June 2001

Meetings -- Last and Next Hello again. Here we are in the month of June and all our aviation outdoor activities have begun. A large group from our Chapter attended the airshow at Poplar Bluff, on the second Saturday of May, to watch Clint Allen perform his aerobatic routines and enjoy a great day outside at an airport. What could be better? Well, maybe our Chapter meeting at the Whites' Hangar on the third Saturday of May? We had a surprisingly large group of members and even some newcomers, Richard and Rose Burks from Florida, who have bought property in Ozark County, and are almost neighbors of our Chapter secretary, John Zook. They have told us that they will join our chapter as soon as they get themselves moved up here. The big surprise was the birthday of John Zook, who not only brought a big birthday cake for the occasion, but also brought his wife along. Welcome to our chapter meeting, Jean, and please come again. John celebrated his 80th birthday with us. We wish him many more birthdays, and the strength and enthusiasm that he shows for life and aviation for many more years to come.

John Zook's birthday cake, created by Jean Zook

But that's not all. We were cutting John's birthday cake and in walked John and Joyce Smith. It turned out that Joyce also had a birthday on that Saturday. While John turned 80, Joyce became one year younger. We also wish her many happy returns on that occasion. The hangar door was open and we had great barbequed hamburgers and hotdogs on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The only thing missing was Clint doing some aerobatics for us.

Another great outdoor aviation event that Sue and I attended was the fly-in at Taus River Ranch on Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend. Jim and Millie Tausworthe had a great fly-in of ultralights (and some of us drove in) so our intrepid Ben Hurtt and Dave Altis flew their Bumblebug in -- in spite of some very strong winds aloft and at ground level. They were joined there by their wives and children who had come by car. Also present were John and Joyce Smith of our Chapter. A great time was had by all. The hospitality was great, the food was very good and plentiful, the weather was beautiful and I met many very nice people. Amongst them was Kent Clotfelter, who told me that he would be at our next chapter meeting to join and Jim and Millie Tausworthe will also be there to join. They are very enthusiastic about getting back into an EAA chapter and I am very happy to have them with us. Thanks for a great Saturday at your beautiful ranch. While I am writing about our next meeting, I want to remind you that it will be on our usual meeting day on the second Saturday of the month, at 9:00 AM, at the Whites' hangar in Willow Springs. For those of you who have never been there, here are the directions: If you are flying in, the airport is 1H5, one mile east of town. The hangar is located at the northwest end of the runway (17-35). If you are driving in, turn northeast at the stop sign in the center of town (Hwy 137) and then right at DD Highway. Just before you get to the airport, turn right again on Sunshine. Make a left on Bryan and go to the hangar. We will again have one of those delicious breakfasts fixed by Ron White and since many of you don't know this, I will tell you that Ron starts cooking his great sausage gravy on Friday afternoon and then resumes his cooking on Saturday morning at 6:00 AM. Please give him a big hand and tell him that you appreciate what he is doing for us. The breakfast is free but please contribute to the White's Aviation Youth Fund. Kent Nichols from Salem, Missouri, will be our guest speaker at the June meeting. He is an inventor and will be sharing some of his aeronautical designs and prototypes by which he has acquired recognition with NASA and nationally. I think this will be a very interesting program for all.

Airports in the Ozarks
We've decided that it's time to take a look at the airport situation in our immediate area. Starting this month, we will highlight one airport per newsletter and describe the status of that airport and its occupants and their relationship with the governing body; plus whatever history we can dig up, like when the airport first opened, how the land was acquired, who the early users were, and so forth. First I will give you a quick overview of several airports and then we will talk about the Mountain Grove Airport specifically.

I was told that relations between the city council and Gainesville Memorial Airport are good. However, the airport needs some improvement, and that would be to make the airport into single runway and change it so that the high school is no longer in the approach pattern. In order for this to happen some funds are needed and I hope that we can somehow help make this happen. At Ava's airport, the situation is not so good. What was once proudly called the Bill Martin Memorial Airport is rapidly turning into the Bill Martin Memorial City Maintenance Yard. I saw that the airport was twice on the city council agenda recently, but no action was taken. I only found this out after the fact from the account of the city council meeting in the Douglas County Herald. I have made take offs and landings there while they uninterruptedly dumped construction refuse at the other end of the runway, and Sue was there while they spread lime and incurred on the runway edge to make turns with the lime truck while flight operations were going on. This is not a good situation and that is too bad since Ava has a very nice airport.

At Mansfield Municipal (the AF/D says "Municipal," while the sign says "Memorial" -- which is it?) Airport, many of us are waiting for the city's attorney to work out a new lease that probably will not be to the liking of many of the hangar owners. In addition many of the city's business people are opposed to the airport since, according to them, it only serves a few "rich people" and the city is "diverting" funds to help that group, while the rest of the good citizens of Mansfield do not benefit from this investment. A personal message to one of these businessmen is: I have spent many thousands at your yard and do not live in Mansfield, yet my money supports the City of Mansfield. Materials to build hangars could well be purchased at this man's business. One lady, a longtime resident of Mansfield, remembers when Mansfield was known for having "more airplanes per capita than any other place in Missouri." Amazing that people there now think of aviation enthusiasts as an elite club which should have it's wings clipped.

Before we go on to talk about Mountain Grove Memorial Airport, I am happy to report that Willow Springs seems to have a city government which is proud of their airport and it shows when you are there. While these are situations I am currently aware of, our series won't be limited to just these airports. We hope to cover all of the airports in our membership area, which is really quite large.

This month we will focus on Mountain Grove Memorial Airport (1MO). It has an FBO who provides flight instruction, aircraft repair and maintenance services, fuel, agricultural spraying, aerial photography, and tiedowns. It is a popular place for ultralight activities. The runway is asphalt paved, 3590 feet long and 50 feet wide. There are runway lights and a beacon. A sign pointing you to it's location (on the ground) still exists. But the city government seems to doubt that an airport is needed for their community. Insufficient numbers of take offs and landings and too few airplanes located at their facility, versus the expense of maintaining the airport, are cited. Cities would never dream of doing without parks, golf courses, libraries, and community centers. An airport is every bit as important, and could be even more important in time of emergency or disaster. The airport was founded by Lynn Hurtt and others who bought the land and built the airport over 25 years ago. For a long time there was only one hangar on the airport. A building on the front corner of the airport had originally been built as a youth center for the airport. When it was no longer used for that purpose, it was leased to the VFW. When the time came to apply for government grant money to improve the runway, it was learned that only facilities owned by local governments were eligible. So the airport was signed over to the city.

It's Still Here!

When the airport wanted to take back the former youth center building as a pilots' lounge, the city sold it instead to the VFW. The VFW took down the fence that partly surrounded it, and renamed the access street from "Airport Lane" to "POW/MIA Lane." This action caused the FBO operators numerous problems, including forcing them to request all new licenses because of the changed address. Some, who had volunteered their labor and materials for the building, saw it as an attempt to call attention away from the airport. Now honoring our former POW's and MIA's is a very noble thing, but it should be done where it will really call attention to the sacrifices of these men and women during and after wars. Since many veterans and retired military personnel are also aviation enthusiasts, the interests of the two groups should not be brought into conflict. Currently, many occupants of the hangars are waiting for new leases for the property on which their hangars sit which is agreeable to all the parties.

Showing our solidarity with our friends and fellow EAA members, we will have a fly-in and Young Eagles Flight Day at Mountain Grove Memorial Airport on June 23. More details will be given at our next meeting and will be posted on our Web site as they become available.

Not Only in Mountain Grove...
I am part of a group that waits for a hangar lease at Mansfield, and I have to tell you things are moving very slowly. It seems that not much help is coming from the city. Maybe it is time for us to form a committee to work with city governments, state aviation authorities, EAA and AOPA to keep the airports in the Ozarks from slowly disappearing. Unlike the movie, "Field of Dreams," the quote, "Build them and they will come," does not hold true with an airport. Maybe city government expects too much by thinking that just maintaining an airport is sufficient to turn it into a profitable operation. I believe that we, as an organization, have some resources to help cities. Please don't think an airport closing can't happen in your community, because your airspace could be next. Think "MOA."

Now the Fun(ny) Stuff

We have an anomymous contributor, known only as "Squawk," who has promised to help out with an aviation cartoon every month and I am looking forward to seeing many more of these little funny scenes.

From Another Contributor
During taxi the crew of a USAir departure flight to Ft. Lauderdale made a wrong turn and came nose to nose with a United 727. The irate ground controller (female) lashed out at the USAir crew screaming: "USAir 2771, where are you going? I told you to turn right on Charlie taxiway; you turned right on Delta. Stop right there. I know it's difficult to tell the difference between C's and D's, but get it right."

Continuing her lashing to the embarrassed crew, she was now shouting hysterically, "God, you've screwed everything up; it'll take forever to sort this out. You stay right there and don't move until I tell you to. You can expect progressive taxi instructions in about a half hour and I want you to go exactly where I tell you, when I tell you, and how I tell you. You got that, USAir 2771?"

The humbled crew responded, "Yes Ma'am."

Naturally, the ground control frequency went terribly silent after the verbal bashing of USAir Flight 2771. No one wanted to engage the irate ground controller in her current state. Tension in every cockpit at LGA was running high.

However, shortly after the controller finished her admonishment of the USAir crew, an unknown male pilot broke the silence and asked, "Wasn't I married to you once?"

Ben Hurtt flies "Bumblebug" into a beautiful morning sky Picture taken by Henny Christensen