VA-Vol-35-No-9-Sept-2007 by EAA Vintage Aircraft Association

TOM POBEREZNY PRESIDENT

Guest editorial from fAA 's president

AirVenture thoughts-something for everyone in aviation As this issue goes to press, EAA Air Venture Oshkosh 2007 has just con cluded. As I think back over my 30 years as chairman of "Oshkosh," it is clear the depth, diversity, and growth of our con vention has exceeded all expectations. There is truly something for everyone in the aviation community at AirVenture. Oshkosh is the home of innovation, new design, technology, and craftsman ship. This was never more evident than on opening day when a multitude of announcements took place. It began with the surprise arrival of the Eclipse Single-engine concept jet. Then Cessna unveiled its new light-sport aircraft ... the SkyCatcher. Shortly thereafter, Cirrus announced its entry into the light-sport aircraft marketplace with its new Cirrus SRS. This list continued ... Epic Aircraft, RotorWay, Son ex, and others. The an nouncements indicate these are some of the best times in general aviation his tory. Technology and innovation are making a major impact. EAA's own new technology was also evident, as more than 1.25 million people from all over the world partici pated in Oshkosh without leaving their homes, by way of AirVenture.org. Those virtual attendees viewed EAA's Bright cove multimedia offerings almost a quarter million times, and they vis ited almost 4 million separate EAA web pages. These metrics indicate, without doubt, the value of EAA's new media knowledge and information content, an area we are continuously improv ing. Keep visiting on the Web as we will continue to publish multimedia stori es about the spirit that infuses EAA-from the aircraft our members build or fly, to technical forums, chap

ter activities, and treasures from our world-class archives. Thirteen years ago, EAA had a vision to grow the ranks of those who enter the world of aviation. That vision culmi nated in the sport pilot/light-sport air craft regulations. During the past three years we have spent significant resources developing and promoting a whole new aviation infrastructure built around these regulations. EAA's vision was validated when Cessna and Cirrus announced their new light-sport aircraft. It reinforced our vision for entry-level participation by a whole new group of people, while at the same time negating the percep tion that sport pilot was a certificate only for those who had lost or feared losing their medical. At its height, aviation had more than 800,000 active pilots. The latest figures indicate there are just shy of 600,000 U.S. pilots. A major reason for the drop is that pilots trained during World War II or on the GI Bill have been leaving avia tion because of age and related reasons. We need to replace them. We need to compete with other recreational activi ties for discretionary time and dollars. That is where sport pilot and light-sport aircraft come in. Aviation is not going to remain dynamic and strong with 600,000 pilots. We need a million pilots. Our vision for the future incorpo rates EAA chapters, the National Asso ciation of Flight Instructors, and other EAA resources to encourage people to learn how to fly. At AirVenture, we introduced the Learn to Fly Center, which received thousands of visitors. If EAA can en courage thousands of people to build

airplanes-1O.5 percent of the GA fleet is experimental aircraft-then we can also encourage hundreds of thousands of people to learn to fly. A critical part of learning how to fly is a sense of com munity. EAAers, better than anyone, can provide newcomers mentoring and paths to participation. EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2007 was a milestone. Our vision for sport pilot/ light-sport aircraft was validated. Our mission of outreach to young people who might swell the pilot population was reinforced with the introduction of a new student membership. AirVenture was also about advocacy. Government representatives heard your concerns on user fees throughout the week. In addition, seven members of the House Aviation Subcommittee, in cluding chairman Jerry Costello, D-Illi nois, and Wisconsin Rep. Tom Petri, the ranking Republican on the panel, visited with EAAers for an entire day to discuss user fees and modernization of the air traffic system. Meanwhile, Sen. Jim In hofe, R-Oklahoma, attended AirVenture for the 29th year, camped here with his family, and talked to EAAers at Member Village about user fees. These are examples of EAA's impor tant proactive advocacy. We address is sues by bringing legislators and officials into the field with EAA members and the aviation community. This was re inforced at the Meet the Administrator session when FAA Administrator Marion Blakey introduced members of her se nior team, many who were in Oshkosh over several days. EAA AirVenture may last only one week, but its Significant impact is felt year-round.

N E VOL. 35, NO.9

2007

AUGUST

CONTENTS

IFe

Straight & Level AirVenture thoughts-something for everyone in aviation by Tom Poberezny

News

2007 AirVenture Vintage Awards

The Command-Aire SC3 A golden age biplane's German pedigree by Gilles Allard

Getting Your A&P Rating Part III, Earning the A&P mechanic certificate, the DME's perspective by Robert G. Lock

Rezich's Travel Airs A family history dates back to the golden age of aviation by Jim Rezich

Airline Travel SO-Plus Years Ago First published in the January 1980 issue of Vintage Airplane by Edward D. Williams

2007 National Waco Club Reunion Wynkoop Airport, Mount Vernon, Ohio by Andy Hein s

Mystery Plane by H.G. Frautschy

The Vintage Instructor Black eye by Doug Stewart

Pass It to Buck One of my favorite stops by Buck Hilbert

Calendar

Classified Ads

COVERS

FRONT COVER Giles Allard of Newington, Connecticut captured this nice shot of Bob Lock in his recently restored Command-Aire 5C3 N997E. Bob spent over a decade restoring the derelict airframe, which was originally completed by the Little Rock. Arkansas company on October 15, 1929, only days before the stock market crash that marked the beginning of the Great Depression. See the story beginning on page 6. BACK COVER: Aviation artist Kendra Helvey of Poplar Grove, Illinois, created this pencil sketch of the Rez足 ich family's various Travel Air biplanes. The [).4000, NC8115 owned by Mike Rezich from 1940-1981 is on the left, There are two Travel Air 2000's, later converted to D4-D maceIs; NC661H (1937-1941) in the center and NC606K (1950-present) is on the right. See the note in VAA News concerning a limited run of tee-shirts available with this outstanding artwork.

STAFF EAA Publisher Director of EAA Publications Executive Director/Editor Executive Assistant Managing Editor News Editor Photography Advertising Coordinator Classified Ad Coordinator Copy Editor Director of Advertising

Tom Poberezny David Hipschman H.G. Frautschy Jillian Rooker Kathleen Witman Ric Reynolds Jim Koepnick Bonnie Kratz Sue Anderson Oaphene VanHullum Colleen Walsh Katrina Bradshaw

Display Advertising Representatives: Northeast: Allen Murray Phone 8S6-229-7180, FAX 856-229-7258, e-mail: allellllllmay@rnindsprillg.com Southeast: Chester Baumgartner Phone 727-532-4640, FAX 727-532-4630, e- mail: coollllllll@millcisprillg.colII Central: Gary Worden Phone 800-444-9932, FAX 816-741-6458. e-mail: gary.worden@Spc-lIIag.com Mountain & Pacific: John Gibson Phone 916-784-9593, e-mail: ioilllgibsoll@Spc-lIIi1g.com Europe: Willi Tacke Phone +4989693402 13, FAX +498969340214, e-mail: wi1li@(1yillg-pages.com

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

EAA AirVenture: GA's Headquarters for User-Fee Issue With critical congressional votes coming soon on the controversial FAA funding question, EAA AirVen ture Oshkosh 2007 became general aviation's (GA) headquarters for the fight against user fees. Buttons declar ing "EAAers United: Say No To User Fees" were stuck on hats and shirts everywhere . Thousands posed for photos, which were posted on sev eral boards located in EAA Member Village's North Tent. The resulting mosaic provided a clear picture of the shared opinion of those with passion for flight. The thousands of signatures col lected on an anti-user-fee petition will be sent to key congressional law makers to underscore EAAers' stand.

NO!

GA User-Fee Forum AirVenture's successful awareness campaign also included two key us er-fee forums. Early in the week EAA President Tom Poberezny hosted sev eral GA leaders at a user-fee panel discussion, urging support of House bill H.R. 2881. Also serving on that panel were NBAA President Ed Bo len, GAMA President Pete Bunce, and AOPA President Phil Boyer. liThe first user fee is just the first step," Poberezny emphasized . "This is serious business, and it's extremely important that members get involved and stay involved."

House Aviation Subcommittee Chimes In Later in the week, seven button-wear ing members of the House Aviation Sub committee sat on a panel to listen to the GA community's opinions on user fees. Appearing were Jerry Costello, subcom continued on page 4

Left: Members of the House Aviation Subcommittee stopping by Member Village to participate in the Say No To User Fees campaign included (I to r) Leonard Boswell, Mazie Hirono, Thomas Petri, Jerry Costello, Candace Miller, and Vern Ehlers. 2

SEPTEMBER 2007

GA leaders (I to r) Tom Poberezny, Ed Bolen, Pete Bunce, and Phil Boyer at the AirVenture GA user-fee panel discussion.

Concerns Over FAA's Field Approvals Policy Dominate

'Type Club Issues' Meeting

BY DAVID SAKRISON

Some members of the general avia tion (GA) community and GA aviation

approval process handled through FAA

this fall , explaining the 337 and STC ap

regional offices.

proval process."

industries are angry over changes in

At Wednesday's meeting, aircraft re

After several people at the meeting

FAA policy that make it more difficult to

storers and vintage type-club officers ar

complained that the FAA's policy change

obtain field approvals (FAA Form 337)

gued that the 2004 change in FAA policy

was unreasonable and unnecessary,

for aircraft modifications. Because of

has effectively eliminated field approv

John Hickey, FAA's director of aircraft cer

the current policy, which was instituted

als by "forcing everyone into the STC

tification services , replied , "We didn 't do

in 2004 , some kinds of modifications

process ," even for items previously re

this in a vacuum ; we held meetings and

that used to be granted as field approv

ceiving Form 337 field approvals. They

listened to people all over the country,

als now require an STC (supplemental

further argued that long delays in grant

including four meetings in Alaska where

type certificate) .

ing STCs have effectively eliminated the

the issue was most contentious ." But,

STC option as well, forcing owners of ag

he added, the FAA has a responsibility

of a sometimes-heated discussion at

ing aircraft to forego proper maintenance

to uphold aircraft standards and ensure

Wednesday's annual Type Club & Aging

or use unapproved parts.

aircraft safety, "and some of the existing

The 337 / STC policy was the topic

GA Aircraft Issues meeting. Held each

FAA officials responded that the pol

year at AirVenture, the meeting brings to

icy change was necessary. "Some of the

gether leaders from the agency and the

337 field approvals [that were granted

337s fell way outside the standards" for field approvals. With tensions apparently rising on

industry to identify problems and seek

before the policy change] went well be

both sides of the issue, Kim Smith, of

creative solutions.

yond what the FAA inspectors should

the FAA Small Airplane Directorate , ap

Both field approvals accomplished via

have done or were qualified to do, " said

pealed to the group, "Please ," she said,

FAA Form 337 and STCs provide agency

Jim Ballough , FAA Flight Standards di

"while we disagree on some things, let's

approval for changes to an aircraft not

rector. "A lot of people out there do not

not lose the energy or the collaborative

conforming to its original type certifi

understand the 337 / STC processes ,"

spirit we started with here. " Alluding to

cate or to an existing STC for that air

he added , and that led to what the FAA

issues that remain contentious and un

plane. Typical field approvals or STCs

feels were inappropriate field approvals.

resolved , she told the group that solu

might cover aftermarket or non-aviation

If the change in policy and the re

tions will be found. " We [FAA and the

replacement parts, radios, instruments,

sulting increase in STC requests have

industry] can do it separately or we can

engines, propellers, STOl kits, or air

caused delays in STC approvals, that's

do it together. You 'll be happier if we do

frame modifications. A field approval

a problem , Ballough said . "We 're going

it together."

applies to a single aircraft. As the com

to work it out. " He added , " If there are

"The 337 policy has changed ," said Earl lawrence, EAA vice president of in

plexity of the modification increases,

other issues that need to be resolved ,

the policy requires an STC rather than

work through EAA, communicate your

dustry and regulatory affairs. "We are

a 337. An STC applies to all aircraft of a

concern to them , and we'll take a look

going to have to do the engineering data

single aircraft type-all Cessna 172Bs,

at it. "

when we make major changes in an air

for example. A middle ground option-a

"A lot of this has to do with educa

craft. Blaming the FAA is not the answer.

one-time STC-applies, like a 337, to

tion, " said H .G . Frautschy, executive

The agency is really bending over back

only one aircraft. The process is more

director of EAA's Vintage Aircraft Asso

wards to work with us on this. "

rigorous than a 337 but simpler than a

ciation and editor of Vintage Airplane

" If this [policy] is the issue ," law

full STC. local FAA representatives can

magazine. "We're working with the FAA's

rence told the industry leaders, " let 's

grant field approvals . Obtaining an STC

John Colomy on a series of articles that

get together on it, get our act together,

or one-time STC is a more complicated

will appear in Vintage Airplane magazine

and then work with the FAA." VINTAGE AIRPLA NE

mittee chairman (D-Illinois); Thomas Petri (R-Wisconsin), ranking commit tee member and representative of the district including Oshkosh, Wiscon sin; Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii); Candace Miller (R-Michigan); Vern Ehlers (R Michigan); Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa); and Sam Graves (R-Missouri). "Every member here and those who serve on the committee unanimously rejected user fees in the House bill," Cos tello told the audience. "We think the current structure adequately funds not only the air traffic control system, but future technology. We will fight very hard for one, no user fees, and two, safe guards so that we continue to have the safest aviation system in the world." All the legislators agreed that the most important point the public should take from the forum is to contact the people who represent them in Washing ton, including President Bush, to em phasize their stance against user fees. They urged people to send letters and e-mails and to make phone calls to let Congress know that user fees are unnec essary and would not provide as much needed revenue for the future of aviation as does the current, tax-based system. Costello also stressed that there is lot of pressure to get appropriations legisla tion on the floor, and that the existing FAA authorization expires September 30. "Time is of the essence," he said. "The only way we will win is if you take action, and take action immediately."

EAA Urges Members to Contact Congress EAA followed up its AirVenture us er-fee campaign with a mass e-mail appeal to members urging them to contact their congressional represen tatives and voice their support for H.R. 2881. That bill would largely preserve the current funding model and provide adequate revenues for not just the current system, but also the next-generation air traffic control development. Learn more about how you can join the campaign at www. EAA. org/userfees.

Back Cover Artwork T-Shirts T-shirts of our back cover artwork of the Rezich family Travel Airs are available in large and extra-large 4

SEPTEMBER 2007

sizes. Price is $35, with a portion go ing to the Travel Air Restorers Asso ciation (TARA). Send payment to Jim Rezich, P.O. Box 571, Winnebago, IL 61088.

for homebuilders for the quality of designs and airplanes." EAA President Tom Poberezny spoke on behalf of the organiza tion, stating, "We are truly sad dened by the passing of one of our early members."

Ed Marquart Edwin E. "Ed" Marquart, a promi nent figure of the early homebuilt and restoration movements and EAA Chapter I, died peacefully of natural causes early Wednesday morning, July 4, at the age of 85. Ed worked at historic Flabob Airport, River side, California, from 1955 until two weeks before he passed away. Nearly 500 plan sets of his most popular design, the MA-5 Charger biplane, were sold. Ed was EAA member 198. Up until two weeks before his death, Marquart had been working on the restoration of his Buhl Air Sedan. EAA Fou nder and Chairman Paul Poberezny said Ed Marquart was one of the important people who made Flabob su ch an important location for the homebuilt movement, espe cially in EAA's early years. "Like so many of the fellows at the begi n ning of our organization, Ed liked the idea of forming EAA and what it had to offer, and he contributed a lot to the movement," he said. "People are still building his airplanes, scratch-built rather than assembly. Back in Riverside, he and Ray Stits and all those fellows at the airport created a hotbed of home building as a result of the EAA. "That group contributed a great deal to support my beliefs of put ting hand and mind to work and being creative. They set a standard

Tom Poberezny and Kate Meredith stand before the magnificent gift from the Meredith family

A Wish-Fulfilling Gift Toward the end of the Memorial Wall ceremony held on Sunday morn ing, EAA Director of Flight Operations Sean Elliott landed on nearby Pioneer Airport in a magnificent 1932 Waco UEC cabin biplane. Kate Meredith and her family then donated the restored classic (NC12472) to EAA in honor of her late husband, Ted, who passed away in 2003. " It was always Ted ' s wish to re store the airplane, " she said . "After he passed, the family was determined to finish the project. " Ted also in tended for the airplane to be donated to EAA, where it could fly among the other classic antiques at Pioneer Air port before being displayed at the EAA AirVenture Museum. "We truly appreciate this wonder ful donation," said EAA President Tom Poberezny. " It's a beautiful airplane. Ted 's love of flight was very strong. " Well-known aircraft restorer Troy Westrum led the three-year restoration , and the airplane scored a runner-up award in the Silver Age (1928-1936) Antique Classic category this year.

Peter & Mary Kate lkIyer Naperville, IL

First solo • Peter:1961 • Mary Kate:1995 Current fleet • Mary Kate has a 1947 Cessna 140 (the "putt-putt") • Peter has a 1955 Cessna 180 (the "SUV") • They have a 1939 Fleet 10F ("Model T speedster"!)

" We joined the AUA family a number of years ago, because

fair rates and their understanding of our needs with our grand old classics and antique. We've stayed because of excellent service, prompt renewal reminders and quick followup due to changes in our fleet

(of aircraft) ."

- Peter and Mary Kate Bayer

AUA is Vintage Aircraft Association approved. To become a member of VAA call 800-843-3612.

AUA'. Excluaive EAA Vintage Aircraft Association Insurance Program Lower "ability and hull premiums - Medical payments included - Fleet discounts for multiple aircraft carrying all risk coverages

2007 AIRVENTURE VINTAGE AWARDS

ANTIQUE AWARDS (Thru August 1945)

Silver Lindy

World War II Military Trainer/Liaison Aircraft Runner-Up Dean Maupin. Davenport. IA 1943 Boeing Stearman. N556DM

Antique Reserve Grand Champion

Roy Redman. Owatonna. MN

1931 Waco (lCF. NC11457

Outstanding Transport Category Joseph Shepherd. Fayetteville. GA 1936 Lockheed 12A. N2072

Old Style Aircraft Company

Creve Coeur. MO

1931 Waco (lCF. N12428

Outstanding Customized Aircraft Myrt Rose. South Barrington. IL 1941 Piper J-3 C-65. N35224

Judges Choice

Bronze Age (1937-1941) Bronze Age Outstanding Closed Cockpit Monoplane Vernon Heyrman. De Pere. WI 1940 Cessna Airmaster. NC237E Bronze Age Outstanding Closed Cockpit Biplane Lloyd Cizek. Amery. WI 1940 Beech D17S. N20779 Bronze Age Runner Up Craig Young. Hudson. WI 1940 Piper J-3 C-65. NC32562 Silver Age (1928-1936) Silver Age Outstanding Open Cockpit Biplane Ron Alexander. Griffin. GA 1928 Stearman Aircraft C3-B. N8835 Silver Age Runner Up Edwin Meredith. Des Moines. IA 1932 Waco UEC. NC12472 Bronze Lindy

SEPTEMBER 2007

Gold Lindy

AI Stix. Historic Aviation Museum

Glenn Peck. restorer/pilot. Maryland Heights. MO

1919 de Havilland DH-4M2A. NX3249

CLASSIC AWARDS (September 1945 thru 1955)

Plaques (Small)

Outstanding Beech

Roland SchabIe. Janesville. WI

1954 Beech E35. N3490B

Outstanding Cessna 120/140

D. Westrum. West Des Moines. IA 1946 Cessna 120. NC76189 Outstanding Cessna 170/180 Donald Lindholm. Phoenix. AZ 1951 Cessna 170A. N1424D Outstanding Cessna 190/195 Jim Karlovich. Kingston. GA 1953 Cessna 195B. N2118C Outstanding Navion Robert Kosztyo. Apalachin. NY 1950 Navion A. N5168K

World War II Military Trainer/Liaison Aircraft Champion Frank Iacovelli. Arlington Heights. IL 1940 Boeing A75. N725FR

Outstanding Stinson Steven Smith. Santa Rosa. CA 1946 Stinson 108-1. NC97979

Transport Category Champion Harry Woolridge And Ron Waldron. Mcalpin. FL 1929 Travel Air 10-0. NC418N

Outstanding Swift Stephen Wilson. Granbury. TX 1948 Temco GC-1B. N77753

Customized Aircraft Champion John Hodgson. Zephry Cove. NV 1943 Boeing B75N1. N450SH

Outstanding Limited Production Richard Epton. Brooks. GA 1949 Bucker BU-181. N94245

Bronze Age (1937-1941) Champion Richard Rezabek. Canyon Country. CA 1937 Stinson SR-9F. NC18425

Preservation Ronald French. Anthem. AZ 1949 Ryan Navion. N4969K

Silver Age (1928-1936) Champion Jeremy Redman. Northfield. MN 1931 Waco (lCF. N11424

Custom Class A (O-SO hpj Dan Schumaker. Glenville. MN 1946 Aeronca 7AC. NS2975

Golden Age (1918-1927) Champion

Charles Wentworth. Paso Robles. CA

1927 Stinson SM1-B. N7468B

Custom Class B (S1-150 hpj Duane Oosterhuis. Ozark. MO 1946 Silvaire Luscombe SA. N1071K

Custom Class C(151-235 hpj Daniel Cammack, Dodge City, KS 1946 Temco GC-l B, N80791

Outstanding Cessna 170/172/175 Robert Schaefer, Tryon, NC 1957 Cessna 172, N8377B

Custom Class D (236 - up hpj Michael Hickethier, Wadsworth, OH 1952 Cessna 195B, N3064B

Outstanding Cessna 180/182/210 Todd Childerhose, Aurora, ONT, CAN 1958 Cessna 182A, CFKJW

Plaques (Large)

Outstanding Mooney Raymond Miller, Colorado Springs, CO 1962 Mooney M20C, N6402U

Best Custom Runner Up George Willford, Waterville, OH 1953 Cessna 170B, N3098A Bronze Lindy

Outstanding Piper PA-18 Super Cub Loren Kopseng, Bismarck, ND 1960 Piper PA-18-150, N3574Z

Class I (0 - 80 hpj Joel Severinghaus, Des Moines, IA 1946 Taylorcraft BC12-D, NC96130

Outstanding Piper PA-24 Comanche Denn is Carew, Appleton, WI 1963 Piper PA-24-250, N250LJ

Class II (81 - 150 hpj David Powell, Rodgers, AR 1953 Anderson Greenwood AND-51 -A, N3904K

Outstanding Piper PA-28 Cherokee John Ditchie, Glen Ellyn, IL 1966 Piper PA-28-140, N7122R

Class III (151 - 235 hpj Bob Brandt, Schaumburg, IL 1954 Cessna 180, N3890C

Outstanding Limited Production Marilyn & Richard OIwin, Jemez Springs, NM 1969 Navion H, N2533T

Class IV (236 - up hpj Jack Pelton, Wichita, KS 1955 Cessna 195B, N2196C

Most Unique Scott Seibold, Grand Junction, CO 1967 Fairchild Heli-Porter Pilatus PC6/ B2-H2, N354F

Best Custom Jeffrey Deaton, Morehead City, NC 1954 Beech E35, N3214C Silver Lindy Reserve Grand Champion Bill Robicheau, Montello, WI 1947 Stinson 108, N8502 Gold Lindy Grand Champion Steve Jacobson, Fort Worth, TX 1950 Cessna 17OA, N5752C CONTEMPORARY AWARDS (1956 - 1970) Outstanding In Type Outstanding Beech Single Engine Dionisio Aspiras, Dickenson, TX 1968 Beech 36, N7513N Outstanding Beech Multi-Engine Miles Malone, Thousand Oaks, CA 1963 Beech D95A, N8965M

Preservation Award James Lynch, Lawton, OK 1962 Beech 35-B33, N8622M Preservation Award Dean Richardson, Stoughton, WI 1965 Cessna 180H, N2451F Bronze Lindy Class I Single Engine (0 - 160 hpj William Pappas, Dallas, TX 1959 Champion 7GC, N4879E Class II Single Engine (161 - 230 hpj David Carlson, Okemos, MI 1959 Mooney M20A, Nl091C Class III Single Engine (231 - up hpj Clayton Whaley, Charleston, WV 1966 Beech 35-C33, N75KW Customize Single/Multi Engine Steve Eaton, Jenks, OK 1957 Piper PA-l8A, N7096D Silver Lindy Reserve Grand Champion Stephanie Allen, Mukilteo, WA 1969 Cessna 172K, N78797

Outstanding Bellanca Jason Shockey, Hazlehurst, GA 1957 Bellanca 14-19-2, N7682B

Gold Lindy

Outstanding Cessna 150 Michael Wotherspoon, Coldwater, ONT, CAN 1965 Cessna 150F, CFSZD

Grand ChampionpWilliam Rose, Barrington, IL 1956 de Havilland DHC-1B-2-S5, N56EF V I N T AG E A I RPLANE

A golden age biplane's German pedigree PHOTOS AND ARTICLE BY GILLES ALLARD

he golden age of aviation saw the birth of a multitude of airplane manufacturers going about their business with varying degrees of suc cess. All of them, however, had one thing in common: The Octo ber 1929 Wall Street crash endangered their very existence. Worse yet, a ma S

SEPTEMBER 2007

jority of them did not survive its rip ples, and many brand names vanished forever from the aviation vocabulary. Nevertheless, thanks to the efforts of a handful of passionate individu als, some long-gone manufacturers have been brought back from obliv ion, and their products are still grac ing the skies. One such phoenix is

Command-Aire SC3 N997E, the only flying example of a rather popular airplane type in its time. Command-Aire Inc. started life as the Arkansas Aircraft Co. Inc. in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1926. The newly formed manufacturer occupied the former Climber Motor Corp. build ing at 1823 E. 17th Street. The ad

jacent piece of land-more than 20 acres-allowed for the creation of two runways. The new airfield rapidly be came known as Command-Aire Field. Nowadays, the industria l buildings are still standing, while the airfield is only a faded memory. In order to proceed with airplane manufacturing, Morton Cronk, a young graduate from the Massachu setts Institute of Technology, was hired to design the first company product. This phase was completed in the spring of 1927, and an airplane was built according to the defined specifications. Regardless of its good looks, the craft did not fly satisfacto rily. A more experienced project engi neer was needed to improve its flying characteristics. In spite of this, an ap plication for an experimental license was filed on December 6, 1927. Albert Vollmecke, a German cit izen, earned his mechanical engi neering degree from the Technical University at Braunschweig. Fresh out of graduation, he took a position with the Ernst Heinkel Aeroplane Factory at Warnemunde. He later came to the United States as a representative of Ernst Heinkel in license negotiations for the production of a training air craft. Impressed with the advance

"... some time later, Ireceived aletter from Mr. Robert Snowden indicating that the original designer, Albert Vollmecke, was still in good health and living nearby."

ment of civil aviation in the United States, he decided to stay and began searching for a position. He learned of an opening for a chief engineer at the Arkansas Aircraft Co., applied for the job, and joined the company in September 1927. Relying heavily on European technology, he went to work immediately on redesigning the poor-flying model 3C3, substituting a thinner Aeromarine 2A airfoil and installing full-span slotted ailerons. With these improvements, the plane flew very well and was very stable. An application for approved type certificate (ATC) was submitted to the aeronautics branch of the Depart ment of Commerce, and ATC No. 53 was granted in July 1928. The first "official" model 3C3 was rolled out of the plant on January 1928 and was used for ferrying purposes, as the ATC had not yet been granted. The plane carried the NC6690 license number, serial number 515. Power was a war surplus Curtiss OX-5, serial number M-6660, manufactured by the Willys Morrow Co., of Elmira, New York. As the OX-5-powered Model 3C3 began rolling off the assembly line in the spring of 1928, the search was on to purchase and install different types of engines. Fitted with a 1l0-hp War

Bob is checking the integrity of the HamiHon Standard prop during the American Bamstonners Air Tour 2006. The installation of a Wright R-760-8 engine required a supplemental type certificate that proved quite frustrating to obtain, even with the help of the original designer of the plane. VINTAGE A IRPLANE

J. Carroll Cone, Director of Sales for Command-Aire with model SC3, serial num ber W-6S, manufactured March 1929. This aircraft was the second SC3 from the assembly line and was flown to California by company Vice President Charles M. Taylor. Taylor was participating in the Aviation Country Clubs Tour in the spring of 1929. Ruth Nichols, famous aviatrix, wrote in her book, "At Dallas we were joined by another member of the Aviation Country Clubs, Charles Taylor of Little Rock, flying a new Command-Aire."

In this factory photograph by R.D. Wolff a horizontal stabilizer of a model 3C3 is being load tested. Holding the sign is none other than designer Albert Vollmecke. Albert always designed with a great margin of safety in all his ships.

10 SEPTEMBER 2007

ner "Scarab" radial engine, the plane became the model 3C3-A (ATC No. 118). When Command-Aire acquired a few Siemens-Halske engines, the ba sic 3C3 airframe was modified to ac commodate it and became the 3C3-B (ATC No. 120). ATC No . ISO was granted in May 1929 to the Model 3C3-T, a training version of the stan dard 3C3, of which 25 were built. Having experimented with all sorts of engine variations, a new model was needed. Albert Vollmecke rede signed the 3C3 into its next evolu tionary step: the 5C3. The model 5C3 (ATC No. 184) was a three-place open-cockpit biplane of Below: Albert Vollmecke, chief designer (left) and Charles Tay lor, former vice president of Command-Aire, with model SC3, NX92SE, on November 12, 1983. The occasion was Vollmecke's in duction into the Arkansas Avia tion Hall of Fame, November 11, 1983, in north Little Rock.

typical Command-Aire configuration. Powered by a six-cylinder 170-hp Cur tiss Challenger engine, the fuselage and empennage were the same as the Curtiss OX-5-powered Model 3C3. Wing design was slightly different, but retained the Aeromarine 2A air foil. Fuselage framework was classic welded chromoly steel tubing, lightly faired to shape with fairing strips and fabric-covered. The wings were built up of solid spruce spar beams with spruce and plywood ribs, the com pleted framework fabric-covered . A wide choice of engines was also offered for the model 5C3 . Powered by a 150-hp U.S.-built Hispano-Suiza (Hisso) engine, the plane became the 5C3-A (ATC No. 185). Only one of this type was built, and its stability was demonstrated by Ike Vollmecke's flight from San Diego to Los Ange les-a distance of more than 100 miles-from outside the cockpit. Equipped with a Siemens-Halske, the airplane became the 5C3-AT, of which four were built under ATC No.

209 . A 150-hp Axelson engine fitted on a basic 5C3 airframe became the Model 5C3-B (ATC No. 214). Last but not least, the ultimate ModelS, the 5C3-C (ATC No. 233), of which five were built, was powered by a Wright J-6-5 engine. The relative success of the 5C3 series could not ensure the survival of the company, and Command-Aire officers filed for bankruptcy in 1931. It was a far cry from the proud statement of

its president, Bob Snowden, who said, during his presentation of the Little Rocket at the 1930 St. Louis show (as reported in Time): "Command-Aire is the only production airplane which has never killed somebody ... never se riously hurt anybody." But safety was not enough of an edge over the competition. Between 1928 and 1930, The Command-Aire Corp. delivered 230 aircraft of various marques, making it, for a short time,

Price at the factory: $6,325 (reduced to $5,950 in 1930)

NC997E Perfonnance (as defined in STC SA4957NM) Engine: Wright R-760-8

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

The instrument panel of the Command-Aire is classic, and the instruments well laid-out. The only modem addition is the GPS mount in the center of the panel.

One special feature of the Command Aire is the ground- and air-adjustable tail incidence. The big lever seen in this picture allows it to be adjusted.

Over the years, the exhaust collector had oxidized to acquire a pretty impressive array of colors, as depicted here. one of the major players in the air plane-manufacturing arena. Only 14 are still registered, of which five are flyable and three are flown regularly. Command-Aire NC997E-the C stands for commercial-(c/n W-136), is now the only flyable model 5C3. It was manufactured on October 15, 1929, at the Little Rock, Arkansas, fac tory. The aircraft was configured with a pair of 22-gallon tanks in the up per wings and a forward fuselage re movable cross brace that would allow later conversion to a duster aircraft. Sold to the Curtiss Flying Service of 12 SEPTEMBER 2007

Delaware, incorporated at 27 W. 57th Street in New York, it flew as NC997E until early 1931. The plane was later modified for crop dusting by the Cur tiss Flying Service of Houston, Texas. Licensed as NR997E-R for restrict ed-it was used in an attempt to eradicate the troublesome boll weevil creating havoc in the cotton fields of the South. Curtiss Flying Service had at least 16 5C3s in the "duster ver sion" in service and treated 200,000 acres of cotton in 1929 alone. In June 1931, the Command-Aire was returned to NC status by removal

of the dusting hopper and wing tanks, and installation of the seat, controls, and instruments in the fron t cock pit. The work was done by the Cur tiss Flying Service, a Command-Aire distributor. In May 1932, the aircraft was transferred to Eagle Airplane Co., of Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Re cords show that this company op erated NC997E for only 200 hours between 1932 and December 22, 1942. At this date, total time was 542 hours. The plane was then sold toJ.R. McDaniel of Fort Pierce, Florida, who registered it in the Restricted category after converting it back to a duster configuration. On July 22, 1945, a Continental R-670 engine of 220 hp was installed to increase reliability for crop dusting. The last license for N997E was May 6, 1952. At this date the plane had a total time of 1,625 hours, of which

202 were logged between May 1951 and May 1952. The plane was ac quired from Don Williams of New hall, California. N997E was shipped, along with two other 5C3s, from Flor ida to California in the early '60s. The plane was stored in Hanford and later Reedley, California, when limited res toration work began. Bob Lock, a longtime pilot and airframe and powerplant mechanic, found the plane in Newhall, Califor nia, near his hometown, as he ex plained in an interview: "In 1967, I had the chance to ac quire the remains of three 1929 Com mand-Aire 5C3s. Just after beginning the restoration process, I placed an ad in the EAA Vintage Airplane mag azine requesting correspondence with everyone associated with Com mand-Aire during its short produc tion period. I received only one letter, informing me that the president of the company was still alive and liv ing in Memphis, Tennessee. I wrote, and some time later, I received a let ter from Mr. Robert Snowden indicat ing that the original designer, Albert Vollmecke, was still in good health and living nearby. I wrote him and received a letter in return. This was the beginning of a relationship that made this restoration even more meaningful. Mr. Vollmecke had kept files from the original company after bankruptcy had been filed in 1931.

"The restoration became a me chanic's dream of working with the man who designed the airplane. Not only the pieces were in poor shape, but drawings and data were sparse. A search of the Federal Records Storage Facility in Suitland, Maryland, turned up no drawings."

The frame was in remarkably good condition, but required several welded repairs to bring it back to air worthy condition. The duster frame had to be returned to standard. The engine mount had been modified to carry a 220-hp Continental W-670 engine. Early in the project, Bob had

ir=======:::::====:::::;::::;::;':;: ::;::;:::;::::::::::::==========:;--

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

Left: A family picture Bob Lock flying loose formation with Rob Lock in the Waldo Wright Fly· ing Service new Standard D·25 on their way to Os· hkosh. This was the first time that father and son flew together in those planes. The picture was taken from Clay Adams' Travel Air 4000. Clay was leading the fleet of 14 airplanes on the last leg of the American Barn· stormers Tour 2006.

decided to deviate from the original Wright R-600 Chal 1963 8EECHCRAFT MUSKETEER 23 WHAT OUR MEMBERS lenger engine to a more reliable Wright R-760. This de ARE RESTORING sign change required a supplemental type certificate ~. .., ~ (STC), an approval that proved to be a long and frustrat .~.... -~ ing ordeal. Another deviation from the original design REARWIN SKYRANGER was the installation of a pressure feed fuel system, simi -----"'-".......... -....... s...:;;;:.......".::- --;E~·;::.; lar to the one found on the Naval Aircraft Factory N3N. 1948 LUSCOMBE 88 This change, discussed with the designer, was deemed necessary because of the proximity of the fuel tank out let and carburetor inlet-the outlet line being at the same level as the carburetor. Another big-ticket item was the landing gear: lilt took about 120 hours of cutting, fitting, and gas welding to WHAT OUR MEMBER S ARE RESTORING make a new gear. I found that the gear legs were the same Are you nearing completion of a restoration? Or is it done and dimensions as a Stinson L-5 front-lift strut. Stock Stearman you're busy flying and showing it off? If so, we'd like to hear from axles and Hayes dual servo hydraulic brakes-the same you. Send us a 4-by-6-inch print from a commercial source (no home printers, please-those prints just don't scan well) or a as used on Vultee BT-13-would fit the Bendix 30-by-5 4-by-6-inch, 30O-dpi digital photo. A JPG from your 2.5-megapixel wheels. (or higher) digital camera is fine. You can burn photos to a CD, liThe wings were built new. My father helped by build or if you're on a high-speed Internet connection, you can e-mail ing new wing ribs. Trial assembly and rigging of the aircraft them along with a text-only or Word document describing your took place in 1985. The aluminum portions of the plane, airplane. (If your e-mail program asks if you'd like to make the such as seats, baggage compartment, fuel and oil tank, en photos smaller, say no.) For more tips on creating photos we can gine cowling, and fuselage metal were hand-fabricated." publish, visit VAA's website at www.vintageaircraft.org. Check the The big day finally came: liOn July 11, 1989, at 9:30 News page for a hyperlink to Want To Send Us A Photograph? a.m., I climbed in and made the first flight. I took off For more information, you can also e-mail us at from Lakeland Municipal Airport, climbed to altitude, vintageaircraft@eaa.org or call us at 920-426-4825. and stayed near the airport for the next 15 minutes, then 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - headed to a sod strip 6 miles south of Lakeland where I made three very good landings. Then it was back to Lake land for a landing on concrete-no problems. With the aircraft license in Experimental category, I put in 15 hours of flight in the local area. liThe airplane was as stable as advertised. The ground handling characteristics are very good, even in a 90-degree crosswind-something that a good steerable Scott tail wheel adds over to the old tail skid. Nominal right rudder pressure needs to be applied at full power (1850 rpm) to counteract the engine torque on takeoff. The takeoff roll on a hard surface runway is approximately 200 feet. For ward visibility is quite good in the three-point attitude. Cruise at 1750 rpm is 95 mph indicated airspeed (lAS), stall is at 46 mph lAS. The rigging is excellent. The aircraft will fly hands-off at cruise power for extended periods of time in calm air. It is a pure delight to fly, but I do not at tID.CIO us tempt aerobatics due to the high drag and shape of the airfoil. Final approach speed is 55 mph lAS. The rate of sink is pretty low. Only three-point landings are advised, and no wheel landings should be attempted." As Bob's son Rob grew up, he saw the plane slowly resurrected from a pile of broken parts and pitted metal. Years later, during the 2006 American Barnstormers Tour, Rob finally felt ready to tryon the Command-Aire for size. It was a very exciting time for the father-son team as Rob became the third person checked out in the air craft since 1964. This will ensure that the plane will be flying for many more years to come, keeping the memo ries of the Command-Aire Corp. alive. ......

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

Getting Your A&P Rating

Part III Earning the A&P mechanic certificate, the DME's perspective

BY R OBERT

The federal government began to license aircraft mechanics in July of 1927, and the process of federal gov ernment certification remains to th is day. Initially licenses were granted based on qualifications earned through previous work experien ce and thorough testing by government officials. Soon there was a need for training in schools for the mechanic certificate, and the government man dated certain criteria for curriculum that included both classroom and lab (hands-on) instruction. The early cer tificates were designated "aircraft and engine" (A&E), later to be chan ged to "airframe and powerplant" (A&P) when the FM evolved from the eM. FAA requirements for the airframe and powerplant mechanic certificate are as follows: 1. The applicant m ust be 18 years old. 2. The applicant must read, write, speak, and understand the Eng lish language. 3. The applicant must have at least 18 months of practical experience with either pow erplants or airframes, or 30 months working on both at the same time. 4. In lieu of the experience re quiremen t s, the applicant may graduate from an FAA approved Maintenance Tech nician sch ool. 5. The applicant m ust take and pass written, oral, and practical examinations.

There are two ways to qualify for the mechanic's certificates. The first is designated "field experience." Eigh teen months of experience is currently 16 SEP T E M BER 2007

G. L OCK and powerplant subjects. The curric ulum is designed to allot 400-hours of instruction in the general subject area, 750 hours of instruction in air frame, and 750-hours in powerplant subject areas. The lecture and lab times are normally divided equally, with approximately half t h e hours taught in classroom lecture and half in the laboratory. The FAA Part 147 curriculum is written in detail to show minimum standards for all subjects.

Bob Lock reacts after being presented with the FAA's Charles Taylor award, which is earned by A&P mechanics who have continuously held their cer tificate for 50 years or more.

required for each of the ratings (air frame or powerplant), or 30 months for the combined ratings. (See Part 1 of this series published in the July issue of Vintage Airplane.) The appli cant presents a list of his/her field ex perience, documented on letterhead, to an FAA inspector at the local FAA office. Military experience is also ac cepted when the applicant presents DD Form 214, which lists Military Occupational Specialty codes (MOS). When the inspector deems the ap plicant meets minimum standards for field experience, FM Form 8610-2 is completed by the applicant and is signed by the FAA inspector. The second way to qualify is by at tending an FAA Part 147-approved Aviation Maintenance Technician training program to receive 1900 hours of training in general, airframe

Level 1 standard is: • Know basic facts and principles. • Be able to locate information and follow directions and writ ten instructions. • Locate methods, procedures, in structions, and reference mate rial. • Interpretation of information is not required. • No skill demonstration is re quired. Level 2 standard is: • Know and understand princi ples, theories, and concepts. • Be able to find and interpret maintenance data and informa tion, and perform basic oper ations using appropriate data, tools, and equipment. • A high level of practical skill is not required. Level 3 standard is: • Know, understand, and apply facts, principles, theories, and concepts. • Understand how they relate to the total operation and mainte nance of aircraft. • Be able to make independent

and accurate airworthiness judgments. • Perform all skill operations to a return-to-service standard us ing appropriate data, tools, and equipment. Inspections are performed in accordance with acceptable or approved data. • A fairly high skill level is re quired. For those seeking the certificate through a school, whether private or public, the requirements are the same. What sets each Part 147 school apart from the other is how the sub ject material is taught and how the hands-on projects are designed. The 1,900-hour requirement, subject ar eas, and teaching levels are the same for all Part 147 schools. FAR Part 147 has been expanded to cover 43 subject areas. The written, oral, and practical examinations reflect the subject areas, and the applicant must pass a sampling examination in each of the 43 subject areas . Online computer testing at an approved facil ity covers all the written testing, and the results are provided almost im mediately. For most applicants, the written test is taken and passed first. The applicant has 24 months to pass all written examinations. If the writ ten exams are not passed in the 24 month period, those areas passed will be voided and the applicant must start the process from square one. The same 24-month pass time holds for the oral and practical ex aminations. Students enrolled in an approved Aviation Maintenance Technician training program may be authorized to take the oral/prac tical examinations before written examinations if they show satisfac tory progress. Early oral/practical ex ams normally are given within a few weeks of graduation. Upon gradua tion the student receives a graduation certificate awarded by the school. The FAA no longer conducts test ing for the A&P certificate . Writ ten knowledge testing is done at computer testing facilities located worldwide. Oral/practical testing is conducted by a designated mechanic

examiner (DME) . A fee is charged for all phases of testing. In the old days all testing was conducted by a CAA or FAA inspector. Written examina tions were given at the local FAA of fice while oral/practical testing was conducted at the applicant's place of employment. That process was elimi nated many years ago.

privileges of the airframe and pow erplant mechanic certificate, the recipient becomes eligible for the in spection authorization (IA). A battery of written examinations must be suc cessfully completed before the IA is issued. The inspection authorization is renewed every two years.

Author's Recollections

The new practical examination contains "core competency . t" requlremen s. . .. eIe ments that the applicant must pass. Written examinations are described by some as a "gimme." In other words, memorization of test questions and an swers can be completed by the applicant and high pass rates are the result. The FAA now considers the oral/practical examination as the "discriminator" for issuance of the A&P certificate. The new practical examination contains "core competency requirements." In some subject areas there are one or more core elements that the applicant must pass. The FAA states on Form FAA-S-8081-27, "The practical test is passed if the ap plicant demonstrates the prescribed proficiency in the assigned elements (core competency and other selected elements) in each subject area to the required standard." Upon successful completion of written, oral, and prac tical tests the DME will issue a tempo rary FAA mechanic certificate, showing a single rating (airframe or powerplant) or combined ratings (airframe and pow erplant), but the certificate's "unique number" will not be issued at that time. The word "pending" will be placed on the certificate by the examiner at the time of its issuance. If any part of the testing is failed the applicant must wait at least 30 days before retesting in the failed subject areas unless instruction is re ceived in the specific failed area by a competent individual and a letter is presented to the examiner indicating additional training was received. After three years of exercising the

I held the DME for 18 years and gave approximately 350 oral/practi cal examinations, most at the college where I instructed in a Part 147 AMT program. I was able to design an oral! practical exam to fit each individual applicant. Normally I gave a very chal lenging first project-one that required thinking, research, and a small amount of inventiveness. If the applicant was weak or unsure, the examination usu ally went downhill from there. If the applicant was able to research and complete the assigned task, the exami nation proceeded smoothly, and I had a good sense that the person would not go out as a newly licensed mechanic and do something stupid. Some of the time, oral questions could be asked as the applicant worked on a practical project; however, there was a sit-down time when the oral portion of the examination could be completed. I recall my oral/practical examinations at Northrop Institute of Technology in 1961. The practical exam was completed in total first, and then there was the oral exam, which was con ducted in the office of the examiner. All questions were typed on a 3-by-5 card; I read the question and then answered it. However, the Part 147 curriculum was different in those years; there was an airframe exam and a powerplant exam, and the curriculum mandated 1,650 hours of instruction. A portion of the airframe exam contained a complete weight-and-balance problem, and if the applicant did not get the first question correct, then all the rest of the answers would be wrong and the applicant would fail the airframe examination! There were no test questions available, only study guides. I used the then-avail able Zwing manual. which contained 250 questions for each subject area. The continued on page 38 VINTAGE AIRPLANE

TVaN A family history dates back to the golden age of aviation BY JIM REZICH

iS month's back cover of

Vintage Airplane features

the fantastic colored pencil drawing by award-winning aviation artist Kendra Helvey captur ing the Rezich family's long-standing association with Travel Airs. Centered around the powerful Wright J-6-7 Whirlwind are the family's Travel Airs in original and restored condition. It was a pleasure to work closely with Kendra to create this image; she really was able to put on paper what I could see only in my mind. Hav ing a love for aviation and history in 18

SEPTEMBER 2007

general, Kendra Helvey has been a professional artist for 2S years and is an artist member of the American Society of Aviation Artists. She works on commission; each piece is original and unique for the client. The work may include the family, their home, as well as their aircraft. Or, the work may depict a moment in time: the South Pacific during WWII or a bi plane landing on a count ry airport, for instance. Her work has appeared in the EAA AirVenture Museum sev eral times and on the back covers of Vintage Airplane and Warbirds maga

zines. She also fills her time as curator of the Poplar Grove Vintage Wings & Wheels Museum. Kendra and her husband, Bill, are both pilots and re side at an airport community in Pop lar Grove, Illinois. To be able to appreciate this work, you need to know a little about our family. The main focus is the three broth ers: Mike, the oldest; Nick, the mid dle brother and my father; and Frank, the youngest. Growing up within a stone's throw of the Chicago Munici pal Airport (now Midway airport), the

Left: Mike on the left and Nick on the riglrt with a little work on NC661H! Taken at the Rezich homestead, two blocks south of "Muni." The Travel Air was in the process of being disas· sembled and sold to the Navy aviation mechanics training school.

Rezich boys were destined to become involved in aviation. I'll also try and point out some facts and myths about our family along the way. Mike would turn out to be t h e fi nancier of the family and purchased most of the airplanes owned by the family. Myth : Reziches have owned only Travel Airs. Collectively the Rez ich family, spanning three generations, has owned 23 airplanes ranging from the first E-2 Cub to a Cessna 182 and, let me tell you, everything in between. Fact: The Rezich family members are the longest continual owners of Travel Airs, from 1937 to the present. Nick was the professional pilot of the family, flying more than 35,000 accident-free hours from 1932 up to his passing in 1981. He was an instruc tor and an airline transport pilot with type ratings for Douglas DC-3s and Lockheed Lodestars. When not flying for a living, Nick frequently flew air shows in the Travel Air, and he was known as the "Voice of EAA" for his air show announcing. Fact: Nick and the Travel Air were the longest con tinually paired air show performers. Myth: The "Gone Flying" door sign was designed by Flying magazine. Fact: Nick's good friend and artist Joe Scan lon came up with the "Gone Flying" sign when Nick had h is famo us air racing-themed tavern, the Pylon Club, to let patrons know that Nick would not be found behind the bar or drums, but behind the control wheel of a DC-3 flying "non-skeds" out of Midway. Frank is the master mech anic of the family. He began working a t Howard Aircraft at age 16, along with his brother Nick, and still is an active airframe and powerplant mechan ic. He was awarded the Ch arles Taylor Master Mech anic Award in 1999. He wo rked for North America n Rock-

The Reziches' Pitcairn PA-7 Mailwing, NC876M. Wright J-6-7 powered, with the nifty speed ring cowl, before being converted to "sport wings." Colors were blue and silver.

The same Pitcairn, post-modification to sport wings and low-pressure air wheels. This ship was also used as an instrument trainer at Chicago Municipal by Pierce "Scotty" O'Carroll's Monarch Air Service. Note the reduction in the radio mast height! New colors are now two-tone green, with black pinstripes.

This was the Reziches' first airplane, a 40-hp E-2 Cub that was "leased back" to the Harlem Airport flight school run by Fred Schumaker. Colors were silver and red. No brakes or tail wheel. VINTAGE AIRPLANE

The Reziches' first Travel Air, NC661H, purchased in 1937. OX-5 powered, no brakes or tail wheel, colors were silver with red trim. Photos taken at Harlem Airport.

well on many projects, including the XB-70 and the B-1, with duties rang ing from superintendent of final as sembly to production engineering supervisor. Fact: Frank is never seen without his trademark cigar, even in the shower! Myth: Frank has lived in California all his life. Fact: Frank was born and raised in Chicago, and he worked in Fort Worth for Pratt & Whitney as a field representative on the R-4360 engine on the B-36 bomb ers. It wasn't until 19S4 that Frank and his family moved to the Los An geles area. Let's move on to the first Travel Air the family owned, NC661H . It was a standard model 2000, OX-S powered, with no brakes or tail wheel. Mike 20 SEPTEMBER 2007

made arrangements to purchase the airplane in 1936, and while the owner was attempting to deliver the airplane to Chicago from Rock Springs, Mary land , the OX-S gave up the ghost, and the owner had to make a forced landing in Pennsylvania. Repairs took until the spring of 1937. Mike didn't want to take any more chances with his investment, so he sent his brother Nick to fly the Travel Air back to Chi cago. The trip back was one of the first long cross-countries for Nick, who was just 17 at the time! By now Nick was an accomplished aviator, after soloing a Waco RNF at 14 and quickly earning his certificate. The airplane was silver with red trim. The Rezich brothers would use this air-

plane to barnstorm the northern Illinois area. The airplane was kept at Harlem Airport, just south of Chicago Munic ipal Airport, and run by close family friend Fred "Shoos" Shumaker. Nick would teach younger brother Frank to fly and solo in NC661H at Har lem Airport. Although Mike would take many lessons from Nick and other in structors, in many airplanes, he would never fly solo. He was most content rid ing in the spacious front seat. I'll share a humorous little story about a Travel Air front seat when I fill in the details on NC606K in a later article. NC661H would share hangar space with the Reziches' Pitcairn PA-7 and the newly acquired Travel Air D-4000, NC811S, until 1942. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, private aviation was extremely limited. Nick was able to keep his new Culver Cadet LCA air worthy to "commute" between How ard Aircraft headquarters near Chicago Municipal Airport and the Howard assembly plant at DuPage Airport in West Chicago. NC661H and the Pit cairn would be sold to the government and impressed into service at the Navy aviation mechanics training facility at

Frank Rezich after his first solo in NC661H at Harlem Airport.

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Frank Rezich after his first solo in NC661H at Harlem Airport. Chicago's Navy Pier. NC8115 would be disassembled and stored in the Rezich family garage at 6424 South LaPorte St. until 1972, when Nick would begin its restoration. The Rezich brothers would serve their country in a variety of ways dur ing World War II. Mike was a crew chief ground instructor for the Army Air Corps and taught cadets on the

B-17 and later on the B-29. Frank would join the Army Air Corps and fly the Hump in C-46s. Nick was drafted in the heavy artillery after the Howard Aircraft contracts ended, but he never saw active duty, as the fight ing drew to an end. Once discharged, Mike made his way back to Chicago and began to search for his airplanes. When he ar rived at Navy Pier and inquired about "his" Travel Air and Pitcairn, he was told they had been taken on a barge to the middle of Lake Michigan and pushed overboard!

"Capt. Nick" with the Pitcairn at Chicago Municipal, later to be named Midway airport. To say Mike was furious is an un derstatement! I don't think he ever got over it, either. I think at times my dad would bring it up just to get Mike's dander up! Mike would rant and rave about how the government threw his airplanes away. So NC661H ended up in a watery way. Next month I'll fill you in on the second Travel Air, NC8815. ........ VINTAGE AIRPLANE

Airline Travel

SO-Plus Years Ago

First published in the January 1980 issue of Vintage Airplane by Edward D. Williams

Histor ically speaking, when it comes to airline travel, 1929 was a vintage year. Fifty years ago [Now 78 years agof Editor], the airline queens of the skies were the Fokker, Boeing, and Ford Tri Motors, and airline passengers were passing out of the "flying suit and gog gles" age into a new era in which they no longer had to sit on mail pouches in open cockpits. But it was still a time when most people in the world had not flown, and commercial air travel had to be sold to the public. Today, travel agents book clients on 600-mile-an-hour jumbo jets to exotic and faraway places, and these 22 SEPTEMBER 2007

bookings are heavy on both sched uled and charter flights. But in 1929, air travel was new to travel agents, and they had to work to get all but the most hardy and adventuresome into an airliner. In 1929, travel agents were given this guidance by an expert: "Special clothing for airplane travel is unnecessary when the traveler uses the regular, established passenger airlines. The airplanes of these lines are of the enclosed cabin type with the interiors similar to those of a railroad parlor car. "However, should the traveler in tend to take special chartered airplane trips, in which open cockpit planes

may be used, the traveler should equip himself with a pair of goggles and a helmet." The advice continues with a style note to the effect that" A special fly ing suit is usually not necessary, espe cially in the summer months, and its purchase should be left to the discre tion of the traveler." This up-to-date information was contained in the article Air Travel-A New Source of Profit by Fred Burns, in the inaugural issue of Travel Trade magazine of July 1929. As service to its readers in Volume I, Number I, the magaZine also carried a composite list ing of timetables and fares of the exist

Left: The Boeing aOA was introduced in September 1929 and was a huge plane for the day. It was designed for large capacity transcontinental passenger service and mail-express operation. It was flown by Boeing Air Transport, which introduced stewardesses to the industry the following year.

ing airlines in the United States that carried passengers. This special section consisted of only five pages. Burns admitted to his readers that "Air transportation is still in its in fancy," since many passengers still had to ride in open cockpits. But the drama of aviation, as covered in the press since Charles Lindbergh's his

toric New York to Paris flight two years before, could mean financial success to travel specialists. "The travel bu reaus and tourist agencies who equip themselves now to handle air travel ers will not only profit, but will be the recipient of beneficial indirect public ity," Burns wrote prophetically more than half a century ago. Lindbergh's feat had caused pub lic interest to skyrocket, and travel would never be the same. Burns com mented: "With the American public becoming more and more airminded daily, the increase in passenger air lines and frequent daily sight of these planes passing overhead, the new comforts and safety factor of today's

airlines, the enthusiasm of the pub lic for the adventure, romance and speed of the airplane flight, the travel bureaus and tourist agencies are af forded a new and additional source of income." And in order that they might be knowledgeable about the subject, Burns suggested that "It is generally found advisable to have the person in charge of your air travel depart ment take an airplane ride during (his) spare time to acquaint himself with the advantages, thrill and time saving element of air travel. " This was at a time when most of today's airlines weren't even born. For example, in the five-page time-

When Stout Air Services flew between Cleveland, Detroit, and Chicago in 1929, it operated the venerable Ford Tri-Motor, which not only was built by the Stout Metal Airplane Co., a division of the Ford Motor Co., but the airplane traced its lineage to the original Stout tri-motor. Stout Air Services in early 1929 was operating the Ford S-AT-B (shown above in the markings of National Air Transport) and later in the year added the S-AT-C. The S-AT-B was the ultimate in traveler comfort and re ceived its approved type certificate in June 1929. It was hurriedly put into service by other airlines, such as Maddux, T.A.T., Pan Am, Colonial, and N.A.T.

The Ford S-AT-C, which followed closely behind the S-AT-B in 1929, increased passenger capacity to 17. The first plane off the assembly line in Dearborn, Michigan, went to Maddux Air Lines in California in mid-1929, and by the end of the year a total of 35 S-AT-Cs had been delivered to various airlines. Note the mail bags being loaded into the wing storage compartment. VINTAGE A IRPLA NE

Passenger chairs in the early models of the Ford Tri Motor were of wicker construction. Later they were fur nished in aluminum covered with leather. Large windows, arranged to provide passengers with a good view of the landscape, were of non-shatterable glass with individual shades. Electric cabin lights were provided over each seat. The cabin interior was covered in sheet aluminum with a balsa wood core, providing a surface for interior decorations and some soundproofing.

Cabin shot of a Ford Tri-Motor, showing airspeed indicator and altimeter. Also notice the aluminum seats that replaced wicker chairs. Note the captain's heavy leather jacket and the pull down shade over the window in the door of the flight deck.

Airline travel still had a long way to go in 1929. For the previous year, a total of only 52,924 airplane passengers had been reported by the Aeronau tical Chamber of Commerce. This averaged out to just slightly more than 1,000 passengers a week for all the airlines in the entire United States. (In 1978 there were about 5,000 airline passengers for everyone in 1929.) 24

S E PT EMBER 2007

t able section there were these fa miliar names: Northwest Airways, Western Air Express, Capitol Airways, Pa n American Airways, Co lonial Air Tran sport, Clifford Ball, Stout Air Ser vices, Maddux Air Lines, Boeing Air Transport, and Pacific Air Transport. But t here also were Southwest Air Fast Express, Universal Air Lines, In terstate Air Lines, Nationa l Park Air ways, Mut ual Aircraft Corporation,

With seating for 18 passengers and crew of two, the Boeing BOA was an air trav eler's dream in 1929. The main cabin was lined with rows of three seats and was finished with mahogany paneling (of plywood), with a thick core of balsa wood for insulation. Soundproofing of the cabin walls pennitted passengers to converse in near nonnal tones. Heating and ventilation brought considerable comfort to pas sengers, who were protected by shatterproof glass windows. There also was a cloakroom, overhead racks, and a lavatory with hot and cold mnning water.

and even a Yellow Cab Airways. And they were flying everything from a new Ford 5-AT-C to the old Eaglerock biplane-flown by Wichita Falls Air Transport. In addition, according to the time table section in the magazine, other equipment in service were the Boeing 80 and 40B (flown by Boeing Air Trans-

port), the Boeing 40C (flown by Pacific Air Transport), the Fokker F-lO tri-mo tor (flown by Pan American, Universal, and Western), the Fokker Super Univer sal (flown by Universal, National Park, Southern Air Transport, and Standard Air Lines), and the Hamilton Metal plane (flown by Northwest). However, an airline passenger could still find himself in an open-cockpit Stearman C-3B of Western Air if he didn't mind the breeze. And, accord ing to the Travel Trade timetable, other airlines boasted of such equipment as Capitol's and Embry-Riddle Com pany's Ryan Brougham, Northwest's Stinson Detroiter, Southern's J-5 and J-6 Travel Airs, and Curtiss Robin and Pan Am's "Keystone tri-motor, six-pas senger Loening and Fokker F-VII." The timetable showed the travel opportunities existing at that time. Route systems ranged from Waterloo Des Moines (Midwest) to Kansas City Des Moines-Minneapolis (Yellow Cab Airways) to the extensive route sys tems of Pan Am and Boeing. However, transcontinental air travel had already been available to an airline passenger for almost two years, since September 1, 1927, but on two different airlines. That was when Boeing Air Transport and National Air Transport joined up at Chicago, mak ing New York to Oakland travel by air possible for the first time. (See The Vin-

This is the prototype Boeing 80 photographed on July 14, 1928. Power is three P&W Wasp engines.

Construction detail shows clearly in this photo of an early Boeing Model 80. VINTAGE AIRPLANE

In-flight shot of a triple-tail Boeing 80A. Note the aft extensions on the fenders to protect tered with mud.

The Boeing 80 tri-motor was introduced in late 1928 and by the next year had established itself as a leading airliner despite the fact that it was a biplane. The single-rudder 80 was superseded later in 1929 by a single-rudder 80A and then a triple tail80A.

tage Airplane, December 1977.) The roots of today's airline indus try go back to that time. For example, Maddux joined with Standard and Transcontinental Air Transport to form Transcontinental and Western Inc., the original TWA. Stout was merged into National Air Transport, which later joined Boeing Air Transport, Pacific Air Transport, and Var ney Air Lines to form United Airlines. Western Air Express, with National Park, evolved into Western Air Lines. Clifford Ball evolved into Capital Air lines, which eventually merged into United . Northwest Airways became Northwest Orient. Embry-Riddle, Uni versal, Colonial, Southern and others formed American Airlines. Fifty years ago saw the beginning of 26

SEPTEMBER 2007

the complex airline family trees, but they all shared one belief-that the car rying of passengers was "here to stay." Travel authority Burns believed in it, too. His article in the July 1929 Travel Trade said: "One decided reason for travelers turning to airplane transportation, es pecially seasoned travelers, is the op portunity of seeing planes from a new perspective, of being above the scen ery instead of level with it." That had been one of the major lures to flight from the first time a man-carrying aircraft was launched, and now-in 1929-it was being used to snare po tential air passengers instead of early balloonists and aircraft pilots. "An airplane view cannot be dupli cated by any method of travel other

than via airplanes," Burns wrote, un derscoring the obvious. Today's pampered passengers in the supersonic Concorde might appre ciate their accommodations more if they took notice of Burns' statement that the 1929 air traveler would be able to see more in his allotted vaca tion time, "since use of airplanes will enable the traveler to cover approxi mately 1,000 miles in 10 hours." Passenger convenience and comfort in 1929 was not as complex a matter. Boeing Air Transport's Wasp-powered Boeing 80 tri-motor was the last word in luxurious air travel when it was first introduced in late 1928. The large cabin carried 12 passengers and provided hot and cold running water, forced air ven tilation, leather upholstered seats, and

individual reading lamps. The Ford S-AT-B was the ultimate in air travel in early 1929. It was first delivered to Transcontinental Amer ican. Southwest Air Fast Express and Stout each got their first S-AT-Bs in December 1928. Colonial Air Trans port didn't get its first S-AT-B until March 1929. Almost immediately, in May 1929, the larger and improved S-AT-C was delivered to Maddux . The next month , S-AT-Cs went to Northwest, Stout, and Pan Ameri can-Grace. By the end of 1929, the Ford Tri-Motor had become the backbone of the scheduled air trans portation industry. Passengers who dared to fly com mercially were rewarded with a memorable experience. In 1929, one passenger, a Philadelphia engineer named Walton Forstall, wrote: "Flying as we did ... gave a won derful opportunity to 'see the world go by'. And what an inter esting world it was .. . it had not yet grown used to our tremendous three-motored Ford. The roar of our propellers brought humans to look up and wave, dogs to bark in defi ance, made horses and cattle scam per wildly, and drove chickens to the nearest cover seeking refuge from some gigantic hawk." Being an airline passenger in 1929 could have its drawbacks, however. Such as the incident reported in a 1929 issue of Western Air Express' Dashboard Record. It involved a flight in a Fokker F-10 that encountered bad weather and was forced down atop a mountain in Utah in sub zero weather. The pilot hitchhiked to a farmhouse and telephoned Salt Lake City for help. A rescue truck was sent, but it couldn't get within a quarter mile of the plane. The re sult was that the pilot had to enlist the aid of his passengers in lugging 1,000 pounds of mail and their bag gage to the truck. Then they had to push the truck uphill and ride downhill as they headed for the nearest town . But, all in all, in the history of the airlines, 1929 was a year to re member. .......

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE

Reunion

Wynkoop Airport, Mount Vernon, Ohio BY ANDY HEINS,

NWC

PRESIDENT

J " h" 1930 Waco RNF. Steve Givens enioys flymg IS

National Waco Club President Andy Heins Dayton Ohl"o I"S see II " " , n a over th e MI"dwest " In his 1935 Waco YKC-S. 28 SEPTEMBER 2007

une has traditionally been the month that the Waco airplane has returned to its birthplace, Ohio, for the annual gathering of the National Waco Club, the oldest continuously operating "type club" in existence. This year was no different, as airplanes came home from all around the United States to be part of the 48th Annual National Waco Club Reunion. With more than 350 members worldwide, the National Waco Club has served Waco owners and enthusiasts since forming in 1958 during the national Antique Airplane Assodation fly-in at Ottumwa, Iowa. The first year the club was formed there was no national reunion. The second year, 1959, the first gathering of what was to become an annual tra dition was held at the South Dayton Airport in Dayton, Ohio. After sev eral years, the location was moved to Troy, Ohio, to the Waco Aircraft Com pany factory. The national reunion was held there until 1964, when the factory was sold and the airport closed. From there the reunion re turned to South Dayton Airport until offered a new location in 1969 at the Hamilton, Ohio, airport run by the Hogan family since the late 1920s. The national reunion remained at Hamilton until 1988, when the air

port was sold to the cou n ty and be gan runn ing under t he auth ority of the county commissioners. At t his time, a new location was selected; it cou ld provide the attending own ers wwith plenty of usable grass runways and a laid-back country setting. This wou ld be Wynkoop Airport, owned and managed by Brian Wynkoop in Mount Vernon, Ohio. This wonderful setting has been th e location of the reunion to this day. The dates for the 2007 even t were Thursday, June 21, through Sun day, June 24. Th is year airplanes began ar riving on Monday, with Doug Parsons, club vice president and reunion chair man, being the first to touch down in his 1934 Waco YKC. Early Wednesday, June 20, four more Wacos in a loose formation arrived being led by Club

Mike Winblad of li Oh" " roy, 10 dIdn't have to travel far with his VPF-7. President Andy Heins in his 1935 Waco YKC-S. By late Wednesday eve n ing, we had a total of seven Wacos on the field, a first ever. On Thursday evening, we had 13. Friday was the

biggest day with another nine arriv ing, and by Saturday we had 26. One interesting note is that the Na tional Waco Club Reunion has always

Waco Biplanes Flown to the 2007 National Waco Club Reunion 1929 Waco ASO

NC701 E sin 1942

Rich Nurge, Gilroy, California

1929WacoATO

sin A-97 NC659N sin 3123 NC600Y sin 3349 NC662Y sin 3228 NC663Y sin 3356 NC129Y sin 3308 NC11427 sin 3488 NC13050 sin 3678 NC13041 sin 3595 NC14010 sin 3851 NC14073 sin 3990 NC14620 sin 4234 NC15244 sin 4327 NC16246 sin 4465 NC17712 sin 4651 NC17474 sin 4613 NC17700 sin 4620 NC1937S sin 5107 NC66206 sin 5073 NC29357 sin 5384 NC29328 sin 5355 NC30188 sin 5619 NC32005 sin 5636 NC39753 sin 5886 N149TW sin 49

Mike Brown, Miamisb urg, Ohio

1930 Waco CTO 1930 Wa co CRG 1930 Waco ASO 1930Waco RNF 1930 Waco RNF 1931 Waco QCF-2 1932 Waco UEC 1932 Waco UBA 1934 Waco UKC 1934 Wa co YKC 1935 Waco YKC-S 1935 Wa co YOC 1936 Waco YKS -6 1937 Wa co VPF-7 1937 Waco YKS-7 1937 Waco UKS-7 1938 Waco ZVN-8 1939 Waco AGC-8 1940 Waco ZPF-7 1940 Waco UPF-7 1940 Waco UPF-7 1941 Wac o UPF-7 1942 Waco UPF-7 2005 Waco T-lO

NC719E

John Veneleck, Painesville, Ohio Pete Heins, Arcanum, Oh io Dave Allen, Elbert, Colorado Susan Theodorelos, Dayton, Ohio Steve Givens, Pendleton, Indiana Lee Parsons, Carrol lton, Oh io Jack Hill, Washington, North Carolina Phil Coulson, Lawton, Mich igan Estan Fuller, Polk City, Florida Doug Parsons, Carrollton, Oh io Andy Heins, Dayton, Ohio Robert Jaeger, Allentown, Pennsylvania Dave Stroup, Alliance, Ohio Mike Winblad, Troy, Ohio Mark Harter, Belleville, Illinois John Bussard, Ringoes, New Jersey Ken Kreutzfeld, Port Clinton, Ohio John Veneleck, Pai nesville, Ohiol Dick Tric e, No rth Ft. Meyers, Florida Bud Bushway, South Strafford, Vermont Ga ry Mitchell, Geneseo, New York Bill Knight, Brodhead, Wisconsin Ed Bu nch, Waynesboro, Vi rginia Eric Zimmerman, Troy, Ohio Bob Patrick, McCa ll, Id aho V I NTA G E A I R P LAN E

This 1930 Waco CRG is belongs to Pete Heins, Arcanum, Ohio.

... the National Waco Club is the oldest continuously operating "type club" in existence.

t fly in a UPF-7. Now they're a

W~:u~:;01w:ynesboro. Virginia, can attest.

Many a CPT pilot duri?g World sought-after antique biplane, as

Susan Theodorelos, Dayton, Ohio owns and flies this 1930 Waco RNF. 30

SEPTEMBER 2007

been known for the number of vari ous models that attend. This year was no different in that 20 of the 26 air craft that attended were different. With great weather for the gathering, the sky was constantly filled with Wacos. Every morning, the town of Mount Vernon was awakened by the sweet sound of radial engines, as everyone was eager to take advantage of the cool, clear mOID ing air. Daily activities included mainte nance forums followed by club spom sored evening dinners at the airfield. Thursday evening has traditionally been hosted by the local pilots' group known as the "Koop Group." Friday night brought our now famous corn boil, with more than 100 guests at tending and an untold number of cases of fresh sweet corn consumed. Satur day night was reserved for the annual awards banquet held at one of the local Italian restaurants in town. This year's banquet was attended by more than 100 club members and guests. Awards are given to every pilot who attends with an airplane; first-time attendees receive special certificates followed by special awards at the five-, 10-, 15-, and 20-year marks. Lastly, a special certifi cate of merit is presented to those pilots who have flown or maintained a Waco for three or more years, flown a Waco 5,000 or more miles, or maintained a Waco to factory standards. The recipi ents for this award this year were Steve Givens of Pendleton, Indiana, with his RNF, and Bill Knight from Brodhead, Wisconsin, in his UPF-7. The dates for the 49th National Waco Club Reunion will be June 26-29, 2008. In 2009, we will celebrate our 50th National Waco Club Reunion, and we expect this to be the greatest gathering of Wacos ever. Our goal is to have no fewer than 50 Wacos attend, and we are extending the length of the gathering in hopes that we will reach this goal. Numerous special activities are planned for the members, and we hope all Waco owners will make the attempt to join us. Visit our website at www.NationaIWacoCl ub.com for more information or contact the National Waco Club at 50 La Belle St., Dayton, OH 45403 or wacoaso@aol.com. .......

BY H.G. FRAUTSCHY

THIS MONTH'S MYSTERY PLANE COMES TO US FROM THE COLLECTION OF PHOTOS TED BUSINGER, OF SALEM , ARKANSAS, SHARED WITH US. THANKS, TED! Send your answer to EAA, Vintage Airplane, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Your answer needs to be in no later than October 10 for inclusion in the December 2007 issue of Vintage Airplane. You can also send your response via e-mail. Send your answer to mysteryplane@eaa .org. Be sure to include your name, city, and state in the body of your note, and put "(Month) Mystery Plane" in the subject line.

JUNE'S MYSTERY ANSWER

Here is our first answer for the June Mystery Plane, from Wayne Forshey of Woodsfield, Ohio: Good one! The June Mystery Plane is the Commonwealth Trimmer am phibian. The prototype was th e only one built, and it never went into pro duction. The Trimmer appears on one of the Commonwea lth Skyranger sales brochures, though. When Rae Rearwin sold Rearwin Air craft to Empire Ordinance Company (do ing business as Commonwealth Aircraft), they got the rights to produce the Cloud ster and the Skyranger. Commonwealth didn't build any Cloudsters, but did pro duce the Skyranger 185 with a Continen tal C-85. Commonwealth went belly up in about 1948; I can find virtually no information on Commonwealth Aircraft VINTAGE AIRPLANE

of Valley Stream, Long Island, New York, and would love to correspond with any one who could fill in the blanks. One last point of interest is that the last surviving member of the Lafayette Escadrille (the original 38, not the Lafay ette Flying Corps), Carl Dolan, was the president of Commonwealth Aircraft. And another note, this one from Lynn Towns of Holt, Michigan: The June Mystery Plane is the one 32

SEPTEMBER 2007

and only 1945 Com monwealth Model C-170 Trimmer, registration number NX41853. The Commonwealth Trimmer, designed by Gilbert Trim mer, was a development of a 1938 design by Mr. Trimmer called the Trim craft. The Trimcraft was a two-place, single-engine, parasol wing, wooden hull amphibian powered by a 50-hp Salmson AD-9 radial engine. The Trimmer was built by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation, al though the plane may have been started by Gil bert Trimmer beforehand. Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation was a reor ganization of Rearwin Aircraft & Engines Inc. located at Fairfax Air port in Kansas City, Kan sas. The company remained in Kansas City during World War II building troop gliders, but shortly after the war the company relocated to New York. Com monwealth bought the former Colum bia Aircraft Company factory on the site of the former Curtiss Field in Valley Stream, Long Island, New York. [The adjacent airport, Roosevelt Field, was the departure point for Lindbergh's solo trans-Atlantic flight.-EditoL]

The Trimmer was probably built in New York since Gilbert Trimmer was from New York City, but I'm not positive. The Common wealth Trimmer was built near the end of Commonwealth Air craft Corporation's ex istence. In October and November of 1946, a labor strike forced Commonwealth Air craft to close its doors forever. The bank nlptcy was final some time in 1947. The Commonwealth Trimmer was a twin-engine three-place amphibian. It had dual controls, a built-in gal ley, and the seats could be converted to sleep two people in bunks. The hull was stepped; it had fixed sponson floats, ta pered cantilevered wings with flaps, a strut-braced horizontal tail, and con ventional gear with the main gear re tractable into fairings on the side of the fuselage. The Trimmer was supposed to be the first twin-engine plane of less than 1,000 hp that could maintain alti tude on one engine. Specifications that I found in various places (with some slight discrepancies) are as follows: Wingspan 36 feet Length 24 feet 9 or 10 inches Height (on gear) 8 feet 7 inches Gross Weight 2,420 pounds Empty Weight 1,550 pounds Engines (two) Continental C-85, 85 hp Fuel Bum 9 gph total Range 500 miles Top Speed 135 mph Cruise Speed 115 mph Landing Speed 48 mph (flaps), 57 mph (clean) Rate ofClimb 850 fpm at sea level Service Ceiling 14,000 feet Projected Price $5,985 The Commonwealth Trimmer was later converted to the Biemond Teal CB 1. The Commonwealth Trimmer airplane and tooling were acquired by Mr. C. Bi emond of Green Valley, Arizona. The registration number of the airplane was

changed to N41999, with serial number 1001. I can't determine if that is the se rial number used on the original Com monwealth Trimmer or not. According to FAA records, Mr. Bi emond holds Type Certificate No. A15WE for the Biemond Teal CB1, se rial 1001. The Teal CB1 is presumably modified somewhat from the original Commonwealth Trimmer, but a 1971 photo appears like the original Trimmer to me. The Type Certificate Data Sheet says the airplane is in the restricted cat egory, and that no other aircraft may be produced under the type certificate. The Type Certificate Data Sheet also says the airplane was approved in the restricted category under CAR 8 on Oc tober 11, 1950, and Type Certificate No. A15WE was issued on November 14, 1967. N41999, the Teal CB1, is currently registered to Eric Engler of Cass City, Michigan. References: eAn original photo: www.Aerofiles. com/commtri.jpg eThe February 1946 issue of Fly ing magazine featured an in-flight photo of the Commonwealth Trimmer on the cover. eThe October 1946 issue of Avia

tion magazine has a photo of a Com been available from the TC holder for monwealth Trimmer in a Pittsburgh over 10 years . If you're really serious, Paint advertisement on page 124. It contact Cornelius Biemond at 520-648 lists some of the specifications that 5708. Biemond and his engineering firm were included above. did extensive work to get their version of eThere was an article in the Decem the Trimmer type certificated (including ber 1946 issue of Flying magazine that the installation of 150-hp Lycoming en reviewed the 1946 Cleveland National gines), something that Commonwealth Aircraft Show that was held from No never accomplished. vember 15 to November 24. Another correct answers was re eThe Commonwealth Trimmer was ceived from Jack Erickson, State Col displayed at the show (as well as a Com lege, Pennsylvania. Jack informed us monwealth Skyranger), and many of in his note that the hull of the Trim the specifications came from that article mer was built using plastic-bonded (page 75). plywood, and that the airplane was eThe book Those Fabulous Amphib designed by Gilbert Trimmer and ians by Don C. Wigton has an in-flight built initially by Allied Aviation photo and small write-up on the Com Corporation of Cockeysville, Mary monwealth Trimmer (pages 44 and 45). land [Reference: Jane's All the World's eHere is a 1971 photo ofthe Biemond Aircraft for 1945-1946]. Teal CB1, N41999, serial number 1001: Additional correct answers went http://1000AircraftPhotos.com/Gen sent in by Logan Boles, Tiburon, eraIAv/BiemondTeaICB-l.htm California; John McDonald, Al eGen eral Aviation News recently hambra, Illinois; Wayne Muxlow, carried an advertisement placed by the Minneapolis, Minnesota; Thomas current type certificate holder, Biemond Lymburn, Princeton, Minnesota; Engineering Company, which would Clarence Hesser, St. Augustine, Flor like to sell the TC and associated draw ida; Joe Tarafas, Bethlehem, Penn ings, etc. Biemond acquired the rights sylvania; Wayne VanValkenburgh, to the aircraft in the mid-1960s. Jasper, Georgia; Charles Cary, East eAn Internet search shows that the Windsor, Connecticut; and Ken TC and its associated materials have Hecht, Caro, Michigan. .......

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BY DOU G STEWART

Black eye I woke myself up a few mornings ago rubbing my right eye quite vigorously. It was itching rather intensely. Check ing my eye out in the mirror, I found it was swollen to al most twice the size of my left eye. By midday that swollen eye had turned into one heck of a shiner. Throughout the rest of the day, and for several days thereafter, I was al ways embarrassed when having to respond to the question "How did you get that black eye?" with the answer that I had done it to myself. As I reflected on this situation, I re alized that I wasn't the only pilot to give himself a black eye. As regrettable as it might be, it seems that pilots are doing it almost on a weekly basis, and the black eye that they inflict is suf fered not only individually, but also by the entire Part 91 pilot population. Al though it is only a very small handful of pilots that generates negative media attention, we all tend to be guilty by association in the public mind. Because of our love affair with all things relating to aviation, we as pi lots tend to forget that the vast ma jority of the world does not share our passion for flight . Every time a pilot does something questionable, the me dia will jump all over it. The negative image the media creates is absorbed by those who get their information from the daily papers, radio, and television, creating an atmosphere of fear and aversion to everything in the sky with an engine attached to it. This mentality gets passed on to elected officials, and the next thing you know there is a hue and cry to limit general aviation in one way or another. Let me discuss several examples. Just a little over a week ago, a Cherokee Six en route from Maine to my home base airport of 1B1 came out of the clouds in pieces, with the vast majority of the air craft crashing not far from a home in a pristine part of

the Berkshire Hills in western Massachusetts. Witnesses to the crash said there had been a loud "bang" sounding like thunder, and shortly thereafter the airplane came "diving out of the clouds." The local newspaper report was almost comically ig norant of the basic facts of aeronautics and aviation. It was filled with conjecture predicated on witness accounts from people who knew nothing about aviation. But the fallacies and inaccuracies that filled the report were most surely accepted by the readers of that publication as gospel. And to add fuel to the fire (ac tually there was no post-crash fire be cause the wings, containing whatever fuel was still on board, had separated from the airplane long before it hit the ground, a fact left out of the newspa per report), the paper included a side bar article detailing all the airplane accidents in the county, dating all the way back to the '70s. If I knew nothing of aviation, that article might have inspired me to call my local congressman demand ing that he do something to limit the amount of aircraft that flew over the county. If that article hadn't provoked a call, yesterday's article would have, as it reported the initial findings of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) prelimi nary report, which had just been released. The paper quoted the NTSB report fairly accurately, but that report hardly presented pilots as a group of safety conscious folks. The NTSB report was rather extensive for a preliminary report, stating that the accident was evidently an act of "pilot error." The pilot had been no tified by air traffic control (ATC) of "severe weather, off your right side, heading your way at 30 knots," but he did nothing to alter course and avoid the cell. Thirteen min utes after ATC advised the pilot of the weather, the pilot

I can't think of any excuse, other than for a couple of emergency scenarios, for violating a TFR, especially one such as this that had gained perhaps even international exposure.

SEPTEMBER 2007

and his passenger were dead. Perhaps when the final report is issued we'll know more, but for now, as I walk down the main street of my local town in a light drizzle, I see the look of fear in some folks as they stare up toward a sky obscured with clouds while the sound of an airplane passes overhead. I'm surprised no one has asked me, "How did you get that black eye?" I said before that I would discuss several examples, so here'S another one. Most folks in America, regardless of where they live, were aware that the president of Russia was coming to meet with our president. Their meeting was to be held at the senior Bush's Maine seaside resi dence. You didn't have to be a pilot to know this, as it was headline news everywhere. Pilots learned early, through numerous sources, that a temporary flight restriction (TFR) would be established over Kennebunkport during this presidential conclave. One didn't need any kind of special equipment to un derstand the limits of the TFR, as the New York sectional chart depicts the entire area of the TFR in white. It re quires no intelligence whatsoever to understand that if one wanders into the boundaries of this area, so clearly delineated on the chart, while the TFR is active, one will be intercepted and face disciplinary action. Despite the problems that the flight service station was undergoing at the time, every briefer I spoke to over a five-day period made sure that I was aware of the TFR. Ev ery time I checked my e-mail there was an announcement from one organization or another of the TFR. How could anyone miss this one? Yet there are now six pilots who have had their pilot certificates suspended for a manda tory 90 days because they violated the TFR. I must admit that I really don't feel sorry for them, but I do feel sorry for all the rest of us, who now face fur ther scrutiny from overzealous politicians because of that handful of inattentive pilots. I can't think of any excuse, other than for a couple of emergency scenarios, for violat ing a TFR, especially one such as this that had gained per haps even international exposure. I know I am not alone as I rub my sore eye. The last example I'd like to discuss did receive national exposure. Sometimes Darwin Award winners gain that kind of notoriety. I am sure that many of you have heard of the pilot who, upon witnessing Matt Younkin fly his routine in the Beech 18 at Sun 'n Fun Fly-In at Lakeland, Florida, decided he could do the same thing in his Baron. He even tried it flying home from the event but was stopped by a passenger sitting in the right seat. But that did not keep him from continuing to try, and about two weeks after Sun 'n Fun he found out the hard way that he really couldn't roll his Baron. He won the Darwin Award for his efforts, but the really sad thing is that his four passengers didn't merely end up with the black eyes all the rest of us suffered; they were all removed from the gene pool along with the pilot. And he wasn't the only pilot since that April gather ing to do such a foolhardy thing. Toward the end of June, about 40 miles south of lBl, another pilot got the award,

this time for attempting a loop from 250 feet above ground level and stalling and spinning out of the top of it. As in the previous aCCident, this pilot took his passenger with him on his journey west. It is a sad, sad fact that we are our own worst enemies when it comes to presenting a good, positive, safe vision of aviation to the vast non-flying public. Even though it is only a tiny handful of pilots that gives aviation its black eye, we must all share in the responsibility. If we witness pilots who are acting in a reckless or cavalier manner, it is our responsibility to speak up. Say something to the pilot. Say something to the authorities, if necessary. It is not only our insurance premiums that escalate every time a dumb pilot does something stupid; the hue and cry of those who would limit our flying freedoms soars as well. Although my aging body might be susceptible to an oc casional self-inflicted black eye, I sure don't want to give one of the things I love the most, aviation, a black eye . Nor do I want anyone else inflicting that black eye. I want to be sure that no one is trying to stop any of us from fly ing when there are ...blue skies and tail winds.

Doug Stewart is the 2004 National CFI of the Year, a NAFI Master Instructor, and a des ignated pilot examiner. He oper ates DSFI Inc. (www.DSFlight.com) based at the Columbia ...... County Airport (1B1).

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VIN T AGE A I R P LA NE

BY BUCK HILBERT

One of my favorite stops

You've heard me mention this place before, but if you've been read ing my column for a few years, I'll bet you can tell it's one of my favor ite spots to stop. On the way to Sun 'n Fun, a slight deviation brought us to the U.S. Army Aviation Museum (www.ArmyAvnMuseum.org) at Fort Rucker, Alabama. What a preserva tion of military aviation history! Located in the southwestern corner of Alabama near the cities of Daleville (where the front gate is located), Ozark, and Enterprise, the collection begins with a Ken Hyde--built replica of the 1911 Wright brothers' Model B and continues up through the lat est examples of combat and transport helicopters used by the Army today. Entry to Fort Rucker is a bit intimi dating due to the security aftermath of September 11. However, producing acceptable ID got us a pass and direc tions to the facility. Museum admission is free. For a facility as significant as this, that's a real bonus. Just inside the entry are six life-size bronze figures dressed in 36 SEPTEMBER 2007

flight clothing of the eras they repre sent. From 1911 to the present. First things first, the restrooms are very near the entrance. That chore accomplished, my wingman Jim Dier and I looked up Steve Maxham, the executive director. Steve recognized our names right away, and we got the royal treatment. Jim and I had arranged for the do nation of a World War I Vickers ma chine gun that Jim's neighbor had found in his attic. This man, in his 70s, worried that the Bureau of Alco hol, Tobacco, and Firearms was going to come down on him for posseSSion of a machine gun, and he called Jim for advice on how to dispose of the vintage weapon. Jim called me, and after seeing its almost pristine condition and real izing it was a World War I airborne gun, we decided to donate it to the U.S. Army Aviation Museum. Steve directed us to where it's dis played in the World War I Exhibit Hall in a special case complete with a historical description as well as sights

and extra belted ammunition, both of which were added from the mu seum's collection. We were pleased to see its prominent display. The museum is arranged to portray the progreSSion of Army aviation from the Civil War to the action of today, along the way highlighting World War I, the Tex-Mex (Poncho Villa) ac tion, the first artillery and liaison air craft before and during World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the development of the helicopter. The museum is currently updating its unmanned aerial vehicle display to illustrate how effective these eyes in the sky are. Those of you interested in radio control models would turn green with envy at their level of sophistication. The main hall is cavernous. There are several full-size dioramas depicting World War II uses of the ilL" planes, helicopter operations, cutaway air planes and helicopters, and virtually one of every type of liaison airplane hanging from the rafters (L-2, L-3, L-4, L-16, L-17, and L-20) along with an Otter and helicopters of all sizes and

description. The stories are there . One needs only several hours of concentrated reading to find the h istory behind the development of these special purpose military aircraft. The frustra tion of the Army in trying to get the Air Force to realize t he Army's spe cial needs and provide the su pport it so sorely needed. The eventual re alization t hat allowed the Army to

tion. And in recorded cases, they sup plied encircled and trapped troops with food, water, blan kets, ammuni tion, and fuel. The museum also has a Hall of ::; Fame with many nam es of individ => ~ uals who flew these missions. Most => ~ impressive. Many of them were lost ir.o'--t.....r ~ in action; others survived and went ~ on to become well-known . All de > serve recognition and acclaim. They ~ <! ~ proved it could be done. " ~ Jim and I were fortunate to be J: ~ there at a time whe n graduation ceremonies were taking place. We saw more than 100 career officers, all captains, receiving their wings . develop and procure its own special Most were regular Army and were purpose aircraft, and the resulting op going off to new assignments as ro erating efficiency proved the point. tary-wing pilots. Some were retu rn Commanders used them to great ing to their original assignments. All advantage. Th ese aircraft served as were eager an d full of confidence. aerial "jeeps," transporting com We wish them well! Over to you, manders and delivering intelligence information. They were u sed for photo work, spotted for the artillery, were the eyes for the armored corps, and were used for medical evacua

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Getting Your A&P Rating continued from page 17 manual provided no answers. When the FAA had to disclose all written test questions complete with answer choices, they tried to "stan dardize" designated mechanic examin ers. This required each DME to attend an FAA 24-hour initial standardization clinic, followed by 16-hour clinics every two years. The time requirements were reduced and now are eight-hour clinics every two years. The FAA inspectors in charge of the initial clinics said that the oral/practical examinations were now the "discriminator" for issuance of the mechanic certificate and that the failure rate should be around 10 percent. Hear ing this from the FAA was a shock, and I returned my DME to the FAA in 1987. I never believed in "quotas!" The inspection authorization exami nation was the most difficult FAA exam I have ever taken. I was in the FAA office for 6-1/2 hours. My test came before mi crofiche, so I had to hand-carryall the hard copies of the necessary regulations and publications into the office. It took two trips because the boxes were heavy! I have been involved in aircraft maintenance for more than 50 years and hold the Charles Taylor Master Me chanic Award. I have also been flying for more than 50 years, starting both as a mechanic and student pilot in 1956. The career is rewarding, but I will have to say the pay is not commensurate with the responsibility carried by the mechanic. I remember attending classes at Northrop Institute for 35 hours per week and working 30 to 40 hours per week. I worked on sheet metal aircraft repairs, primarily repairing wingtips and engine speed rings for mil itary C-47 ships. For this I was paid $1.50 per hour, and I worked after class every day from 4 to 10 p.m. and on Saturdays. The owner told me he would give me a "substantial" raise when I received my A&P. He did give me a raise, from $1.50 per hour to $1.60 per hour! My career shifted to Reedley Community College in Reedley, California, where I taught general and airframe subjects for 31 years. It was a good career. ...... 38

SEPTEMBER 2007

The fol/owing list of coming events is furnished to our readers as a mat ter of information only and does not constitute approval, sponsorship, in volvement, control, or direction ofany event (fly-in, seminars, fly market, etc.) listed. To submit an event, send the information via mail to: Vintage Airplane, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Or e-mail the information to: vintageaircraft@eaa. org. Information should be received four months prior to the event date. SEPTEMBER 13-16-Benton Harbor, MI International Cessna 120/140 Annual Flyin at Southwest Michigan Regional Airport BEH, hosted by Victor Grahn, Email: zenyamaero@netzero.com SEPTEMBER I S-Jacksonville, IL-(UK) 23rd Midwest Stenson Reunion, Flyout lunch to Zelmer Info : 630-904-6964 SEPTEMBER 15-16--Teterboro , NJ Teterboro Airport Wings and Whee ls Expo sponsored by the NJ Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum featuring WW II B-17, C-54 Skymaster, WW II C-47 , vintage cars and more 9 am to 5 pm $10/adults; $5/12 and under; FREE/5 and under Ca ll (201) 288-6344 for more information. SEPTEMBER 16--Tunkhannock, PA Skyhaven Airport 76N Skyhaven All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast and Craft Show 7:30 am-l pm $6.00 adults, $3.00 children Vintage airplane displays . SEPTEMBER I -Marion, IN-Marion Municipal Airport (MZZ). 17th Annual Fly-In Cruise-In. 7:00am until 2:00pm. This annual event features antique, classic, homebuilt, ultralight and warbird aircraft as well as vintage cars, trucks, motorcycles , and tractors . An all-you-can eat Pancake Breakfast is served, with all proceeds going to the local Marion High School Marching Band . WWW. FlylnCruiseln.com Info: Ray Johnson (765) 664-2588 or rjohnson@indy.rr.com SEPTEMBER I -Zanesville, OH-Riverside Airport (OH36) EM Chapter 425 Pancake Breakfast 8:00 AM till 2:00 PM All you can eat pancakes, sausage and drink $5.00 for adults $2 .50 for children under six. Lunch items served after 11:00PM Contact: Chuck Bruckelmeyer Phone: (740) 454-7487 SEPTEMBER 2-Mondovi, WI-21st Annual Log Cabin Airport Ay-In. Doug Ward, Owner/ Operator, 715-287-4205. Lunch @ noon. SEPTEMBER 8-Newark, Ohio-Newark Heath Airport (VTA) Annual Fly-In/Drive-In Breakfast "Pancakes and More," Young Eagles Flights , Vintage Airplanes, Classic Cars, Tom McFadden 740-587 2312; email: EAA402@adelphia.net SEPTEMBER 9-Mt. Morris, IL-Ogle County

Airport (C55) EM Chapter 682 Ay-In Breakfast 7am-12pm For information call Dr. Glen Orr 815-735-7268 SEPTEMBER 21-22-Bartlesville, OK-Frank Phillips Field (BVO). 51st Annual Tulsa Regional Fly-In. Antiques, Classics, Light Sport, Warbirds, Forum , Type Clubs. Info: Charlie Harris 918-622 8400 www.tulsaflyin.com

SEPTEMBER 22-23- Winchester, VA-Winchester Regional Airport (KOKV) EM 186 Fall Fly-in Pancake breakfast 8 AM to 11 AM both days. Aircraft judging, displays, more. www.eaa186.org. Richard Largent: snookflyer@verizon.netor540-868-2698

OCTOBER 5-7-Camden, SC-Kershaw County Airport (KCDN). VM Chapter 3 Fall Fly-In. All classes welcome. BBQ on field Fri. Evening. EM judging all classes Sat. Banquet Sat. Nite. Info: Jim Wilson 843 753-7138 or eiwilson@homexpressway. net

OCTOBER 5-7-St. Louis, MO-Creve Coeur Airport (lHO) The Monocoupe Club Fly-In & Reunion www.monocoupe.com OCTOBER 10-14--Tullahoma, TN-"Beech Birthday Party 2007" Staggerwing, Twin Beech 18, Bonanza, Baron , Beech owners& enthusiasts. Info 931-455-1974 -;

2007MAJOR FLy-INS For details on EAA Chapter fly·ins and other local avi· ation events, visit www.eaa.orgjevents EAA Southeast Regional Ry-In Middleton Field Airport (GZH), Evergreen, AL October 12-14, 2007 www.SERFI.org

Copperstate Regional EAA Ry-In Casa Grande (Arizona) Municipal Airport (CGZ) October 25-28, 2007 www.copperstate.org

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ENJOY THE MANY BENEFITS OF EAA AND ASSOCIATION EAA's VIN TAG E AIRCRAFT ASSOC IATION OFFICERS President Geoff Robison 152 1 E. MacGregor Dr.

New Have n, I 46774 260·493·4724 cl/ie{7025@aoi.com

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Steve Nesse 2009 Highland Ave. Albert Lea, MN 56007 507-373·1 674

stnes@deskmedia.com

Vice-President

George Daubner 2448 Lough Lane Hartford, WI 53027 262-673-5885 vaa{l),boy@msn.com Treasurer C harles W. Harri s 7215 East 46th St.

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DIRECTORS Steve Bender 85 Brush Hill Road

Sherborn, MA 01770

508-653-7557

Jeannie Hill P.O. Box 328

Harvard, IL 60033·0328

815-943·7205

sst 1()@comcast,net

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David Bennett 375 Killdeer Ct Lincoln, CA 95648 916·645-8370 antiqller@inreach.com

Espie "Butch" Joyce 704 N. Regional Rd. Greensboro. NC 27409 336·668-3650 windsock@aol.com

John Berendt

7645 Echo Point Rd.

Cannon Falls, MN 55009

507-263·2414

mjbfchld@rconnect. com

St eve Krog

1002 Heather Ln. Hartford, WI 53027 262-966-7627 sskrog@aol.cOtll

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Robert D. "Bob" Lumley 1265 South 124th St. BrOOkfield, WI 53005 262-782-2633 iumper@execpc .com

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Gene Morris 5936 Steve Court Roanoke, TX 76262 817-491-9110

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Lawton, M I 49065

269·624·6490

Dea n Richardson 1429 Kings Lynn Rd Stoughton, WI 53589 608·877·8485

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Dale A. Gustafson 7724 Shady Hills Dr. Indianapolis, IN 46278 317·293·4430

S.H. " Wes" Schmid 2359 Lefeber Avenue Wauwatosa, WI 53213 414-77 1-1545 sl/ scJimid@11I iiwpc.com

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