kirtland AFB. Every October balloonists from all over the world come to the ABQ Balloon Fiesta. In '96 there were nearly 700 Hot Air Balloons entered in the Fiesta. If you can, plan to visit sometime during the Fiesta. There are many places and events to visit within a short distance from the city. Of course, 100 miles may not seem "short" to some of us, but when there are 60 miles between cities and towns â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a hundred miles is not long! Air service to Albuquerque started in 1929 when Charles Lindbergh was laying out TAT's routes. ABQ was one of the staging areas in the early Train/Plane transcontinental service. We're sure everyone has 1 or 2 favorite stories about Albuquerque. The old Albuquerque Terminal, that so many of us remember, is being renovated. Unfortunately, it will not be finished until well after our convention. If you are a "Low Lander" (those living at places less than 1000' elevation) you should be aware of AMS-Acute Mountain Sickness, caused by too much activity at higher elevations. Take it a little easy the first day. We have structured the tours to be less active the first day. The tours we offer will just whet your appetite for more sightseeing in the Land of Enchantment. Comfortable walking shoes and "sun protection gear" are recommended. Tuesday evening, the 2nd, we encourage you to attend the Los Amigos Round-Up. The Round-up is on the Sandia Pueblo Indian Reservation in the North valley of Albuquerque. The Chuck Wagon dinner will be followed by a western show, an Indian dance program and dancing. Los Amigos Round-up has many organizations that schedule yearly outings there. Casual or western attire is suggested. The golf outing will be at the Tijeras Arroyo Golf Club on Kirtland AFB. For you serious golfers, that are interested in more golf, there are many fine courses in the area. The South University Course is nationally ranked by Golf Digest.

PAGE 9 ... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

Usually, the first week of September is one of the nicest times of the year. For the last 30 years, the average high temperature is 86°, the average low is 59°. The two extremes during that time " have been 100°and 40°. The average rainfall the first week has been .04 . We encourage you to write or call the State Tourist Department and City Convention and Visitors Bureau for maps and information. The State Tourist Department has a very fine Aeronautical Chart available. The addresses and phone numbers are as follows: NEW MEXICO DEPT. OF TOURISM 491 Old Santa Fe Trail, Rm. 9499 Santa Fe, NM 87503 Phone 800-545-2040

ALBUQUERQUE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU 20 First Plaza NW, Suite 601 PO Box 26866 Albuquerque, NM 87125-6866 Phone 800-284-2282

We invite you to our special place in the Southwest, and we guarantee that once you have visited here, you will return again and again to share our hospitality and the unique multicultural heritage and history that make New Mexico — America's Land of Enchantment.

Sincerely,

Klete Rood & Ken Slaten

PAGE 10 ... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

Tuesday Sept. 2, 1997 8:30am-4:00pm Kirtland Air Force Base and Old Town Tour

Upon arrival at the AFB, you will visit the National Atomic Museum which displays a fullscale time line of authentic atomic age weaponry and technologiesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the nation's most complete collection of Air Force, Navy, Marine, and Army nuclear weapons and theme exhibits. You will depart for a special tour of Sandia National Laboratories at approximately 11:00am. A Sandia Lab guide will greet you in the Lab Auditorium where you will view a video introducing you to the labs. Then you will take a short tour of the Lab facilities. Lunch at the "0" club is next on the agenda. After lunch, you will head for historic OLD TOWN. A brief walk around the old plaza or meeting-place takes you by the San Felipe de Neri Catholic Church. Then shop at the hundreds of shops on the Old Town Plaza. Your coach will depart at 3:30 pm for the hotel. Price per person: $21.00 Price includes: Deluxe coach transportation, tour of National Atomic Museum, tour of Sandia National Laboratories, lunch at the Officers Club, tour of historic Old Town.

Tuesday Sept. 2, 1997 Los Amigos Roundup 5:30pm-10:30pm A short ride from the hotel to the North Valley of Albuquerque brings us to Los Amigos Roundup Ranch on the Sandia Indian Reservation. The ranch sits among the oldest stand of towering cottonwoods in the United States (150 years old). It is adjacent to the Rio Grande with a view of the Sandia Mountains. The setting is pure Southwestern. The floor in the Longhouse is covered with wood chips. The inside is decorated with saddles, Indian blankets, pictures and steer horns. Outside, where the meat is prepared, there are the grills, benches, a Tepee and even a volleyball court. A delicious Chuckwagon meal will begin with Sandia Indian Fry Bread and Green Chile Stew as appetizers. The "all you can eat" meal includes potato salad, chuckwagon corn, baked beans, home-style dessert and beverages. Drinks include beer, wine, lemonade, iced tea. coffee and soda. You will be able to dance to the music of a variety dance band. The entertainment includes the band, Wild West Show and Aztec Indian Dancers. You will board your buses for the hotel at 10:00pm. Casual or western wear is recommended for this evening. Price per person: $35.00 Price includes: Deluxe coach transportation, meal and drinks, music and entertainment.

PAGE 11 ... TARPA TOPICS .... JULY, 1997

Tuesday Sept 2, 1997 Wednesday Sept 3, 1997 Acoma "Sky City" Indian Pueblo and IPCC Tours 8:30am-3:30pm The Acoma Indian Pueblo is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the United States. Recently, archaeologists theorized the occupation of Acoma to 1150 AD. The Indian Pueblo sits on top of a 300 ft. mesa and is only accessible by a Native American-owned bus that takes you up to the Pueblo. At the top you will be given a guided tour and will have plenty of opportunities to shop along the way for the remarkable pottery and sample Native cuisine. For those who are physically capable, an opportunity to climb down the mesa on one of the original pathways will be offered. There are many photo opportunities during the tour, but there is a $10.00 charge per camera. Video cameras are prohibited. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes and clothing. The tour includes a 3/4 mile leisurely walk. About 12:30pm you will board your bus for the return trip, stopping at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (IPCC). A delicious box lunch with assorted soft drinks will be served along the way. The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center features a Native American museum and exhibits of the state's 19 Indian pueblos. You will be given a guided tour of the museum. After the tour, peruse the gift shop for hand-crafted items and Indian artifacts. Board your bus about 3:00pm for the trip to the hotel. Price per person: $32.00 Price includes: Deluxe coach transportation, professional tour guide, admission to IPCC, box lunch with assorted soft drinks, admission fee to Acoma pueblo, and all taxes. Wednesday Sept 3, 1997 10:00am-4:00pm Sandia Tram and Old Town Tour

Board your deluxe coach at 10:00 am and head for the Sandia Peak Aerial Tram. The tram is the world's longest free span cable tram and offers magnificent views 2.7 miles above deep canyons. You will "fly" through four of the seven life zones as you make your way to the top. Viewing these life zones is equivalent to a trip from Mexico to Alaska. Once atop Sandia Peak, you will marvel at the 11,000 square miles of breathtaking scenery. (Be sure to bring a camera and a sweater). After the return trip to the bottom, board the bus for Historic Old Town. you will enjoy a very fine lunch at the famous "La Placita" restaurant. Most crew members remember it very well. Then break out the plastic and visit the many shops and art galleries on and around the Plaza. Board your bus about 3:30 for the short trip back to the hotel. Price per person: $30.00 Price includes: deluxe coach transportation, round trip boarding pass for the Sandia Tram, lunch at La Placita, and all taxes. PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE IN THIS TOUR. WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE THIS HAS CAUSED ANYONE, PAGE 12 ... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

Wednesday Sept 3, 1997 Northern New Mexico Excursion 8:30am-4:30pm Your first stop will be in Los Alamos, selected by the Federal Government in 1942 as the site of the top-secret Manhattan project. This tour will expose you to everything from the fusion chain reaction to placid prehistoric ruins. First you will go to the Bradbury Science Museumâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;which outlines the Lab's massive achievements through interesting exhibits and over 35 hands-on demonstrations. The museum theater features programs on a variety of subjects from computer graphics to cancer in cattle. Then it's back on the coach for a short ride to Rancho de Chimayo where you will savor a delicious New Mexican lunch. Next you will visit the Santuario de Chimayo where thousands of people travel in hope of a miraculous cure for their ills. A visit to the Ortega Weavers is a must. Many generations of weavers have passed their skill to their children. If luck is with you, you may see an actual weaving of a hand-made rug on the loom. Board the bus to arrive in Albuquerque by 4:30pm. Price per person: $32.00 Price includes: deluxe coach transportation, professional tour guide, admission to Bradbury Museum in Los Alamos, lunch at Rancho de Chimayo, visit to Santuario de Chimayo, all taxes. Wednesday Sept. 3,1997 Thursday Sept. 4, 1997 Santa Fe Tour and Turquoise Trail 8:30 am-4:00 pm Your visit to scenic Santa Fe begins at 8:30 am when you board your deluxe coach and go via the scenic and historic Turquoise Trail. Along the way, you will drive through several quaint mining towns with a short stop in Cerrillos, New Mexico. Upon arrival in Santa Fe, you will take a guided tour seeing The St. Francis Cathedral, the Loretto Chapel with its famous spiral staircase. the San Miguel Mission, and the Historic Plaza. You will then be free to explore or indulge in a Southwestern shopping spree with the many boutiques, galleries, and Native American vendors. Perhaps you would rather experience the wonderful museums such as the Museum of Fine Art with over 8,000 works, or our State's History Museum, The Palace of the Governors. Whatever you select, you will love the experience. Enjoy lunch on your own at one of the many restaurants located around the historic Santa Fe Plaza. We will depart the Plaza at 3:00pm to arrive back in Albuquerque at 4:00pm. Price per person: $23.00 Price includes: Deluxe coach transportation, professional tour guide, visit to Cerrillos, NM, walking tour of Santa Fe Plaza, San Miguel Mission, Loretto Chapel, and St. Francis Cathedral, admission to Loretto Chapel, all taxes.

PAGE 13... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

Thursday Sept. 4, 1997 Short Sandia Tram Tour 12:30 pm-4:30 pm Leave the hotel at 12:30 for the short ride to the Sandia Peak Aerial Tram. The Tram is the world's longest free span cable tram, and offers magnificent views 2.7 miles above deep canyons. You will "fly" through four of the seven life zones as you make your way to the top. Viewing these life zones is equivalent to a trip from Mexico to Alaska. Once atop Sandia Peak, you will marvel at the 11,000 square miles of breathtaking scenery. (Be sure to bring your camera and a sweater). Board your bus about 4:00 pm to arrive at your hotel at 4:30 pm Price per person: $17.00 Price includes: Deluxe round-trip transportation, Tram Fees, all taxes

Thursday Sept. 4 1997 Short Tour of Atomic Museum 12:30 pm-4:30 pm Board your bus for the short ride to Kirtland AFB and the National Atomic Museum. The museum displays a full-scale time line of authentic atomic age weaponry and technologiesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the nation's most complete collection of Air Force. Navy, Marine, and Army nuclear weapons and theme exhibits. Price per person: $10.00 Price includes deluxe round-trip transportation.

PAGE 14... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR STATE CAPITOL SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO 87503 GARY E. JOHNSON GOVERNOR

(505) 827-3000 A MESSAGE FROM GARY E. JOHNSON, GOVERNOR OF NEW MEXICO

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Active and Retired Pilots Association of TWA (TARPA) annual convention, September 2-4, 1997. We are delighted that you have chosen Albuquerque for this year's convention. I hope while you are here you experience the many wonderful things New Mexico has to offer.

Our part of the Rocky Mountains is the perfect environment for a

range of outdoor activities, such as skiing, biking, climbing, camping or just relaxing as you watch one of our legendary sunsets over the dramatic rock formations of the high desert. We also have, just minutes from Albuquerque, Indian

pueblos

symphonies.

and reservations,

museums, historical sites, theaters and

The cuisine, too, is distinct and delicious, a product of the many

cultures that make up our great state. I know this year's event will be one to remember, and would like to offer my best wishes for a successful convention. Sincerely,

Gary E. Johnson Governor

PAGE 16 ... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

Martin J. Chavez, Mayor June 6, 1997

Welcome TARPA of TWA! On behalf of the citizens of our community, I would like to welcome you to our city. Albuquerque is honored to host your annual convention. As you know, TWA was the first airline in Albuquerque and its employees have since made many significant contributions to our community. While you are here, please take time to learn more about our city. Albuquerque is proud of its multi-cultural heritage and history which dates back for centuries. In fact, our Historic "Old Town" was founded in 1706! The scenic splendor of river valleys, plains, and mountains gives Albuquerque matchless panoramic views. The natural magnificence that inspired the Native Americans and Conquistadors to settle this area hundreds of years ago will inspire you to return time and time again. On behalf of the citizens of Albuquerque, I hope you enjoy your stay in the Duke City. If there is anything you need, please let us know. We may have a population of more than half-a-million, but we still have small town hospitality.

PAGE 17... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

BY PAT &

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POST ALBUQUERQUE CONVENTION TOUR Roundtrip from El Paso, Texas • September 5, 1997

PAGE 20... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

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FRIEND.

THE

"TARPA TOUR TO TURKEY" Our Odyssey to Turkey began like most treks . . . check in and seat assignments but ... this was not TWA, it was British Air. Well, we have all heard about the "great BA" so we eagerly anticipated our flight without the dreaded "stand-by" calling of names and the hope of getting on and maybe being seated next to your mate. Well, let me tell you, on British, they cram you in so tight that no matter what part of the airplane you are in, you are close to your mate. I was "lucky" to secure an aisle seat but all night long, I was either run over by meal/beverage carts or by the swift rest-room crowd. The flight departed on time . . . a novelty . . but, we taxied for the better part of an hour. Routine flight to London but then . . . the great terminal escapade! Only the British can devise a system that is more screwed up than Murphy's Law. We arrived at Terminal 4 but our connection left from Terminal 1 across the field. What a fiasco . . . wait in line for buses, passport checks (three times) plus baggage checks even though we have not even left the terminal. We ought to adopt the system for JFK. Flight to Istanbul was also routine but again, we were jammed to the rafters with no leg room. We gave the Captain a hand for the landing (8 Captains checking) and the excitement grew as we neared the terminal. All formalities went very smoothly and we were met at the door by our guide and friend to be, Erkal Aykac. He looked like a little Leprechaun and we were soon to find out that he really was a "treasure". The following day, we flew to Ankara (again a full flight . . they must be doing something right) and were met by our driver, Mr. Osman and his assistant Mehmet and we really started the tour. The airport is about 20 miles from town but on the way in, we got a glimpse of the villages and some of the local history. Our first stop (and probably the most moving and educational) was the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. We saw relics from the early bronze age, cave paintings, pottery, stone carvings and so much that it was impossible to absorb in such a short time. We all came away a little awed and certainly more humble than when we went in.

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We started South toward Cappadocia, our first stop, and along the way visited the Seljuk Turkish Camel caravanserai (Turkish for a camel motel). This is one of the few "motels" left from the Great Silk Road" and they were hospices where the camel caravans were given a night's rest with full protection from raiders by the local Sultans. Needless to say, a tax was paid for this service. The scenery along the way to Cappadocia was beautiful, along Lake Tuz Golu and into the eroded valley that was to be our next great excursion. We spent the entire day no further than 15 miles from our hotel but we saw so many things. The entire Goreme Valley was created by volcanic upheaval with several layers of various different kinds of rock and through the ages they have eroded at different rates and have created giant sculptures not unlike mushroom fields. To avoid persecution from the Arabs, early Christians hollowed out these formations and built their homes and churches away from prying eyes. We ate lunch in a carved out restaurant and later visited a pottery factory, also carved from stone. We had a moment of levity here when the pottery owner asked for a "volunteer" to try his or her hand at the wheel . . . well, Nate Green was our man. I would not like to venture to say what he was making looked like but he sure had the place in stitches . . good sport. We then ventured on to an underground city that was used in case of raids and wars. Only four levels are open to the public but there are at least 8 more below. The air shaft alone is 240 feet deep. We had to bend and almost crawl but it was very enlightening and a lot of fun. We then visited some of the carved churches and were awed by the still very good "frescos" inside. Many are losing their walls so the Turkish government is trying to stop the falling away . . a large task to be sure. Some of the churches date back to the 10th century and have decorations about Christ's life. The following day was our driving day and the only that gave us rain. We did drive through Konya and visited the Mevlana Museum, home of the Whirling Dervishes. A most impressive museum, a very colorful Mosque and the highly decorated tombs were enlightening. The Dervishes perform only once a year, in November, so we did not see them. We traveled through a town that was recently pretty well devastated by an earthquake and were amazed how quickly the clean-up was going. A couple of our gang swore they felt a tremor while in the toilet . . what can I say . . was it a tremor or a rumble? We continued on to the mineral spas at Pamukkale to spend the night. Pamukkale looks like winter because the waters are so rich in calcium that upon flowing down the mountain sides, they form huge stalactites and white ponds (which are also supposedly medicinal and beneficial). It was a little chilly but some brave souls waded around. Surrounding the area are colossal Roman ruins, a stadium, burial grounds and a regal entrance way. Also visible on the mountain side was the temple of Apollo.

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The next portion of our journey took us to the Temple of Aphrodite (no, there were no samples). This area has been highly restored and to say it is beautiful, is an understatement. There is a near-perfect stadium (seating about 65,000) that is almost totally uncovered, including the chariot arched entrances. A perfect odeon (theater) is also nearby and in use but the jewel is the Temple itself . . magnificent. The tomb of the man who did most of the digging and reconstruction is by it's side . . very appropriate. We then drove to our hotel in Kusadasi for another fine meal (a cocktail or two before, of course), some sleep and lots of anticipation of our next day's destination . . EPHESUS. The day started early as there was a lot to see. Our first stop was at the newly erected statue of the Virgin Mary (by a Society in Lima, Ohio) on the way up to her last home. She was brought here by John the Apostle . . more about him later. The house is a reconstructed on the original ruins and is quite nice. The area is woody and the sounds of birds and rustling leaves was very calming. Just a short ride away was the entrance to Ephesus and from the gate, one can see the very famous view of this most majestic city. The first obvious sight was the remains of the walls that encircled the city. We then started down the hill stopping first at the Odeon. This small theater could seat about 1400 and was used for government sessions and meetings and also for concerts. It is in a remarkable state and still used. The Odeon faces a large Agora (meeting/market area) but not much has been restored there. We then walked to Domitian Street and this started the real tour. Here we find the Memmius Monument, a square fountain, and the relief statue of Nike. We were also told that beneath this street was the city's sewage system, quite remarkable for 700 BC. The water was brought down from the mountains via water ways and then, once in town, split into drinking and waste waters. The pipes were made out of Terra Cotta and the joints were sealed with lead so you know why the Romans (and others, I'm sure) died of lead poisoning. Just down the street are the remains of the Temple of Hadrian. It is one of the most beautiful around and was built before 138 A.D. Over the main entrance arch is a figure believed to be Medusa and along the upper facade are many carved figures still wonderfully preserved. A short distance away are the Baths of Scholastikia consisting of three rooms, cold (frigidarium), ward (tepidarium) and hot (caldarium), the steam room. Pipes run in the ground and up the walls and are still visible. Next are the terrace houses of the wealthy and across the street, a restored spice shop. The most imposing structure in the entire city, the Celsus Library, was the next stop. The library dates back to around 110 AD and was probably built as a tomb for Celsus by his son, Gaius Julius Aquila, but was allowed only to be a public building. The arched Gates of Hedrian are next to this building and across the street was believed to be a brothel with underground tunnels to the library .. no wonder the youth loved to "check out the books".

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Upon leaving this area, one enters the ruins of the Commercial Agora. This was the shopping mall with two and three story shops. At the far end is the Temple of Serapis and along the Agora is the marble road that was the sacred way to the Temple of Artemis (one of the seven wonders). Along the marble road we find the magnificent Theater built in the side of a mountain. This was among the largest in Anatolia and could seat 24,000. It is still in use today. We departed for the Virgin Mary's last home and then on to the partially restored Basilica of St. John, the Apostle. He was the one that brought Mary to Anatolia after Jesus's death. He is also entombed at the Basilica. The entire area is surrounded by the wall from the fourth city of Ephesus. We departed for our overnight in Izmir . . a beautiful port city not unlike any Florida coastal city. . palm trees, warm breezes and very clean streets. At the hotel Kaya Prestige, we were able to surprise George and Ginny Toop with a little celebration of their 50th anniversary. It was complete with "belly" (and I mean belly) dancers in the form of Bill Kirschner and Chuck Hasler and a few toasts and nice words from several of our gang. The other patrons in the restaurant must have thought . . crazy Americans but it was fun. The following day brought us to Pergamon, the dramatic hilltop Acropolis and the home of parchment paper. It seems the Egyptians cut off the Roman's supply of the river reed, papyrus, so they invented their own paper. The lofty ruins command a spectacular view of the valley below and the hillside theater is quite steep and beautiful. In the valley, there is still a complete Roman amphitheater yet to be uncovered. Located in the valley is also the Aesculapium, or hospital, ruins. Much has been recently uncovered so is in good shape. Our final visit to a ruin site was the familiar city of Troy . . or rather I should say, the nine cities of Troy. It was late in the afternoon when we arrived at the site and the looming Trojan Horse appeared before us. It is a leftover from a movie set and much larger than the original but quite striking to say the least. Heinrich Schliemann, a businessman turned archaeologist, was responsible for it's discovery through his interpretations of the Iliad. True, he did substantial damage to the site while digging but it is doubtful that it would have been found without his perseverance. The area is not large but it was built one atop the other. One area that shows the nine levels of the cities took five years to uncover and preserve.

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We spent the night on the banks of the Dardanelles and the following morning boarded a ferry at Chanakkale. It is only a couple of miles across but the currents are strong so it took about 20 minutes. We then boarded the Sea of Marmara back to Istanbul. Istanbul is divided into two parts by the Golden Horn and again by the Bosporus. There is the European side and the Asian side and the old and the new. We were confined our last day mainly to the old. Our first stop was at Chora. This was an old Byzantine museum. Inside are the most magnificent mosaics I believe any of our group has ever seen. They depict Christ, the Virgin Mary, the Apostles and many famous biblical scenes. This is a MUST on anyone's tour. The museum also houses a section of wonderful "frescos". We then departed for our tour of the huge Mosque of Suleymaniye. Built in 1550 to 1557, this most towering edifice is really a work of art. It's main dome is one of the highest in the world and beautifully decorated and the wall of stained glass windows is breathtaking. The entire floor area is covered with Turkish prayer rugs so we left our shoes outside. Our next stop was the renowned Palace of Topkapi. We had to go through metal detectors (much like the airport) so I immediately surmised that the taking of any souvenirs was out of the question. We had a fine lunch on a covered terrace overlooking the Bosporus Sea and bridge and were treated to a really loooowww air show in preparation for a large national holiday. We could see the pilots as they flew by leaving smoke trails behind. Needless to say, the FAA would have frowned on such a show but the crowd loved it. Inside the museum, I have never seen so much gold, diamonds, rubies, emeralds and pearls as are displayed in the palace rooms. There is a huge display of fine china, glassware, cookware and all kinds of ornate furniture but the two main highlights are the Topkapi diamond weighing in at a mere 83 carats with 49 diamonds and the gorgeous jeweled dagger. Either one would buy you quite a home, car and maybe a small yacht thrown in. We next proceeded to the temple of Hagia Sophia, reputed to be one of the most beautiful temples in the world. It was built during the last of the Byzantine era in the years 532 to 537. It too, was truly awesome and inspiring. Major work is being done on the interior of the grand dome . . even the scaffolding was impressive . . never get me up that high without an airplane! Our last, but certainly not least, tour was through the famous Blue Mosque. It owes it's name to the famous blue tiles from Iznik that are used around the periphery of the mosque. The stained glass is also outstanding. Outside the mosque are two unusual obelisks, one brought from Egypt in the year 390 and still in perfect shape with very clear hieroglyphs, and the other, a braided column ordered by Constantinus VII in 944. This ended a most fabulous tour of the major sights in Istanbul except for the Grand Bazaar . . lots of gold, plates, clothes, etc. , and certainly just as big a part of the city as the ruins . . also, not to be missed. We retired to our hotel for the farewells to our guide and crew and later celebrated Pat Hasler's birthday in the restaurant. I was requested to act as MC so I tried to thumbnail-sketch what we had seen, enjoyed, and what a great time we had together. We had a few laughs, (at my expense) and we all agreed, what a great group it was a special thanks to the Hasler's for another fabulous tour.

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Above left to right, Bill & Bobbi Kirschner, Nancy & Gene Dolan, Ilse & Bob Dedman, Ellen & Nate Green, Concepcion & John Pakulski.

Above, Captain Hasler and friends

Above, Theater Aphrodisias

Right, TARPA Turkey 96 Group

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THE DIARY OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS

by Barney Rawlings

August 2, 1492, Dear Diary: I am so excited - tomorrow is the big day! We're sailing in the morning to discover America. Some people say the world is flat, others say it's round. I say it's an oblate spheroid, and I say that we have the potential for the best and most profitable route structure of anybody. Oh, I'm so keyed up I just can't sleep! August 3, 1492. Dear Diary: Darn it! We haven't left yet to discover America. I was going over the "Before Anchors Aweigh" check-list on the Santa Maria when Queen Isabella came aboard. She said, "Christopher, you know we have a bad cash-flow problem and I had to pawn my royal jewels to finance your trip. Well, it's gotten worse and we're going to have to sell the Nina - you can discover America with just the Pinta and the Santa Maria, can't you?" And I said "Well, queen, if we can't afford 3 ships we'll just have to make do." And she said "Good lad! As a matter of fact, Ferdinand wants to sell part of your route and have you go only half-way to discover America." And I said "Jeepers, queen! That would be awful!" And she said, "Yes, but " we've been losing a lot of money so we have to re-size the operation. And I said "Okay, we'll re-stow the cargo and try to get out tomorrow. " August 4, 1492. Dear Diary: Well, more bad news. King Ferdinand came on board and said "Columbus, the kingdom is really hard up. The cheese and wine shops are doing okay, but we're losing money on the ships. As a matter of fact, Isabella and I are both taking a pay cut, and we want you and your lads to think about doing the same. " And I said "Well, king, if that's the way things are going I'll talk it over with the lads on the Santa Maria and the Pinta." And he said 'Don't bother about the Pinta - I think we're going to have to sell it." And I said "Wow! We're really re-sizing, aren't we?" And he said "It's only temporary. The boys up at the Palace are working on a big advertising campaign to get people interested in discovering America." And I said "Well, that's fine." So now we're on a 24-hour advice time. I'm afraid this is turning into a creeping delay. August 5, 1492. Dear Diary: We still haven't left to discover America. A young chap came aboard this morning and said "Hi, there! I'm your SOB! Ferdinand and Isabella sent me to straighten things out for you!" And I said "What ' s an SOB?" What're you supposed to do?" And he said "I'm your Supervisor, On Board Service. I make everybody happy and supervise things." And I said "I thought that was part of my job." And he said "Oh, no! Modern times, modem methods! Don't forget, this is 1492!" And I said "Well, okay - try to keep out of the way and don't get tangled up in the ropes." August 6, 1492. Dear Diary: Nothing much happened today. Some of the crew have lost interest and are wandering off. Scuttle-butt is that those SOBS are running around all over the fleet and the boys up at the Palace are working on an advertising campaign.

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August 7, 1492. Dear Diary: I went up to the Palace today, but nobody paid any attention to me. I wanted to tell Ferdinand and Isabella that I think all this Mickey-Mouse marketing is not the way to discover America. What we need is a good, efficient and well-run operation, so that people know when we start out to go discover America everybody knows we'll leave on time and get there safely. I told this to a couple of guys up there, but they were talking about cheese and wine and didn't really listen. They were also talking about someone named Senor Pedro Sellers. I don't know what's going on. August 8, 1492. Dear Diary: I went up to the Palace again, and caught Isabella in the hall while she was on the way to the Ladies' Room. She was in a hurry, but she said: "Okay, Christopher, I'll have some of the boys print schedules and publish them all over the kingdom. You'll definitely leave tomorrow." So, everything is going to be all right and we'll go discover America first thing in the morning! August 9, 1492. Dear Diary: Well, more bad news. The boys up at the Palace put the wrong date on the schedules, so naturally nobody showed up but me. August 10, 1492. Dear Diary: I went up to the Palace again and hung around all day. Everybody was whispering in the corners and looking over their shoulder and nobody would talk to me. August 11, 1492. Dear Diary: Today I started for the Palace but on the way someone said: "Hey, did you hear the news?" And I said "No, what's that?" And he said "Isabella resigned, and one of the Big Boys up at the Palace resigned, too." And I said "Jeepers!" And he said "And Ferdinand is really shaking things up over at the Palace." And I said, "Wow!" And he said "Yes, there are a lot of new Big Boys up at the Palace now." And I said, "Well, I hope that means we can go discover America now." And he said "Well, I don't know about that. Most of the shake-up is in the cheese-and-wine department." So I didn't say anything and went back to the Santa Maria. August 12, 1492. Dear Diary: I still don't know what it all means. If Ferdinand and the new Big Boys up at the Palace are serious about discovering America, then I guess it's a good thing. But if it's just more of that cheese-and-wine stuff, I don't know. There's a little scuttle-butt that Senor Pedro Sellers - whoever he is - may take over the kingdom. I wish I knew what's going on. August 13, 1492. Dear Diary: Well, I'm sitting here on the Santa Maria with my crew. We're anxious to go discover America, and I sure hope we get a chance to do it before someone else beats us to it.

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GRAPEVINE

In just three more months we will be gathering in Albuquerque for the annual get together. This year I fully expect to be in attendance ... I've already missed too many! Unfortunately, procrastinator that I am. I have not made any attempts to rally the TWA copilot class of November 1953 to attend en masse as I suggested they might in the last issue. Having not received comments pro or con on such a 'gathering of eagles' tells me neither have any of my class mates taken up the reins of leadership for this matter. Perhaps registration day in ABQ will surprise everyone and find all of us lining up to sign in (probably not!). The long lost 'notes sent with dues payments' that might have been in the March GV have been located, but because of timeliness they no longer have, your 'dues notes' will not be published as items of interest. That does not mean the GRAPEVINE will no longer acknowledge those eagles who pay dues as well as any new members. We must always be thankful to the eagles ... not only for dues they pay now, but also for past contributions to TWA and the industry. The new comers must also be welcomed. We must make them welcome to assure there being a TARPA tomorrow. Of course, all letters to the GRAPEVINE will still be used. This being mid-May, I am involved with the dual requirements of formulating the July GRAPEVINE and studying for my final exams in Geography and English 100. Studying includes scribbling off a pair of essays due this next week. I am frankly surprised at how much I have enjoyed the past five months as a 'college kid.' This past Saturday, the geography classes made a joint field trip to an organic farm in northern San Diego county. Some 35 of us listened to the story of organic crop growth and then had the privilege of tromping for two more hours through the many fields of new growths. This farm specialized in herbs and spices growing sage and cilantro, but also had several acres of strawberries and several of small flowers. Being the Saturday before Mother's Day, the flowers were harvested and readied for the market that very afternoon.

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GRAPEVINE (cont'd)

I am also more than a little surprised at how much I have learned ... and remembered. I have a solid shot at an "A" in Geography but a lesser chance of a "B" in English. The field trip was worth 30 points. The professor has a grade scale ranging downward from 360 (324-360 is an "A") and with only the final exam (worth a total of 100) I already have accumulated 246 points. You can see 78 or better totals me out in the "A" group. One more nice thing about being a college student. The car wash I use gives a $1. 00 discount for any one of: SENIOR STUDENT MILITARY Up to now I have been reluctantly accepting the SENIOR discount but the last two times I have insisted on getting the STUDENT discount.. One more 'school tale' before we move on to some real humor. One of my classmates, a 17 year old freshman, guessed my age 'a as, "about 55." I had to tell her I was really surprised that she had missed it by such few years!' The following is items I had hoped to use in an English paper. WHY DO KAMIKAZE PILOT'S WEAR HELMETS? If nothing sticks to TEFLON, how do they stick Teflon on the pot? Why do they sterilize needles for lethal injections? If you throw a cat from a car window does it become kitty litter? How did a fool and his money GET together? Is it true that cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste funny? Do blind Eskimos have seeing-eye sled dogs? If you shoot a mime, should you use a silencer?

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GRAPEVINE (coned)

San Jose. CA

BILL DIXON Hi Hank,

I read an article recently featuring how handy a compact voice recorder can be for the forgetful; just pull it from your pocket and speak away for later reminder. Travel-wise it is even better. It's great for recording notes on a trip, especially an extended tour. It is so much easier than using a notebook, and when you arrive home you can organize your oral descriptions into written notes, or establish a microsette tape file. My compact, a Panasonic, was worth its weight in gold (and fit into my shirt pocket) on our Russian trip ... Bill Dixon Thanx for the filler, Bill ... and for setting up a gag line for me ... I didn't know you could get a compact voice recorder that translated Russian! (Oooo h)! Marathon. FL

GEORGE C TOOP Dick - Phil

I' m doing as requested ... sent dues in old yellow envelope. WX here 80째 sunny - bad old NJ snow - sleet - ice. Guess I made good move. Just received TARPA for March 97. Still great wonderful see you all in ABQ. George Largo, Fl

BILL TOWNSEND Dick

Hope this helps some where. Still play golf three times a week. Not as good as in years back. But I'm looking at the grass from this side. My best to all,

Maryville. MO

BILL MERRIGAN Dick,

'Tis indeed a pleasure to remit. I consider TARPA one of the best bargains around. My thanks to you and all who give their time and efforts to TARPA. As ever,

TWA eagles just keep soaring ... I'm glad I could get word from four of them on this "EAGLE PAGE." Thanks gentlemen.

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GRAPEVINE (cont'd)

GARY C GILSRUD

Harvard. IL

Dear Mr. Davis, Enclosed is a check for $25 to cover my new membership in TARPA. I am not yet retired but will do so in May 1999. I look forward to your periodical and any information you have regarding retirement. Sincerely, Gary C. Gilsrud WELCOME ABOARD, Gary and especially for displaying the wisdom of becoming a part of TARPA before you retire. One retirement tip you my wish to follow is, get yourself a good schedule chairman. Otherwise, you will be doing more after you retire than you ever thought you did while active. Oh yeah, write the GRAPEVINE frequently. We want to know what you're doing! See ya' in ABQ. HANK HARRY HUNZEKER

Lee's Summit. MO

Dear Hank, I found the words to "White Mistress" in my Navy Sing Sing book from our Korean cruise. I remember well the time you and I were selected to umpire war games at Camp Pendleton. I don't remember which side won. Harry Harry - I was hoping you would send those 'nasty' lyrics in a plain brown wrapper. I got them mixed up with the GRAPEVINE mail and now everyone is going to think I go around singing dirty songs! Just like you got me in trouble with the Semper Fi's when we were supposed to be umpiring their war games. Now I have to tell it like it really was! Each morning of the games, Harry and I would be given a sector map and told to meet our Marine leader at G-2 or K-11 or at some 'nitials and number.' I'd let Harry lead, and every day he would lead me to Hwy 101 ... under the barbed wire Camp Pendleton fence and then make me hitch a ride with him to Laguna Beach. I tried to talk him into finding our squad (battalion?) but you all know Harry. No way could I convince him to do the right thing. But I thought that Major was going to cry at the critique when the 'brass' started to read our report ... until he heard how good Harry and I made him look. Then he wanted to be our buddy ... but Harry and I do have some scruples. Now, here is Harry's dirty parody to a beautiful song! (Shame!). (to the melody of White Christmas) I'm dreaming of a white mistress, Just one that's white upon the sheets. What she has I'm missin'... And I keep wishin' ... To be back with her once again.

I'm thinking of this white mistress With every sleepless night I pass. May my thoughts be Merry and White And may all my mistresses be bright.

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GRAPEVINE (cont'd)

DAVE RICHWINE

Seneca. SC

Hank, The TARPA members pictured were captured on film for posterity at the biennial reunion of the Navy AVCAD/NAVCAD group last November at Pensacola, Florida. Coinciding with this event was a celebration of the BLUE ANGELS 50th anniversary as a show team. Also present but not shown was BOB Voss and BILL TOWNSEND, who was heading for the reunion did not make it because of illness enroute. Best Personal Regards Dave Thanks for the letter(S) Dave ... ! How in the world did you ever get that much seniority into one picture? All Eagles or near-Eagles and each one of you looking as young and fit as if the snapshot caught you in a hotel lobby on a layover. So much for the age-60 rule, huh?

FRANK MONTEMURRO DAVE RICHWINE

ROY BRISTER ARLIE NIXON

WALT STOCK.

Kansas City. MO

FRANK RUEGE. Jr

Just a note to let you know that all is well with this junior 30 year Captain - Dad is doing well in Naples, Florida. I'm sure he'd like to hear from some of his old friends - his address: Frank Ruege, Sr. 201 Arbor Lake Dr. Apt. 205 Naples, FL 33963. Tel: 941-598-2456 Frank

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GRAPEVINE (cont'd)

AL LUSK

Camarillo. CA

Dear Dick, I figured that my signature on a check might be the most convincing evidence that I am still alive and about. A recent photograph would probably just raise doubt. Happy Holidays Al Lusk I didn't see it Al so I still need convincing. Make the check to Hank Gastrich and don't worry about filling in numbers ... I'll be glad to do that for you. RICHARD GENEBACH

Huntington. CA

Richard, The extra is to help defray costs on my favorite magazine publication. Skip LOU BARR

Henderson. NV

Dick, Enclosed is my check. I know that as an Eagle I don't have to pay dues, so call this a subscription to TARPA TOPICS. Hang in there old buddy. Regards, Lou Barr RUSS YOUNCE

Sedona. AZ

Gentlemen, I'm in complete denial that I have reached the age of an Eagle. I thought by now I'd be shooting my age on the links - however my score is climbing faster than my years. Love it when TARPA arrives - keep up the good work.

MEL RODGERS

Stockton. MO

Naydene and I would like for you to record our dues as paid, even though I've reached the Eagle status. As long as I can play golf and read TARPA TOPIC's without my glasses, it's worth every cent. We were unable to make it to BOS but hope to see everyone in Albuquerque in `97. Mel Rodgers

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GRAPEVINE (coned)

EARL JINNETTE

Calcine. CA

After a ValuJet airliner crashed into the Florida Everglades last year, there were suggestions in the media that at least part of the problem was the lack of a system of fire extinguishing equipment in the cargo compartments. I have first hand knowledge that TWA has had fairly complex systems on their planes for more than 50 years. As a part of the crew of TWA flight 94 on May 13, 1948, I was involved in an incident which demonstrated both the effectiveness and the very real danger of the system as it was designed at that time. I was the F/E, Ted Hereford was Captain and Erwin Ferris was copilot; our aircraft was Constellation #501. We departed LAX at 0810 and cruised uneventfully at 19,000 toward our Chicago destination. After about five hours, an uneventful flight was made interesting by the fire warning bell sounding and a red flashing light indicating a fire in the forward cargo compartment. I quickly selected "Forward Cargo Extinguisher" and activated a switch to discharge the CO 2 into the forward cargo compartment. The warning bell and continued to indicate a problem, so the second bottle was utilized. The system also allowed all 4 engine CO 2 bottles to be directed to the cargo compartment and it took all six bottles to put out the light and bell. Meanwhile, while Ferris radioed the company of our problem, Captain Hereford initiated an emergency descent. Now however, because CO 2 is heavier than air, as we descended the gas began to concentrate in the nose of the plane. Breathing in the cockpit became incessantly difficult and both pilots were clawing to open the windshield quarter-panel windows in order to improve the breathing air. At this time I opened both outflow valves as a further effort to remove the bad air. Just then Ted spotted the small airport at Chilicothe, MO and proceeded to land. He literally "greased" the Connie onto the 2000 foot runway, stopped, and turned around with 200 feet to spare! As fine an exhibition of flying as I have ever witnessed, and under emergency conditions! The only flaw in the operation --- we failed to read the Before Landing Check List. (Back to Recurrent Training!) The sudden deceleration when initiating descent dumped all the galley equipment including meals and anything else that was loose onto the floor, and then against the cabin door which prevented us from opening it. Consequently, the crew exited via the ditching rope. Since this happened before emergency evacuation slides were around, the passengers departed using ladders provided by a local FBO. One week later an United DC-6 crashed at Mt. Carmel, PA with all on board, including Earl Carroll and other entertainment celebrities perishing. The cause? Crew asphyxiation. After one near-miss and one full-blown disaster, the industry learned another lesson. Earl Jinnette I recall a somewhat similar situation with late Captains Hal Blackburn and Frank Dubbs going into I believe, Kirksville, MO. I guess you all are lucky the statute of limitations has expired. The FAA (of course it was the CAA then) does frown on improper cockpit procedures. (They consider cargo compartment warnings and fires less compelling). Oh yeah ...the Connie manual probably says an 049 needs more than 1800/2000 feet to land.

PAGE 36 ... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

GRAPEVINE (coned)

ALAN WALL Rockport

. ME

Dear Dick. You can't run an organization without money. Before you know it, we will all be Eagles. I think most of us enjoy TARPA and the magazine in order to keep in touch, so instead of paying dues I'll make a donation each year. Please be advised of a change of address. I have my Florida condo on the market so please delete my Florida address. Alan Wall DEAN CARTER

Honolulu. HI

Dear Dick, I sweated out my retirement for 35 years and am now an Eagle. My son, STL Captain Nick Carter is a new TARPA member. I'm sweating out his retirement now. He has 30 years down and until 2005 to go. Looking good! John Lein and I are holding down Honolulu for TWA. TARPA TOPICS is our life line. Makes keeping up with our friends possible. Keep up the good work. (Contribution enclosed). Aloha,

Thanks Alan and Dean. You Eagles continue to amaze me, but thanks. Boulder City. NV

CLIF ZERBONE

Dear Dick, Another year and looking forward to being able to read about the events of the TARPA group, even though I've been retired since 1973 (Jan). I know few of the recent retirees. The 'old timer's" name comes up now and then and it's always good to hear from or about then in the magazine. Keep it up and best regards, Clif Zerbone Prescott. AZ

STEW GILBERT

Dear Richard, Enclosed is my dues check. I believe I'm a qualified Eagle now as I turned 75 on August 17 this year (1996), However, I so enjoy the publication, I would like to continue contributing. Perhaps you could correct the membership listing to show that I'm an Eagle. Thanks, Stew Gilbert And still another pair of Eagles ... and contributors. The 1998 directory will show your current status Stew.

PAGE 37 ... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

GRAPEVINE (cont'd)

1000 Oaks. CA

BOB ADICKES

ROBERT ADICKES ASSOCIATES 747 Camino Las Conchas ° 1000 Oaks, California 91360 FAX 805—498—4543

Capt. Richard A. Davis 449 Santa Fe Drive #200 Encinitas, CA 92024

3/30/97

Dear Captain Davis: You probably do not get a lot of letters like this one, and I just wanted to express my personal appreciation for the special efforts you have made to keep TARPA 'on the runway.' My gratitude was brought into sharp focus, as I was going through the 1996 DIRECTORY, and I can well understand the task you have been confronted with....bringing all this diverse data into a useful book. And, I also want to thank you for locating me again, and seeing that I am receiving the regular mailings and information on TARPA. Each year, I make a solemn vow to attend the next annual convention....and each year I am suddenly called out of the country, or otherwise forced to miss the get together. This year I will make certain to see you personally, to express my admiration for your efforts. Sincerely yours,

Robert Adickes Retired TWA Captain

LONDON

NEW YORK

WASHINGTON

LAS VEGAS

PAGE 38 ... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY 1997

HOUSTON

LOS ANGELES

GRAPEVINE (cont'd)

S C BUSHY

Clinton. CT

Dear Hank Got your letter today and it brought back memories. I checked out in the Strats in and flew them with Orm Gove and Frank Neiswander until the strike and was laid off for '46 the year of 1947. I came back to fly the 54's until 1950 when I checked out on the Connie. By the way, I was at Lawrence, MA Airport this summer and went through a DC-4 that was owned by a Delta captain and the old cargo job brought back many memories. I remember you but can't place when we flew together, but we probably did. All the names were familiar. I remember flying with Arlie Nixon many times when we flew cargo. He and I would take a leg and then the relief pilot and copilot took the next. This made for an easy flight. I flew the Connies and had the last east bound 1649 across the pond. I flew the 747's from `70 until `77 and loved it. I used to take my wife with me to LHR so she could shop. I took her on my next to last flight to Milan and coming back, Alitalia cancelled and we got all their passengers but we lucked in and she got a seat in the lounge. My last flight was with J. D. Boren on a London polar trip. On the return trip, we were cleared from Boulder Intersection direct to Providence direct LHR. I sure miss flying. I had a Luscombe 8A and taught all my sons to fly. Two of them had private tickets before leaving high school. To identify the picture, it was taken at the Boston convention last fall and from left to right are David, a Delta Captain and Chief Pilot International - JFK. Next is me and I will have been retired 20 years in August. Next is Tom (Dave's twin) who is a merchant mariner and professor at Mass Maritime. Far right is Bill, the oldest by 15 months. Bill is with Flight Safety. Also, when I finished my 50th mission with the 15th Air Force in 1944 I came home to a 7 week old daughter who is now a nurse and who has two college age children. Sincerely, S C Bushy

Thanx S C for identifying the picture. A family and a career to be tremendously proud of. Peggy Schemel sent this last fall but it took some detective work to run down the four Captains.

PAGE 39 ... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

GRAPEVINE (cont'd)

THAD MAY

Greensboro. AL

Dear Richard Even though I am an Eagle. I would like to pay my dues. Since I do no work for TARPA, and I enjoy getting the TOPICS Magazine throughout the year. Thanks to you and all the others who do good work on behalf of we who do nothing. Merry Christmas Thanks Thad ... it all helps EDWARD PECK

(Subscriber)

Louisville. KY

Dear Hank: For anybody out there who might want an affordable and historic TWA airplane, there is a beautiful WACO AGC-8 cabin biplane now up for grabs. This aircraft was the subject of an article in the Sept. 10, 1984 SKYLINER. In brief, it was owned by TWA during the period 1938 to 1941 and used as a general utility hack and route check machine. A photograph of it at that time is available, showing that it carried TWA letters on the vertical stabilizer only. The overall colors were non-standard for TWA. This WACO still carries its original registration NC-2312. Beautifully restored by its current owner of 25 years, it stands resplendent in bronze and white colors with burnished gold accents. Full details can be obtained from the owner, Clark Pester, of Cincinnati. His phone number is (513) 891-8733. The negotiable asking price is $110.000. An original wing rib and fabric swatch from this airplane now reside in TWA's Kansas City museum. I have flown this WACO around the patch and was thrilled by the experience. Just think of the close association with the history we all share. You'd have to look very long and hard to find another airworthy aircraft from so early in TWA"s history -- and it can be your very own! Cordially,

Edward Peck Subscriber

PAGE 40... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

GRAPEVINE (cont'd)

LARRY MARKS

Novato. CA June 10, 1996.

Dear Captain Davis, You gentlemen are doing a great job with TARPA. It takes a lot of dedication and hard work to put out the magazine and keep the records you do. My hat is off to all the men and women who are dedicated to making TARPA a success. I look back with fond memories of the time I spent in ICD and the years with TWA after the war. I have always said I retired when I went to work with TWA in 1942 at the age of 24 and had to go to work at the age of 51 at the end of my flying days after three years with World Airways in 1969. We were privileged to have to have such a good time---I thank TWA and the crews with whom I worked---it was a really a great experience. Thanks to TWA I married a great lady---ex-stewardess Jean Brannon---we will be celebrating our 50th next year. TWA said high altitude made us sterile---we only had five children. I believed them and kept trying to prove them right. Enclosed my dues for a couple of years---thanks for your dedication and hard work. Sincerely,

BOB "BEAR" BECK

Lake Quivira. KS

Seventy four Pilots played in the 21' Beady Open Golf Tournament with the proceeds goin g to the 'Families of FLT 800 Fund." On the winning team were Captain Fred Wicke (R) and Captain Mike Larkin. Sincerely, Bob "Bear" Beck Congratulations to the winners and Congratulations to ALL for the contribution to "Families of FLT 800 Fund." Thar p( for the information on the tournament Bob. Maybe next year, we can have more information, before and after. about the 22nd "Bearly" Open. In my mind it seems very newsworthy, not only as a "pilot's get-together" but also for the good cause(s) the receipts serve.

PAGE 41 ... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

GRAPEVINE (coned)

GENE GEROW

Trout Creek. MT

Dear Hank, This is an account of a North Atlantic crossing I call "Lady of Spain I Adore You" after a popular song of a by gone time. The navi gator and I had been briefed on the weather and our flight plan had us arrivin g in Madrid on schedule. However, as we approached the continent a fix off Ploneis Consol beacon showed us considerably behind flight plan. I told the passengers over the P. A. system of this and later went back to talk to them personally. The Spanish Ambassador to the United States was on the flight and he told me that he had not seen his wife for many days and he asked me if I would use extra power so he could see his wife sooner. I told him that I was already using maximum allowable cruise power and if I used anymore I would have to take a trip out to Idlewild to explain why I used more power. When we landed at Barajas, we passed quickly through customs and then when we went outside to wait for transportation to the Hilton Castellano, we passed the passenger exit area. The Spanish Ambassador spotted us and came over toward us and said, "Captain, I want you to meet my wife." She was standing beside her husband, smiling at me. I looked at her closely and knew that she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I bowed to her and then said, "Ambassador, if I had known your wife was as beautiful as this woman is, I would have used much more power so we could have arrived much sooner!" Passengers who had heard my conversation with the Ambassador in the cabin also heard this and laughed. Gene GENE, YOU OLD ROGUE! Napa. CA

DONALD DORMAN

Dear Dick, Enclosed are dues for 1997. I am an Eagle but as long as I am able I'll pay dues. I appreciate all the hard work put in by you fellows that get the TARPA TOPICS out and I really enjoy the magazine. The best to all of you . Dick Litchfield Park. AZ

GENE EXUM

Dear Dick, I know I am over 75 but you guys do such good work. I'll pay dues. Hope to make ABQ. I missed others from supporting Mayo's past 3 years. keep the good work going, Gene MORE EAGLES HEARD FROM ... THANKS DON ... THANKS GENE. AND I HOPE TO SEE YOU BOTH IN ABQ!

PAGE 42 ... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

GRAPEVINE (cont'd) HARRY F. CLARK

2360 LAKE MARIE DRIVE SANTA MARIA, CA 93455-5 71 0

November 21, 1996

Capt. Richard A. Davis TARPA Secretary/Treasurer 449 Santa Fe Drive, #200 Encinitas, CA 92024

Dear Dick: I just received the TARPA TOPICS in the mail today and instead of reading first and paying later I decided to pay first and read later--so enclosed is my check for `97 dues. I guess as an Eagle I don't have to pay, but I am more than happy to continue as long as the bank account holds out and I can remember to pay--and I think the money will last longer than my memory. The BOS shindig was great!!! Saw many old friends, didn't get lost in the MTA, saw a rock somebody planted at Plimoth--that didn't grow--had an opportunity to fill up on scrod and other varieties, and even had dinner at Durgin Park. A good time was had by Lee and I. Again, thanks to you and all of the officers and committees that make TARPA go!! All too often we take the results of your efforts for granted and don't bother to express our appreciation. All that have contributed to the effort can be proud of the results. Best regards to all,

Harry F. Clark encl: `97 dues

PAGE 43 ... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

GRAPEVINE (cont'd)

DAVE RICHWINE

Seneca. SC

Hank. I think you will find this picture interesting. It shows the late Chris Carper at the age of 14 (circa 1928) flying his home made glider. At first blush you might ask "Who took the picture?" Answer: Chris had rigged a little Brownie box camera on the left wing and operated it with a string and pulley arrangement. You can make out his left hand having just pulled the string. Also note the shirt and tie ... must have been Sunday after church. Dave Thanks Dave. I think it is absolutely fantastic. A tribute not only to an intensive eagerness to fly, but equally to the inventiveness (sic) of Chris Carper. It looks as if one of the aircraft on the ground could be a Curtiss Robin. I remember building 10 cent flying models of the Robin and they were introduced in 1927 or thereabouts. Note also a couple of autos on the "interstate." One could be a 1927 Essex and another a Model "A" Ford coupe. With a rumble seat! Midland. TX

DOROTHY RUSH

Dear Phil, Thank you for the information about my old boss becoming an "EAGLE". I phoned to congratulate him. Are congratulations when we get to that age - I wonder? Anyway, we laughed about it and I must add, I have him thinking about going to TARPA conventions. I really enjoy belonging to TARPA and getting all the news and other information in the magazine. It is really a great publication and I congratulate your organization. Sincerely,

Dorothy was a former secretary of Captain Ed Frankum as well as past president of TWA Seniors. She is a new TARPA subscriber and plans to be at ABQ in September. I also welcome Dorothy to the ranks of TARPANS and look forward to seeing her in September. Hopefully with her old boss ... and mine.

PAGE 44 ... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

GRAPEVINE (coned)

CHARLES V. DOBRESCU 1802 E. Augusta Avenue Phoenix, Arizona 85020 (602) 944-7909

January 20, 1997 Dear Dick: Time really does fly! I have been retired for ten (10) years and I must confess that I have enjoyed and continue to enjoy every minute of it. I don't miss the new era of Airline 8S that is so pervasive throughout the industry, but do miss the camarad erie of my old flying buddies. Being busy and sharing good times with family and friends is the secret to a happy and fruitful retirement. Fortunately, I enjoy good health that keeps me involved in time-consuming controversial subjects and crusading causes. Dick, my brain must be gathering cobwebs, for when I went to check my dues record I was mortified to discover that the commemorative cover you sent me last year, for which I am most grateful, was never acknowledged. Please accept my apologies for being so unintentionally neglectful. If my Mom were alive, I would never have heard the end of my social indiscretion. Thanks for your thoughtfulness. Your May 19, 1988, San Diego Commemorative Cover with its Brown Field Station cancellation, is now a part of my aviation commemorative cover collection which documents some of the greatest epics in aviation history. Special kudos to all the Officers, Directors and Committee Chairman of TARPA for producing TARPA TOPICS - the creme de la creme of all similar publications! Fraternally yours,

Charles Dobrescu

PAGE 45 ... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

GRAPEVINE (cont'd)

A. T. Humbles 645 Pungo Shores Drive Bethaven, NC 27810 919 964 4655

1 February 1997 Dear Hank, in this day of political correctness I wonder if I should address you with dear Hank as it may mean that we are more than just casual friends. Our country has gone crazy. Thought maybe the following might be of interest and furnish some laughs among the members of TARPA. I was an ALPA Council chairman for over 10 years mainly serving little old Newark Council 110 and also New York International Council 24. Also served on many local and national committees. I would say that ninety percent of those unpaid volunteers doing ALPA work are really dedicated to serving their fellowman and I made some lifelong friends. Back when the jets were first coming on the scene I was at an ALPA Master Executive Council meeting representing little old Newark. A man had come on the MEC who was real senior and chairman of the Los Angeles ALPA council. He was number 34 on the TWA seniority list and I think he had it tattooed on his forehead and it seared all the way through to his brain. Anyway he came on the MEC with the apparent idea junior was out to screw senior and was he ever senior. Referred to himself once as a tall tree among bushes. He had just checked out on the Boeing 707 being one of the first. He had been a high school history teacher in Wichita, Kansas, and with perfect diction he made quite a speech about all the difficulties our new jet pilots were encountering and then proceeded to introduce a resolution. He had a lot of wherases and finally got to the meat of the resolution which said ALPA should make every effort to obtain ILS systems at every jet airport upwind, downwind, sidewind or what have you. Then he waited in anticipation of a seconder to his resolution. At my side was the co-pilot representative of Newark, Lew Burkhardt, who had seen service in the Navy and also with considerable experience flying jets in the Air Force but at the ti me we were flying Martin 404's and 202's. Lew said, "And may we Martin pilots use it too ?" which brought down the house in laughter and even Phares joined in.. Mac went on to become a valuable member of the MEC willing to weigh every side and make fair decisions for the good of everyone. I gained a lot of respect for Phares McFerren and I think he did for me. His nephew flew with me some years later who by now is probably another retired TWA Captain and who was a champion golfer. Yours,

PAGE 46 ... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

GRAPEVINE (cont'd)

WARREN C CROWDER Memphis

. TN

Dear Dick; Thanks so much for the TARPA directory and the TARPA TOPICS. I am enclosing my dues to join. I have thought about joining long before now, but guess I just procrastinated over the past years. I've been retired 18 years last January 1st. and will be 75 Nov 8, 1996---never thought I'd live this long. I' m still hale and hearty. I Square Dance two or three times a week, also travel to Festivals and Conventions. May have to slow down, someday! I have been going up to Mt. View, AR. this year and joining groups around the courthouse on weekends playing music. During the Folk Festival back in April, I'll bet there were two thousand people around town, either playing instruments or sitting around listening. Everyone brings their lawn chairs. So this year, I took my Martin D-18 and Harmonicas and had a ball. I'm going back for the "Bean Fest" and "Outhouse Races" in October. Now, that should be a blast. I also do a little trout fishing around that area. I usually go to the Confederate Air Force Air Sho's but not this year---too many other things going on. Seems I never have enough time to do all the things I want to do. I hope you can decipher the application. I was a Flight Engineer with Chicago & Southern Air Lines until after the merger with Delta. I resigned and joined TWA in Nov. 1953. I was already checked out on TWA's Connies, because of the equipment interchange at STL to Houston. We were out of school and flying the line in two months. There were nine C&S engineers in the class. Two has Gone West. I owned a Piper Cruiser in KC and traded for a Tripacer in '56. I got my Commercial Pilot's License in that airplane. When all the Union fight took place back in '62, I was in a little better position than some of the others. I checked out on the 707 the first part of '63, and stayed on them Ill retirement Jan. 1,1978. I did check out as IRO, but could not hold a bid flight, so I let my qualifications expire, and kept flying as Flight Engineer. Incidently, I was two years too old to move up to the front seats! But I enjoyed the 24 years I flew with TWA. Excuse the long windedness, but thought I'd catch you up with what I'd been up to. Thanks again. Sincerely, 5718 Quince Rd. Apt. 7 Memphis, TN 38119 Ph. 901-767-4892 Welcome to the club Warren. I especially like your `camera ready' and very newsy letters about your retirement activities. THAT's what the GRAPEVINE is all about ... I hope!

PAGE 47 ... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

GRAPEVINE (coned)

RICHARD ANDERSON

1000 Oaks. CA

Dear Hank, Thanks for your telephone call asking me if I wanted a note of my wife's passing in the GRAPEVINE. On January 20, 1997 my wife of 51 years, Jean Anderson passed away. Jean was a former hostess and a member of Clipped Wings. A note in TARPA will let our many friends know of our loss. Death was due to ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). R F Anderson JIM DE VEUVE

Phoenix. AZ

Dear Hank, Just a short note to let you know that Captain `Ned' Chrisman died on March 22, 1997. The funeral was on March 25th, Jim De Veuve Thanks Richard ... and Jim. As I have said before, the very worse part of this job is reporting the death of a spouse, a family member, or another TWA pilot. Still, I consider it necessary because I am sure there are friends of Jean Anderson and of Ned Chrisman who are not yet aware of their death.

PHIL SCHULZ

Ponte Vedra Beach. FL

Dear Dick, We have moved to Florida ... and we did like TWA did way back when ... to find out if we like it. After the move there was my heart attack followed by bypass surgery. It was a hard way to lose weight (25 pounds) but we really like it here. Much better than southern California. I mailed a change of address but here it is again: 141 Deer Cove Drive Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 Tel: 904-273-5059 Best regards,

I sent a copy of your comments re: Florida to the Southern California Chamber of Commerce Phil. Only kidding! The reason I printed your letter was because there is still more than a year until the next TARPA Directory comes out and we want to be sure your golf buddies know where you went to ... don't we. I spent quite a lotta time in Ponte Vedra Beach back about 1944 ... look for a little blonde named Mary Lavonne. (I do like those southern girls ... before they can say, "no!" they're saying, "thank you").

PAGE 48... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

GRAPEVINE (cont'd)

November 27, 1996

Captain Richard Davis TARPA Secretary/Treasurer Encinitas, California 92024 Dear Captain Davis, It is dues time again, and I cannot just enclose a check without letting you know how much we enjoy each issue of TARPA TOPICS. The new format is very professional and your featured writers always have something of great interest to us. TWA's 50th anniversary and our Golden anniversary came during the same year and so we could reminisce about both our 50 years and the 50th anniversary of TWA. In March of 1946, Helen (Nagy . ) and I had her third trip on international and my fourth trip on cammercial flights. I had flown ICD for four years prior to that, so it was not new to me. Our crew was delayed and over-flown so that we got no farther than Shannon and return in a week. We were married in May, 1946 and that was the end of Helen's career as a flight attendent. We have watched TWA through its ups and downs and when we went from ZDX to TPA and return last April, we could see first-hand the spirit which was so strong among all of the employees to have the best air line in the business. Since then, have had two trips on UAL and truly notice the difference in attitude and service. We surely hope that the spirit which we saw will turn the tables. We noticed that TW has a mixture of ages in the flight attendent group and all ages worked together well and gave exceptional service. We look forward to the arrival of TARPA TOPICS every fourth month and I would not know where to start to pick the best feature. Of course, we are interested in people of our age, but there are fewer and fewer of us around. Bob Garrett's column is very interesting, and even though we are doing well in the health department, we get some good points from his writing. The reports of the conventions and tours also interest us, but we never seem to be able to attend them. Air travel has become so hectic that we enjoy driving trips very much and there is still plenty in the Northwest to see and enjoy. We hope that all have a very prosperous and enjoyable 1997. We don't know whether we will be around to cross the bridge to 2100, but I am sure that it will be a tollbridge. Keep up the good work. Your publication makes our days with each issue. Sincerely, Bob Kilian

PAGE 49 ... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

GRAPEVINE (cont'd)

One thing about doing the GRAPEVINE. It does make a couple of weeks hasten by. It is now Calendar Memorial Day. The two weeks since I started assembling the GV for this issue have hurried by almost as fast as the 73+ years I've been on this planet. Memorial Day! I expect we all have friends who passed away during the several wars we have all experienced. That is, other than our many TWA friends who have flown west. Some while on duty and others after they retired. For me a few of the non-TWA ones are Bob Gibson, a 19 year old Ensign who died on his partially open parachute in the Atlantic. And Charlie Johnson, who dove an SB2C into the Marianas Trench off Saipan. The deepest part of any ocean in the world. Sometimes I wonder what Bob or Charlie would have done had they survived. And sometimes I think, "It might have been me!" Enough reminiscing though ... there's no erasing yesterday's pages. In the March TOPICS, the three inverted F2B-1's in tight inverted formation remind me of a poster I see at my local car wash. A poster with the Blue Angels climbing vertically in even closer proximity. The poster is captioned, "You CAN'T Do THIS ON DRUGS." Now I'm not given to writing on posters, nor am I totally familiar with the la-la land drug usage lets one visit, but when I saw this poster, I had an uncontrollable urge to write on it. Therefore, to quell this urge I will reprint the three Sea Hawks in formation and then relieve that urge by writing my comments on it! Aaaah! That does feel better! The latest news flash one day last week was re: 1 ST Lieutenant Kelly Flinn and her problems. I heard she signed to do a book as well as a movie about her travails. I find myself wondering if the old WW2 lines from Frederic Wakeman's 1942 novel, "Shore Leave" " might not make a good title! Those lines were, "THERE I WAS, ON MY BACK AT 30,000 FEET! Enough already Hank. Time to start packing for Albuquerque ... I love writing the word Albuquerque! The `spell checker' on my computer is slowly going nuts looking for a replacement word. I also cause it traumatic revulsion with, "helluva," and sometimes when I want `way' to be a loooonnnng way I write, "waaaaaay." Poor spell checker.

PAGE 50 ... TARPA TOPICS.... JULY, 1997

LONG TERM HEALTH CARE - Hal Miller

During the past few years there has been enough information published for us to be able to review and make educated judgments regarding the health care options best suited for our individual needs. However, there is one aspect of health care that has not received sufficient attention, and that is long term care. In the Norman Rockwell type of sitcom fantasy, elderly parents move in with their children as an extended family when they are no longer able to live independently. Grandma teaches the granddaughters how to make her favorite cookies and Gramps regales the grandchildren with exciting stories about his life experiences. In reality, Mrs. Fields makes better cookies and 30 minutes of TV Star Trek is probably more exciting than anything you remember during your 30 years of flying the line. As much as our children may love us, most of them are not prepared emotionally, physically or logistically to care for aging parents who eventually will require full time care. They have careers and other interests that make it impossible to assume this burden There are, however, solutions other than dialing 1-800-DOCTOR K. It is best to review these options before you are required by necessity to make an important decision. There are retirement communities that will provide varying degrees of care until you die and, of course, there are home care and nursing home facilities. Long term care insurance policies have been available for a number of years and I strongly urge you to read the September 1995 issue of CONSUMER REPORTS. This issue should be available in your library and is required reading before any decision is made. elderly people, anticipating nursing home care, would spin down their estates either by gifts or establishing trusts, in order to qualify for MEDICAID paying for the nursing home. The Kennedy-Kassenbaum Health Care Reform Bill, effective Jan. 1, 1997, made it a crime to do this. Their rationale was that this method was similar to the old joke about the man who murdered his parents and then threw himself on the mercy of court pleading that he was an orphan. There are attempts being made in Congress to revoke this punitive clause but given the current mood of this Congress I do not think it will be changed in the near future, if at all. It would be advisable to check with your attorney or estate planner to determine whether your current estate plans could be challenged. One positive aspect of this Bill is that for the first time there are specific guidelines controlling the nursing home plans that can be offered for sale.

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As in all health or life insurance plans, the rates are directly related to the age of the applicant, and therefore, it is important to sign up as early as possible. You are aware that AARP, ALPA and various other organizations offer group policies. I have investigated policies offered by various companies and have come to the firm conclusion that long term care policies should not be purchased by mail. There are too many variables and individual requirements that would make it imprudent for you to purchase a policy by checking off boxes in an application, and mailing it off with your check. I believe that it is absolutely essential to have a face-to-face interview with an insurance agent who can review your requirements, finances and the cost of local facilities, and recommend the best policy for YOU. I have found that different companies have different standards for acceptance of "previous conditions." And we know that at our tender ages we all have some form of "previous conditions." What may not be acceptable to one company may be acceptable to another. I would suggest using an agent who specializes in long term care policies and can shop around for you. Rates do vary and spousal discounts are available from some companies. Your local auto or homeowners agent may claim he can get a policy for you but be wary. If you have any further questions do not hesitate to either write or call me. Hal Miller 17 Glengary Road Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520 914-271-4964

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IN MEMORY OF CAPTAIN RICHARD BECK AUGUST 3, 1914 - JANUARY 7, 1997

IN MEMORY OF F/E JOHN SEWARD AUGUST 5, 1930 - APRIL 28, 1997

IN MEMORY OF CAPTAIN ALFRED MAC KRILLE JUNE 19, 1911 - FEBRUARY 18, 1997

IN MEMORY OF CAPTAIN EDMUND CHRISMAN OCTOBER 3, 1921 - MARCH 22, 1997

IN MEMORY OF CAPTAIN JOHN LAKIN AUGUST 8, 1928 - DECEMBER 27. 1996

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IN MEMORY OF CAPTAIN CHRIS (NORWOOD G.) CARPER JULY 27, 1914 - MARCH 22, 1997 ADVENTURESOME SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN Adventurer, aviator, entrepreneur, musician, family man, churchman, patriot, leader, craftsman and story teller par excellence are all terms that help describe Chris and the kind of life he led. It could be successfully argued that many of the above descriptions could be applied to more than one of his contemporaries. However, Chris's demeanor was always that of a true Southern gentleman, tending to set him just a little bit apart from some of the rest of our brotherhood. Even the somewhat earthy environment and vagaries of the flying business and military life failed to erode his genteel qualities which sometimes belied his many strengths. Chris was born in Boone's Mill, Virginia on July 27th, 1914 and attended school in Roanoke. At the age of 14, he built and flew his own glider. At 16, he soloed a WACO 10. Following a stint at Roanoke College, Chris enrolled in a two year course at Parks Air College in St. Louis, Missouri. Upon graduation, he headed for California in his own plane to seek his fortune in a budding industry. His career, like that of many other pilots of that era, led him from one job to another for varying lengths of time and afforded him an opportunity to fly a wide variety of equipment of the day. His first real job was in 1935-36 with the CHARLIE MILLER COASTAL AIR FREIGHT COMPANY flying from Burbank to San Francisco. In 1937 he flew for HANFORD AIRLINES and 1939 found him with another new airline, MARQUETTE, in Detroit. In 1940 he came to TWA when those two airlines merged, and checked out as Captain in 1941. Following his tour of duty with the Army Air Force (ATC) during WWII, he returned to TWA as Lieutenant Colonel in 1945 to fulfill his lifelong ambition which was to be an airline Captain. He was proud of his profession and stayed with it until retirement. During his career with TWA, Chris served as a check pilot, instructor in the training department, and with the TWA contingent which trained the LUFTHANSA pilots during that airline's early development. He spent many years on the Board of Directors of the TWA Club Credit Union, at one time serving as President. He also served his brother pilots well as Chairman of Local Council Three in Kansas City, City, TWA MEC Chairman, and ALPA Regional Vice President. He was, indeed, a credit to his profession.

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In retirement, he pursued his first love by flying his Cessna 175 for a number of years. His other hobbies included music, old movies, and home maintenance and repairs. He was a fine amateur organist and spent many hours playing the beautiful Allen organ in his home for his own enjoyment as well as for that of friends. He had a large collection of old movies and was a real Laurel an Hardy buff. He was a meticulous craftsman and would tackle almost anything that needed fixing. He had a collection of tools and equipment that some of us likeminded souls dream about and he used them well, not only for himself, but in service to others. An Elder in the Presbyterian Church USA, he gave freely of his time to the church and also spent a number of years in Boy Scouting. He served on the Board of Directors for the Gillis Home for Boys as well as the Kansas City Youth Symphony. He was a QB, member of the OX-5 Club, personal business interests being the co-founder and president of the Frontier Land Development Corporation and senior partner in the Sycamore Springs Camp. Chris leaves his wife of 56 years, Mary Jane C. Carper, two sons, James and John Carper, daughter Cherie Carper Miles, and seven grandchildren. He was one of my oldest and closest friend, our relationship spanning some 57 years, and was as near to being a brother as anyone I have ever known. We were, in fact, chronological twins - born the same day, same month, same year. Like his devoted family and others who knew him well, I will miss him. by Dave Richwine

IN MEMORY OF F/E A.O. "ANDY" BEATON SEPTEMBER 6, 1913 - MARCH 13, 1997 .0. "Andy " Beaton, 83, Roeland Park, Kansas was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He retired in 1973 as a Flight Engineer after having spent 41 years with TWA. I flew with Andy quite a bit in the Connie days and had some interesting trips. I enjoyed him immensely. by Bud Powell IN MEMORY OF GORDON R. "PARKY" PARKINSON FEBRUARY 11, 1908 - APRIL 27, 1997 Parky" was born in Topeka, but lived in Kansas City since 1931. He started with TAT, Transcontinental Air Transport in 1929 as a meteorologist. He later became a dispatcher and then Manager of Operational Planning. "Parky" was an Honorary Member of TARPA and a worthy holder of the title "Mr. TWA". He helped start the TWA Credit Union, the Employees Club, the Management Club, and the TWA Seniors Club. "Parky" and his TWA red outfit will be missed.

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TV MEMORY OP CAPTAIN ALVIN M. LUSK MAY 2, 1918 - MAY 2, 1997

Al Lusk could best be described as a "Prince Among Men". He was born near Franklin, Indiana graduating with honors from both Franklin High School and Franklin College. He was president of the SAE Fraternity, Interfraternity Council and editor of the year book. His career in aviation began when he entered the Army Air Corps as a flying cadet in October, 1940 and commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant at Kelly Field, Texas in May, 1941. Prior to the start of World War II, he flew B-17's on anti-submarine patrol out of Newfoundland. He also wrote a training manual for the B-24. During the war, he flew 15 combat missions as command pilot 2nd Air Division, Eighth Air Force. Major Lusk was honorably discharged in December, 1945. In February, 1946, Al joined TWA as a pilot and spent 32 years doing what he loved, while earning the respect, admiration and love of his peers and co-workers. He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Mary, a former TWA Hostess: daughters, Lt Col. Karen Kaylor, Kathy Dennison, and Anita Lusk; and granddaughters Tess and Alena Dennison. by Mary Lusk & Bob W

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IN MEMORY OF CAPTAIN RICHARD R. COLBURN "INSTRUCTOR PILOT" SEPTEMBER 21, 1916 - FEBRUARY 3, 1997 Dick entered Randolph Field in February 1939 and after ten months, he was assigned as a Flight Instructor until he left the Army in August 1940 and was hired by TWA as a co-pilot where he spent five days a week instructing ground school and the weekends flying trips as a Co-Pilot. In February 1942 he and twenty four other pilots formed the nucleus of I.C.D. flying Boeing Stratoliners to Africa and India. He left this in June 1942 to rejoin the Army in Sebring, Florida as an instructor on B-17's. Later Dick became C.O. of the 75th Transport Squadron at Homestead, Florida. In the Fall of 1943 he was transferred again to the 2nd Air Force as President of the B-29 Flight Standardization Board. In August 1945 Dick left the Army and returned to TWA along with classmate Paul Payne. For the next thirty-one years he flew and instructed in the DC-3, DC-4, Martin 202 and 404, Convair 340 and 440, all Constellation models, and the Boeing 707 and 747. In 1947 Dick was sent to Iran by TWA as an instructor to the Shah, checking him out on a plush B-17 that the Shah had purchased from TWA. In 1956 through 1958 he and twenty other TWA pilots were sent to Lufthansa as instructors and check pilots. From 1969 until he retired in September 1976, he finally got away from instructing and checking, and thoroughly enjoyed flying TWA overseas' routes. Dick and his lovely wife Georgia have been my good and close friends for many years since becoming neighbors in the Bahamas and then shortly before Dick's death, in the mountains of North Carolina. He was an avid golfer, a Pilot's Pilot and a Friend to many. He will be missed. by Landis (Capt. F.L) Smith

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MEMORY OF CAPTAIN GORDON JENNINGS SEPTEMBER 15, 1938 - DECEMBER 28, 1996 Gordon was born in Lachine, Quebec on September 15, 1938. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1957 as an Officer Cadet. He trained on the T-6 in Penhold, Alberta then on the T-33 jet trainer in Gimli, Manitoba, where he received his wings. He then went on to train on the F-86 Sabre in Moncton, N.B. In may 1959 upon completion of his training, he married his childhood sweetheart, Suzanne Charland, in Dorval, Quebec. They went to Germany together where Gordon was stationed at Baden-Soellingen with the 422 Squadron, of the 4-f Wing. He served there until January 1963. Then he was sent to Penhold, Alberta and instructed on the T-6. In September 1964, Gordon joined TWA. He was stationed in Newark and flew Constellations and the 727 and soon after became Captain qualified. He flew First Officer on the 707 and 747 on International, which is where I first met him. His quick smile and ready laugh made him a pleasure to fly with. We enjoyed taking our wives with us, and bid for the long layovers. The five day Milan one, was a favorite. We would take the train to Venice! He was named First Officer of the Year in 1982. I totally agreed. Gordon flew as Captain on the L1011 from March 1989 until his retirement in October 1992. The family had grown up and he and Suzanne enjoyed their retirement years traveling between their two homes in New Hampshire and Arizona. Gordon was a Lector and Eucharistic Minister for many years in his parish church of our Lady of the Lakes, in Lakeport, N.H. He was also the founder of the church's Men's Association. He was a willing volunteer in many endeavors and will be sorely missed by his many friends. He is survived by his wife Suzanne, a son Patrick, and three daughters by Lew Judd Louise,Elyzabeth, and Kathleen. One grandchild, Haley.

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IN MEMORY OP CAPTAIN EUGENE "GENE" L. SCHNEBELT AUGUST 8, 1931 - APRIL 12, 1997 Gene's time on earth took him on a remarkable journey of life filled with adventures in the skies and on the seas. He had an ardent love of family and a respect for true friendship He grew up in Dexter, Mich. where, as the eighth of nine children, he worked in the family bakery. He had a penchant for football and was the high school quarterback. The desire to fly airplanes tugged at Gene since childhood. He started to fly at age 14, washing airplanes to pay for flying lessons. He pursued this life long passion for flying as a naval aviator, earning his Wings of Gold in 1953. Gene flew nine types of military aircraft and completed his eight-year Navy career as a LCDR in service to his country. As a 22-year-old Ensign, his F7-U Cutlass, twin engine, supersonic jet crashed aboard the USS Eisenhower, when its 13-foot nose gear collapsed. He was pulled from the fighter with a broken back. Gene was a victim of the plane that became known in the fleet as "The Ensign Eliminator." During his six-month recovery at Portsmouth Naval Hospital, Va., he met a young Air Force fighter pilot by the name of Bob Sollmann, who was also recuperating from a plane crash. They both recovered against all odds and would meet again, as pilots for Trans World Airlines. Gene returned to the cockpit as a pilot for TWA in 1956. He flew captain on the L-1049, B-707, B-727, DC-9, L-1011 and B-747. He was based in Detroit, Kansas City, Los Angeles and New York. He retired from JFK-I on the B-747 in 1991 after a 35-year career.

"After 35 years, I feel good about my career. If I am to be remembered, I would like it to be as one of the best pilots." E.L. Schnebelt

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Gene was an avid deep-sea fisherman and sailor and enjoyed those sports in the Gulf of Mexico and in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. For more than 25 years, he savored tropical island living in Florida at Siesta Key, near Sarasota, Marco Island near Naples and Cudjoe Key in the lower Florida Keys, as well as in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island. In later years he had a zest for the west and the Teton Mountains of Jackson Hole, Wyo. where died. Among his many talents, Gene was a fine finish carpenter, could repair just about anything mechanical or electrical and majored in math at Eastern Michigan University. He fulfilled his appreciation of music through barber shop singing and he was a voracious reader. Gene shared the bond of flying with his wife of 18 years, Jane Squires; he in the cockpit, she in the cabin as a TWA Flight Attendant. Their love spanned the globe in their travels. Their life together was one of devotion and team work. Gene was a good man and a gentleman. "When you are up there flying, looking down on the beauty of earth, you don't see all the problems of the system. In the poem High Flight, there is a phrase ...it says, 'I put out my E.L. Schnebelt hand and touched the face of God' That's just how it feels sometimes."

Among his numerous affiliations, Gene was a member of the American Legion Post 557 in Dexter, Mich., The Yankee Air Forcer, Save-A-Connie, Inc., The Quiet Birdmen, The Association of Naval Aviation, TARPA, United States Power Squadrons, and S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A. (The Society for the Preservation an Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America.) Gene revered the role that aircraft played in history, be it military or commercial transport. He regarded their preservation as a valued legacy. He was a member of two all-volunteer organizations devoted to assuring the future of aviation's past. by Jane Schnebelt

IN MEMORY OF CAPTAIN ANDREW A. MCILWRAITH NOVEMBER 23, 1996 Captain Mcllwraith was a pioneer in the early days of aviation and a member of the OX-5 Club. He was a native of Aurora, Illinois and flew out of the Chicago domicile of TWA for many years. He was also a member of the Air Line Pilots Association, a former Rotarian, Council Lodge #13 F & AM. Scottish Rite, and the Al Sihah Temple. Following retirement, he and his his family settled in Americus, Georgia where he flew for the Georgia Forestry Commission for 14 years. He is survived by his wife Rubye and his daughter Patricia and two sons, John and Drew and five grandchildren.

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DECISIONS

DECISIONS ??? R. C. Sherman*

Do you make logical decisions based on the laws of probability? Making a myriad of decisions on every flight was part of every pilots working career, and I'm sure that every one was considered to be the logical one at the time. Here are four situations farthest from flying, each with only two choices. What are your decisions? Select your answer to each proposal then turn the page to learn of the choices made by others who were asked these questions. Their choices and some commentary may surprise you. I.

You are offered the following two choices to increase your net worth: A. Choose an 80% chance of winning $4000, with a 20% chance of winning nothing, or B. Receiving $3000. for certain.

II.

You are offered the following two choices to preserve your net worth: A. Choose an 80% chance of losing $4000. and a 20% chance of losing nothing, or B. The 100% chance of losing $3000.

III. A rare disease has just broken out in your isolated community and is expected to kill 600 people. The town doctor advises there are two inoculation programs are available to deal with this threat. As the Mayor, you must choose Program A. or B. without further delay. The doctor explains the outcome as: A. Will save 200 people; B. There is a 33% probability that all will be saved, but a 67% probability that none will be saved

IV. The same rare disease has broken out in another town. This Mayor has to choose Program A. or B. The doctor explains the outcome as: A. 400 of the 600 will die; B. There is a 33% probability that no one will die, but 67% probability that all 600 will die. * From experiments as told by Peter L. Bernstein in, "Against The Gods", The remarkable story of risk. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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DECISIONS

DECISIONS ... as made by others.

I A. This is the risky choice but has a mathematical expectation of a greater outcome; nevertheless, 87째o chose B., the certainty of $3000.. When it came to taking a chance on winning more (S4000), most of them were risk-adverse. g II This is the same problem with the same odds, but couched in terms of losin instead of winning. This time 92% chose A., the gamble of losing less, although the mathematical expectation is a greater loss. When it comes to losses, most were risk-seekers.

III If you are risk adverse, you will be with the 72% that chose A.. saving 200. Apparently they would not take the risk that everyone could die. But wait: IV This is the same problem with the same odds , but couched in opposite terms. Faced with 400 sure to die, 78% chose B., the risky option. "Saving 200" (option A.) left unsaid that 400 would die, because the focus was on saving 200. The difference in all of the proposals is in the wording, not the odds. In these four examples at least, people do NOT make logical decisions as defined by the odds of probability. Therein lies the impossibility of forecasting the outcome of any enterprise that depends on the decisions of a diverse group of people; e.g. the financial markets. Much depends on how proposals are worded, or perceived , the more so when the odds are not lopsided. "Presentation" is at the core of marketing, R.C.S advertising , polling and anything that offers choices.

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THE THIRD MOVEMENT (PIZZICATO) FROM TCHAIKOVSKY'S 4th SYMPHONY and THE MONKEY by CHARLIE "BLACK DOG" DAVIS "Brahms?" First Officer Chris Hughes peered uncertainly at Captain Keith Gregory who nodded and held up one finger. "First Symphony?" Chris queried. Captain Gregory nodded and two more fingers shot up. "Third movement," Chris said. "Got it. " Chris had flown with every captain in the domicile and had discovered, early on, that their cockpit personalities were nearly all alike. Visiting consisted of touching briefly, or at great length, on most subjects. Airline gossip came first. Politics, hobbies, family, residence and locale (I've only got six more payments), sex (subtle and not so subtle) and the weather were discussed at random. There were, however, notable exceptions. The ones who confounded Chris the most were those who never said anything except to respond to the check list and only grunted or nodded when spoken to. He always wondered what their minds were up to during the interminable hours of a long transoceanic flight. At first he had made the mistake of trying to sound out these individuals with an opening statement or a question. An impatient "What? " was usually the retort and he had given up on the effort long ago. One captain was a radio "ham" and fiddled constantly with the frequencies in an effort to raise fellow operators. Another captain came aboard with the latest issue of Time and read it for eleven days. Chris had said, "I'm next." and the captain, somewhat apologetically, said, "Oh, I won ' t finish it until we get home" I read it carefully and thoroughly. Study it like a text. Some meaningful passages I try to memorize." One month Chris ended up on a flight with a new captain and upon entering the cockpit was asked, 'Do you harmonize?" It was an all night time flight and Chris had missed his nap and without thinking, said, "No, and it has to be the worst form of vocal music." There was dead silence and it lasted forever. Later, the engineer belatedly informed him that harmonizing in the cockpit was the captain's thing and he expected all of his first officers to enthusiastically join in. As far as Chris was concerned Captain Keith Gregory was the exceptional exception. To pass the time he hummed classical music and has a vast repertoire since his parents were music teachers and he was tutored at the piano during his youth and gave many recitals. Nearly all of the copilots are familiar with his habit and tolerate it even though melodic strains of that nature are not popular in the cockpit. However, the whine of the jet engines lowers the decibels considerably, though occasionally, when a crescendo is in the making, the cockpit can become vibrato. Copilots who fly with him regularly are soon acquainted with serious music. "Brahms?"

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Since the flight engineer's station is farther back he is spared most of these renditions. Nevertheless, a forceful section of a work may require an extra effort from the captain, particularly the Pizzicato movement from Tchaikovsky's 4th Symphony. It is nearly all "plucking" of violin strings and this ranges from barely audible to vast surges of loud, abrupt, staccato emphasis. Concerts are mostly given at night and the captain always explains to his copilot that the darkness enhances the tempo of his selections. Bill Smith, an old-time flight engineer is assigned to Chris' flight and it is his first trip with Captain Gregory therefore he is unaware of any auditory stimulation in the cockpit. Conscientious and totally involved with the technical performance of the aircraft he rarely visits with crew members while aloft, preferring to keep his ears tuned to the steady whine of the jet engines. The captain concludes the final strains of the second movement from Tchaikovsky's 4th and taking a deep breath embarks on the Pizzicato. A minute goes by and Bill stiffens, cocks an ear, and look intently at the gauges. Captain Gregory is giving a vigorous performance and the "plucks" that require emphasis literally snap. Bill goes back to the cabin and shortly, a hostess appears. "Is there something wrong with one of the engines? He's getting people out of their seats and shining a flashlight on the wings." Captain Gregory shakes his head and continues to hum. The engineer comes back wearing a frown and eyes his panel. Later, after Debussy, Chris requests a repeat of the Pizzicato because he is about to fall asleep and the "vigorous performance" will energize him. The captain puts his all into it and Bill, who is about to return to the cabin, hesitates and leans toward the front of the cockpit and says, "Is that you making that noise?" Captain Gregory nods, not missing a beat. Bill flounces down in his seat and says, "Jesus Christ! " Chris turns to him and says, "Pizzicato movement." The layover is in Hong Kong and Captain Gregory buys a monkey that when wound up claps two cymbals together and lets out a squawk. It's in a box and he places it in the cockpit behind his seat. In the middle of the night the flight encounters turbulence and the monkey, not being completely unwound, begins to perform. Bill, unaware of the contents, grabs the fire ax and swinging it over his head, aims it at the box. The captain lets out a cry and yells, "It's my monkey! It's my monkey!" Bill turns and aims the ax at the captain. Chris lets out a frantic, "Hold it! Hold it! That's a toy monkey in the box! Captain Gregory bought it in Hong Kong!" Bill stows the ax muttering something about, "I'm not biddin' this damn flight again." and the cockpit begins to settle down. A week later Captain Gregory is summoned to the chief pilot's office and informed that Flight Engineer Bill Smith has filed a complaint with his union head stating that the "noises" in the cockpit are disrupting and even nerve-racking. The chief pilot tells the captain to make sure, in the future, that his monkey is unwound. "And what is this other racket he's complaining about?" "Well," Captain Gregory replies, hesitantly. "Do you really want to know?" "I have to know," the chief pilot says. Captain Gregory produces a rapid series of "plucks", the first one barely audible and the last one loud and brisk. The chief pilot, startled, lurches halfway out of his seat and says, "You can keep that one unwound too!"

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A HOLE IN ONE by Lew Judd TWA Flight 840, a Convair 880, had just arrived at the Pittsburgh airport terminal. As I got up from my flight engineer's seat after shutting down the engines, the captain asked, "Lew, do you have an extra pair of uniform pants with you? " Wondering how his 5'6" frame would fit into my 36" x 36" trousers, I replied: "Gosh, no, Charlie, these are the only ones I have." "That's too bad," he said with a straight face,"Because the whole ass end of yours is still in the seat." Horrified, I looked down and, sure enough, the entire pant seat remained in the chair. We had just completed the first leg of a three day trip, with scheduled stops at Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Chicago, and Columbus before returning to Idlewild Airport in New York. It was summer and the weather was sunny and hot. What was I to do? Part of the flight engineer's job is to make a walk-around inspection of the airplane at each stop. Inwardly cursing the uniform company for not delivering the uniform ordered three months before, a thought occurred; why not put on a raincoat? The only one I had was made of heavy black cloth, however, I put it on, scooped up the pant seat, and walked the entire length of the plane and out the aft door. I was careful to avoid eye contact with any of the wondering passengers, trying to reconcile my outfit with the sunny day they observed from their windows. Hurrying through my walk-around inspection, I entered the maintenance office. Once again incredulous stares were directed at me. "Get me a roll of the widest electrical tape you have." I said, taking off my raincoat and uniform pants. Placing the pants on the workbench and laying the missing piece in its proper place, I proceeded to cover the entire inside seat with electrical tape. The uniform was black and so was the tape. No one could see through the thin material. An interested group of mechanics watched, as I put my pants back on. The rear looked as though I had the biggest load known to man in them. It was also uncomfortable. No matter, I wouldn't have to wear the ridiculous raincoat in the blazing sun. Knowing that the next leg would be at least five hours long, and I would be sitting on the plastic tape all that time, I took one of the small blankets the passengers use and put it around my waist like a skirt. Then I removed the pants, folded them on a hanger and hung them behind the radio rack in the cockpit. Charlie Tuttle, the Captain, had a great sense of humor. He also could say and do outrageous things, keeping a straight face all the while. Easing his 5'6" 160 lb. frame into the captain's seat, he turned and stared with his pale blue eyes at the apparition in the blanket skirt sitting in the engineer's seat. Without saying a word, he reached up and rang the hostess call bell three times, the signal that they were wanted in the

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cockpit. When the first girl appeared, she let out a startled gasp and started to laugh as soon as she saw me. Charlie still with a deadpan said, "You gals check, I think we have a cabin attendant posing as a flight engineer." She left laughing, returning with the other three girls in a moment. There they stood, all hysterically giggling. I had to be a ludicrous sight. My 6'4" 200 lb. frame, in a white uniform shirt and black tie, wearing an orange flannel skirt with T W A imprinted on it in large blue letters. Below which, long legs encased in black socks and shoes stuck out from under the chair. Still with a straight face, Charlie asked, "Well, did you girls check on a stray cabin attendant?" Laughing the #1 attendant said, "He must belong to you `cause he sure doesn't belong to us." Still tittering, they left the cockpit. I knew it was going to be a long trip when Charles said, "OK sweety, read the before starting engines check list." The girls decided to steal the pants, so that when we disembarked in Los Angeles, I would have to wear my skirt for all to see. One of them came up to talk, using the pretense that her galley power was not on, while another attempted to reach behind me and steal the trousers. The cockpit area in the Convair 880 is quite small and being very conscious of my vulnerability, I kept an eye on the loaded pants. When she reached behind me, I grabbed her arm. "Leave them alone" I commanded. Still giggling, she shrugged off my hand and departed. For the next two days, I had to be on constant alert, to protect myself from the excruciating embarrassment of descending the loading stairs, dressed in a blanket skirt. The second day of the turn pattern was a short one. Los Angeles to Phoenix where we would spend the night. The following morning in Phoenix, the temperature was 110 degrees. As I did my pre-flight walk-around, I was afraid the plastic tape would just melt loose and let the entire seat fall to the ramp. We had laughed about that possibility, while having dinner together the night before. Now it wasn't so funny. The girls took turns standing on the loading stairs, snickering, watching to see if my trousers would melt away. At Charlie's urging, they had hidden all the blankets so there would be no skirt. They knew that because of the heat, the passengers would not be calling for blankets right away. However, the tables were turned on them.

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The engineer controlled the cabin temperature, I made it as cold as possible. Now all the passengers wanted blankets and the girls had to bring them from the various hiding places. They had to distribute them individually, which greatly increased their work load, since it had to be done before they could serve the drinks and meals. I sat on my cool plastic until Chicago, where once again a blanket was available On arrival at Idlewild, our procedure called for us to check in with crew schedule. Checking with the clerk in charge of the flight engineers, I said, "I'm not going to fly again until my new uniform arrives." "I don't blame you," he laughed, as he scratched my name from the next scheduled flight list. Someone up there must have liked me. I received a phone call two days later. The new uniform had arrived, and if I came to the airport it would be fitted at once. All was well, and I was able to fly my next scheduled flight with the same group of bastards. We had many a laugh, conjuring up all the things that could have transpired, if the pants had given up the ghost.

NEW TERMINAL OPERATING: On captain, Robert R. Widholm and one one of TWA's first flights this morning of the hostesses, Miss C. Shisler. leaving the city's new Sunport terminal Miss Shisler called the $2.5 million with a refreshing was Capt. L. G. Sasso of Sandia Base building "beautiful, " (left). He is shown with the new build- atmosphere. (Staff photo by Al Cabral) ing in the background with the flight's

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A MATTER OF SEMANTICS? by Hank Gastrich The F4F Wildcat, only the second Navy fighter aircraft to have a retractable landing gear, was with small doubt, the most intractable airplane ever created. On the ground that is. The Wildcat had such obstinate, such obtuse ground handling characteristics that it has been said, "the airplane will ground loop in a straight line!" Indeed, I have seen a Wildcat dragging a wing tip on concrete during landing roll out without the plane ever leaving the runway center line. And yes, I have seen countless Wildcats drag right wing tips while in vicious ground turns to the left and I have seen them drag left wing tips while in equally vicious left turns. I might even have seen one drag both wing tips (alternately) by over correcting from a left ground loop to a right ground loop. The primary cause for a ground loop must go to the pilot of course. However, Wildcat engineers should be given a large part of the blame for the "contributory cause" they designed into the airplane. The Wildcat was basically a copy of the F3F biplane. Short, fat and stubby with a single wing centered at the widest width of the fuselage. The roller skate landing gear (wheels no more than 4 feet apart) operated by a large `bicycle-like chain' and arm power. It took twenty eight turns of the crank to retract or extend the gear ... the last turn and a half needed to lock the gear up or down. And therein is from where this story comes. The time was near the end of 1944 and the place was Naval Air Station Jacksonville Florida. Half a dozen of us had just returned from an "anti-sub patrol" sortie and were in various states of dress ... or undress. We had flown our feckless flight of F4F Wildcats on what the schedule board listed as "ASP-4" which translates to Anti-Sub Patrol flight 4. Even then some government entities were beginning to fictionalize the books. In truth, either the dreaded Huns had heard that this one Lieutenant and five Ensigns were on the prowl or much more likely that the few submarines Germany had left were stashed somewhere a helluva lot nearer to the vaterland! But back to the ready room. As we shed our sweaty flight suits and made ribald plans for the soon to arrive New Year's Eve parties, we heard the crash siren blaring away. Quickly dashing to the windows we could see the base crash truck and an ambulance racing across the airport mat. On the far side of the landing mat with a cloud of dust almost dissipated, we could see an F4F Wildcat lying upside down on its back ... (upside down on its back ... looks like college is paying off, huh?). A second quick look and we could see that the landing gear was gone. I know we were all wondering what circumstances could cause a Wildcat to end up inverted on a runway. Especially with the landing gear either tucked away in the fuselage or

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possibly torn away in a landing accident. That the stubby Wildcat might have landed with the gear down and `flipped' over was hard to believe. But that the aircraft had landed with the gear extended but not locked, and that the gear collapsed into the fuselage was only slightly more believable. But this was indeed what had happened. And more, the gear collapsing into the fuselage provided the impetus for a complete nose-over, and then once inverted, the gear slipped back into the fuselage. And that is exactly what happened. But that is not the end of this tale. As we watched, and as the crash equipment neared the upside-down Wildcat we could see movement from the plane. Slowly, as we looked on, first we saw the tires, then the wheels start emerging from the belly of the craft. In jerky movements. What we could not see, and what had to be, was that young pilot of the plane lying there on its back. We could not see but him knew he had to be laboriously turning the landing gear hand crank ... extending the gear. Twenty eight hard turns and it soon became obvious to all that the young pilot was determined to extend that landing gear and be able to write in his report, "the gear was not retracted when landing." That night at the Officer's Club however, the battle waged long and loud. Was that young Ensign, strapped into the inverted Wildcat cranking the landing gear ... DOWN or UP!

BACK ROW FRONT ROW

SANFORD -PARKER-SPIVEY POWELL-SKLENKA-GASTRICH

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Stanley E. Bailey 4105 Hwy 395 N. Carson City, NV. 89704 phone 702-849-1211 fax 702-849-1214 March 31, 1997 John Gratz 1646 Timberlake Manor Pkwy Chesterfield, MO. 63017 Dear John, I was just reading the latest issue of Tarpa Topics and as a consequence thereof I was reminded of all the cards and letters I received from brother pilots and friends after the tragic accident and loss of my daughter last summer. I was overwhelmed by the response and sheer numbers of communications and could never respond to all of them. It occurred to me that a letter to you and through Tarpa Topics might be a good way to express my feelings and deep appreciation to all those TWA'ers who wrote me last summer and fall. I also know that the lingering question would be in most folks minds that how could such a terrible thing happen. I will answer that question with two words, "Wind Shear". My daughter and I were experiencing that wonderful feeling of learning to fly and she had just soloed in my son's Citabria several days before. We were practicing an emergency approach to a road when Mother Nature pulled the rug from under us. nd

I was in the Burn Center in Las Vegas for over six week and suffered 2 and 3 rd degree burns over 35% of my body. 11 surgeries and skin grafts has left me with a slow recovery to my body and, of course, no recovery to my mind. I did start to play a little golf in February and plan to start back to some tennis next month. I'm told that I should be somewhat near normal within the next two years. John, I just want you to know how much I appreciated the card and likewise from all the others all over the country that responded. It makes one very humble and appreciative of this great brotherhood to which we belong. Most Sincerely,

Stan Bailey

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Jane E. Schnebelt 551 Seminole Drive Cudjoe Key, FL 33042-4021 Res. 305/ 745-8807 Fax. 305/745-8854

Capt. John Gratz, President TARPA 1646 Timberlake Manor Pkwy. Chesterfield, MO 63017

May 23, 1997

Dear John, I received a letter from the "Flown West" Coordinator Bob Widholm on behalf of the TWA TARPA group, extending their kind expression of sympathy on the death of my husband, Gene Schnebelt. I am most appreciative. I will miss him terribly. I provide the enclosed memoriam of Gene and a photo taken by Nelson Krueger in 1988. I would be most pleased to accept Honorary Membership in TARPA and thank you for a donation to the TWA Pilots Retirement Foundation in Gene's memory. Somehow I envision Gene in the great crew room in the sky along with many other fine pilots who have flown west. It is a place where the recliner chairs all function, all flights depart on ti me, there are no mechanicals, beautiful sunsets fill the horizon, visibility is forever, crew meals begin with caviar and end with cappuccino. Oh, yes...and there is an elevator in the hangar! Could it be?

Best regards,

Jane E. Schnebelt

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WHY I WANT TO BE A PILOT

The following composition was written by Tommy Tyler of the Fifth Grade in Jefferson School in Beaufort, S.C. It was published in "South Carolina Aviation News" and is offered here as an encouragement to all people who fly for a living.

When I grow up I want to be a pilot because it's a fun job and easy to do. That's why there are so many pilots flying around these days. Pilots don't need much school; they just have to learn to read numbers so they can read their instruments. I guess they should be able to read road maps, too, so they can find their way if they get lost. Pilots should be brave so they won't get scared if it's foggy and they can't see, or if a wing or a motor falls off they should stay calm so they'll know what to do. Pilots have to good eyes to see through clouds and lightning because they are so much closer to them than we are. The salary pilots make is another thing I like. They make more money that they know what to do with. This is because most people think that flying is dangerous, except pilots don't because they know how easy it is. I hope I don't get air-sick, because I got car-sick , and if I get air-sick, I couldn't be a pilot, and then I would have to go to work.

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TONOPAH AAF by Melvin S. Halpern Lt. Colonel, USAF (ret.) Between WWI and WWII, Tonopah was a quiet, small American town of approximately 1,800 residents. Its people weren 't hurried, its problems weren 't big, and life went on just as it did in similar towns all over the country. Then came the war in Europe .. . A little background .. . By 1902 Tonopah, Nevada was one of the nation's biggest boom towns. Silver had been discovered and prospectors flocked to this isolated Nevada area in droves. During its boom years, the town supported a brewery, 60 saloons, three banks, four newspapers, three water companies, three bakeries, a foundry, and many other businesses, including a two-block long red light district. The town had a railroad, the Tonopah and Goldfield Railroad, which was built in 1904 and continued to operate until 1946. When the boom died down by 1910, many of the original settlers stayed on. Then came war .. . Then came war in Europe and the Army Air Cops expanded rapidly. Less than a month after the German attack on Poland in September of 1939, Army Air Cops General Headquarters at Langley Field, Virginia, began to consider improving the airdrome at Tonopah and obtaining a large tract of land in the area for bombing and gunnery practice. On October 29, 1940, more than 3,000,000 acres of land (approximately 5,000 square miles) in the public domain were transferred from the Department of the Interior to the War Department. The Fourth Air Force, which was to use the range in training combat units, planned to conduct its operations from Tonopah. In early 1940 construction began on a new air field located seven miles east of Tonopah in the vast desert that stretches between two small mountain ranges. The work was sponsored by the Civil Aeronautics Administration and was financed, at least in part with funds supplied by the Works Progress Administration. Since the Fourth Air Force would train at the field during the war, construction was coordinated between the CAA and the Army. The Fourth Air Force hope to begin operations at Tonopah by the end of 1941, but the new base was not ready for occupancy until July, 1942. When the base was finally occupied, it was complete with runways, barracks, mess halls, and a hospital, as well as other facilities. Support units were moved in, including ordnance, guard, quartermaster, supply, signal, weather, communications, and finance organizations. In the months that followed the number of personnel increased as the first aircraft to occupy the base arrived. These were Bell P-39 Airacobras - fighters used by the Army Air Cops in the Pacific and North Africa. A young Chuck Yeager received his fighter pilot training in Tonopah.

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By the beginning of 1943 there were 227 officers and 1,779 enlisted men at the field. They included the first tactical organizations to be trained at the Tonopah base the 75th and 390th Bombardment Squadrons of the 42nd Bombardment Group. They were followed by three squadrons (the 353rd, 355th and 356th) of the 354th Fighter Group, which arrived on January 18, 1943. When they left at the beginning of March, they were replaced by squadrons of the 357th Fighter Group. By the end of November, 1943, eight bombardment and twelve fighter squadrons had used the base to train for combat overseas. It soon became apparent, however, that the range could not be used successfully as a fighter training area. Possibly due to Tonopah's 6,000 foot elevation, and design problems with the Airacobras, the planes and pilots were being lost in crashes at an unacceptable rate. It was decided to change the operation to a heavy bombardment training base to train crews on the B-24 Liberators. In September, 1943, about half of the personnel moved temporarily to Bishop Army Air Field, California, in order to provide housing at Tonopah for contractors engaged in an extensive construction program at the base. The project, which cost $3,000,000 included extension of runways, new aprons, new water storage tanks, additional quarters and barracks, a new post exchange, supply buildings, day rooms, crash stations, warehouses, operations building, a hangar, a school building and other additions to the airfield, as well as additional facilities on the range. By the beginning of November, 1943, most of the construction was complete. The training equipment and are included a rifle range, pistol range, skeet ranges, turret trainers, bomb sight trainers equipped with Morden or Sperry sights, flexible gunnery trainers, navigation trainers, and schools for gunners and radio operators, with the range being available for practice bombing and aerial gunnery. On November 1, 1943, the men who had been sent to Bishop returned, and the 458th Bombardment Group arrived for training. Upon the departure of the 458th at the beginning of January, 1944, the 470th Bombardment Group arrived at Tonopah to serve as a replacement training unit to prepare B-24 crews for service with heavy bomber units overseas. In a reorganization on March 31, 1944, the 470th was disbanded, and its training functions taken over by the 442nd Army Air Force Base Unit. Although the B-24 was better suited for the Tonopah area than the F-39, many training accidents still occurred. These were attributed primarily to the military's wartime need to train a large number of crew members in a short period of time. Most of the crew members were young and inexperienced. Many of the aircraft were "war wearies," and Tonopah's altitude and wind conditions pushed the engines beyond their capabilities.

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The major function of the base, however, continued to be the training of replacement crews for B-24 operations - a task which continued until the end of the war. In the summer of 1944 a Field Test Unit, which was a branch of the special weapons test organization of Wright Field, Ohio, was engaged in testing glide bombs and other devices at Tonopah. During this time, the Tonopah base was among the largest military operations in Nevada and had one of the largest post exchanges in the Fourth Air Force. This exchange, opened in August, 1942, paid many dividends which were used for the benefit of the enlisted men. On November 13, 1943, it paid a dividend of $10,741.48, one of the largest recorded. The base also had a large bakery with a related doughnut shop. This shop, during 1943 and 1944, sold an average of 400 dozen doughnuts a month. By October, 1944, there were sixty-six B-24 aircraft available for the training program. At that

time 1,264 officers and 5,273 enlisted men, in addition to a large number of civilians, were assigned to the base. As the Army population increased, so did the problem of housing to accommodate the newcomers. Many of the men and women stationed at the Tonopah Army Air Field found living conditions harsh, but those who suffered the most were the married personnel who brought their wives and families to Tonopah. No housing existed for married personnel, and steps were not taken to remedy the situation until mid-1943. In the interim, residents rented their extra rooms, renovated apartments, and helped out however they could. The nature of the base's combat crew training mission caused even more families of personnel to come to Tonopah than at most other Army camps, because after combat crews finished their

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training at TAAF they left almost immediately for overseas assignments. Despite the fact that Tonopah was the most isolated of all the bases in the nation (210 miles from the nearest city with a population of at least 10,000), wives and families continued to come to Tonopah to be with their husbands until they departed for overseas. Inactive status .. . On August 23, 1945, a little over a week after fighting ended in the Pacific, the Fourth Air Force placed the Tonopah Army Air Field on inactive status. Personnel and aircraft began leaving almost immediately. On October 15, the 442nd AAF Base Unit was inactivated and the field was made a sub-base of Hamilton Field, California. In 1948, while under the jurisdiction of the 15th Air Force in Denver, Colorado, the base was deactivated and its assets sold for scrap. Today, all that remains of what was one of the Army Air Force's largest WWII training bases are three hangars in various stages of disrepair, and the runway maintained by Nye County and currently used as Tonopah's airport. Excerpted from Friends Journal, Winter, 1991.

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Frequently About This article was forwarded to us from the interest by Michael A. Ingall, MD., a psychiatrist and choral singer in Providence, Rhode Island. Q. I just joined a new HMO. How difficult will it be to choose the doctor I want? A. Just slightly more difficult that choosing your parents. Your insurer will provide you with a book listing all the doctors who were participating in the plan at the time the information was gathered. These doctors basically fall into two categories â&#x20AC;&#x201D; those who are no longer accepting new patients, and those who will see you but are no longer part of the plan. But don't worry â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the remaining doctor who is still in the plan and accepting new patients has an office just a half day's drive away! Q. What does HMO stand for? A. This is actually a variation of the phrase, "Hey, Moe!" It's roots go back to a concept pioneered by Doctor Moe Howard, who discovered that a patient could be made to forget about the pain in his foot if he was poked hard enough in the eyes. Modern practice re-

Asked

Questions

Health A. No. Only those you need. Q. What are pre-existing conditions? A. This is a phrase used by the grammatically challenged when they want to talk about existing conditions. Unfortunately, we appear to be prestruck with it. Q. Well, can I get coverage for my pre-existing conditions? A. Certainly, as long as they don't require any treatment. Q. What happens if I want to try alternative forms of medicine? A. You'll need to find alternative forms of payment. Q. My pharmacy plan only covers generic drugs, but I need the name brand. I tried the generic medication, but it gave me a stomach ache. What should I do? A. You have two choices. Your doctor can sign the reimbursement check over to you, or you can ask him/ her to invest the money for you in one of those great offers that only doctors and dentists hear about, like windmill farms or frog

Care hatcheries. Q. What should I do if I get sick while traveling? A. Try sitting in a different part of the bus. Q. No, I mean what if I'm away from home and I get sick? A. You really shouldn't do that. You ' ll have a hard time seeing your primary care physician. It's best to wait until you return, and then get sick. Q. I think I need to see a specialist, but my doctor insists he/she can handle my problem. Can a general practitioner really perform a heart transplant right in his/her office? A. Hard to say, but considering that all you're risking is the $10 co-payment, there's no harm giving him/her a shot at it, eh? Q. What accounts for the largest portion of health care costs? A. Doctors trying to recoup their investment losses. Q. Will health care be any different in the next century? A. No, but if you call right now, you might get an appointment by then.

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WAR STORIES By Michael J. Larkin The years pass so swiftly, How quickly thay fly! As if pushed by the jet stream In yonder blue sky. And lately, it seems I'm found more and more, Retreating to memories Of past glory and gore.

So I developed a system To sort wheat from chaff, When to cry silent tears, And when to just laugh. You listen, impassioned, To each sacred work Of skies full of fire, Of wounded, sick birds.

Which finds me accompanied By aviators rare, Their eyes wrinkled and browned From the sun's naked glare. And I listen to stories Of War I and War II, ICD, Korea, DC-l. DC-2.

But you watch him intently, A scotch in his hand; His hat cocked so smartly, His smile smooth as sand, One hand on his hip, (Or somebody's thigh): Watch his lips; if they move, Then you'll know it's a lie.

I am constantly speechless, Enraptured, in awe Of War Stories witnessed That I never saw! And I wonder, in silence, These stories of skies: Which are the truth, And which are White Lies?

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TARPA Roy Van Etten Memorial Scholarship Grant This award is for children and grandchildren of TWA active or retired employees who have been accepted and enrolled in a nationally recognized school of aviation or an accredited college or university, in full-time status and who are majoring in commercial aviation. AWARD: One $1000 undergraduate college grant is awarded yearly. The grant may be renewed upon reapplication provided that adequate academic standing is maintained. (3.0 GPA) ELIGIBILITY: Children or grandchildren of active or retired TWA enplayees. Family members of TARPA Officers and Directors are ineligible. QUALIFICATIONS: Applicants must be accepted or enrolled in a nationally recognized school of aviation or an accredited college or university, in full time status and majoring in commercial aviation. Applicants must send in proof of enrollment, a high-school or college transcript and a one page resume to the President of TARPA listed in the latest issue of TARPA TOPICS.. SELECTION PROCESS: The First Vice President and one Director will make the award selection. The Both academic capability and financial need will be considered. deadline for applications will be July 31st. The award results will be announced at the TARPA Convention in September. DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS: All funds will be paid directly to the institution and credited towards the students bill.

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