NOVEMBER 1997
1011s
FLY
WEST
MADDUX AIR LINES 1927-1929 ALBUQUERQUE
CONVENTION
DUES TIME! (Envelope Enclosed)
We Need Your Help. If your Area Code has changed Notify: PHIL BELISLE 3145 Geary Blvd., Box 705 San Francisco, CA 94118-3300 Tel. 415/567-9921 Fax 415/567-7147
CONTENTS TARPA TOPICS THE MAGAZINE OF THE TWA ACTIVE RETIRED PILOTS ASSOCIATION
FEATURE ARTICLES:
DEPARTMENTS:
TARPA CONVENTION `97 11
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE John P. Gratz
3
VIVA MEXICO by Bill Kirschner
24
EDITOR'S NOTE John P. Gratz
4
SALUTE L-1011 by Jon Procter
28
SECRETARY/TREASURE Phil Belisle
5
MADDUX AIR LINES by Ed Betts
31
TARPA TOURS by Chuck Hasler
42
ALASKA CRUISE by Herb Riebeling
48
GRAPEVINE by Hank Gastrich
51
EAGLE'S NEST by Joe Carr
83
FLOWN WEST coord by Bob Widholm
71
AWARD TO EARL KORF Goldy Goldthorpe
87
LETTERS
97
MAKING OF A CHIEF PILOT by Walt Gunn
90
OF COURSE HE WANTS TO FLY.. . by Mike Harden
95
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 the is 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 nonprofit corporation., Editor bears no responsibility for accuracy or unauthorized use of contents.
Cover: TWA L-1011 Photo: Courtesy of Gary Rose
PAGE 1... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
DEDICATED TO THE PIONEERS OF TODAY'S TRANS WORLD AIRLINES WHOSE VISION, EFFORT AND PERSEVERANCE MADE IT ALL POSSIBLE. WE EXPRESS OUR SINCERE GRATITUDE.
EDITOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR GRAPEVINE EDITOR HISTORIAN&CONTRIBUTING ED FLOWN WEST COORDINATOR TARPA TOURS COORDINATOR INTERNET WEBMASTER
1646 Timberlake Manor Pkwy John P. Gratz (314) 532-8317 Chesterfield, MO 63017 1034 Carol] David R. Gratz St. Louis, MO 63104 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 286 Bow Line Drive Robert W. Widholm (813) 261-3816 Naples, FL 33940 8 Rustic Way William C. "Chuck" Hasler San Rafael, CA 94901 2466 White Stable Road Jack Irwin (314) 432-3272 Town and Country, MO 63131
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 non-profit, 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, 1997/98 PRESIDENT FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT SECOND VICE PRESIDENT SECRETARY/TREASURER SENIOR DIRECTOR DIRECTOR DIRECTOR EX-PRESIDENT
1646 Timberlake Manor Pkwy John P. Gratz (314) 532-8317 Chesterfield, MO 63017 3728 Lynfield Drive Robert W. Dedman (757) 463-2032 Virginia Beach, VA 23452 1201 Phelps Ave Robert C. Sherman (408) 246-7754 San Jose, CA 95117-2941 Phillip M. Belisle 3145 Geary Blvd, Box 705 San Francisco, CA 94118 (415) 567-9921 Harry A. Jacobsen 848 Coventry Street (407) 997-0468 Boca Raton, FL 33487 36 Harrison Ave Lou Burns (401) 848-2727 Newport, RI 02840-3806 96 Indio Drive Paul B. Carr Pismo Beach, CA 93449 (805) 773-9677 David M. Davies 233 S.E.Rogue River Hwy (503) 476-5378 Grants Pass, OR 97527
Published 3 times a year by the TWA ACTIVE RETIRED PILOTS ASSOCIATION
PAGE 2... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
John P. Gratz, President 1646 Timberlake Manor Parkway Chesterfield, MO 63017-5500
PRESIDENT'S
MESSAGE
The Convention in Albuquerque maintained the tradition of better and better. Klete and Lois Rood, Ken and Rosemary Slaten and all their helpers really showed us what southwestern hospitality means. The hotel and locale were sparkling and the tours were fun and enlightening. The Los Amigos Roundup was a kick, except for the part where they used me in their show as a bad guy; caught, tried and shot in about five minutes. More than three hundred and eighty members and guests were in attendance, and I was very pleased to learn that almost twenty-five percent of those were first time attendees. TWA Senior's Club President, Bob Miller invited all of us to make a sentimental journey back to Kansas City for the Senior's Convention next May. Joe Montanaro reported on the DAP, and TARPA Officers and Committee Members gave their reports. Minor changes to our By-Laws were made by vote of the membership, and the entire Board of Directors was re-elected by acclamation. A few months ago, people; at TWA Marketing asked me if TARPA could provide volunteers to visit travel agents and give them promotional material. I made some calls and several dozen of our members, from the East and West coasts, and the Phoenix area offered to help. Given the situation at TWA and our desire to see it continue and flourish, these members deserve our thanks.
PAGE 3... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
After a lovely evening which began with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, hosted by the MACU, dinner and dancing, the members said good-by to Albuquerque. Most went off in all directions through St. Louis. A group went with the Haslers to Copper Canyon, Mexico and some, like Pat and I, wandered the desert.
We were not alone
because on the edge of a cliff at Mesa Verde, Colorado, we met Russ Drosendahl; in a restaurant in Taos, NM, we met Bud and Patsy Cushing; and in the Georgia O'Keefe Museum in Santa Fe, we met Leon and Anna Marie Schmutz. I hope that I can meet you in Virginia Beach in 1998 . Fraternally Yours
John P. Gratz President
EDITOR'S NOTE
It seems logical at this time for me to continue as Editor of TARPA Topics, at least for the near term. I told the members at the Business Meeting in Albuquerque that I wanted a qualified volunteer to take over for the long term. Ed Betts has again asked to be replaced as Historian. This is not the first time he has asked, but so far he has been irreplaceable. Ed is a world renowned historian having had articles published in a large number of journals and magazines. I have personally worked with Ed for almost twenty years and to me he is a valued and respected friend. If any member is interested in becoming TARPA historian, please let me know. The Membership Directory will be sent to you early next year.
We need your help
to make it accurate. If your telephone area code, zip code or address has changed, notify Secretary Treasurer, Phil Belisle. If you have an E-Mail address, send that also. We have about one hundred and eighty E-mail addresses now.
PAGE 4... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
Dear Members, TARPA CONVENTION 1997 was my first time out for the annual meeting, and I recommend it to all. This is the why of our organization; a chance to visit old friends and learn what is happening to some not there. Returning home to my computer, it is now time to put on the Secretary/Treasurer uniform and get back to work. The first order of business was to produce minutes of the convention for our "TOPICS" editor. That done, I can now tell you about my first six months on the job. Please stay tuned for this is all about us. With the help of your previous S/T, Dick Davis, I can now manipulate your data base (FILEMAKER PRO 3.0). With the help of Bob Sherman and his data base, your records are gradually being corrected to contain missing data such a birthdays, seniority dates, retirement dates and such. Bob is also copying the TARPA data base on his computer in PC format. This way, we are covered whether the next TARPA officers are Microsoft PC or Macintosh fanatics. In April 1997 I sent out about 325 post cards to members. The postcard asked for address corrections and/or dues payment for 1995/96/97. In other words, you payers were carrying some non-revs. At last count, the non-rev list has been reduced to about 108 people. Corrected addresses saved you some money. It costs about $4.50 to produce and mail each TARPA TOPICS. If we get your address wrong or you are away with no hold on your mail, the magazine is destroyed. In July 1997 about 100 TOPICS were not delivered and were destroyed by your ever vigilant Post Office .... $ 450.00 burned but better than March 1997. Now some kind words after observing TARPA operations through my new-kid on the block eyes: All the Associate (A) and Retired (R) members should say little prayers of thanks for Eagles, Honorees, Subscribers and the United States Marine Corps. Many of these people pay ,required or not, and our Marines pay regularly and fill in all the lines on their data up-date forms. This brings me to the most important part of this report. TARPA will produce and mail the MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY 1998 next January. Please take the time to fill out and send your personal data to me. I will update changes or confirm correctness for each and all. Use the forms provided in this issue of TARPA TOPICS Dues for 1998 are still $25.00 per year. Please use the envelope inside this TOPICS to mail dues payments. Thanks for your attention.
Phil Belisle Sec/Treas
PAGE 5... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
TARPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING ALBUQUERQUE MARRIOT HOTEL SEPTEMBER 1,2,3,4, 1997
President John P. Gratz called the annual TARPA Convention meeting of the Board of Directors to order at 7:00 P.M. September 1, 1997. Officers and Directors present: John P. Gratz Phillip M. Belisle
Robert W. Dedman Harry A. Jacobsen
Robert C. Sherman Paul B. Carr
OFFICERS REPORTS: Capt. John Gratz TARPA CONVENTION 1997 Co-Chairmen Klete Rood and Ken Staten were thanked by the president and officers for the fine work in organizing the convention. They indicated that some 375 people are attending TARPA 1997. Capt. Bob Dedman reported that the 1998 TARPA CONVENTION will be held at Virginia Beach, VA. The dates are September 28th through October 2nd, 1998. Details of reservations, tours, and TARPA activities will be published in coming issues of "TOPICS". Bob also reported that there are no applicants for the TARPA Scholarships for 1998. Capt. Bob Sherman spoke on the subject of wills and trusts. With the 1997 tax laws in place, there are several opportunities to preserve capital for spouses and heirs. If you haven't done so, now is the time to review and update your arrangements to take advantage of several new provisions in the tax code. RESOLUTION 5-97 Be it resolved TARPA POLICIES (Revised March 1993); that section titled FRINGE BENEFITS be deleted. Moved Sherman/Seconded Dedman Passed Unanimously. RESOLUTION 6-97 Be it resolved TARPA By-Laws be amended in the following manner: ARTICLE IV (Sec 1.) The word Editor shall be deleted. ARTICLE IV (Sec 8.) The sentence " The Editor shall be appointed to the Board of Directors shall be deleted. ARTICLE V (Seel .) Shall be changed to read "The Board of Directors shall consist of seven (7) members, I.e. The members of the Executive Committee plus two (2) non-Officer Directors. Moved Sherman/Seconded Belisle Passed Unanimously.
"
Capt. Phil Belisle reported those TARPA funds on deposit with MEMBERS AMERICA CREDIT UNION totaled $ 40320.63 as of 8/31/97. We anticipate spending an additional $12000 in the remainder of 1997. The meeting recessed at 9:15 P.M.
PAGE 6... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
TARPA MEMBERSHIP MEETING ALBUQUERQUE MARRIOT HOTEL SEPTEMBER 4TH, 1997
The TARPA Board of Directors Meeting was called to order at 8:30 A. M. Sept. 4,1997 This part of the meeting was attended by all interested TARPA CONVENTION attendees plus the previously mentioned Officers and Directors. Capt. Bob Dedman Pledge of allegiance. Capt. Bob Widholm Reading of names of all pilots "Flown West" since Convention 1996. A list of these names will be provided in TARPA DIRECTORY 1998. Capt. John Gratz thanked the convention co-chairmen and committee members for their work in planning and executing TARPA 1997. TWA Corporation news was provided from telcon with Capt. Bill Compton. The last L-1011 flight was LAX-JFK today. The last 747's will be gone in February 1998. Compton indicated he thought that this was the last of the downsizing. Capt. Gratz discussed the loss of our "TOPICS" Editor. TARPA will need to search for a permanent Editor in the coming year. Members should let the Officers and Directors know of qualified individuals interested in this work. Capt. Bob Dedman advised that Capt. Ed Betts was unable to attend TARPA 1997. Capt. Dedman reminded the body that TARPA CONVENTION 1998 is to be held at Virginia Beech, VA Sept. 28 -Oct. 7, 1998. Some preliminary information was provided in the Hospitality room. Since there were no applicants for the TARPA SCHOLARSHIP in 1997, members are asked to advise Capt. Dedman of candidates for 1998. Capt. Bob Sherman gave a short presentation on wills and trusts as modified by recent changes in the tax code. Capt. Paul Carr one of our two active pilot Directors expressed his pleasure in attending his first TARPA CONVENTION. Capt. Lou Burns, our other active pilot, was unable to attend due to flight schedule. Mr. Bob Miller President of the TWA SENIORS CLUB announced that their convention will be held in Kansas City, MO May 7,8,9, 1998. All TARPA members are invited to attend. Mr. Jerrod L. Foresman gave a presentation of new services offered through the MEMBERS AMERICA CREDIT UNION. He can now offer comprehensive brokerage services and financial planning. He may be reached at: PLAN AMERICA CENTER, MEMBERS AMERICA CREDIT UNION (800) 892-795711125 AmbassadorDrive, KansasCity, MO. 64153 (816) 891-6213 FAX (816) 891-6222
PAGE 7... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
Capt. Bob Thompson, Sec/Treas of the TWA Pilots Retirement Foundation gave his informal report. A written report included the fact that since 1982-1997 some $320,000 has been provided to qualifying widows and pilots. The trustees encourage TARPA members to contact the FOUNDATION with the names of anyone believed eligible for benefits. Capt. Chuck Hasler confirmed that arrangements were underway for TARPA CONVENTION 1999. RESOLUTION 7-97: Be it resolved that TARPA CONVENTION 1999 be convened on the ship "Sovereign of the Seas" sailing from the port of Miami, Florida on Sept. 27 through Oct. 1,1999. Moved Sherman/Seconded Dedman Passed Unanimously Capt. Joe Montanero presented a comprehensive history of the TWA directed account plan (DAP). He indicated that members using the Fidelity Window Option may be engaging in a bit of market timing and the Moderate Portfolio seems to work best for most members. For those members with computer connections use www.twalpa.org/dap/ for current information. RESOLUTION 6-97 (A change in the TARPA By-Laws) was brought before the convention body for vote. Moved Sherman/Seconded Humbles Passed Unanimously Nominating Committee members Hal Miller, Ev Green, and Fred Arenas nominated the present Officers and Directors to remain as TARPA 1998 OFFICERS and DIRECTORS. RESOLUTION 8-97: Be it resolved that the presently serving TARPA OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS be retained for year 1998. Moved Green/Seconded Moorehead Passed by unanimously. Meeting adjourned 11:45 September 4, 1997 Submitted:
Phillip M. Belisle TARPA Sec/Treas
PAGE 8... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
The TWA Pilots Retirement Foundation, Inc.
PRESIDENT Capt. Fred G. Arenas 1622 Cantebury Court Arlington His, IL 60004 847-398-1331
VICE-PRESIDENT Capt. Harry Jacobsen 848 Coventry Street Boca Raton, FL 33487 407-997-0468
SECRETARY/TREAS. Capt. Robert R. Thompson 807 West Hintz Road Arlington Hts, IL 60004 847-259-9718
TRUSTEE Capt. Robert D. Essaf 3917 Wellington Circle Palm Harbor, FL 24685-1178
TRUSTEE Donald C. Ulrich 15 Circle Drive Algonquin, IL 60102 847-658-7581
THE TWA PILOTS RETIREMENT FOUNDATION, INC. REPORT TO 1997 TARPA CONVENTION SEPTEMBER 1997 -ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO
Ladies and Gentlemen: The TWA Pilots Retirement Foundation was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in the State of Florida, in 1982 (Charter 762206). The objective of the Foundation shall be to provide certain Trans World Airlines cockpit crew members, who retired under any provisions of the TWA Pilot or Flight Engineer Retirement Plans, monetary assistance on a charitable basis as may be deemed necessary to enable them to meet and offset, to some degree, the effects of inflation and to maintain a reasonable minimum their individual with standard of living consistent circumstances. Additionally, the Foundation may provide assistance to certain widows and surviving children of deceased TWA pilots. The Foundation derives its monies for operation from, basically, four sources:
1.
PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS 41 contributors beginning 1996 33 contributors end of 1996 TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS $4,723.85
2.
DIRECT CONTRIBUTIONS 41 contributors in 1996 TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS $8,320.00
3.
TARPA Memorials $550.00
PAGE 9... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
4.
ALPA CREDIT UNION ACCOUNT DIVIDENDS Total dividends 1996 $8,198.18 Presently paying 6.18 APY
Total revenues for 1996 were $ 21,792.03 $ 13,515.00 Total grant expenditures for 1996 were 216.25 Total administrative expenditures for 1996 were $ Increase To Account Balance
$
ACCOUNT BALANCE END OF 1996
$154,276.30
8,060.78
Since incorporation in 1982, the Foundation has aided 7 pilots and 5 widows. The total benefits paid through 1996 have been $305,075.00. The total projected benefits to be paid through 1997 will be over $320,000.00. At the end of June 1997, the ALPA Credit Union Account balance was $155,569.25 The average monthly benefit to the recipients is $440.00. We are presently assisting 2 widows and 1 pilot. The Trustees encourage all TARPA Members to contact any Board Member if they have knowledge of any person they believe to be eligible for benefits.
Respectfully Submitted,
Robert R. Thompson Secretary/Treasurer TWA Pilots Retirement Foundation, Inc.
PAGE 10... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
TARPA 1997 ABQ Convention A total of 387 TARPA members, spouses and friends attended the 1997 convention. There were some questions on why the convention was so early and so close to Labor Day. Because of the New Mexico State Fair, the hotel gave us two choices for September - the first week or the last week. The room price for the last week would have been much higher. Another consideration was the weather; usually the first part of September is milder than the end of the month. The first of October is always the Balloon Fiesta and that means high room prices, if you can even get them. Thanks to every one who attended. Enchantment.
We were glad to have you experience the Land of
The NM TWA Seniors in the ABQ area took an active part in our convention, for which we are very grateful. We appreciate the support of TARPA and especially John Gratz, Chuck McNab, and Ev Green. A special thanks to Katie Buchanan for keeping the hospitality room flowing smoothly. She arrived early to help us shop for snacks and goodies for the hospitality room. We give a great big THANK YOU to Members America Credit Union and their representatives, Thelma Leighty and Jerrod Foresman, for hosting the reception prior to the banquet. Hope to see you all in Virginia Beach.
The following provided photographs for this issue of TARPA Topics. Their contributions are Ed Betts, Bill Dixon, Virg Hoffman, Bill Kirschner, gratefully acknowledged. Dan McIntyre, Jon Protor, Herb Riebling, Gary Rose, Bob Sherman, Bob Widholm
PAGE 11... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
PAGE 12... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
PAGE 13... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
PAGE 14... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
PAGE 15... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
PAGE 16... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF TARPA '97 by Bill Dixon
Another noteworthy convention, TARPA 97, is now history, and it was especially appropriate that it was celebrated in Albuquerque. The city brought back memories when the DC-3 dominated TWA's fleet, and the ABQ station was just a shadow of the present huge terminal. Many of us attending the convention flew into ABQ in the mid to late 1940s when the city was small, and jets were beyond our comprehension. 1947, a mere 50 years ago, was a big year for TWA with the Constellations and Martins on the near horizon. Much as changed, but fortunately TWA held on to ABQ, although it is no longer the leading airline serving ABQ, as it was five decades ago. The convention, under the outstanding leadership of Co-Chairmen Klete Rood and Ken Slaten (and few of us appreciate the work involved!), with the assistance of many volunteers, was a model of efficiency -- a tribute to the many hours spent preparing for it. In fact, all of our conventions have been memorable. And let's not forget our President, John Gratz, and his wife Patty, for their contributions. We are blessed that all of our presidents have been energetic. They have to be to contend with retired pilots! I used to laugh when I had the title of Manager of Pilots. Who can manage pilots? Of the many tours available, my wife and I chose the Tram and Old Town tour. We had never been to the top of the Sandia Mountains, which hover over ABQ to the east. What an enthralling experience! The Sandia Peak Aerial Tram is the world's longest free span cable tram, soaring for 2.7 miles above deep canyons and spectacular cliffs. We went directly over the precipitous canyon where a TWA Martin 404 crashed long ago, and could visualize how difficult it must have been to reach it. This is the accident that the CAB originally charged to pilot error, but ALPA Safety Chairman Captain Larry Decelles, after nearly a decade of tenacious investigation, convinced the Board to reverse itself. Larry subsequently was honored with the ALPA Award of Merit. Probably everyone attending the convention visited Old Town, where silver jewelry was a threat to credit card limits! The tour included a delicious Mexican lunch at the La Placita restaurant, well remembered by the crews that had the pleasure of over-nighting in ABQ when crew rooms cost $6 total, and the captains had a poker room donated by the hotel. Copilots, with their $220 per month, couldn't afford to do more than peek in the door. DC-3 captains averaged around $700 per month! The final highlight of TARPA '97 was the banquet, followed with dancing for those whose bones were still up to it, and the crowded floor proved that most of us were. But reminiscing was the main game, with some embellishments no doubt thrown in.
PAGE 17... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
BUSINESS
MEETING
PAGE 18... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
PAGE 19... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
PAGE 20... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
PAGE 21... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
TARPA CONVENTION 1997 ALBUQUERQUE ATTENDEES Reardon, Mart & Patricia Ainsworth. Ark) & Betty Hassler, Vic Reed, Opal Aman. Bill Hatcher, John & Sally Anderegg. Bart & Mary Fran Heilesen, Frank & Jane Rehbock , Alan Richards, David & Janice Bainbridge, Bill & Evelyn Hewitt, Bart Richards, Gene & Sue Baar, Rutland & Lucienne Hippe, Ken & Nell Baker, Jack & Donna Richardson. Del & Rena lloffman, Virgil & Mary bee Balser, Bob Hofmeister, Howard & Colleen Rimmler . Philipp & Ellen Ryder, Red Beaver, Lil Holden , Verl & Teddy Roman, Ed & Dorothy Hooper, Jacqueline GeriBecker, Herb &Noonan, Rood. Klete & Lois Beighlie, Shirley A.,& Bruce Hubbard, Lloyd & Margaret Roquemore. Don & Ev Belisle, Phil Humbles, A.T. & Betty Rude. Jim & Patti Biermann, Al & Gladys Humphreys, George & Suzie Bjork. Cliff & Juanita Huntley, Lyle & Rosella Ruhanen, Arthur Salmonson, Roger & Anita Walker Blaney, Ford & Jane Inglis. Idus & Jeanne Borgmier, George & Trudy: Jacobsen, Harry & Jean Schemel, Peggy Schmidt, Carl & Barker. Jean Bostwick, Irving & Joann Jinnette. Earl & Wanda Schmutz, Leon & Anna Marie Boyce, John Johnson, Chet & Anne Schneider. Joe & Judy Hutchinson Breslin. Jim & Erika Kaloski Sr.. Daniel & Linda Schulz, Dan & Curenton, Pat Brown. Dave & Jackie Kalota. Chester & Maijorie Schumacher. Gene & Henrietta Brown, Joe & Eliese Kavula. Robert & Dale Scott, William & Mary Brundage, Dean & Mary Kelly, Art Selby Jack & Pat Buchanan. Katie Kidd. John & Rae Sherman . Robert & Alice Bybee, John & Ginny Kimray, Harvey & Greta Shipstead. Wes & Artie Kirschner. Bill & Bobbi Cacace. Cy & Minnie Shotwell, Jim & Barbara Cantrell, Warren & Doris Koughan, Jack & Jean Sigman, Perry & Richards. Gloria Carneal. Ed & Norma Kroschel. Toni & Carol Smipkins, Roy & Rita Carr, Paul & Shirley Lahn, Roger & Jean Staten, Ken & Rosemary Clark. Chris & Carole Lancaster, Charles & Sharon Clark. Harry & Lee Lang, Robert & Angela Sorensen, Norman & Frances Lattimore, Betty Sparrow, Cliff& Mary Clark. Jack & Jane Lee, Jerry & Shirlene Sperry,Glen & Joy Clark, John & Ruth Squires-Schnebelt . Jane Clegg, George & Dottie Leighty, Thelma Stewart, Naomi & Martha Bassford Colbum, Georgia Lindsey, Robert & Dorice Stock. Walter Cottrell, Bill & Lynn Long Richard & Alice Thomas, Louis & Rosemarie Coughlin, James & Lela Loury, Bud & Mercedes Munoz Thompson, Bob & Maijorie Craft, Ray & Martha Lowe, Sim & Ollie Crowder. Warren Manning Tex & Margo Thompson, Jean Martin, Ed & Frances Thrush, Margaret Cushing. Bud & Patsy Martin, Rick & Gayle Thurston. Hutch & Jane Dahl. Jack & Marjorie Tiseo. Chuck & Tomi Davis. Charles & Sylvia Matney, Robert & Mary Ann Toop, George & Ginnie Davis. Dick & Marcia May, Thad & Janet Trepas Sr., Ron & Hendricks. Kate DeCelles , Larry & Jana McCutchan . Fran Trisehler, Mildred (Mike) Dedman. Robert & use McKenzie, Vern & Evy & Trojan. Bob & Lonna Derickson. Russell & Ulrike McNew, Paul & Eloise Trumpolt, Bob & Nancy Miller, Hal & Dottie DeVeuve. Jim & Bobbie Tynan. Craig & Marilyn Miller, Robert & Betty Dixon. Bill & June Ulrich. Kurt & Shari Drosendahl. Russell & Friends Miller, William & Dorothee Underwood, G.P. (Knapp, Elvira & Offhaus . Sandra) Misselwitz. Ted & Maxine Urbain. Donald & Roush, Chris Dufresne, Norman & JoAnn Moffett, Meredith & Lee Vandevelde. Albert & Mary Edwards, Frank & Jennie Moffitt, Bill & Peggy VanWinkle. Charles & Miriam Elliot. Wendell Mokler , Harry & Frances Here's... Waldo, Walter & Ellie Emmerton, John & Donna Molinario, Richard & Sandra Montemurro. Frank Wallace. Bill Escola. Dick & Alice Moorhead. Barbara (Mrs. L.S.) Webster. Bob & Jackie Evans. Floyd & Diana Morehead. Clem & Patricia Weiss, Jack & Gloria Exum. Gene & Sue Weyrich, Jack & Sorensen. Betty Farrell, Hubert Murchan , Larry & Betty Myers. Russell Jr.& Irene White. Fred & Mary Ann Faulds. Dick & Chris Widholm, Bob & Fay Fishbaugh. Richard & Dixie Nealis. Don & Josie Widmayer. Ted & Jane Fontes. Dodie & Mario Newman. William & Alice Wilder. Charles & Helen Nicolais. Mario & Rosemarie Foresman. Jarred Wudman. Lee & Sue Nixon. Arlie Fitzgerald, G.B. & Tida Nixon, Clyde & Dempsey. Kirbie Wilson. Ruth Fortier. Guy & Joann Wittman, Clem & Rosemary Oechslin . Pete & Annie Gallagher. Joseph Pahl. Slim & Mickey Young Ben & Didi Gorezyca . Louis & Loren Young. Harry & Dorothy Grant. Joseph & Marga Peters. Donald & Nancy Youngblood. William & Korky Gratz John & Patricia Pew. Dale & Barbara Zimmerman. Robert & Mary Phillips, Dean It Bobbe Green. Everett Pilot, Jerry & Jean Special Guests: Gruber. Ed & Cleone Poh. Renate Holtzclaw, Mark & Nancy Haggard, Wayne Garlin. Russell Halistein. Raymond & Patti Pretsch . Ernest & Susan Hamlin. John & Sybil Rager. Terry & Betty Angwin. Pam Sperry. Glade Hanson. Glen & Jeanette Rast. Jake & Rita Wood Kai & Lois Hasler. Chuck & Pat Raub. Clifford & Betty PAGE 22... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
Located just 15 miles from the Norfolk International Airport, our city offers you beautiful ocean views and a warm "southern" hospitality and so much to do and see. Our problem is going to be to narrow down what we can do for the most of you. The convention is set for the last part of September and that is the time, "we" enjoy the lack of tourists, the cool weather and the beautiful autumn foliage. We have planned a "must" tour of Williamsburg , VA with lunch at one of the old colonial taverns. We hope to be able to get to the naval yards and tour one of the four Supercarriers that are based here. We also hope to get entrance to Oceana Naval Air station, (the largest on the East Coast and home of the F-14 Tomcats and F-18 Hornets.) Space Available to us is also, a wonderful sea Museum with IMAX movie, Hampton Air and Museum, also with IMAX (large screen movies), lunch cruises among the great war ships and submarines, and the good old country pickin' music. For the first time, we are going to offer TARPA hats and T- shirts for sale at the time you fill out your registration. Look for this feature on the application form. Any money raised over the costs will go to our TWA Pilots Retirement Foundation, Inc. This is a worthy cause and you get something that people really admire and you will get great satisfaction. Look for more information on hotel/car/tour reservations in the up-coming issues. We are sure that this is going to be a real "TWA" reunion with all of the wonderful moments with friends that we look forward to and expect. We look forward to seeing you all, Bob and use Dedman "Your Hosts"
PAGE 23... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
VIVA MEXICO by Bill Kirschner If the surrounding area of ABQ was not enough beauty for one great convention, twenty nine intrepid travelers, departed September 5 th for El Paso, Texas to rendezvous for a bus and train tour of Copper Canyon, Mexico. Our venture south of the border, (SOTB), started off on Saturday morning with a tour of Juarez and a little excitement. It was hot and our bus driver thou ght that she could leave the air conditioning on without the en gine running. She did, and promptly ran down the battery. Since AAA is not exactly Johnny on the spot, SOTB, but Bob Dedman and Bill Kirschner were, we tightened the battery connections and got a jump start. As luck would have it. an American tourist from Michigan, with jumper cables, was parked next to us, or it might have been a very long day in Juarez. For those of you who may have had the good fortune to get to any of the border towns while you were in the military or otherwise, I can testify that things have not changed much. Junk/treasure shops abound, along with the rest of the border town infrastructure. Each TARPA tour or cruise generally has a theme. This one was "Don't Drink the Water!" S00000 - the beer was great! The real tour started that same afternoon with an interesting tour of El Paso or El Paso Del Norte, "Pass to the North". Surprisingly, El Paso is famous for wine with irrigation from the Rio Grande. The following day, Sunday dawned early and we departed for the city of Chihuahua, in Chihuahua State, which happens to be the largest state in Mexico. The City of Chihuahua was the home of General Pancho Villa and where he was assassinated, while driving through town in 1923. We had a very interesting tour of his house along with a visit to the Baroque Cathedral, before repairing to the Sicomoro Hotel for cocktails and dinner. Monday dawned even earlier as our train departed for Divisadero and Copper Canyon at 0700. The Pacifico Railway was started in 1872 and was finished in 1961, lending new meaning to the term "manana" by the time it was finished they had jet service to the area. Probably not bad considering the construction equipment of the times, the terrain, a few revolutions and the occasional war. The railroad was developed to create the shortest route from Kansas City to Mexico's Pacific coast at Los Mochis. There are 39 tunnels and 87 bridges along this route and it is an engineering marvel. Arriving at Divisadero for lunch our first problems arose. Instead of the canyon view rooms we had all been expecting, we were billeted in rooms that belonged in the red light district of Juarez. Unfortunately, another tour group had arrived the day before and had gotten our rooms.
PAGE 24... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
After making our displeasure known to the hotel management and tour guide, we did a little nature walk and promptly got rained on . Not a problem. Quickly back to the hotel verandah out of the rain, for cocktails, a partial view of the canyon and a joke fest. Copper Canyon, so named because of its color, is an interesting geographical phenomenon. It is four times larger than our Grand Canyon and 280 feet deeper. It has been eroding for more than 10 million years. Much longer than ours. Because of the older age it also has much more vegetation, making our Grand more scenic color-wise. A hiking or a rafting trip through the canyon would be very interesting, due to the fact that an ancient tribe of Indians live in the canyon. The Tarahumara Indians are a secretive and shy people. They do not marry outside their culture, have their own language and have just recently obtained their own written language. Caves are still a large part of the culture and they are not on line yet. I checked. On Tuesday we were treated to some of their native fertility dances which some of our TARPA members memorized for future reference. You never know when you might need a fertility dance! The women of the tribe are expert basket weavers, as many of our wives can attest to. Next trip I'll take a foot locker to bring them all home. After the dances, Manuel, our excellent Mexican guide, took our group on another nature walk to balancing rock, which I thought was a joke. However, I discovered when you stand on it, it starts rocking back and forth, making an avalanche sound. Hmm. Ordinarily that would not be much of problem but in this case, the rock is on the edge of a cliff with about a 600 foot drop to the first bounce, into the bottom of the canyon several thousand feet below. I thought Ed Betts might like to bungie jump from the rock. It would make fantastic video and I would volunteer to do the camera work. That afternoon we boarded our train about two hours late, which had possible dire consequences later on. We were at the top of the canyon at approximately 8,000 feet with clouds building. Later on in Mexico, means that once the train starts down into the canyon, it has to give way to the trains coming up and you get later and later as you roll on and on into the late afternoon thunderstorms. Aha! I thought, hot humid moist air off the Pacific, mountains and orographic lifting, (I didn't sleep through all the Met classes), could create severe thunderstorms. Shortly thereafter, my theory was rewarded with a huge downpour. Here we are in heavy, heavy rain, it had been raining for some time and we are descending into a canyon? Sounded like a no brainer to me and wondered if they had ever heard of flash floods SOTB? It got more exciting when we pulled into a siding and the whole train felt like it slid towards the bank. You could actually touch the bank from the platforms between cars. We were in this siding for quite some time, waiting for them to clear rock and mud slides farther down the tracks, when some mad persons came up with the bright idea of a little entertainment for the trapped, intrepid, TARPA travelers. Well, that's all it took. As Bob Dedman and Angela Lang
PAGE 25... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
fiddled, (courtesy of Tarahumara Fiddle Makers), Chuck Hasler and Bill Kirschner did a "hopeful fertility" dance down the aisle to the music? We did not think we would have to call on the dance we had learned earlier, so soon. Matt Reardon and his new bride, Pat, did a beautiful line dance given the narrow aisle space, to New York, New York. Then the jokes started along with Jack Weiss's true stories. Anyone bored with any part of the entertainment, could amuse themselves by killing a few cockroaches that seemed to come out every time it rained. It rained a lot. Dining on board was an experience with quite a varied menu. Ham and Cheese or Cheese and Ham, no beer, and bring your own toilet paper. We finally reached Los Mochis at 0300 the following morning, seven hours late but safe and sound. The rest of this day was spent resting in the AM for an afternoon cruise with the dolphins out in Topolobampo Bay, in the Sea of Cortez. It was fun and there were many dolphins in the area. Thursday dawned again very early as our train departed at 0600 from Los Mochis, back up the canyon to Creel, where we would spend the night. It was an uneventful scenic trip back up the canyon and we were treated to a beautiful sunrise. After a quick clean up at our quaint hotel in Creel, we went to dinner at a great restaurant, where the beer and wind flowed, and were entertained by a great Mariachi band. The band had us jumping in the aisles, with Bob Dedman singing along in Spanish. He and Jean Thompson are fluent in Hablabte Espanol and kept us straight the whole trip. Pat Hasler always has an awards ceremony and tonight was the night. Our guides, Karen Hill and Manuel Jurado, won bottled water and TP. Ken and Nell Hippe won a medal for the most TARPA Tours. La Cucaracha Medals for the most kills; Bill Kirschner first and Bob Dedman second, but I found out later that Bob's wife, Ilse killed more than both of us, so I am sending her my medal. Contrary to popular belief chivalry is not dead! Last but not least, Jack Weiss collected a medal for his true stories? Heartfelt thanks were given to the fiddle players and dancers and to Henrietta Wadsworth Shortperson, Poet Laureate of Divisadero, (Jean Thompson), for her stunning poem summing up our trip. Please enjoy the following and imagine it being interspersed with "La Cucuracha" from the Mariachi Band, live and in color. Like Lincoln, she penned that on the back of an envelope on the train. Friday and Saturday we were en route to El Paso from Creel, with a night in Chihuahua. We stopped at a Mennonite farm for lunch, which oddly has a large population in central Mexico. Interestingly, they make most of the cheese used in central Mexico and that is a lot of cheese. We arrived back in El Paso on schedule so everyone could make their flights home. All in all, it was a scenic, eventful trip and I think a lot of fun was had by all. It was truly the camaraderie of the TARPA troops that made the trip worthwhile and fun. Take care and hope to see you all in Virginia Beach next year.
PAGE 26... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
The week after Labor Day on the Rio Grande 29 travelers formed one hardy band We saw the sights of El Paso and even Juarez Did everything as the brochure says Gathered bottled water, Immodium and TP Set out in Juan's bus old Mexico to see. Chorus: La cucuracha Karen and Manuel told us what to expect This still failed our high spirits to deject We've absorbed sagas of heroes cultural mores Mexico's flora, fauna and Tarahumara stories. Fortified with quesadillas and a margarita or two We set out to see Copper Canyon's Superlative view.
Chorus: La cucuracha Twas back at the 2 PM train that arrived after three to go to Los Mochis not far from the sea The 9 hour trip lasted far into the night 12 hours later the waiting bus was a most welcome sight The trip could go faster if forward they'd go Backing up constantly makes progress quite slow. Chorus: La cucuracha While stuck on a siding the TARPAhumara put on a show with fiddling by Dedman and Angela you know
The TARPA dancers tried valiantly it's true But they lacked the stoicism the The inn at Divisadero was rustic indeed dance is due They managed our numbers to house and to feed The groups young lovers ended the show Some of us rose early to watch the sun rise Line dancing in the aisle, I swear The pilots among us kept swapping lies it is so. The women went "chopping" and looking for "chade" Chorus: La cucuracha The men complained loudly but eventually paid. Things to remember traveling Chorus: La cucurach Mexico's miles Katherine birthday brought dozens We watched a Tarahumara launch into dance of smiles With stoic expression and near The Mets largest T-shirt modeled by Moe rigid stance The leaping porpoises who put on a show At the Tarahumara ladder Ted Indian baskets, fiddles, salsa and chile Stepped over the verge Chuck's withdrawal from ice cream, We thought he'd defected but at last remarks very silly did emerge We're headed back home to get back Divisadero's International Airport, a to our ways sight we'll remember But we'll never forget fair days. At least for a while, perhaps till December Jean Thompson Chorus: La cucuracha
PAGE 27... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
A Salute to TWA's L-1011's By Jon Proctor TWA's long association with Lockheed came to a close September 3, when the last L-1011 flights completed the longest continuous service with any airline. A launch customer for the type, TWA ordered thirty-three 1011's on March 29,1968, and took options for an additional 11. At the same time, Eastern signed up for 50 (25 firm and 25 options), while Air Holdings, Inc. also committed for 50, to be marketed on Lockheed's behalf to non-U.S. customers. Following extensive delays owing to the bankruptcy of Rolls Royce, the 1011's exclusive engine manufacturer, TWA took delivery of its first aircraft - N31001 (fleet no.11001) - on May 10,1972. Capt. Ed Frankum was at the controls as the 1011 "TriStar" (a trade name not frequently used by TWA) lifted off from Palmdale with a load of Lockheed engineering reps, bound for Kansas City. On the same day, the obligatory flight was made to Indianapolis, in a non-sales tax state, thus allowing the company to operate its first "revenue" flight from Indiana with a small piece of airfreight and avoid payment of the tax levy. g Passenger service was inaugurated the followin month, on June 25, St. Louis to Los Angeles, with Captain Gordon Granger in command. Bill Sonnemann flew the eastbound inaugural the following day, when 11001 began a LAX-STL-LAX pattern (Jack Robertson did the honors on the way back to LAX). This daily routing would continue with only one airplane until the second was received July 4, allowing a LAX-ORD-LAX rotation. This helped a great deal, because company managers had decided that, at least initially, all 1011 flying would be carried out by ORD crews. During the initial few weeks, crews were obligated to deadhead between ORD and STL (then a route) to pick up their trips!
By the October 1972, six TriStars were in service, flying to SFO, LAS, and PHX. Early 1011 Captains I had the pleasure of flying with included Thad May, Harley Brubaker, Don Aagesen, Ralph Helpingstine, Lyle Ryan and Bob Widholm. By the time TWA's last L-1011's were ready for delivery in early 1976, the company was in the midst of cutbacks and high fuel costs. The final two aircraft factory-fresh, were sold to Saudi Arabian Airlines and flown away with Saudi registrations, still in TWA colors. But from its humble beginnings, the TWA 1011 fleet eventually spread far and wide, taking over transcon nonstops (the first was LAX-PHL) and, in 1978, began flying the Atlantic, following upgrades to the L-101 1-100 standard which included additional fuel capacity and higher takeoff weights, over-water gear and strengthened landing gear. West Coast-Hawaii service commenced later. The idea of a three-engine ocean crossing was scarcely noticed by the public, and seems mundane today when one acknowledges that the majority of Trans-Atlantic flying is done with twinjets!
PAGE 28... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
The L-1011 was so successful that the company took advantage of option positions to acquire five more 1011-100's between November 1981 and May 1982. International flying extended as Far East as Bombay and included longer segments such as IAD-CDG; even ORD-LHR was flown briefly with the Lockheed. At the height of Operation Desert Storm, I was assigned a 1011 trip to Sharm el Sheikh, at the foot of the Sinai Peninsula, where we dropped off a replacement contingent of U.N. peace- keeping troops, and picked up some very happy soldiers who were being relieved. The return routing brought about a unique Rome (Italy) to Rome –Y) pattern, flown by another crew. The gradual withdrawal of TWA's 1011 is actually began with a single airplane (21020) in 1989. The first big pull-down occurred in 1992 when nine were returned to the lessors; one left the following year, then five more in 1994. By the summer of 1997, only six were left, although a seventh was briefly recalled from the desert to substitute for a damaged 767. September 2 was the last regularly scheduled day of Lockheed flying, but three segments operated the following day, mainly for equipment recovery. Flight 327 operated MCO-STL, while 37 flew BOS-STL, then equipment-changed to a 757 for the leg out to LAX. With flights 327 and 37 due at STL within a minute of each other (and, of course, running on-time), STL Approach Control cooperated and guided the two airplanes to simultaneous landings on parallel runways; both touched down at 10:31 am, CDT Meanwhile, Flight 840, normally a 767, instead flew with 11006 and, when it landed at JFK, (at 4:04 PM BDT on Runway 31-R), became the very last TWA L-1011 revenue flight. The New York Port Authority obliged with a traditional water canon salute as the airplane turned off Taxiway Bravo and onto Delta-Alpha. The final six Lockheeds (11003, 11004,11006,11013, 11017&21023) have all been ferried to Kingman, Arizona, for storage. They joined seven others in the desert. It is said that they are awaiting "remarketing" by Fortis Aviation who was retained by TWA for that purpose. But as some are stripped of their engines and other vital parts, it would seem that few, if any, would fly again. 21023 is the high-time airplane, with over 71,000 hours on her airframe. Also among the flock is 31029, the only 1011 painted in new TWA colors. Probably because of flying time limitations before overhaul, it was put down in March, missing all the last flight "photo-ops." TWA's bragging rights as the longest continuous operator of the L-1011 will be turned over in ti me to Delta, which plans to operate at least some of its fleet into the next century. But during 25+ years, TWA maintained an enviable safety record with no passenger fatalities. In 1974,
PAGE 29... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
11007 was heavily damaged at the gate in Boston by a cabin fire, started by trash left on a coffee pot warmer pad in the Number 3 Service Center. The cleaning crew was interrupted by another incoming flight and the fire went unnoticed until it burst through the fuselage top, out of control. Ship 11007 was declared a write-off and dismantled, although the wings, engines, landing gear and other components were not damaged. Flight 849, operating with 11002, overran the runway during an aborted takeoff at JFK on July 30, 1992. The crew's textbook evacuation resulted in no serious injuries to a very full (including all jump seat s) flight, however the airplane was destroyed. A third L-1011 (31031) experienced a hard landing at JFK on August 25 , 1996, when the leadingedge slats failed to deploy. Although damaged, the aircraft was repairable. But, all things considered, it was instead ferried to Kingman and retired. Lockheed's 1011 is considered by many to be one of the most trouble-free and technologically advanced aircraft ever produced. Its quiet engines won the approval of the most noise-sensitive airport regulators from early on and qualified the airplane for Stage Ill operations long before it was required. TWA benefited enormously from the type's ability to perform yeoman service on a reliable basis for more than 25 years. The L-1011 represented the pinnacle of many TWA pilot flying careers, and those aviators will always be among its biggest fans. About the author: TARPA subscriber Jon Proctor spent 27 years with TWA, taking early retirement in 1991. He began as a ticket agent at Los Angeles; and held down a variety of different jobs; including JFK- and later OHD-based DCS; his last 13 years with the company were spent as a Flight Attendant and FSM domiciled at New York Now Senior Editor of Airliners Magazine, he recently authored a hook on the Convair 880 and 990, and is currently writing one on the L-1011. Jon was aboard the delivery flight of TWA 's first L-1011 in 1972, as well as Flight 327 on the last day of service this past September 3. His brother Bill is a retired TWA pilot and TARPA member.
PAGE 30... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
MADDUX
AIR
LINES
1927 - 1929
by Ed Betts The Year 1927 - If any year in the decade of the "Roaring Twenties" typified the mood of the ti mes, it was 1927. The Flappers were dancing the Charleston, speakeasies and bathtub gin were the vogue for the thirsty. Calvin Coolidge assumed the Presidency in 1923, after the death of Warren Harding, and announced "he chose not to run in 1928." Feminine fans were still grieving the sudden death of idol Rudolph Valentino at age 31 in 1926. The first Oscar awards went to Emil Jannings, The Way of All Flesh, Janet Gaynor, Seventh Heaven, and picture, Wings. Al Jolson headlined the first part-talking picture, The Jazz Singer. For the sports fans the New York Yankees beat Boston 4 to 0 in the World Series; the year that Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs and Lou Gehrig had 175 RBIs. Walter Hagen won golf's PGA Championship for the fourth consecutive year. Rene La Coste ended Bill Tilden's six-year reign as U.S. Open Tennis Champion. Gene Tunney won his second victory over Jack Dempsey. The only post-season football bowl classic was the Rose Bowl; Alabama and Stanford tied with a 7 to 7 score. Flying in 1927 - Flying was also making the headlines when Clarence Chamberlin and Bert Costa set an endurance record of 51 hours 11 minutes in their Bellanca. Nothing will compare with the epic flight of Charles Lindbergh when he landed in Paris on May 21. A few days later a Lt. James Doolittle made the first successful outside loop. The Pacific was also conquered when USAAC Lieutenants Maitland and Hegenberger flew a Fokker C2-3 from Oakland to Honolulu on June 28-29. The team of Ernie Smith and his navigator, Emory Bronte, had hopes to be the first but were delayed. They did establish a record as the first civilians to make the crossing from Oakland to Molokai on July 14, flying their Travel Air monoplane. Other records made during the year included altitude (38,419 feet) by Clarence Chamberlin and speed (322.6 mph) by Lt. Al Williams with a 1,250-hp 24-cylinder Packard engine powering his Kirkham racing plane. During the year 1926 there were a dozen newly created airlines which inaugurated service within the continental USA carrying the airmail under contract with the Post Office Department. The department was getting out of the flying business. These were new routes and most were
PAGE 31... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
"feeders" to the already established transcontinental route by the department between NYC and San Francisco. The Ford Motor Company was the first to inaugurate service with CAM#6 from Detroit/Dearborn to Cleveland on February 15, 1926. L.G. "Larry" Fritz, a veteran test pilot with Ford (and William Stout), flew the inaugural flight. Charles Lindbergh piloted the inaugural flight for Robertson Aircraft between Chicago and St. Louis on April 15. The one transcontinental route (known as the "Main" or "Columbia" Line) was divided in two parts and open for bid in 1927. CAM#18, from Chicago to San Francisco was won by Boeing Air Transport and service began on July 1. National Air Transport won CAM#17 from NYC to Chicago and began service on September 1. NAT already had CAM#3 (Chicago to Dallas) so their combined mileage was now Clement Keys, a former editor with the Wall Street Journal, founded NAT in 1924 1,791 miles. with an original capitol investment of $10,000,000 and was Chairman of the Executive Committee. Paul Henderson, former Assistant Postmaster General and in charge of the airmail, was a Vice President. There were exceptions, but most of the new airlines were formed with the one purpose, to carry the airmail, and their fleet had little or no accommodations for passengers. An example was Western Air Express which began operations on April 17, 1926, between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles (via Las Vegas). Their original equipment was the Douglas M-2 biplane . . If the mail load permitted, a passenger could ride in the open cockpit in front of the pilot where the sacks of mail were stored (complete with a flying suit and parachute). Pacific Air Transport was awarded CAM#8 from the Seattle area to San Francisco and Los Angeles. However, their northbound trip originated at 11:45 p.m. . . . there were no airway lights at the intermediate stops to Bakersfield and Fresno, so no passengers could be carried in their Ryan M-1 monoplanes. Vern Gorst, the owner, operated a bus company in Oregon and William Boeing was on the airline's Board of Directors. Jack Maddux - Investments in aviation-oriented stocks or companies were now very popular on Wall Street or other markets. One such potential investor was Jack L. Maddux, a very successful dealer in the Los Angeles area with the Ford-built Lincoln automobile. Through his contacts with Henry Ford and his Chief engineer, William Mayo, he was convinced there a future in operating an airline for passengers and freight (only) and agreed to investigate the possibility in the Los Angeles area. Maddux would also be a sales representative for the trimotor Ford monoplane out west. Maddux was able to purchase the seventh Model 4-AT off the assembly line (for $42,000) and came east July, 1927 to take delivery. His pilot for the trip west, and the new business adventure, was Larry Fritz. Mayo, mechanic Jack Wiles plus a load of spare parts were the passengers and freight. It was to be a leisure trip as many stops were programmed in order to show off the plane (maybe a ride) to potential buyers. They departed Dearborn on the evening of July 22 for the first leg to Chicago. Then to Kansas City and Omaha. From there they followed the Post Office route to Salt Lake City
PAGE 32... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
At Salt Lake City they were joined by Parker Van Zandt and his pilot, LaMar Nelson. Van Zandt owned Scenic Airlines (later called Grand Canyon Air Line) and Nelson was a former pilot with Ford. At Las Vegas an overnight trip to Williams, Arizona, and return was flown to make a very special test flight . . . a demonstration of the Ford's ability to operate out of a high-altitude airport (Williams is 6,770 feet). At the time there was not a suitable airport so the landing was made on a local baseball field. No problem. Mr. Mayo's computations assured there was ample space for the takeoff . . but the locals were somewhat skeptical and removed the left field fence just in case. Mr. Mayo had an odd substitute for a note pad: he took notes on the white celluloid cuffs of his shirt. As a precaution, all excess weight was removed and shipped by train on to Los Angeles. A large crowd gathered the next morning to watch the departure. At about the home plate area the brakes were locked and the three engines revved up to max power, the brakes released and they were on the roll. Almost immediately the tail was in the air and the plane cleared the area where the left field fence had been by over 20 feet. This was the beginning of the legend of the Ford to operate from small and high-altitude airports. They returned to Las Vegas and picked up two more passengers for the flight to Los Angeles. Nearly a dozen military and civilian airplanes gave them an escort into the Los Angeles area and they circled Rogers Field several times before landing. A huge crowd had gathered and the police plus local airport personnel were trying to keep the landing area clear until the "monster" came to a complete stop and the engines cut. They landed at 3:30 p.m. on July 27, after 31 hours' flying time from Dearborn, and were greeted by D. F. McGarry, President of the Chamber of Commerce, and others. According to an interview by the Los Angeles Times, Maddux was reticent and would not confirm or deny his plans for the plane. It was surmised that it might be his personal "air yacht." There was not a hangar in the Los Angeles area which could house the plane's 75-foot wing span; it was roped off and a full-time sentry was on duty to keep the curious from getting too close. In order to raise more capital among his business contacts, Maddux arranged a series of daily scenic hops around the Los Angeles area to show off the plane's potential. At first, many of the invited guests were reluctant to fly and they had all kinds of alibis for politely refusing the offer. Mrs. Maddux had a good solution: she would invite a group of the wives to lunch which was followed by the scenic flight. The women were ecstatic and their husbands soon overcame their shyness to fly and took part. With sufficient capital, Mattux Air Lines was incorporated on September 9, 1927. The route chosen was between Los Angeles and San Diego. Claude Ryan began a similar daily 9 service starting on March 1, 1925 (from "Dutch Flats" to an airport at Western Avenue and Street in Los Angeles) using modified Standard biplanes. He charged $15 for the 120-mile flight which took an hour and a half. A year later he was using the modified 11-passenger Douglas Cloudster. During the year 1926 the airline carried 5,600 passengers. George Allen was one of the pilots. However, in early 1927, Ryan discontinued this service and concentrated on building aircraft. th
Eddie Bellande, a well-known local barnstormer and test pilot, was the first pilot hired by Mattux on October 2, 1927. Johnny Myers was hired as Chief Mechanic on November 6. Scheduled
PAGE 33... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
service would begin after the arrival of the second Ford from the factory. Movie stars Wallace Beery, Raymond Hatton and Will Fox along with Eddie Rickenbacker and William Mayo were .among the passengers (with Fritz the pilot) for the flight to Los Angeles. Scheduled service, three times a week, began on November 1, 1927. Charles Lindbergh was the Honorary Chief Pilot for the inaugural flight. It so happened that on the 27 th of that month another passenger (no mail) airline inaugurated service from Los Angeles to Phoenix and Tucson flying a Fokker Universal . . . Jack Frye's Standard Air Lines operating from their Aero Corporation of California field (story in the Fall 1994 Journal). Maddux operated out of Rogers Field. MADDUX AIR LINES, 1928 - Maddux purchased six more 4-AT Fords in 1928, as additional schedules were added. The trip to San Diego operated daily and soon was extended to Agua Caliente, Mexico, a 10-minute flight from San Diego (where customs inspection was conducted on return). These were the "dry years" so it was popular to fly to Mexico for a legal drink plus other entertainment such as horse racing, bull fighting, gambling casinos, etc. It was especially popular with the Hollywood movie industry crowd. On weekends or holidays there could be several extra sections to accommodate the thirsty; on weekdays the flights were relatively empty. Some of the original pilots included George Allen, Fred "Doc" Whitney and John Guglielmetti - all experienced and well known in the area. Instead of copilots in the right seat, mechanics rode along. They were called "Mates" and each was assigned to one airplane. Their job, besides minor repairs away from base, was to make a detailed report of the airplane's condition at the end of the day to the Lead Mechanic so that it would be in perfect shape for the next day's schedules. Larry Fritz was Chief Pilot and carried the title "Commodore" of the fleet. Several times Maddux investigated the possibility of an international flight from San Diego to Mexico City. One of the first was on November 15, 1928, when Larry Fritz (with "Mate" Stu Wilkinson) piloted a small group to meet with Mexican officials. On the trip south they encountered an unreported large buzzard cruising at their altitude. Apparently the buzzard got the worst of this midair collision. Starting in early 1928 Western was making plans for what would be termed a "Model Airway" between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Weather reporting stations and two-way radio communications were part of the master plan. The President's son, Herbert Hoover, Jr., was Communications Chief. A large loan from the Guggenheim Fund helped with the expenses which included the purchase of three trimotor Fokker F-10s. Service began on March 26 which was nonstop from their Vail Field to Alameda (and then by ferry across the bay). The northbound flight departed at 9:00 a.m. and arrived at noon, the southbound at 9:10 a.m. and arrived at 12:10 p.m. The fare was $60 (no return discount) and included ground transportation at both ends.
PAGE 34... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
On April 14, 1928, Maddux began a daily service from Los Angeles to San Francisco (Oakland and then by ferry to San Francisco), with stops at Bakersfield (flag stop only), Visalia (Wednesday and Sunday only) and Fresno. The northbound flight departed at 8:00 a.m. and arrived 12:30 p.m., the southbound left at 8:00 a.m. and arrived at 12:30 p.m. The fare was $45 ($85 round trip) which included ground transportation by luxurious "closed" cars between the downtown offices and the airports. On Sundays the Agua Caliente flight was extended to Ensenada . Including Pacific Air Transport (one direction only), there were now three airlines competing for the passenger market between the two California metropolises. Maddux moved their Bay Area operations to Mills Field (site of the SFO Airport today) in July, although Oakland remained a port of call. Complimentary bus service was provided to downtown San Francisco. Art Burns, a veteran pilot (soloed in November 1913), was hired on October 27, 1928, and one of his first trips proved to be a harrowing experience. He was flying into the San Francisco Bay Area on a pitch-black night when suddenly all three engines quit due to carburetor ice. He put the plane into a glide towards what appeared to be a large field and as soon as he felt the wheels hit the ground pulled the brake handle with all of his strength. He stopped just short of a large tree. It was a three-day wait before a strong north wind came up which would allow the plane to be ferried to Alameda. For the year 1928, Maddux carried 9,443 passengers a total distance of 386,736 miles without a major incident. It also had one of the largest fleet of Fords (eight) plus two four-passenger Lockheed Vegas and two Travel Airs. TOMMY TOMLINSON, 1929 - A big event in 1928 was the National Air Races held in September at Mines Field (LAX today). A special event, aerobatics by military fighters in formation, saw the Navy team beat the Army team (The Three Musketeers) for the first time ever. The leader of the Navy's "Three Sea Hawks" was Lt. D.W. "Tommy" Tomlinson, an Annapolis graduate and veteran of 10 years in Naval flying. It was here that Tommy met Jack Maddux and the latter discussed a possible job managing the airline. Larry Fritz was about to resign and help Erie Halliburton organize his Southwest Air Fast Express (SAFE), operating with Fords between Sweetwater or Dallas to Tulsa and Kansas City or St. Louis. Maddux was in the process of refinancing and reorganizing and offered Tomlinson the job as VP-Operations. This was a 10-year contract plus a block of stock and to be a member of the Board of Directors. Tomlinson took a two-week leave of absence and flew several of the trips to Oakland or Agua Caliente. He also COLONEL CHARLES A. LINDBERCH AND LIEUTENENT D. W. TOMLINSON took Maddux and some of the directors to Nogales, Hermosillo and Guymas where discussions were held with Mexican officials with regard to a possible mail contract. This did not materialize.
PAGE 35... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
After much deliberating the pros and cons, Tommy took early retirement and joined the airline on January 1, 1929. The following quotes are Tommy's impression of the operations at the time: "The Maddux Air Lines was, I found, but one step removed from the sort of thing I had known in the old gypsy flying days. Rogers Airport was a glorified mudhole. As for personnel organization, they were minus plus. All officers and no soldiers; everyone was boss, claiming glory when things went right, and disclaiming responsibility the moment trouble loomed. " "The facilities were painfully limited. One small sheet-iron office building served as waiting room, ticket office, flight office and pilots ' room. On weekdays the place was like a tomb, on Saturdays and Sundays it was a mad house, for then the crowds came out to the field and chaos reigned. It had become the vogue for Hollywood's movie stars to fly to Agua Caliente for the weekends." "A wooden shack served as stockroom and motor overhaul shop for the planes. The planes themselves stood out in the open. Men worked on them under every conceivable handicap. A mechanic checking a motor stood on a rickety stepladder, which rested on a foundation of mud. When it rained it poured; and the men huddled under a tarpaulin pulled over the power sections of the plane which they were working. " "The ship cleaners, polishing the interiors of the planes, tracked as much dirt into the cabins as they swept out. " "Anything resembling system was unknown. Each morning the Chief Pilot, Chief Clerk, Dispatcher, Superintendent of Maintenance - or whoever happened to be handy - surveyed the immediate situation, and began to yell at the mechanics, inquiring as to what planes, if any, were ready to fly that day. Frequently, at the last moment, a pilot slated to make a run would not appear on time. Investigation would bring to light the fact that the gentleman was at the moment in San Francisco or San Diego - on business on his own. " A few days after he joined the airline, Tomlinson went east to ferry the first of eight modernized Ford 5-AT models (with the new P&W 420-hp Wasp engine) on order by Maddux. The factory price was now $65,475. Maddux, William Mayo, several Maddux directors and maintenance men who had studied the plane at the factory were the passengers. Near St. Louis the plane iced up and a forced landing was made in a cornfield. They spent the night in the cabin with below freezing temperatures outside. The next day it was clear, but cold, and it took many attempts with the hand-cranked inertial starters to get the powerful engines to turn over and finally start. It was necessary to use a ladder to crank the center engine. Once the engines were started and warmed up, the departure was normal. OPERATIONS TO GLENDALE - February 22, 1929, all operations were transferred to the newly completed Grand Central Terminal at Glendale. Here they had adequate facilities for equipment maintenance and overhaul plus a comfortable passenger terminal and ticket office. A big improvement was concrete runways, taxi strips and aprons to park the aircraft.
PAGE 36... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
It was no big secret that Tomlinson's entry into the Maddux company was greeted with suspicion by the current employees .. rumors had already spread that they all, including the pilots, would be replaced by Tomlinson's Navy friends. The airline would be run in the typical "spit-and-polish" fashion of the Navy. The rumor was false so far as a mass displacement although two of Tommy's enlisted friends were hired in management positions. One was Bill Hughes, an 18-year veteran in maintenance, who was hired to be Chief Engineer. The other was Felix Preeg, a 16-year veteran as a pilot running an enlisted men's squadron, who was hired on March 16, and soon became Chief Pilot. Under this trio's leadership, Maddux operations became very organized and systematic. There was lots of extra paperwork such as clearances and reports, typical of an airline operation today, but it soon spelled out efficiency - which has always been necessary for a profit. One example of Tommy's new approach was to have senior pilots serve as dispatchers. For example, there were four pilots based at Alameda and their typical tour of duty was: one day flying to Glendale and return the following day, one day in the office as dispatcher, and one day off The dispatcher worked with the pilots with regard to flight planning (weather, alternates, maximum weights, fuel, etc.), and both parties signed the clearance that all parameters were favorable for a safe and efficient flight. The pilot was never coerced into flying under conditions that he, personally, felt was unsafe. It was many years before this type of airline operations was deemed mandatory by the Department of Commerce. Under Bill Hughes' guidance an efficient overhaul base was set up using revolutionary methods such as overhead conveyor belts to move essential engine parts from the storage area to the maintenance area. There were also forms to complete by the mechanics who did the work and signed by an inspector. Instead of a jack-of-all-trades, there were now specialists with engine maintenance or overhaul, airframe, instruments, etc. On January 1, 1929, Maddux had its first serious accident when Mike Guglielmetti (brother of John) hit a soft spot after landing at Santa Rosa and the plane nosed down. The rear fuselage was badly buckled and two bulkheads were crushed. There were no injuries among the five passengers. In early 1929 a new schedule between San Diego and Phoenix and then back to Los Angeles by way of Palm Springs was tried. One of the first t rips was on April 21, and it ended in tragedy shortly after departing San Diego. It seems an Army pilot with a Boeing pursuit plane wanted to show off for the benefit of one passenger (his girlfriend) and was performing some sort of a maneuver, such as a buzz job, in the Ford's vicinity. For some unknown reason he pulled up right in front of the airliner and hit the Ford in the center engine and cockpit area. The Army pilot's parachute caught in the tail of the Ford as it headed down, inverted, at a 45-degree angle and crashed. Pilot Maurice Murphy, "Mate" Louis Pratt and three passengers were killed.
PAGE 37... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
During 1929, Maddux continued to grow. Schedules were added such as three daily flights between Los Angeles and Alameda, five daily flights to Agua Caliente (plus extra sections, if necessary), and a spur route between Alameda and the Monterey Peninsula. By June of that year the fleet consisted of 15 Fords, the largest in the world. There was also a total of 16 pilots employed. Besides the regular schedules there were charters available: $50 for the first hour with a four-passenger Vega, $125 for the first hour with a 10-passenger Ford and $175 for a 14-passenger Ford. Moye Stephens was among those hired in 1929 as pilot and told what it was like to be qualified: "Checking out consisted of one trip with a supervisor pilot to Alameda and return, another trip to Agua Caliente and then a demonstration of your landing technique in the Glendale traffic pattern. Then you made three takeoffs and landings, solo, as a supervisor pilot observed from the ground . . if you passed all of these tests you were a qualified captain. " THE GRAF ZEPPELIN, 1929 - One of the most exciting and dramatic flights in history occurred between August 8 and 29, 1929, when the huge Graf Zeppelin made an unprecedented round-the-world trip from Lakehurst (N.J.) and return. It traveled east, with a stop in Germany (four days), across Siberia to Japan (four days of celebrations), then to Los Angeles (overnight) before proceeding back to Lakehurst. The dirigible was 775 feet long, 100 feet wide and 110 feet high with a spacious gondola that was 100 feet long and 20 feet wide. Twenty passengers were catered to the most luxurious service, splendid dining room and lounge, and staterooms which compared to the best of ocean liners of that era. There was one major exception, the gondola was not heated, which made it very uncomfortable across Siberia or at high cruising altitudes. The original fare for an Atlantic crossing was $3,000. Commander (Dr.) Hugo Eckener was in charge of the 41-man crew for the 20,500-mile trip which, naturally, set a record of 21 days, 7 hours and 34 minutes (12 days in the air). The average speed was 50 mph, top speed was 70 mph. On the afternoon of August 26 it made a pass over the Golden Gate Bridge in the San Francisco area and then headed south along the coast to Los Angeles. A Maddux Ford was chartered to greet the Zep and lead it towards the landing spot at Mines Field (site of LAX today). Tomlinson was the pilot; passengers included a well-known newscaster from radio station KFWB, complete with a special radio to broadcast the event. The big problem was when and where they would find the Zep. Another problem developed when there was an the electrical failure with the Ford ... all lights went out along with normal two-way radio system. Not only could they not communicate with the Zep, there was the danger of not being seen by other aircraft in the area. The Zep was finally spotted about 12:30 a.m. to the west of Ventura with a full moon to outline its unmistakable shape. Fortunately, the Zep was listening to KFWB and was aware of the communications failure. They could answer questions by blinking their navigation lights .
PAGE 38... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
The Ford circled the Zep as they flew over downtown Los Angeles (KFWB blinked the lights on their radio towers as a signal the broadcast was also received by them). However, Eckener decided to wait until sunrise to make the landing. A huge crowd already assembled spent the night in their cars awaiting the big event, scheduled for 5:00 a.m. Maddux reaped the benefits from all of this publicity as, even before dawn, there were hundreds of potential passengers lined up in front of the ticket office. They were eager to take a short hop between the two airports for a look at the Zep from above. Every available airplane and pilot was used for the frequent shuttles. As soon as one plane was loaded and taxied away for takeoff another was taxied to the ramp for the next load. Maddux Air Lines set a world's record for the number of passengers carried in one day. The Graf Zeppelin was to depart just after sundown. The last Maddux flight was reserved for all of the ground employees who had worked tirelessly to keep the operation going smoothly. According to Dick Hulse, who was in the dispatch office all day and a passenger, the Zep cast off its lines and started a slow climb to the east. Then, suddenly, as it neared a set of high-tension power lines, there was a deluge of water as ballast was dropped. The Zep barely cleared the lines by a few feet as it departed and headed for the Banning Pass into a clear and moonlit night on its last leg back to Lakehurst. About mid-1929 Maddux adopted a different policy with regard to the "Mates" qualifications: The "new hires" were required to have a minimum of 100 hours of pilot time plus the qualifications of a licensed mechanic. When not needed for flight duty, it was common practice to work in the shops. Johnny Myers told how he had passed every test, but one, to be pilot qualified . . . the damned Morse Code exam (ability to send and receive a certain number of words a minute). Clarence Templeton told what it was like on payday, usually a Friday afternoon, for the mechanics . . Jack Maddux was there leaning against his Lincoln with a big wad of cash; as each employee came up in line for his wages, Bill Hughes quoted from his notes the number of hours worked during the week and the amount due. He was paid in cash and there were no deductions for income tax, etc. This was also about the time when Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT) was nearing the inauguration of their "48-Hour Coast-to-Coast" service . . flying by day to Clovis, New Mexico; then an overnight train to Waynoka, Oklahoma; another TAT flight by day to Columbus, Ohio; and a second night by train to New York City. Service actually began on July 7, 1929, but the dress rehearsal and publicity flights began in June. Although it was not officially announced until later that year, the merger with Maddux was already in progress and four of their pilots were to fly the legs from Glendale to Kingman and Winslow, Arizona, where there was a crew change. Pilots Bellande, Guglielmetti, Shore and Stephens were now wearing TAT uniforms. TAT ordered a fleet of 10 modern Fords (5-AT) which were furnished with plush interiors. The Maddux Fords, those to be retained, were refurbished with window shades, curtains and reading lights to bring them up to TAT's standards. Two-way radiophones along with new powerful generators and regulators to operate same were part of the modifications. The huge transmitter was supported by an open rack about two feet long located in the tail of the plane. In order to work with low frequencies, below the usual AM band for broadcasts, a 200-foot antenna wire with a two-pound lead weight at the end was unreeled by the copilot (and, hopefully, retracted before landing). Another TAT requirement, which affected the Maddux "Mates", was to be qualified as
PAGE 39... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
pilots with a certified Department of Commerce license. There was a rush among the Mates to get the required minimum flying time for the coveted license ... several were paying for this training and experience at private schools in their spare time. Prior to the final merger with TAT, Maddux was flying a route schedule of 599 miles including the service between Los Angeles and San Francisco, and Los Angeles to Tia Juana and Agua Caliente. With a fleet of 16 Fords (one was lost and one sold in January) and two Lockheeds it flew over 40,000 passengers a total of 1,000,000 miles in 1929. These statistics are trivial if compared to what one "jumbo jet" can log in a few months' time, but Maddux Air Lines made a very important contribution to passenger travel without the benefit of an airmail contract. Few of the pioneer all-passenger airlines of that era survived. TAT also operated out of the new Glendale Airport and leased their hangar and other facilities right next to those of Maddux. The merger to form TAT-Maddux was completed on November 16, 1929. The general offices were now located in St. Louis. Clement Keys was Chairman of the Board of Directors; Jack Maddux, President; Daniel Sheaffer, Chairman of the Executive Committee; and Charles Lindbergh, Chairman of the Technical Committee. Tommy Tomlinson was Manager of Operations for the Western Division, based at Glendale, and Steve Welsh the Manager for the Eastern Division, based at Columbus, Ohio. Four of the airlines mentioned: Western, Standard, Maddux and TAT were to eventually (through a series of mergers culminating in October 1930) be an important part of TWA's "roots." This would include personnel, equipment (air and ground), airports and, in some cases, part of their routes. The story of TAT and TAT-Maddux will be continued.
PAGE 40... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
References Aircraft Year Book, 1926 to 1930 The Sky's the Limit, by D. W. Tomlinson. 1930 Ford Tri Motor, by William Larkins. 1992 "Ancestry Aircraft of TWA" Ed Peck, AAHS Journals Airlines of the United States Since 1914, R.E.G. Davies, 1972. Personal conversations with Larry Fritz, Tommy Tomlinson, LaMar Nelson. Ken Blaney, Eddie Bellande, Moye
The first Ford 4-A T-A (NC1102) delivered to California ( Fritz and Nelson) powered by Wright J4 's (200 hp), cruised about 92 mph. This Ford is now in the Ford Museum at Dearborn, MI.
PAGE 41... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
CHUCK HASLER
BY PAT & WE HAVE
JUST CONCLUDED ANOTHER GREAT YEAR WITH OUR TRIP
TO THE FABULOUS COPPER CANYON. YOU WILL FIND R STORY BY BILL KIRSCHNER ABOUT THE TRIP ELSEWHERE IN THIS ISSUE. A STORY ABOUT OUR GREAT TRIP TO ALASKA IN JUNE BY HERB REIBLING IS ALSO IN THIS ISSUE. WE HAVE 3 GREAT EVENTS PLANNED.
1 998 I S R NEW YEAR &
YOU WILL FIND EVERYTHING ON THE NEXT 4 PAGES. FIRST IS IS
ANOTHER TRIP TO TURKEY, EXCEPT THIS ONE IS BY SEA &
ROUNDTRIP FROM ATHENS. WE ONLY HAVE 15 SUPERIOR OUTSIDE 6 ARE ALREADY SPOKEN FOR CABINS RESERVED AT THIS TIME & SO GET YOUR DEPOSIT IN SOON. SECOND IS A WONDERFUL LAND TRIP TO THE OUTER BANKS & SHENANDOA,
KITTY HAWK, CHARLOTTESVILLE,
LANCASTER & WASHINGTON. THIS TRIP LEAVES
RIGHT AFTER THE CONVENTION IN VIRGINIA BEACH. THIRD IS A 7 NIGHT ROUND TRIP FROM LAX TO THE MEXICAN RIVIERA ON THE NEW SHIP "ELATION" GOING INTO SERVICE APRIL 1998. OUR TRIP DEPARTS OCT. 28. GET DEPOSITS IN EARLY FOR ALL ONE REMEMBER WHEN TARPA GOING TO SEA WE WILL LEAVE
MORE
TRIPS!
ANNOUNCEMENT
WENT TO SEA IN "93"? NOW TARPA
AT THE END OF THE "CENTURY". YES
IS
SEPT. 27, 1999
MIAMI AT 5PM FOR fl GREAT 4 NIGHT CONVEN-
TION CRUISE TO NASSAU, CoCoCay & KEY
WEST. GET READY FOR
THIS ONE! DETAILS LATER.
PAGE 42... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
Join Chuck & Pat Hasler and TARPA TOURS in 1998
EASTERN
MEDITERRANEAN
CRUISE
5/1/98 for 7-Days Roundtrip from Athens to the Greek Islands and Turkey
POST-CONVENTION
TOUR
OF
THE
EAST
10/2/98 for 6-Days Outer Banks, Charlottesville, Shenandoah, Lancaster & Washington D.C.
.
MEXICAN
RIVIERA
CRUISE
10/25/98 for 7-Days Roundtrip from Los Angeles aboard the new Elation
Contact: Chuck & Pat Hasler 8 Rustic Way, San Rafael, Ca 94901 • (415) 454-7478 PAGE 43... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
EASTERN
MEDITERRANEAN 5/1/98
•
CRUISE
7 Days
Roundtrip from Athens - Greek Islands & Turkey aboard Royal Olympic's TRITON Itinerary: Arrive Fri: Piraeus (Athens) Sat: Heraklion (Crete) 7:00am *Santorini 4:00pm Sun: Rhodes 7:00am Mon: *Patmos 7:00am Kusadasi (Ephessos) Turkey 2:30pm The: Istanbul 2:30pm Wed: Istanbul Thu: *Delos 10:00am Mykonos 2:30pm Fri: Piraeus (Athens) 7:00am *Weather Permitting
Depart Sails at 8:00pm 11:30am 9:00pm 7:00pm 11:00am 7:30pm 2:00pm 1:00pm 10:30pm
Rates: Superior Outside Cabin: $949pp $145pp Taxes: Plus a nonrefundable $30pp Tarpa registration fee. Category A
Superior Outside with windows, two lower beds and private bath. Note: We have a limited number of these cabins. Reserve early. About the Triton A sleek 14,000 tons with 315 crew members looking after 620 passengers. Built in 1971, it had a total ' re-do' in 1992. Offers most of the same facilities found on much larger ships - outdoor pool, casino, theater, gym, sauna, and 110/220AC. Greek registry, officers & crew. Pre/post hotel & air program will be advised at a later date.
MEXICAN
RIVIERA
CRUISE
10/25/98 • 7 Days Roundtrip from Los Angeles aboard Carnival's New Itinerary: Sun: Los Angeles Mon: Fun Day at Sea Tue: Fun Day at Sea Wed: Puerto Vallarta Thu: Mazatlan Fri: *Cabo San Lucas Sat: Fun Day at Sea Sun: Los Angeles * Subject to tidal conditions
Arrive
ELATION!
About the Elation: Enters service 4/12/98 A true floating resort - you'll love your 'at sea' days. Over 70,000 tons, 2,040 pax, 920 crew, registry Panama. 8:00am 10:00pm Lots of space to 'get lost' on board such as the Nautica 9:00am 6:00pm Spa - one of the most extensive facilities at sea with state-of-the-art equipment and salon that offers the latest 7:00am Noon and most exotic treatments, three outdoor pools, six 9:00am whirlpools & spiral waterslide for the young at heart, six acres of deck space (you'll never feel crowded), two elegant dining rooms, plus optional dining at the Rates: Seaview Bistro, Tiffany's Bar & Grill or the 24-hour Outside Cabin with windows Pizzeria. The Casablanca Casino is one of the largest Cat 7 Main Deck (twin/king) - $830pp afloat and the evening entertainment will have you Cat 8 Upper Deck (twin/king) - $850pp feeling you are in Las Vegas or New York rather than at Cat 11 Demi-Suite w/Verandah (queen beds) - $1360pp sea. Enjoy late night entertainment in the Cole Porter 3rd person in cabin - $500 Taxes : $118.50pp Club, Gatsby's Great Bar, Duke's Piano Bar, dancing in the romantic Romeo & Juliet lounge and, of course, a Plus a nonrefundable $30pp Tarpa registration fee. state-of-the-art disco - the Jekyll & Hyde Dance Club. Don ' t overlook the duty-free shopping mall! AARP Member? Carnival carries more passengers over the age of 65 than Send copy of membership card prior to 7/22/98 & deduct any other cruise line, One third of their total business is $50 more for each member! over 55. They are not JUST for the young, but the energetic young at heart. PAGE 44... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997 Depart 4:00pm
POST
CONVENTION
TOUR
The Outer Banks, Charlottesville, Shenandoah, Lancaster, & DC "Experience the Fall Foliage" 6 Days/12 Meals • October 2 to 7, 1998 DAY ONE FRIDAY OCTOBER 2 DAY FOUR MONDAY OCTOBER 5 Meals: Dinner Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Departing Virginia Beach, we head south to the Outer Following breakfast we head for Lancaster, PA. Our first Banks of North Carolina. Our first destination is the stop is the New Market Battlefield where we enjoy a film Wri ght Brothers National Memorial on the 90 foot dune at the visitors center and have an interpretive tour of the where the Wright Brothers conducted many of their battlefield. Lunch stop (on your own) location TBA. famous experiments. Here, we can see a short film, view Traveling onward, we arrive and check into the delightful Willow Valley Resort (or the Historic Strasburg Inn) with the many exhibits, visit the gift shop and enjoy an interpretive talk. Next we'll make a short stop at Kitty Hawk Kites time to freshen up. Then, meet our expert guide for a 3 Complex. Here we can browse the shops and catch a hour tour of the Amish country culminating in the home of an Amish family with dinner cooked and served entirely by glimpse of hang gliders on the dunes. Luncheon is on own before checking into the Holiday Inn on the beach, a full the family. After dinner be prepared for some "down to earth" entertainment by the grandchildren. service hotel recently renovated. Then meet our expert guide for an area tour including the area briefly inhabited DAY FIVE TUESDAY OCTOBER 6 by the Lost Colony, a visit to the Elizabethan Gardens and the Elizabeth II State Historic Sight where we'll board a Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner replica of the 16th century sailing vessel used in the first After breakfast we'll visit a local farmers market followed voyages to Roanoke Island. Returning to our hotel, we'll by a tour of the Strasburg RR Museum. Then, board one of have time to freshen up before light hors d'oeurves and America's oldest steam trains for a ride through spectacular Amish farmlands to Paradise and back, with a light “'no-host ” cash bar on the deck of our restaurant (weather permitting) then enjoy dinner overlooking the water. luncheon served on board. Departing for Washington DC, we'll arrive in time to enjoy our favorite Smithsonian DAY TWO SATURDAY OCTOBER 3 Museum or perhaps the new acclaimed "Newseum" with Meals: Breakfast, Luncheon imaginative, interactive exhibits. Following check in at the After breakfast it's just a short ride to the Jamestown Yacht centrally located Sheraton National Hotel in Arlington and Basin. Here we board the Jamestown Island Explorer for a ti me to freshen up, we depart for an exceptionally elegant nature cruise with spectacular views and Jamestown dinner cruise on the Odyssey III. Travel beneath historic folklore and history. Then visit and dine at the Berkeley bridges, spanning the Potomac while enjoying live entertainment, impeccable cuisine and unparalleled views of the Plantation where the first 10 US Presidents dined with the Capital's greatest monuments. Upon returning to our hotel, Harrisons. Our home tonight is the delightful Sheraton we bid good-bye to our driver/guide, who will return to his Park South Hotel in Richmond, VA. Light hors d'oeuvres homebase in Richmond. await us with a "no-host" cash bar on the patio this evening. Dinner is on own. DAY SIX WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 7 DAY THREE SUNDAY OCTOBER 4 Meals: Breakfast Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Checkout at leisure today and transfer to Washington National Airport for our flights home. Complimentary After breakfast depart for Monticello, the classic home of Thomas Jefferson and an architectural masterpiece. A hotel airport shuttle. colonial style traditional buffet luncheon awaits us at Optional extra hotels nights, Washington. historic Michie Tavern followed by a tour of the Tavern, $122pp (includes taxes but no breakfast). grist mill and museum. This is one of the oldest homesteads in America, originally located at a busy stagecoach Rate: (includes gratuities) crossroads and a meeting place for early statesmen, $860pp sharing twin travelers and landed gentry to the area. Here we'll meet our expert guide who will accompany us for the remainder Single accommodations add $257 of the afternoon. The world famous Luray Caverns is next on our agenda and we marvel at the magnificent formaPlus a nonrefundable $30pp Tarpa registration fee. Rate based on a minimum of 37 participants. tions and massive rooms, while listening to the world's only stalacpipe organ. Ascending to the Skyline Drive, we reach our hotel for tonight, the rustic and marvelous Skyland Lodge in Shenandoah National Park. Dinner and entertainment and perhaps an outdoor Ranger Talk follows. PAGE 45... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
NEVER BEEN ON A CRUISE TO THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE I WAS ONE OF THESE FOR 50 YEARS AND SAID,"I WILL FEEL TOO COOPED UP, NOTHING TO DO AND I WILL BE BORED; THERE WILL BE TOO I WILL GET MANY ORGANIZED ACTIVITIES ; TOO MUCH ROUGH SEA AND ANYTHING IN COMMON WITH MY FELLOW SEASICK; I WON'T HAVE PASSENGERS; THEY WON'T SERVE THE KIND OF FOOD I LIKE; I WILL HAVE TO DRESS TOO FORMAL. WELL I WAS WRONG ON ALL COUNTS!"YOU ARE I N PORT ALMOST EVERY OTHER DAY; & TRY A S YOU MAY YOU CAN NEVER FIND THE TIME TO PARTICIPATE IN ALL THE SHIPBOARD ACTIVITIES (ORGANIZED OR NON-ORGANIZED);YOU CAN BE AS DISORGANIZED RS YOU LIKE, NO ONE FORCES YOU TO TAKE PART IN ANY OF THE SHIPBOARD AS YOU ERN PLAY CARDS ACTIVITIES OR 60 ON ANY SHORE EXCURSIONS ON DECK & READ; WITH FRIENDS,SEE A MOVIE OR JUST PLAIN RELAX NOWADAYS YOU ARE NOT SOILING ACROSS THE OCEAN JUST TO GET THE WATERS SOMEWHERE SO YOU ARE NEVER OUT OF SIGHT OF LAND AND ARE ALWAYS FAIRLY SMOOTH(BESIDES THEY NOW HAVE NON-PRESCRIPI HAVE TION MOTION PILLS THAT YOU TAKE ONE EVERY 24 HRS. AND MET ON FOUND THEM TO BE 100% EFFECTIVE); EVERYONE WE HAVE THERE FOR THE CRUISES(EXCEPT THAT 1% YOU MEET EVERYWHERE)WERE YOUR SAME REASON AS OURSELVES,FUN AND RELAXATION AND LEAVE TROUBLES AT HOME;YOU HAVE THE LARGEST CHOICE OF DIFFERENT FOODS SEEN ANYWHERE & YOU CAN LITERALLY EAT SOMEWHERE THAT I HAVE ON THE SHIP EVERY WAKING HR.; YOU DO NOT HOVE TO WEIR R TUX OR A FORMAL DRESS (UNLESS YOU SO CHOOSE), AS ON THE ONE OR TWO FORMAL NIGHTS(DEPENDING ON THE LENGTH OF CRUISE) A DARK SUIT OR JACKET AND COCKTAIL DRESSES ARE WORN BY MANY. REFERRING TO ABOVE ARE THOSE WE TOOK ON OUR THE CRUISES I AM OWN C ENJOYED SO MUCH. THE REAL ENJOYMENT CAME WHEN WE CRUISES & TOURS & MET & RENEWED OLD STARTED ON THE TARPA SPOUSES.THE FRIENDSHIPS WITH LONG AGO CREW MEMBER FRIENDS & HANGER FLYING REALLY GETS TO FLYING SOME NIGHTS. NOT ONCE DID I NEVER BEEN ON A CRUISE BEFORE COMPLAIN HEAR ANYONE WHO HAD ABOUT NOT HAVING TO GET UP EARLY EVERY MORNING, PICK A SUITCASE TO CATCH A BUS OR PLANE & CHECK INTO R NEW HOTEL EVERY NIGHT OR THAT THERE WAS TOO MUCH FOOD & TOO MUCH TO DO & SEE. ALSO NOT COMPLAINED ABOUT NOT HAVING TO COOK, WASH DISHES, ONE WIFE HAS MAKE BEDS & CLEAN THE CABIN. WHAT MAKES US FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE CRUISES & TOURS IS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME BACK 2, 3 & EVEN 7 TIMES. REMEMBER WE ARE ALL
GETTING THERE SO
PLEASE DON'T WRIT UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE!
PAGE 47... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
TARPA ALASKA CRUISE 1997 By Herb Riebeling Bill Kirschner got a hold of me and said, "Hey! I am going on the TARPA Alaska cruise, why don't you and Madeline come along?" Bill I have been on two 6 month cruises with the Navy and I have had it with cruises. I don't like getting all dressed up and I would have to rent a Tux. "No! Go Out and buy one, if you use it three times you will have paid for it and when you die you can be buried in it and take it with you." "Just think of it as a uniform." I asked Madeline if she would like to go on a cruise to Alaska. "Would I! Would I! Of course; I have always wanted to go on a cruise." Well I made the reservation and then the fun began. Madeline went on a buying spree. The cost of the cruise is minimal compared to the cost of her wardrobe. Madeline and I had never been in Vancouver and decided to arrive about two days early and rent a car and look around. It is a very pretty city and very clean. The area where we stayed in Richmond has half of Hong Kong living there. We took an evening dinner cruise around Vancouver harbor. The next day we took a Gray Line excursion of the city. With an extra day we could have gone to Victoria. That night the TARPA cruise group started to show up, (36 total). We had a little precruise get together in the Haslers room. Chuck & Pat Hasler, their children & grand children (10 in all), to celebrate Bill & Bobbi their 50 th wedding anniversary.
PAGE 48... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
Kirschner, their daughters and friend Dorie Draper, Jim & Ruthie Cochran, Barry & Gayle De Vries, Art Lorentz, George & Bettye Manley, Dick & Margaret Siano, Ivan & Rose Turner, Charlie & Chris Watkins, Don & Mitsy McKinny were all in attendance. The Haslers presented bouquets to all the ladies in honor of their anniversary. This being our first cruise it was great having the Haslers as tour guides. Chuck knows all of the best trips and how to save on the ground excursions and Pat is the shopper, she knows where to go. Juneau and the Mendenhall glacier is really a sight. Most of us went on a funky bus with a great guide and a few took a Helicopter ride to the top. Some of the more adventurous went wading in the glacial waters. Our next stop was Skagway the Gateway to the Yukon and the gold fields of the Klondike. Many of us rode the famous narrow-gauge White Pass Scenic Railroad to the Canadian side. I was told Skagway is the second busiest airport in Alaska. Wild Bill Kirschner and daughter Christi rode horse back into Canada. Glacier Bay was next and we just leisurely cruised around watching city sized blocks of ice breaking off with a roar and feeling this ship rock from the wave it creates. There were a few whale sightings and some bears along the coast. Sitka was our next stop, population 1201. It has two four-year universities and the old Navy base has been turned into a boarding High School for people from the interior. They come during the week and are flown home for weekends. Education is the number one industry. Sitka was my favorite city; bald eagles are as common as crows are here. They have a raptor rehabilitation center where injured birds are cared for. This was the Russian capital of North America, New Archangel. The New Archangel Dancers put on an authentic Russian folk dance. The ship is so large that we arranged to meet every night at 5PM in the "Dome" to have a friendly drink and relate our experiences. We ran into a nice TWA sales manager from STL Ben Volner and Ilene Smiddy his aunt. We ran into five retired submarine Commanders. We met many interesting people. I was surprised at all of the activities that were going on all of the time. Decisions, decisions, decisions, go to the floor show, go dancing, play bingo, by the way Bill Kirschner did very well at bingo, the De Vries did well at Family Feud, the Hasler children did well at golf & games. We even gave medals to the TARPA group: Art Lorentz - Most Loquacious; Scoop Turner and Ruthie Cochran - Most Congenial; Herb Riebeling - Most Gregarious; Dorie Draper - the Innocence award.
PAGE 49... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
Just say that we had a great time and it was a wonderful experience. Madeline had been just nagging me about renting a Tux and I said 1 have a dark suit and it will do just fine. On the Captains formal night I asked her to meet me down stairs, well I had to kick her out of the cabin. I had taken Bill's advice and bought a tux. When I walked in on her she did not recognize me. We can not wait until Chuck puts another cruise together. We are going. Chuck claims to be a Scandinavian, but I have my doubts. When I showed up at the precruise get together with smoked cod he almost threw me out.
PAGE 50... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
by HANK GASTRICH
291 JAMACHA ROAD APT. 52 EL CAJON, CA 92019-2386 TEL/FAX 619-401-9969 E-MAIL: hankflys@msn.com hankflew@juno.com I hate hearing alibis! But I think I dislike voicing an alibi more than I dislike hearing one. I expected this GRAPEVINE to be about how much I enjoyed being at the Albuquerque doings and I was close to being there. But this isn't horseshoes and while I actually packed and departed my El Cajon digs to spend a quiet, restful night in PHX, Flagstaff, Arizona was as close to ABQ as I made it. I left Phoenix in the dark of morn, circa 0500 and watched the sun rise to the right of I-17. Phoenix to Flagstaff, where I would turn east on I-40 was 138 miles distant so I set my cruise control on 69. As I approached Camp Verde, about halfway to Flagstaff, pain shot through my right leg and statements from the article on leg pains and thrombosis, in the last issue of the Airline Pilot, filled my mind. Despite an angiogram in mid-August which my cardiologist cheered as being quite like one I took ten years earlier, this new adventure in pain caused me to have to stop 3-4 more times in the last 70 miles before Flagstaff, which I reached about 3 hours after leaving Phoenix. At Flagstaff, still aching, I decided to drive west and I made it to Springerville, AZ around 0915 where I used the only phone in town to call Dr. Samtoy back in El Cajon. He was 99.6% sure I was not aching from vascular ailments thinking it was my seldom used muscles rebelling at being in a car so long and advised me to have the doctors contact him if I went to a hospital. I inched along through the day, the leg ached less (note I did not say," stopped aching!") and finally found a motel with a jacuzzi where I applied my own therapy ... which helped some. So, I bugged out and everyone I promised to meet in ABQ has to believe me when I say, if I could have been there I would have been there. I do thank everyone who called, wrote and sent e-mail letters. I was surprised at so many, and while I appreciated the concern, I felt even more frustrated and disappointed at not being there. Next year to Virginia, I plan to give it another try, but I will dare tell anyone I am going until I get there!
PAGE 51... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
GRAPEVINE (cont'd)
HUMOUR PAGE Items on this page were submitted by Katie Buchanan, Betty Rollison, Gordon Hargis and perhaps others. This first one is on excerpts from the British Military OFR's (Officer Fitness Reports). Since I seem to recognize so many of them as having seen before, that might explain why I was a Lieutenant for 13 years! (From the Internet). His men would follow him anywhere, but only out of curiosity. I would not breed from this officer. (Typically British, eh what?). This officer is not really a has been. but he is definitely a won't be. This young man has delusions of adequacy. Since my last report, he has reached bottom and started to dig. He sets low personal standards and constantly fails to achieve them. This man is depriving a village somewhere of an idiot. Works well when under constant supervision or when cornered like a rat in a trap. From Katie Buchanan:
From Betty Rollison: When the years of good listeners are chewed off, the screaming is on the inside. Some people are a waste of skin. I've met many people who need a good spanking. Not one of them was a kid. Baseball is Monopoly played on grass. As soon as you get a little change in your jeans, some lawyer sues the pants off of you. Loneliness is when: The only birthday card you get is from your insurance company.
PAGE 52... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
GRAPEVINE (cont'd)
WEST JACOBS
Bristol, WI
MDW/ORD Time Warpers: Verna and I were pleased to join about a hundred of the faithful at the FIRST ANNUAL revival of CHICAGO! It was a rewarding afternoon for those who have been a part of this production over the half century it has been running. Some of the actors were there in spirit only and numerous calls were fielded from all over the planet. This CHICAGO! was staged at the Gatsby like digs of Patsy and Bud Cushing in Hinsdale June 7 needing only a Stutz, some Cords and a Dusenberg or two out front. It was a smash hit and all agreed, without consulting the Cushings, that the SECOND ANNUAL will be even more impressive! Grand and ungrand stories about events that beg to be retold by people who need to retell them. By no means are we down to the last drink episode of the Doolittle group, but the joy of renewing friendships and hangar flying was evident. Next year it is hoped that all surviving Chief pilots will attend (non-survivors excused). Marv Horstman did call in as did Ed Frankum and Bill Tarbox. There were plank owners like Dave Byl, Rex Wagner, Jess Hensley and Idus ... those trainers of copilots who became trainers of copilots, ad infinitum. The ever courtly Harry Jacobson who knew where all the egos were buried ... Gerry Kohut who really ran ORD, Paul Bergdahl, the Cutbank kid. Stories of George Duval, who was probably busy holding down a globe somewhere who 049'ed his way to MDW with two out over Omaha because he had connecting passengers. Shy George Shank our expert in all things aeronautical, pausing in Canada to off load contaminated fuel, his 747 just flyable with two out and two barely (he noted that the warning horn was not in aid of anything). I remember Ed Frankum presiding over MDW pilot meetings and Roger Don Rae recoiling in horror as it was noted that UAL pilots sometimes flew East to New York City before flying West. Recall Martinizing through Indiana airspace with Captain J. T. McClure ... becoming lost as we dissected Lee's options for two days at Gettysburgh. The ubiquitous Peggy made everyone's day. She of course was the only reason we stopped in Ohio. Her transfer to ORD put it on the map and internationalized Flight Operations. One could almost see Captain Everhart sitting on the counter at MDW imparting wisdom and hear the punctuated bark of round engines protesting start up! Someone really should be writing all this stuff down.** You had to be there it is said and you WILL have to be there for the SECOND ANNUAL! May need some additional organizing for donations, photo persons and off street parking with a red bus driven by a person named Warren. Possibly even people who only FLEW through Chicago could attend! There was some talk that the Cushings might be ready to trade in all this elegance for a double wide in Rio Linda. We hope not soon. However the SECOND ANNUAL works out, THIS venue THESE people (is us) and the extraordinary dinner worthy of the CIA* made this an unforgettable event. *No Walt ... that means Culinary Institute of America! West Jacobs Editor's Note: ** The two asterisks are mine West ... I just wrote it down ... as close to `word for word' as I could get it. As I understand, you and a few others dropped by the Cushings for a drink or two! Thanks ... I think!
PAGE 53... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
GRAPEVINE (cont'd)
KATIE BUCHANAN
Lake Tahoe. NV
Dear Hank, Another successful convention has bit the dust and high plans are in the making for next year in Virginia Beach. The Roods and Slatens did a terrific job in hosting 400 plus members and guests in the unique city of Albuquerque. It's always a great pleasure and privilege to "host" the TARPA hospitality room at the annual conventions and this year I had Didi Young, Nita Walker, Jennie Edwards, Cleone Gruber, Peggy Schemel and Bett Rager to help at the "greeting table." Thanks Gals!!! A special thanks to Bob Sherman for taking on the task of overseeing the arrival of the "Connie" model and helping me to set it up for display in the hospitality room. I know there's a lot of work and expense in transporting the model back and forth to the convention and I thank those involved. I guess I'm just an of sentimental broad but it gives me a heart-warm feeling when it's on display. Buck loved that airplane and I know he'd be proud of the model. For me it will soon be time to put away the garden tools and get out the snow shovel. The Good Lord has been good to me. I live at one beautiful spot on this earth. Have four loving kids and lots of family and friends that keep me busy. I am one lucky person and feel privileged to be associated with TARPA. With the holidays just around the corner, may I wish everyone an early but joyous season with good health, happiness and lots of kindness .... KATIE.
KATIE BUCHANAN P.O. BOX 3822 LAKE TAHOE, NV 89449 Sept. 14, 1997
Katie, there are those who would say, "Hank knows `broads' and if that is at all true, then I say "You may be sentimental honey, but, a broad you are not!" But thanks Katie for your letter and for "hosting" the TARPA hospitality room at the Marriott. The kudos are also for Didi Young, Nita Walker, Jennie Edwards, Cleone Gruber, Peggy Schemel and Bett Rager for helping you, and as well as for Bob Sherman's efforts with the "CONNIE" model. Every annual TARPA convention has been a huge success due to the efforts of a few very `special people.' You and your hospitality crew along with host city retirees are the few individuals who do so much for so many. THANKS AGAIN!
PAGE 54... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
GRAPEVINE (cont ' d)
HUBERT G FARRELL
Wantagh, NY
Dear Capt. Gastrich, I hope you won't think me forward, but I'm just a subscriber. But having been associated with TWA since 1937, I'm going to try and get my two cents worth in before I go WEST. I've always been in maintenance (now called Tech Services) but a subscriber to TARPA and very happy to be associated with you all. I just wanted to pass on to you a couple of small items that I found in some old collection of junk that we all have laying around. You can do what you wish with it. I BRAG A LOT THE OYSTER Pilots are highly trained, There once was an oyster whose story I tell Their wings are not easily won. Who found that sand had got under his shell But without the work Just one little grain, but it gave him such pain, of the maintenance man, For oysters have feelings although their so plain. Our pilots would be on the run. Now, did he berate the working of Fate Which had led to such a deplorable fate? So when you see, a mighty jet aircraft Did he curse out the government, call for an election As it makes its way through the air Or cry that the sea should have given protection? The grease-stained man with the wrench in his hand No, as he lay on the shelf, he said to himself, Is the person who put him up there! "If I cannot remove it, I'll try to improve it." So the years rolled by, as the years always do And he came to his ultimate destiny - stew; And this small grain of sand that had bothered him so Was a beautiful pearl, all richly aglow. Now this tale has a moral, and isn't it grand What an oyster can do with a morsel of sand What couldn't we do if we only begin With all of the things that get under our skin! Thanks for the opportunity to say hello, and THE TARPA MAGAZINE IS THE GREATEST AND SO IS TARPA!!! Keep up the good work, and I had a great time at ABQ. Regards
Thank YOU for your contributions Hubert. Your the second mechanic the `vine' has heard from this issue and I am glad to hear from everyone. And 37 years with TWA is something to be recognized, and now that I think about it, I remember you. I remember the night you deadheaded to HAR from PIT to replace a generator in the rain, only to find the rebuilt one you brought from stores was also N.G. Another time you repaired a radar for me at ORD that helped me pick my way softly through the mother of all lines of TSTMs. And another snowy night in MKC when I came in from a trip and couldn't get to my Buckner home where Mary Lee and the kids were snowed in. I rented a Cessna 140 to drop her a loaf of bread, a carton of cigarettes, and a six pack of Bud ... only you went along to drop the package to help me out. In fact Hube, I never knew a time when I needed help that you weren't there, and if I didn't thank you enough then, let me lay one more on you. THANKS Hubert G Farrell, you are not just a subscriber! You are (were) a TWA mechanic! You have a right to brag!
PAGE 55... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
GRAPEVINE (coned)
Rio Rancho. NM
EDWIN L ROMAN Dear Hank,
Enclosed is some information on our 1947 pilots group. We have been meeting annually since our 25' anniversary. We recently celebrated our 50 th at the Rio Rancho Country Club in Rio Rancho, NM on September 3r d (46 attendees came). Enclosed find pictures and info pertaining thereto. Thanks for your interest in our group, Hank.
Thank you Ed. You and your group of 1947 hired TWA pilots are doing what I proposed the TWA copilot class of November 1953 start doing. Perhaps we should `borrow' one of your members to ramrod our group. Ed's note: By my count, there were still 52 members of the 1947 group still around. I flew copilot for several of them. Quite a distinguished group which even have there `own song' written by Ed's son Robert. The lyrics follow along with pictures of Ed and Dorothy and son Robert on this page and of others on the next page. OLD PILOTS/BOLD PILOTS by Robert Roman Chorus: There's old pilots and there's bold pilots but there ain't no old bold pilots At least that's how the saying goes. There's old pilots and there's bold pilots but there ain't no old bold pilots. Except for here, they are pretty old. 1. Welcome to TWA's 50 r Reunion, Welcome you all to New Mexico The Land of Enchantment, the land of mountains A land where warm feelings grow. When you guys started, props were propped It seems to me your planes had two wings, You learned to flyby the seat of your pants And navigate by the stars called dead reckoning 2. When you started there were pistons, with ceilings quite low, Then came turbos, which helped as you know -From turbos to jets so fast they did go, Now the damned things land themselves as you know. 3. Well, it's an honor to be here with all you. You're history makers, I know that it's true, You started in a war then went to commercial. It was your work and efforts that put us on the map. 4. Now as I end this song to you -- I ask you to look around. Shake hands with your friends, and be proud of all. And remember those who have died because: (Back to Chorus and fade).
Ed - Dorothy Roman
TWA 1947
PAGE 56... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
Robert Roman
GRAPEVINE (cont ' d)
Del - Rena Richards Al - Mary Vandevelde Harry - Jean Jacboson TOP RIGHT: NEXT LEFT: Doris - Dennis Hupe(son) NEXT RIGHT: Hank - Teresa Michaels UPPER CENTER: Shirley Beighlie Pat Hasler LOWER CENTER: Jim Dahl G P Underwood Dave Richards - Tex Manning TOP LEFT:
PAGE 57... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
GRAPEVINE (cont'd)
LASSITER SPURLOCK
Louisville. KY
Captain Belisle, I was a TWA mech for 19 years and manager of maintenance for 20 years and I knew a lot of the crew members that passed through my stations. There are far too many in the "Flown West" section - I will miss them, Thanks, Lassiter Spurlock Thanks for writing Lassiter; it's good to hear from a `mallet magician' ... and oh yes, here's that wrench you left in the cowling of my 749A Constellation back in Harrisburg circa 1961 ... C 0 PRINCE
Sun City. AZ
Phil! I' m found! I've moved around so much in the last 2 years I wasn't sure where I was either. I've enjoyed our travels though. My mailing address now is: C 0 Prince 10950 W. Union Hills #800 Sun City, AZ 85373 I've missed the TARPA magazine and look forward to reading the next one! Thanks for "looking" for me. I' m glad you're found too, C O. I plan to take a Psychology course at Cuyamaca College next semester so I can find out who I am! If it works maybe you'll want to take it to find out where you are! CLEO MATTKE
Sun City West. AZ
Dear Capt. Belisle, I have finally moved from a house on a lot to a 288 unit community on 7 acres. Personally, I am of good health. I moved because my wife did not recover from a blood clot as expected and now I am closer to people I know. I will be 81 years old in December. I miss the TARPA activities and still have the old dreams. Can't find my uniform, have trouble finding the aircraft, never catch the bus on time from hangar 12 to the terminal, but I haven't been called in to the Chief Pilot's office yet. I have been retired since Dec 29 1976. Sincerely, Cleo Mattke Cleo, old buddy. I bet it's a hundred years since we flew together! Remember how I used to take care of you when we flew out of MKC? Well, your uniform is in the guest closet where you hung it after your last trip and the airplane you're looking for has red stripes and huge red letters. But Man, it's good to hear from you. Oh yes, Phil also has some "company mail" for you ... apparently while you were looking for your uniform or airplane, the Chief Pilot was looking for you!
PAGE 58... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
GRAPEVINE (cont'd)
JACK BAKER
San Clemente, CA
Dear Hank, My son was riding on an UPS flight to Singapore and his cockpit started talking airplanes. My son mentioned that I use to fly Martins in Ypsilanti. One of the pilots got excited and said it was his favorite even though he had never flown one. in fact, he said he liked them so much that he had the cockpit of a Martin in his yard. His plan was to attach it to his house, next to his den, knock out a wall and be able to walk directly into the cockpit while drinking something cool and refreshing. Enclosed is the 404 production list showing delivery of aircraft 14106 to TWA, and a couple of photos of the cockpit. 17104 must have been the procedures trainer at Kansas City. Best wishes, Jack Baker Excerpted from 404 PRODUCTION LIST: Delivered TWA N40406 Skyliner Washington D.C. 12-10-51 14106 To California Airmotive 05-02-60 Leased to Hughes Aircraft - - 60 To Piedmont Airlines reregistered N40401 Great Smokies Pacemaker 03-6-62 To U. S. Aircraft Sales, then to Charlotte Aircraft 05-12-69 To Atlantic Southwest Airlines, stored in Sebring, Florida --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks for the letter and the pictures Jack. I must have flown old # 40106 but the only sure way to tell would be to check the landing gear to see how badly it was bent. Maybe the way to fly a Martin was like the pilot who has it in his yard said ... enter the cockpit while drinking something cool and refreshing.
PAGE 59... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
GRAPEVINE (coned)
LOUIS BARR
Henderson. NV
Hi Hank. Reading A T humbles letter in the July GRAPEVINE brought back memories I have of flying with the late Captain Phares McFerren. One experience I had with him relates to his "innate" Scottish trait of thriftiness. Before I go on, I must say I had a great respect for Mac, both as a pilot and a gentleman. He was aces high and I mean no disrespect in telling this story. Back in Connie days TWA Flight 88 went LAX-MDW nonstop leaving LAX around 11 PM. I guess these days that would be called a "red-eye." Anyhow, on this particular flight we arrived on schedule at MDW in the early hours of the mornin g. For whatever reason, Mac did not stay with the common herd at the Del Prado in Chicago. He would hike over to the bus stop on Cicero Avenue and head for downtown on the city bus. On the flight home the next day. Mac stated that on this particular layover he had spent only $9.75. I knew that on this layover I hadn't spent a lot of money, so I tallied up my expenditures and came up with a total of only $9.35 beat Mac by 40 cents! This seemed to cause him great distress. He said he had had a single room at the hotel and I said I had the same. He went to a movie as did I. And, he had had a good dinner to which I replied mine was more than adequate. Whatever he had done I matched. This seemed to bother Phares and he mumbled for a while until normal cockpit chatter took over. I gave no further thought about this when we flew our next rotation of F88. Returning from MDW on this trip, after we took off, the gear no sooner hit the up locks when Mac turned to me and said, I only spent $9.15 on this layover." I knew he was daring me to top this but I had to tell him that he had beaten me. That seemed to make his day. I couldn't help but think how Mac's Scottish soul must have suffered between flights. No doubt his golf game was off a stroke or two also. I always enjoyed flying with Mac, both on Connies and later on the 707's. He was always a gentleman. but could never be considered a spendthrift or a fast man with a dollar. Now may his days on that great golf course in the sky be filled with sunshine and eagles and birdies. Hank, I also enjoyed you article on the F4F Wildcat. I guess that little rascal was no pussy-cat when it came to handling it. Keep up the good work, your efforts are much appreciated. Sincerely, Louis Barr, ex-Lax F/E Thanks for the kind words Lou. You also brought back memories re: expense money. I think we got $.50 and hour when I first started and we paid hotel, cab and food. Thank God we couldn't drink on layovers ... but the old Prince George in NYC was only 5 bucks a night. I also remember when we went to paying for our own meals on International. A hostess joined me for breakfast (they still signed for their meals) in the Ritter's Park Hotel in Frankfurt and ordered strawberries (I was in the restaurant - she came in - honest)! They looked so good I had to have some - whether the company paid or not. Those berries cost as I recall around $9.00 and we only received $.40 an hour for the time we were in Frankfurt.
PAGE 60... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
GRAPEVINE (cont'd)
ROGER SCHMIDT
Indialantic, FL
MOST MEMORABLE TRIP: I picked up Flight 810 in CDG, on its way from BOS - CDG - ATH which Captain Russ Hazelton had brought in from BOS. On the ground in CDG Russ informed me that a through passenger (male from Bos to ATH) had engaged in solo sexual self gratification while enroute to CDG. Russ was considerably more graphic in describing the incident. All TWA parties involved including myself wanted the passenger removed but alas, he had no French passport and the French authorities would not let this passenger deplane on French soil. At this point it became apparent that a command decision would have to be made ... and I would have to make it! I inquired about the passenger's age and was told he was somewhere in his late forties or early fifties. I then asked how long it was since the described incident took place and was told, "about two hours prior to landing. That helped me make my decision to take him, saying, "he should be all right on the 3 1/2 hour flight to Athens ... we'll take him!" Roger Schmidt To the surprise of all ... I have "no comment" ... and no picture to enhance Roger's story. GENE GEROW
Trout Creek, MT
Dear Hank, You wrote recently of taking examinations in what seemed to be college subjects and it started me thinking of my own college career. At first I only wanted Freshman and sophomore credits because that was all the airline and the Army Air Corps required. However, when I began to approach the age 60 mandatory retirement age and thinking about something to occupy my time, I enrolled at UCLA where I majored in Archaeology. Using my Piper PA-12 Supercruiser, I took 3D aerial photographs of promising sites and then visited these same sites in my dune buggy. I graduated from UCLA in 1968, one year after I retired from TWA. Chancellor Murphy with whom I talked occasionally (I think he liked talking to older students) told me I had participated in two records. My graduation class of 6,000 was the largest college class ever to graduate (at that time) and also, records showed that I had entered Occidental College as a freshman in 1926 ... 42 years before I graduated from UCLA. A record ! taken in time to get a degree. I just recently celebrated my 90 TH Gene Gerow Forty two years to get a degree? Gene baby ... I told you once before to stop chasing those Spanish senoritas, didn't I? Oh yes ... CONGRATULATIONS!
PAGE 61... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
GRAPEVINE (cont'd)
EARL JINNETTE
Calpine, CA
Hello Hank, I checked the date I sent this item on Mo Bowen shooting jackrabbits ... it was two days before you called. Don't feel responsible for the loss as in this small hamlet we're still depending on "pony express" and if the pony throws a shoe or doesn't get fed on time, the mail service suffers. I wish there was some way to corner Ted Hereford and tape some of his most interesting experiences. I'd be glad to `pop' for the beer if we could set up such a meeting. Best Regards, Earl, In 1945, after checkout on Boeing 307B aircraft I was based in Burbank. I had several flights with Captain M. 0. Bowen, the first of which was a night flight with a stop at Albuquerque. We were still rolling after landing when the sliding window in from to M 0 came open with a rush of cold night air. Next thing I knew, M 0 was shooting jackrabbits on the runway with a .38 caliber revolver! I later learned a federal regulation required air mail pilots to carry side arms and M 0 still carried his in his nav kit and was enjoying his hobby of target practice on the inexhaustible supply of rabbits! In a recent call with Ted Hereford I mentioned the above incident. Ted's comment, "I can top that story with one better" and he did. In the early 1930's M 0 Bowen was flying a night mail run in a Northrop Alpha with the first stop in Winslow, AZ. After the mail transaction at Winslow was completed, M 0 was taxiing out for takeoff and again engaged in his hobby of shooting jackrabbits on the runway. Before takeoff M 0 decided to eject the final cartridge from his gun, which accidentally discharged, shooting a hole through his radio and instrument panel! Needless to say, the mailman failed to deliver that night. Ted said M 0 was forced to pay $1,000 for repairs! A rather tidy sum in those depression years. Earl Jinnette
Earl baby, while it was an aching leg that kept me from ABQ I have to confess, I had your "Mo Bowen" story all the time. When I said I couldn't remember getting it, that was the truth because I have a helluva time remembering yesterday. I flew with someone who shot jackrabbits at Wichita ... from a DC-3. To make up for missing you and Wanda in ABQ, I plan to come up that way ... perhaps between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Maybe I can bring Ted with me. Still, thanks for the tales, and as I tell all the rest, "Keep those cards and letters coming!"
PAGE 62... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
GRAPEVINE (cont'd)
HARRY D GRAHAM
Kingston. NY
Dear Hank, Here is some of what you asked for. A stroke, precluding my attendance at the 50' anniversary in 1992, also damaged my right hand, and beautiful penmanship as well. I was the first. I was the first duly licensed Master Mariner, Unlimited Tonnage, Steam and Motor-vessels, with First Class Marine Pilotage Endorsements hired by Jack Frye on February 22, 1942 to assist in the successful navigation of the Atlantic, nonstop, by the Boeing 307 B's being renovated. The invasion having been successfully accomplished, I left TWA on June 14, 1944 to undertake the operation of five merchant vessels for the following year, and thence on to Admiralty Law and its practice. I reached my 75TH birthday on October 10, 1983 but will continue to pay my dues. Thank you,
I asked Harry to send me some `stories' about flying the Atlantic when WW II had just started (for us) and I am happy to say he did. I'll append some here and now. You all will note, Harry flew with guys we know, but for my part, with fellas I never knew did what they did. Like cowboys had always been Willie Nelson's heroes, well guys like Harry and Ed Carneal and Captain Fred Richardson (gave me my TWA Captain's final) were mine ... well before I could hang names on them. Thanks a lot Harry. You were steering TWA airplanes across the North Atlantic when I was taking my first flying lesson. And to show you my mathematical skills, I see Harry will be 89 just before this comes out. CONGRATULATIONS, Harry ... and THANKS for making my way across the Atlantic ten years after you started the flights as much easier as it had became. Oh yes, thanks for telling Yvette, the 12 year old Parisian beauty you told back in 1944 that I would be along some ten years in her future. Now lets join Harry on a couple of Atlantic Crossings when there was a chance of being shot at ... too! LONGEST FLIGHT, AIRBORNE Aug 02, 1942 - Flight 38B. REYKJAVIK - WASHINGTON, D.C. 2,884 nautical miles. "ZUNI" Boeing 307b, airborne 21 hours 22 minutes on account of WX (ground speed of 35 knots for two hours) crossing Davis Straits, bound originally for Presque Isle, Me., as it and alternates Goose Bay and Gander commenced closing down because of weather. Being hauled up some 35 degrees for drift, combating the stiff northerly wind blowing down the strait, altered course 90 degrees to port and a converging SSW heading and warmer water and atmosphere if ditching became necessary. As we converged with the coastline, Portland, Boston and then New York also began closing down. Abeam of Philadelphia and still at altitude, Captain Frank Niswander, Flight Engineer Ed Carneal and myself decided we could make National Airport since Baltimore and Havre de Gras were open and at our altitude, we had to commence our descent anyway. During our landing at National, as the plane eased back from a nose high roll out attitude, all engines quit relegating us to foot brakes and a
PAGE 63... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
GRAPEVINE (cont'd)
tow to the hangar. I later learned that F/E Carneal had did such a beautiful job on leaning back the mixture controls that all of the "ZUNI's" engines had to be pulled. HDG FASTEST FLIGHT Oct. 09, 1942 - Flight 72A - GANDER - PRESTWICK distance 2,156 nautical miles. Captain M. O. Bowen, Boeing 307b block to block 09 hours, 21 minutes. Shortly after leaving Gander, we found ourselves on the lower half of a huge LOW pressure area lying across the Davis Straits and that we were averaging a ground speed of 233 knots. Following due east along the LP's lower perimeter, and then curving up northeast past Derrynecross and on to Prestwick. This was the basis for my later paper, "Isobaric" or "Pressure Pattern Flying". circa 1943. Ed's Note. I was privileged (sic) to fly DC-4 as well as Connie flights across the Atlantic on pressure pattern routes. The system worked only as well as the weather forecast was good, and I confess that once, when we were starting across Greenland up somewhere around 66째 N latitude, to feeling very ill at ease because we had yet to receive signs that we had gotten "on top" of the low that usually sat in the Denmark Strait. My chance to `date' an Eskimo went out the window however when we picked up the low SW of our position and as I recall, for a time had a westbound Connie ground speed near 300 knots! NEAR FATAL FLIGHT Nov. 02, 1942 - Flight 85A - GANDER - PRESTWICK -New C-54 A - #40/20141 - Captain Fred Richardson was with a bad back and Larry Fritz (General) was at the controls cruising a Great Circle course at 10,000 feet with the nearest alternate 700 nautical miles distant when suddenly all engines quit. Directly above the pilot's seat was a large sign with white background WARNING in red lettering, that when stripping fuel tanks to strip on ONE engine only. Descending at 500 feet per minute to maintain flying speed, at 4,000 feet, Fritz who had a Third Mate, Great Lakes Marine license in addition to his flying credentials, inquired of me as to the likelihood of a successful ditching. I told him to put her in head first because survival in those waters at that time of year would be a horrible, excruciating existence and only for minutes at best. Buckling my self to the bulkhead on my stool, I flipped the instrument panel light toggle switch to OFF, not caring to watch the altimeters anymore when, suddenly, copilot Raines leaped from his seat, game leg and all, brushing by me and hurrying to the tank area. About a minute or so later, I could feel my backside tightening and blew nose to clear my head, I flipped the lights switch ON and heard the engines roaring again as the altimeter needle was hovering at 1200 feet. Shortly thereafter copilot Raines came back and laid a 12" Stilson wrench on my desk saying, "Harry, if you see " " that guy (FIE Barsch) near those tanks again, brain him, will you? "With pleasure, I replied. We then took her up to 25,000 feet, which was as far as she would go and I had my first observation of St. Elmo's fire encircling each of her four engines in purple fire. Had it not been for copilot Raines, and his game leg, I would not be writing this today, nor would Captain Richardson have been able to attend the 50th anniversary of the ICD Pioneers which I unfortunately had to miss. HARRY D. GRAHAM NAVIGATOR (1942 - 1944) TWA ICD
PAGE 64... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
GRAPEVINE (cont'd)
JIM SCHMITT
Cream Ridge, NJ
Dear Grapeviners: Always enjoy reading about old friends. Here's a bit on me ... still avoiding remarriage but losing out on a travel bargain occasionally. `Significant Other ' is not yet recognizable ... In spite of that Camille and I spent a month in China and Thailand, plus time in Morocco, St. Lucia and a few places recently. Read HARD LANDING - new book about the airline industry with deregulation. It is SO good, about my old friends Carl Icahn, Freddie Laker, Frank Lorenzo, and a host of others. Subtitle is Robber Barons on the Loose! I enjoyed having the travel agency through those years and actually meeting some of these SOBs professionally! I sold it four years ago but still work part time for the travel deals that come up. My son is a mechanic with UAL and I had 20 years military - but, like TWA, they don't recognize significant other... My organic farm is suffering a bit from my Bed & Breakfast which has been extremely busy this summer. I still raise a good portion of my own food. The American Farmers have been taking it in the rear for generations on their low food prices - but they finally got even with you folks. They have poisoned 90% of your food. Two farmers working my land (gave it to my kids after the DEvorce) in southern Illinois have contracted cancer at a fairly early age. One is dead. They tell me it must be in the water they drink - which they get from the ground which has been shot full of crap since WWII. Rotary kicked me up to president this year but I'm going to slow down by the year 2000. Service Clubs are great as long as you don't expect them to love you excessively for any extra work done. My farm lies under the downwind to base, McGuire AFB. They have a few KC135s left and I get to watch flybys of my favorite plane almost every day! What could be nicer? Oh yes, now I remember !!!
Good to hear from you James ... I was privileged (sic) to tour an organic farm on a field trip with my GEOG 130 class. Learned a lot and saw a lot. I never knew you could pile `used chicken feed' so high. I sorta think what this farm had was spoiled. It sure smelled as if it was. I looked for a rotary design among my 12,000 clip art pictures but couldn ' t find one. So, I had to use a picture of a B 747 because I didn't have a shot of a KC-135 ...
PAGE 65... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
GRAPEVINE (cont'd)
CLIFF RAUB
Scottsdale, AZ
MANY THANKS FOR YOUR KIND ASSISTANCE TO A GREAT PUBLICATION TARPA TOPICS Dear Hank, Following may be of interest. THE BEST OF ALL WORLDS SELL A PIECE OF PROPERTY WORTH $2,000,000 AND INCREASE YOUR SPENDABLE INCOME $20,000 PER YEAR PAY NO CAPITAL GAINS TAXES RECEIVE A TAX DEDUCTION OF $500,000 INCREASE THE VALUE OF YOUR ESTATE BY $1,000,000 A recently completed transaction where the seller received ALL of the above-mentioned benefits and needless to say was quite pleased with the results. The vehicle he used was a Charitable Remainder Trust. This individual owned a property that required some deferred maintenance, was more management intensive than he desired, and was producing a real spendable income of 8% of the value of the property. He first donated his property to his favorite charity. The charity then sold the property and with the proceeds from the sale agreed to pay him and his wife an income for life that was approximately 9% of the value of the property. Since he had been receiving 8%, this increased his current income and relieved him of the management responsibilities. In addition this individual received an immediate income tax deduction of 25% of the value of the property he donated to the charity. With this tax deduction of $500,000, which saved $200,000 in current income taxes, he established an asset REPLACEMENT TRUST worth $2,000,000, so his heirs received the full value of the property. In certain situations the Charitable Remainder Trust can provide significant benefits to the owners of property who are not willing to sell or trade their real estate because of adverse tax consequences, or other responsibilities. The Charitable Remainder Trust can apply to stocks, bonds, jewelry, most anything that has increased in value subject to capital gains tax.
PAGE 66... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
GRAPEVINE (cont'd)
Besides income for the seller and wife for life, under limited conditions, income may be extended for heirs for a period of time. Insurance on two lives, seller and his wife, is less costly depending on their ages. insurance establishes an Asset Replacement Trust for heirs.
Applying
It is important to complete the Charity Remainder Trust with a favorite charity by donating the property to the charity. The Buyer cannot be established in any respect prior to the property being firmly into the charity. The Buyer must then buy the property from the Charity Remainder Trust at a later date according to the IRS. An experienced qualified professional should be used to complete this transaction. Check it out, a law firm may charge $1,200.00 or less if the procedure is not complicated or not of a very large amount. Trusts are valuable to estate planning. Under new laws they are changing. If you have a trust it is suggested to have it reviewed every three years. Regards, Cliff Raub
Cliff's letter is appended because Cliff did such a fine job sending his message "camera ready" there was no way I was going to risk changing something by copying it. Dear Hank, Mrs. Raub and I attended the ABQ TARPA meeting. I kept asking if you were there and finally it was announced in the business meeting you had turned back. Enclosed is a subject that may be of interest. Thanks. Best regards, Eagle for 10 years! Thanks for the information and your concern re: my ABQ absence Cliff. I applaud you for having reached the Eagle plus ten years status. Utterly fantastic and I'm looking forward to reading your Eagle plus 20 letters. BETTY LATTIMORE
Sun City West, AZ
I really look forward to the TARPA TOPICS. Thank you so much. John is flying with a lot of "old friends!" Betty L Betty also enclosed a change of address, which is: 17623 Buntline Drive Sun City West, AZ 85375-5175 Tel: 602-546-3780
PAGE 67... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
GRAPEVINE (cont'd)
DON ROQUEMORE
VALLEY CENTER, CA
Dear Hank, The article by Hal Miller on Long Term Care was very interesting to me as I have been busy for the past 12 months rehashing my IRA, insurance and Long Term Care positions. I have settled my Insurance and Long Term Care policies after seeing many Agents in my home and their offices and making more than one of them a little irate, but with good results. I had six Life policies, all Single Premium Whole Life. I found an Agent who is a real professional in the business with his Corp. covering all the Western States and much of the East coast. We moved all six policies to a higher rated company and the total death benefit came out 11% higher than I had before. In addition Two of our policies, my wife's and my own, have Long Term Care benefits at our option. That is we can collect not quite $100/day for Four years and then still have 10% of the face amount of our policies left. This will pose a big decision for our kids. Will they build a Mom and Pop house on the back of their lot and collect the face amount of the policies or send us to a nursing home and get about 10% of the cash. What a mean trick. I have visited nursing homes enough to know for sure that I will not be admitted to one as long as I can prevent it so I did object to paying 4 or $5000 per year for LTC policies. I am 76 years old now so if I live another 25 years, it will mean a savings of $666,000 compounded at 12%. (or so). Of course the death benefit is reduced some when the LTC is added. You might ask your Insurance Agent about this kind of policy. If he can't help you I will be glad to ask my agent to contact you or direct you to a man who can help. My last letter to TARPA I thought I might raise a discussion about IRA's but I received just one response. See you in ABQ, or by the time you read this, it was nice seeing you in
Don
PAGE 68... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
GRAPEVINE (cont'd)
WARREN CROWDER
Memphis. TN
Hi Hank, I received the TOPICS today (8-6-97) and am enjoying it mucho! I'm all in favor of a get-together in ABQ at "Gathering Time." I'll bet a lot of guys were surprised to see a letter from me in the TOPICS. They probably thought I'd "Gone West"-- not hardly! I received a call from Tom Ringlein. I hadn't heard from him in 30 years or more!!! Hope to see you in ABQ if nothing happens and everything remains equal. My new address is: Warren C Crowder 3086 McVay Trail Drive Memphis, TN 38119 Tel: 901-751-2830 E-mail: Wcrow707BA@aol.com Take care of yourself and I'll see you later - - - - - - - - - - Warren I received this from Warren via e-mail. Warren is another I was supposed to meet with in ABQ, which was my loss. SHIRLEY A BEIGHLIE
Palm City. FL
Dear Captain Belisle, Something for postage! Ritchie's enjoyment and appreciation of TARPA was more than I can say, from the first meeting in PHX to the last in BOS. Thank you for the TARPA magazines and Honorary membership.
A D SHOALTS
Mer.PA
Dear Captain Belisle, I am a retired TWA Flight Engineer. If my memory serves me correctly, we were issued a paid up policy (Conn. Gen'!), which would pay someone $20,000 when we "kick the bucket" - however, I'm unable to locate any documentation to this effect. Perhaps I'm "way behind" on this matter (after 24 years of retirement, my `recaller' is not as functional as it once was). Was the coverage "phased out" as we were at age 60? This information will be greatly appreciated - I'm in the process of putting my affairs in order. At your convenience. I'm sure some other retirees will be interested in this subject Sincerely, A D Shoalts A D, Phil passed your letter to me. I am including it in the grapevine because as you suggest, other retirees may very well be interested. Having just (9-23) got off the telephone with Employee Benefits in Kansas City, we all do have a $20,000 death benefit group policy with Connecticut General through TWA. While this is mentioned as part of the benefits you receive in your retirement letter, there is no policy or other `paper' to indicate same. I recently sent in a `new' beneficiary listing and if you or anyone wish more information, write to: Ms. Linda Schmitt - Employees' Benefits - P.O. Box 20007 - Kansas City, MO 64195
PAGE 69... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
GRAPEVINE (cont ' d)
BOB WIDHOLM
Naples, FL
HI HO HANK Yes Hank. the one on the right is me as a young urchin.... Anyway, I was sure "needled" at the ABO convention about this picture....YES...the printer left off the headline part which is the whole point...dated November 15, 1965 and the paper at 7 cents a copy. Whatta treat....making the Front Page of the Albuquerque Tribune and you're not among FBI's most wanted list. Imagine our surprise as we pulled up to the gate area. The youngsters were bangin' on the drums and tootin' on their horns. The First Officer and I agreed, "I don't think that's for us..." But YES it was....the first TWA Jet in ABQ to use the new terminal. As you can see, nobody wanted to talk to me, but they all "homed in" on our pretty hostess, Miss C. Shisler. She was GREAT and a real PR rep for TWA. Our flight pairing continued on to LAX and returned to ABQ for our layover and like all well informed crew members. we headed for Old Town for a "Mex Fix". There at the local newspaper stand, on the front page no less, was our picture of the morning activities. At 7 centsa copy, I "shot the moon" and shared my ten copies....
Thanks for the news article and letter Robert. Until I read the letter. I never knew you were in the picture. The only place I ever flew first with TWA was to Rock Springs. WY ... and we don't even fly there! And they never let me fly with host the likes of Ms Shisler!!! In another letter, Bob, who is the editor of the TOPICS "Flown West" column has asked me to request our readers to. 1. PLEASE SEND BOB THE NAMES OF WIVES THAT HAVE PASSED AWAY, AND, 2. ALSO SEND BOB THE NAMES OF ANY SPECIAL PEOPLE SUCH AS CHIEF PILOT SECRETARIES. ETC. THAT WOULD BE OF INTEREST TO OUR READERS. Consider it done Bob!
PAGE 70... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
IN MEMORY OF RAYMOND J. SCHRIBER JANUARY 12, 1924 - JULY 28, 1997 Raymond J. Schriber, a retired Captain with the United States Navy Reserve and retired Captain with Trans World Airlines died July 28, 1997. He was a resident of Anaheim, CA since 1957. He served in WW II as a Patrol and Mine Warfare Pilot and in the Formosan Straits during the Korean War. He was employed with TWA for 33 years, retiring as a Captain in 1984 after enduring a very strenuous triple by-pass heart surgery. During his tenure with TWA, he was hi-jacked twice, both times ending in the capture of the hi-jacked. His wife, Mauretta "Lee" Schriber, two daughters, Linda and Renee, brother Romaine, sister Kathleen and two granddaughters, Danielle and Christina survive Ray.
PAGE 71... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
MEMORY OF IN CHARLES W. MCGINNIS, JR. MAY 13, 1930 - JULY 28, 1997 Charles W. McGinnis, Jr. graduated from Parks college of Aeronautical Technology of the University of St. Louis and graduated form the ROTC of the university. He was assigned by the Air Force to the Basic Flying School in Columbia, MO for six months, then to Williams Air Force Base in phoenix Arizona, site of the original jet fighter plane school. In August 1952 he was advanced to the Combat Crew Training School at Nellis Air Force Base Las Vegas, Nevada. He was sent to Korea in 1952 and on the completion of his 80th mission with theAir Force, was temporarily assigned to Marine Air Group 33 to work with marine pilots on a top secret project. He was awarded three air medals, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the United Nations Medal, the Korean Service Medal with two Battle Stars, a National Defense Medal Awarded to the 4th Fighter Interceptor Unit, the presidential Unit citation awarded his group by Korean President Syngman Rhee and the Distinguished Unit citation of the United States. He retired in 1990 as a Captain after a very long and distinguished career with TWA. He is survived by his wife Patricia Wiley McGinnis of Taos, NM.
PAGE 72... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
IN MEMORY OF HOWARD WIRTH JANUARY 21,1918 - MAY 20,1997 Howard and I were born in Montana, where our father was a civil engineer. His jobs took us to many different places, among them Boulder Darn (previously known as Hoover Dam). From there we went to Shasta Dam where Howard and I also worked during the summer months when we weren't in school. This kind of work made Howard realize this was not what he wanted and led to his wanting to learn to fly. He went to Ryan Aeronautical School in 1938. Instrument ratings were required by the airlines and Howard was lucky that Link Trainers came out in 1939 and were available at the World's Fair at Treasure Island free of charge. Also, using the Link Trainer added to flight hours. Thus, he was able to get hired by TWA in 1941. In 1944 he married his wife, Lillian, and they had four sons, two of whom became airline pilots. During his 37 years with TWA he was based in Kansas City, Rome, San Francisco and New York. When 1 came out of the service in 1945, I was hired by TWA and flew co-pilot for Howard on several different types of equipment. Not only did we share a love for flying, but we spent much of our free time hunting and fishing in many out-of-the way places. Golf became important to him and the last time I saw Howard, shortly before he died, we spent the day together on the golf course. He retired to his grape ranch in California in 1978, where he died, leaving behind his wife, 3 sons and 3 grandchildren. We have read that we all have to take that trip West, regardless of seniority.
PAGE 73... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
IN MEMORY OF JAMES "JIM" EDWARD CORBETT APRIL 26, 1928 - MAY 24, 1997 James "Jim" Edward Corbett, age 69, took his last flight May 24.1997 of complication of an ortic aneurysm. He was born April 26, 1928 in Morganfield, KY to Edward and Ruby Jackson Corbett. He married Gwendolyn Corvin in 1952 in Springfield, MA. She died April 19,1962. He married Gitta Sahler arid was later divorced. He married Reta Kaye Klein October 12, 1981 in Elmhurst, Illinois. Jim was born and raised in Morganfield, Kentucky. He was an All-American farm-boy growing up on the farm and helping his parents with all tile farm chores. He graduated from high school at the Morganfield High School and when not attending school worked at the local airport filling up airplanes in exchange for pilot lessons. He had an early love for flying Jim was extremely intelligent and upon completion of high school was offered a scholarship; so off to college he went. He attended college for two years and then joined the Navy and entered their Aviation Cadet Program. Jim was honorably discharged from the navy in 1953. He served in the Korean conflict and Vietnam. While stationed at Westover in Massachusetts, Jim was honored a Top Gun in the F94. Also during Jim's military career he received many metals and commendations. Jim also served in the Air National Guard. While serving in the National Guard his unit was called to active duty in Vietnam. Jim, with thirty years military service, retired as a Lt. Col. Shortly after his services in the Navy, he was hired by Trans World Airlines as an international and domestic airline pilot, flying everything from Martin 404's to Boeing 747's. Jim loved flying and during his career his base stations were in Boston, Mass. Los Angeles, California and New York City, New York. He took early retirement in 1986 as Captain of the 747 Jumbo Jet Aircraft. In 1983 Jim and wife Kaye bought properly In St. George, Utah and three years later moved from Chicago to St George to live in their new home which they had custom built. Jim loved the outdoors. especially deer hunting. He and Kaye spent their honeymoon hunting in the Koosherm, Utah mountains near Fish Lake National Forest. Jim and Kaye loved St.George. Jim was a member of the St. George Civil Air Patrol. Past Chairman of the St. George Airport Board of Directors and Charter member and past president of the Alano Club Dixie Chapter, and longtime friend of Bill W.
PAGE 74... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
Survivors: Wife- Kaye Corbett, St. George, Utah. Son-James Edward Corbett Jr. and his wife (Cathy), Las Vegas, Nevada. Daughters: Vicky Kocsis and her husband (P.J.), Dowagic, Michigan. Jennifer Willard and her husband (Steve), Santee, California Grandchildren Patrick James, Hayley Lynn, Phillip James Edward, Alexandria Maria, Julie Ellen. Sisters; Virginia Mathis, Morganfield, Kentucky. Ruth Weaver, Punta Porta, Florida. Betty Guimont, Coon Rapids, Minnesota. Brothers: Gordon Corbett, Glenn Corbett, and Vernon Corbett all of Morganfield, Kentucky. Preceded in death by Parents, two infant sisters, Brother: Bill, Sister.June and Grandson James Edward Kocsis.
IN MEMORY OF JONATHAN WILLARD "CHIC" DYER SEPTEMBER 25, 1914 - MAY 2, 1997 Jonathan Willard Dyer was born in Stewartsville, Missouri and died in Upland, California. He graduated from Warrensburg State University at Warrensburg, MO in 1936 and was a high school teacher for one year. He taught math, science and physical education and he coached a basketball team to a regional championship. By this time he had joined the Marines and went to Pensacola, FL for flight training. This began the fulfillment of his desire to become a pilot. This chosen vocation of flying was his life's dream. His personal decorations include 4 Distinguished Flying Crosses and 14 Air Medals earned during combat flights in the South Pacific in World War II, and he was retired as a Lieutenant Colonel, USMCR. He flew with the United States Marine Corps for nine years, Trans World Airlines for 29 years and then three more years doing commercial air taxi and air cargo to and from South America. His personal cause was to help his fellow man. He supported the "WALK FOR THE HUNGRY" many years and was a role model for his family, fellow workers and friends. Willard, as some of you know him, was a faithful member of the First United Methodist Church of Upland and held many offices on the Church Board. He was also a member of the Military Order of World Wars, Marine Corps Aviation Association. He was also a mason from a lodge in North Carolina and a 32nd degree member of Scottish Rite at San Bernardino.
PAGE 76... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
His wife, Thelma Matter Dyer, son Glenn Willard Dyer and his wife Cathy, and daughter Eleanor Dyer Pithart and her husband Ronald survive him. His seven grandchildren include Eileen Dyer Wood, Stuart Frederick Dyer, Stephanie Odile Pithart, Ryan Douglas Pithart and Cathy's sons Christian, Eric and Paul Pedersen. His 4 great-grandchildren included Camille Cloud, Travis Wood, Tiffany and Victoria Pedersen. He is further survived by his sister, Mildred Stewart and her husband Wilton, and sister Ruth M. Hough, an aunt Dorothy Paddock Bowers, a sister-in-law Evelyn M. Vaughn, and a host of nieces, nephews and friends. Willard was preceded in death by a son, 2LT Frederick Lee Dyer USMC, killed in Vietnam, and his parents Jonathan Edward Dyer and Mabel Paddock Dyer. Chic, as he was known by his close friends, was a loving husband for 57 years. He loved his family and supported his children as they chose their careers. His grandchildren were his delight. God has now called him home.
IN
MEMORY OF LELAND BERIETTE MAY 21,1920 - JUNE 3,1997 Mr. Berlette was born in Elmhurst, Ill. He attended schools in Central Illinois and earned a degree in 1941 from Blackburn College in Carlinville, IL. After college, Mr. Berlette enlisted as an aviation cadet in the Army Air Corps - later designated as the Army Air Forces and was trained at several bases before receiving his Commission and Wings at Kelly Field in Texas in 1942. Leland underwent further training in flying bombers and was assigned to the 10th Air Force in the China, Burma, and the India theater. "He did the bombing missions," Janice Berlette said, adding that Mr. Berlette was a squadron leader. According to his brother, John Berlette, of Gravois Mills, Mo., his piloting skills during the war led to his attaining the rank of Captain, and he flew 46 combat missions. He was awarded several honors, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, a Silver Star, and an Air Medal. In 1946, Mr. Berlette married Louise Reifsneider in Pottstown, Pa. The couple moved to Farmingdale, NY in 1951. They had three daughters, but divorced in the 1980's. Following WWII Mr. Berlette became a Captain for TWA. He retired in 1980. Later, he moved to Lake Ronkonkoma, and concentrated on his favorite hobby, model airplanes. Mr. Berlette was a pioneer in the field of radio-controlled model planes, responsible for many technical innovations used by hobbyists nationwide; and helped to advance the model airplane field. Until recently, Mr. Berlette was a member of several rc model clubs on Long Island. Mr. Berlette is survived by two other daughters, Carole Gold of Stony Brook, and Susan-BerletteMcKenzie of Oceanside, Calif.; a sister, Jeycea Thompson of Virginia Beach,VA.and six grandchildren.
PAGE 77... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
IN MEMORY OF CHARLES D. STRICKLER FEBRUARY 24, 1920 - JULY 28, 1997 Charles D. Strickler was born in Craig, MO. February 24, 1920. Even as a small child he had a great interest in airplanes. He graduated from William Jewell College, Liberty, MO in 1941. Chuck was hired by TWA in February of '42, for the Intercontinental Division. He retired in 198 after 38 years of service with TWA. During his tenure with TWA Chuck was active in ALPA serving on several committees and one term as Council Chairman of San Francisco ('69). Also served as Line Check Captain; spent about equal time on Domestic and International. Chuck checked out and flew almost all varieties of TWA aircraft from DC-3's to 747's. Chuck was a strong TARPA enthusiast. In fact, he only missed one Convention since its inceptio in Scottsdale many years ago. His wife of 54 years, Alice, a former TWA Hostess, along with daughters, Anita Read and Janet LaKind, and one grandson survives him. He will be missed by his many friends on TWA and TARPA.
PAGE 75... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
CAPTAIN DAVID S. SPAIN DECEMBER 23, 1915 - JULY 24, 1997 David Spain was one of those rare individuals who was truly "4 A gentleman Of the old school." I shall never forget reporting to international at Wilmington, Delaware, in January 1947, as a copilot just assigned from Kansas City. There were about 25 of us, close to the bottom of the seniority list, sent to replace furloughed pilots! No one was giving us any information or attention until Dave, who was director of international pilot training, met with us. He welcomed us, described in detail our ground school and aircraft transition program, and wished us well. He did wonders for our morale. Dave was born in Nashville, TN one of five children. He attended Vanderbilt University where he earned a B.A. and Masters in geology, and worked as a geologist until WWII. Flying had been his greatest interest - he soloed at 16. With onset of the war he became an instructor and then joined TWA on Dec, 12,1942, as a copilot with ICO. He flew TWA's first flight into Madrid, and into his home town of Nashville. Among management posts he held in addition to training director, was chief pilot at Newark, director of flight operations at LaGuardia, chief pilot of the North Atlantic Division, and director of flight crew administration. In 1965, he decided to return to line flying. Until his retirement in December 1975, he flew with keen enjoyment the round-the-world route out of NY. At one time in the fifties, he was chairman of ALPA Council 3 in KC, and regional V.P. of the national ALPA.. Dave, until Alzheimer's took him, had many interests besides flying. He was active in the Presbyterian Church, OX 5 Club, Masons, power boating and the Coast Guard Auxiliary,. environmental issues, ham radio and barbershop singing, and last but not least, his beloved Sheltie dogs, with whom he won many obedience awards. He is survived by his wife, Lucile Cate Spain, to whom he was married in 1939; two sons, Dr. David S. Spain Jr., PHD in electrical engineering. and Michael L Spain, a lawyer; three grandchildren, and a brother I had the pleasure of being associated with Dave for many years. He will be sorely missed. by Bill Dixon
PAGE 78... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
HARRISON (SAM) DIETRICH OCTOBER 5, 1915 - JUNE 14, 1997 Although a small notice announcing Sam Dietrich's death has already been printed in the TARPA TOPICS, it is important that greater recognition be given to a man who had a significant impact on the events during one of the most tumultuous periods in TWA's tumultuous history. We can all remember the chaotic events of the crew complement issue that divided the Pilots and the Flight Engineers in the early '60s and eventually lead to a prolonged strike by almost all of the United States airlines Flight Engineers. During that period, Sam was the Master Chairman of the TWA Flight Engineer's Association and was a guiding force during the strike and the negotiations that resolved it. During these negotiations he worked closely with President John Kennedy, Secretary of Labor Arthur Goldberg, TWA President Charles Tillinghast, FEIA Attorney Asher Schwartz, and Professor Nathan Feinsinger to achieve an acceptable solution to a difficult and emotional conflict. Sam was particularly effective because he knew when to stand strong, and more importantly, when to bend. As a result of the prolonged strike and negotiations, a settlement was reached that was approved by all the parties. All through the negotiations, Sam had one goal: job preservation for the Flight Engineers. Although the FEIA eventually lost their representational rights for the third seat in the cockpit, Sam's goal was achieved: not a single Flight Engineer lost his job as a result of the crew complement issue. We owe him many thanks and he will not be forgotten. Sam was born on a farm near Richmond, Kansas where he rode horseback to school. He attended the University of Kansas for a year and then worked for the Forestry Service in Utah. He joined the Army Air Corps and was discharged before Pearl Harbor Day. He worked briefly for American Airlines and then became a TWA Flight Engineer in April of 1946. He retired in 1975 under the mandatory age 60 rule. He is survived by Doris, his wife of 26 years and four children, Bryce Dietrich, David Barr, Dr. Dianne Barr and Denise Barr. He also leaves three grandchildren, Staley, B.J., and Alicia. by Hal Miller
PAGE 79... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
CAPTAIN ROBERT B. MUELLER FEBRUARY 22, 1917 - JULY 12, 1997 Having worked for, and with Bob Mueller, from 1957 until he retired, I remember him most for his gentleman qualities. During his long tenure in flight operations management, never did I see him raise his voice or lose his temper no matter how difficult the problem might be, and plenty of those arose along the way. Born in St. Joseph, Missouri, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1938 as an aviation cadet prior to his senior year at Wichita University, being the first Kansan selected for pilot training at Randolph Field, graduating from Kelly Field in 1939. He served in the Canal Zone, leaving the Air Corps as a first lieutenant to join TWA as a copilot on April 3,1940. On the July 1940 seniority list he was #243 out of 285 employed; he was #2 at retirement out of 4109. He checked out as captain on Feb. 1,1943, and in 1947 became a dispatcher and check pilot in Los Angeles. He also served for a period on the pilots system scheduling committee. From LAX he moved to Detroit in 1956 as assistant manager of flying and in 1957 transferred to KC to become system director of flying. In 1959, he was named assistant vice president of flight operations, and later staff vice-president. His office was transferred to NY in 1964, and in the early 70s he returned to LAX as general manager-flying, retiring in February 1977. Bob suffered a major tragedy in his life when in 1964 he lost his first wife Virginia, whom he married in 1940 to illness , and a daughter within an eight-month period, and his youngest son a few years later. He is survived by his wife, Pamela, to whom he has been married for 31 years; his oldest son, Robert, Jr. , an electronics executive; and an older brother. Pam was the widow of George Fox, TWA station manager for the United Kingdom. I have heard Bob say how lucky he was, in spite of the personal pain in his life, to have had the privilege of being married to two such wonderful women. Pam reports that Bob's major enjoyments in retirement, in addition to reading, have been golf and gin rummy, and he was very accomplished at both. Although not in recent good health, he played nine holes just a week before he died of heart failure. His golf scores were not what they once were, but his will had not faltered. by Bill Dixon
PAGE 80... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
Captain
Fred
R.
Pastorius
January 27, 1907 - September 22, 1997
Captain Fred R. Pastorius, was a pioneer the OX-5 Pioneers Hall of Fame. He was license number 9747). He started in the When Maddux Airlines merged with Trans mental Air-Train transportation service
in the early days of aviation and was recently inducted into a licensed Airplane and Engine Mechanic as well as Pilot airline industry working for Maddux Airlines in 1928. Air Transport (TAT), Fred got involved with an experifrom New York to Los Angeles in 48 hours.
To qualify for an Airmail contract, the Post Office required TAT to merge with Western Air Express and Standard Airlines, hence Transcontinental Western Air (TWA) was formed. He was later wcred-it ith suggesting the name change to Trans World Airlines after WWII. Captain Pastorius, served TWA for a total of 29 years based out of Amarillo. Los An geles. San Francisco and Chicago, where he served as the Regional Flight Mana g er. He was the first Captain to p ly TWA's new Lockheed Constellation. In 1947, he was asked to fly the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia on a US tour at President Trumanis invitation. Fred also had the opportunity to check out Amelia Earhart in the Ford TriMotor at the Van Nuys Airport in 1929. In his spare time, he designed and built the elegant Pasped W-1 Skylark. a two place, low wing, sport 'lane in 1935. Due to tight finance, it never got into production. It is still an operating plane now located in a museum in the mid west. Captain Pastorius retired from TWA in 1965 with 29 years of service and over 20.000 hours of logged time. His son David of Corvallis, Oregon, granddaughters JillAnn Wood and Lynn Burns and three great grandchildren survive him.
PAGE 81... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
ROBERT THOMAS MONTGOMERY MARCH 14,1916 - APRIL 29, 1997 Robert Thomas Montgomery was born March 14, 1916, in and Hattie (Bailey) Montgomery.
Wilmore, Kentucky, to George
Robert was married to Gladys Swance on December 9, 1982 at Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas. Robert served in the U. S. Navy during World War II as an aviation cadet. He was an airline Captain for TWA for 32 years. He was a member of the Horseshoe Bend Golf Association and the Horseshoe Bend Airport Commission. He was an active member of the Horseshoe Bend Gideons. Montgomery, He is survived by his wife Gladys of Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas. Two sons: Robert Jr. of Plano, Texas, William Montgomery of Tigard, Oregon. One daughter: Lisa Kelly of Holton, Kansas. Two step-daughters: Sandra Wing, DeForest, Wisconsin, Barbara Fahey, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. Eight grandchildren, and Nine great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, 1 sister and 2 brothers.
PAGE 82... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER. 1997
EAGLES NEST FLIGHT CENTER By Joe Carr Those of us associated with the Eagles Nest Flight Center at Albuquerque are proud of our record of training over 11,000 military and civilian flight crew members and guiding the U. S. Army Air Corps on the road toward a crew coordination concept to promote safety. That fact is known to most, however, few realize that in addition seeds were planted at Albuquerque for a major revolution in trans-oceanic travel. The Law of Unintended Consequences came into play and being at the right place at the right time paid off. It would be nice to take part of the credit for having the foresight to help start a major revolution in transportation but frankly, it was more happenstance. When the opportunity presented itself TWA seized the moment to lead the world into a new way to travel over the oceans of the world. Before World War II, practically all trans-oceanic travel was done by steamship. A few adventuresome souls crossed in a Zeppelin and few more rode in seaplanes with carriers like PanAm, American Export, and BOAC, but no one did it in Landplanes. Combining what we already knew with what we learned while instructing pilots for the Royal Canadian Air Force Ferry Command and the United States Army Air Corps, a few rugged old-timers began to carry passengers across the oceans in landplanes and showed the world a new, safe, and convenient way to fly to Europe and the Far East. What TWA did so effectively, others copied and as a result, it is difficult to find a steamship to transport you across the oceans of the world, other than on a cruise ---- the ocean-going luxury liners were made obsolete by the Stratoliners and DC-4's. The revolution has become so complete that thousands of people now accept it as the normal way to travel. Actually, Eagles Nest Flight Center consisted of two phases both with the same name, although it also became known later as the Jack Frye Four Engine School. The first phase started in mid-June of 1941 and was headed by Otis Bryan, Hal Blackburn, Swede Golien, Joe Mountain, Frank Busch, as pilot supervisors and Al Brick as Chief Flight Engineer. Busch was the last survivor of that pioneering group but, sadly, he left us late last year. Eleven of us former Stratoliner copilots, who were in Kansas City for Captain's School, were assigned as Flight Instructors. The increase in salary from just over $200.00 a month to $600.00 a month made the enforced break in our checkout program easier to swallow. Nine of us, including Swede Ericson, Bill Townsend, and myself were to give transition in twin-engine aircraft to American single-engine pilots who had been hired by the Canadians to ferry aircraft from Canada to England. Also available was one 4-engine aircraft, the LIBERATOR; this LB-30 was the British version of the first model of the B-24. Two of the instructors, Frank Burcham and Ned MacKrille, were to use it to instruct civilians and a few Army Air Corps pilots who were already qualified in twin-engine aircraft. That first phase lasted only two months, from June until late in August 1941. termination was primarily due to an on-going political power struggle between the Royal Canadian Air Force Ferry Command. Although the notice to terminate the already been delivered, we didn't help with our subsequent poor safety record. Like of new equipment, not all the bugs had been worked out of the Liberator. Due
PAGE 83... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
This early RAF and the school had many pieces to a brake
malfunction on landing, the LB-30 was severely damaged; Consolidated Aircraft Company soon had a major fix under way on their production line. The Lockheed Hudsons, used for twin-engine transition, suffered gear damage due to ground loops after landing. The Lockheed Hudson was a modified Lockheed Lodestar and we heard later from Northwest Airlines pilots, who were using this competitor of the DC-3 in scheduled service, that even experienced pilots had difficulty controlling its ground looping tendencies and they had several similar accidents on the line. Our job was made tougher because the copilots controls were removed from the Hudson to allow access to the make-shift bombardier's nose compartment leaving the Instructor with NO---I repeat NO—flight controls. After my student ground-looped and tore up the landing gear, I vowed I would never instruct again in any aircraft in which I didn't have a full set of controls. By the end of August 1941, the RCAF Ferry Command won the political tug-of-war with the RAF and returned to their own training facilities in Canada. We Flight Instructors gladly went back to Kansas City to continue with our check-out to Captain. A few non-TWA pilots had been hired to start the projected expansion of the school and they were offered spots on Domestic; Bob McReynolds is one of the few surviving members of that group. Meanwhile, Otis Bryan was in Washington negotiating with the U.S. Army Air Corps, for a much expanded version of the Albuquerque school which entailed the instruction of total crews --- this was to involve training of Flight Engineers, Radio Operators, Navigators, as well as Pilots. And were they needed! I heard later that in early 1941, the Army Air Corps had only EIGHT crews qualified to fly across the ocean, an imbalance caused by the interceptor/fighter role assigned to that branch of the service. So, after a gap of about two months, the second phase of Eagle Nest Flight Center was initiated to help correct the huge Air Corps deficit in trained multi-engine crews and to fulfill I their new global roll. Swede Golien talked to Bill Townsend and myself about returning to Albuquerque and instructing navigators, as well as pilots, for this Air Corps phase. Because of our long range seaplane experience in the Navy, Bill and I were qualified celestial Navigators as well as pilots and had earlier helped Chief Navigator/Cartographer Pete Redpath present a class in star-guided navigation to some of the senior Captains flying the Boeing Stratoliners on Domestic Routes. Bill turned down a return to Albuquerque because he didn't care for Classroom instruction, but I accepted because the raise in a salary would help pay off my wife's large hospital bill. In addition, Swede put the request to me as if I would be doing him a personal favor and since he was one of the nicest men I have ever worked for. I agreed. However, Bill's bowing out gave me leverage to extract a promise that I could alternate pilot flight instruction with navigation ground and flight instruction. Swede also agreed that the first class of navigators would include a qualified civilian for me to train to take my place. We believed that would take about six months and I could return to my checkout program in Kansas City. But --- along came Pearl Harbor and I was locked in.
PAGE 84... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER. 1997
As we officially entered the war there was a corresponding demand to increase the output of the school because more bomber crews were needed in Europe. But the Air Corps didn't have qualified twin-engine pilots to send us as students so they sent us single engine pilots. Some came directly from an AT-6 to a B-24! To speed up training even further, the Air Corps made us cut the training hours in half. On top of all that, when our B-24 graduates left Albuquerque, some were assigned B- 17's with only a cockpit check-out on the ground before their departure for the other side! We kept our fingers crossed for those poor devils, but they made it safely to Britain. We instructors believed that the soundness of our training methods helped them to make it. Meanwhile, Domestic accelerated its expansion and couldn't spare trained personnel for the growth at Albuquerque. So we tried to hire a large number of men from the outside who had the potential to become instructors in their field. Some of our supervisors canvassed the better known flight schools, such as Parks, to hire budding Flight Engineer and Pilot Instructors. We raided the CPT training programs at various colleges for pilot instructors. We contacted The Weems and Zweng navigation schools looking for potential navigation instructors. The problem was that all these people were now in great demand and they became increasingly difficult to find. The Army Air Corps, or second phase, continued for almost a year just past mid-1942. We began by giving Air Corps pilots transition in LB-30's, progressed to B-24 A's, and then graduated from the B-24 D. Eventually we had over 15 fourengine aircraft assigned to the school. Since we were advocating the concept of training a full I crew we had them all on board even on local transition flights. The cockpit was crowded with Student Captains, Student Copilots, Student Flight Engineers, Student Navigators, and Student Radio Operators plus instructors so we had some of them ride in the bombardier's nose compartment. The idea was to familiarize non-pilots with the sensations of flight since most of them had never been in an aircraft before. Naturally, we provided a large supply of urp bags. There was another purpose too; our copilot instructors had to go through an apprenticeship phase to be trained to move into the instructor's seat even though most of them had only 3-3 Cub time ---- in other words, no big ship experience. I am happy to report that most rose to the occasion and evolved into fine pilots. Some time later, Otis Bryan returned from an extended trip to Washington and asked me into his office for a chat, which included Hal Blackburn and Joe Mountain. At first I was apprehensive and wondered what I had done wrong but that uncomfortable feeling was reduced somewhat when their questions centered around my experiences during a short tour of duty I had completed in late 1939. While still in the Navy and just before coming to TWA, I did the unthinkable and volunteered along with 14 others! We were all qualified by the Navy as long-range seaplane pilots
PAGE 85... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
but also checked out as celestial navigators. We were to serve, for a few months, in both of those capacities with PanAm on scheduled flights in their Boeing 314 Flying Boats. I didn't realize at the time of this "chat" with Bryan, that my two trips to Lisbon as a very junior copilot represented the sum total of the Trans-Atlantic flight experience of TWA. I had been a fifth pilot in a seaplane and they were pumping me for information on how to fly the Atlantic in a landplane! We found out, later, that Bryan had convinced the Army Air Corps to award TWA a contract to form a `VIP transport unit using modified Boeing Stratoliners to fly across the North and South Atlantic. This unit became known as the lnterContinental Division (ICD). But back in Albuquerque, our stepped up program couldn't make a dent in the huge demand for qualified big plane crews so the Air Corps decided to launch a large increase in their own training capabilities. As a consequence, halfway through this second training contract, we were informed that the last two classes of Air Corps students were to become instructors and form the nucleus of a much enlarged Air Corps training program for multi-engine crews. These new instructors were to be dispersed to several newly established schools taking with them textbooks, manuals, and the philosophy of cockpit management we had established here in Albuquerque. Commissions were offered to any of our instructors who wished to join the Army as instructors and several accepted the offer. Old Timer Harry Campbell wound up as a Colonel in charge of the offshoot B-24 school at Smyrna, Tennessee: Dick Ruble soon joined him. When Eagles Nest ended, a few instructors decided to fill a number of slots available on domestic; one of them was Hutch Thurston. But most were transferred to Washington to help flesh out the ICD division; they included Jack Rouge. Art Ruhanen. Harry Young, and Jim Wheeler. I had g preceded them by a few months to become Director of Trainin in Washington. No one had convinced those rugged old-timers. who made the early trips on ICD, that it was dangerous to fly landplanes over water so they went ahead and did it - and did it safely. The rest of us followed their lead and carried presidents, Prime Ministers. generals, admirals, assorted dignitaries, many VIP's, and a great number of ordinary GI's more than halfway around the world. It wasn't long before TWA established a reputation as the FLY-ANYWHERE-GO-ANYTIME-AIRLINE that could do it with comfort and safety. Soon TWA was off and running with an expanded fleet of C-54's to build a solid basis for this concept of safe comfortable travel over the world's oceans; with this background, ICD smoothly evolved into the International Division. Since TWA has not saved records of that era of tremendous growth. I have had to rely on correspondence with known survivors of the Eagles Nest Flight Center for input and I apologize if I have overlooked any. From their correspondence, it is obvious that they all enjoyed the pioneering experience and would gladly do it all again if asked: I certainly would.
PAGE 86... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER. 1997
EARL KORF RECEIVES A PRESTIGIOUS AWARD by Goldy Goldthorpe
The many TARPA members who knew Earl Korf, a TARPA Eagle himself, during his long (1930 - 1964) career with TWA will be interested to learn that he recently received the exclusive Marconi Gold Medal of Achievement. The Veteran Wireless Operators Association presented the award to Earl "in honor of a Radio Officer on land, at sea and in the air" at their seventy-second annual banquet held May 17, 1997 in New York. Earl's name is now added to the list of individuals so honored including Mr. Marconi himself, Gen. David Sarnoff, president of RCA, Lee DeForrest, the famous inventor, Ted McElroy, world champion speed telegrapher, and Sen. Barry Goldwater, to name only a few. Earl, of course, was not only a top-notch radio operator but also a skilled navigator, a pilot who owned his own airplane, and a widely experienced mountain climber. While based in Cairo, Egypt as Supt. Of Navigators, Earl flew his heavily loaded Piper Cub solo on an eight day flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia over high mountain passes, through severe thunderstorms and across vast stretches of unmarked desert. (See "Egypt to Ethiopia" Nov.'89 TARPA Topics) Then there was the time his good friend Capt. Hal Blackburn specifically requested that Earl accompany him on a top secret flight overseas in a foreign built airplane. Earl served as co-pilot, F/E, navigator and FRO. Over the years Earl, often accompanied by his sons, climbed nearly every "name" mountain in
PAGE 87... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
western Europe and North America. For many years he celebrated each birthday by climbing still another peak. The son of a railroad telegrapher Earl became proficient at both Morse (wire) and Continental Morse (wireless) telegraphy at an early age. He received his first Amateur Radio license, 6WX, in 1919 when only fifteen years old. He was employed as a Western Union telegrapher in the SFO bay area before earning his first commercial radiotelegraph license in 1924. It was signed by the then - Secy. Of Commerce, Herbert Hoover. He then worked as radio operator first on sailing vessels then on a variety of steam ships on the Pacific Ocean, surviving a ship wreck near Pago Pago, Samoa. He was also Chief Operator at KHT, a marine shore radio station in Alaska. His `Ham' station at the time was K7ANS. In 1930 Earl joined TWA as an air-ground and point-to-point radio operator at TWA stations from coast to coast. It was during this period that I first met Earl, not in person but on the air. I was impressed by his skill in copying long strings of messages without `breaking' even once then promptly confirming receipt with a quick, crisp "KF" . his personal `sine.' Early in World War II (1942) Earl transferred to ICD, TWA's Air Transport Command Division first as Flight Radio Officer then as Navigator, one of the first Domestic radio operators to do so. His flights over North and South Atlantic routes, some as far east as China, carried all manner of military cargo and passengers including VIPs such as President Roosevelt, Gens. Eisenhower and Clark, Adm. King, Jimmy Doolittle returning from the Tokyo raid, Madame Chiang Kai-Shek and many others. Earl was on both of the flights carrying the Madame from China to the USA and return. At her request the entire crew, Capt. Connie Shelton. F 0 Jack Conner. Nay. Ralph Alderman, F/Es Blossom and Gurney, FRO Koff, was assigned to the return trip too.
PAGE 88... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER. 1997
In the fall of 1942 they flew the Madame from Chunking to Washington in the Stratoliner, APACHE. They lost an engine over the Amazon Jungle. Then just before finally finding an emergency landing field, a second engine quit. "It was touch and go," Earl says, "But we made it." They flew the Madame back to China in June 1943 and after flying the "Hump" at night with all radio beacons turned off and unable to top the clouds to get a celestial fix, they had to break radio silence to request an intermediate station, Chauba, to turn on their beacon so they could land to refuel. Chauba, thinking the flight might be a Japanese bomber, refused and it took Earl and some other crew members, using good old American slang as ID, quite a while to convince them otherwise. They landed with empty tanks. In 1994 when Earl learned that the Madame was living in the New York area, he made several unsuccessful attempts to contact her to see if she remembered those war-time flights. Then, this spring (April 1997) he heard from her through her secretary assuring him that she did, indeed, recall the flights and although she was aware of the emergencies she had felt: "perfectly safe in the hands of the capable and competent crew." It was a very nice letter reflecting the thoughts of one of the greatest ladies of the 20 th Century, still alert, articulate and gracious as she approaches her one hundredth birthday. After the war Earl continued to fly as navigator on TWA's new International Division, being promoted to Supt. Of Navigators based in Cairo, a position he held until his mandatory retirement in 1964. He continued to fly, however, serving as navigator on Seaboard World and other airlines primarily military charters to Vietnam. He closed his aeronautical career in 1970 after some 15,000 hours and 815 ocean crossings. Earl, his wife Suzanne and son , Gregory live in Lincroft, NJ. His other son, Richard is in LAX. He still operates his station K2IC almost daily keeping in touch with TWA Hams as well as radio friends old and new world wide. Now 93 his "fist" is still firm, his "KF" still crisp and his favorite topic of conversion is about the good old days with TWA. CONGRATULATIONS, EARL . . Congratulations on your long and varied career, your full personal life and, now, on receiving the Marconi Gold Medal of Achievement Award! You deserve it. 73.
PAGE 89... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
MARV HORSTMAN: THE MAKING OF A CHIEF PILOT By Walt Gunn It's taken nearly six decades for a lifelong secret to surface. Perhaps Marv Horstman feels secure in divulging the story by now, only relating the incident to those he trusts confidently. Marv shared his long-kept secret in a recent phone conversation. Since I was not held to secrecy, I think many of Marv's revered friends should share his secret: He soloed at 14! Surely, any statute of limitations would not apply by now. In fact, there wasn't a CAA or FAA at the time and "Big Brother" was scarcely to be seen. Marv recalls the age limit may have been 16 officially, but then, the opportunity was there to grasp... and he did! The issue came up innocently as he described the model of biplane he was standing by in a TWA archive photo, which many of his friends have seen. In identifying it was a Waco 10, Marv added sheepishly, as if confessing to a cookie jar heist, that it was also the plane he soloed in at the youthful age of 14. What's more, he passed his private pilot license just seven days after his 16th birthday, the inspector pondering how he logged sufficient time in just one week! Marv's explanation must have been sufficient, making him the youngest licensed pilot at the time. Marv Horstman's pilot career began at Schenectady City Airport under the tutelage of one Vic Rickard, owner of the Waco 10 and "visionary superieur" in trusting his valued craft to a sprightly, peach-fuzz faced fledgling. That has to say volumes about Marv's youthful maturity and skillful mastery of the husky biplane. Marv found the airport convenient, only 2 miles from home and easily accessible by bicycle. It's a safe bet his buddies on bicycles stood in awe of his flying stints. After high school, a Stinson owner sought Marv out to teach him to fly. The job took him to Vero Beach, Florida, where he was put in charge of the flight school and its related managerial responsibilities. Marv's leadership attributes surfaced even as a teenager. From Florida, he was hired as a personal pilot, basing at Camden, New Jersey. While there, he joined Keystone Airlines to become a copilot. Keystone had purchased two Sikorsky S38 amphibious planes for their route from Camden/Philadelphia to New York. Another pilot (older) was hired to be a captain, but had not yet qualified for the Airline Transport Rating. Fate intervened to Marv's credit as he accompanied the pilot to also take the test. Marv passed his rating ride... the other pilot failed! Not by luck or chance, as Marv states, but by skill and knowledge did he start his airline career as captain, skipping second-in-command duties.
PAGE 90... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
Keystone Airlines flew into Pier 32 on the Hudson River to serve the New York area. They flew six round trips a day, six days a week. I never knew of Marv's seaplane skills, but he became well known around the Camden area, getting to know many other airline pilots. Harlan Hull, TWA Chief Pilot, happened through Camden one day in a DC-2, and while talking with Horstman asked, "Why don't you come to work for TWA?" When Marv responded with interest, Hull gave him an application and essentially hired him on the spot, which initiated an illustrious 35-year career, ending with Marv as Chief Pilot at JFK responsible for the inauguration of the 747 operation.
After seven days of ground school at TWA, Marv was assigned to San Francisco for a year and a half as copilot on DC-2s. He then transferred to Newark, then La Guardia where he checked out as captain in 1940. In 1942, Captain Horstman became domicile "chief' at Chicago's Midway Airport. In the interim, he had met Jane Holtz, a TWA hostess who had transferred from Kansas City to Chicago. The record is unclear whether the transfer was by design, fate, or both, however Jane and Marv have shared marital challenges throughout his career and beyond his retirement. They now reside in Punta Gorda, Florida. Managing pilots is not an easy task. Acceptance by the rank and file pilots they will lead can be tenuous. Being seen as a skillful pilot is paramount. Fairness in making judgments is closely scrutinized by the "troops" if one is to gain their trust and respect. Marv Horstman knew this well. Marv was well aware that job satisfaction is a must. Satisfaction with working conditions does not always equate with pay, perks or prestige; airline flying pays well (for most), perks (time off,
PAGE 91... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
exotic travels and rewarding retirements) are plentiful. As for prestige, ask any fledgling pilot (or any of your envious friends or neighbors) what careers they envy most and the odds run heavy in favor of being an airline pilot... many would kill for the job! Manager training in the early airline days was unheard of, with chief pilot selections largely being made on the basis of their acknowledged stick and rudder skills and some undetermined measure of acceptance by the line pilots they would lead. Ranks were small and managing skills were simple. Leader selection stemmed from the individual's charismatic personality and the respect he gained while flying the line. The selection of Marv as chief pilot met the criteria in full. As the ranks grew, the chief pilot's desk duties increased. The jet era expansion created a logjam of administrative responsibilities, which led to decreased relations with the line pilots. Efficiency was closely monitored. Fairness was often dictated by policies, procedures and, of course, the FAA. Administrative demands distanced leaders from their charges "flying the line." But, not so with Marv. His door was always open for counseling his flight crews. Marv Horstman honed his managing skills as Chief Pilot in Chicago (Midway) in the 1940s DC-3 era. I learned early of Marv's smoothness at the controls when deadheading on a Boeing Stratoliner he was commanding. The first impression of his piloting expertise was rightfully assessed by his mastery of the then largest commercial transport in airline history. Marv rightfully earned whatever praise extended him by his contemporaries. I first got to know Captain Horstman after a blizzard escapade the night before while landing at Midway. A classic, heavy icing situation prevailed with circulation off Lake Michigan. With a burgeoning load of wing and windshield ice, ATC cleared me to climb to 6,000 feet and hold for an extended time. I firmly advised I was unable to climb further, and requested to remain at 3,000 feet or lower. A chilled rejection demanded that I climb, or "no further clearances would be given!" On that mandate, I advised they left me with little option other than to declare an emergency if needed! A period of silence ended with the controller giving "an indefinite delay at Joliet... maintain 3000 feet" adding that he was filing a report on my refusal to climb as cleared. Landing was eventually accomplished with little further dialogue. The flight was canceled, forcing us to bed down for the night in a crew room in a loft above the hangar. Flight dispatch and Marv's office was on the same level. A short night's nap in the chilled, austere hangar setting was interspersed with frequent engine run ups reverberating from the apron outside. After a cold water shave and shirt change, I ambled to dispatch to learn of our crew's disposition. Captain Horstman was involved in deep study with the dispatcher on the night's happenings, which I thought would surely include my fiasco. As Marv left he nodded a smiling "Hi," and started for his office with no mention of my dilemma. Delaying him, I then apprised him of my confrontation with ATC, and felt it was a matter to handle with some measure of impunity toward the controllers.
PAGE 92... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
Marv heard my tale, listening intently, then advised me that he had heard nothing of my problem, however, there were three alleged violations that evening with no mention of my flight. In fact, one of the events involved a landing at Orchard Airport (later O'Hare) in way... all without clearances! The error and then proceeded to Midreport the landing at Orchard. It was flight landed at Midway and did not the night shift observing the landing, reported by a maintenance crew on operation! then takeoff with no control tower in Marv asked that I accompany him to the CAA local office and reserve my complaint until he resolved the other issues. I agreed. Perhaps higher priority did prevail. We were greeted warmly by the Director. Coffee was offered and accepted. What ensued is a treasured experience. A soft-spoken, sincere, conscientious manner best describes Marv's performance. The outcome? We departed with not a shred of censure (or violation) on any TWA flight or crewmember. All three reports were resolved amicably without any filed report on my clearance refusal. It was for me a hollow victory, but what a lesson in conflict resolution it was from a "master of calming turbulent waters." At the meeting, "Chief Pilot" Horstman assumed the role of a diplomat, the likes of which might only be portrayed in a United Nations conference. Soon, it was apparent I was observing a master of conciliation and finesse at work. More important, I gained valuable insight into Marv's methods of dealing with others in potential conflict: Cool under fire... fair but firm... explain, not excuse. This formula is grist for the mill of today's management textbooks! I accepted the frustration of not having my adamant feelings heard or righted. Watching Marv, cooled whatever anger I felt. His seasoned reasoning of the matters left little room for any tempestuous leanings I felt at the time. Some 20 years later, I was domiciled at JFK under Marv as Chief Pilot. Repeatedly, I witnessed a flight operations administration environment which excelled in all aspects, even with the introduction of 747s and the turbulent early days of turbine overtemps and operational shakedowns of the temperamental jumbo jets. While in training early on 747s, I deadheaded on Flight One to LAX while Marv was checking Herb Ottewill. With a creeping and frustrating delay, I once again watched a master at work. Marv kept the passengers honestly informed which eased their concerns for the causes of the delay. Further, he eased the workload for the cabin crew (consisting of an abundance of new-hire attendants and scant old-timers) by allowing free drinks and encouraging them to "have fun while the cockpit would do our best to keep the passengers happy!" His cabin briefing set the pace for an entertaining revelation for everyone aboard. Passenger commendations poured in. Maybe something as simple as free drinks won them over, but I'm certain the ambiance in the cabin, which was prompted by Marv, assured the passengers acceptance and contentment with TWA.
PAGE 93... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
The team of Marv Horstman and Billy Williams deserved every plaudit given them in recognition of their making JFK "the best damn domicile" ever. Morale never waned. If the going got tough, you knew that Marv and Billy excelled in problem resolving and decision-making skills -whatever the situation. Potential calamities fell on calm waters on Marv's team! To further confirm what otherwise might appear as overstated praise, I got to know close-up Marv's imaginative resourcefulness and matchless leadership skills. His grasp of flight operations exceeded that of anyone I encountered as a pilot! The occasion was a 17-day White House Press charter in 1966 with President Johnson covering the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) conferences on Vietnam. It was a distinct honor to be asked by Marv to join him with Billy Williams as the cockpit crew. Marv chuckled when I asked, "Who'll be the copilot?" suggesting my copiloting skills were marginal. He assured me that we would rotate legs, and that they could tolerate any ineptness from the right seat. The tour was a career highlight, especially witnessing firsthand "cockpit resource management" Horstman style... even before CRM was a buzzword! On TWA, we called it "crew coordination," and Marv's easy-going manner simplified what training manuals describe as a critically complex task. The 17-day tour is a book in itself, however the peak of gratification involved watching Marv's unflappable demeanor and ease in dealing with flight operational problems, which at times seemed insurmountable. His airline expertise is impeccable. Team harmony on the tour was the byword which made for a totally enjoyable experience and was attested to by the numerous passengers (press and Secret Service personnel) assigned on Pan Am's charter who requested to move to our flight. The word was out on TWA's superb service. Crew harmony prevailed throughout the entire 17 day "tour de force." Commendations from the White House staff affirmed the success of the mission under Marv's leadership. Read any textbook on managing people and it's as though Captain Marv Horstman was the model for the author. His leadership and social skills are rarely learned... and are inherent in but a gifted few. Marv is so gifted. If a comparable profile of a chief pilot could be cloned for chief pilots to come, Marv Horstman's genes could serve as the master cells. My career was enhanced greatly by serving with him. Vic Rickard spotted Marv's attributes at an early age and it's certain he took great pride in watching Marv Horstman's career achievements in aviation.
PAGE 94... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
Of course he wants to fly; he worked for Orville Wright
SOMERSET, Ohio - When Ralph Charles took a break from flying, he didn't expect it to last 50 years. "My wife didn't want me messing with planes at all," he said. He spoke as he made a few repairs on his newly purchased Aeronca. Next week, at age 97, he will attempt to get back up into the clouds. Even during the decades when his affair with planes was a love forbidden and unrequited, he could not get them out of his head. He had worked in Orville Wright's plane factory, built seven planes of his own (without blueprints) and test-piloted Hell Divers for Curtiss-Wright. Charles got his first closeup look at a "Jenny" in early 1918, when a barnstormer landed it near his native Middletown.Smitten immediately, he enlisted in the service, nursing the hope of becoming a pilot. On the day he was supposed to report to Cincinnati to be sworn in, World War I ended. Willing to do anything to be around flying machines, he took a job at the Dayton-Wright Airplane Co."Orville Wright used to come through the plant every now and then," he recalled. By 1920, Charles was flying."I used to barnstorm," he said, opening a photo album to an old picture of an airfield that he operated near Zanesville in the late 1920s."We usually got $3 to take people up," he said. When the Depression hit, business was so bad that he cut his rates to a penny a pound. He kept a scale handy. For a while, he flew for the fledgling airline, Trans World. When Trans World wanted to transfer him from Columbus to Kansas City, his wife, Leona, protested. He quit the airline and went to work for the Pennsylvania Railroad. In 1939, he was offered a chance to fly a passenger route from Puerto Rico to St. Thomas. Leona relented. The couple moved to the Caribbean. Back in Columbus in 1942, he signed on with Curtiss-Wright as a test pilot. One of his few scrapes in flying came when he landed a Hell Diver on its belly At Port Columbus. He had been circling, waiting for the pilot of a small plane to take off so he could land. The other pilot seemed to be ignoring the tower's clearance. Circling again and again, Charles momentarily lost his concentration. When the other pilot did take off, Charles swooped in without lowering his landing gear. "It's embarrassing as hell," he allowed. "But I did it." Because the plane was destined for Navy service, an investigation ensued. "When did you realize that you were landing without the gear down?" a Navy officer asked Charles. "When the propeller started getting shorter," he responded.
PAGE 95... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
He was in the skies above Columbus, test-flying a Curtiss-Wright Seagull, when he was radioed that the war was over. That was when, at Leona's insistence, he quit flying. In 1965, they bought a spread near Somerset. Though he abided by Leona's wishes for decades, he never let his pilot's license lapse. For 30 years, while mowing the gentle roll of his 23 acres, he would marvel at what a wonderful grass airstrip it would make. He laughs when he confesses to all the times he wished the tractor had a joystick and wings. Two years ago, on the couple's 70th wedding anniversary, Leona died. It was probably just a matter of time and some more mowing before he knew he had to get a plane. "I just got it last month," he said of the Aeronca in his barn. He gave Blue Boy II an affectionate pat. "We dropped an exhaust valve when we were flying it up here and had to land in a hayfield," he observed. He was a passenger on that flight. "I haven't flown it myself, yet," he said. "I haven't flown anything since 1945." He quickly added, "But, I don't have to wear glasses. I've got no restrictions." Next week, he hopes - after he is checked out by an instructor - that he'll be flying again. On the edge of the field of dreams he has mowed for 32 years, there now resides a windsock. At midmorning Wednesday, it fluttered horizontally in a steady, gentle breeze. "Good flying weather," Charles' visitor remarked."Great flying weather," he corrected. See Ralph Lang Charles March '97 TARPA Topics
Pre-1957 Insignia
PAGE 96... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
Captain Eugene N. Hammon 2301 Lacoste Cove Jonesboro, AR 72404 Captain John Gratz Editor Tarpa Topics 1646 Timberlake Manor Pkwy Chesterfield, MO 63017 Dear Captain Gratz What a beautiful picture of a beautiful airplane appears on the cover of my July edition of Tarpa Topics! It is my great pleasure and privilege to fly as Captain on the 757/767 out of the JFK domicile. For the benefit of those who retired before the 757 came into the fleet, I will tell you that it is just a marvelous plane to fly. Its flying characteristics remind me of the 707 model 331. It lands with just the right amount of float. Getting the trim and attitude just right yields a very satisfying "grease job." The brakes and nose wheel steering are positive and smooth, and of course it is a head turner, especially with the current colors used in our livery. Two big differences between the 757 and 707/331 are the avionics and the power plants on the airplane. It is an eye popping experience to level off at flight level 390 weighing nearly 200,000 pounds and look at a fuel flow of just 3250 pounds per hour per engine. In contrast, I once flew as Flight Engineer on a training flight with Captain Wes Mattonen when we burned 80,000 pounds of fuel in a 3 hours and 40 minute flight giving F/O training in landings. What a difference! Demonstrating proficiency with the computerized flight guidance system is a requirement of the rating but I believe that behind all that fancy stuff is the heart and soul of the 707 model 331. Tarpa Topics is a class publication, which I enjoy very much. Thanks to all the officers of the association for your good work.
Gene Hammon
PAGE 97... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
John, Thought you might he interested in the enclosed letter I wrote Bill Compton. As I told him, I am very encouraged at the big change in the apparent attitude of all the employees I contacted. Certainly enjoyed the reunion in ABQ. I always come away sorry that I didn't have more time to visit with long time friends and this time we were torn between convention activities and friends living in Albuquerque who wanted to entertain us. You did a fine job as did the people who ran all the various functions. And it is good you agreed to stay in another term and let Dedmon run the next convention. I predict that one will top them all or match them. Bob told me the hotel we will use will run a shuttle to the Norfolk airport and that will he a big plus. I live 145 miles away from Norfolk. You also put out a line issue of the TOPICS but you have to find an editor for that is just too much of a strain on you having to work just as hard as MacNab said he did. He didn't know what work was, not only did I compile it but took it to the printer, picked it up, Betty and I applied labels, bagged it and hauled it to the postoffice. And I didn't even have a computer then. Certainly hope Hank Gastrich is doing okay and can continue the Grapevine for he is doing an excellent job with it. Hope all is well with you and Pat. Thanks for all your work but what have you done for me today? That's a joke dating hack to when Russ Derickson and I were active in ALPA and Russ told me he wouldn't be surprised to have a pilot come up to him and say thanks for the work you have done for me but what have you done for me today?
PAGE 98... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
Retired Airline Pilots Association
August 27, 1997 Dear RAPA member: RE: New Long Term Care Program for RAPA Families Howard Wincele and the Aon Group recently finalized the details necessary to bring the top of the line, state of the art Long Term Care insurance products to members of RAPA and to their families. Many of us not only have continuing responsibilities to our children, but now find that we also have increasing responsibilities to our parents and parents-in-law. The availability of benefits to family members was an important design element in developing this program. Few issues create as much emotion as does the topic of Long Term Care. The recent passage of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act by Congress provides significant incentives to take personal responsibility for Long Term Care health needs. These incentives include a tax deductibility of premium for those who itemize. Benefits from qualified programs can be received tax-free and benefit eligibility standards have been standardized. Of course, Congress also took the opportunity to close many of the Medicaid loopholes. There are now penalties, fines and imprisonment for hiding or manipulating assets in order to qualify for Medicaid funds. We have chosen CNA, the most experienced Long Term Care carrier in the industry, to be the company of choice for this RAPA program. We have arranged for a significant association discount in addition to discounts for good health and married couples. For those of you who currently have LTC insurance, we have developed supplemental benefit programs that will allow you to bring your current coverage up to date. The entire program, which includes the availability of professional advice, can be accomplished over the phone and through the mail. Of course, if you wish, an in-home personal visit from a professional agent can be arranged. If you would like to learn more about this timely opportunity please call 1-800-454-4LTC and mention that you are a member of the Retired Airline Pilots Association. Sincerely,
Hal Miller President cc: Bill Root PAGE 99... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
Highlights of the endorsed CNA LTC program
Available to all members, their spouses, parents and parents-in-law Available through age 84 Medically underwritten, but many conditions can be covered Emphasis is on keeping you home Care Management is at your option — and at no cost to you Covers all levels of care Covered Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia No pre-hospitalization required Covers care at home, in the community and in facilities Includes waiver of premium Bed reservation Medical alert Caregiver training Third party notification Qualified programs offer tax benefits Deductibility of premium Tax free benefits Much, much more .. this is state of the art when it comes to Long Term Care. Personalized service with an authorized agent either in your home, or over the phone. Call 1-800-454-4LTC to arrange for your personal appointment and mention that you are a member of the Retired Airline Pilots Association.
PAGE 100... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
ADDRESS CHANGES AND NEW MEMBERS
(H) ALEXANDER 817-776-8303
DOROTHY M.
(R) ANDERSON 941-925-9377
NORMAN F.
(R) ANDREWS 813-922-8022
ROBERT J.
(R) ANUNSON
JOHN
MRS CAPT. CAPT. F/E
(JAMES L.) • * * 3349 CHIMNEY PLACE DR. WACO, TX
76708-2372
(CAROLYN) * * * 8256 DEER BROOK CIR. SARASOTA, FL
34238
(HELENE) (NOVELL)
(R) ARNOLD 540-997-1450
DAVID L.
(E) BARTLING 202-544-7857
J. H. CAPT. (ALINE) BARTLING_J_A@compuserve.co
(R) BATCHELOR 702-397-2246
RICHARD L.
F/O
(A)BENNETT 805-947-0911
RICHARD
CAPT.
(R) BETTS
FRANK I.
CAPT.
(DIANE)
34239
403 BRIARWOOD ROAD SUPHER SPRINGS TX
75482
* * * R.R. 1 BOX 161F SWOOPE
VA.
24479-9727
* * * 122 D ST S.E. #5 WASHINGTON
DC
20003
(ELISABETH) * (LINDA)
2267 BROOKHAVEN DR. SARASOTA, FL
* P.O. BOX 900818 PALMDALE
CA.
93590-0818
* P.O. BOX 504 ROSEVILLE,
CA.
95678-0504
(JAUNITA) * * * 631 9TH CT. FOX ISLAND,
WA
98333
(EDWARD) * * * 549 E. BROAD ST. NEVADA CITY,
CA
95959-2212
CAPT.
*
2032 PINWHEEL ST. BOX 1439 OVERTON NV 89040-1439
•
(R) BJORK 253-549-2110
CLIFFORD A.
(H) BOQUA 916-273-9691
KATHERINE
(R) BOTTIERI 714-964-4864
HENRY F. CAPT. (GEORGETTE) * 71060,1225@compuserve.com
9790 SWAN CIRCLE FOUNTAIN VALLEY,
CA
92708-6615
(A)BURNS 401-846-8626
LOU
36 HARRISON AVE. NEWPORT
RI
102840
(H) BURT
SALLY VANCE MRS.
* • * 230 OAKVIEW DR. AVILA BEACH,
CA.
93424
* * * PO BOX 1652 BURLINGAME,
CA
94011-1652
CAPT. MRS.
CAPT.
(H) CHAPMAN 408-426-7537
VERA
(S) CHURCH 813-756-2404
HAZEL
(E) COLE 909-931-7816
ROBERT P.
(R) COREY 805-482-1469
HOWARD
MRS. MRS. CAPT. CAPT.
(SHEILA) (BABE) (IVAN )
(CHARLIE) * * * 1510 1ST AVE W. APT# 401 BRADENTON, FL (NANCY) (IRIS)
1666 PINEHURST DRIVE UPLAND CA * • * 124 REDDINGTON CT. CAMARILLO CA
PAGE 107... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
34205-6857 91784 93010-1944
ADDRESS CHANGES AND NEW MEMBERS
10015 W ROYAL OAK RD. APT# 283 85351-3184 SUN CITY, AZ
(E) CORWIN 602-977-3003
FRANK H.
IRO
(E) CRAFT 307-638-1447
RAY W.
CAPT.
(E) CROWDER 901-767-4892
WARREN
(H) DAVIS
YOLANDA
MRS.
(A) DENNIS 941-795-4897
CHARLES F.
(CAPT
(MARY LOU) *
(A)DENNIS
CHARLES F.
(CAPT
(MARY LOU)
(E) DOHERTY (H) DOTY
(BETTY)
(MARTHA) * * * 535 BRITTANY DR. CHEYENNE,
F/E *
FRANCIS J. MAXINE
CAPT. MRS. MRS.
WY
82009
* * 3086 MC VAY TRAIL DR. MEMPHIS TN
38119
(WILLIAM) * * * 111 EMERSON ST. APT# 762 DENVER, CO 80218-3788
(DOLLY)
* 7316 MANATEE AVE. WEST #703 FL. 34209 BRADENTON BOX 103 CHELSEA
NY.
12512
13845 LONG LAKE LANE PT. CHARLOTTE FL.
33953
(WILLIAM) * * * 32941 DANACEDAR DANA POINT CA.
(H) DOWLING 415-731-1653
NORIENE
(R) ELLIS 401-849-2939
JAMES
(R) FENNEMAN 813-637-8726
ROGER W.
(R) FLORENCE 602-895-6556
CAPT. DAVID L. (PAT) D.FLORENCE@ WORLDNET.ATT.NET
* * * 10906 E. MICHIGAN AVE. SUN LAKES, AZ
(R) FOX 201-244-5949
D. RONALD
CAPT.
* * * 779 E. MERRITT ISLD. CSWY #2473 MERRITT ISLAND, FL. 32952-3309
(H) F RAZEY
PANSY
MRS.
CAPT. F/O
CAPT.
(BILL)
(BARBARA) * * * 26 RIDGE RD. NEWPORT, (DIANE)
(MAIZIE) (JOHN) *
(A) GA LANTICH 516-935-2021
DOMINIC J.
(A) GEORG 203-739-9213
PETER CAPT. (JUDITH) 72155,173@compuserve.com
(R) GOGGIN 520-797-6670
JIM
(R) GORCZYCA 602-802-7738
LOUIS F.
CAPT. CAPT.
* * * 2737 MORRILL RD. RIVERBANK,
92629
* * * 1136 VIA FORMIA PUNTA GORDA
* * 210 N. 4TH ST. EDWARDSVILLE
(GERALDINE) * * * 5 THOMAS LANE PLAINVIEW
(LINDA)
97 W MAIN ST #48 NIANTIC
CA
95367-2823
RI
02840
FL
33950-5873 85248
KS
66111-1303
NY
11803
CT
06357-1731
* * * 11052 N. DIVOT DR. TUCSON, AZ.
85737
* * * 9037 E CRYSTAL DR. SUN LAKES AZ
85248
PAGE 108... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
ADDRESS CHANGES AND NEW MEMBERS
(R) HAINES 816-628-5419
HAROLD
CAPT.
(R) HAMILTON 805-987-8550
DONALD L.
(H) HEMPEL 208-365-2960
LYNDA
(R) HEMSTED 956
BOB
(R) HOAG 816-941-2013
JOHN E.
(E) HULME 602-214-7388
ERNEST
(E) HUNTLEY 602-975-2710
LYLE E.
(R) HUNZEKER 913-491-1669
HARRY R.
(H) HUTTENBERG 407-392-8797
VERNE M.
(S) IVERSON 916-682-5073
GLEN B.
(R) JOHNSON
GENE C.
CAPT. MRS.
(BARBARA) * * * 1929 MEADOWLANE KEARNEY (JUDY)
(RICHARD) * * * 223 GLEN GARY DR. HAVERTOWN, * * * 45 FAIRWAY DR. BROWNSVILLE,
CAPT. CAPT.
(DORIS)
CAPT. F/E CAPT. MRS.
F/O
(S) JOOSTEN 310-641-4813
BOB
MR.
(R) KROSCHEL 941-947-4614
TOM
(H) LATTIMORE 602-546-3780
BETTY
(R) LEDFORD III 619-743-5133
GRANT D.
(E) LEE 602-998-8197
RICHARD J.
(H) LITTLE 816-637-3613
MARTIE
(H) LOKEY
YOLANDA
CAPT. MRS. CAPT. CAPT. MRS. MRS.
* * * 20183 VILLAGE 20 CAMARILLO
MO.
64060
CA
93012-7075
PA
19083-2816
TX.
78520
• * 910 CARNOUSTIE DRIVE KANSAS CITY, MO * * * 20124 N. PAINTED SKY DR. AZ SURPRISE
64145-1250 85373
(ROSELLA) * * * 16175 W. WILDFIRE DR. SURPRISE, AZ
85374
(SHARON) * * * 12723 HIGH DR. LEAWOOD,
66209
(AL)
KS.
• * * 10840 BOCA WOODS LN. BOCA RATON, FL
33428-2848
(PATRICA) * * * 8000 BRIGHTSIDE COURT SACRAMENTO CA
95828
• * 14490 SUN HILLS DRIVE COLORADO SPRINGS CO
80921
(BARBARA) (ANNEKE) (CAROL) (JOHN) (DEE) (RAE) (JESSE) (CHUCK)
6324 85TH PLACE WESTCHESTER
CA.
90045
25716 LILAC CT BONITA SPGS.
FL
34135-6463
* * • 17623 BUNTLINE DRIVE SUN CITY WEST, AZ
85375-5175
* * * 2857 MARY LN ESCONDIDO
92025-7717
•
CA
* • * 8980 N. 83rd PLACE SCOTTSDALE, AZ
85258
* * * RR #1 BOX 1727 HERMITAGE,
MO
65668-9735
CT
06877
* * 520-11 MAIN ST. RIDGEFIELD,
PAGE 109... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
ADDRESS CHANGES AND NEW MEMBERS
(E) LUDWIG 208-726-3989
RICHARD H.
CAPT.
(E) LYDIC 941-261-1910
JOHN M.
(A)MALY 816-632-3642
STAN
(E) MATTKE 602-584-2975
CLEO A.
CAPT.
(MARGARET) *
(R) MCCORMACK 970-247-2307
ROBERT M.
CAPT
(CHRYSTAL) * * * 156 MCFIRETREE LN. DURANGO a)
(S) MCILVAINE
JANIE
CAPT. CAPT
(BERNICE) * * * BOX 1042 KETCHUM, (LOUISE)
GORDON Y.
(R) McNEACE 913-492-6593
CLARKE
(R) METCALF 318-326-4168
CONY B.
(H) MIDDLEKAUFF
MARGE
CAPT. CAPT F/E MRS.
(H) MIELKE 407-482-5873
JEANNE
MRS.
(R) MURRAY
RICHARD E.
CAPT. CAPT.
* BOX 362 CAMERON
(EDNA)
KS
* * 767 S. PALASADES DRIVE OREM UT.
* * * 716 HICKORY DR. PLAIN DEALING,
(R.H.) *** (KEN)
MO.
64429
14515 W. GRANITE VALLEY DR. #448 AZ 85375-6021 SUN CITY WEST,
(CATHERINE) * * * 8162 HALSEY LENEXA
11384 TABEAU RD. PINE GROVE
81301 66202 84097
KS
66215
LA
71064-3547
CA
95655-9749
* * * 11645 WINDBROOKE WAY GA ALPHARETTA,
30202-6711
(GRETCHEN) * * * 1811 COLONIAL AVE GREEN COVE SPRING FL
32043
(MARILYN) * * * 128 HILLTOP LN. GREENCASTLE
46135-9217
(A)NANSTIEL 407-330-1840
BILL
(R) OESCHLIN 505-856-6160
PETE
(R) OTT MANN 217-935-3491
JAMES K.
(R) PALMER 807-737-2557
KENNETH L.
(R) PERSONS 800-445-1732
RICHARD H. CAPT. (BILLIE) 73644,2157@compuserve.com
(DORIS) (ANNIE)
CAPT. CAPT.
34103
(SHIRLY)
PAUL L.
F/O
* * * 320 NEAPOLITAN WAY FL NAPLES,
* * * 5430 RIGGS ROAD SHAWNEE MISSION
(R) MYERS 317-653-9535
CAPT.
83340
(CHERYL) *
MS.
(R) MCINTOSH 801-226-9022
ID
IN
* 226 ENTERPRISE ROAD FL. OSTEEN,
32764
* * * 11305 OAKLAND AVE N.E. NM. ALBUQUERQUE
87122
* • * 215 PORTLAND PL. CLINTON
IL.
61727
ONT
P8T IJ7
(PAMELA) * * * PO BOX 2035 SIOUX LOOKOUT
* * * 3590 ROUNDBOTTOM RD F-195821 OH. 45244-3026 CINCINATTI
PAGE 110... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
CAN
ADDRESS CHANGES AND NEW MEMBERS
(R) PRATT 314-405-0840
HORACE B.
CAPT.
(R) PRINCE ???-876-0461
CARROLL O.
F/O
(MARIAN) * * * 10950 W UNION HILLS DR. #800 SUN CITY, AZ. 85373
(H) RAE 941-648-5504
FRANCES
MRS
(ROGER DON) * • * 1001 CARPENTER'S WAY #D306 LAKELAND, FL 33801
(R) RATHERT 512-261-9885
PAUL F.
CAPT.
(E) RAUB 602-391-9086
CLIFFORD G.
CAPT.
(A) RENO 913-897-4013
ALAN
CAPT
(A)REUMAN 602-944-5541
ROBERT W.
(A)RIDGWAY 520-684-2633
PHILLIP E.
CAPT.
* * * 1747 E. NORTHERN AVE. # 239 PHOENIX AZ 85020-3993
(A)ROUNDY 801-674-1614
STEVE
CAPT.
* • * P.O. BOX 2009 ST. GEORGE,
UT.
84771-2009
(S) SCHNELL
JAMES H.
• • * 3339 ZORINA WAY SACRAMENTO
CA
95826
(COLLEEN) * * * 208 PALOS VERDE DR. LAKEWAY TX (BETTY)
• • * 7816 N. 18TH ST. PHOENIX
MR
H. D. "DUSTY" CAPT.
(R) SQUIRES 707-776-0686
DONALD E.
(E) STANTON 520-567-1743
JAMES E.
(R) STARK 218-763-2052
DONALD H.
(R) STIMMEL 813-634-5186
MANFRED H
(A)STRASSER 603-278-2080
ALLEN E.
(R) SUTTON 702-434-4694
DONALD A.
CAPT.
(H) THOMPSON 702-831-5930
JEAN
MRS.
CAPT CAPT. CAPT. CAPT. CAPT.
78734-4524
* • • 8776 E. SHEA BLVD B3A-202 SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85260
(FRANCES) * * * 11906 W. 143 TERRACE OLATHE KS
CAPT.
(A)SPAIN 314-947-8433
1432 WESTHAMPTON VIEW LN. CHESTERFIELD MO. 63005
(JOYCE)
AZ
66062 85020
* • * 68 HUNNINGTON PKWY ST. CHARLES, MO.
63301-8433
* * * 320 ENGLISH STREET PETALUMA CA
94952-2531
(MARILYN) * * * PO BOX 5364 LAKE MONTEZUMA
AZ
86342
(DOROTHY) * * * HC 77 BOX 72 PINE RIVER,
MN
56474-9203
2202 NEW BEDFORD DR. SUN CITY CENTER FL.
33573-6467
(PETRA)
(PATRICIA) * * * 80 MT. WASHINGTON PLACE NH BRETTON WOODS (CHING YING) * (VAN)
03575
2050 W. WARM SPRINGS RD #4411 HENDERSON NV 89014-5537
* • • 77 DEERFIELD RD (HILTON HEAD IS.,
PAGE 111... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
SC
29926-1933
ADDRESS CHANGES AND NEW MEMBERS
(E) VALENTINE
FLOYD
CAPT. (CAPT)
(BETTY)
* * * 4050 TIMBERLAND DR. NW IA CEDAR RAPIDS
52405-7010
* * * 2545 CASCADE WAY LONGVIEW, WA.
98632
(R) VAN HOOSEN 360-639-3097
FRED R.
(R) WARD 305-289-1936
HARRY H.
(E) WELCH 602-831-3502
THOMAS H.
CAPT.
(VIOLET)
*
(A)WETMORE
STAN
CAPT
(JOYCE)
* * * 6 SADDLE RIDGE RD. CT NEW MILFORD
06776-2512
* * * 305 WEST END AVE. NY NEW YORK CITY
10023
* * * 1310 N. SAILORS WAY AZ GILBERT,
85234
* * * 3248 NOBLE CT. BOULDER
80301
(CINDY)
CAPT. * * *
(E) WHITE 212-580-3571
CHARLES M. CAPT.
(R) WILKINSON
THOMAS G.
CAPT. MRS.
120 WEST CONCH AVE. FL CONCH KEY
(ELLA) (DIANE)
33050-6913
* 2625 E. SOUTHERN AVE. C-188 AZ 85282-7653 TEMPE
(H) WILLIAMS 303-440-9296
DOLORES
(R) WIND 904-673-8390
M. MICHAEL
CAPT.
(BETTI)
(A)WOODFILL 818-222-4600
THOMAS R.
CAPT.
(JAN)
* * * 854 MALIBU MEADOWS DRIVE PACIFIC PALISADES CA 91302-2147
(R) YARKE
M.C."MAL"
CAPT.
(JILL)
* * * 1385 HERITAGE LANDING ST. CHARLES MO
(A)VATES 813-869-1399
BOB
(F/0)
(A)ZIERDEN 602-991-0727
ROBERT
(A)ZIERDEN 970-453-0560
ROBERT
(R) ZIMMERMAN 610-967-5062
LUTHER D.
(H) ZIMMERMAN
SALLY
CAPT CAPT CAPT. MRS
(BILLY)
* *
(STEPHANIE) * (ANN) (ANN)
* * **
(DOLORES) * * (WILLIAM) * *
OD
16 REFLECTIONS VILLAGE DRIVE UNIT# 302 FL 321 74 ORMOND BEACH
63303
13419 STARFISH DR. HUDSON FL.
34667
5601 E. SWEETWATER AVE AZ SCOTTSDALE
85254-4371
85 TIGER RUN RD. SITE#137 BRECKENRIDGE CO.
80424
5754 WHITEMARSH DR. PA MACUNGIE,
18062
13016 HIGHPOINT CURV MN BURNSVILLE,
55337-3965
PAGE 112... TARPA TOPICS... NOVEMBER, 1997
DIVINE INTERVENTION There was this preacher who was an avid golfer. Every chance he could get, he could be found on the golf course swinging away. It was an obsession. One Sunday after a dreadful winter dawned a picture perfect day for golfing. The sun was out, no clouds in the sky, and the temperature was just right, that ideal, rare, incredible proto-spring day which pleads with us to come away and dally. The preacher was in a quandary as to what to do, and shortly, the urge to play golf overcame him. He called an assistant to tell him that he was sick, arranged for the assistant to take his morning and evening services, packed the car up, and drove three hours to a golf course where no one would recognize him. Happily, he began to play the course. His guardian angel was watching the preacher and was quite perturbed. He went to God and said, "Look at this preacher. He should be punished for what he is doing." God agreed. The preacher teed up on the first hole, a murderous PAR 4. He swung at the ball, and it sailed effortlessly through the air and landed right in the cup, five hundred yards away (as they say in basketball, nothing but net). A picture perfect hole-in-one. The preacher was staggered, amazed, and terrifically excited. The angel was a little shocked. He turned to God and said, "Begging Your pardon Lord, but I thought you were going to punish him." The Lord smiled. "Think about it—whom can he tell?"
L-1011 Number 31029 The only L-1011 painted in the latest TWA livery, in-flight and in the desert at Kingman, Arizona.