September
2000

President Clint Allen wants all Chapter members to be sure to check in at the EAA Chapter trailer to offer your help if you have not already received a work assignment. There is a lot to be accomplished, and your help is needed! Look for the Chapter sign on the trailer near the fuel pumps and give us a hand.

In preparation for the Airshow/Fly-in, the Chapter held an extra meeting at Ron White's hangar in Willow Springs. Ron and his brother Tom, served a great breakfast to the chapter members and representatives from the City of Willow Springs. Vice President James Wiley conducted the meeting. Information was shared between Chapter members and City representatives. After breakfast we all had opportunity to see the collection of aircraft in Ron's hangar.

Here is my favorite!

Ron (l), Tom (r), and Ron's C-195

(Right-click on the thumbnail and Save Picture As.., then open the file in an image editor and print it from there.)

• There will be a fly-market table available for those of you who have aircraft-related items to sell.
• There will be a work and set-up day on Friday, 8 September, starting at 1:00 PM, lasting until we are done.
• Those of you flying in, take note of the traffic information on the back of the Flyer. Fixed wing aircraft report 5 miles out on 122.90, approach from the east; ultralights and powered parachutes approach from the west.
  

"I left the Navy in September 1959 to return to college and obtain a degree. I completed it in the summer of 1961 from San Jose State, San Jose, CA. During that two-year period I was active in the Naval Reserve, flying from NAS Alameda, CA.

"In the fall of 1961, I re-entered active duty and was sent to NAS Whiting Field, Milton, FL to instruct Transition, Aerobatics, and Radio Instruments in the T-28 B/C. In 1963, the Navy needed helicopter instructors, so I transferred to NAF Ellyson Field, Pensacola, FL, where I instructed in Bell HTL-6 (Bell-47) and Sikorsky H-34 (SS-58) helicopters until returning to the fleet in 1965.

"In the Spring of 1965, I completed Replacement Air Group (RAG) training in Key West, FL, transitioning to the twin-turbine SH-3 Sikorsky helicopter. Subsequently I served two years at NAS Quonset Point, RI, as Maintenance Control Officer, deploying numerous times onboard USS Wasp (CVS-18).

"The highlights of the Ellyson Field tour and subsequent tour with HS-11 were the training of the first three groups of Astronauts in rotary wing aircraft (they had to master vertical landings if they were going to the moon) and then participating in four of the GEMINI recoveries at sea. I was fortunate to meet such well-known celebrities as Wally Schirra, Gordon Cooper, Gus Grissom, Alan Sheppard, etc. While at Ellyson Field, my student was an Air Force Captain named Charlie Bassett. I'm sure I learned more from him about flying the reaction-control equipped F-104 used to check guys out in the X-15, but he was killed flying a F-104 during a photo session with the XB-70 — where he apparently became entangled in the wingtip vortices of the XB-70 and was thrown inverted over the XB-70 — tearing away the bomber's vertical stabilizers.

"Subsequent to HS-11, I taught Helicopter ASW Tactics at the Reserve ASW Tactical School, NAS Willow Grove, PA, and then served as Aircrew Training Officer at NAS Lakehurst, NJ. In early 1974, I was ordered to the Pentagon where I worked in the Office of Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Air) who, at that time, was Vice Admiral Houser. In early 1977 I left DCNO and worked for the Department of Defense until retiring from the Navy in 1979.

"In 1977, I had purchased a Cessna 152 and wasn't satisfied with the maintenance it was receiving and so decided to obtain my A&P licenses. I enrolled in Spartan School of Aeronautics, Tulsa, OK, in the fall of 1979 and obtained the A&P in 1981. One month after graduation, the school invited me to join the faculty, which I did, and taught until 1996, when I seriously thought about moving to our Missouri farm. During my tenure at Spartan I was fortunate to pick up another 500 hours helicopter time in restoring and flying a surplus Army TH-55 (Hughes 269-A). I was also privileged to work for our own Len Ahrnsbrak who supervised Spartan's North Campus at that time.

"By the way, I met "Sweet Thing" (Barbara) on a blind date in 1955 in Fresno, CA, and married her in August 1957. We've been married almost 43 years, raised three offspring and have ten grandkids. I'm half owner of a Cessna 172 which I haven't seen since October 1999 (partner lives in Tulsa), but I still fly for a banker friend who has a beautiful Mooney 201, which I am privileged to keep pretty busy. I began flying in 1950, received my Private license while a junior in High School and have flown regularly ever since. My first airplane was a Ryan PT-22 (sold my car to buy it) which I sold after entering the Navy (a really dumb move - selling the airplane). I have in excess of 9,200 hours about equally distributed between fixed and rotary wing. During my Navy days I was privileged to fly the SNJ, SNG (C-45), S2F, P2V, C-118 (briefly), T-28 B/C, T-34 and the T2J (briefly). Rotary wing included the HTL 4, 5, 6, (Bell-47) HUP-2, HSS-1/H-34/HUS/S-58, HSS-2 (SH3 A/B/C/D/G, S-61), Bell Jet Ranger (OH-4), Hiller OH-5, Hughes OH-6, and the Bell Huey. While at Spartan, I flew the Hughes TH-55 and accumulated about 8 hours in a homebuilt Rotorway Executive. Now, after all this, I find it still takes 27 cents (sometimes more) to obtain a Senior Coffee at McDonalds! Flying is still fun! I hope to continue as long as the Lord allows."

"We love to fly, play with our grandchildren and spend time at home. If you are ever in the Flat Rock community, look us up."

Thank you, Bill, Mike and Sharon.