G RN E VOL. 33, No, 11 2005

CONTENTS 1 Straight and Level

2 VAA News

5 Aeromail

6 The Pylon Club: Part IV

by Nick Rezich

12 T-Hangar Treasure Getting excited about a contemporary airplane by Budd Davisson

18 Frank Clark Movie Stunt Pilot

by Madeleine Kimotek

26 Pass it to Buck Winter ops by Buck Hilbert

28 The Vintage Instructor Weather notes by Doug Stewart

30 Mystery Plane by H.G. Frautschy

31 Calendar

31 Classified Ads

FRONT COVER: We're starting to see more original looking Contemporary aircraft at EM events, such as this sharp example of a 1967 Piper Cherokee 180 owned and flown by Randy and Naomi St. Julian of Garrettsville, Ohio. EM photo by Phil High, EM camera plane flown by Bruce Moore .

BACK COVER: The Lockheed Altair was one of the sleekest airplanes of the Golden Age of Aviation, and serial number 180 was flown by Jimmy Doolittle for Shell Oil Company. This watercolor by artist David Darbyshire, of Sierra Madre, California is one of the paintings featured in the 2005 EM Sport Aviation Art Competition show, on display through May 2006 at the EM AirVenture Museum. The painting is for sale. Contact David at 626-355-6293 for more information. You can also visit www.flightgraphics.com for more information and photographs of other pieces of David's artwork.

STAFF Publisher Tom Poberezny Editor-in-Chief Scott Spangler Executive Director/Editor H.G. Frautschy Administrative Assistant Jennifer Lehl Managing Editor Kathleen Witman News Editor Ric Reynolds Photography Jim Koepnick

Bonnie Bartel Advertising Coordinator Sue Anderson Classified Ad Manager Isabelle Wiske Copy Editor Colleen Walsh

Director of Advertising Katrina Bradshaw

Display Advertising Representatives: Northeast: Allen Murray Phone 609-265-1666, FAX 609-265-1661 e·mail: al/elllllllfmyC"""il/(/spri,,s.mm Southeast: Chester Baumgartner Phone 727-573-0586, FAX 727-556-0177 e-mail: cballmi} }(ii) lIillrisprillg.mlll Central: Todd Reese Phone 800-444-9932, FAX 816-741-6458 e-mail: todd@Spc-llIag.com Mountain & Pacinc: Keith Knowlton &. Associates Phone 770-516-2743, e-mail: kkllowito,,@eaa.org

mailto:kkllowito,,@eaa.orgmailto:todd@Spc-llIag.comhttp:al/elllllllfmyC"""il/(/spri,,s.mmwww.flightgraph

GEOFF ROBISON PRESIDENT, VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

Old airports and round engines

Sitting around the hangar these

days has gotten to be a chilly affair. These fall temperatures just seem to be dropping more and more each day.

I like to sit out here and write this column, as the airport environment has always been helpful in inspiring aviation thoughts and ideas to convey to the membership. Pretty soon I'll need a parka and mittens!

A lot of you are aware that I am based at historic Smith Field in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I am often asked about the fight to keep this airfield open, and it has not always been good news. I've been amazed at the number of EAA folks from all over this country who have heard of the fight. When they find out I am based here, they always ask what the current situation is.

I am pleased to tell you that by all appearances we have turned the corner here with the Airport Authority. Not only do I believe that we have turned the corner, but also the authority has now budgeted to spend more than 1.8 million dollars in airport improvements for 2006 alone. It also recently hired a new airport supervisor for Smith Field, so we now have a fulltime person providing oversight and planning for the future development of this airfield.

At the time of this writing, the new supervisor has been on the field for a mere six weeks, and he has in my estimation already performed six months of work. In a short time period we have gone from doom and gloom to a whirlwind of planning activities.

Although we are still awaiting word on the FAA feasibility study for the airfield (needed so the airport layout plan can be completed), we remain

enthusiastic that this airfield is now well on its way to becoming a more vital economic asset to this community, as well as an important link to the vitality of the national aviation transportation system.

You may have heard me state this in the past, but it is critically important that the users of all airports across this nation should be conSistently reminding their communities that the airport plays a vitally important role to local economic development opportunities, and the mere existence of an airfield, in a global sense, offers additional safety of flight options for everyone who operates an aircraft. Just when you think all is well, the boogeyman can show up at the door of the local airport with a development plan, or alternative use for these valuable pieces of real estate. All it takes is one seemingly innocuous step in the wrong direction, and the fight is on, and another valued aviation facility is sudden ly at risk. Let's all be diligent. Keep your eyes and ears open at all times. And be especially diligent in reminding the community of the positive aviation activities at your individual airports, whether it's a Young Eagles event, a safety seminar, or even an interesting or rare aircraft that is visiting your facility. Promote and report everything that would generate the positives and uniqueness of your facilities.

Below is a little bit of a really neat perception of the nuances in operating old airplanes as compared to the more modern mode of transportation by air. I thought the membership might enjoy it, so I elected to share it with you in this column. It came to me from a gentleman and good friend who commanded a B-17 bomber out

of England during World War II. I am certain it was especially meaningful to him, so I thought you would enjoy it as well. Thanks for sharing it, Hal.

Dedicated to All Who Flew Behind Round Engines

Author unknown We gotta get rid ofthose turbines, they're

ruining aviation and our hearing . .. A turbine is too simple minded, it has

no mystery. The air travels through it in a straight line and doesn 't pick up any of the pungent fragrance ofengine oil or pilot sweat. Anybody can start a turbine. You just need to move a switch from "OFF" to "START" and then remember to move it back to "ON" after a while. My PC is harder to start. Cranking a round engine requires skill, finesse, and style. You have to seduce it into starting. On some planes, the pilots aren't even allowed to do it. .. Turbines start by whining for a while, then give a lady-like poof and start whining a little louder. Round engines give a satisfying rattle-rattle, click-click, BANG, more rattles, another BANG, a big macho fart or two, more clicks, a lot more smoke, and finally a serious low pitched roar. We like that. It's a GUY thing . .. When you start a round engine, your mind is engaged, and you can concentrate on the flight ahead. Starting a turbine is like flicking on a ceiling fan: useful, but hardly exciting. When you have started his round engine successfully, your crew chief looks up at you like he'd let you kiss his girl, too! Turbines don't break or catch fire often enough, leading to aircrew boredom, complacency, and inattention. A round engine at speed looks and sounds like it's going to blow any minute. This helps concentrate the mind! Turbines don't have enough control levers or gauges to keep a pilot'S

continued on page 29

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

EAA President Tom Poberezny with Scott Crossfield at the Countdown to Kitty Hawk celebration in North Carolina on December 17, 2003.

Scott Crossfield to Speak at EAA Aviation legend Scott Cross

field will be the featured speaker at EAA's 3rd Annual Wright Brothers Memorial Banquet, to be held Saturday, December 17, at the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh. The dinner commemorates the 102nd anniversary of man's first successful powered flight.

Crossfield made history on November 20, 1953, when he became the first person to fly at Mach 2, piloting the Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket research aircraft to more than 1,320 mph. After five years as a test pilot for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (precursor to NASA), Crossfield joined North American Aviation. As a design consultant and test pilot, he helped guide the X-IS's development and made its maiden flight in 1959. Crossfield flew the rocket plane 14 times, to a maximum altitude of more than 88,000 feet and a maximum speed of Mach 2.97 (1,960 mph).

NOVEMBER 2005

Later, Crossfield was an executive at Eastern Airlines and Hawker Siddeley Aviation and served as technical consultant on aviation to the U.S. Congress' House Committee on Science and Technology. His aviation awards include the Harmon Trophy (1960), the Collier Trophy (1961), and the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal (1993) for half a century of service to aviation and aeronautics.

During EAA's Countdown to Kitty Hawk celebration in 2003, Crossfield led the pilot training for the 1903 Wright Flyer reproduction, which attempted to fly at Kill Devil Hills on December 17 that year. Crossfield was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1983, the International Space Hall of Fame in 1988, and the Aerospace Walk of Honor in 1990. He published his autobiography, Always Another Dawn: The Story of a Rocket Test Pilot, in 1960.

Cost to attend this special event is $30 for EAA members, $35 for nonmembers. Reservations can be

made by calling 920-426-6880 or online at www.airventuremuseum. org. Cocktails and a cash bar will be open at 6:30 p.m. with dinner served at 7:00 p.m. and the keynote address to follow.

EAA Instructors Database Surpasses 250

The world's prime location for locating a sport pilot flight instructor keeps getting better. Now more that 250 flight instructors in 43 states are listed in the EAA sport pilot database at www.sportpilot.org/instructors, making it easier for potential sport pilots to find quality instruction where they live.

Scattered among the 250-plus instructors are 74 training aircraft. Check the website list for details.

EAA/NAFI extend their invitation to current flight instructors to complete an online information form and join the database. The form can be found at https://secllre. eaa.org/sportpilot/instrllctor.html.

Learn TIG Welding in a Weekend More and more, TIG welding is

becoming the preferred method for building amateur-built aircraft. "Being able to easily weld chromoly tubing, stainless steel, and aluminum makes TIG a useful skill for building an aircraft," says Charlie Becker, director of EAA Aviation Services.

That's why EAA and Lincoln Electric will offer seven weekend SportAir TIG welding courses in 2006 at the state-of-the-art Alexander Technical Center in Griffin, Georgia , near Atlanta. Participants get their own Lincoln Precision TIG 185 machine for use during the class.

"These classes present unique opportunities to learn TIG welding in a weekend. There really isn't any other training like this available for the amateur welder," Becker says.

The TIG classes are limited to 12 students each to allow for more personalized instruction. Tui tion

2

https://secllrewww.sportpilot.org/instructorswww.airventuremuseum

is $359 for EAA members, $399 for nonmembers.

The schedu le for 2006 is as fo llows:

e January 20-22 e March 10-12 e March 31-April 2 e May 19-21 eSeptember 8-10 e October 13-15 e November 10-12 To enroll in this or any EAA

SportAir Workshop, or to learn more, call 800-967-5746 or visit www.sportair.org.

Relive the Magic With the 2005 EAA AirVenture DVD

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2005 will be remembered as perhaps the best all-around convention ever, and you can preserve those memories by getting your copy of the 2005 EAA AirVenture video, produced by the EAA Television staff.

The annual video, featuring SpaceShipOne, GlobalFlyer, Glacier Girl, and countless other highlights from the World's Greatest Aviation Celebration, is now available. To order your copy today in either DVD format ($24.99) or VHS ($19.95), call EAA membership at 800-JOINEAA (564-6322), or order online through http://shop.eaa.org.

JOIN TODAY! 800-322-241 2

Intemet Notes

It seems hardly a month goes by where we don't discover a neat spot

on the Internet to learn something new about aviation and its many facets. From time to time, we'll highlight some of the interesting sites we've visited, often while in pursuit of an answer to a question posed by a member. For instance:

.www.woodenpropeller.comisa site committed to the exchange of information about wooden aircraft propellers in general, with emphasis on World War I and earlier antique propellers. Its partner site, www.modernwoodenpropellers.com. deals with props a bit newer, those built since the 1920s.

ewww.connectedtral'eier.com has an interesting interview with the father of the 747, Joe Sutter, who is now 85. Sutter's interview by Russ Johnson can be downloaded as an MP3 file. The genesis of the 747, created by a team of 4,500 engineers equipped with slide rules and early computers, is covered in detail during the 20-minute interview and can be listened to using popular computer audio programs such as iTunes, QuickTime, RealPlayer, or Windows Media Player.

ewww.hotelbeaumontks.comis the website for a neat little spot tucked away just east of Wichita, Kansas. Originally a cattleman's hotel located next to a rail siding in the small town of Beaumont, it has been transformed into a neat aviation-themed bed and breakfast hotel. The restaurant is open daily Wednesday through Sunday, and it makes a great fly-in destination; you can land on the grass strip to the east of town, taxi up the back road on the south side of town, and park across the street from the hotel. For more information, you can call the Beaumont at 620-843-2422.

ewww.safarimuseum.comis the home of the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum, which is located in Chanute, Kansas. (As an aside, the city is named for Wright brothers confidant Octave Chanute. In 1872, as the chief engineer of the LL&G railroad, he helped settle a railroadrelated dispute between two small towns. With Chanute mediating the dispute, the two towns merged, and in gratitude, the new town was named Chatlute.) Martin and OsaJohnson, adventurers, filmmakers, and pilots, are well-known for their use of Sikorsky Amphibion aircraft while making their African safari documentary films. The museum's website hosts a number of great photographs of the Sikorskys in action, and the rest of the site is equally interesting and gives great insight into the early days of "documentary" filmmaking.

If you have an interesting website you think your fe llow VAAers would like to visit, please e-mai l us a link at vintageaircraft@eaa.org.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

mailto:vintageaircraft@eaa.orghttp:ewww.connectedtral'eier.comhttp:www.modernwoodenpropellers.comwww.woodenpropellerhttp:http://shop.eaa.orghttp:www.sportair.org

Friends of the Red Barn Campaign

Many services are provided to vintage aircraft en

thusiasts at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. From parking airplanes to feeding people at the Tall Pines Cafe and Red Barn, more than 400 volunteers do it all. Some may ask, "If volunteers are providing the services, where is the expense?"

Glad you asked. The scooters for the flightline crew need repair and batteries, and the Red Barn needs paint, new windowsills, updated wiring, and other sundry repairs, plus we love to care for our volunteers with special recognition caps and a pizza party. The list really could go on and on, but no matter how many expenses we can point out, the need remains constant. The Friends of the Red Barn fund helps pay for the VAA expenses at EAA AirVenture, and is a crucial part of the Vintage Aircraft Association budget.

Please help the VAA and our 400-plus dedicated volunteers make this an unforgettable experience for our many EAA AirVenture guests. We've made it even more fun to give this year, with more giving levels to fit each person's budget, and more interesting activities for donors to be a part of.

Your contribution now really does make a difference. There are six levels of gifts and gift recognition. Thank you for whatever you can do.

Here are some of the many activities the Friends of the Red Barn fund underwrites:

• Red Barn Information Desk Supplies

• Participant Plaques and Supplies

• Toni's Red Carpet Express Repairs and Radios

• Caps for VAA Volunteers

• Pizza Party for VAA Volunteers

• Flightline Parking Scooters and Supplies

• Breakfast for Past Grand Champions

• Volunteer Booth Administrative Supplies

• Membership Booth Administrative Supplies

• Signs Throughout the Vintage Area

• Red Barn and Other Buildings' Maintenance

.And More!

Thank·You Items by Level

Name Listed: Vintage , Web & Sign at Red Barn

Donor Appreciation Certificate

Access to Volunteer Center

Speci al FORB Badge

Two Passes toVM Volunteer Party

Special FORB Cap

Breakfast at Tall Pines Cafe

Tri-Motor Ride Certificate

Two Tickets toVM Picnic

Close Auto Parking

Diamond , $1,000 X X X X X X 2 People/Full Wk 2 Tickets X Full Week

Platinum, $750 X X X X X X 2 People/Full Wk 2 Tickets X 2 Days

Gold, $500 X X X X X X 1 Person/Full Wk 1 Ticket

Silver, $250 X X X X X X

Bronze, $100 X X X X

Loyal Supporter, $99 & Under

X X

VAA Friends of the Red Barn Name_______________________________________________________EAA#________ VAA#________ Address ______________________________________________________________________________________ _ City /State/Zip, _______________________________________________________________________ Phone ___________________________________________ E-Mail______________________________________ _

Please choose your level of participation: ___ Diamond Level Gift - $1,000.00 ___ Silver Level Gift - $250.00

Platinum Level Gift - $750.00 ___ Bronze Level Gift - $100.00 ___ Gold Level Gift - $500.00 ___ Loyal Supporter Gift - ($99.00 or under) Your Support $ __

DPayment Enclosed (Make checks payable to Vintage Aircraft Assoc.) ...----------------, D Please Charge my credit card (below) Mail your contribution to:

EAA, VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOC. Credit Card Number _________________________ Expiration Date ____ __ PO Box 3086Signature ________________________________ ___ OSHKOSH, WI 54903-3086 *Do you or your spouse work for a matching gift company? If so, this gift may qualify for '------------------' a matching donation. Please ask your Human Resources department for the appropriate form.

NameofCompany~~~----~~~~~--~~--~~~~~--~~~~~~~ The Vintage Aircraft Association is a non-profit educational organization under IRS SOh3 rttles , Under Federal Law, the deduction from Federal Incollle tax (or charitable contributions is limited to the amount by which any money (and the value ofany property other than money) contributed exceeds the value ofthe goods or services provided in exchange (or the contribution. An appropriate receipt acknowledging your gift will be sent ta you (ar IRS gift reporting reasons.

NOVEMBER 2005 4

Who Dat? The person in the middle of this

photograph is my grandfather. I don't know who the men are or what the airplane is; it was taken at Ford Field in 1928. I would like to know if anyone can tell me any more about the picture, identify the airplane and tell us who is in the photo. I had a friend whom I work with here at Ford Motor Company tell me that the man with the hat could possibly be William Stout, but they were not sure. Anything that you can tell me would be greatly appreciated, or maybe you can point me in the right direction to someone who might know.

Regards, Paul E. Ostrander Ford Motor Company

We directed Paul to the Waco Historical Society in Troy, Ohio, and identified the airplane to him as a Waco 10, but we couldn't help with the people identification. Think you know who is standing to the left and right ofPaul's grandfather? We've enlarged that portion of the photo (see inset) so

you can get a better look at the trio. Drop us a note at vintageaircraft@ eaa.org and we'll forward it on to him.

Old Beacons I was wondering if you might

be able to point me to a source for information on old airway beacons and their routes. I am looking for specifics on the Donner beacon light, which is located west of Truckee, California, on the Reno to San Francisco route. This is a mostly complete tower, which I would imagine is one of only a few remaining. I know that the light was damaged in a blasting accident, and the buildings are now gone, but the tower is still in its original configu ration. Currently the tower is being used as a radio site in support of search and rescue communications in Placer County, California.

Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks, Eric Struble

We pointed Eric toward a couple of sites we found:

• MIL SPEC and RFI SHIELDING CONDUIT ASSEMBLIES custom made per your specifications

• Original equipment style Braided Conduits in Aluminum, Brass or Stainless Steel

• We carry a complete line of AN - MS Electrical Fittings, Backshell Adapters and Specialty Fittings

• We also have full machine shop capabilities for any custom applications you may require.

• Rebuild your Warbird back to Original!

AIR/FLEX INDUSTRIES 2538 SUPPLY STREET, POMONA, CA 91767

Tel. 909-392-8474

AI RFLEXIN DUSTRI ES .COM

• http://oldbeacon.com/beacon/ airway _beacons.htm

.www.centennialofflight.gov/ essay /Government_Role/ navigation/P0L13.htm

• www.navfltsm.addr.com/ howitbegan.htm If you have any other books or web

sites you think would help Eric, please drop us a note at vintageaircraft@eaa. org and we'll forward it on to him ........

If you have a comment, question, or wish to contact us regarding the content of Vintage Airplane or the activities of the Vintage Aircraft Association, you're invited to send us a letter via regular mail or e-mail. Send your letters to:

Vintage Aircraft Association Attn: H.G. Frautschy, Editor P.O. Box 3086

Oshkosh WI 54903-3086

E-mail: vintageaircra(t@eaa.org

VINTAGE AIRPLAN E 5

mailto:vintageaircra(t@eaa.orghttp:www.navfltsm.addr.comwww.centennialofflighthttp://oldbeacon.com/beacon

REMINISCING WITH BIG NICK

THE PYLON C L U B: PART IV BY NICK REZICH

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NICK REZlCH

The Pylon Club and the EM were founded at about the same time ... early '50s ... with parallel goals of achievement in mind. Paul Poberezny's idea was an organization that would foster homebuilding, sport flying, air racing, and air shows. The purpose of the Pylon Club was to foster and support air racing, air shows, and Nick Rezich.

Between 1950-1953, the growing years of the Club and EM, I never ran into Poberezny's prop wash even though he was only 90 miles away in Beer Town, U.S.A. Poberezny and I were promoting or helping to promote air shows during this time, and in doing so we both used the nation's top talent, namely, the world famous Cole Brothers Air Show. Paul booked the Cole Brothers in 1950 for an air show at Hales Corners airport, and later in 1951 he was instrumental in booking them for the Milwaukee Air Pageant. It was during this time that he signed up Marion and Duane as members of EM... Numbers 47 and 48, respectively. I had also been working with the Coles at the Detroit Air Races and had hired them for some of my shows in Chicago. It wasn't until July 1953 while working a show in Chicago that Marion mentioned Poberezny and EM for the first time. Marion asked me if I knew Poberezny or the organization he founded, known as EM. I replied in the negative, and about this time Duane jumped in with both feet and proceeded to brainwash me about EM and

Poberezny, only Duane didn't call him Paul but instead referred to him as "Poopdeck."

After listening to Duane and Marion carrying on about EAA ... and about 5 gallons of beer later. . .I promised that I would meet with this guy, Poopdeck, and see if we could help each other. In the meantime I was invited to appear with my Travel Air at the 3rd Milwaukee Air Pageant, which was also the first annual EM fly-in, on September 12-13 at Curtiss-Wright Airport in Milwaukee. On September 9, 1953, I received the following letter on EM stationery:

September 8, 1953 Nick-c/o Pylon Club 3017 W. 63rd St. Chicago, Ill.

Dear Nick: I don't have your last name, but Marion Cole told me

that you are going to attend the air show at Curtiss-Wright Airport, Milwaukee.

Duane also talked very highly of you and gave me your address, which was mislaid. I am looking forward to meeting you and telling you what we are trying to accomplish with our organization. At present we have more than 100

Reprinted from Vintage Airplane April 1975

NOVEMBER 2005 6

members from all parts of the nation. Sincerely, Paul Poberezny, President, EAA

I arrived at Curtiss field Saturday morning, taxied up, and parked next to Roy Timm's modified Waco F-2, and before that deep-breathing Wright up front stopped rotating, a young, skinny, healthy-looking Ukrainian thrust his hand into the cockpit and gave me the welcome treatment. He introduced himself as Paul Poberezny, president of EAA. After the formal exchange of introductions, I was then introduced to VicePresident Carl Schultz, Secretary-Treasurer Bob Nolinske, Leo Kohn, George Gruenberger, and CAA Inspector Tony Maugeri.

That evening we all met in the Miller Inn of the Miller Brewing Company for some real cool, fresh Miller High Life beer. My first beer-drinking partner was the late Dick Owens, who flew a modified Rose Parakeet in Big Nick hoists a tankard of Milwaukee's finest in front of Marion Cole's the Cole Brothers Air Show. This guy Stearman during the Detroit races. Now, who was first with the straw hatwasn't much more than S feet tall Hoover, Lyjak, or Hillard? and weighed less than 100 pounds.

But when it came to drinking beer, he would outlast the

major leaguers.

After a tasty buffet dinner, we all sat down for some serious talk about EAA. Poberezny fortified himself with the big guns of EAA, like Steve Wittman, Marion and Duane Cole, Roy True, Pete Myers, Carl Tietz, Ned Kensinger, George Hardie, and about 2S other early EAA members. About two barrels of Miller High Life later, I was convinced that I should join EAA.

I pledged my total support to Poberezny and his organization and promised I would do everything within my power to help EAA grow. I left Milwaukee with a baggage compartment full of applications and very much impressed with Poberezny and EAA. Before I left I presented Paul with a membership card in the Pylon Club and told him he qualified as a member by the virtue of finishing in last place Saturday during the running of the midget races, which was won by none other than the great SJ. Wittman flying Buster, followed by Owens in Tater Chip, True in Slow Poke, Bruce Pitt in Yellow Jacket, and Poberezny in Little Audrey, the former famed Howard Pete.

When I returned to the Club, I set up an EAA recruiting comer at the end of the bar where we signed up more than 2S new members during the first week.

About this same time I was co-hosting a TV show on WBKB-ABC Chicago called "Flight Plan," and I would have Poberezny and the others on the show plugging EAA. The show not only helped, but it was also good for the sa

loon business. In Duane Cole's book This Is EAA, he tells it like it was, but he left out one chapter of the early-day meetings held in the Gran-Aire hangar lobby.

It seemed to me that every meeting night it was either a blizzard or an ice storm, and as I drove to Milwaukee I kept telling myself, "You've got to be nuts to drive in this stuff to a meeting that won't have anybody in attendance." Much to my surprise, I would find Wittman there from Oshkosh, Kensinger, "Doc" Torrey and the whole gang from Peoria, along with members from Racine, Monroe, West Bend, Chicago, and Milwaukee.

I really made a fool of myself the first meeting I attended.

Audrey and Lois Nolinske had a table set with coffee, pop, and cookies on one side and beer and raw hamburger on the other end. After the meeting I went up to the table for a beer, and Audrey asked if I cared for a sandwich, to which I replied in the affirmative. She proceeded to spread raw meat on the rye bread and handed it to me. I looked at the raw meat and figured it must be a dO-it-yourself program, so I began searching for the hot plate to cook my burger, only to find there was no hot plate. I then noticed that the others were eating the meat raw, and I said to myself, "They must really be in bad shape not being able to afford a hot plate."

I didn't want to put the meat back on the table, so I flavored it with three more beers and finally got it down. By now I was feeling sorry for Poberezny and EM, so big time

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

Steve Wittman's Buster, seemingly about to be gobbled up by an aluminum monstrosity of sorts. Buster has since been placed in the Smithsonian in Washington.

Bill Falck in Rivets.

me, I offered to buy a hot plate to cook the meat or pick up the tab for cold cuts. They looked at me like I just flipped my cookies, and all burst out laughing. As I was trying to figure out what I said that was so funny, Poberezny informed me that the raw meat mixed with onions is a common delicacy in Wisconsin and thanked me for my concern for the status of the treasury.

The next stupid statement to leave my big mouth was directed to Wittman. I casually asked if he had much difficulty driving down from Oshkosh. He also looked at me somewhat oddly and answered, "Oh no, I flew down-did you drive?" I crawled out of my hole and went over and sat down like all little boys should do. Other than the raw hamburger, I liked what I saw and heard at the meetings, and I knew Poberezny was on the right track and the organization would grow.

The Pylon Club pledged to furnish all the major trophies for the future fly-ins, and along with the trophies, I also accepted the job of emceeing the awards program. The Club also provided on/off field liquid refreshments,

NOVEMBER 2005

which were never very hard to locate. All one had to do was locate the two red and white pylons on the roof of my car, and you were there.

We expanded our trophy program to include special awards for the ladies of EAA. Today they are known at the Mink Coat awards sponsored by Ray Stits. Stits was and still is a great behind-the-scenes supporter of EAA.

Many people think that I have always been the field announcer for EAA. Wrong! The first field announcer for EAA was Stits with Duane Cole taking over for the air show portion, along with Duane's brother, Arnold.

You know where the idea of giving away an airplane during the fly-in came from? It was Ray Stits in Rockford, 1961. I knew Stits before I was in EAA-in fact, he holds one of the lowest-numbered Pylon Club cards. During the fly-ins or air races Stits and I would always be joshing around doing something crazy, like when he got on the mic at Rockford and offered my Travel Air to the membership for $1 a ticket with the drawing to be held after the air show. I don't know if you were one of the multitude who rushed me with dollar bills that day, but believe you me, I turned away more than $10,000. The next night after the air show, I announced that Stits was having an open house at the Holiday Inn and everybody was invited. When that mob hit his room he knew immediately who was behind the prank.

Stits also has his serious moods. I remember one very well. Lester Cole, the then West Coast aerobatic champion, was hospitalized with a very serious back injury. He was without any insurance, and funds were running out in the Cole family to pay the doctor and hospital. And to make things worse, Christmas was coming and no money.

The Pylon Club received a letter from Stits explaining Lester's plight. He asked if we could raise some money to help pay Lester's bills without Lester knowing it and thanked me in advance for any help we could furnish from the Club. Like I said in an earlier issue, when you hollered "Hey, Rube" in the Pylon Club you got results. The Cole brothers were very well liked by the Club members, and most everyone knew the Coles from their visits to the Club or the shows they flew in and around Chicago. When I posted the notice that we would have a Lester Cole night with all proceeds going to the family, the place ran over the brim with customers. We raised a hatful of money and I sent two checks to Lester-one for hospital bills and one later to his wife for Christmas presents. Yes, the Pylon Club and EAA were very close.

My drive to raise money for the air-racing fraternity was endless. I traveled the nation knocking on agency doors, searching for sponsors. My quest for sponsors surfaced in October 1953. During my TV show, I would devote half of the show to air racing. In October I depicted a possible show for the Chicago area to be presented during the Fourth ofJuly weekend or the Labor Day weekend. On the third week of the show I hit the jackpot. I received a

8

phone call from a large Chicago agency advising it had a client interested in underwriting the races. I also received a phone call from a young executive from the station's radio affiliate; he identified himself as Frank Tallman from Glenview, Illinois-also an EAA member. He was very much interested in the show and offered his assistance and position to see the show materialize.

The following day I met Frank for lunch, and we discussed the possible use of Naval Air Station Glenview as a possible site to hold races. As a member of the Navy, he knew Adm. Dan Gallery well-as well as Cook Cleland, former Thompson Trophy winner, who was based at Glenview at that time. He felt confident in securing the Navy base for the show and assured me it was quite all right to inform the sponsors of the possible use of Glenview. I then met with the agency and its client . .. where I really gained an education about sponsors.

My initial program that I presented was a carbon copy of the Cleveland National Air Races-big bores, midgets, and aerobatics. After several meetings expired, the client agreed to sponsor only one event, the Unlimiteds. Several meetings later we signed a conditional contract for a guaranteed purse of $30,000 and an option for two additional years. With the contract in my hand I literally floated out of the office and headed for the Club to celebrate the return of the National Air Races to Chicago.

The following week I jumped the gun and went on the tube, announcing the Chicago National Air Races would be held Labor Day weekend 1954. I really stuck my neck out a long way with that announcement, but that little ... or was it big? ... white lie paid off. The agency called again and informed me that it had another client for the midgets, providing I could meet their request. I put on my best manners and a clean, pressed suit and met with a very distinguished gentleman in an office the size of my saloon.

I knew I was /lin" the minute I stepped into his office. There hanging on the wall was an autographed photo of Benny Howard and Mr. Mulligan. After ten minutes of name-dropping we were on a first-name basis. He wanted to sponsor not only the Chicago races, but also an additional six races. He named the six cities where he had his major outlets and wanted races run in each of the cities prior to the Chicago race. His idea was to build the product name with the races prior to the Chicago date. When he mentioned six additional races, I couldn't believe my ears. I was so elated I gave him a /lyes sir" right then.

During lunch at his private club we worked out the money distribution, which wasn't as much as I was seeking but enough to be acceptable. After lunch his lawyers worked up a conditional carte blanche contract, which was signed and sealed by 4:30 p.m. the same day. Believe you me, the champagne flowed freely at the Club that evening. I spent the next 30 days trying to nail down the airport site before I made any more announcements. I wasn't having too much luck with the airport problem, but I was

John Paul Jones in the original Shoestring. After a" these years it is still the plane to beat at Reno.

Ray Stits' "World's Smallest Airplane." Now on display in the EAA Museum.

confident that I would be able to secure one of the three Chicago airports. As I was preparing for my proposed race program for Professional Race Pilots Association (PRPA) and NAA, I received a newsletter from the PRPA announcing December 9-10 as the dates of the annual business meeting to be held in Cincinnati, Ohio, and that any race programs be presented at the meeting for sanction. I immediately sent in my reservations and advised PRPA I would be in attendance. I left Chicago armed to the teeth with enthUSiasm, a portfolio full of contracts totaling $127,000, and options for an additional $100,000 and hopefully the future of air racing. At Cincinnati I met with Poberezny, Duane Cole, and Manyard Corkill to discuss some of the program in preparation to the announcement.

When I signed the conditional contracts with the sponsors, we arrived at the amounts of the purses in relation-

V IN TAGE AIRP L A N E 9

EAA President Paul Poberezny and his homebuilt Little Audrey.

ship to time of sponsor exposure (Le., $10,000 per hour for the midgets and $20,000 per hour for the Unlimiteds plus a guarantee of a minimum of 10 airplanes entered in the Unlimited and 15 in the midgets). I was confident that PRPA would accept the terms of the sponsors without question; therefore, I never consulted it before signing.

You may believe it or not, but I never had a chance to present my completed program at Cincinnati and

my whole program went down the drain. When I announced my program, I went about it all "ball ackwards." I started with the five midget races-I told them I had six races scheduled at $3,500 per race and one at $10,000 plus $5,000 for establishing a point-standing purse. Before I could announce the $30,000 race for the Unlimiteds, I was promptly advised that the only purse PRPA would consider would be $25,000 or nothing.

I quickly reminded them of the $10,000 purses of Continental Motors and the $5,000 Tennessee Products Cup Race and that nobody raced in 1953 for any kind of purse. Again it was a flat no followed by a 10-minute lecture on

The late Pylon Club Trophy. He was later killed in a Beech King Air while on an instrument approach to Racine, Wisconsin.

10 NOVEMBER 2005

how much it cost to build and race a midget. Now-the guy giving the lecture didn't have a dime invested in a racer-he was only the pilot of a racer that belonged to a friend of his. By now my temper is running about 80, and I proceed to inform him that I am my own builder and financier. In the meantime the chairman intervened and had both of us sit down.

Duane Cole got up and calmed the group and asked if they would listen to my proposal and reconsider the offer. When I regained the floor, I advised the group that before I could guarantee a $25,000 purse there would have to be some changes in the length of the races. I suggested that the heat races be increased to 10 or 12 laps in place of the present 8-10 laps and that the feature race be changed to 30 laps rather than 10-15 laps of the past. Well, I would have been better off throwing a bomb in the place rather than suggest a 30-lap feature. To make a longer story short-I was told in so many words to sit down. Before sitting down I reminded the group that prime TV time was cheaper and more captive than any air race flown by a bunch of unknowns. That statement practically had me thrown out of the place.

I never did get around to explaining my $5,000 pOint-standing offer.

Duane Cole and Maynard Corkill got up and said we were wasting our time with this bunch and suggested a beer was in order ... to which I agreed wholeheartedly.

Later that evening some of the fellows who I knew quite well offered to run for the proposed purse without PRPA sanction, but there wasn't enough of them to make up a competitive field of racers that would meet the sponsors specifications of our contract.

I left the convention licking my bloody wounds, trying to figure out why in the hell did I spend three years and $14,000 trying to help those jerks. My biggest licking was yet to come. I had to face the agency and sponsors and

try to get out from under the contracts without losing another $5,000.

As it turned out, I lost some money terminating the Unlimited contract, but I came out ahead on the midgets.

Two days before Christmas the midget sponsor dropped into the Club to wish me the best of the holidays and to check on the outcome of the Cincinnati meeting. When I informed him of the happenings, he told me to forget the whole matter and congratulated me for trying to bring back air racing on a national level.

The next day, Christmas Eve, his chauffeur delivered to me a huge spread of flowers and a cheese and sausage package large enough to feed an army. We went on to become close friends. I called him before I wrote this and asked if I could use his name or the product's name. He laughed and said, fiNo-I'll have every air show promoter in the country after me." So went the big Chicago National Air Races that never bloomed. Believe you me-the Pylon Club tried!

As it turned out, the PRPA had only one race in 1954, and it was not for $25,000. As a matter of fact, the PRPA has never had a $25,000 purse for the midgets since Cleveland 1949.

Before I closed the Pylon Club I made one more small effort to help racing ... the Pylon Club sponsored a trophy for the 1957 Fort Wayne races. I did it for Duane Cole more than for the PRPA. We also plugged the races and attended them. Believe you me, Duane tried to revive racing and deserves more credit than he has received.

I still believe in air raCing, and I believe there is a bright future for it, mainly because of the new breed of pilots and builders.

The midgets will always be the crowd-pleasers along with the biplanes. The big bores will eventually die because of equipment attrition, not because of spirit. I also believe there is a strong future in Unlimited stocks, Le., Bonanzas, Mooneys, Cessnas, etc.-with no limitations to engine size or modifications. I would like to see them pull out the stops and let 'em go. Stop trying to protect the man who wants to race. He knows the risks-that's why he's there. The name of the game is money versus risk.

If I had my own airport, believe you me I would turn it into a race course and run stocks, homebuilts, midgets, and anything else that flies every Sunday on a 60/40 gate, and at the end of a year I'd need an airport the size of Mojave to stay in business. If you want air racing to flourish, you have to open the avenues to the young newcomers, and you can't do it with a closed association. Remember, A.]. Foyt, AI Unser, and the others didn't get their first ride at Indy; they started with stocks, midgets, dune buggies, or sports cars.

My experience with PRPA was devastating, but it has not dimmed my enthusiasm or interest in air racing-I see I am beginning to preach, so I better sign off.

Before I do-tell me-am I crazy or do you believe in stock airplane racing? .......

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

Hs Naomi St. Julian visited her friend's T-hangar, she couldn't help but notice that the hangar next door didn't look as if it was

opened often. "Hey," she asked, "what's in the

hangar next door?" "I dunno," her friend answered.

"Some sort of old airplane. Hasn't flown for years and years."

The easily excited Ms. St. Julian got excited. "What kind of old airplane?"

"Dunno, take a look." Naomi quickly inserted as much

of her face as she could in the narrow gap between the doors and tried to make out a vague outline in the gloom beyond. Whatever it was, it

12 NOVEMBER 2005

was covered in plastic, and even in the semi-darkness she could see the outline of a low-wing airplane that hadn't moved in a long time. It was every vintage airplane buff's most cherished dream: the abandonedsuper-rare-airplane-in-the-barn was a reality. Now, if she could only figure out what it was.

Later, as they gained entrance to the hangar and pulled aside the plastic covering, she realized it was even better than she had hoped for. It wasn't some rusty old Cub or cherry Staggerwing. No, this was a treasure that seemed destined specifically for her and her husband, Randy. It was a 1967 Cherokee 180. They had struck pay dirt.

Now, before any of you gray beards start sticking your nose in the air and uttering things like, "1967? Hell, I've got socks older than that! A Cherokee 180 ain't no vintage airplane. It's a used airplane," let's talk about this a bit.

For one thing, it would help if we all checked our calendars. 1967 was 38 years ago, and anything made that long ago may not be truly vintage, but it's a lot older than used. In fact, it would be the equivalent of restoring a Cessna 140 in 1988, and we certainly didn't consider those used airplanes at the time. They were classics then as they are now.

More importantly, to an even

larger (and younger) portion of the population, something like the St. Julians' found Cherokee 180 is this generation's classic and represents an affordable portal into aviation. For the St. Julians, who describe themselves as "just normal folks and far from rich," finding the Cherokee was the answer to a longheld dream, but we're getting ahead of ourselves.

Randy is a switchgear specialist for General Electric, and Naomi is a legal secretary. Their paths wouldn't have crossed if her son hadn't been dating Randy's daughter. She was dropping her son off at Randy's house, and he noticed, with more than a little interest, that she was

wearing a glider club jacket. That was reason enough to ask the obvious question, "Do you fly gliders?"

When the answer was in the affirmative, the next line was equally as obvious, as Randy had been flying power planes since he was a ramp rat as a kid, "Do you want to go flying some time?"

They were married shortly thereafter and decided they had two goals. One was to remedy Randy's renter pilot status by getting an airplane, which would achieve the other goal of getting Naomi her power certificate.

Naomi says, "We found a Cessna 1SO and were getting ready to buy it, but there was some sort

of misunderstanding. We figured it needed over $2,000 worth of work, and we thought the seller had agreed to reduce the price that much, but that turned out not to be the case."

Randy picks up the story, "The owner called his wife and they wouldn't budge, but we wanted that airplane. We were right up against the wall financially, and Naomi finally told him we'd pay it, but we'd have to take the money out of her daughter's savings, at which point her daughter broke into tears and started sobbing. It was as if we had planned it because he relented."

They started flying the wings off

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

the little airplane, and Naomi got her power rating in it. However, at some point they realized their goals had changed. Now they wanted a cross-country airplane and instrument tickets. Besides, the C-1S0 was just too small.

"Many of our friends were on Atkins diets," Naomi says. "We thought about losing weight, if nothing else because we'd fit in the airplane better. Then we said, 'Nah, let's just get a bigger airplane. "'

We like their way of thinking. It was right at that juncture

that Naomi saw the seemingly abandoned Cherokee in the hangar.

"The airplane wasn't actually abandoned, but it had not flown for six years. The owner was Meigs Adams, a well-known local NinetyNiner who had owned the airplane for 27 years. We called, and while she hadn't thought seriously about selling the airplane, she'd at least let us in the hangar and talk to us about it."

Before going any further, it's important to know something

14 NOVEMBER 2005

about Naomi St. Julian. She is, shall we say, excitable. With just a hint of drama. And we would have given a hundred bucks to be standing in a corner of the hangar, watching as they pulled the plastic off the Cherokee. There's no doubt that her reaction had more than just a little to do with Meigs Adams' decision to sell them the airplane. To say her excitement is infectious is an understatement.

"This was the perfect airplane for us simply because, even though it needed work," Naomi says, " for what we could afford, it was as close to perfect as we were going to get."

Randy says, "It hadn't turned a blade in six years, but it only had 1,300 hours on the engine and airframe. It would have to be gone through, but at least we were starting with something really good."

"The panel was basic," Randy says, "but still IFR, and the interior was, at the very least, usable. So, we could concentrate on the engine and forget about the rest for the time being."

Naomi was only half-listening to

Randy talk about the engine, because at the moment of discovery, they weren't sure whether they'd have to repaint it or not.

"The airplane was really dusty," Naomi says, "but as soon as we started washing it, I began to get excited (oh, gee, we're surprised) because the paint was in terrific condition. And it was an interesting color because Meigs had it repainted in 1991 using the original scheme."

As an afterthought, she says, "She was named after the airport, you know."

Dormant engines are best left sleeping, so rather than taking the chance of damaging it by flying it, Randy says, "We did the engine almost immediately, and I have to admit that when the engine came back, after being overhauled, Naomi was really afraid something would happen to it. In fact, it was in the back of a pickup going to the airport, and Naomi drove 30 feet behind it all the way, ready to put her car in front of anything that looked as if it might hurt our motor."

One advantage to working with an airplane like Meigs' Cherokee is that there is none of the threesteps-forward -and -two-ba ck process that haunts most airplane rebuild projects. First of all, even though the airplane had a lot of years on it, at 1,300 hours total time, it had not spent enough time flying to be exposed to hard times. Plus, not only had it almost always been hangared, but also, as the second owner, Meigs obviously loved the airplane and kept it protected. So, there was no critter damage (mice, birds, etc.), and it had been kept totally dry, so there was no corrosion to worry about. Because of the way the airplane was cocooned and stored, it was something of a time capsule, since all of its systems worked. Only the engine had the potential of suffering from the lack of use, and Randy cured that by having it overhauled.

"When we finished hanging the engine," Randy says, "I took a CFI along on the break-in flight, which turned out to be so uneventful

Naomi and Randy 5t. Julian, proud owners of N4815L, winner of an Outstanding Piper PA-28 Cherokee plaque in the Contemporary judging category.

that it was actually a boring two hours. Which is a good thing.

"After the break-in we started working toward our goal of both of us getting our instrument tickets in the airplane. While just about everything in the airplane worked, we still had go to through everything, making certain it was appropriate for instrument flying in this age. The first flight after engine break-in was to Carroll County, Ohio, to have a new IFR-certificated Apollo UPSAT GX-60 GPS installed and the pi totstatic certification. We installed an alternate static source, digital clock, audio panel, and a four-place intercom. We kept the VFR Apollo GPS as a backup system.

"As we started bringing it back to life, an extensive annual was done, including complying with all applicable ADs, replacement of all hoses, tank drains, tanks screws, battery, turn-coordinator, flashing beacon, steering horn and stops, new O-rings in the brake master and wheel cylinders, new tires and tubes, cable tensions. Rigging was checked, and then we started on the project of pulling the fuel tanks."

Naomi chimes in, "There had to be' a thousand screws holding those things in, and it was a lot of work getting them all out. Then, when we thought we were home-free and ready to take the tank out-we were initially worried they'd fall out when the last screw was removed-they wouldn't

budge. Randy was beating on them very carefully, and they just wouldn't come out. It was ridiculous. So, I went down and talked to our A&P who was helping us throughout the restoration. His suggestion, to my surprise, was, 'Get a bigger hammer,' so we did. Thankfully there were no leaks, and we changed the hoses and fuel sender gaskets while they were out."

The airplane has flown more than 100 hours per year almost since the day they got it, and it has all been fun, although Naomi says there were some tense moments.

She says, "I really struggled with the whole IFR thing. I was studying like crazy for the instrument written and wasn't sure I'd be able to do it . Then, right out of the blue, Randy decided we'd take the test at the same time. I did well and would have been proud of my 96 percent if Randy hadn't walked in cold and walked out with only one wrong." She laughs.

Naomi took her checkride first and busted it and says she just couldn't get it together, but that cured itself.

"When I went the second time, everything just sort of fell into place, and I found it was the best rating I ever got," she says.

Several years after buying the airplane and many hundreds of hours of flying later, they decided the original interior, although not in terribly bad shape, had to go.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

"We were starting to fly it on a lot of cross-country flights, and the seats were uncomfortable," Randy explains. liThe covering was starting to show some wear, but mostly it was that we'd get out of the airplane and hurt. So, we had an on-site aircraft interior restoration shop rebuild the cushions and stitch up an interior for the entire airplane. Now we can sit in there for hours on end with no problem. And we often do."

Naomi says, lilt's important for everyone to know that we wouldn't have this airplane if it wasn't for a lot of people being very nice to us. We couldn't afford it otherwise. Our mechanic, Chris Hopkins, has worked with us every inch of the way, and without his time, effort, understanding, and help, it would have never happened. We have so much to thank him for.

II Also, our flying friends (fellow EAAers and accomplished builders) have helped and offered their expertise and advice, as well, for which we owe a huge thanks."

"Meigs, of course, has to be thanked. She made it easy for us to buy the airplane, and she loves having it near to her. We feel as if she is part of our flying family and take her up in the Cherokee as often as we can. There is no way the airplane won't always have a little bit of Meigs in it."

Naomi sums it up for the two of them when she says, "We love this airplane. We simply love it , and we fly it every chance we possibly can . In so many ways, we just can't believe it is ours. This year we were so proud to have it parked in vintage aircraft parking at Oshkosh. Then, to our surprise it won the Outstanding Contemporary Piper PA-28 Cherokee award!"

There are people in the world who think airplanes are mere inanimate objects, but when an airplane answers as many dreams as this one has, it gains a soul and becomes part of the family. We certainly hope this Cherokee knows that. .......

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Frank Clarke

Movie Stunt Pilot

The release of The Great Waldo Pepper with Robert Redford, a movie based on the exploits of a 1920s air circus pilot, brings a renewed interest in that now legendary figure, the barnstormer, as well as in air epics.

I thought the members of the Antique and Classic Division might be interested in knowing a little of the story of the man I think was the king of barnstormers and stunt pilots, Frank Clarke. He also was the chief pilot responsible for the aerial footage of one of the greatest air epics of all time-Hell's Angels, produced by Howard Hughes in 1927. I certainly

Madeleine Kimotek

make no claim to be an expert on Frank Clarke's life, or on the making of Hell's Angels. But through a dear friend of mine, who is now deceased, Jim Barton, I came to know quite a bit of the story, and I would like to share it with you.

Jim Barton, known affectionately to the movie stunt pilots and mechanics as "Jimmy," was a mechanic responsible for Frank Clarke's aircraft during the filming of Hell's Angels, as well as being Frank's close friend. My father, who is an avid air historian, decided to write a book on the making of Hell's Angels and in the process

was introduced to Jim. I became interested in the project, and in a typical feminine fashion, I took Jim over as my special friend. Through a series of letters and a sharing of photos and visits, a picture began to emerge of Frank Clarke, pilot extraordinaire, and of those far-off days when aviation was still a glamorous adventure and pilots looked like pilots-oily faces, creased leather jackets, and helmets, wings, and puttees!

According to Robert Lincks, Frank's uncle, Frank began flying in 1917 with Al Wilson. Frank was originally from Paso Robles, but came to the movie

Reprinted from Vintage Airplane March 1975

18 NOVEMBER 2005

capital in the 1920s. Because he could be counted on to provide authentic, heart-stopping stunts that were just what the director ordered, he began to accrue a list of screen credits that eventually led to his being chosen as the sinister Lt. von Bruen in Hell's Angels and as chief pilot in charge of the air sequences. (In 1920, in the film Stranger Than Fiction, which starred Katherine MacDonald, Frank flew a Jenny off a downtown Los Angeles office building. He was known, too, for his plane-to-plane changes sans a rope ladder. In the 1927 Pathe serial Eagle of the Night, he landed and took off on a

moving passenger train. But Hell's Angels was his greatest assignment.)

Jim Barton left me many photographs taken during the making of Hell's Angels, and I have included some of them here in the hopes that the members will recognize them.

During World War II, Frank Clarke served with the Celluloid Commandos, a motion picture group, as he was now considered too old to be a fighter pilot. Naturally, his first choice had been the Flying Tigers. I know he would have been a good one! On June II, 1948, he was killed in a BT15 crash that occurred in Isabella

Canyon, California. Jim was on the scene soon afterward, and he erected a cross made from the twisted propeller blades. The next time you see one of the great old stunt-flying epics, please think of the man behind the goggles-Frank Clarke-I know I will.

Because I think Frank Clarke's own words were certainly more evocative than mine of that era, I have recopied some magazine articles he wrote for Liberty magaZine in 1931. I know you'll enjoy them as I did.

I'd like to close with a poem written about Frank after his death by his friend Dean Spencer:

An S.E. 5 used for movie work. By 1927 these aircraft

were considered to be expendable junk and usually

had a very short life with the movie studio crews.

JIM BARTON COLLECTION

"SPOOKS" CLARKE

Midst annals of aviation fame Laymen would swear that we were damn liars Surpassing all living and dead Relating the things he has done. Immortalized "Spooks" one syllable name Eternally blazed at the head. To know is to love him. I am no exception

For I have been favored and blessed Hater of gravity-Master of Wings With friendship of his without bond of convention Nonpareil on the fly The kind between men-and the best. Artist of stick-he tenaciously clings To his loved Shangri-la of the sky. A toast to you, birdman. It's fates' own decision

To wear your boots-when you depart Idol of kiwis-God of all flyers You're not only history-By God, you're tradition King of stunt pilots unsung To all aviation-"Spooks" Clark-------

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

(The following is a portion of an article by Frank Clarke that appeared in the June 20, 1931, edition of Liberty magazine.)

Howard Hughes, producer and director of the picture Hell's Angels, was years old, and many times a millionaire through royalties on oil inventions perfected by his father, when he decided to come to Hollywood and see what could be done about making motion pictures. He had done a little flying and was a rabid enthusiast.

He entered the picture game over the protests of his uncle, Rupert Hughes, the novelist, who told him he would lose his shirt. According to all the rules of the game, this should have been true. "Angels" for film ventures are an old story in Hollywood. They usually were meat for unscrupulous film sharpshooters and eventually left town sadder but wiser, having dropped the roll in making a few pictures that would never be shown anywhere.

However, his uncle's opinion of his ability annoyed young Mr. Hughes exceedingly. When he determined to go ahead he got hold of John Considine Jr., production chief of United Artists, and formed a partnership with him to produce one picture. When Hollywood heard the plot of his first story it laughed heartily. The story didn't have any of the conventional "production" or "box-office" values. It was called Two Arabian Knights, and the two heroes were William Boyd and Louis Wolheim. There was, strictly speaking, no heroine. It was a story of a couple of doughboys who were captured and made their escape through a series of fantastic circumstances.

While it was being filmed Hughes spent his entire time behind the cameras. He is something of a mechanical genius, and it wasn't long before he knew the technical work of directing inside out. Because of his curiosity it took about twice as long as ordinary to film the picture and cost about twice as much-something in the neighborhood of $400,000, I believe.

When it was done, Hollywood, as well as Uncle Rupert, sat back and waited for the picture to flop and

2 0 NOVEMBER 2005

JIM BARTON COLLECTION

Fokker D.VII rigged for "Hell's Angel's" movie work.

young Mr. Hughes to disappear from filmland. But, contrary to all predictions, when the picture was shown it was an enormous moneymaker.

Hughes then conceived the idea of an air epic. He found his story in Hell's Angels, a tale of the British Royal Flying Corps during the war. He began to formulate plans for its filming-plans which more or less staggered Hollywood, even though it had seen in the making such enormously costly pictures as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur, Old Ironsides, Wings, King ofKings, and Von Stroheim's extravagant ventures.

He started filming the preliminary sequences at the studio, and after a few weeks had a disagreement with the director, who quit. Hughes then stepped in and announced that he would direct the picture himself.

Meanwhile he purchased the play, The Racket, and filmed it, starring Thomas Meighan, with Lewis Milestone directing. It was voted one of the ten best pictures of the year and was a big moneymaker. He also produced another Meighan pictureThe Mating Call.

Hughes originally prepared to film the air sequences of Hell's Angels, which occupy half of the picture, at an air field near Inglewood. He built a mess hall and barracks in preparation for his fleet of planes, etc. Later, however, he decided that cloud conditions would be better in the San Fernando

Valley, so he leased what had been an alfalfa field there and turned it into an air field, completely equipped with hangars, a mechanical department, and lights for night flying. He called it Caddo Field, after the corporate name of the company.

He then began to assemble a fleet of planes of wartime vintage. He insisted on the utmost possible accuracy in detail. This was no easy task, for by 1927 a good part of those old wartime planes had disappeared. A large part of those to be found were in such condition that they were beyond hope of repair.

One of the first planes he bought was a Sikorsky bomber, five or six years old. It had a wing spread of eighty-four feet, and when flown out from the east by Roscoe Turner it was the largest plane that had ever been seen on the Pacific coast. This was the nearest replica available of a Gotha bomber of the type used in the war.

The story of Hell's Angels revolved around two brothers in the flying corps, and Ben Lyon and James Hall were engaged for the roles.

It was at about this time that I joined the company and became chief pilot on the picture. Frank Tomick was engaged to fly the No.1 camera ship throughout the production.

Hughes himself had learned to fly, and bought a Waco job with a Wright Whirlwind motor for his own use.

The wartime planes were bought

Briefing of air crews before another day of filming Hell's Angels.

wherever we could find them. Among others we had a number of SE.5s, powered by Hispano motors. There were also several Fokker D.VIIs that had been used in the war. Their Mercedes motors had been replaced with Hall Scott L-6s. Then there were some Thomas Morse ships with Le Rhone rotary motors, some Avros, the British training plane, and a number of Canucks, which were used for crash scenes. The Canucks were the Curtiss Canadian training planes, resembling our Jennys, except for different rigging and double ailerons.

Various other ships were rented as the need arose.

The gang of pilots who were assembled made me think of the old days. Among them were Frank Tomick, Jack Rand, Leo NOrnis, and Maurice (Loop the Loop) Murphy.

In taking the job as chief pilot, I had insisted on the employment of Roy Wilson, who is one of the greatest in the business. The first air work consisted largely of takeoffs and landings, the scenes depicting a British training ground.

Later, as we began to get into the air scenes, a good many planes and pilots were added. In alI, I guess we used more than 125 planes in the pictures, including those that were cracked up, and employed even more pilots. There were many changes in personnel, as a lot of them didn't stick with us because of the antiquated craft we were using.

In speaking of Leo Nomis, I should mention the fact that he was not only a stunt man in the air, but also in automobiles. He was once a race driver, and specialized in smashing up automobiles and turning them over for spectacular scenes in pictures.

Ben Lyon and Jimmy Hall flew in the old bomber throughout the picture. Ben became a real airplane enthusiast and a regular pilot. Both he and Bebe Daniels, his wife, are crazy about aviation.

It was while Ben was learning to fly that a very amusing incident happened. The flyers on the Ford reliability tour had arrived in Los Angeles and were to be entertained at the

open-air dining room of the Los Angeles Breakfast Club at 8:00 a.m.

Somebody had thought up the idea of having Roscoe Turner and Ben Lyon fly low overhead during the ceremony and throw a flock of flowers down.

They were going to use Roy Wilson's plane, which was at Caddo Field. When they arrived that morning at the field they were late, and Turner was in such a hurry that he didn't stop to listen to Wilson explain his trick gas system.

They flew down over the Breakfast Club and were doing their stuff when the motor suddenly cut. There was plenty of gas in the plane, but Turner had opened the wrong tank. The ship had to land in the bed of the Los Angeles River and turned over. By some miracle the river at that time had about eight inches of water in it.

Ben and Turner crawled out, a rather woebegone sight, while the reliability flyers stood on the bank and cheered, saying they had expected to be entertained but not quite so royally as by having Ben Lyon put on a crash for them!

Few people, even pilots themselves, have any conception of the magnitude of the task of maintaining a military squadron. Many people have seen army fields, but everything there goes off so smoothly and with so little apparent effort that it all looks simple.

Yet the old saying that for every man at the front there must be ten behind the lines holds true in aviation, with the added factor that every man on the ground must be an expert.

For the filming of Hell's Angels not only did Howard Hughes, the boy producer, have to establish a flying field complete in every detail and gather his planes and pilots, but he also had to gather a complete ground crew.

At Caddo Field there were approximately 130 men on the ground, servicing and checking the planes, keeping the motors in tune, and doing machine-shop work. The task was doubly difficult because most of our crates were old and of obsolete de-

VI N TAGE A I RPLA N E 21

This is Roscoe Turner's Sikorsky S-29A in which he did a lot of barnstorming before leasing it to Howard Hughes for use in the movie Hell's Angels. In the movie the plane was painted up to represent a German Hotha bomber. The Sikorsky crashed during filming.

sign and in constant need of repair. Most needed parts had to be made on the spot, as they were either difficult to obtain or out of stock altogether. Harry Reynolds had charge of the ground work.

Hughes gathered for the filming of this picture the largest fleet of fighting aircraft ever brought together, save by governments. He actually owned a larger number of fighting planes than most small nations do today.

In the final scenes of the picture we have forty wartime planes engaged in battle in the air at one time! In addition there were a number of camera Ships. I was directing.

Added to the extensive layout at Caddo Field, a German air field farther out in the valley was also acquired and equipped.

When we started the actual air sequences, Al Johnson was engaged to perform several of the dangerous crackups. He did the first one in December, 1927. The scene called for a steep dive to the ground, the ship turning over on its back when it hit.

It was a tough stunt, and many of the flyers didn 't believe it could be done without death or serious injury to the pilot. But they didn't know AI. He used an old Canuck ship and took no special precautions in preparing for the crash.

He performed it beautifully, nosing the crate over right in front of the cameras. He stepped out without a scratch, with his usual luck.

The next day several of us went over to the Glendale Municipal Airport. We were going to fly a number of old ships from there to a field 2 2 NOVEMBER 2005

near Inglewood. It was not for camera work and was the sort of flight any novice might make.

Al was to take over an old builtup Avro. He was the first to take off. Hardly had he left the ground when his motor started to miss, and then cut out on him.

He attempted to clear the hightension wires adjoining the field, but his marvelous sense of judging distance, which made him one of the greatest stunt men in the world, failed him.

He misjudged the wires and crashed into them. His plane immediately burst into flames.

Al himself was thrown clear and lit fifty feet away. As he ran across the field we hoped his usual luck had stayed with him and saved him from injury.

We found him writhing in horrible agony. Although he had broken no bones, he had breathed the flames which enveloped the plane. His lungs were scorched.

We carried him to the road. Between gasps he said:

"This is the end. Save me the suffering. Put me out of the way now."

There was nothing we could do for him. We rushed him to the hospital, where he lingered a day or so, never losing consciousness, and then died.

With him passed a master of a game that is vanishing. But if, up beyond the pearly gates, they have been looking for a long time for someone to change from cloud to cloud with one hand, and without using a rope ladder, they at last have him in AI.

Our hearts were heavy, but we had

Frank Clarke shortly before his death in June of 1948.

to carryon. Everyone in our squadron was

a flying enthusiast, including Ben Lyon and Howard Hughes. It didn't really seem like a motion-picture troupe at all.

One afternoon Ben decided he would fly from the field back to town with one of the boys.

Hughes got the idea that Ben and Jimmy Hall were already taking enough risks riding each day in the creaky old German bomber.

"Now, look here, Ben," he said, "I don't want you to do any unnecessary flying. Cut it out!"

"I'll tell you, Howard," said Ben, laughing, "1'11 make you a proposition. I'll stop flying if you will. If I get killed, you can hire another actor and retake my scenes, but if you get killed, we all stop getting paid."

"Nonsense!" snorted Hughes. lilt's different with me. In fact, I think I'll fly one of those old war crates just to see how it goes."

Hughes had just recently obtained his pilot's license, and purchased his new Waco with a Whirlwind motor, but he had never tried to fly one of the old jobs.

Immediately all the pilots tried to dissuade him. But he was stubbornness personified. He ordered an old Thomas Morse with a Le Rhone rotary motor wheeled out of the hangar. The boys crowded around, giving him all sorts of advice on how to handle it.

I didn't butt in, as I figured he already had enough advice to last him for months.

It seemed, however, that they had continued on page 29

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E AIRPLANE 25

The fall colors are beautiful, the leaves are turning, and wouldn 't you know it, the winter words of warning are out.

GAMA, NBA, and NATA are all telling their members to take the usual precautions for winter flying.

The same precautions apply to our antique and classic airplanes.

We may not have those slippery Lear or Citation wings that are affected even by little bugs impinged on the leading edge, but our airfoils and control surfaces are just as important to our flying. Maybe even more so, because we normally don't have heated hangars and a crew of maintenance people to look after our safety.

I'm not going into preaching to the choir stuff. There is so much information available out there that one can become oversaturated just trying to assimilate all of it. So commit some of it to memory and put together a mental checklist of precautions to be taken before winter flying.

Winter flying can be a rewarding experience, once you get your footsies and your pinkies warmed up. But it's what you do before you do the warmup that counts.

Fortunately, with the multigrade oils available today, it isn't like the old days when we drained the oil and took it home where it was kept warm, actually heating it on the stove or the steam radiator and then pouring it into the engine before starting it. I could never understand how that did any good. I can imagine the oil hitting the cold engine and beginning to gel. Did it really work?

The engine preheaters available

26 NOVEMBER 2005

E.E. " BUCK" HILBERT

Winter ops these days are great, easy to use, and usually portable, efficient, and effective. There are alternative ways to warm things up. A few years ago I wrote an article telling of one guy who put an adapter in the passenger-side window of his car, attached a couple of SCAT tubes, shoved them into the engine inlet, cranked the

Winter flying can

be a rewarding

experience, once

you get your

footsies and your

pinkies warmed up.

heat and the blower to high, and sat inside while the engine got warmed up. That same guy had booster cables he hooked up to his car battery to warm his aircraft battery as well.

Now there's one item no one seems to be aware of. A cold battery loses efficiency. In fact, it can get so cold it becomes almost useless. One of the record attempts I was an observer on was a solar-powered UAV. It was taken up where the ambient temperature was -50°F. Night came, and with no solar heat or power from the solar cells, the battery got colder and colder as the night wore on, and the battery

nearly froze. Some control of the UAV was lost as a result. Then someone recalled that the rotating beacon's power came directly off the battery. They turned on the beacon, by remote control of this unmanned vehicle, and guess what? The high current drain of the beacon warmed the battery, and the UAV was back in business.

That lesson prompts a thought that maybe, just maybe, we should get a little warmth into the battery before trying to do a start. Aircraft batteries are smaller than their automotive counterparts, weigh less, and are shorter on cranking amps. Get them good and cold, and they are really affected.

Let's think of some way to warm up that battery just a bit. Turn on some lights, give it some work to do, and that will help. Actually, the best way would be to physically warm it up. Put a 20-watt light bulb next to the battery and leave it on, or get yourself a float trickle charger and leave it on to keep the battery fully charged, warm, and happy. I know one guy who has a solar charger he puts up on the glare shield that does great, when the sun shines or there is enough light to make it work.

We all know about icing, about carburetor ice, and keeping the airfoils clean, so I won't get into that. One thing I do want to stress is that if it's cold enough to freeze and freeze hard, leave those tank drains alone. If there is some water in the bottom of the tank, it is just as frozen as the ice puddles around the airport . Pushing in on the drains will rupture the seals if they move at all, and you 'll have a leaker. Those little O-rings are

special and not easy to come by and replace. This brings to mind that I almost had my wife convinced that the odor of gasoline was really my aftershave lotion. She almost bought it, but never mind.

The next thing I want to cover is wheelpants and the effect of slush and puddles as you run through them. Slush or water will impinge on any surface and especially loves packing into wheelpants. On breaking ground, the windchill factor will freeze that stuff solid. Heaven forbid if the wheelpant or even wheel well is full; you can imagine the consequence. The slush will also increase your takeoff run, so be aware. Also, be aware that landing on a snowcovered or icy surface can increase your stopping distance by as much as 100 percent. Your brakes won't be effective, and if your locked wheel hits a dry spot, you may have a problem.

The best advice I can offer here is to take the wheelpants off for winter flying. With your parka up and around your ears, it will be one of the last things you'd miss having on the airplane during the winter! If your gear retracts, exercise the gear a couple of times to assure yourself that it'll work. Also, in the case of slush and water, it could impinge on the horizontal stabilizer, unless you have a T-tail, and cause problems.

The super-cold air sure makes the engine perform. Don't get carried away and overboost it. Take some time to get the oil circulating and the cylinder head temperature up before you poke it to higher power. I wish every pilot could spend some time with the "bushies" up in Alaska or Canada. Those heroes contend with this kind of operation as standard operating procedure. Matter of fact, I'd like to hear from some of them. There's nothing like going to the source for the best information.

Don't get in a hurry, and as old "Gus" Limbach used to say, "Don't do nuthin' dumb."

Over to you.

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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recently released a report sent to Marion Blakey, the administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, detailing the conclusions it had come to af