CLASSIC CRUISAIR
SWIFT GATHERING
REMEMBERING DAVE AND JEANNE
FAIRCHILD FANTASTIC
Letter From the President AirVenture highlights
SUSAN DUSENBURY, VAA PRESIDENT
AS I WRITE THIS, I have been home from EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024 for less than a week. And what a week it was in Oshkosh! There was the usual array of stunning and rare vintage airplanes as well as the exhilarating air shows with the night shows far ahead of the rest in favoritism with their spectacular display of lighting and pyrotechnics. But for those of us who are seasoned “AirVenturers,” it is always about the people. It’s about spending a week with longtime friends and making new friends. It’s the love of aviation that brings friends together at aviation’s annual Brigadoon.
This year the Vintage Aircraft Association dedicated our new youth education center, the Charles W. Harris Youth Aviation Center, which is located immediately south of Vintage Village. (If you remember, Vintage Village is the VAA complex where the Vintage Hangar, the VAA Red Barn, Charlie’s Park, the Vintage Bookstore, Vintage Interview Circle, Ron’s Porch, and a few other Vintage buildings are located.) The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new youth center was at 9 a.m. on Monday, and it was immediately followed by five full days of youth activities that included programs for youngsters whose ages ranged from 6 to 19 years. All of the teens enjoyed a teen night in the center, and during the afternoon the younger ones participated in projects that included
the use of simple hand tools, introduction to aircraft hardware, cable swaging, simple weight and balance computations, basic electrical circuitry, and basic woodwork where each child built their own toolbox. Also included was a scavenger hunt where the participants were given 10 items to find that were located in the Vintage area. They had their photograph taken
But for those of us who are seasoned “AirVenturers,” it is always about the people. … It’s the love of aviation that brings friends together at aviation’s annual Brigadoon.
in front of each location. On their return from the scavenger hunt each child filled out a slip and placed it in a box for a later drawing and the chance to win a die-cast airplane model. I visited the youth building several times a day during the week and was pleased not only by the number of young participants but also by the
CONTINUED ON PAGE 64
September/October 2024
STAFF
Publisher: Jack J. Pelton, EAA CEO and Chairman of the Board
Vice President of Publications, Marketing, Membership and Retail/Editor: Jim Busha / jbusha@eaa.org
Senior Copy Editor: Colleen Walsh
Copy Editors: Tom Breuer, Jennifer Knaack
Proofreader: Tara Bann
Print Production Team Lead: Marie Rayome-Gill
ADVERTISING
Senior Sales and Advertising Executive: Sue Anderson / sanderson@eaa.org
CONTACT US
Mailing Address: VAA, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903
Website: EAAVintage.org
Email: vintageaircraft@eaa.org
Phone: 800-564-6322
Visit EAAVintage.org for the latest information and news.
Current EAA members may join the Vintage Aircraft Association and receive Vintage Airplane magazine for an additional $45/year.
EAA membership, Vintage Airplane magazine, and one-year membership in the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association are available for $55 per year (Sport Aviation magazine not included). (Add $7 for International Postage.)
Foreign Memberships
Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable in United States dollars. Add required foreign postage amount for each membership.
Membership Service
P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086
Monday–Friday, 8 AM—6 PM CST Join/Renew 800-564-6322
membership@eaa.org
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh www.EAA.org/AirVenture 888-322-4636
CALL FOR VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION
Nominate your favorite vintage aviator for the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association Hall of Fame. A great honor could be bestowed upon that man or woman working next to you on your airplane, sitting next to you in the chapter meeting, or walking next to you at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Think about the people in your circle of aviation friends: the mechanic, historian, photographer, or pilot who has shared innumerable tips with you and with many others. They could be the next VAA Hall of Fame inductee — but only if they are nominated. The person you nominate can be a citizen of any country and may be living or deceased; their involvement in vintage aviation must have occurred between 1950 and the present day. Their contribution can be in the areas of flying, design, mechanical or aerodynamic developments, administration, writing, some other vital and relevant field, or any combination of fields that support aviation. The person you nominate must be or have been a member of the Vintage Aircraft Association or the Antique/ Classic Division of EAA, and preference is given to those whose actions have contributed to the VAA in some way, perhaps as a volunteer, a restorer who shares his expertise with others, a writer, a photographer, or a pilot sharing stories, preserving aviation history, and encouraging new pilots and enthusiasts.
To nominate someone is easy. It just takes a little time and a little reminiscing on your part.
• Think of a person; think of their contributions to vintage aviation.
• Write those contributions in the various categories of the nomination form.
• Write a simple letter highlighting these attributes and contributions. Make copies of newspaper or magazine articles that may substantiate your view.
• If at all possible, have another individual (or more) complete a form or write a letter about this person, confirming why the person is a good candidate for induction.
We would like to take this opportunity to mention that if you have nominated someone for the VAA Hall of Fame, nominations for the honor are kept on file for three years, after which the nomination must be resubmitted.
Mail nominating materials to:
VAA Hall of Fame, c/o Amy Lemke
VAA
P.O. Box 3086
Oshkosh, WI 54903
Email: alemke@eaa.org
Find the nomination form at EAAVintage.org, or call the VAA office for a copy (920-426-6110), or on your own sheet of paper, simply include the following information:
• Date submitted.
• Name of person nominated.
• Address and phone number of nominee.
• Email address of nominee.
• Date of birth of nominee. If deceased, date of death.
• Name and relationship of nominee’s closest living relative.
• Address and phone of nominee’s closest living relative.
• VAA and EAA number, if known. (Nominee must have been or is a VAA member.)
• Time span (dates) of the nominee’s contributions to vintage aviation. (Must be between 1950 to present day.)
• Area(s) of contributions to aviation.
• Describe the event(s) or nature of activities the nominee has undertaken in aviation to be worthy of induction into the VAA Hall of Fame.
• Describe achievements the nominee has made in other related fields in aviation.
• Has the nominee already been honored for their involvement in aviation and/or the contribution you are stating in this petition? If yes, please explain the nature of the honor and/or award the nominee has received.
• Any additional supporting information.
• Submitter’s address and phone number, plus email address.
• Include any supporting material with your petition.
DEAR FRIENDS,
For one week every year a temporary city of about 50,000 people is created in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on the grounds of Wittman Regional Airport. We call the temporary city EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. During this one week, EAA and our communities, including the Vintage Aircraft Association, host more than 600,000 pilots and aviation enthusiasts along with their families and friends.
As a dedicated member of the Vintage Aircraft Association, you most certainly understand the impact of the programs supported by Vintage and hosted at Vintage Village and along the Vintage flightline during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh every year. The Vintage flightline is 1.3 miles long and is annually filled with more than 1,100 magnificent vintage airplanes. At the very heart of the Vintage experience at AirVenture is Vintage Village and our flagship building, the Red Barn.
Vintage Village, and in particular the Red Barn, is a charming place at Wittman Regional Airport during AirVenture. It is a destination where friends old and new meet for those great times we are so familiar with in our close world of vintage aviation. It’s energizing and relaxing at the same time. It’s our own field of dreams!
The Vintage area is the fun place to be. There is no place like it at AirVenture. Where else could someone get such a close look at some of the most magnificent and rare vintage airplanes on Earth? That is
just astounding when you think about it. It is on the Vintage flightline where you can admire the one and only remaining low-wing Stinson TriMotor, the only two restored and flying Howard 500s, and one of the few airworthy Stinson SR-5s in existence. And then there is the “fun and affordable” aircraft display, not only in front of the Red Barn but along the entire Vintage flightline. Fun and affordable says it all. That’s where you can get the greatest “bang for your buck” in our world of vintage airplanes!
For us to continue to support this wonderful place, we ask you to assist us with a financial contribution to the Friends of the Red Barn. For the Vintage Aircraft Association, this is the only major annual fundraiser and it is vital to keeping the Vintage field of dreams alive and vibrant. We cannot do it without your support.
Your personal contribution plays an indispensable and significant role in providing the best experience possible for every visitor to Vintage during AirVenture.
Contribute online at EAAVintage.org. Or, you may make your check payable to the Friends of the Red Barn and mail to Friends of the Red Barn, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.
Be a Friend of the Red Barn this year! The Vintage Aircraft Association is a nonprofit501(c)(3), so your contribution to this fund is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Looking forward to a great AirVenture 2025!
How To?
ROBERT G. LOCK
Remove a broken stud
BY ROBERT G. LOCK
A BROKEN STUD CAN RUIN THE DAY, but perhaps a couple pointers might aid in solving the problem before it happens — or if it does happen, what is involved in removing the broken end. First, the common location for stud breakage centers on the exhaust system. Brass nuts are the proper means to fasten the exhaust system components to a cylinder, so before you pull extra hard on that breaker bar, try this.
When maintaining Pratt & Whitney R-985 engines on Stearman crop dusters, I devised a way to remove stubborn brass nuts that had seized on a stud by taking a small gas torch and carefully heating the nut on opposite sides until it melted. That way I got the nut off without breaking the stud, and after removing the exhaust section I carefully used a thread chaser to clean rusted and deformed threads on the stud. However, if a stud does break, what is the best way to get it out?
First, a drilling fixture must be made to accurately center drill bits on the stud, placing the bit in the exact center of the stud. Studs are made of heat-treated nickel steel and are very hard and difficult to drill, so if you try to remove by trying to hit the center, you will probably wind up damaging the aluminum cylinder head. I cut a steel plate that
would fit over the exhaust port and drilled it to fit over the studs of another cylinder. Then I cut a 1/4-inch bushing and brazed it to the plate so a 1/4-inch drill bit would fit, and the plate was installed on the affected cylinder and the center of the broken stud was drilled out.
The plate was removed and an “easy out” was driven into the hole, then an attempt was made to extract the stud. If needed, the bushing can be drilled to a larger inside diameter to use a larger diameter drill bit (Figure 2).
I used a 1/4-inch drive socket that would fit over the easy out and began to extract the broken stud; with a little coaxing it came out (Figure 3).
As luck would have it, the stud came out leaving the threaded portion of the cylinder pretty well intact. On occasion a mechanic gets lucky and things turn out as planned.
In Figure 4, note that the hole had been previously modified with a threaded insert called a Heli-Coil.
Installation of a Heli-Coil requires a special tap for a coarse threaded stud, so the threaded portion was cleaned and a new insert driven. Then a new stud was driven, and the job of stud removal and replacement was finished. In Figure 4 is my special fixture for correctly removing the broken stud.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 3
Good Old Days
From the pages of what was ...
Take a quick look through history by enjoying images pulled from publications past.
Dave and Jeanne Allen VAA’s 2024
Hall of Fame Inductees
BY SPARKY BARNES
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SPARKY BARNES
Dave and Jeanne Allen in period clothing with their 1934 Cabin Waco YKC.
THE LATE DAVE AND JEANNE ALLEN of Elbert, Colorado, were well known within the vintage community as a husband-wife restoration team whose work was highly acclaimed. Together, they devoted decades of their lives to transforming project aircraft into stunning award winners. Dave and Jeanne were a team in every sense of the word, and their matching outfits made them easily recognizable at the numerous fly-ins they attended throughout the country. In recognition of their remarkable penchant for authenticity and their contributions to the field of vintage aviation, Dave and Jeanne are the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association’s 2024 Hall of Fame inductees.
Dave grew up near Fresno, in the San Joaquin Valley of California. “Aviation is my passion; it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do,” Dave said. “My mom has a picture of me when I was 3; I’m holding a couple of boards nailed together, and she said I called it an ‘A-plane.’ I am living my dream!”
As a young boy, he’d awaken to the thundering roar of radials as crop dusters flew nearby. Springing out of bed, he’d hop on his bike to go watch the biplanes fly their aerial ballet just above the fields. By the time he was 11, he was flagging for them.
Later on, Dave joined the Air Force and flew the T-41, T-37, and T-38 at pilot training. “I trained in special ops, U-10D, but the Vietnam assignment was canceled by President Nixon in 1969. I flew Rescue HC-130s in the United Kingdom, and went back as instructor pilot and flight examiner at the rescue school in Utah, then over to Korat, Thailand. Then I went back to airmanship at the Air Force Academy,” Dave said. “My last active-duty assignment was running the academy soaring program, and flying UV-18B Twin Otters, part time, in the parachute program.”
Dave got off active duty in 1979 and finished up in the Air Force Reserve flying C-130Bs in Colorado Springs. All told, his Air Force career lasted 20 years. Then he went to the airlines and retired from a 19-year stint with United, flying all the models of the 737 up to that point.
Jeanne grew up in Madera in the San Joaquin Valley and nurtured her interest in aviation before she met Dave. She and Dave dated for six years prior to marrying, and Jeanne knew that Dave was all about flying. The two meshed well, and their teamwork was copacetic, with occasional challenges. For instance, when Dave’s “git-er-done” streak manifested, they discussed the issue, and Jeanne usually prevailed with the admonition: “No shortcuts; let’s do it the way it should be done.”
Soaring Flight
“Some aviation folks know us as Waco people, but we’re really glider and flivver people,” Dave said. “Seriously — our first aircraft that we owned were gliders and a Champ.”
Jeanne was a certificated glider pilot and logged around 80 hours in sailplanes, including an open-cockpit, side-by-side Slingsby T.21 Sedberg and single-place Schneider Grunau Baby II; a Schleicher Ka-8; and a Schempp-Hirth Standard Cirrus. By 1975, she had completed the Soaring Society of America’s requirements for her A, B, and C badges.
When Dave soared competitively, Jeanne stepped adeptly into the role of being his ground chase crew — often with their two young sons in tow. Dave logged more than 2,000 soaring hours and established several records, which still stand. He completed the requirements for his Gold and Diamond badges in 1974 and set a number of records while flying a two-place Schempp-Hirth Janus A. In 1981, he received the Colorado State Soaring Award for the most Outstanding Sailplane Flight of the Year in Colorado.
A Restoration Team Was Born
As the Allens transitioned from soaring to flying vintage airplanes, they bought an Aeronca Champ to fly while they were working on a biplane project. Their first full-scale airplane building project was a NuWaco T10 Taperwing, which they started in 1987. Six and a half years later, it was flying. They received the EAA Oshkosh 1993 Antique Aircraft Replica Champion Bronze Lindy and logged 320 hours in NX275TW before selling it.
In the spring of 1999, Dave and Jeanne’s longstanding interest in soaring prompted them to complete a restoration of a 1967 Schleicher ASK-13 (N1715). Unbeknownst to them in those early days, they’d found their niche in the restoration world. The Taperwing and Schleicher projects merely whetted their appetite for more hands-on restorations.
Jeanne waits for a tow in the 1971 Schempp-Hirth Standard Cirrus in September 1971.
Dave and Jeanne in September 1968 beside the Cessna T-37 in which he trained.
1930 Waco ASO and Air Tours
Dave and Jeanne yearned for a Straightwing Waco, and they enthusiastically launched into their 1930 Waco ASO project (NC662Y), completing it in four and a half years. Once finished and flying, they both enjoyed the way the Straightwing handled.
“It’s not heavy on the controls at all,” Jeanne said. “When I’m holding the iPad in the front cockpit and using ForeFlight, I’m barely holding the stick and it’s just very responsive.”
Dave and Jeanne started flying NC662Y in 2002 and participated in the Aviation Foundation of America’s 2003 re-creation of the 1932 National Air Tour to celebrate the Centennial of Flight. They flew their Waco ASO (No. 26) 4,000 miles along the route of the uncompleted 1932 tour.
“It was a life-altering event; it really was. There were 80 people and two dozen old airplanes flying; it was just so much fun,” Dave said.
Jeanne enjoyed the air tour and cherished her memories of that adventure. “We had all these people from all over the country, and we were able to work together,” Jeanne reflected. “Just being in the sky with old airplanes flying together does make you feel like you were in that 1930s era when it was a lot less hectic.”
Dave and Jeanne also flew NC662Y in the American Barnstormer Tours in 2006 and 2008. They kept their Straightwing in excellent shape throughout the 1,100 hours they flew it. In 2012, NC662Y received the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh Silver Age (1928-1936) Outstanding Open-Cockpit Biplane award. It was Reserve Grand Champion Antique at SUN ’n FUN International Fly-In & Expo 2016, and Grand Champion Antique in 2017. In 2018, they flew it to Antique Airfield for the 15-year reunion of the 2003 National Air Tour. In 2021, NC662Y received the Ken Love Memorial Award for the Best Wright-Powered Aircraft at the Antique Airplane Association and Air Power Museum’s (AAA/APM) annual fly-in.
1934 Cabin Waco YKC
Seldom are a husband and wife so intricately entwined with multiple facets of aviation that it becomes the central focus of their lives — yet Dave and Jeanne wouldn’t have had it any other way. Their next restoration project — and perhaps the one for which they were best known — was a 1934 Waco YKC, which they purchased as a project in December 2003. It had last flown in the late 1940s and was originally owned by the State of Ohio’s Bureau of Aeronautics. They eagerly delved into the minutia of its history and restored it to that authentic splendor.
“I actually was responsible for him even thinking about this project. He didn’t really want to do a Cabin Waco; for years he said it was too much of a project. But after a lot of flying in the Taperwing and Straightwing open cockpits, I thought an enclosed cabin would be nice,” Jeanne said.
Team Approach
The Allens long ago learned how to enhance their productivity as a team. Throughout all of their projects, Dave tackled the mechanical aspects and Jeanne focused on the “hidden” facets of cleaning, corrosion control, and research. The Allens’ tenacity and superb attention to the tiniest of details was ever present, and when they couldn’t locate correct parts, their creativity came to the rescue and helped them devise a way to fabricate those items.
They worked on their Waco YKC project virtually every day for a decade — sometimes together, and sometimes taking on separate tasks. They also carefully documented each aspect of the project by taking notes, making sketches, and shooting video and still photos — all of which came in handy as their work progressed.
“Jeanne has the quality control and attention to detail that keeps me straight,” Dave said.
Sharing her insight about working as a team, Jeanne said, “There’s going to be one person who’s the ‘boss’ and the other one is the ‘employee.’ You just have to say, ‘If we’re going to accomplish this project, then somebody is calling the shots.’ So I did things like running errands, researching the airplane’s history, and keeping track of all the bookwork. That allowed him to think through the process of what needed to come next, so we could keep moving on the project.”
Vintage Ambassadors
“We’re kind of mini ambassadors for the golden age of aviation, and if we can do this, anyone can! It does take tenacity and a matter of priorities, but if you want a Waco, you can build a Waco. Do something every day, no matter what — don’t let anything get in the way. Even if you only have an hour free, there are things that you can start,” Dave declared. “Otherwise, you’re going to lose many precious hours of working on it. Don’t try to get your arms around the whole thing at once; whenever you do that, it’s depressing. Just enjoy and learn whatever process you’re doing at the time. Then move on to the next one. Remember, when you build an airplane, you know the airplane.”
NS14137 received the Antique Grand Champion Gold Lindy at AirVenture 2013. It was also the AAA/APM’s 2013 Antique Grand Champion, and the 2014 Antique Grand Champion at SUN ’n FUN. It was the Neil A. Armstrong Aviation Heritage Trophy Grand Champion at the 2014 Reno National Aviation Heritage Invitational. Additionally, this resplendent Cabin Waco received The Lyndsey R. Cunningham Award at
Dave at work on the wing.
the 2019 Morgan Adams Concours d’Elegance (a fundraiser for children’s cancer research) in Englewood, Colorado.
1947 Piper PA-11 Cub Special
Dave and Jeanne’s next project was a well-worn Cub Special. They were inspired to restore it for several reasons. In 2014, they were anticipating the advent of their seventh decade, so with practicality and an eye to the future, they wanted to make sure they had a way to keep flying.
“BasicMed hadn’t been approved at that time, and with new special light-sport aircraft costing $125,000 or more,” Dave explained, “our advocacy was that a person, a club, or a couple of young people could instead get an old project and restore it. Then they can fly it for the cost of only 4.5 to 5 gallons of fuel an hour, and have a ball for way less than the price of a new car! So we decided to restore one that was eligible to be flown by a sport pilot, and the PA-11 fit the bill.”
They also wanted to shine a spotlight on forlorn flivvers and demonstrate that, especially when imbued with new vigor via restoration, these old airplanes provide rewarding and economical ways to enjoy fun flying. Their diligent efforts made NC4880M the “Cinderella” of the vintage ball in 2022, when it was awarded the AirVenture Classic Grand Champion Gold Lindy.
They began their six-year restoration of NC4880M right after they purchased it as a basket case in 2014. “It was more of a project — airplanes always are — than what we anticipated, mainly due to the wings,” Dave said. “And none of the sheet metal was good for anything but patterns. … [But] there is a lot of help out there, especially through the type clubs.”
Gratitude
Throughout their projects, Dave and Jeanne enjoyed immeasurable help and guidance from a wide array of aviators, mechanics, vendors, and individuals in the aviation community. They always made certain to give credit where it was due, and to express appreciation for those who helped them achieve their lofty goals.
“We are grateful for all the people who have helped us in so many ways during each of our restoration projects through the years,” Dave said.
Passion for Aviation
Discipline and tenacity, garnished with a touch of Dave’s dry humor and a heaping helping of Jeanne’s encouragement, were a few of the ingredients that enabled them to attain dreams that others would have relinquished. Dave and Jeanne’s passion for aviation (and each other) never lost its luster. Their insatiable appetite for restorations continued beyond their PA-11; their most recent project was a 1929 Waco CSO (NC265M), and they also had a 1930 Waco RNF (NC862V) awaiting its turn.
A Wealth of Memories
Two years ago, Dave and Jeanne flew their PA-11 on a jaunt across the interior portion of the country in July 2022. They initiated their flight with a sentient spirit of adventure befitting these optimistic and young-at-heart septuagenarians, and flew 775 nautical miles from their home at Kelly Air Park (CO15) to Oshkosh. It took them nearly 10 hours’ travel time, spanning three days (counting the 30-minute flight into Oshkosh), and bequeathed them with a wealth of memories.
In turn, Dave and Jeanne’s ebullient passion for aviation imbued the vintage community at large with a virtually iconic, and certainly irreplaceable, wealth of memories. Poet John Donne wrote: “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” That sentiment is especially true in the vintage community. We are jubilant with each other’s successes, always willing to lend a helping hand, and cheer each other onward through challenging times. And we feel an ineffable depth of bereavement when we lose cherished members of our vintage family.
The Allens’ legacy of enthusiasm and devotion to authentic restorations will no doubt continue to inspire individuals who aspire to achieve aviation excellence. Dave and Jeanne Allen will be posthumously inducted into the EAA Vintage Aircraft Aviation Hall of Fame in December 2024.
Dave and Jeanne with their Gold Lindy Cub Special.
Dave and Jeanne enjoyed flying the Straightwing.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SPARKY BARNES
The 1946 Bellanca Cruisair Senior
BY SPARKY BARNES
HARRY HOLMBERG OF STILLWATER, Minnesota, loves flying his 1946 Bellanca Cruisair Senior. It’s clearly evident in his smile and in the nearly hushed tone of reverence he has when he describes N86719. There’s a synchronicity between the two; Harry’s flying has been nearly as on-again, off-again as the Bellanca’s change of ownership throughout the decades. But now the pilot and the airplane have found each other and are spending a good deal of time cruising aloft over the Land of 10,000 Lakes. In fact, Harry logged 120 hours in just their first 10 months together.
“It’s good to fly; it doesn’t have any quirks. When you do a power-off stall, it just kind of squishes down,” Harry described. “I like pulling the power back and flying slow enough to just soar around under a cloud — it just handles really well, whether you’re flying slow or cruising cross-country.”
Bit o’ History
N86719 was built by Bellanca Aircraft Co. at New Castle, Delaware. Serial No. 1080 was “manufactured in accordance with the data submitted in support of an application for type certification …” under production certification No. 11 in May 1946, and Type Certificate 773 was issued in September 1946.
By November, Bellanca representatives were at Cleveland, where they showcased their triple-tailed, four-place Model 14-13 Cruisair Senior at the National Aircraft Show. Powered by a 150-hp Franklin and carrying a total of 40 gallons of fuel, it had an admirable 150-mph cruise and was priced at less than $5,500. Its fuselage and empennage were built of welded steel tubing and covered with fabric. The wood wing spars and ribs were carefully assembled in jigs; the tapered, cantilever wings were then covered with mahogany plywood and fabric. The ailerons and manually operated flaps were built of wood and covered with fabric. Oleo shock struts cushioned landings, and the hydraulic toe brakes facilitated ground maneuvering.
I like pulling the power back and flying slow enough to just soar around under a cloud — it just handles really well, whether you’re flying slow or cruising cross-country. — Harry Holmberg
Around 325 Cruisair Seniors were produced in 1946.
Aviation historian and author Joseph Juptner wrote: “Poised on its spindly landing gear legs, the 14-13 looked small, rather slab-sided, and really not all that capable, but this was all so misleading; actually it was a very capable airplane with a vibrant personality, and a performance that many found hard to match. … It handled easily and beautifully with instant response; its rate of roll was quick, quick enough to incite an overpowering desire to horse around. … Bellanca advertised, but the ‘Cruisair’ itself was its best promoter; it was just about the most captivating personal-type airplane of the period” (U.S. Civil Aircraft, Vol. 8).
During a tour of the Bellanca Aircraft facility, The High Road columnist Bob Bates (Harrisburg Telegraph, March 23, 1946) was highly impressed by the new Bellanca Cruisair when he saw it being manufactured. “It is a clean, fast airplane designed and produced by G.M. Bellanca, a man with an idea and an ideal, who for 35 years has been building aircraft and for the past 17 years shattering records with them. … They start, at Bellanca, with a pile of lumber, steel tubing, fabric and whatnot, and produce a masterpiece of fine craftsmanship. A plane that is ‘hand-made’ in every sense of the word.”
He described the Cruisair construction at length and wrote that its hand-rubbed finish was “comparable to a fine piece of furniture, yet men and girls were all over it tracking down the slightest imperfection. … Mr. Bellanca, dubbed ‘G.M.’ by everyone we met, is as
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF HARRY HOLMBERG
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SPARKY BARNES
New owner Harry Holmberg takes restorer Rich Klepperich for a Cruisair flight.
Harry Holmberg loves flying his Cruisair Senior, and it shows!
short in stature as his planes are long in merit. He was all over the place checking, testing, and planning new improvements.”
Interestingly, the introductory page in the Bellanca Cruisair Senior manual reflected the courtesy and civility of the era: “Years of Bellanca pioneering and engineering plus the highest quality in materials and workmanship have produced the Cruisair line of airplanes. It is the purpose of this Service and Parts Manual to furnish ready reference and practical information on the purchase and supply of parts and accessories for the efficient maintenance and operation of our product. … Your comments regarding any improvement which could be made in this manual or our method of parts supply and distribution will be readily accepted.”
Learning to Fly
Harry, a self-professed “figure-it-out kind of guy,” was a machinist for 30 years. He made prototype parts for a wide variety of things, using all kinds of metals. Then he transitioned into engineering and now designs tooling and processes for welding small medical devices.
He had his first brush with aviation as a youth in 1973, when his local Explorer Post held a fundraiser at Elmo Aero, the FBO at Lake Elmo Airport (21D). “We were there to wash airplanes, and there was a committee member who had a Citabria. He took us all for rides, and I just dug every second of it!” Harry recalled. “Then I took some flying lessons when I was just out of high school
in 1977. But then I met Mary, who is now my wife of 45 years, so I had to divert some attention away from aviation.”
In 1984, Harry finished up his private at Elmo Aero, where he started working. “I was a line guy, so I was answering the phone, selling flying lessons, stacking airplanes in the hangar, and pumping gas. I did that for about three years, and then I bought a Cessna 150 for about $5,500,” Harry said. “I flew that a bunch, but then I sold it to be financially responsible.”
PHOTOGRAPHY
SPARKY BARNES
Command center of the Cruisair Senior.
Bellanca Aircraft Corporation logo and slogan, “At Home in the Air.”
The beautifully finished interior of the Bellanca 14-13.
I enjoy flying it! I’ve been to lots of local fly-ins and all four corners of Minnesota. — Harry Holmberg
In 1993, he did allocate some resources to obtain a tailwheel endorsement, flying a Citabria 7ECA and a Champ over at Osceola, Wisconsin. All told, a couple of decades had ticked by until Harry found himself in a position to buy another Cessna 150. “As it turned out, I had to sell it, because I got laid off in a reduction in force. Finally, time and finances came back around again, and I looked at my airplane checklist of what would be nice: four seats, faster than a 150, tail wheel, and retractable gear,” Harry said. “So I got my complex endorsement in May 2022 at Lake Elmo Aero. I wanted to buy a vintage airplane, because I couldn’t afford anything else. There’s not much out there that had what I wanted; a Bellanca landed right on my checklist.”
Enter the Cruisair Senior Serendipitously, there just happened to be a Cruisair Senior advertised on Barnstormers. Intrigued by the photos and its proximity in Minnesota, Harry and Mary drove to Sky Harbor airport in Webster to meet its owner and restorer, Rich Klepperich. Rich showed them the immaculate Cruisair and mentioned it was his
second ground-up restoration, the first one being a Stinson 108.
“One of the first things I did was just stick my camera down underneath the panel and inside the cowling and took pictures. Every place where I stuck my camera, it came up looking really good. Then I got more interested and decided to buy it,” Harry recounted, “but then doing the deal was kind of a fiasco, because it was the old catch-22 thing. How do you get training in a plane, for insurance requirements, when no pilot you know of can fly it?”
Determined to find a creative solution, Harry discussed the problem with Rich. “I ended up getting nonowner insurance, and Rich agreed to let me fly it while he owned it. That way, I could get 10 hours’ PIC time and then qualify for my own insurance. So I got some dual with an instructor to get up-todate, and when he thought I was ready to take on the Bellanca, I still wanted to have someone else looking over my shoulder, so a retired airline pilot went along with me.”
Chain of Owners
In July 1946, N86719 flew from the factory into the hands of Harold R. Schlesselman at Mankato Aero Service in Minnesota. Edward Nuese of Marshall, Minnesota, bought it in October. He owned it until May 1962, and during that time, he had a cabin
Closeup view of the 165-hp Franklin.
One must be relatively nimble to enter the Cruisair cabin.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SPARKY BARNES
Harry and his wife, Mary, arrive at the Mankato, Minnesota breakfast fly-in.
heating and ventilation system, as well as a rear seat heater, installed. He also had a Narco Superhomer installed in place of the GE radio equipment.
Then Marvin Shinners of Alexandria, Minnesota, bought it — and sold it barely a year later to Harland C. Angen of Alexandria. That was in February 1963, just a couple years before Harland would find himself becoming a local KXRA radio personality and celebrity for his comedic, hourlong Saturday morning bantering sessions with Jerry VanKempen (their “Harland and Jerry Mess” program carried on for at least 18 years).
Harland had a fixed-pitch McCauley metal prop installed and sold the Cruisair in February 1964. Oddly enough, he bought it back in May. Then he hung on to it until 1968, when George McFadden of Stillwater (who had been a B-29 navigator in World War II and later ran a flight school in St. Paul for a short time) bought it. At that time, the Cruisair still had its original fabric and paint and was, coincidentally, hangared at Elmo Aero’s rental hangar.
The Cruisair Senior changed hands several more times but remained in either Minnesota or Wisconsin.
Cradled in the Mechanic’s Hands
Finally, in June 1981, N86719 landed in Webster, Minnesota, in the care of Richard A. Klepperich.
“Rich had all of the documents back to the original logbooks. The airplane flew until 1970, when it had 1,000 hours on it, and that’s where the logbook activity stopped. So I assume by then it was in pretty bad shape. The first receipts on the restoration were in 1986, when Rich started the project. He did it as a one-man band basically and finished it in 2012,” Harry said. “The guy that did the Cruisair decals for it, Noel Allard, was friends with Rich, so he saw the restoration all along, and said Rich probably worked on it every day for 20 years. Rich was a Northwest mechanic at the time, so he’d work long shifts, and then he’d go
home and work on the Bellanca. He took it down to every nut and bolt and restored everything.”
Rich’s detailed restoration included the installation of a 165-hp Franklin and an Aeromatic (Tarver) propeller. The Aeromatic prop was advertised in the 1940s as the “propeller with a brain” because it automatically adjusts pitch for takeoff, climb, or cruise, effectively allowing the airplane to perform as though it were equipped with a constant-speed prop. The counterweights must be adjusted for summer versus winter temperatures.
Rich also installed an Airwolf remote-mounted oil filter kit and an alternator in place of the original generator. He rerouted the fuel lines and installed a Bendix electric fuel pump in place of the original emergency wobble pump. Other mechanical items included the installation of Cleveland 6.00-by-6 wheel and brake assemblies, Whelen anti-collision strobe lights, and an AK-450 emergency locator transmitter.
According to the aircraft records, Rich removed all the old fabric from the airframe and carefully inspected the plywood skin on the wings, as well as all of the structural tubing and controls. He bead-blasted the steel components and then applied one coat of primer, followed by one coat of epoxy gloss paint. He covered the airframe per Poly Fiber STC SA1008WE.
“Rich also redid the upholstery, headliner, and carpet. The cabin is insulated, and the heater’s fabulous!” Harry said.
The instruments are not original to the airplane; he installed a panel that has a hump on it, kind of like the Viking. After Rich finished it, he flew the airplane 62 hours in 10 years,” Harry said. “I think he was more into working on planes than flying them.”
Cruising in the Cruisair
Era advertising exuberantly touted the Model 14-13’s capabilities: “Every runway, every flying field in America is an ‘open road to anywhere’ in your four-place Bellanca Cruisair — America’s cross-country plane. This fast cruising, easy-to-fly family plane will take you when and where you want to go. And remember, your Bellanca economy plane will give you better mileage than your car. … The Cruisair incorporates all those features of safety and efficiency which won world fame for so many record-breaking Bellancas ….”
Harry tends to cheerfully agree with such marketing. “It’ll do 162 mph — that’s the highest I’ve seen — straight and level. It’s happy cruising anywhere from 90 mph burning 5.5 gph, on up to 150 mph burning 9 to 10 gph. If I’m not going anywhere and just want to be off the ground, I’ll cruise around 90 to 100 mph; it’s very efficient,” Harry described. “It has no tail wag due to those cartoonishly large [auxiliary fins] on the tail, so it’s an arrow going straight through turbulence. The gear is manually retracted, and I usually crank it 33 turns up and down. It’s real memorable that way; it’s pretty hard to forget you’re flying a retract!”
Cruisair, From Yesterday’s News …
Back in 1947, a Cruisair made the news when it was reportedly flown by a former Navy pilot for a rather unusual medical-related mission in New Jersey. Doctors hoped a sudden drop in altitude during a 7,000-foot dive would create a pressure change in a boy’s ears, thereby restoring the hearing he’d previously lost due to illness. The boy was accompanied by his uncle, who paid for the Cruisair flight. But apparently one pressure treatment didn’t cure the boy, and doctors suggested that more flights may be required.
Other pilots of the era enjoyed opportunities to take the fast and comfortable Cruisair on long cross-country flights. Two women entered the 1951 All-Women’s Transcontinental Air Race from Santa Ana to Detroit in a Cruisair. They were sponsored by their local chamber of commerce, and the Bellanca — adorned with “Marysville, Yuba County, Hub of the Sacramento Valley” — served as a publicity flagship.
A couple of mothers hired babysitters for their children so they could fly a Cruisair on a jaunt from New York to the sunny climes of Key West in 1952. It wasn’t their first cross-country; they enjoyed the Cruisair’s cruising capabilities on other long flights as well as day trips. Local media found them inspirational; hence, the women made the headlines.
In 1954, an entrant in the eighth annual Powder Puff Derby successfully completed her cross-country competition while flying her Bellanca Cruisair from Long Beach to Knoxville.
1946 BELLANCA 14-13 CRUISAIR SENIOR
MANUFACTURED UNDER ATC 773.
SPECIFICATIONS BELOW WITH 150-HP FRANKLIN AND AEROMATIC PROP. NOT ELIGIBLE TO BE FLOWN BY A SPORT PILOT.
WINGSPAN: 34 FEET, 2 INCHES
AIRFOIL: BELLANCA B
LENGTH: 21 FEET, 4 INCHES
HEIGHT: 6 FEET, 3 INCHES
SEATS: 4
TREAD: 107 INCHES
EMPTY WEIGHT: 1,200 POUNDS
GROSS WEIGHT: 2,100 POUNDS
ENGINE: 150-HP FRANKLIN
FUEL: 40 GALLONS
OIL: 2 GALLONS
MAX SPEED: 169 MPH
CRUISING SPEED: 150 MPH
LANDING SPEED (WITH FLAPS): 45 MPH
CLIMB AT SEA LEVEL: 850 FPM
SERVICE CEILING: 16,500 FEET
CRUISING RANGE: 600 MILES
BAGGAGE CAPACITY: UP TO 100 POUNDS
DERIVED FROM JUPTNER’S U.S. CIVIL AIRCRAFT.
… To Today!
Obviously, the Cruisair was as well-loved back in its heyday as it is today among a relatively small cadre of Cruisair owners. Harry proclaimed, “I enjoy flying it! I’ve been to lots of local fly-ins and all four corners of Minnesota. My longest flight was up to the Hallock area [close to the Canadian border] when the Red River was flooding,” Harry said. “Winter is a good time for nice, long cross-countries, although a lot of the grass strips are covered in snow.”
Harry is rightfully protective of his cherished Cruisair, lavishing it with the attention it deserves and requires. He protects it from the elements in a hangar at Lake Elmo Airport, and recently had the landing and taxi lights replaced with Whelen LED lights.
Last summer, Harry flew it from Lake Elmo to Oshkosh. “It was the first time I’d flown in, and my son came with me. We parked in the ‘Fun and Affordable’ parking area across from the Vintage Red Barn, and it was a really great experience,” Harry reflected. “I enjoy sharing the story about Rich working so hard on it, and telling people what it took to get it in its current state. It seems like a lot of people really like the Cruisair. There were folks stopping by that have them and fly them now, and at least two different folks stopped by that are actively restoring Cruisairs.”
The Vintage judges were among those who were pleased to see this pristine Cruisair Senior. N86719 received the Classic (September 1945-1955) Reserve Grand Champion Award during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2023. Harry was amazed when he received that Silver Lindy, and warmly shared that great news with Rich Klepperich, who made it what it is today.
A splendid Swift gathering in the Lone Star State
WHEN A POSSIBLE CHANGE of date and venue for the Swift national fly-in arose last year, Wade and Terry Gillaspie of Huntsville, Texas, volunteered and were chosen to corral the 2024 gaggle of Swifters in the Lone Star State. After all, they’d suggested the idea and had prior experience organizing a group fly-in. (The change facilitated Swifters’ attendance at the 40th annual West Coast Swift Fly-In in Jackson, California, scheduled at the same time the national fly-in was usually held at Athens, Tennessee.)
After the powers that be agreed upon the Texas location, the behind-the-scenes work began. The result? A highly successful event that was held May 28 through June 2, 2024. The Hangar Hotel and convention center at Gillespie airport in Fredericksburg (T82) offered a fabulous 1940s themed backdrop and festive atmosphere for the 55th Annual Swift National Convention & Fly-In. Ninety-three Swifters arrived to enjoy Texas-style hospitality. The view from the hotel’s balcony was impressive; 29 Swifts filled the adjacent ramp, neatly silhouetted by the western sun dipping behind the distant hills.
Wade and Terry have been part of the Swift Museum Foundation (SMF) since 2005 and have flown nearly 1,000 hours in their 1946 Globe GC-1B (N78204). Their passion for both the airplane and the organization fueled an impressive amount of forethought and planning for the event, comparable to the size of Texas itself. Their 10 months of planning, along with numerous helping hands, provided a diverse offering of activities that sailed along without a hitch throughout the event.
Safety and maintenance forums were held, along with formation training sessions and a fly-out for a barbecue lunch at Llano. EAA Chapter 1088 provided shuttle rides to the National Museum of the Pacific War and to Wildseed Farms (a working wildflower farm and vineyard), as well as other outings. Vans carried Swifters, clad in Western attire, for dinner and music at historical Luckenbach on Friday.
Following a missing man formation memorial tribute, the Saturday banquet was a luau/Hawaiian-themed event, hosted by Paul and Jennifer Barnett in the Hangar Hotel’s special
events room. The Pacific Room, with its large ocean mural, proffered an appropriate tribute to Paul’s late father, Dr. Jim C. Barnett, who joined the U.S. Navy as a teen in 1943. Dr. Barnett also served aboard the USS Princeton in combat as a Navy flight surgeon during the Korean War.
Winners of the silent auction and Swift T-shirt quilt raffle were announced during the banquet, and more than $18,000 was raised. Of special note: The annual SMF raffle will be held in September 2024, with a grand prize of a $30,000 Ly-Con engine credit or $20,000 cash (SwiftRaffle.com). Proceeds go to a great cause: funding Swift parts production.
Sharing the Love
Old-time Swifters have much to share with younger SMF members, including the nuances of flying and maintaining the Swift. Remarkably, there were at least two Swifters present who became members in 1968, when the late Charlie Nelson founded the organization. An integral facet of the SMF family, they were sharing the love by treasuring the past and embracing the future.
Ed Lloyd of Austin, Texas, celebrated his 90th birthday during the fly-in. He started flying when he was in high school, and clearly recalled the first time he saw a Swift. “During the process of getting my ticket, I was flying with my instructor in a J-3 Cub, and we landed at Martinsburg, West Virginia. There was a Swift parked over next to the fuel pit, and I walked by and looked at it and said, ‘Man, that’s a nice-looking airplane! I’ll have to have one of those someday.’ Well, I got my ticket before graduating from high school and started dating my wife, Barbara, while we were both in high school. I wanted to fly in the worst way, but the problem was it was so expensive,” Ed said. “Later I bought a Swift from Buck Jewel and owned it a total of 10 years (N3856K, now in France). I did an awful lot of flying around the country in those years. I also got involved in the two-, three-, and four-ship formation flying.”
Steve Whittenberger hails from Boerne, Texas, and his love for the Swift has remained a constant in his life since 1948, when he fell in love with the Swift at an air show in Kokomo, Indiana. “Then Ed Lloyd took me for my first ride in the Swift, and I bought my own Swift back around 2000,” Steve said. “The FAA was looking for groups that would do formation training that would improve safety. We developed a training program, and with the help of Sandy and Paul Mercandetti, Jim Roberts, and others who have the desire and willingness to use their skills, we’ve been holding formation clinics for members for about 25 years.”
Notably, the Swift Formation Committee was accepted as a signatory to the Formation and Safety Training (F.A.S.T.) organization many years ago, and has two seats on the F.A.S.T. board of directors.
Clearly passionate about the Swift, Steve said, “It flies like a fighter and is a wonderful airplane. The horror stories you hear about them are mainly because people don’t know how to fly them. That’s why we stress to these guys, if you’re going to buy a Swift, get with a Swift-qualified instructor and learn to fly it right. We have an instructor cadre that will do that. Swift has come so far in the last 10 years with their new headquarters and parts shop. It’s been a real transformation. Just look at the fleet here and compare it to photos from years ago — there’s no comparison to the quality of the aircraft now!”
Bo and Gloria Mabry of Bluffton, South Carolina, enjoy going places in their Swift. Gloria’s first opportunity to fly in a Swift transpired during Oshkosh years ago. She recalled: “I grew up with my dad and my uncle flying, but I had never heard
Mark Holliday, Sparky Barnes and Ed Lloyd.
of a Swift airplane and didn’t know what a Swift was. I [decided to] return to the Chicago area with Bo Mabry in his Swift. Our host had requested we [make a pass over] his private field, and in the midst of doing that, Bo patted me on my knee and said, ‘Are you all right?’ I said, ‘Yes, thank you very much.’ No one else ever cared if I was ‘all right’! We got married a year later, and I said, ‘I don’t know about you, Bo, but I’m going to Oshkosh the next day.’ Bo said, ‘Of course I’m going.’ But this time, we went together in the Swift. That was 23 years ago, and we have been flying ever since.”
Bo turned his flying hobby into a profession but always retained his love for small airplanes. He became an SMF member in 1978 and enjoys the group’s camaraderie, deriving inspiration from many of the longstanding members. “The Swift is probably one of the sweetest airplanes I’ve ever flown, and during landings, it will let me know it’s boss every time! I love the airplane, working on it, and sharing my knowledge in the maintenance forums and also via phone calls and videos. I get calls from all over the world about the Swift. Pilots need to learn the airplane, and it hurts when I see one wrecked,” Bo said.
Bo has owned four Swifts and bought his current one (N79K) in 1994. “I don’t mind telling the story of being an
airline pilot, and while flying along at 35,000 feet, I was reading Trade-A-Plane on a trip to Los Angeles. I saw this Swift advertised for sale, and after landing, I immediately made a call and bought it,” Bo said and chuckled. “This one has a 180-hp Lycoming, but it originally had a 125 Continental in it. It was converted in the late 1950s, which is very early in Swift history. It has Lischer sticks and a Nagel canopy and cowling. The early Machen fuel tanks were probably added in the 1970s.”
Regarding Fredericksburg, Bo said, “Athens is a great place to go, and we’ve been there a lot of times. Changing it now and then to places like Fredericksburg, where we can walk to the hotel, is great. Just look at all the Swifts here. They have a very sexy ramp appeal, and I’ve always said, if it looks pretty, usually it flies pretty — and it does!”
Jerry and Holley Bauerle of Hammond, Louisiana, have flown far and wide in N3315K. Jerry learned to fly as a teenager and had his first Swift ride in 1966. He never forgot it, and when he was 24, bought his first Swift. He’s owned his current Swift since 1978. Powered by a 200-hp Lycoming, it has an auxiliary belly tank for a total fuel capacity of 37 gallons.
“I bought this in Chicago, and it was in pieces. The wings were off, and the interior was
out — in fact, we haven’t found all the pieces yet!” Jerry said and laughed. “I had to get a ferry permit to fly it home [after reassembly]. It was cold — minus 10 degrees — and I had no radio. But I got it home and have done a little bit here and there to improve it as the money was available. Years ago, when I decided I wanted to upgrade the engine from a 145, Holley told me she loved the stock cowling and I had to keep it — so that’s her cowling!”
Married for 63 years, the two are inseparable. “Wherever I go, Holley goes, and she’s never complained about me spending money on an airplane,” Jerry commented.
Though it’s a bit difficult now for Holley to climb in and out of the Swift, it doesn’t prevent her from flying with Jerry. “First of all, I love the way the engine sounds, and I get to sit next to Jerry and don’t have to stay at home! Flying, to be perfectly honest, kind of scares me a little — it always has,” Holley said. “But we’ve traveled a lot out West and all over, except for the Northeast section of the country. You meet the nicest people, and I’ve learned to pack for two weeks in one little bag!”
Paul Mercandetti of Knoxville, Tennessee, was attracted to the Swift back in high school, when he was flying with the Civil Air Patrol. “But I was young and had no money, and wound up going into the Army and flying helicopters in the Vietnam era,” he said. “When I came back, I went to college and got my fixedwing ratings. Then I did some flight instructing and got on with a regional airline. When I got a little extra money, I bought a Swift in pieces and put it together. I owned it for about 10 years, then wanted something I could fly IFR, with a bigger engine. I bought this airplane (N84799), and it took me four and a half years to restore it. It has an IO-360, and I’ve owned it about 25 years now.”
He serves the SMF community as a checkout pilot, and emphasized, “We teach owners the differences between Swifts and other airplanes, and give pointers on maintaining the airplane as well.”
Paul flew his Swift, accompanied by fellow Swifter Jim Roberts, as a participant in AOPA’s National Celebration of General Aviation Flyover of Washington, D.C., on May 11, 2024. An SMF member for 35 years, Paul fulfills many roles within the Swift organization: He’s on the board of directors, the formation committee (along with his pilot wife, Sandy), and is chairman of the convention fly-in. “Every so often, we like to take our convention on the road,” Paul said. “So here we are, with beautiful facilities right on the airport, and good ramp space and services! When storms were forecast, we were even able to get all of our aircraft inside hangars overnight.”
Fly-About Tactical
Don Abbott of Gallatin, Tennessee, has owned his Swift (N767DK) for nearly a decade, and he, along with Jimmy Gist, helped organize a new activity this year — a tactical flight opportunity for pilots to brush up on their “analog” skill sets. “I fly with the Red Star Pilots Association, and they fly a tactical route with a balloon burst. Pilots can’t use GPS during the flight; it’s all pilotage. A lot of us grew up that way, but we haven’t done it for a while, so it’s kind of challenging and a lot of fun,” Don said and smiled. “We gave pilots a route to fly, with questions for every checkpoint. For example, at one checkpoint there was a ranch with red roofs, and pilots had to say what shape the swimming pool was. Another question regarded the direction of a parking lot from a prominent feature, which was the Enchanted Rock. Then we had ground crew at an airport,
and they released 18-inch-diameter balloons filled with helium. The pilot would fly across the threshold at about 50 feet AGL, and the ground crew talked to them on the radio to let them know the drift, because the pilots can’t see the balloon until it’s above the trees or against the sky. Each pilot had two chances to burst a balloon.”
Nine Swift pilots flew the route, accompanied by a navigator/co-pilot, and takeoffs were at six-minute intervals. “We had a great time watching Swift tracks on FlightAware as the teams searched for checkpoints,” Don said. “We gave the Magellan Award for the best navigation, the Wrong Way Corrigan award for the ‘spaghetti’ route, and the highest score got the Frank Luke award. Luke was a WWI pilot and burst German observation balloons, and Luke Air Force Base in Arizona was named for him.”
Chuck Miller of Bynum, Texas, flew his Swift (N2410B) with Bert Brewer. “I had a great navigator with me, and we hit both balloons! Bert and I flew C-141s in the Air Force in the early 1970s,” Chuck said, “and even after 50 years, we just meshed together, using those old piloting and dead-reckoning skills. That’s kind of a dying art.”
Embracing the Future
Colin and Haley Harrington of Locust Grove, Georgia, were among the younger SMF members present. Haley is working toward her private and enjoys flying the Swift. “I always thought flying was cool, but it wasn’t until Colin and I got together that I realized how achievable it was to do a private pilot’s license. This group offers a rare opportunity to be in a community where everyone wants to see everyone else enjoying the hobby, giving advice, and always willing to lend a hand,” she reflected. “I haven’t seen that as strongly in other areas of aviation.”
Colin is a professional pilot and flight instructor. He grew up listening to Swift lore; his father has owned a
Swift (N78282) since 1979. Now Colin is caretaker of it, and it’s currently in project status. “The first Swift fly-in I went to was in 2002, and the first time I actually flew in a Swift, it was not my dad’s — it was Mark Holliday’s, and I was 7. I grew up listening to stories about the Swift gatherings at Kentucky Dam, Lake Elmo, and Oshkosh. I just became obsessed with Swifts from a young age! I’m one of the Swift checkout pilots, and the airplane I’m flying here (N80654) is owned by a student that I’m teaching to fly.”
As one might expect, Colin is quite favorably impressed with the SMF. “I think it’s imperative to keep the organization going and keep the airplane alive. I think they do a lot of good things and they always have. Thankfully, the foundation has enough resources, and the parts department is so easy to get a
Upgrade to Reliability
hold of and talk to. You can’t say the same for a lot of vintage airplanes,” Colin said. “Some people don’t realize just how old the Swifts are; they’ve really withstood the test of time. It’s one of the most unique flying experiences I’ve ever had, and it’s still my favorite. It just kind of transports you mentally back to a day and age where the airplane was way ahead of its time.”
Doug Evans of Wimberley, Texas, bought his 145-hp Swift (N90394) about five years ago. He thanks his wife, Mary Sue, for talking him into buying it. Doug was considering buying an experimental, but when Mary Sue noticed an image of a shiny airplane while he was scrolling through the camera roll of airplane photos on his phone, she said, “Wait! What’s that airplane?”
Doug said, “That’s a Swift, one of the neatest airplanes ever made. Then she pointed her finger straight at that, and told me, ‘That matches your personality; that’s your airplane!’ I never looked back at that experimental ever again. I became interested in the Swift because it was truly extraordinary for its time and it’s held up over history. It’s still extraordinary to this day, and that’s why I got involved with the airplane. What I didn’t realize was that I was also getting involved with a family. I got an extraordinary airplane, and along with it, an ‘extra’ ordinary family of friends. That’s the greatest pleasure of why I am in the
PHOTOGRAPHY
Swift community, and having them come to my hometown has just simply been indescribable!”
Mary Sue said she loves “the art deco look and all the styling of this beautiful airplane that has such an amazing history. It’s an honor to be among some of the greatest people you could ever meet. We all have this common interest, and I think it takes a special person to love and take care of a plane like this.”
George Stanley of Richland, Washington, bought his Swift (N78104) in 2006. It has an eye-catching paint scheme and mods, including a 210-hp Continental IO-360, sliding canopy, and control sticks. “I had flown in the military years before, and I wanted an airplane that would be really a treat to fly, something that really handled beautifully with retractable gear and all that. When I had my first flight in a Swift, I had to have one! I’ve changed a few things on my Swift since I bought it — I remade the hydraulic lines in the wheel wells so they’re nice and tidy, and repainted the landing gear,” George said. “I like to give people a ride who are unfamiliar with a Swift or flying in a small plane, and at the end of the ride my favorite thing is to hear them say, ‘That was so much fun!’ The Swift has classic, beautiful lines and is a joy to fly.”
George said he’s quite happy with the benefits of SMF membership: “There’s not one Swifter that I have come across that won’t try to be resourceful and help you. They’re welcoming and always thrilled that you’re there. All these other things that come with Swift ownership are gifts that I was unaware of when I bought my Swift. It’s like they’re paying you to be a part
of the community in that regard. So for me, it’s like getting a milkshake with that extra stainless cup next to it with even more inside!”
Joyful Appreciation
In recognition of their “labor of love” efforts in organizing the fly-in, Wade and Terry received the SMF Charlie Nelson award and the Gloria Warden award from the Red River Swift Wing. “Wade and I were very honored by these awards, and we feel strongly that the success of this event was an answer to our prayers, along with all of the help we received from others,” Terry said. “Headquarters in Athens was very supportive and helpful, along with many other people here in Fredericksburg. The Swift family is a wonderful group of people, and we really appreciated everyone making the effort to come. I had so much joy from watching everybody here with smiles on their faces the whole time!”
To learn more about the Swift Museum Foundation, visit it at the McMinn County Airport (KMMI), or online at SwiftMuseumFoundation.org or Facebook.com/Globe1946.
BUILT TO
BY CONNOR
Mid America Flight Museum
TO LAST Museum’s Fairchild 71
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON
THE MID AMERICA FLIGHT Museum in Mount Pleasant, Texas, holds a large and diverse collection of aircraft. Founder Scott Glover described himself as an antiquer at heart, so naturally a good portion of the collection is made up of pre-World War II vintage aircraft. Walking through the hangar, just about every aircraft has a unique story as to how it survived 80- to 90-plus years of existence. The Fairchild 71 in the collection might not be someone’s first pick, as the airplane isn’t necessarily the most attractive, especially sitting next to a Lockheed Vega. While it may not have the looks of other aircraft in the collection, it certainly makes up for it in its rich history.
The origins of the Fairchild Model 71 trace back to the Fairchild company’s first aircraft, the FC-1. Fairchild was one of the early companies involved in producing commercial aircraft, which stemmed from Sherman Fairchild’s interest in aerial photography. In search of the perfect aerial photo platform, Fairchild decided the best airplane to suit his needs would be one of his own design. Existing companies looked at the design as too expensive to build, and he once again had to take matters into his own hands.
It was really a challenge to make because we didn’t have an old cowling to go on. — Doug Smith
with more than double the power of the OX-5, meant the aircraft was now able to carry five passengers.
A further redesign of the FC-1 resulted in the FC-2, which was a little larger and powered by the Wright J-5. The larger cabin maintained a five-passenger capacity but was capable of carrying larger and heavier cargo. The FC-2 retained the innovative folding wings, which proved to be useful when an aircraft had to be landed in a field too small to take off from. With the wings folded, the aircraft could be easily moved to a bigger space to take off again. The design was also capable of being operated on floats or skis, further proving its versatility. FC-2s were deployed across the United States and Canada, flying cargo and passengers into remote areas, proving the design to be extremely capable of the “bush flying” of the mid to late 1920s.
The answer was to purchase the Lawrence Sperry plant in Farmingdale, New York, sparking the beginning of the Fairchild Aircraft Corp. In 1926, the company’s first aircraft was completed. Dubbed the FC-1, it was a high-wing cabin monoplane with an elongated fuselage. It had room for a single pilot and up to two passengers with adequate room. The powerplant chosen was one of the most readily available engines of the time, the Curtiss OX-5. The FC-1 design included an innovative feature with its folding wings, aimed at minimal storage space. It was later redesigned around the Wright J-4, which,
The last major variant in the FC-2 line was the FC-2W, which was equipped with the 400-hp Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp. A noticeable difference was the modification of the fuselage, and the aircraft no longer had Fairchild’s recognizable “pinch back” characteristic. By the time the W-model was in service, the type had garnered a reputation that it could haul anything that could fit inside the fuselage.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON
The new boot cowl built by Doug Smith and his team.
Fairchild continued to refine the design of its rugged hauler and in 1928 introduced the Model 71. The 71 was the sum of everything learned on the previous FC-1 and -2 models, taking into account what had been learned in the field. It now had room for seven passengers and was capable of carrying heavy amounts of cargo. Unique to the 71 was the 5-degree sweep back of the wings. It’s not clear why exactly the wing sweep was used, but it was likely aimed at better weight distribution around the CG or better directional stability. Like their predecessors, Model 71s would prove extremely capable in most roles they took on, especially in areas of rugged terrain.
NC9135
While Fairchild’s Model 71 served its roles quite well for a number of years, there are only four left on the FAA registry, with three of them being active fliers. NC9135 is one of those three active fliers and the subject of this story. This particular Fairchild 71 was built by Fairchild in its Farmingdale, New York, facility in 1929. It was bought from Fairchild by Paul R. Braniff for Universal Airlines Inc. on April 25, 1929. Eleven months later, on March 21, 1930, it was transferred to Braniff Air Lines Inc. Once again, after 11 months, it was then sold to American Airways Inc., where it remained for two years. On May 18, 1933, it was purchased by Lincoln Air Service, based at
Metropolitan Airport in Los Angeles, California. Three years later, in 1936, Fairchild Aerial Surveys Inc. bought the airplane, where it would remain until 1954. In the 1960s, the aircraft would have its engine upgraded from its factory 420-hp “greaser” R-1340 to a newer 600-hp model. This engine swap was done with approval from Serv-Aero, a name well known in agricultural flying for its engine conversions. The aircraft still retains its Serv-Aero airbox to this day. Since all of the aircraft’s flight testing was done with the 420-hp engine, the new engine would be derated to operate at the same horsepower to negate additional flight testing. The derating is accomplished simply by marking the gauges and running the engine at reduced numbers, 30 inches of manifold pressure at 2000 rpm for takeoff. It’s likely the new
engine was chosen in favor of maintenance and reliability instead of horsepower. It didn’t have to be greased, it was less maintenance, and there were more parts available.
Reliability and less maintenance are always favorable reasons for any operation, but another likely factor was the airplane’s use for hauling skydivers. After being sold from Fairchild Aerial Surveys, it had four different owners over a 40-year period where it was used extensively as a jump airplane. Relics of the airplane’s time hauling jumpers still remain to this day. Kelly Mahon, director of operations for the Mid America Flight Museum (the aircraft’s current caretakers), pointed out a few of the unique details.
“It was hauling jumpers already in the ’60s,” Kelly said. “So when it was restored in ’69, it was restored back to a jump hauler. Photos of the instrument panel show it still had jump lights like a military airplane. In the floor of the airplane, right underneath the pilot stick, is just a glass panel so you can see the drop zone. The glass panel on the belly has sheet metal around it to divert oil so that it doesn’t get dirty while you’re flying it. So even in today’s restoration, it’s still set up for jump operations.”
Notable mentions during the aircraft’s long career include being used by the United States Parachute Team. During this stint, an incredible photo was taken, with multiple skydivers hanging off the airplane. Later on in its life, the aircraft was purchased by C.H. “Jack” Ady of Snohomish,
Washington, who was formerly a national champion skydiver and had made his first parachute jump out of 9135.
The aircraft was purchased by Jerry and Peggy Thuotte in the early 2000s. NC9135 joined the Thuottes’ collection of vintage aircraft and underwent a full restoration, which was completed in 2011. The newly restored 71 was finished in the colors of Braniff Airways. It was then put on display in their Port Townsend Aero Museum in Washington.
A few years later, it was put up for sale and quickly caught Kelly Mahon’s attention. He had an interest in the type, which had been triggered by being around the Antique Airplane Association in Blakesburg, Iowa, in the 1980s, where founder Bob Taylor had previously owned a Fairchild 71. When 9135 came up for sale he naturally was excited, not just from that memory but also to see a cool, rare airplane on the market. Kelly added that the rare airplane also gives you pause with the risk of not knowing how the type flies. Maybe there is a reason there’s only a few of these around. While Kelly was still excited about it, boss Scott Glover took some convincing. After being on the market for two more years, Kelly finally convinced Scott to purchase the airplane. NC9135 arrived at its new home in Mount Pleasant in October 2019.
It is just beautifully laid out, and it’s a very, very nice airplane to fly.
— Kelly Mahon
Mid America Restoration
Kelly pointed out that when the airplane received its engine conversion in the 1960s, for whatever reason no one elected to build a boot cowl for the airplane. Again, when Jerry Thuotte restored the aircraft in 2011, he also left the airplane without a boot cowl. So in August 2021, the Fairchild was sent to the Mid America restoration facility in Urbana, Ohio, for fabrication and installation of the missing cowlings.
Mid America’s restoration team is headed up by Doug Smith, who, with his team, had just completed a total restoration of the Grand
NC9135 during its time with the the U.S. Parachute Team.
The Fairchild 71 is one of a couple different “early airliners” in the Mid America collection.
Champion-winning Travel Air 6000 for the museum. Doug recalled the day the Fairchild arrived.
“It was in early August when the Travel Air was going to go back to Texas, and Kelly brought the New Standard up here. The Fairchild was supposed to come up sometime later,” Doug said. “Kelly arrived, I’ll say, at 4 o’clock in the afternoon or something like that. And then at about 5 o’clock, Scott shows up unannounced in the Fairchild 71. Kelly didn’t know he was coming. I didn’t know he was coming. He just said, ‘I got to work this morning and decided I’d bring you the Fairchild.’ So we got rid of the Travel Air and got two projects for one.”
Doug and the team were looking forward to a smaller project after the Travel Air to help everyone recuperate, but the 71 still presented a number of challenges. The first challenge was that they had no original cowl pieces or drawings to work from. The solution was to look at photos of another restored Fairchild that had a boot cowl installed. Sourcing as many photos as they could, the next step was to make templates out of poster board and to start piecing together a template. Doug added that the shape of the Fairchild’s cowl makes for an added challenge.
“It has a very unusual cowl, unlike anything else,” Doug said. “It wraps around the top and is kind of a box-looking thing. Then that comes down almost vertical, and then the sides wrap up and kind of go underneath that. It was really a challenge to make because we didn’t have an old cowling to go on.”
Working through the unique shapes of the cowling, once they had a good poster board template in place it was time to start working in sheet metal. Once the sheet metal pieces were formed, the next challenge was how to connect everything.
“There were hardware points for the top piece,” Doug said. “But the [way] those two pieces of cowling interface, it was a challenge. We ended up making clips, and each clip had a different angle because of the compound characteristic of these two pieces coming together. So we made clips and put those clips on one cowling and connected the other. But each one had a specific angle and size in order to do that. Then on the left side is that huge air intake that we had to work around.”
With a finished cowling in place, it was time to paint the bare metal. Using a piece of existing cowling as a reference, a local paint store mixed up a matching color for them. Since the aircraft was a fairly recent restoration, there wasn’t anything else for Doug and the team to take care of and the aircraft was flown back to Mount Pleasant.
Flying Fairchild
One look at the Fairchild 71 as a 1929 airplane and it’s an easy guess to think that it may not be the best flying airplane. Kelly Mahon spoke to its characteristics: “To go look at the airplane and just to sit in it is very intimidating. You are sitting very low behind the engine; you’re very close to the engine and very low. So it is surprisingly blind when you sit in it, and you don’t necessarily get too excited about taxiing it, let alone flying it and thinking about your first landing. Nobody is around to really give you a good idea of what it’s going to be like. So you just have to go out and do your best.”
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON
Kelly added, “For an airplane of that era, a ’29 airplane, I always say pre1930s airplanes normally just don’t fly very good. They didn’t have it all figured out.” As it turns out, this airplane is an anomaly to that notion. “This airplane is so stable and so nice to fly,” Kelly said. “It’s a single-seat cockpit, and you’ve got a window on each side that slides open, and you can trim the airplane to fly hands-off and have an arm hanging out of each window. You can fly for an hour and you haven’t buried your elevation by 100 feet. It is just beautifully laid out, and it’s a very, very nice airplane to fly. Other than being blind, it’s just a giant Cub.”
His theory as to why it’s so nice to fly stems from the aircraft’s long fuselage. “If you look at it, it has an unusual, almost obnoxiously long fuselage. And reasonable-sized tail feathers. So giving it normal-sized tail feathers with a long arm will make it very stable.” He goes on to recall flying the airplane at an air show last spring. “It [was] a skinny runway down in a hole. Even as blind as it is, I was very easily capable of flying in there. The airplane holds seven people, and I had five on board and flew in and out of this little mini airport, and it just gets it done.”
After getting comfortable in the airplane, he’s found that it has a small “window” of sorts that allows for forward visibility. “There’s one spot where you’re looking between cylinders — looking between cylinders seven and eight. There’s no baffling. You just lean your head over a little bit, and you can almost see straight ahead. So S-turning on the ground isn’t that big of a deal. On final, if you do a gentle turning approach, you can see the runway the whole time. But then on the ground, you’re looking through that little bitty hole that allows you to see out. You can’t see out the other side because of the airbox.”
Kelly ran through a typical landing approach. “So you’re coming in, and it’s like so many airplanes — for the longest time you’re just holding your head straight ahead. You’re using your peripheral vision at both sides to make it look like something you think it should look like. It’s not until you get down to the very end that you really have to start moving your head around and looking. The people that are sitting behind you are alarmed because they think they have a better sight picture than you do, and they can’t see anything. The common joke is how can you fly this thing? And I say, ‘I just keep flying until you scream, and then I make an adjustment until you stop.’”
All jokes aside, one of the great aspects of the Mid America Flight Museum is its mission to share these aircraft with the public. NC9135 is no exception. For example, on a Saturday in April 2021, Kelly flew 32 total people in the Fairchild, all of whom had never flown in the type. The 71 clearly has a home where it is deeply appreciated by its caretakers and those who visit it.
The Continental A40
Celebrating a 90th birthday and the roots of light aviation as we know it
BY BUDD DAVISSON
IT’S LIKELY THAT NONE of the 677,000 folks walking around the grounds of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2023 had ever seen that many Continental A40 engines in one place. It’s also likely that only a few recognized the importance of the enclave of A40-powered airplanes guarding the entry to the Vintage parking area. The eight ancient, pre-J-3 Cubs — along with a lone Taylorcraft Model A and a Heath Parasol — were paying homage to what many consider to be the seed from which the light aircraft engine, as we know it today, sprouted.
The love of what can best be described as an anachronistic engine and the birds-of-a-feather thing brought all variations of early Cubs together at AirVenture 2023. It’s a rare breed of pilot and restorer who is willing to trundle cross-country behind a 90-year-old mechanism that cranks out 37 hp on a good day and is dragging 85-to-90-year-old bones behind
it. However, they did, and their presence made a proud statement about where light aviation originated.
The year 1930 separates what amounts to two decades packed with amazing aeronautical progress and saw the actual birth of light aviation. The 1920s were characterized by the successful design and manufacturing of the first generation of useful aircraft engines. As the surplus OX-5s were being used up, the military needed bigger, newer engines, and both Pratt & Whitney (its Wasp series) and Wright Aeronautical Corp. (Cyclones) responded and delivered their legendary radial engines in record time. They averaged 400 hp, which didn’t help the design of light, affordable aircraft at all. A new crop of general aviation companies locked onto the new series of radial engines and produced a long line of aircraft, most of them necessarily big biplanes, sporting the new engines. Several smaller radial engines were produced, some of which were unreliable, but there was no truly small engine that was totally reliable and produced for a price that light aircraft designers could afford. Aeronca had its little 36-to-45-hp two-cylinder E-113 series, but that was proprietary and mounted in its C-2, C-3, and K series.
At the turn of the century, the internal combustion engine was far from being a new concept. It predated Orville and Wilbur doing their thing and dated back to the late 1800s. In the 1890s, the automobile industry began to take hold, and after the turn of the century, there was an explosion of independent automobile manufacturing. Founded in 1905, Continental Engine Co. developed an L-head (flathead), four-cylinder, air-cooled engine that saw use in several PHOTOGRAPHY
The single-ignition A40 brought simple, trustworthy (mostly) power that spawned many new aircraft designs.
low-production automobiles. In fact, for a few years in the early 1930s, Continental even produced cars. In 1929, it decided to branch out and formed the Continental Aircraft Engine Co. Its car engine was a natural for the new market represented by light aircraft. That was 94 years ago and established the format that virtually all air-cooled aircraft engines have used since: flat cylinder arrangement, direct drive, magneto fired.
The A40 used L-head cylinders, meaning both valves are seated in the cylinder castings, not in the heads, and are directly actuated via pushrods from a single, center-mounted camshaft. The cylinders are bolted to the single-piece main casting, and the heads, which are basically lids, are bolted on top of the cylinders. A single spark plug in each cylinder is fired by a single magneto in the earlier A40s, and another plug and magneto were added in the last version. The Civil Aeronautics Administration mandated dual mags/plugs in 1939.
The flathead arrangement, which is the same as what Ford used on its auto engines from 1903 to 1953, has the advantages of simplicity and lightness, but the intake and exhaust gases travel through the cylinder, which doesn’t offer the best efficiency and complicates cooling. A single induction tube on each side brings the vaporized fuel up to the cylinder head area, where it is distributed to the two cylinders via internal manifold porting that is integral to the cylinder castings, not the heads. The incoming fuel mixture is excessively heated by exhaust gases, which are ported through the cylinders. This hurts efficiency, but Continental affixed heat sinks to the cylinders to help counteract the heat transfer.
In 1938, by which time the A40 was powering an estimated 2,500 aircraft, most notably the Taylor/Piper Cubs, Continental did a major redesign of the A40. The new design was designated A50, with the biggest change being overhead valves activated by rocker arms with the pushrods routed out of a new two-piece case. This made for more efficient, cooler induction flow. The next year, a small increase in compression ratio and increased allowable rpm produced what was to be one of the most important advances ever made in light aviation, the legendary Continental A65. In the years to come, the A65 powered tens of thousands of aircraft. From that point on (1939), there have been no major changes in light aircraft air-cooled engine design, with the possible exception of fuel injection. So, except for overhead valves and fuel injection, there have been few, if any, fundamental changes in light aircraft engine design since the original A40.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM BUSHA
An integral part of pioneering the A40 was part of lots of experimenting. Reportedly, the single-blade propeller worked well.
That’s coming up on an incredible 100 years, and the assemblage of A40powered aircraft on display at AirVenture 2023 was there to highlight that fact for flightline warriors prowling the grounds.
Gatherings like the AirVenture 2023 Cub cluster don’t just happen. They are almost always the result of one man’s energy and devotion to some kind of aerial artifact. In this case, it was the A40, and the person was Mark Stewart, EAA 412692/VAA 22984, of Powder Springs, Georgia.
Mark’s personal and family association with Cubs and Continental A40s may be unique in aviation circles.
“I was born and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania, where my family has had the same farm for 192 years. In late 1939, my dad was an auto mechanic and bought an A40-powered J-2 Cub that he based on the farm. That was N16667, the same airplane I had at Oshkosh. Dad started instructing in the CPT [Civilian Pilot Training]
These are simple engines, so keeping them in good shape just takes a little attention now and then.
— Mark Stewart
program in PT-17s and -19s and sold the J-2 in 1941. For the entire time as I was growing up, I’d periodically hear him comment that he should never have sold it and he wanted it back.
“I learned to fly in 1972 in a J-3 that I still have,” he said. “That’s 51 years ago.
I’ve owned a bunch of different airplanes. The usual 150, Cherokee, 182. Even a Pitts. But the J-3 will always be with me, and I’ll pass it on to my grandkids.”
In 1993 Mark located his dad’s J-2, and it was in sad shape.
“It had been sitting around for years, finally winding up in the rafters of a workshop,” he said. “The wings were laying nose down, so water pooled in the super thin aluminum leading edges. So the ribs, which were thin aluminum ‘T’ cross sections riveted together to form trusses, were a corroded mess.
“The engine was in better shape than the airplane, but not by much. A40s are an incredibly simple engine; however, at the time, we didn’t know A40s well at all. So we sent it to D.J. Short in Warrensburg, Missouri. These days, we do them ourselves. Fortunately, there are lots of old parts out there because not many of them are flying and using up existing parts. Also, new parts are available, like pistons, rings, valves, valve guides, etc.
The A40 is still alive and well, and it’s proponents prefer to put wooden propellers to work, not hang them on a den wall.
Mark said the A40s are simple engines but they need maintaining.
“The aluminum heads warp and need to be machined flat to keep from blowing head gaskets,” he said. “The oil pump vane needs to be replaced to maintain oil pressure.
I am partial to the light aircraft of the Depression era because they brought a lot of joy to the common man.
— Chris Price
Exhaust valves have heat sinks that must be tight against the heads to work properly, and crankshaft oil ports are often plugged with old, carbonized oil. So, the crank plugs need to be pulled and the ports cleaned out.
“The last A40s, the -5s, had dual plugs and mags, so they offer near-modern reliability. These are simple engines, so keeping them in good shape just takes a little attention now and then.
“We got Dad’s old J-2 flying in ’96, and he was able to witness his 16-year-old granddaughter solo the airplane he had bought 59 years earlier. That airplane too will never leave us. It, like the farm, is an indelible part of our family.”
The foregoing explains his love for the airplane, but what inspired him to become the ringmaster for getting so many A40-powered aircraft owners to congregate at AirVenture 2023?
“First, it’s worth discussing the kind of people who are attracted to these kinds of airplanes,” Mark said. “Certainly, to a man, they find the
concept of flying on 37 hp to be attractive. We’re not talking about the average pilot here. We are a very small group that others might judge as being a little ‘off center,’ and we all know it. I certainly see that in myself. I can’t rationalize or explain my interest in this kind of airplane. Granted, my family history plays a big role in my attraction to the breed, but I enjoy the fact that it’s different.
“The idea for the A40 gathering popped into my head in 2022 when I realized that 2023 could be considered to be an anniversary of sorts. I say ‘of sorts’ because the time frames of the engines and the airframes run from 1931 to 1938.
“The first airplane designated as a Cub was the 1930 Gilbert Taylor E-2, which was equipped with an A40-1 and then the A40-2,” he said. “We had five Taylor Aircraft E-2s at Oshkosh. The E-2 was an interesting combination of having an open cockpit within the well-known Cub outline. The rear
The simple nature of the engine’s design made it easy for pilots and their friends to keep their airplanes in the air.
fuselage didn’t go up to the back of the wing. The fuselage line just continued level up to the instrument pane, so the cockpit had no windows on either side or behind it. Also, the wingtips and tail were squared rather than being rounded. That version was produced from 1931 until 1936. Taylor’s partner in the company, William Piper, bought Taylor out in 1935 while they were redesigning the E-2.
“The newly designated airplane, which by the end of 1935 was known as the J-2 Cub, featured the lines we now associate with the J-3 — rounded tail and wingtips, enclosed cockpit,” Mark explained. “An ungraded A40-4 had been installed the year before. Among other things, it used steel
automotive-type rod bearings rather than Babbitt bearings like the Model A and T Fords did. Also, the operating rpm was increased to 2,575, which added nearly two more hp! That sounds funny until you consider that’s over a 5 percent increase. With this kind of airplane, every little bit helps.”
Each of the pilots who brought their A40 birds had a different story to tell. Paul Isakson flew his 1937 Taylor J-2 in from Amery, Wisconsin, a 200-mile trip. Paul said, “It took four hours, but I restored the J-2 because it’s real grassroots, basic flying and is fun to fly. So I was in no hurry. When I found it in a barn, it was 98 percent complete and was in such good condition I used 100 percent of the original screw holes and used 100 percent the correct size screws. That doesn’t happen often.”
Being a “flathead” design-in which the valves are in the cylinder castings and not the heads, as in modern engines–valve adjustment was easy and done often.
Paul flies his airplane enough that he opted to install the last version of the A40, the -5. “I wanted the dual spark plugs and two mags for reliability. I took it to AAA [Antique Airplane Association] in Blakesburg in 2017, and it was awarded the Robert L. Taylor award for best aircraft under 40 hp. This year at AirVenture, it won the Silver Age Outstanding Closed-Cockpit Monoplane award, and Piper had it sitting in their booth. So, yes, I’m a proud papa!”
Jim Olson had a slightly shorter trip, 150 miles, and he had a friend fly the two-and-a-half-hour trip inbound. Jim said, “I had been trying to buy NC2414, a 1933 Taylor E-2, for something like 40 years. I thought it was so crude it was cool! I finally bought it after it was hit by a Ryan ST at Oshkosh ’88 and was cut in half, the wings mostly destroyed. It was totaled, but I promised the previous owner’s son that I’d bring it back to like it was before the accident, and I did. It took three years to finish it, and Lyman and Clifford Hatz, along with a bunch of other A40 guys, were looking over my shoulder while I was working on it.”
Trent Davis, at 34 years old, was not only the youngest A40 pilot at AirVenture 2023, but he also had the oldest Taylorcraft (1937) Model A (side-by-side) on the field. Trent said, “The A40 is neat because of its simplicity. With the limited power they put out, you wouldn’t think it could fly an airplane, but it really does. It is amazing! Their very unique sound can’t be mistaken either.
“I bought the airplane from a museum a year ago this week,” he said. “I built up a new A40-4 for it, installed original gauges, tightened up yokes and bushings, made an original throttle, fixed aileron spar
fittings, put new tires on, and just gave it an overall checkout/annual.
“This Taylorcraft is serial No. 69, which is supposedly the last Taylorcraft built before the TaylorYoung merger,” he added. “It’s probably the third-oldest T-craft actively flying. It’s a blast to fly on nice, calm evenings as well as windy days. It levitates off the ground and lands at what feels like walking speed. Burns 3.1 gph and cruises around 70 mph, which is easily 10-plus-mph faster than an E-2/J-2. It’ll pass a Cub like it’s standing still. It was a very efficient cross-country machine for 1937. It’s just a wonderful airplane that shows you what flying on the wing and energy management really mean. It climbs great with two people, but you cannot expect A65 performance. It does great for what it is, but everything just takes longer. You simply cannot fly it without smiling.”
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ED HICKS
The modern definition of “classic” began right here with a Cub’s nose and an A40.
The most unique A40-powered bird on the line was Chris Price’s 1930 Heath Parasol.
“The Heath was available as a kit or a flying airplane and originally used 27-horse Henderson motorcycle engines converted for aircraft use,” Chris said. “The A40 is the closest match for the airframe. This one is a replica and is built from an original 1930 fuselage I purchased from a widow when I was 14 years old in Princeton, Wisconsin. The tail feathers and fuselage needed the usual metalwork but wasn’t bad for something that had been sitting around for 70-plus years. The wing stretch and engine mount/landing gear are all refabricated.
“The flight from Brodhead to Oshkosh is about 105 miles, and the Heath has enough range to easily make the flight nonstop, but I didn’t,” he said. “There are two fuel tanks, 4.4 gallons each, and it clips along at 70 miles an hour at 3 gallons an hour. I
I restored the J-2 because it’s real grassroots, basic flying and is fun to fly. — Paul Isakson
also have a flying 1929 Travel Air 4000 and a Curtiss CW-1 Junior. I am partial to the light aircraft of the Depression era because they brought a lot of joy to the common man.
“The Continental A40 is a fabulous engine that really can be operated in daily use with just preventative maintenance,” Chris said. “I have around 200 hours of experience with them, and, if they are rebuilt with good tolerances and practices, they are every bit as good as an A65. I have flown the airplane on skis in temperatures as low as 13 degrees, and in the summer, temperatures above 100. The engine gets a bad rap because it has so little power because of its design, but with proper maintenance [it] can have a long, serviceable life.”
In total, the A40 bunch at AirVenture 2023 included five E-2 Cubs, three J-2 Cubs, a Taylorcraft Model A, and a 1930 Heath Parasol. They all represented the first successful, affordable, flat-engine airplanes and, as Mark Stewart, said, “The big-motored aircraft like Wacos and Howard DGAs had all disappeared by 1945. Like the dinosaurs, they went extinct. Why? Because they caught the ‘A40 virus’ and were killed off by the horizontally opposed, four- and six-cylinder engines.”
That’s a fact that’s hard to argue with!
Today, the A40 may appear a little funky and crude, but that’s where light aviation got its real start. It’s the seed that gave life to a monstrous and strong tree.
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EVERYONE HAS THEIR “boy, I remember the first time I flew” stories, and that’s basically what this is. It’s you and me sitting around the campfire at Oshkosh, swapping lies after a grueling day of walk-our-feet-off-to-the-ankles fun. Like everyone else, I have some flights that stand out in my mind as if they happened this morning. The Bearcat is crystal clear. Ditto for the P-38, Jungmeister, and Pitts Special. This particular tale, however, stands out in my mind, not because of amazing performance, but because it was my first experience with an amazing lack of performance. I was behind 37 hp in the form of the Continental A40 in the nose of a Piper J-2 (not J-3) Cub.
First a caveat: I’m fairly convinced that this particular A40 was not enjoying good health, even though the airframe it called home was a spectacularly good restoration. In fact, considering the personal huffing and puffing I was doing behind it, trying to encourage more oomph out of it, I’m certain it was a little sick. So, the tale I’m about to relate is not — I repeat, is not — representative of the Taylor/ Piper J-2 breed. Regardless, it was a fun and “interesting” flight. One that, obviously, lives under bright lights in the theater of my mind and sometimes pops up during fireside bull sessions.
As it happens, I’m hyperfamiliar with the J-2 Cub because when I was about 12 years old, my dad traded a new mattress for a slightly wind-damaged J-2. (You don’t need to reread that last sentence; he actually did trade a mattress for a J-2.) This was in a small town (3,000 hardworking souls) in Nebraska in the early ’50s, and he ran this sort of bazaar — I guess you’d call it
a general store, not sure. The tile-block building was big, and a good percentage of his business was taking stuff in on trade from the surrounding farmers in exchange for new merchandise. For that reason, a huge room in the back of his building had a big sign over the door that read “Rummage Room.” There was absolutely no telling what you’d find in it. Hence, the mattress/J-2 trade.
He was sort of a cornfield P.T. Barnum in his flair for unusual attractions to draw people to his store. He had absolutely zero interest in aviation, but, when I was much younger, he had a BT-13 sitting by the store (the closest airport was 25 miles away, so it was flown into a field north of town). That was my jungle gym, but when the Cub came to take its place, I suddenly came face to face with the wonderful intricacies of how airplanes worked. By that time, I was heavy into building U-control model airplanes and was totally intrigued by mechanical stuff of all kinds. Especially those that flew. This one didn’t. But it was intriguing nonetheless. The wind had cartwheeled it into a tree line, so one wing was broken open and the parchmentlike fabric couldn’t stand up to a fingertip much less a punch test. In essence, Dad sat it in front of the store and gave it to me to do what I wanted. At that age, I never gave a thought to getting it flying. I simply wanted to see what was inside of it and how all the airplane gizmos worked. So, over the next few years I undressed it and took it completely apart, put it back together, and took it apart again. Over and over. The net-net is that by the time I finally
As the airplane flared, I could smell the newly mown grass and hear the whispering of the tires as they began to barely touch it.
clambered into the cockpit of the pretty little J-2 sitting on that grass strip in North Carolina and dropped into the back seat to fly it, I felt as if I were home.
I had a fair amount of J-3 time, so the concept of the cockpit and the view through the open door and around the nose was more than just a little familiar. Nothing about the cockpit felt strange. The trim was different and the period instrument panel had its own charm, but that was about it. The owner’s only preflight admonition was to avoid using
brakes on landing because it might shear a valve stem. That was it! No “climb at xxx, be over the fence at xxx speed, etc.” It was to be a flight of discovery. And it most definitely was.
I had flown off this airport dozens and dozens of times. It’s a lovely grass strip at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and I’d flown everything out of it from Cessna 210s and T-6s to big-engine Skybolts, Pitts Specials, Piper Pacers, and everything in between. So I knew the airport and the surrounding area well. Or at least I thought I did. However, as I was to find out, I actually didn’t.
I’d had a good time, and the airplane had a good time showing me another side of aviating.
The old flathead A40 didn’t sound all that much different than the A65s I’d flown in Cubs, although it didn’t have much compression so it wasn’t barking. It did, however, sound as if it was running okay, and the mag check was good. Power up — a few seconds later I picked the tail up and held a slightly positive angle of attack, letting it decide for itself when it was ready to fly, which it did. Eventually. I didn’t give the longish takeoff a thought. After all, it was well over 70 years old so it had a right to be tired. And leisurely.
The trees looked a little closer than I thought they would be at this point in the takeoff, but I knew we’d clear them, so that wasn’t a big deal. Throughout the
climb, I was trying different airspeeds to see which one would give the most climb. You could easily tell when it was happy with a speed because it would show its dislike for a speed by giving me a vague sinking feeling. It wasn’t actually sinking, but it wasn’t climbing either, so I couldn’t slow it any more and hold altitude.
When I cleared the trees and was flying down the river, I noticed a railroad track on both sides of the nose. In all of my past takeoffs out of that runway, not once had I noticed the railroad track, and I was afraid to move the nose sideways to see what I knew had to be out there connecting the tracks. There had to be a bridge. A slight turn uncovered it, and I immediately knew things were going to be tight. Really tight! Would I clear it? I didn’t have room to turn. Should I think about going under it? No way! The good news was that I
“Let’s see … if I hit Dayton about noon, then steer say 310, I should make Chicago at about two-thirty Plenty of time to take my nap and still take in the Cubs game.”
Early on, Ohio was a big aviation state: the Wright Brothers, John Glenn, Eddie Rickenbacker, Dominic Gentile, and of course General Barnett Overbite, USAF, Retired, shown here planning a cross country early in his career.
Very late in his illustrious career he wandered into the unattended cockpit of a Boeing 737, sat in the right seat, pushed the gear lever up, and proclaimed most assertively “Bombs away!” By design, only the nose gear came up, causing panic, screaming, and a mad scramble for the doors General Overbite was then gently escorted to some nice new quarters.
was moving at about half turtle speed. So I had plenty of time to watch the bridge moving toward me and saw that, yes, I’d go over it. Or at least I wouldn’t hit it. Were there any cables anywhere? Not that I could see.
The airplane and I had a solid 100 feet over the bridge, so it was closer than I wanted, but I was happy to have it. I was still trying to coax altitude out of the airplane as I passed the bridge
and then realized the train track and the bridge were right at the base of a ridgeline. A ridgeline that was much higher than I was, and I didn’t have enough room to safely turn. Besides, I had the feeling that any kind of serious turn would cost me altitude that I didn’t want to give up.
The river cut through the ridge, and over the millennia had opened a pass that had to be close to a quarter-mile wide. Maybe wider. So, assuming no wires crossed the huge expanse and there were no more bridges, I was in no immediate danger. Better yet, I had found a speed that gave me a positive rate of climb. Something like 15-20 fpm. Hey, it was better than nothing! However, there was no possible way I was ever going to climb up to the top of the ridge to turn around. The pass wasn’t wide enough that I could chance a turn, and even though I had a
solid 200-250 feet over the water, I didn’t want to give up any altitude. I felt as if I was keeping the airplane in the air by sheer willpower. I figured okay, I’m in good shape and have lots of fuel, so I’ll just follow the river until I find a wide spot. Maybe 15 minutes later (which felt like two hours and 200 miles), with no warning, the sidewalls of the canyon dropped away and I was over a lake. A big lake. One I could have turned a 747 around over. So I turned around and realized I had no idea
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where I was. However, I knew the river led back to the airport. And I was slowly gaining altitude and was up to around 300 feet, which, compared to where I had been, felt like I might need to go on oxygen soon. Height is a relative measurement. However, I wasn’t close to being able to top the ridge, and, at my rate of climb, it didn’t look as if I’d have that much height any time that afternoon. So I poked the nose back into the canyon.
At that point in time, there was a major shift in my mental attitude. I stopped worrying about climbing and began to enjoy the trip. I knew there was nothing in the canyon to hit, or I would have already hit it, so I began sightseeing. This was actually fun! The tree-covered bluffs on both sides were not threatening, and the shoreline was dotted with little cabins and a few really wonderful-looking lake houses.
Our partners:
About half of the boaters waved. If they were going the same way I was, I doubt if I had 25 mph on them, so passing took enough time that they could clearly see me and me them. I was having fun. They were having fun. And we both recognized that in the other.
When I saw the bridge, I knew the airport was just beyond it, but I wasn’t high enough to see it. However, by this time I was at 400 feet (stratospheric!), and by the time I finally saw the airport, I was almost over it.
The approach and landing were so normal — and slow — that it’s not worth expending words on it. It flew like a Cub because it was a Cub, but even slower. The airplane was absolutely made for grass runways like this, and as the airplane flared, I could smell the newly mown grass and hear the whispering of the tires as they began to
barely touch it. The airplane and I experienced the moment in flare that says, “This is going to be a good one!” And it was. The airplane settled onto the surface as if slithering into a down comforter at walking speed. It was flawless. Almost.
As we — the airplane and I — started rolling, it began pulling slightly right, and I could hear the unmistakable sound of flapping rubber. We had a flat tire! I had to laugh. What else can you do?
I’d had a good time, and the airplane had a good time showing me another side of aviating. So a good time was had by all, which is the hoped-for goal of every flight. Goal accomplished!
The Vintage Mechanic
ROBERT G. LOCK
Teaching a Nation How to Fly
The Lon Cooper story, Part 7
BY ROBERT G. LOCK
I AM A RELATIVE newcomer to the Lakeland area, first coming here in 1989 but moved here permanently in 2007. I knew local aviation history in California well, particularly around the Reedley area. All of my old friends still live in that area. But while researching this story about Lon Cooper, the local history here has been brought to my attention, particularly by Lon. This last episode deals with some of the local history both here and back in the San Joaquin Valley, particularly the discussion about what happened when the Primary Flight Schools closed down as WW2 came to a close. But first, one of Lodwick School of Aeronautics auxiliary fields was very interesting. It was the first airport constructed here in Lakeland and became known as Haldeman-Elder field. Lon describes the practice field as if it were yesterday. “South and east of Lakeland was the third auxiliary field we used. Originally it was the Lakeland Airport. It was a double square grass field, the two squares joining at one corner. Traffic ‘Tee’ was the only fixture on this field at that time. The field has an interesting history as it was established by George Haldeman of Lakeland in conjunction with Ruth Elder, a 23-year old movie actress and aviator. The pair attempted the first New York to Paris crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by a woman shortly after Charles Lindbergh had made his famous solo flight in 1927. Their Stinson Detroiter developed oil line problems just before reaching Europe and they had to ditch at sea. A Dutch freighter rescued them and they received a hero’s welcome in Paris and back in New York.
George Haldeman was a WW1 aviator whose experience encompassed much of early aviation. Born in Kansas in 1989, his family moved to Lakeland and he finish high school in the area. After high school he enlisted in the Army Air Service and attended the School of Military Aeronautics in Austin, Texas, and was assigned to Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio where he became an instructor in aerial acrobatics. He received acrobatic certification from Carlstrom Field, Arcadia, Florida, and rose to the rank of 1st Lieutenant. He left the military service in 1919 to pursue civilian aviation. Haldeman held transport license number 222 signed by Orville Wright.
Haldeman was into all sorts of aviation ventures. He operated flying schools in various parts of Florida when he became acquainted with Ruth Elder and taught her how to fly. Elder was a part time movie starlet and part time aviatrix. She was enthralled with the flight of Charles Lindbergh from New York to Paris and vowed to become the first female to fly from the United States nonstop to Europe. Elder sought sponsors and purchased a new Stinson Detroiter single-engine cabin monoplane and named it American Girl. In this flight, Ruth Elder would be the pilot and George Haldeman the co-pilot. The airplane, was modified to carry a substantial load of fuel for the trip, and they set off from Roosevelt Field, Long Island, New York on October 11, 1927, just five months after Lindbergh’s solo flight to Paris.
Their route was direct to The Azores and from there direct to Paris. However, an engine oil line failed and they were forced to ditch in the Atlantic Ocean just 360 miles off the Azores. The airplane was lost but they both survived and were rescued at sea.
Although the pair from Lakeland, Florida, was unsuccessful in reaching their objective, they were received as heroes.
Ruth Elder and her Stinson Detroiter, which she named American Girl.
The first airport in Lakeland was named HaldemanElder field in honor of their accomplishments. In 1935 the city of Lakeland decided to move the airport to a site next to Lake Parker, and that is the site that Albert Lodwick built his primary flight training facility. By the time Lon Cooper was shooting takeoffs and landings at Haldeman-Elder Field, there was nothing left there but a landing strip.
In 1938, billionaire Howard Hughes focused on a world record attempt to fly around the world using a newly purchased Lockheed Model 14 –N2 Super Electra aircraft. Hughes was an avid aviator and daring pilot setting several aviation world records. In planning the flight, Hughes contacted Albert Lodwick, then vice president of Curtiss Wright to handle flight operations, clearances, landing permits, enroute fuel provisions, food and lodging. No easy chore because the flight would take them from Floyd
Bennett Field, Long Island, New York; to LeBourget Field in Paris; to Moscow, Russia; to Omsk, Russia; to Yakutsk, Russia; to Fairbanks, Alaska; to Minneapolis, Minnesota; and back to New York. Departure was July 10, 1938, and arrival in Minneapolis was on July 14. Hughes and his 4-man flight crew flew 14,672 miles in three days, 19 hours, 14 minutes and10 seconds.
American Girl being readied for takeoff on October 11, 1927.
Ticker tape parade celebration in New York City for Howard Hughes and his successful world trip. Albert Lodwick (right), Hughes (center), Grover Whalen, president of the World’s Fair foundation (left). LAKELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY
Another load of surplus aircraft parts at Lodwick Aviation Industries. LAKELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY
Inside Lodwick’s hangar, a C-47 is being converted from military to civilian use. LAKELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY
The Vintage Mechanic
ROBERT G. LOCK
A ticker tape parade rewarded Howard Hughes for his world flight in his Lockheed Super Electra. Al Lodwick can be seen sitting next to Hughes. Lodwick is wearing a white shirt and dark tie.
Just two years later in 1940, Lodwick would open his primary flight training operations in Lakeland, Florida, and later in Avon Park. When his business ceased in 1945, Lodwick wasted little time transitioning his flight operation
into a peacetime industry, incorporating his new business he called Lodwick Aircraft Industries in February 1946. He had employed several licensed airplane mechanics, so his new venture engaged in the business of converting surplus military aircraft to commercial used. He to contracted with the War Assets Administration o sell surplus aviation parts and equipment at the Lakeland Municipal Airport.
Lodwick also founded Florida Air Express using the C-47 aircraft he had converted to civilian use at his Lakeland facility.
On the preceding page, Al Lodwick (left) and one of his Douglas C-47 ships. Behind the aircraft, another C-47 can
Albert Lodwick (left) confers with Charles Lindbergh. LAKELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY
Albert Lodwick (left) and Jimmy Doolittle with a North American B-25. LAKELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY
B-25s at Lodwick Aircraft Industries, possibly belonging to Jimmy Doolittle. cOURTESY ROBERT LOCK
Albert Lodwick (left) and one of his converted C-47 aircraft at Lakeland. LAKELAND
be seen. Also, a Cessna UC-78 Bobcat twin-engine advanced trainer and a Piper Cub. During the time he ran the primary flight schools, he was actively engaged in commercial aviation. He was a vice president of Hughes Tool Company of Houston, Texas, no doubt because of his involvement with the Hughes world flight in 1938. Albert Lodwick had many contacts in both civilian and military aviation, due primarily to his travels, serving as a board member for several large corporations and his constant consulting duties. However, Lodwick Aviation Industries came on hard times as the supply of military surplus aircraft dwindled and the market for surplus aircraft parts became obsolete
and collapsed. By 1954 the company had lost most its assets and was in bank foreclosure. Lodwick ceased operations in September 1954.
Lodwick had become involved with a business located in Miami and eventually moved on to Washington, D.C., where he spent his final years as a consultant to various aviation industries. He had a fascinating career in aviation, opening his primary flight school in Lakeland when he was 37 years old. Albert Lodwick died October 22, 1961 at the age of 57.
The Lodwick Aircraft Industries hangar and Albert’s executive Beech 18 aircraft. cOURTESY ROBERT LOCK
Message From the President
SUSAN DUSENBURY, VAA PRESIDENT
number of volunteers who chose to help us get this new initiative underway. I especially want to thank the youth center co-chairs, Sue and AC Hutson, for their tireless work in getting this program started. Sue, AC, and I worked on it throughout this past winter and spring. To be perfectly honest, it was Sue and AC who did all of the work and planning. I was more or less monitoring and smoothing out the bumps in the road every now and then. Sue and AC had the ideas. And Sue and AC had the experience and knowledge that went along with this new upstart youth program. Thank you, Sue and AC. They have already decided on new and expanded youth activities to be held during EAA AirVenture 2025! Wow!
This AirVenture was one of the more successful ones at Vintage. Our statistics show that we outperformed our running 10-year average in both people in attendance and in the number of vintage airplanes parked in our area. (AirVenture 2023 was actually the highest record-breaking year, which in turn pushed the annual averages up!) I want to thank each and every one of our 600-plus volunteers for all they
I visited the youth building several times a day during the week and was pleased not only by the number of young participants but also by the number of volunteers who chose to help us get this new initiative underway.
have done to make this happen. The role that our vintage family of volunteers plays in the success of this organization can never be overstated. Whether a person volunteers for a few hours or is a year-round volunteer, it all comes together to make the Vintage Aircraft Association the great organization that it is today. So, thanks to each of you.
I would like to give a special shoutout to Vintage volunteer Dennis Lange. This year Dennis was given the EAA Volunteer of the Year award. Congratulations to Dennis! Well deserved! Dennis, by the way, is my go-to guy in the Oshkosh area when something needs to be done during the off-season. He does much more for Vintage than the space allows in this short letter. Thanks again, Dennis, for all that you do for VAA.
Blue skies!
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OFFICERS
PRESIDENT Susan Dusenbury 1374 Brook Cove Rd. Walnut Cove, NC 27052 336-591-3931 sr6sue@aol.com
VICE PRESIDENT Dan Knutson 106 Tena Marie Circle Lodi, WI 53555 608-354-6101 lodicub@charter.net
SECRETARY Kathy McGurran Brighton, CO 303-829-4808 kmcgurran@aol.com
TREASURER
Paul Kyle 1273 Troy Ct. Mason, OH 45040 262-844-3351 paul_e_kyle@hotmail.com
DIRECTORS
John Hofmann Columbus, WI 608-239-0903 john@cubclub.org
AC Hutson 678-457-8957 achutsonjr@icloud.com
Ray L. Johnson Marion, IN 765-669-3544 rayjohnson@indy.rr.com
Vaughn Lovley 913-981-3696 pa11pilot@yahoo.com
Steve Nesse Albert Lea, MN 507-383-2850 stnes2009@live.com
Earl Nicholas Libertyville, IL 847-504-6945 eman46@gmail.com
Joe Norris Oshkosh, WI 920-279-2855 wacoflyer@gmail.com
Marla Simon Boone Troy, OH 937-216-5133 msimonboone@yahoo.com
Charlie Waterhouse Dayton, OH 260-385-0851 charles.e.waterhouse@gmail.com
ADVISERS
Jesse Clement jesseclement1@gmail.com
Luke Lachendro avidaviator98@gmail.com
Kevin McKenzie kevinamckenzie@yahoo.com
Maxwell Wenglarz waco20900@gmail.com
DIRECTORS EMERITUS
David Bennett antiquer@inreach.com
Robert C. Brauer photopilot@aol.com
Jerry Brown lbrown4906@aol.com
Dave Clark davecpd@att.net
Phil Coulson rcoulson516@cs.com
George Daubner gdaubner@eaa.org
Ronald C. Fritz itzfray@gmail.com
Tim Popp tlpopp@frontier.com
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Amy Lemke alemke@eaa.org
