Va vol 45 no 1 jan feb 2017 by EAA Vintage Aircraft Association

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

•AirVenture

Photo Essay •Tri-Motor Time Traveler

Model

Luscombe

2017 Ford F-150.

STAFF

EAA Publisher/Chairman of the Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack J. Pelton

GEOFF ROBISON

Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim Busha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jbusha@eaa.org VAA Executive Administrator. . Hannah Hupfer 920-426-6110. . . . . . . . . . . hhupfer@eaa.org

A year to remember

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Straight & Level VAA PRESIDENT, EAA Lifetime 268346, VAA Lifetime 12606

The New Speed of Tough.

Vintage Airplane

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Here’s hoping everybody had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Many wonderful tributes have been published in the media and on social media about the loss of our VAA director Ron Alexander, during a flight of his beloved Jenny on November 17. There truly are no words sufficient to appropriately describe the kind of man Ron was. The best descriptor I heard of Ron was him being referred to as a “quiet giant of aviation.” Even that terminology doesn’t fully describe this man. To say the least, he will be sadly missed by all. Rest in peace, my friend. We are all very certain that you now reside next to God and all of the angels in heaven. 2016 was an excellent year for our association, as well as our many thousands of members all over the globe. FAA medical reform was one of the largest issues to impact our members who fly vintage aircraft. This is potentially a real game-changer for us all. Hopefully, by the time you read this column we will know how these new rules will personally impact each of us on being able to continue to operate our beloved vintage aircraft with as little regulation as possible, and without a thirdclass medical. All we can really do at this point is hope for the best. EAA staff members’ efforts to see this initiative through to the finish line has been stellar and very impactful. They have proven themselves to be a true force to be reckoned with. I hope everyone feels as I do that the efforts put forth by our government relations team have truly been amazing. Yes, I suspect that there will be a need for some additional conversations with the FAA when a final ruling is released and we begin the process of working through the new regulations that will become the final list of conditions on how we all remain compliant with these new rules and conditions. Another good example of successes in the Vintage area at AirVenture Oshkosh are the many enhancements we invested in this past year. You have to see it to really appreciate the results of these amazing enhancements, most of which were financed by many of our generous VAA members, and we are forever indebted to those of you who contributed to the success of our organization. Be assured, we are not yet finished in our efforts to invest in these capital projects. It is our desire to continue to enhance the member experience in the Vintage area in the future. We have two additional capital projects on our plate that we hope to execute on in early 2017. Again, we have experienced an amazing level of generosity from our friends throughout the country who are leaders among the many golden age of aviation

Art Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . Olivia Phillip Trabbold Graphic Designer. . . . . . . Amanda Million ADVERTISING: Vice President of Business Development Dave Chaimson. . . . . . . . . . dchaimson@eaa.org Advertising Manager Sue Anderson. . . . . . . . . . . sanderson@eaa.org VAA, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903 Website: www.vintageaircraft.org Email: Vintageaircraft@eaa.org

VISIT www.vintageaircraft.org for the latest in information and news and for the electronic newsletter:

Vintage AirMail

VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION Current EAA members may join the Vintage Aircraft Association and receive VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine for an additional $45/year. EAA Membership, VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine and one-year membership in the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association are available for $55 per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not included). (Add $7 for International Postage.)

FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable in United States dollars. Add required Foreign Postage amount for each membership. Membership Service PO Box 3086 Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086 Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM—6:00 PM CST Join/Renew 800-564-6322 membership@eaa.org EAA AirVenture Oshkosh www.eaa.org/airventure 888-322-4636

continued on page 63

www.vintageaircraft.org

Vol. 45, No. 1

CONTENTS

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

Time Traveler

1930 Tri-Motor air travel Kurt Adams

AirVenture 2016 Picture Perfect

Back From the Grave—Sort Of Bill Bradford’s reincarnation of the Model 10 Luscombe Budd Davisson

COLUMNS 1

Straight & Level A year to remember Geoff Robison

Ask the AME Sleep apnea John Patterson, M.D., AME

10 How to? Construct a cap strip bending form Robert G. Lock

COVERS

FRONT COVER: Bill Bradford’s Model 10 Luscombe. Photo by Michael Kelly BACK COVER: Ron Alexander at the controls of his beloved DC-3. Inset photo by Christopher Buff.

Good Old Days

14 News/Gone West 58 The Vintage Mechanic Teaching a nation how to fly Robert G. Lock 63 VAA New Members

ANY COMMENTS?

Send your thoughts to the Vintage Editor at: jbusha@ eaa.org 2

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

For missing or replacement magazines, or any other membership-related questions, please call EAA Member Services at 800-JOIN-EAA (564-6322).

www.vintageaircraft.org

Friends of the

RED BARN

Friends of the Red Barn program is our only annual fundraiser to support the VAA members, volunteers, and Vintage hospitality at Oshkosh. The VAA Red Barn is the centerpiece, the central gathering place for virtually all Vintage members during EAA Oshkosh each year. The Red Barn is where we meet our friends, get our questions answered, sit on the front porch to rest a bit, drink lemonade, and thoroughly enjoy our aviation friends and the spectacular events of the day. We never meet a stranger at the Red Barn; everyone is on cloud nine just to be enjoying being in a place we so thoroughly enjoy and appreciate. But the Red Barn as we know it today did not just happen. In 2000-2001, Vintage found itself attempting to provide a proper, acceptable facility to meet, greet, and accommodate its members. The Red Barn was old. We had used it since 1973 and it was used long before that as a real barn. It was tired and not in keeping with EAA and Vintage standards in terms of condition and acceptability. Vintage had no money to improve it; our dues were pitifully small and completely insufficient to assist in any way. We had to remedy an unacceptable situation . . . and we did. We created the Friends of the Red Barn program in 2001. We kicked off our first campaign in early 2002. Our goal was to interest a small number of dedicated Vintage members to financially support the physical improvement of the Red Barn and, far more important, upgrade and support it to the point where it became an inviting, pleasant place to meet, greet, relax, and simply enjoy the magic and magnificence that is Oshkosh each summer. The Friends of the Red Barn has become a wonderfully successful support program for Vintage members and guests during the convention. 2017 will be its 16th year, and you will be amazed to know that the majority of the Barnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s loyal supporters have been a part of the group since the very first year. Vintage is extremely proud of this dedicated group of members. Their names are listed annually at the Barn and in the pages of Vintage Airplane. These donors have made the Red Barn and its gracious hospitality what you enjoy today . . . and we are just beginning. The Barn is upwards of 80-90 years old. Every year it receives countless physical and cosmetic upgrades, but like many of us, one of these days soon the old girl is going to have to undergo big-time reconstruction. When that day comes Friends of the Red Barn will be there to do our part. We hope each Vintage member realizes what a treasure we have in our own facility to serve all of us each summer, and also know that it is member-created and member-maintained, principally through our Friends. Vintage is privileged to provide some very neat thank-yous when you become a Friend in return for your contribution. It is a win-win for all. Vintage is the very finest such organization in the world. We attract visitors from all over the world to the Red Barn and our newly expanded Vintage airplane area each summer. We have grown from one lone, abandoned barn to an entire complex replicating a small country airport. With your help, every year we will provide more enhanced hospitality for all. Please stand tall and join with us in Friends of the Red Barn; you will be forever proud and happy that you did. Charlie Harris, Director Emeritus EAA Life Member 96978, VAA Life Member 2158

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Nominat ions

C A L L F OR V I N TA G E A I R C R A F T A S S O C I AT ION

Nominate your favorite vintage aviator for the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association Hall of Fame. A great honor could be bestowed upon that man or woman working next to you on your airplane, sitting next to you in the chapter meeting, or walking next to you at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Think about the people in your circle of aviation friends: the mechanic, historian, photographer, or pilot who has shared innumerable tips with you and with many others. They could be the next VAA Hall of Fame inductee—but only if they are nominated. The person you nominate can be a citizen of any country and may be living or deceased; his or her involvement in vintage aviation must have occurred between 1950 and

the present day. His or her contribution can be in the areas of flying, design, mechanical or aerodynamic developments, administration, writing, some other vital and relevant field, or any combination of fields that support aviation. The person you nominate must be or have been a member of the Vintage Aircraft Association or the Antique/Classic Division of EAA, and preference is given to those whose actions have contributed to the VAA in some way, perhaps as a volunteer, a restorer who shares his expertise with others, a writer, a photographer, or a pilot sharing stories, preserving aviation history, and encouraging new pilots and enthusiasts.

To nominate someone is easy. It just takes a little time and a little reminiscing on your part. •Think of a person; think of his or her contributions to vintage aviation. •Write those contributions in the various categories of the nomination form. •Write a simple letter highlighting these attributes and contributions. Make copies of newspaper or magazine articles that may substantiate your view. •If at all possible, have another individual (or more) complete a form or write a letter about this person, confirming why the person is a good candidate for induction. We would like to take this opportunity to mention that if you have nominated someone for the VAA Hall of Fame; nominations for the honor are kept on file for 3 years, after which the nomination must be resubmitted. Mail nominating materials to: VAA Hall of Fame, c/o Charles W. Harris, Transportation Leasing Corp. PO Box 470350 Tulsa, OK 74147 E-mail: cwh@hvsu.com Remember, your “contemporary” may be a candidate; nominate someone today! Find the nomination form at www.VintageAircraft.org, or call the VAA office for a copy (920-426-6110), or on your own sheet of paper, simply include the following information: •Date submitted. •Name of person nominated. •Address and phone number of nominee. •E-mail address of nominee. •Date of birth of nominee. If deceased, date of death. •Name and relationship of nominee’s closest living relative. •Address and phone of nominee’s closest living relative. •VAA and EAA number, if known. (Nominee must have been or is a VAA member.) •Time span (dates) of the nominee’s contributions to vintage aviation. (Must be between 1950 to present day.) •Area(s) of contributions to aviation. •Describe the event(s) or nature of activities the nominee has undertaken in aviation to be worthy of induction into the VAA Hall of Fame. •Describe achievements the nominee has made in other related fields in aviation. •Has the nominee already been honored for his or her involvement in aviation and/or the contribution you are stating in this petition? If yes, please explain the nature of the honor and/or award the nominee has received. •Any additional supporting information. •Submitter’s address and phone number, plus e-mail address. •Include any supporting material with your petition.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

Ask the AME

Air Mail

John Patterson, M.D., AME

Letters to the editor

Sleep apnea M.O. writes: “My primary care physician recommended a sleep study, and the results show that I have sleep apnea. The use of a CPAP machine during sleep has been recommended. What can expect at my next FAA medical?” The short answer is that the aviation medical examiner can issue the medical if the airman is otherwise qualified. However, the diagnosis of sleep apnea requires special issuance, and the AME will need to submit all documentation from the sleep study. The airman will need to sign compliance with the treatment form, and a current status report from the treating physician needs to be sent to the FAA. After a favorable review from the FAA, the airman will be given authorization for a 12-month limited medical. At the yearly interval, the airman will be required to submit a current status report from the treating physician regarding the obstructive sleep apnea and is contingent on the daily usage of the CPAP machine. Most of these machines have internal software that documents its use. The FAA has determined a target goal of use for at least 75 percent of the sleep period and an average minimum of six hours’ use per sleep period. Machines approved may be a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), which uses a single pressure to keep air passages open, or an APAP (automatic positive airway pressure), where the machine adjusts the pressure to keep airway passages open automatically and may be able to minimize the pressure needed. A third type of machine is the BiPAP (bilevel positive airway pressure), and it uses different pressures on inhalation and exhalation. All are approved 8

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for use in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. Dental devices or positional devices can also be used, but an annual compliance report from the treating physician will need to be obtained. So, why all the concern? Sleep apnea is a potentially serious disorder that results in breathing to be repeatedly stopping and starting during sleep. This can result in lack of adequate oxygenation during sleep, and can result in significant sleepiness and fatigue during waking hours. It is also thought to contribute to the development of hypertension and cardiac disease in the long term. The main complaint against mandatory testing, however, is the expense involved in the sleep study, and the treatment itself can be aggravating. Currently the FAA requires the aviation medical examiner to categorize the airman applicant into six categories. Groups one and two are individuals who have already been diagnosed with sleep apnea and are either on treatment or not on treatment. Group three includes those individuals determined not to be at risk for sleep apnea. Group four airmen are at risk, and educational materials are to be given to the airman by the AME. Group five is a high-risk group, and a sleep apnea study is required, and group six is a deferred airman felt to be an immediate safety risk. I would think that there would be few individuals in group six, unless the pilot had a history of a motor vehicle incident in which the accident occurred because the individual fell asleep. Airmen categorized into groups four and five are highly subjective. Guidelines are given to the aviation medical examiner by the FAA to identify subjects that are high risk for obstructive sleep apnea.

These include a body mass index (BMI) of greater than 35 and other conditions listed in the guidelines that raise concerns and probably are special issuance situations by themselves. These include congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, refractory hypertension, diabetes, nocturnal cardiac dysrhythmias, stroke, etc. Therefore, according to these guidelines, any airman with a BMI of greater than 35 will need to be categorized as either group four or five. By definition, individuals are considered morbidly obese if their BMI is over 40. I suspect any airman in those categories will receive a letter from the FAA requiring a sleep study. You might remember about a year ago the controversy created when the FAA proposed that any airman with a BMI over 40 be required to have a sleep study. Opposition was based primarily on the expense of the sleep study requirements and the feeling that government had overstepped its bounds. Well, we now have a potential requirement for sleep study at the BMI 35 level. How this will be impacted by third-class medical reform remains to be seen. I anxiously await the FAA “solution” to the congressional mandate. As in the old Who song, I hope “we don’t get fooled again.”

Hello, I recently sent a short note to EAA, briefly commenting on my connection to Buck and to his Fleet 10F. I only just a few weeks ago came to be the caretaker of the Fleet and more recently received my first issue of Vintage Airplane. My association to flying and to Buck really came full circle when I flew the Fleet for the first time. As I shut the engine off and sat in the quiet of the cockpit I said a thank you to Buck, Charlie Smith, and those that inspired a lifelong passion of flying and old airplanes especially. I actually learned of Buck’s passing on the very day that Charlie Smith’s son, Paul, went to take a look at the Fleet for me. I have enough memories of these old-timers (at least they seemed old to me at the time!) growing up to fill a book. I look forward to reading the tribute to Buck in the November/December issue. Regards, Dave Griffith, N14GN caretaker

Jim, Reference Stinson NC18445. This picture is from my dad’s collection, Jack Carr. It was taken at Lake Spenard in Anchorage, Alaska, in the late 1930s or early 1940s. Yes, I know that the plane in November/ December Vintage Airplane is actually NC18446, but I thought you may want to see this picture and share it with Moose Peterson and Woodson K. Woods III. I may have another picture, not sure, but if you are interested I will look. Thank you for all your effort with the old planes and this magazine. Donald A. Carr, EAA 153268 & VAA 12815 www.vintageaircraft.org

How to? ROBERT G. LOCK

Construct a cap strip bending form A cap strip bending form is a fixture in which

wing rib cap strips are bent to proper curvature. The cap strips will have their fibers softened in hot water and then are clamped in this fixture while still wet. When the moisture has dried they may be removed from the form and will retain their curvature. To make the form it will be necessary to secure a large section of soft wood—I like to find a really good piece of fine-grained and knot-free redwood about 18 inches in length that measures at least 4 inches by 4 feet. Using an existing wing rib, trace the outline of the upper (and if necessary the lower) cap strip nose section where the bend is the most extreme. Since the formed cap strips will tend to “spring back” somewhat after they are removed from the form, it is a good idea to saw the block with a slightly sharper curve than needed. Cut the form with a band saw and sand the cut smooth.

To soak the cap strips you will need to construct a tube capable of holding water. There is no need to soak the entire cap strip but rather the forward section only, about from the front spar forward. I use a section of 4-inch diameter PVC pipe about 3-feet long and bond a cap on one end. When ready to soak I put enough hot water in the pipe to wet out the cap strips and then drop the strips into the water. Since wood likes to float, if needed add some weight to hold the cap strips down in the water. Let them soak for one to two hours. Remove and immediately place in the form block, clamp down using two C-clamps, and leave overnight to dry. The dry redwood form block will absorb most of the moisture of the cap strips.

These three illustrations depict the drawn curve, the band saw’s guideline, and the two pieces that result from the cut.

Above, a 1929 Command-Aire 5C3 main wing rib when I built it way back in 1985. 10

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

www.vintageaircraft.org

Good Old Days From pages of what was . . . Take a quick look through history by enjoying images pulled from publications past.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

News

Gone West by Rich Davidson

Ron Alexander 1942-2016

When great men pass it happens in one of two ways, death comes in the night to a person forgotten to time, or the light is snatched unexpectedly from a luminous star. In popular culture the latter equates to going out on top. For Ron Alexander that point would be difficult to identify. At the age of 20, after only a few short years of flying, he was attending college, flight instructing, and serving as first officer on a DC-3. During his 24th year he earned two Air Medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross flying a de Havilland Caribou throughout Vietnam. When he was 32 he was living on an airport “in base,” working for Delta Air Lines, and flying his Cub on days off. Eventually he 14

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

became a check airman for Delta before going on to the plane in which he would finish his career, the 767. During those final years at the airline he was also chief pilot on its restored DC-3. Of course, there was his passion for aircraft restorations that fostered a business career, too. In 1979 he founded Alexander Aeroplane Company. This led to the creation of the SportAir Workshops, which would become so successful EAA would buy the program from him a few years before Aircraft Spruce bought the remaining business. Ron would then go on to buy a languishing airport and turn it into the Peach State Aerodrome and fly-in community, home of the Candler Field Museum, which he also founded, the Barnstormer’s Grill, and the highly successful Candler Field Flying Club and Candler Field Youth Mentorship Program, where kids would learn to fly planes they rebuilt. Soon after, he was inducted into the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame. Incredibly, he also served many groups, an example being his position on the board of the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association. His influence was everywhere and always ushered in a revival of any group he touched. The man’s life was purely amazing. But can you spot the high point? I would argue none of these were it. Among the conversations of aviators, a common cliché is that our sport is about the people. “I go for the people,” or “It’s the people that make it,” or even “It’s not so much the planes but the people that make it special” will be heard or read within every extended discussion about flying. Yet, when our brightest stars pass it is their accumulations or accomplishments we list, as I have done. That simply does not do Ron Alexander justice. Interestingly enough, the words above are

merely a synopsis of the greater Ron Alexander story as written by Ron Alexander. (www.AircraftSpruce.com/catalog/kitspages/ron_alexander.php) Note that he himself mentions the accomplishments and accumulations of his life, never considering the greatest thing in his life may have been his zest for living, positive impact on people, his kindness to others, or the number of people who called him “friend.” I’ve often said that I can instantly identify a person who has met Ron because they will always identify him or herself as one of his friends. To that point, he and I became close friends because of our passion for antique aircraft and a desire to save a few old flying fields for future generations. Through those common interests I came to know one of the greatest men I’ve ever known. And like all the other friends of Ron, I mourn his loss. Gone was not a person, but something a little more. An all-around good spirit had left us behind. He was the good you could count on, that reassuring voice on the other end of the line. Still, there was more to him than many of his friends may have felt but never taken time to consider. Ron was a great man with an acute nose for rats. When someone put money over friendship, showed themselves to be dishonest, or egregiously crossed him, he was done with them. This was not an easy distinction to earn. Because of it, his friends could look to him for guidance and be confident that if someone was on the wrong side of Ron, they were on the wrong side of right. Simultaneously, he could be the most generous man you knew. Kids who wanted to fly, people www.vintageaircraft.org

Dorothy Chase

who needed a break, or friends with business ideas were all potential targets of his generosity. There was a catch, though. He believed in “teaching a man to fish” over “giving a man a fish.” Because of this, some of tomorrow’s brightest stars were born under his watch. Many of whom are now surely wishing they had thanked him for his interest in their lives. One only has to look to his still active Facebook page to see the outpouring of love for the guy who believed in people when others would not, gave someone willing to work a break he or she needed, and kids the skills to build a plane and the confi16

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dence to fly it. He truly was an amazing man whose scope of impact on aviation and his local community is only starting to be understood. And of course I have to mention Ron’s attitude toward life. It is an important point for coming to grips with his loss. Ron was a man who believed in living. Somewhere along the way, aviation, and much of the world, decided safety was better than freedom; security was better than living. The day that memo was released Ron was out flying some old plane. He never got it. Moreover, that may very well be what I believe to be his high point. What made Ron so amazing was the way he lived his life, filling it with so much living there wasn’t time for not. It was probably missed by most because they saw it as kindness, generosity, or one of the many other great traits attributed to the man. Instead, each of those things came from his embrace of life and the desire to see others live the way he knew possible. With his direction kids could experience the freedom self-reliance and respect brings with them. People who felt different or left out could experience the freedom that comes from having a friend who saw them as important. When friends were pushing up against perceived roadblocks, Ron was always there to offer examples around them. I suppose, though, Ron’s last day will serve as the most difficult example of his belief in living to come to terms with. Here was a man who wanted a Jenny, and with the help of friends he made it happen. He never believed these old planes should be static in museums. That notion is for people who live in fear. That was not an option. Good God he was an inspiring man. That day, at that moment, Ron went out on top.

Dorothy (Mrs. Gene) Chase died peacefully in her sleep on her 90th birthday November 21, 2016 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Dorothy Meyer Chase was a native of Scottsbluff, Nebraska; she attended the Scottsbluff public school system and was Valedictorian of her high school graduating class of May 1944. She then attended Scottsbluff Junior College in 1944-1946 where she met Gene Chase who was also a student and a returning WW II Naval Aviator. They married in 1946 and by 1953 had four lovely daughters. Husband Gene became a professional corporate pilot, first flying cloud seeding operations out of Denver, Colorado in a P-40N and then moving the family to Tulsa, Oklahoma in the 1950s where Gene flew corporately for Standard Oil of Indiana’s Service Pipeline. Dorothy and Gene embraced the Tulsa corporate and sport aviation culture and community in every way. Aviation was the family’s “other life”. They together wrote and distributed the sport aviation monthly publication “Spit and Wire’ for nearly 10 years. They were a major moving force in the Tulsa aviation world of friendships and fly-ins all during the time the daughters were blossoming into fine young ladies. Their productive achievements attracted the attention of national EAA President Paul Poberezny, who in 1973 invited them to join the select EAA staff at Hales Cor-

ner, Wisconsin, and in 1973, Gene and Dorothy moved to Wisconsin. Gene became Associate Editor of the EAA Antique/Classic publication Vintage Airplane; Dorothy became secretary to Antique/Classic President Buck Hilbert. Gene and Dorothy became valued and treasured members of the EAA staff. They lived in Oshkosh the next 38 years and were among EAA’s most beloved couples. Their mutual contributions to EAA and sport aviation in general were immense. Dorothy became involved and highly supportive of all the groups, circles and friends wherever they lived. She was a superior wife, mother, homemaker and friend to all with whom she met. She treasured her German-Russian ancestry and was famous for her cooking and baking of traditional German foods and pastries. In 2011 as Gene’s health began to show early signs of diminishing, Dorothy made the decision to move back to Tulsa for the family and medical support Gene would require in the days ahead. They relocated to Tulsa and resided in a beautiful, standalone residence within the University Village complex, a retirement center. In the spring of 2016 Dorothy was diagnosed with a form of Lymphoma, the condition advanced and by the early fall of 2016, her time was short. Dorothy and Gene celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on August 15, 2016, a heartwarm-

Dorothy and Gene Chase

ing family event. Dorothy’s fondest hope then was to be sure Gene would be well cared for and that she would live to her 90th birthday. On midnight November 20, 2016, her three daughters assured her she had indeed lived to complete 90 years; she left us at 4:00 a.m. that morning. Gene remains behind but in the very capable care of their three living daughters. Dorothy Meyer Chase was a lovely, lovely lady who graced the lives of all of whom she came in contact. She lived a beautiful life and raised a beautiful family … who could ever ask for more! We will miss her. www.vintageaircraft.org

1930 Tri-Motor air travel By Kurt Adams Photos Jason Toney

Time

JASON TONEY

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

Traveler

The date is March 5, 1930, a Wednesday morning in Columbus, Ohio, and an unknown traveler, after an overnight train trip from Pe n n S t a t i o n i n N e w York in a luxury Pullman sleeping car, boards the magnificent gleaming Ford Tri-Motor City of Wichita for the first air leg of a transcontinental voyage to Los Angeles. “Left @ 8:15 am-hazy but cloudless -air smooth. Route @ 1200’ Ar 10:15.” So reads the first entry in this passenger’s souvenir booklet, copies of www.vintageaircraft.org

A beautiful souvenir document of the TAT coast to coast flight illustrated and documented.

which were given to all the intrepid travelers who bravely chose to span the continent in an unheard of 48 hours as advertised by the new Transcontinental Air Transport: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Coast to Coast by Plane and Train.â&#x20AC;? I am a retired airline pilot and have always been fascinated by the stories of the early days of commercial air travel â&#x20AC;&#x201D; not only the stories about the planes and pilots, but also those of the early passen20

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gers who were willing to risk their lives on the emerging adventure that was early aviation. I was very lucky, then, to find the intriguing artifact described above at a local yard sale several years ago (for about a dollar!). It gives a glimpse, through personal handwritten entries, into the reality of the very early days of commercial air travel, with all its inherent dangers and discomforts. The booklet itself

opens to reveal an entire route map of the voyage from New York to Los Angeles. Made expressly for TAT by Rand McNally, the map includes spaces on its flip side for passenger comments for each leg of the journey. And this unknown passenger on this particular journey did, in fact, fill in most of the spaces with entries about weather, turbulence, speed, and other details that bring the trip to life. www.vintageaircraft.org

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rewarded in style with a gift of a solid-gold Tiffany pen with each purchase of a transcon ticket.

For starters, it is not evident from the handwriting if our traveler is a man or a woman... In 1930, because of inadequate navigation capabilities, TAT airplanes were not permitted to fly at night, and for the first leg from New York, Mr. Adams no doubt enjoyed a luxurious overnight train trip ending in Port Columbus, where just a walk away from the station the gleaming City of Wichita awaited its passengers’ arrival and was prepared for the first air leg to

Indianapolis. Imagine the anxious excitement passengers felt while walking from the specially built TAT train station out to the airfield where the massive shiny new airliner awaited. Seventy-seven feet from wingtip to wingtip, the silver-skinned ship no doubt inspired confidence with its three mighty engines and its modern corrugated aluminum wings. Once seated onboard, the 10 passengers were cocooned in luxurious appointments of velvet curtains and lacquered woods, and attended to by a steward serving light snacks aloft. Mr. Adams reports that on this first leg, which covered 178 miles and took two hours, the air was smooth at just 1,200 feet, and they arrived on time at 10:15. Though it was impressive in appearance, the Tri-Motor was a rather modest performer, with a cruising speed of just about 100 mph. On this leg to Indy, the aircraft slowed to about 90 mph over the ground. Not too much faster than the train! The 230-mile leg to St. Louis, at 1,200

PHOTO COURTESY KURT ADAMS

So let’s go back in time to March 1930 and imagine what it might have been like to attempt such a voyage and what sort of person our passenger may have been. For starters, it is not evident from the handwriting if our traveler is a man or a woman, so let’s just call our passenger Mr. Adams (why not?). Perhaps Mr. Adams was an important and impatient businessman who was lured and f lattered by the TAT advertising tag line, “For those whose time is too important to waste,” and by the text in the brochure referring to “the executive whose wealth is estimated in hours as well as dollars.” TAT was all about touting its incredible ability to span the continent in only 48 hours. One thing that we can safely infer about Mr. Adams is that he was fairly affluent, since a oneway ticket to LA was $352 (about $3,700 in today’s dollars) and was more than 50 percent costlier than the most luxurious transcontinental train ticket. Clearly, the target clientele were well-heeled, upper crust customers, and they were

to 1,800 feet, afforded Mr. Adams excellent sightseeing opportunities as he noted, “Hood River oil refineries at confluence of Mo+Miss. Rivers. Ar 12:30.” After a quick ground stop to refuel and stretch, they were off to Kansas City 240 miles down the line. By now we might imagine that the initial thrill was wearing off a bit as the air heated up and the afternoon turbulence and deafening roar of the engines began to take their toll. In those early days, long before the invention of Dramamine, a two-hour flight could be an endurance test that no amount of luxury could alleviate, and the only relief offered by the steward for airsickness was lemon slices and the suggestion to slide one’s side window open for a breath of fresh air. (Try that next time you’re on a cross-country flight!) On this leg, our intrepid and maybe a bit green Mr. Adams reported, perhaps understating the conditions, “Bit bumpy-heavily wooded country + Mo. River, seen from 2000’.” In its advertising copy and in this booklet, TAT proclaimed that “an accurate conception of the country’s vast expanse and varied geographic features can be obtained only when seen from the air,” and in 1930 it was certainly true that very few people had seen the country from this vantage point. Mr. Adams seemed quite receptive to this pitch, as his remarks indicate. And so the day wore on. And on. Following a quick pit stop in Wichita, Mr. Adams was no doubt happy to report a “very smooth” flight at 2,200 feet on the last leg of the day to a little airfield in the nowhere town of Waynoka, Oklahoma, chosen by TAT simply for its one-day flying distance from Columbus. Mr. Adams wrote, “Arr 7:12 pm,” and seemed to enjoy doing some calculations for the 938 miles flown that www.vintageaircraft.org

day. “Actual time in the air: 8’34” avrg speed=109.2 mph.” (Perhaps Mr. Adams was a mathematician?!) In any case, what a relief it must have been to get out of that thundering tin can, have a lavish dinner at a specially arranged restaurant, and then board another luxury Pullman sleeper for the 310-mile overnight trip to Clovis, New Mexico, just over the Texas border. Arriving around 6 a.m., our band of by now well-bonded travelers, hopefully well rested, had time for breakfast before the 8 a.m. departure for Albuquerque 206 miles west and the first leg of the final day of the voyage. Now as we look at the colorful map in our souvenir booklet, we can see that this day will certainly afford dramatic scenery as we leave the Plains behind and fly at much higher altitudes to cross the mountains of the Continental Divide. Now it is March 6, and Mr. Adams, hopefully refreshed and eager, reports, “Lv Cl 8:08 am, clear-high wind-dust-Elev. 8500’ bumpy over mts- cr ystal clear @10,000ft.” Based on my experience, I can imagine, with high winds kicking up dust and the aircraft flying with only a few thousand feet of clearance over the mountains, “bumpy over mts” may have been an understatement, given those conditions 24

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and the thick and rigid wings of the lurching Tri-Motor. Nonetheless, despite being slowed by the winds, they safely completed the 206-mile leg to ABQ in 2:37, no doubt happy to be on the ground in one piece. The next leg was ABQ to Winslow, Arizona. The entry in the log for this leg is straightforward and includes only a hint of the unspoken anxiety almost certainly weighing heavily on the minds of every passenger on board, and especially on the pilots: “Lv 11:15 Eastbound plane had to put up overnight @ Winslow b/c storms. Arr just after us. Clear today-Became rough + bumpy soon after leaving ABQ. Headwind held us back to 60-65 mph. Hour late.” Nervous words: Storms, rough, winds. But they arrived. Perhaps it was unspoken, but what everyone on that plane knew was that just six months earlier, on the same leg to Winslow, the passengers and crew of the TAT Tri-Motor sister ship City of San Francisco were not so lucky. On the morning of Tuesday, September 3, 1929, on the same westbound departure, they left on schedule at 10:20 a.m. with five passengers and a crew of three. Capt. J.B. Stowe, who had recently moved with his young wife to Clovis, and copilot E.A. Dietel were on duty that day, and shortly

after takeoff they were faced, in an increasingly tension-filled cockpit, with a dark and threatening wall of weather as they made their way west toward Winslow. Without the aid of modern weather radar, the crew could rely only on their experience and an educated guess as to which way to go to hopefully get around the storms. (In my 31 years of airline flying, I have flown that transcon route hundreds of times and well know the threat posed by the awesome supercell thunderstorms common in that region, spawned by moist air from the Pacific colliding with the dry desert air of the Southwest. No match even for modern jetliners.) This particular leg was over the highest terrain of the entire trip, required a climb to clear the Continental Divide at more than 7,000 feet, and was just south of the 11,400-foot-high Mount Taylor near Grants, New Mexico. Capt. Stowe’s choices were limited: press on, attempt to deviate around the storms, or turn back to ABQ. Tragically, the choice to deviate north ended horribly 45 minutes after takeoff when the struggling Tri-Motor, attempting to clear the peaks in a violent thunderstorm, impacted the slopes of Mount Taylor, resulting in the loss of all on board. This devastating event, need-

less to say, had a severe impact on the business at TAT, and ridership dropped dramatically. This event also marked the beginning of the new era of lurid media headlines about air disasters: “ALL DEAD ON BURNED TAT PLANE FOUND NEAR MT. TAYLOR” screamed The Albuquerque Journal in 3-inch type on September 7. All of a sudden affluent businesspeople decided that maybe they didn’t need to get across the country quite that fast after all. But back to our Mr. Adams, who now with a great sigh of relief finds himself safely on the ground in Winslow. From there came the home stretch to Kingman, Arizona: “Bumpy- rain squalls- up 9000’ ridges snow covered,” and finally the last leg to LA arriving in the late afternoon, and really just 48 hours since boarding the train in New York, as advertised! Quite an amazing adventure, and wouldn’t it be fun to know who “Mr. Adams” really was? A businessman signing a big contract, an actor auditioning for a big part in Hollywood, a son rushing to see his ailing mother? We will never know, but what we do know is that it was bold and adventurous people like him who were willing to give this shaky new industry a try and in some small way promote its evolution into the incredibly safe and reliable air transportation system we take for granted today. And finally, let’s not forget to honor and remember Capt. J.B. Stowe and his copilot, E.A. Dietel, for their pioneering bravery and sacrifice, and for paving the way for the future of safe and comfortable air travel. After this tragic air crash came the stock market crash, and the handwriting was on the wall. About six months after Mr. Adams’ flight, struggling TAT, in a convoluted series of corporate gyrations, be-

came Transcontinental and Western Air, which later became the global giant TWA. So farewell to TAT and to Mr. Adams, who both disappear into the fog of history. But what about our beautiful City of Wichita? Well, a long and colorful story unfolds for our beloved Tri-Motor, including a stint with the early TWA, a period of flying sightseeing tours over the Boulder Dam, five years in Honduras flying for TACA Airlines, an unknown spell in Mexico, then back to the States for a time as a static display at Harrah’s Casino in Las Vegas. It later made its way to a museum in Oregon, and finally, in July 2014, the newly restored, nearly 87-yearold ship found its new home at the Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton, Ohio. And today you can once again board the elegant old lady and take your own flight into aviation history.

Author’s note: After researching and writing this article, I was motivated to travel to Oshkosh to experience for myself a flight in a Ford Tri-Motor. There were two giving rides that day, and under a bright blue sky I boarded the one with “TAT” written on its gleaming corrugated side. The ride was extraordinary, and in a dreamy reverie I was transported back to 1929 to the early days of air travel. Little did I know at the time that the Tri-Motor I was on was City of Wichita, the exact same airplane that made the cross-country flight our unknown traveler described in his souvenir brochure. What are the chances my random purchase of an aviation artifact describing a flight on a particular airplane 87 years ago would eventually lead to a flight on that same airplane? Was it cosmic convergence? Was I maybe sitting in the same seat as our unknown traveler? I’ll never know. But it was the high point for me of a spectacular EAA AirVenture 2016.

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Back From the Grave— Sort Of

Bill Bradford’s reincarnation of the Model 10 Luscombe By Budd Davisson

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MICHAEL KELLY

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JAY BECKMAN PHOTOS

What do you do when an airplane creeps in and grabs you by your imagination and just won’t let go? Much worse, you know that this particular airplane no longer exists. In fact, only one was built and only a few photos, maybe a half-dozen, remain to remind us that it existed at all. Logically, to own and fly one is an impossible dream. However, to Bill Bradford of Independence, Missouri, owning an all-but-forgotten Luscombe Model 10 became his goal, and a goal is nothing more than a dream with a plan and a deadline. The net result was that his Luscombe Model 10 was one of the crowd 52

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favorites at AirVenture 2016. It’s pretty amazing what a guy can do with aluminum, tin snips, and a rivet gun when he’s as driven as Bill Bradford. The object of Bill’s affection, the Luscombe Model 10, is one of those “A what?” type of airplanes because of the aforementioned lack of information about it. In fact, even Luscombe gurus can only talk about it in generalities. Legend has it the sole prototype was built in 1945, probably for the same reason many other manufacturers feverishly began building 65-hp flivvers (Cubs, Champs, T-crafts, etc.): The assumption was that return-

ing GIs, especially pilots, would all want personal airplanes. It was a logical assumption. Hundreds of thousands of young men were taught to fly by Uncle Sam, and it was expected that they’d want to continue flying. The assumption had the American aircraft industry in an absolute building tizzy: Nearly 50,000 airplanes were produced in 1946-47 alone. The only problem was that the assumption was dead wrong, and unsold airplanes carpeted small airports nationwide for years. This group of airplanes is now known as Classics, but the fact that we have such a huge pool of wonderful little airplanes from that era is the result of a classic marketing error. Luscombe was among those that were cranking out airplanes like cookies. Further, according to legend, the Model 10 was designed at that time by Luscombe engineer Misha Kantor as a low-dollar aerobatic airplane. It used basic components of the Luscombe Model 8 in some areas but was more of a clean sheet of paper design than a modified 8A. Also, according to legend, it was flown only a few times before it was either destroyed in a windstorm along with other aircraft and buried, or it was simply chopped up to get a tax write-off. Either way, when the airplane died, the paperwork died right along with it, so when Bill Bradford pulled the trigger on his dream, other than a few dimensions in a book here and there, all he had to work with were a few photos. Although it was a daunting task, Bill wasn’t a greenhorn with a dream. He had the right background to reincarnate a Model 10. “You might say I went to college in ‘Canoe U,’ the Navy, right out of high school,” he says. “Then it was A&P school, 15 years with Zantop Airlines, and another 17

JAY BECKMAN

years with the railroad. Now I’m retired and can really concentrate on helping others with building projects. In fact, I’ve been heavily involved with a number of RV builds, and that, combined with my A&P, is what gave me much of what I needed to do the Model 10. On top of that, my dad, who had spent 35 years wrenching for TWA, had airplanes since I was a kid, and he learned quickly that it was easier to send me into the tail cone of an airplane than try to do it himself.” Bill’s dad was known as Brad, and Brad’s Clip was emblazoned on the side of the clipped-wing Luscombe he brought to AirVenture a few years ago. He says, “I’m a hardcore Luscombe guy because of my dad and because they are one of the best two-seat airplanes from that era. Dad bought a ’46 8A and taught me to fly in it. I still have it, and it’s on its fourth restoration and paint job. I’m a total Luscombe freak! No doubt about it.” Along the way he allowed himself to stray off the Luscombe path and

restore a number of other airplanes, from Smith miniplanes to gliders, and the clipped Luscombe project had him doing major structural metal work on it. Then it was the Model 10’s turn to occupy his life. “From the first time I saw a photo of the Model 10, I wanted to build it,” he says. “I’ve always liked its looks and wanted to do something about owning one even before I started the clip-wing in ’99. I’ve been asked why I wanted to build it, and I can honestly say I built it simply because I’ve wanted to do it for so long that I couldn’t not build it. I would never forgive myself if I didn’t.” Normally when a re-creation project like this is started, the builder bores through dusty piles of documents and sifts through museum archives looking for photos, but Bill didn’t have that luxury. “Really, the only thing I had was pictures out of John Swick’s Luscombe book that also include wingspan and fuselage length,” he says. “From there it was a matter of coming up with the overall outline of

the major parts and then figuring out what went inside that outline in terms of structure while think-

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ing in terms of the way Luscombe built their airplanes.” Although the finished airplane gives the impression that he took a Luscombe apart and used major components, that’s not the case. One just doesn’t take a strut-braced wing, for example, and make it into a cantilevered structure. It’s far more complex than that. “I did use a couple of Luscombe bulkheads and a rib or two, but I’m guessing 85 percent of the airframe is new,” Bill says. “Nothing else would fit. To help, I built a wood jig out of 2-by-6s that was really stiff and used that for both the fuselage and the wings. “I did the tail cone first, then the wings. I started with a few Luscombe parts and heavily modified everything. The main spar, for instance, is over 2 inches thick where 54

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they attach, and I used what are basically Luscombe-type postwar compression ribs out to the aileron bay. “I used a lot of RV type of construction in the wings, then built the center section around them. There is a major frame that runs completely around the fuselage and canopy. It’s pretty stout and doubles as a rollover structure and the mount for the rear of the windshield. It also picks up the main spar center section carry-through, which is 5/16-inch heat-treated 4130 that’s about 12 inches long. “With the landing gear so far out in the wings, I also paid a lot of attention to strength in that area. The gear legs themselves are DIY, a tube inside a tube that uses Champ springs for suspension. I guess I lucked out in picking the springs because the whole thing works really well. The Cleveland wheels and brakes are hidden within some fiberglass pants I got from Jim Younkin. I’ll probably replace them with aluminum units in the future, and with that in mind, I made a

concrete mold from them. Hammering them out will be a wintertime project.” Firewall forward, the airplane is pure Luscombe with the Continental C-85 hiding behind a Luscombe nosebowl. When it came to duplicating the curvaceous Model 10 canopy, Bill turned to the legendary Jeff Rogers and Airplane Plastics in Tipp City, Ohio. Bill says, “They’re good people who build all sorts of canopies for lots of unusual applications including everything from the Batmobile to Reno racers. I sent them a cardboard template, and in much less time than I expected, Jeff called and said it was finished. I took a road trip to pick it up, and it’s flawless. It would have taken me forever to be able to do that kind of work on my own — assuming I could do it at all.” When it came time to license the airplane, he used a DER, and there was never any doubt that, even though it was a re-creation of a factory-built design, it would be licensed in the experimental amateur-built category. This was a safe bet because the original design itself was never certified, and other than the general outline of the airplane, all of the construction details came out of Bill’s imagination. It wasn’t 51 percent amateurbuilt, but basically 100 percent

amateur-built. The finished airplane came out weighing 889 pounds, but Bill says, “That was before I put wheelpants on along with a little alternator. I haven’t weighed it since. The original was reputed to be 840 pounds empty, but that could be pure conjecture. No one knows for sure.” Bill’s dream of flying a Model 10 became real on November 19, 2015.

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“When I was sitting at the end of the runway, I wasn’t thinking about the so-called dream aspect of the project,” he says. “I was just focused on flying it. The flight turned out to go really well. Right from the start I was surprised at how well it got off the ground. It rolled maybe 650-700 feet, and it was off. “In the air, it was just a hair right-wing-heavy, but I tweaked a

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trim tab, and it was dead straight on the second flight. The whole process was almost too easy! I three-pointed it off, and at 85 mph it was climbing at about 800 fpm, which for a 26-foot wing and 85 hp is pretty good. The ailerons are smooth, but in rough air it does the Bonanza or RV tail-wiggle. It has a full 4 degrees of dihedral, which slows the roll rate, but it still does pretty good, but not as good as my clip-wing. “On landing, it’s pure Luscombe. I use 70 mph on final, and you can see over the nose really well un56

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til rotating into three-point attitude and touchdown at around 55 mph. It sits on the ground at 14.5 degrees, which is pretty steep, but typical for the era. “On the runway its handling is just a little quicker than a Luscombe. More like a Vagabond, but it’s certainly not a challenge, and it’s perfectly happy on 1,500-foot runways. I flew it quite a bit at Blakesburg, which has 2,300 feet of grass, and it was a no-brainer. “At altitude I’m generally indicating about 110 mph and burning 5 gallons per hour, but I’ve dived it to

150 doing testing and aerobatics. It likes rolls and loops, but with only 85 hp, you need a longer dive and more speed than most airplanes.” As the cliché goes, no man is an island, not even someone building an airplane, and Bill goes out of his way to recognize the help given him by Mark Anderson and Rick Miller. He is also quick to point out that his wife, Karen, loves to fly and is behind the project. “She had no problem with the one seat,” Bill says. “When I’m going to a fly-in in the 10, she just finds someone with an empty seat and tags along. Both of my girls are grown, Allison and Emily, and they like to fly, too. So, I’m blessed all the way around.” The Luscombe fever that has Bill so thoroughly in its grip didn’t release him with the completion of the Model 10. Right now he says that he and Mark Anderson are restoring a Luscombe Model 4. That’s another “What’s that?” airplane (shaped like a normal Model 8 but with a 90-hp Warner radial engine — very cute!). Seems like Bill doesn’t spend much time sitting around on the back porch in his retirement.

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The Vintage Mechanic ROBERT G. LOCK

Teaching a Nation How to Fly The Lon Cooper story, Part 1 Being a student of history particularly focused on aviation interests in aircraft design and development, I find that those individuals who were involved in all facets of the industry I have grown to admire make these columns most interesting. I do enjoy listening to the old-timers who came before me and achieved noteworthy success in aviation, to capture and write their stories. Several years ago I met Lon Cooper and his wife, Dot, while flying at Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida. He came to the fence, and we started talking about the Stearman PT-17 and how it was designed and used for primary flight training of future combat pilots during World War II. He began by telling me that he was a flight instructor in nearby Lakeland for Albert Lodwick, owner and operator of the Lodwick School of Aeronautics. We immediately began discussing his role as a flight instructor in Boeing Stearman aircraft from 1943 to 1945 when the school closed as the war neared an end. Lon was in his early 80s at the time I first met him, and his memory was outstanding, recalling events that happened more than 60 years ago. Lon was one of those rare individuals of the greatest generation who was ready to share all those stories from the past as if they happened yesterday. He was flight-instructing in Stearmans at the young age of just 22. Looking back to his early years, Lon recalled getting a ride in a Kinner-powered Bird biplane owned by Bill Butters at age 6. It was this introduction to aviation that inspired Lon to learn how to fly an air58 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

plane. Lon’s father was an automobile mechanic who owned two shops in Maryville, Tennessee, where Lon was born. Maryville was located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, but Lon’s parents relocated to the St. Petersburg, Florida, area in 1923, determined to be a part of the building and expansion boom in the state. Lon’s father, Cedric, opened his automobile repair garage but was hired to assist in engine maintenance at the newly constructed Piper-Fuller Field, St. Petersburg’s first airport constructed around 1925. His father also delivered Gulf NoNox aviation gasoline to the airport, thus the aviation connection for Lon. Lon remembered, “Dad took me to the many airplane activities in our area until I was old enough to go on my own. As public interest in aviation increased, Albert Whitted Airport was built on the waterfront in St. Petersburg. I spent Sunday afternoon after church watching all the activities. There were passenger hops in opencockpit biplanes, high-wing cabin monoplanes, and seaplanes. Passenger rides were also available in a Ford Tri-Motor, a Curtiss Condor, a Goodyear blimp, and an autogyro. Biplanes would perform a few stunts to thrill the crowd of several hundred. The afternoon usually ended with a parachute jumper collecting tips in his helmet after which he would jump from one of the biplanes.” And so here is Lon’s story. But first, let’s set the stage with some background information about early local civilian flying and flight training in the late 1930s.

The 1914 Benoist seaplane in flight at St. Petersburg, Florida.

St. Petersburg, Florida, was no stranger to aviation in the early days for it was there on January 1, 1914, that the very first scheduled airline began operation. It was a flight in a Benoist seaplane flown by noted aviator Tony Jannus across the bay from St. Petersburg to Tampa. The 100th anniversary was celebrated in 2014 when a replica of the Benoist ship was constructed and water taxied by Kermit Weeks. Albert Whitted Airport was opened in 1929, built on landfill dredged from the bay, and located near the downtown area of St. Petersburg. Adequate runways and a seaplane ramp to the bay were constructed. There was a large Coast Guard depot building, and students landing toward the north were required to glide the airplane below the roofline of the large building. Landing toward the south required touching down very close to the sea wall, so spot landings were a must when operating in and out of Whitted. Lon graduated from St. Petersburg High School in June 1940 and enrolled at St. Petersburg Junior College in September to continue his education. But there was another reason for attending college, and it was the Civilian Pilot Training Program, of which the college would become a participant in 1941.

In 1938 a visionary elected official from Utah by the name of Robert Hinckley developed an idea to stimulate civil aviation, which was suffering from the devastating effects of the Great Depression that began with the stock market collapse of 1929. There was very little movement in the aviation industry, which included manufacturing of small airplanes, so Hinckley began to explore how the government could subsidize, in an efficient manner, the expansion of civilian aviation. He developed the Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP) and envisioned training thousands of pilots. The program bought no airplanes, built no classrooms, and hired no instructors, but it successfully trained thousands of pilots. From the CPTP inception in late 1938 until it ceased in 1944, 1,132 educational institutions were involved, training approximately 435,165 students using 1,460 private contractors, an admirable record of success considering the program was subsidized by the U.S. government. Existing instructors at the college and university level provided ground instruction while established flight instructors in the local area provided actual flight instruction. These flight operators were reimbursed at the rate of $6 per hour, and each student enrolled in CPTP paid a $35 www.vintageaircraft.org

to $50 lab fee that also paid for a life insurance policy. It was in this program that Lon Cooper enrolled in the summer of 1941.

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When a student enrolled in the CPTP, there was a signed statement that at the conclusion of the training the pilot would volunteer for the U.S. Army Air Corps in the event our country became involved in military action anywhere in the world. Primary flight instruction began for Lon at Whitted Airport under the direction of Johnston Flying Service. Primary flight training required the contract school to furnish light aircraft powered by a minimum 50 hp. Owner Jimmy Johnston had Piper J-3 Cub, Taylorcraft BC-65, and Aeronca 50-C aircraft. Lon recalled, “My instructor was Matt Pelling, certificate number C20076. Mr. Pelling was an excellent instructor — he was patient, stressed safety, and required a precision performance of every maneuver.”

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AERO CLASSIC

Extract from April 1943 issue of Aviation magazine

“COLLECTOR SERIES”

Civilian Pilot Training Manual used by all students enrolled in CPTP.

The first phase of instruction in CPTP was called Primary, and Lon’s class began June 27, 1941, with ground school classes held evenings at St. Petersburg Junior College, then located on 5th Street at 2nd Avenue North. As previously discussed, CPTP hired no instructors but rather used staff already under contract to the college. Here, a chemistry and physics professor named Dr. Wakefield taught the ground school phase of instruction. Ground school consisted of theory of flight, Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) rules and regulations, navigation, and meteorology. Textbooks written by the federal government were required and had to be purchased by each student. Hinckley’s CPTP was very standardized to keep training the same, no matter which part of the country provided instruction. Right is a sample of an instructor’s training manual. There was a whole series of these textbooks, one book for each of the ground school subject areas. 60

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

Picture postcard of 1930s Albert Whitted Airport, St. Petersburg, Florida.

Left, a 1930s postcard from Whitted Airport, showing right the large blimp hangar located in the southwest corner and used by Rex McDonald for his flight school. Beard’s Flying Service used the hangar to the left of the blimp hangar, while Johnston Flying Service used a booth on the west side of the field. Food was always a necessity, and Lon remembered, “Aunt Hattie’s Diner was across 1st Street South and had great hamburgers.” Lon’s first flight at Johnston Flying Service was June 28, 1941, in a Piper J-3 Cub, NC30607. After only eight hours and 15 minutes of dual instruction, he soloed. It is interesting to note that about 75 percent of all CPTP students learned to fly in a Piper Cub. First manufactured in 1938, the Piper Cub ended production in 1947 with Piper having constructed 19,888 aircraft. Lon remembered the details of his flying in 1941 from Whitted Airport. “Low work was practiced north of the airport over the vacant area along 9th

Street North that was paved to where it met Gandy Boulevard,” he said. “It was an excellent emergency landing strip as there were no wires or houses, just vacant lots. High work, stalls, spins, and steep turns were practiced over Snell Isle or Tampa Bay east of Albert Whitted. These practice areas were visible from our field, and students not flying watched as maneuvers were critiqued by an instructor.” Since the CPTP was very well standardized, all flight training was critiqued carefully by the instructor. And there was a section of the “rating sheet” to critique the student’s attitude, physical traits, mental traits, flying habits, and special faults. Even the student’s logbook was furnished by the government. Lon passed his written examination for a private pilot certificate and had logged 23 hours of dual and 16 hours of solo in the Cub. His flight instructor recommended Lon for a flight check for the certificate. Lon remembered, “Civil Aeronautics Administration Inspector E.J. Ulrich flew over from his office in Tampa to check the CPT students. After successfully completing my 20-minute checkride, I received my private pilot certificate on August 26, 1941. With

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my newly acquired certificate and airplane rental at $6 per hour, I added another 24 hours and 30 minutes to my solo time. All flights were short hops from Whitted with an occasional landing at Piper-Fuller Field. Planes flown were Piper Cub, NC35514, Piper J-3 Cub, NC41285, Taylorcraft NC24060, and Aeronca 50-C, NC31786. My certificate number was 123630.” All the aircraft that Lon flew in 1941 had their beginnings in 1938, the year that civilian pilot training was created. Today we would call this program a stimulus, and that is just what it was, except Lon Cooper’s student pilot rating logbook from CPTP days. it was directed toward the private aviation industry. CPTP built no airplanes, but it caused thousands of light two-place tandem and side-by-side ships to be constructed. Just think of all the jobs that were created by this boom in civil aviation. A market was created and filled. In 1938 the CAA issued 30 approved type certificates for new aircraft. Most of these newly certificated aircraft were 50- to 65hp, light, fabric-covered ships specifically designed for the CPTP. Piper Aircraft of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, Aeronca Corporation of Middletown, Ohio, Taylorcraft Standards for flight training of CPTP students. of Alliance, Ohio, and Porterfield Aircraft of Kansas City, Missouri, were the primary manufacturers of light training aircraft. These ships still appear in great numbers at airports throughout the United States. Robert Hinckley’s calling was to establish a program subsidized by the federal government, through the Civil Aeronautics Administration, that would bolster and expand civil aviation in the United States, and his dream included expansion of the educational base from which civilian aviation could grow. Hinckley was born in Fillmore, Utah, and was elected to the Utah House of Representatives from 1918 to 1920 at the age of 27. He was a member and chairman of the CAA under Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman. He was presented the FAA’s highest award in 1983, the Award for Extraordinary Service for his role in developing and administering the nationwide Civilian Pilot Training Program. Many credited Hinckley and his vision of the CPTP with shortening World War II as many as two years by preparing thousands of college stuFather of the Civilian Pilot Training Program, Robert H. dents to fly, using the same standards required for military pilot cadets at the time. Hinckley of Utah. 62

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supporters. We are most appreciative of the leadership of the National Biplane Association from Tulsa, Oklahoma, which has recently donated many thousands of dollars of support to the Vintage Aircraft Association for two much-needed enhancements on the Vintage grounds at Oshkosh. We will share more information on these plans with you as the final phases of this initiative become firmed up. As always, your thoughts and comments regarding our organization and our Vintage Airplane magazine are always very much welcome! Please feel free to drop us a line at vintageaircraft@eaa.org and let us know what you think about our plans and our initiatives, or anything else that may be on your mind. If you desire to communicate directly with our editor, simply address your e-mail to Jim Busha at the above address, or directly to jbusha@eaa.org. We would like to hear your thoughts, positive or otherwise, regarding these issues. As always, please do us all the favor of inviting a friend to join the VAA, and help keep us the strong association we have all enjoyed for so many years. VAA is about participation: Be a member! Be a volunteer! Be there! Let’s all pull in the same direction for the overall good of aviation. Remember, we are better together. Join us and have it all.

New Members Randal Alden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tijeras, NM Lance Allen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jamestown, ND Donna Barker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Waterloo, IN Keith Baumann. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fairfield, IL Stuart Baxter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sycamore, IL Roberval Bomfim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brazil Edward Bouissey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ukiah, CA Juvenal Beuno Benito . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brazil Benjamin Bundt. . . . . . . . . . . . . Montebello, CA Robert Champlin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Milford, OH Aaron Dabney. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hewitt, TX Rodrigo Fernandez Alonso . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spain David Finamore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Louisville, CO Rick Forseth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Janesville, WI Darryl Gilbert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Canada Mike Gossett. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Birmingham, AL David Griffith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dallas, TX Robert Harrison. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frederick, MD Granger Haugh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scottsdale, AZ Peter Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Canada Jordan Hill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nashville, TN Gayle Hill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nashville, TN Rob Latta. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Edina, MN David Leslie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Omaha, NE Brian MacNamara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Warwick, NY Brian McBurney. . . . . . . . . . . . Baldwinsville, NY Mike Merritt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acworth, GA George Moore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Magnolia, TX Moose Peterson. . . . . . . . . . Mammoth Lakes, CA Sam Powell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Malden, MO Ronald Quackenbush. . . . . . . . . . Clarksville, MD Jonathan Ross . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Northport, NY Jean-Louis Serres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . France Daniel Shanahan. . . . . . . . . . . . . Sebastopol, CA Michael Smith. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fremont, CA Rebecca Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fremont, CA Dennis Thomas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Little Rock, AR Paul Thompson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mesa, AZ Jeff Thompson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bishop, CA Frank Toth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . San Mateo, CA Brian Tryon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spokane, WA James Urgo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carmel Valley, CA William Wallace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frederick, MD Rosemary Wisnosky. . . . . . . . . . . . Naperville, IL

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