2003.11.TARPA_TOPICS

CONTENTSTARPA TOPICS THE MAGAZINE OF THE TWA ACTIVE RETIRED PILOTS ASSOCIATION

DEPARTMENTS:

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Charles Wilder

3

EDITOR'S NOTE

John P. Gratz

4

SECRETARY/TREASURER

Rufus Mosely

5

FLOWN WEST 37

GRAPEVINE 5 1

Gene Richards

FEATURES:

BRIEF CONVENTION

OVERVIEW

by Bill Dixon 23

CONCRETE COMPASS

by Jeff Davis 24

RUSS DAY -

CONSUMMATE ARTIST

by Bob Allardyce 25

A VISIT FROM ST. X

by Mike Larkin 28

99( MODEL A (FORD)

by Charles Davis 29

THE EQUATOR

by Bill Dixon 3 2

GREAT DANE IN PIT

by Russ Day 33

A TRIP TO DANANG

by Russ Bowen 35

LANICA

by Buck Pratt 45

MINES FIELD

by Earl Jinnette 50

HISTORY BITS

by W. A. Dixon 76

Material contained in TARPA Topics maybe used by non-profit or charitable organizations. All other use of mate-rial must be by permission of the Editor. All inquiresconcerning the is publication should be addressed to :

Front Cover Courtesy: Jon ProctorBack Cover: Airline History Museum

TOPICS is an official publication ofTARPA, a non-profit corporation. TheEditor bears no responsibility for accu-racy or unauthorized use of contents.

John P. Gratz, EditorTARPA TOPICS1646 Timberlake Manor ParkwayChesterfield, MO 63017

EDITOR

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

GRAPEVINE EDITOR

HISTORIAN

John P. Gratz 1646 Timberlake Manor PkwyChesterfield, MO 63017-5500 (636) 532-83 [email protected] R. GratzSt. Louis, MO [email protected] Richards 284oB Sherwood AveModesto, CA 95350 (209) 492-0391gene_richards @pacbell.netFelix M. Usis III 1276 Belvoir LaneVirginia Beach, VA 2

3464-6746

73644 .3341 @compuserve.com

(757) 420-5445

Walnut Creek, CA 94595 (925)[email protected] Irwin 2466 White Stable RoadTown and Country, MO 6

313 1 (314) 432-3 [email protected] Thompson 11 Shadwood LaneHilton Head Island, S.C. 29926 (843) 681-6451

OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS, 2000 - 2001

14981 Chateau VillageChesterfield, MO 63017-77

01 (636) [email protected]

INTERNET WEBMASTER Jack Irwin 2466 White Stable RoadTown and Country, MO 6

3 13 1 (314) 432-3272

[email protected] Robert W. Dedman 3728 Lynfield Drive

Virginia Beach, VA 23452 (757) 463-2032

[email protected] John P. Gratz 1646 Timberlake Manor Pkwy

Chesterfield, MO 63017-5500 (63 6) [email protected]

PAGE 2 ... TARPA TOPICS

1034 Carroll(314) 241-9353

FLOWN WEST COORDINATOR John S. Bybee 2616 Saklan Indian Drive #1

INTERNET WEBMASTER

TARPA TOURS COORDINATOR

PRESIDENT

FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT

SECOND VICE PRESIDENT

SECRETARY/TREASURER

SENIOR DIRECTOR

DIRECTOR

DIRECTOR

Charles L. WilderHowell, NJ [email protected] A. FortierIncline Village, NV [email protected]

H.O. Van ZandtDaytona Beach, FL [email protected] MoselyFoley, AL [email protected] C. ShermanSan Jose, CA [email protected] DollarhideCrescent, MO [email protected] Kientz

14 Underhill Rd.(732) 3 64-5549

Box 6065(775) 831-304o

1810 Lindbergh Lane(386) 767-6607

Box 1871(25 1) 955-

1080

1201 Phelps Ave.(408) 246-7754

Riverside Farm Dr.(636) 938-4727

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

CONGRATULATIONS!

for a super convention to Captain Guy Fortier, Chairman and his entirecommittee; Vice-Chairman, Captain Justin Livingston; Treasurer, CaptainHerb Wheeler; Tours, Captain Chuck Lancaster; and to his vast array ofhelpers, including Joann Fortier, Barbara Livingston, Donna Wheelerto Katie Buchanan and her volunteers for a most active and congenialhospitality room (and her delicious hors d'oeuvres)to Vickie McGowan for her part in arranging for the hotel, tours, etc. Withouther work and input, preparing for the convention would have been muchmore difficult.to Bob Dedman, past President, for his great leadership in promoting theconvention and a special thanks to his lovely use for her support.to John Gratz and his brother, David, for advertising and promoting theconvention so effectively in TARPA Topics.to all who attended and were rewarded with fellowship, tours, air races,gaming, hospitality room, banquet, etc.to all who were unable to attend - you missed one of the best conventionsever!

Although we had an excellent turnout for this convention, only a small percentage of our membersattended. If you know someone who could have come but did not, share with them how great aconvention it was and encourage them to join us on the cruise next fall.

We are presently planning our 2004 convention which will feature a cruise. The exact details willbe available in the near future.

Although Bob Dedman's shoes will be hard to fill, I look forward to serving you as your newpresident and welcome any and all comments and suggestions. TARPA is an active and viableorganization and can be only be sustained with your help.

Our future success depends upon the active involvement of each of us. Try to reach out to cockpitcrew members who have not joined us and encourage them to join. Hand them an enrollmentform which is found in the aft portion of each TARPA Topics or consider making a gift ofmembership to one of them.

With my best wishes for a happy, healthy year.

Congratulations

Congratulations

Congratulations

Congratulations

Congratulations

Congratulations

Deepest Regrets


EDITOR'S NOTE

There is a lot to notice in this issue of TOPICS. First of all, to keep everything on track we needyou to pay your 2004 dues before the Holidays create too many distractions. You will also seethat we had a very successful Convention in Reno Chaired by our new First Vice-President, GuyFortier. Guy ably assisted by a group of highly motivated Committee Members who served asgracious hosts and hostesses happy to showcase their special corner of our great country. Every-one has praised the professionalism and enthusiasm of all those concerned. The Committee in-troduced several innovations; for instance Ed Madigan collected all the many digital photos fromattendees into a slide show. Ed sent all of them to us for this issue. There were so many hundredsthat we could not include them all, and this plethora of pretty pictures perforce precludes anypossibility of naming the worthy subjects. Ed Madigan has posted most of his photos on the webat:http://homepage.mac.com/edmadigan/PhotoAlbum7.html

It should be noted that Katie Buchanan was even more of a hospitality maven than usual since wewere in her backyard, Reno! Katie even produced a tasty array of hors d'oeuvres in her own kitchen!Finally our new Convention Coordinator and "Jill of all trades," Vicki McGowen also did anotherfine job helping our Committee. Reno is Vicki's hometown also. Happily, many Members wereattending for the first time and have now begun to exhort everyone else to join in such future fun.

The final act of TARPA Convention 2003 was the election of a new President, Charles Wilder, anew first Vice-President Guy Fortier and a new Senior Director, Bob Sherman. All other Officersand Directors were re-elected. The complete list is on page 2.

We are pleased to feature articles here from regular contributors BillDixon and Charles Davis. In this issue we also feature new TOPICSauthors, Russ Bowen and Buck Pratt.

We would like to remind all TARPA Members on the Internet toremember to visit our web page, www.tarpa.com. It offers a place to getinformation on a variety of subjects, and a forum for Members to sharetheir ideas and news of general interest. This site was designed to provideinformation on a more timely basis than TOPICSprovides with a threea year schedule. Soon the web page will be the place for our TARPADirectory. A printed Directory will no longer be mailed to all Members,but a printed copy will be available on request after March 2004.

Photos in this issue of TOPICS courtesy of: Convention attendees.

Topics Staff , Circa 1956


SECRETARY/TREASURER REPORT

SEP 7, 2003

As of September 7, 2003, the membership is as follows:

(R) Retired: 9 13(A) Active: 88(E) Eagles: 535(H) Honorary: 470TOTAL: 2006

There are also 42 subscribers to Topics, and 19 who receive complimentary copies.We have added 11 new members since the last Topics.

Here is the financial report for the first eight months of 2003:

1/1/2002:Opening Balance $39, 259 .51

Income $50,224.70Expenses $32,134.86Cash Flow $18,089.84Balance 4/30/02 $57,349 .35

We have one more issue of TARPA Topics to produce this year at a cost of approximately $15,000. This shouldleave us with a balance at year end of around $42,000, slightly ahead of our opening balance for the year.

Respectfully submitted,

C. Rufus MoselySec/Treas


C. RUFUS MOSELYBOX 1871

FOLEY, AL 36536-1871 U.S.A.251 955-1080

[email protected]

MINUTES of the Sep. 8. 2003 TARPA Board meeting.

Board members present: Bob Dedman, H. O. Van Zandt, John Gratz, Rufus Mosely,CharlesWilder.Absent: Rockney Dollarhide, Jack Irwin, Harry Jacobson, Bill Kientz.

The meeting was called to order at 2:30 P.M. by President Dedman.

President's Report: Bob congratulated everyone for the good turnout for the Reno Convention.He spoke on the Biennial Directory, and after discussion, the following motion was made byCharles Wilder and seconded by Bob Dedman: Whereas, the TARPA Board of Directors in acontinuing search for cost savings in providing services for the Members, has considered eliminatingthe Printed Directory and its mailing to all Members, and Whereas, it now appears feasible tosubstitute a secure on-line version with the added provision that those Members who specificallyrequest printed versions may have them mailed separately, therefore be it Resolved, that theTARPA Board of Directors does hereby authorize the Second Vice-President, the Secretary-Treasurer, and the Webmaster to take the action necessary to accomplish these changes. Thismotion passed. Bob addressed the need to rejoin RAPA, the Retired Airline Pilot's Association,so that our members will be eligible for their insurance program. Rufus stated that he has tried tocontact RAPA, but has had no response. He is awaiting further instructions on another way to getin touch with RAPA. Bob initiated discussion on the 2004 and 2005 Conventions. The followingmotion was made by Rufus Mosely and seconded by Charles Wilder: be it Resolved, that the2004 Convention consist of a 4 night cruise departing from New Orleans on Sep. 20. This motionpassed. The ship will be the Carnival Holiday and we will block loo cabins. The following motionwas made by Charles Wilder and seconded by Bob Dedman: be it Resolved, that the 2005Convention will be held in Philadelphia. This motion passed.

First Vice President's Report: Charlie Wilder reported that he continues to auditthe TARPA financial records, and they remain in order.

Second Vice President's Report: H.O. Van Zandt reported that his work continues in keepingthe e-mail list up to date, there are about 1000 on it now. Please keep both him and the sec/treas

advised of e-mail changes. He will help on getting the Directory on the Website.

Secretary/Treasurer 's Report: Rufus Mosely reported on the cash flow for the first eight monthsof 2003 and projections for the rest of the year, passing out summary sheets of same. 2003 will endup just ahead of break-even. He also reported on current membership. See attachments #1 and #2.He also asked the Board to look for a candidate to replace him at the next Convention.Directors Report: Bob Dedman reported that Senior Director Harry Jacobson is resigning fromthe Board as of this Convention, and that Robert Sherman has been nominated to replace him.


There being no further business, a motion to adjourn was made by H. O. Van Zandt and secondedby Charlie Wilder. This motion passed and the meeting was adjourned at 3:50 P.M.

MINUTES of the September 10, 2003 TARPA General Membership Meeting.

The meeting was called to order at 8:35 AM by the President, Capt. Bob Dedman, followed by thePledge of Allegiance. There were over too in attendance.

The Flown West names since our last meeting were read by Capt. John Bybee, Flown WestCoordinator.

President's Report: Capt. Dedman spoke on the situation at AA, there are now no formerTWA Flight Attendants and less than 400 former TWA Pilots employed there. He announcedthat he was stepping down as president at the Conclusion of this Convention. Regarding insurance,those with Complink need to be sure that their premiums are paid, and for those over 65, USAAoffers a Medicare Supplement. There is a retiree travel program called IAPAN which should beinvestigated. The 2004 Convention will be on a Cruise Ship departing from New Orleans onMonday, Sep. 20, 2004, for 4 nights. A hotel for before and after the Convention will be arrangedas an option. The 2005 Convention will be in Philadelphia.

1st Vice President's Report: Capt. Charles Wilder reported that he has asked Capt. ClarkBillie to Chair the 2005 Convention. He is continuing to audit the finances of the organization, allis well as of this date. He asked all members to talk to their friends who are not members andurge them to join TARPA, and to give gift memberships to them.

2ndVice President's Report: Capt. H. O. Van Zandt reported that he continues to update themaster e-mail list and to periodically send out e-mail to members. Please send your e-mail changesto the Sec/Treas so that the list will remain current. He also has a master TWA Seniority list fromthe beginning, as of today TWA has hired 8,345 flight crew members.

Secretary/Treasurer 's Report: Capt. Rufus Mosely reported on current membership, whichstands at 2006. 11 new members have joined since the last issue of Topics. He also discussedfinances year to date. We began the year with $39,259.51 on hand, and after publishing theNovember Topics, expect to end the year slightly ahead of that amount.

Director's Reports: Senior Director Harry Jacobson is retiring from the Board and was unableto attend the Convention. Directors Rockney Dollarhide and Bill Kientz were also not able to bewith us.

Topics Editor: Capt. John Gratz addressed the new system to be in place for the 2004 Directory.It will be in electronic form and available to members on the TARPA website, however, for thosewithout computers, a printed copy will be mailed upon request. The insurance issue for thoseunder 65 is still ongoing.


Community America Credit Union: Mr. Sean Yokley reported that the Credit Union has 1.3billion dollars in assets as of the end of 2002. They have 14 locations and many more sharedbranches. The appreciate very much our continuing use of their facilities.

New Business: Capt. Marty Sobel reported for the A-Plan Defense Fund. There is concern thatthe PBGC may run out of money. APDF has a new law firm, a filing has just been made. Hesuggested that all affected pilots who are not now members of APDF consider joining and send amonthly check to support this work. They have a website: www.aplandefense.org .

It was announced that the TWA Seniors will be at Wickenburg, AZ at Halloween.

The following motion was made by Capt. Bob Sherman and seconded by Capt. Bill Kirschner:Whereas, Katie Buchanan has once again managed the hospitality room at the TARPAConvention 2003 in Reno, and Whereas, Katie using her own culinary skills produced several ofthe appetizers in her Reno home, and Whereas, TARPA members owe Katie gratitude for heryears as hostess at TARPA Conventions, Therefore be it resolved: that the TARPA membersat this general membership meeting formally express our many thanks. This motion passed.

The following motion was made by Capt. Larry Tobin and seconded by Capt. Mike McFarland:Whereas, the Chairman and committee members of TARPA Convention 2003 in Reno,as well as Convention facilitator Vicky McGowan, have produced a gathering of the mostoutstanding character, and Whereas, in producing our Convention the Chairman and committeemembers have introduced innovations of great imagination, and Whereas, this committee has seta standard for future convention committees to use as a guide, Therefore be it resolved: thatthe members in attendance here in Reno do hereby express sincere appreciation to the RenoConvention committee for a job well done. This motion passed.

The following motion was made by Capt. John Gratz and seconded by Capt. Rufus Mosely:Whereas, Bob Dedman has been actively working for TARPA and its members for many years,and Whereas, Bob has served as an officer and board member, and Whereas, Bob has completedthree terms as President, and Whereas, Bob had the helm during the untimely demise of ourbeloved TWA, and Whereas, Bob faced the numerous problems created by that sad event withfortitude, resolve, and dedication, and Whereas, Bob Dedman acquitted himself with the highestdegree of professionalism, now therefore be it resolved: that the TARPA membership assembledhere for TARPA Convention 2003 do hereby express our sincere admiration and gratitude for ajob well done. This motion passed. A long standing ovation followed.

Gene Richards, Grapevine Editor, asked everyone to send him stories for the next, as well asfuture issues of Topics.

Jim Higgins announced that the TWA Seniors Convention for 2004 will be in Seattle in July, andurged all to attend.


Directed Account Plan: Capt. Joe Montanaro reported that he has been Executive Directorof the DAP for more than 10 years now. The DAP has more than one billion in assets and over3,000 participants. He reviewed the plan status and answered many questions from the audience.The plan website is: www.4twadap.com .

Election of Officers: Capt. Jim Breslin, Nominating Committee Chairman, presented thefollowing slate of nominees for the next year:

President: Charles Wilder1st Vice President: Guy Fortier2nd Vice President: H. O. Van ZandtSecretary/Treasurer: Rufus MoselySenior Director: Robert ShermanDirector: Rockney DollarhideDirector: William Kientz

Capt. Breslin then made a motion on behalf of the Nominating Committee that the above nomineesbe elected. This motion passed.

There being no further business, Capt. Bill Kirschner made and Capt. Horace Greeley secondeda motion to adjourn, this motion passed and Capt. Dedman adjourned the meeting.

Respectfully submitted,

Capt. C. Rufus MoselySecretary/Treasurer

Convention Attendees

ANDEREGG BartANDEREGG Mary FranANDERSON ChuckASKEGARD VernASKEGARD DeeATKINS DickATKINS GwenBAAR RutBAAR LucienneBACH PeterBACH Mary LouBAKER CharlieBAKER MarleneBAKER JackBAKER DonnaBAILEY StanBAILEY ShyrlBARBIER PhilGARBLER Linda

BILLIE MarleneBOSTWICK IrvingBOWEN RussellBOWEN VivienBRESLIN JimBRESLIN ErikaBUCHANAN KateBUCHANAN TerryBUCHANAN DonBURNS LouBYBEE JohnBYBEE GinnyCAMBRIA CraigCAMBRIA ReneeCANAVAN BillCANAVAN SueCARLSON JohnCASPERSON NormCASPERSON Donna.

CHICHESTER KatherineCLEMENS BillCLEMENS DianneCOHEE DouglasCOLLING EdCONVERSE GinnyCOOPER RichardCOOPER MaryCORRIGAN DianeCORE DickCORE JanetCOUZEN KateCUSHING BudCUSHING PatsyDAY RussDAY CarolDEDMAN BobDEDMAN IlseDEGLER KenDEGLER Ruth AnnDICK RichardDIXON Bill

ELLIOTT BillieESCOLA DickESCOLA AliceEVANS DianaEVANS FloydFETHERMAN Betty JoFETHERMAN AldenFETHERMAN AnneFISHBAUGH RichardFISHBAUGH DixieFORSYTH MikeFORSYTH JeffFORSYTH LauraFORTIER GuyFORTIER JoannFREELAND HankFREELAND BarbaraGALLAGHER JosephGEITHER EdGEITHER SharonGORCZYCA LouisGORCZYCA Loran


ATTENDEES Cont'd.

GRATZ John KIEWEL Pete MOOTHAM Lucille SHIPSTEAD Wes

GRATZ Patti KIEWEL EtIie MOSELY Sam (Ms) SHIPSTEAD Artie

GRAY Norman KIRSCHNER Bill MOSELY Rufus SNAVELY Orren

GRAY Carol KUBALL Bud MUNDO Albert SNAVELY MarilynGREELEY Horace KUHN Robert MURCHAN Larry STACEY TerryGREELEY Patricia LAHN Roger MURCHAN Betty STANTON Jim

GREEN Ev LAHN Jean MYERS Gordon STANTON MarilynGREEN Jessica LAMPRELL James MYERS Phyllis STOCK Walt

GREENE Nate LANCASTER Chuck NELSON Stuart STONSKAS Joe

GREENWOOD Tom LANG Robert NELSON Arlene SWIFT MikeGREENWOOD Sharon LANG Angela NICOLAIS Mario THOMPSON JeanGUSTAFSON Al LEACH Roger NICOLAIS Rosemarie THOMPSON BlaiseGUTHRIE Mark LENEHAN Bob NIXON Arlie THOMPSON DellaGUTHRIE Jayne LINGENFELSER Fred NIXON Clyde TOBIN LarryHALL Larry LINGENFELSER Essie NOREM Jim TOBIN BarbaraHALL Nancy LIVINGSTON Justin NOREM Ginny TOMASZEWSKI WalterHANLIN Bob LIVINGSTON Barbara O'CONNELL Morris TOMASZEWSKIHANLIN Lynn LOCKE Leslie O'CONNELL Carol MarleneHANSON Glen LORENTZ Arthur PAHL Clarence (Slim) TROJAN BobHANSON Jeanette LOVEIT Robert PAHL Mickey TROJAN LonnaHASLER Chuck LOWE Sim PARADISE Julie TROVINGER KarlHASLER Pat LOWE 011ie PEREZ Mary TROVINGER AnneHEALD Robert LUCKEY Sam PETERS Don TSCHIRGI CharlesHENDRICKSON John LUEDTKE Tex PETERS Nancy TSCHIRGI BettyHENDRICKSON Doris LUEDTKE Marion PIERSON Leon VAN ZANDT H. o.HIGGINS Ronnie MADDEN Vincent PIERSON Bonnie VAN ZANDT Petra

HIGGINS Jim MADDEN Thomas PLATTNER David VOGEL TomHIGGINS Cheryl MADIGAN Ed PLATTNER Sue VOGEL MargauxHILL Jeff MADIGAN Susy POHL Renate WALDO WaltHIPPE Ken MARR Bob POLEY Chuck WALDO EIIieHIPPE Sharon MARR Kay Dee POLEY JeanPUE Les WALLACE BillHOFMEISTER Howard MATEER Jack RAGER Betty WEISS EdwinHOFMEISTER Colleen MATEER Nancy REARDON Matthew WEISS SandraHOOPER Jacqueline McCARTER Harvey REARDON-MURRAY Patricia WEST DustyWEST LeeHOUSTON Bob McCARTER Marilyn REHBOCK Al WETHERELL RichHOUSTON Bjorg McFARLAND Michael RICHARDS Gene WETHERELL Dreama

HOYT Dick McKENZIE Vern RICHARDS Sue WHEELER HerbHOYT Marcia McKENZIE Evy RIEBELING Herb WHEELER DonnaHUCK Albert McKINNEY Donald ROOD Kletus WILDER CharlesHUCK Lela McKINNEY Mitzie ROOD Lois WILDER HelenINGLIS Idus MERRIGAN William SALMONSON Roger WILDMAN EverettINGLIS Jeanne MEYER Ernest SALMONSON Sylvia WILDMAN MichaelIRWIN Jack MEYER Gay SCHMIDT Carl WOODRUFF Henry

IRWIN Bonnie MILLER James SCHMIDT Joan WOODRUFF NancyJINNETTE Earl MILLER Jeannie SCHMIDT Roger WURSTER GerryJINNETTE Mike MILLER Dorothee SCOTT Bill WURSTER JoanJEZEK Earl MISSELWITZ Ted SCOTT Mary WHYTE MargoJEZEK Janet MISSELWITZ Maxine SEARS Raymonde YOUNG PeterJONES Frank MOLINARIO Richard SELF Frank YOUNG DidiJONES Rick MOLINARIO Sandra SELF Sue ZIERDEN BobJORDAN Lew MOORE Roger SELLS John ZUDIS DickJORDAN Jeanette MOORE Lillian SELLS Christine ZUDIS JudyKIDD John MOORE Wanda SHERMAN BobKIDD Rae MOOTHAM Barrie SHERMAN Alice










In fond memory of

Captain Russ Derickson

Captain Russ Derickson flies West on thatfinal check ride we all must eventually take.

This painting in memory of Russ Derickson was received shortly after Russ passed away. It isRuss Day 's personal tribute to one of TWA and TARPA's most memorable leaders. Captain RussDerickson 's career included working for TWA Pilots as a representative of The Air Line PilotsAssociation both as local leader and as Chairman of the TWA Master Executive Council. He workedfor TWA in several management positions and retired as Chief Pilot of the San Francisco Domicile.He served five terms as President of TARPA and was greatly responsible for its continuing success.I met Russ when I was serving in ALPA and later when he was GMF at San Francisco, I was localChairman. Russ always encouraged me to become active in TARPA. Captain Russ Derickson willalways be remembered fondly by all who knew him. Ed.


Russ Day has generously offered the artwork for his famous note cards, "The Captain",to Operation Liftoff and to the TWA Section of the Platte County Historical SocietyMuseum near MCI Airport. These worthy groups are in turn offering them to you asnostalgic and useful souvenir of the good old days of TWA. These cards reproduced inthe most vivid colors have also been produced on a 12 by 18 inch poster. The set ofnine cards and envelopes can be purchased by making a contribution of $16.00, and theposter is also available for $24.00 at:

Operation Liftoff, C/O AA Training Center11495 Natural Bridge Rd Bridgeton, MO 63044314-551-1755

Based in St. Louis Missouri, Operation Liftoff is a nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to providing trips within the United Statesfor children who are facing life-threatening illnesses. Any child who is afflicted with a life threatening illnesses is eligible for a dream ortreatment trip without regard to race, creed, sex or national origin. A life threatening illness is not limited to the varied forms of cancer, butincludes any illness, which is deemed life threatening.O.L. began in 1978, from humble beginnings and with a handful of volunteers; needed funds came from fundraisers on a trip-by-tripbasis. Today, O.L. has grown with dedicated volunteers and a long list of wonderful friends who have brought some needed joy into theli ves of families over the years

A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF TARPA 2003by Bill Dixon

The convention this year in Reno, Nevada was attended by 304 dedicated TARPA Members. Thatbeats last year's total substantially. Only one hundred and ninety-eight made the Chicago get-together. The famous annual Reno Air Races probably inspired the extra attendance. And theraces and aerial displays were fabulous to watch, living up to their reputation. The temperaturewas warm, but not too bad.

We stayed at the Sliver Legacy Hotel, a luxurious and huge establishment, with allthe entertainment and gambling anyone could care to face. If any large sums werewon or lost, it was kept under cover. Buses were run every 30 minutes to the airport.

The main show at the Air Races started at noon on the first day with the world famous Air ForceThunderbirds in their Fighting Falcons. Six in number, they made their attendance over thestands at twelve-twenty pm, exactly as scheduled. There earsplitting near supersonic roar instantlyheralded they were there, as they passed a few hundred feet over the stands from behind.

The falcons were colorfully decorated, largely white on top. Their first maneuver was a straightup climb into a high loop, all in a super-tight diamond formation. It was almost unbelievable towatch. Everyone had to be proud of this precision group. They performed for approximately 30minutes. Actual air races, such as with P-51s, were fascinating to observe, but the Silver Falconswere the undisputed stars with their aerobatic flights.

Among the other places visited was the Ponderosa Ranch, home of the Bonanza TV shows. It wasa quite large and interesting place to see (and eat!)

On arrival at the convention, each attendee was given a neat, colorful nametag to hangaround their neck. It made it easy to keep recognize and keep track of each other. Also, otherlittle gifts - such as two wine glasses and a deck of cards were handed out. An appreciatedlist of all attending was also included in a large envelope.

The Lake Tahoe dinner cruise on the M.S. DIXIE 11, was colorful with goodmusic for dancing, and we kept the floor crowded for the entire time on the ship.

Prior to starting all that fun, was a well-attended business meeting, with election of newofficers, which will be covered elsewhere in this issue.

The final dinner featured a superb band, and dancing took over after the tasty meal.


of slugs whichI've added to myCollection of"stuff". Next,came the gunneryrange where the"Tokyo Trolley"ran. That was a

gun turret on a flat rail car, with a target on another rail car, on adifferent set of tracks, so a gunnery student could fire at a movingtarget from a moving platform. Neat. We found a "pumpkin"(below) a rusting "Little Boy" dummy filled with concrete. Theyused these to develop and practice the escape technique used after

dropping the A-bomb (a 155 deg.downwind diving turn, kind of aninverted chandelle).

Well, I decided I would not onlystay the night; I would stay twonights. That would give me awhole day to explore WendoverAAFB, now the Tooele (say, two-ell) Co. Airport.

The town is cool, too. The StateLine runs right through the middle. The Utah side is a lot likeGreenwood, IL. but the Nevada side jumps. It offers everythingthat is illegal, immoral and fattening elsewhere. Maybe not exactlyLas Vegas, but close enough. To the East is the Great Salt LakeDesert. It is so flat and vast, that one can actually see the curvatureof the earth – honest. It's more noticeable at night when you cansee at least 50 miles of headlights on I-80.

All the next day I roamed this "ghost base". Here Col. PaulTibbets commanded the 509 thComposite Group. "Silverplate" wasthe code name. The Enola Gay parked on this very ramp. 20,000were assigned here in 1943. Heroes passed through here. Manynever came back and those that did, now in their eighties andnineties are disappearing fast. I had the feeling of being in a holyplace, this unpeopled graveyard of dozens of derelict buildings andacres of now unused and deteriorating concrete.

If you ever get to the SLC area, whether flying the "ConcreteCompass", or driving I-80, plan a stop at Wendover as it is indeed,"a delightful place to overnight".

Looking NW – remaining buildings North, then 1-80; town ofWendover off end of Rwy 30. That white stuff is not snow!

To see these pix in color and enlarged go towww.eaa932.orq

FLYING THE CONCRETE COMPASSChicago to California via 1-80

By Jeff Hill, Sr.I-80 follows the same route as the Oregon and California Trails,

the first transcontinental telegraph (1861) the first transcontinentalrailway (1869) and the old Boing Air Transport (later United) CHI-SFO route. It is not only historic and scenic, but also the easiestand safest way to fly a light plane from here to Northern Calif, orintermediate points such as Cheyenne, Salt Lake City, and theReno/Tahoe area.

Having flown this route many times at thirty thousand + feet, viaJ 94, I finally got a chance to drop down and have a closer look. Ileft 1OC for Reno September 4 in a 180 hp Skyhawk, which at 500lbs. under Max. GW, still has respectable performance capabilitysat density altitudes around 10,000' – 12,000'. Comforting. I wassightseeing, not racing, so I allowed four days for the trip out. TheI-80 route is surprisingly flat – but high; around 7000' in westernWyoming. Although I saw many peaks shooting up to around10,000' off to the left and right, the series of valleys that make upthe route almost never leaves one without a suitable site where asurvivable emergency landing could be made; and always nearcivilization. Comforting. There are only two fairly narrow passes,just east of Salt Lake and just west of the Bonneville VOR. Noproblem but good VFR is essential and one has to watch the winds.

I chatted with a "local" in Cheyenne. He gave me some goodadvice on mountain flying as well as some good touring tips. Hesaid, "Wendover is just a delightful place to overnight, it was anold Air Force Base, about 100 miles west of Salt Lake." The namesort of rang a bell, but all I could think of was "Westover", whichof course is in Massachusetts.

Crossing the Wasatch, I approached SLC, with its maze of ClassB and special use airspace. Under? Over? Or around? Over. Icalled SLC App. to get into the system, climbed to 10,500' andflew right over Temple Square. Now, it was time to select the nextfuel stop and as luck would have it, Wendover (ENV) would workjust fine. Two 8,000' runways at only 4000' MSL – yet even more

comfort. Old pilots like alot of comfort, y' know.

I taxied to the rampand, wow! – somebodyjust turned the clock backsixty years! The FBO isin "Base Ops." just underthe old control tower.There are six or eight,

approx. 100' X 100' wood framed and sided B-17 and B-24maintenance hangars. Then there is one huge steel hangar wherethe B-29 maintenance was done. The lineman came out to take myfuel order and I began to quiz him on the airport, and it all startedcoming back – this was the remote and super secret base where theA-bombs were assembled and shipped late in WW II. It was alsoone of the old "four engine schools" (B-17 & B-24). The base wasonce nearly two million acres, which included big gunnery andbombing ranges (still in use, see the Salt Lake Sectional).

The lineman sensed my interest and said that if I'd like to hop inhis pick-up, he'd show me around –Let's go! First we saw the "bomb pit"(left) where either an A-bomb or a"pumpkin", a practice bomb, waslowered on a hydraulic lift. Then a B-29 taxied over the pit and the payloadwas raised up into the bomb bay.Next we drove to the machine gun test

bunker. Here a B-17 or B-24 could taxi up to the bunker, the nosewheel rolled down a ramp to raise the top turret, and then the gunswere test fired. It didn't take my friend long to dig me up a couple


RUSS DAY - CONSUMMATE ARTIST AND CARTOONIST

byBill Dixon

Russ Day, officially P. Russell Day, TWA Captain who retired in March, 1988, has had twovocational loves in his life. One was to fly airplanes and the other to draw pictures. He is fullyinto art now.

Probably he was destined for stardom in some category, being born in Hollywood Hospital, March9,m 1928. Shirley Temple first saw life in the same hospital a month later. When five monthsold, his family moved to New York City, and then after two years, to Bergen County, N.J. for thenext fourteen.

"I was always drawing," he reports. "My parents learned this when they found all their bridgescore pads would contain scribbling whenever they sought to play. Since I was an only child, theyvery easilly figured out who the culprit was!"

In grammar school he always was the class artist, the one the teachers would assign to make thebackdrops for the school play, decorations for history projects, and anything else they could thinkof. During this time he also was very interested in airplanes, making many rubber powered flyingmodels. He remembers his best ones were the WW1 biplanes, SPAD, Sopwith-Camel and a 1925Army plane called a P6E. A harbinger of things to come, in 8th grade he had to make a report on"Airline Jobs" for a vocational guidance class.

"In the middle of WW2, my father was relocated to Dallas, Texas, and I was able to weatherto weatherthe culture shock fairly well" he confesses. "I recall having bitter arguments with my Americanhistory teacher. She thought the South should have won the Civil War. I tried out for the footballteam, which was a complete disaster. I was tall, skinny and not very good at age seventeen, so Ibecame reporter and sports cartoonist for the high school newspaper and yearbook.

Russ said his main hero during his last year in New Jersey was cartoonist Willard Mullin, withthe New York World Telegram. His work can still be found in a website on famous cartoonists onthe web, and "I tried to pattern my cartooning and general drawing on his style. My collection ofthem was lost in the family's next move. Later, I was able at an art show to buy four of Mullin'soriginals, which I would not trade for almost any other piece of art in the world."

Flying-wise, he went to the University of Texas for two years to prepare for his military obligationand entered flight training in March, 1948, at Pensacola, Florida. In advanced training, he qualifiedin the old lumbering seaplane called a PBM, but found handling the old beast quite a project.After he got his Navy wings in August 1949 he was assigned to NAS Norfolk, Virginia. Then aftera year he was reassigned to Trinidad, British West Indies for two more years. He was then sent toshore duty as an instructor at Corpus Christi, Texas still flying the old PBM. Russ then was assignedto Naval Station Kodiak flying search and rescue on the Grumman Albatross. Since Russ felt thathe was assigned to a desk too much, he got out of the Navy and came back to home in 1956 tobombard the airlines with application s.


"TWA was the first to give me a hiring date. What I liked best about TWA was that it flew bothdomestic and international. I regret I remained in the Navy so long as I was rather junior for myage with TWA, but I did keep active in the Navy Reserve until I got the required twenty yearsservice credit."

Based in New York with two short exiles to Newark, Russ made his first flight on TWA in a Martin202, Oct. 2, with Captain Bill Halliday. Russ saved his sarcastic drawings, especially against theScheduling Department, until his probationary year was up! Time went on, and Russ got todrawing cartoons for the Skyliner and started posting the route on the cockpit door withappropriate drawn destinations, like a "Big Apple" for NY. With the advent of felt tip markers, hecould work in color.

"The jets came in" Russ explained "and could do 2 or 3 propeller aiplanes' amount of work. Thesituation worsened to the point I got a letter saying I could expect to be furloughed by February of1961 or '62. I was already back to being a "second officer" in the heart of the inter-union battle forthe third seat on jets.

"Luckily," Russ continued, "my furlough never came and I was having a field day drawing cartoonsof the new jets and pilot versus the flight engineer union battle for that third seat. About thistime Bill Dixon, who was Director of Flying, hired me to draw cartoons for Flight Facts, the FlightOperations new letter. I was the only one of the staff that got paid in addition to my TWA salary.Bill was the original editor.

"He asked me to dream up a comic strip character related to flying that was humorous butoffered a lesson; thus I thought up`Pembroke' a Canada goose with aflair for making mistakes. I drewPembroke, plus other cartoonspots for Flight Facts working withabout 6 different editors untilretirement 26 years later.

Russ got to drawing some cartoons on the 88o when he was second officer, which led him intotrouble. He drew old fat fang tooth mean captains terrorizing young copilots and engineer. Finally,the chief pilot in LAX saw one of Russ's masterpieces and raised hell. When the correspondenceon this came to NY, they had Russ in five minutes! His only punishment was to bid the Convairsuntil he personally got the so-called blight erased. Unfortunately, the second officer's seat wasextremely uncomfortable! Guess that was his punishment.

So this won't be too long, we will skip to where Russ started flying captain. He missed the dyingdays of the old "Connie" by getting a EWR Captain in late 1966. Newark, a tiny tiny domicle hadjust gone to all 727 's. So while his classmates were struggling with the old propeller aircraft hewas able to step right in and fly the new jet powered 727. He states, " I flew my first captain tripwith George Kantra and Bill Harkins as my helpful but doubting crew in February 1967 amidmore ice, snow, and decision-making that I would encounter in


the next several months of flying!" But isn't that always the way? Russ never when back to co-pilot all the way to retirement.

Russ continues, "All this time I was drawing and cartooning various activities in the airline. I waselevated to instructor pilot at JFK for a year then went back to the line. There was a speakers'program involved and since I am a natural 'B/S" artist, I volunteered. About this time the pilotsinstituted the `Go' program since the company was in trouble financially (Weren't we always introuble?)."

In 1972 it was back to college in night classes until finally, as he puts it, he earned a BA in FineArts in 1975. A series of cartoons he drew for Dixon's retirement party in 1978, all neatly framed,were entitled: "The Captain as Seen by — his wife, the copilot, the FAA, the Flight attendants,etc. Russ says the theme was an old one, but his drawing and interpretations were all original.The drawings hang in a place of honor in Bill's apartment in San Jose, CA, and with copies at hislate son's.

Russ's final trip was to Munich, with a stop in Brussels, in March 1988 on a Lockheed 1o11. Hisfavorite aircraft was the 747, which he flew mainly in the summer on international because, as hesuccinctly states, "I was too damn junior to fly it year around."

In retirement, Russ has become involved in the computer age and all that goes with it, such asdigital cameras, scanners, and graphics. He reports that he still skis and sails, but the old body isstarting to break up (a familiar story to all us old pilots), but that he will never give up his artwork.

Last night while I lay sleepingI died or so it seemedthen I went to HeavenBut only in my dreams

Saint Peter himself met methere at the Pearly GatesHe said, "I must check your record,so stand right here and wait."

"I see where you drank alcoholand swore quite often too.Fact is, you 've done many thingsthat a good person shouldn't do."

"We can't have people like you up here;your life was full of sin."Then he read the last of my record,grasped my hand and said, "Come in."

He took me to the Big Boss,saying, "Take and treat him well.He worked for TWA, Sir,he's had his share of Hell!"

PAGE 27... TARPA TOPICS

A VISIT FROM ST. X

by

Mich

ael

J. L

arki

n

Unde

r th

e fu

ll m

oon,

I s

it h

ere

toni

ght,

In a

pet

it c

afe,

in

the

City

of

Ligh

t;An

d wh

o sh

ould

I f

ind

now joining me?

A pilot named Antoine....de St. Exup

' ery

!

How honored I am, that he

know

s my

nam

e,This old aviator of wide w

orld

ly f

ame;

And

tho'

he'

s be

en d

ead

now for nigh sixty years,

Toni

ght

he s

eems

hea

lthy, and full of good cheer!

I somehow knew that St. X

coul

d no

t di

e,For his writings inspire

our

you

ng m

en t

o fl

y;Bu

t I can't help but wonde

r wh

y th

e ba

rd's

cho

sen

me,

To c

hat

with

ton

ight

in

lovely Paris.

"S

' il te

plai

t,ma

che

rie,

une cigarette?"

Why

it's

mer

ry M

arie

, an

d playful Paulette!

They're joining us for a boc

k of

goo

d ch

eer,

And to listen to stories of flight's yesteryear.

"Tell me", demands Antoine

, "o

f yo

ur m

arve

lous

jet

,Fo

r wh

en I

met

my

deat

h they hadn't flown yet;

Although when I bid Cote d

' Az

ur f

ond

adei

u,The Boche were then flyi

ng t

he -

262.

"

"How

thr

illi

ng I

thi

nk,

how

grea

t it

mus

t be

,In only six hours, New Yor

k to

Par

is!

"

"Bac

k in

my

day"

, he

con

tinued to muse,

It took nearly that long t

o fl

y to

Tou

lous

e!"

"My trusty o

ld c

raft

, ma

de o

f le

athe

r an

d wo

odWa

s co

vere

d wi

th c

loth

; th

ough

she

fle

w pr

etty

goo

d.Tell me, mon

ami

, ho

w do

es i

t fe

el,

At M

ach

.85,

in

your

cra

ft m

ade

of s

teel

?"

As I

too

k a

long

dra

ught

of

my b

ock

fill

ed w

ith

beer

,I leaned very close, so the old boy could hear;

And I starte

d my tale, of the red and white jet,

For

Anto

ine

, Ma

rie,

and

pla

yful

Pau

lett

e.

"Oui

, 't

is a

thrill", I began with a smile,

"To race d

own

the

runw

ay,

mile

aft

er m

ile,

Poin

t yo

ur n

ose

at t

he H

eave

ns,

then

cli

mb l

ike

a bi

rd,

While on the ground your thunder is heard."

"But

'ti

s no

t the aircraft, that makes our hearts pound,

Nor traveling 200 knots on the ground;

Nay, lassie, 'tis the òtess d' l'air

that makes us all fly,

For

with

out

her,

we

pilo

ts w

ould

die

!"

With

tha

t An

toine chuckled, his eyes filled with glee,

For

did

I not state we were in gay Paris?

"Some things

nev

er c

hang

e",

he s

aid

with

del

ight

,Th

en h

e an

d th

e gi

rls

disa

ppea

red

in t

he n

ight

.

"Au revoir,

mon

ami"

, he

sai

d wi

th a

wav

e,And I on

ce a

gain

was

alo

ne i

n th

e Ca

ve;

But I know t

hat

some

day

we w

ill

meet

onc

e ag

ain,

On t

he R

ue S

t. L

ouis

, in

the

sof

t Pa

ris

rain

.

The 99 cent Model A (Ford)by

Charles Davis

During the depths of the great depression, I was attending a junior college in the Middle West and had nowheels. The daily round trip hike was more than five miles. Six months before, I had sold a 1929 Pontiacroadster for fifteen dollars to help pay for my tuition ($25 per semester), and was desperate for any kindof transportation. There was no bus line on my route, and I was so poverty—stricken I would have had topass anyway. I had long ago given up asking my parents for a hand-out, however small.

My father was a piano teacher and half of his students paid for their lessons in kind. There were sacks ofvegetables (mostly home grown), meat from the local butcher, and haircuts. I would spend a pleasanthour or two every week having a hair trim and a shampoo. This indulgence came to an abrupt end whenit was discovered that my father owed the barber.

Once in awhile, my mother would slip me a dime so I could join the gang at a Saturday movie but that wasit. When I approached my father for a little cash, he stared at me in disbelief and then averted his eyes.How was I ever going to get money for another car?

Being afoot was bad for several reasons. Most of the heavy industry and shops were located down in theriver bottoms where a slim chance of employment might exist, but were miles away from where I lived. Ihad a girl friend who wanted to he my "steady " , but in all fairness, I had to give her free rein to date mybuddies (those I trusted) who had transportation.

About halfway between home and school was a new car agency. Adjacent to the showroom was the companyused car lot over-flowing with unsold vehicles. It was a few blocks out of my way to `walk by thisestablishment, hut the urge to eye this assemblage, and imagine myself tooling along behind the wheel ofany of them was strong enough to justify the detour.

My favorite was a 1930 Ford Model A sport business coupe with a soft top and a rumble seat. Nearly everyday I would stroll around it for a long time and dream. I was always at the wheel, usually with my girl atmy side, a couple in the rumble seat, and maybe another twosome cuddling up front. Once, when I wasthere, and right in the middle of a pleasant vision, a cruel buddy, who was familiar with my situation,drove by and destroyed my fantasy by yelling, Èat your heart out! "

The asking price for "my car " was eighty dollars. It may as well have been eight thousand. Occasionally, Iwould check everything on the lot. Nothing was moving. Many of the cars had been there over year.

I finally made up my mind to omit the side trips, and spare myself the pain of having to turn away after adelusion of grandeur session. As I made my way home one day, and passed abeam of the agency my feetbegan to drag. One more look and it `would be my last. I changed course.

From a block away I could see that a large signboard had been erected in front of the car lot. Iquickened my pace. As the word, "SALE", came into view, I began to run. A sizable crowd hadgathered, and was intent on the dramatic proclamation displayed below.

THIS IS A 99 cent SALE. ALL OF THE CARS ON THISLOT WILL, BE SOLD STARTING AT 8 O 'CLOCK IN THEMORNING, FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED. THE SALEPRICE OF EACH CAR IS ON THE WINDSHIELD.


They had been moved about and I did hot see the "A". My throat started to contract, and I climbedupon the running board of the nearest car, and frantically began to scan. The most expensiveones were in the front, and some of them were less than a year old. They were priced at $99.99. Asthe tows of cars moved back, these figures decreased according to vintage. Feeling faint, I grabbeda radiator ornament for sup ports I had spotted "MINE"! It `was in the last row and the sale price

stood out clearly on the windshield, 99 cents! I lit out for home.

When I rushed into the house, everyone was in the living room. My father was flipping the pages

of his newspaper, and my mother, as usual, was mending something. Grandma had at rived the

day before from out of town, and was still sorting out personal belongings I stood in the center ofthe room trying to speak, gasping and wheezing from my run. No one looked tip. In a shrill,

tremulous voice, I made my request. "A dollar! All I need is one dollar." Blurting out all of thepertinent details (the extra penny was for sales tax) I waited breathlessly for a response. My motherlooked up, eyed me for a few seconds (I believe with pity), glanced quickly at my father, andreturned to her stitching. My father tilted his paper, squinted his eyes, and appeared to concentrateharder oh something he was reading. Grandma continued to sort. I `was desperate and any argumentswhich I thought reasonable were soon reduced to caterwauling.

Then fat the first time in many years I began to cry. A child can cry and get away with it. Even anadult, tinder the assault of some painful emotion, can shed tears and it seems natural, but thereis something awful and even disgusting when a nineteen year old boy—man does it. The youngbuck with a wretched, tear—streaked face, blubbering and gagging Revolting, but I was desperatelyseeking compassion.

I did It `well and it worked. Grandma got tip and walked over to me. She didn't take me in her

arms) wipe my tears away, or utter one word of solace. In her hands she held an old leather

snap pocketbook. Opening it (I can still hear the "snap"), she drew out a crumpled dollar bill,and handed it to me. "Go git yourself that car, babe. " Then turning away, she went back to herbusiness.

Still sniffling, I was out of the house in a jiffy, but flung the door back open and yelled, "THANKSGRANDMA! " I gave my parents a quick glance. There was no change in their activities except

that my father's mouth was slightly puckered, and my mother seemed to be applying her needle

with more energy.

In minutes I was in front of the cat lot, pushing my way through a growing crowd to where `MyCAR" was parked. I opened the door, and sliding into the seat, settled back, breathed a great sighof relief, and closed my red eyes.

After awhile a salesman came over and asked me why I was spending the afternoon in one of thecompany automobiles. I showed him the crumpled dollar bill, still clenched In my hand, and toldhint that I fully understood the terms of the sale and it was my firm intention to be sitting In thiscar at eight o'clock the following morning, and that I wasn't going to move until


the deal was signed, sealed, and delivered. He looked at his `watch and Shook his head. "That's sixteen hours. I don't think the boss'll go for it."

I was allowed to sweat for an hour before the owner of the agency appeared, accompanied by the

salesman, and headed in my direction. He looked me over for a minute, and then asked me `whatI did. I told him I was a student at the local junior college, but I didn't let it go at that. He patientlyheard me out, the tedious and exhausting round trip by foot, which wasn't helping my studies,the difficulty of finding a job without a car, and Grandma. I showed him the dollar. He drew theSalesman aside and they talked. Every flow and then the salesman would nod. It seemed an eternitybefore they sauntered back. The boss was `wearing a smile.

"We think it might be a good promotional idea for the sale, if you really plan to stick it out."I swore to him that I was glued to the car seat until eight o'clock the next morning.

That evening a reporter and a photographer from the local newspaper showed up with a scantilyclad carhop from a drive-in across the street. Centered on her serving tray was an enormoushamburger. I was famished. The boss was summoned, and he and the carhop arranged themselveson opposite sides of the car door so that my pale drawn face would be framed in the window, andvisible to the camera.

The flash bulb went off, and I reached for the sandwich. My extended fingers collided with theback of the boss's hand. He had been quicker oh the draw. Happily munching away, he chattedfor a few minutes, and then wandered off leaving me to starve.

Around o'clock, in spite of the hunger pains, I started to doze off. Suddenly, a sharp tapping on thewindow grabbed my attention and there was my girl friend, picnic basket in hand, presenting me

with a big, cheery smile. We enjoyed a good solid clinch, and then she `was beside me as I destroyedthe contents of the basket. After she left, the night dragged on, and I never slept. The happyexpectation of having wheels was too much of a stimulus. Just before sunup figures began scurryingamong the cars, nearly all of them making a beeline for the "A Model". "Shucks! There's alreadysomebody in it!"

At eight o'clock on the dot, a clerk appeared with a bill of sale and the title. I handed him the dollarand he presented me with the precious documents. I was on top of the world. Within a few days Igot a delivery job after school (nine dollars a week, and I had to pay for my gas; 09 cents a gallon),and was seen frequently tooling down the avenue with my steady at my side.

I drove this buggy until Pearl Harbor, and then sold it for a hundred times more than I paid for it.I joined the Air Force and eventually wore the bill of sale out showing it to people.

Recently, my Wife (former steadiness) and I went to an antique car show and there were severalModel A Fords on display and for sale. In splendid condition and original down to the spiderywire wheels, was a 1930 sport business coupe. I found the owner and asked him how much he`wanted for it. Without hesitating, he said, "$16,500. Firm.


THE EQUATOR: IT ENCIRCLES THE EARTH

byWilliam Dixon

In February I had the good fortune to take a trip to South America which included crossing theequator twice, plus taking a South Atlantic sea cruise from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Rio deJaneiro, Brazil. In the process of the trip, I learned that the equator was far more important toour lives on earth than I ever imagined.

The great circle marking the equator lies half-way between the North and South poles, and dividesthe earth into two equal parts called the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. It is a long- wayfrom San Jose, which is approximately 37 degrees north (latitude) of the equator and 122 degreeswest (longitude) of the Greenwich Observatory in London, which is the prime or zero meridian,

The equator is divided into 36o degrees of latitude. The lines circling from pole to pole thoughthe degree points are called meridians, and are 69 miles wide at the equator to nothing at thepoles. San Jose is approximately one-third of the distance west around the world from Greenwich.

Those lines mark the northernmost and southernmost places onearth where the sun always shines directly overhead, so nowonder this area is the heart of the tropics. The temperaturedoes not change much here because the amount of daylightdiffers little from season to season. The sun shines about 12

hours a day. However, high altitudes, such as mountains, are cool because temperature dropsabout 31/2 degrees F per 1000 feet of elevation, much as it does everywhere. Higher home locationsare the most desirable.

Areas near the equator get lots of rain in all seasons and are covered by tropical rain forests.Farther to the north and south definite rainy and dry seasons exist. Rainfall is generally heavyalong the equator because of the high humidity and surface winds converging there. This causesthe air to rise, producing clouds of rain, much as the coastal mountains here give that side of theSanta Clara valley much more rain than we get on the east side. Quito, Ecuador, in South America,located almost exactly on the equator, has an elevation of 9,350', and a uniform temperature ofabout 25 degrees F cooler that nearby lowlands, thanks to its position.

The celestial equator is an imaginary circle that goes around the sphere in which the earth andheavenly bodies lie. it assists in locating stars and planets. The magnetic equator is the line onwhich all points are equally distant from the north and south magnetic poles.

The equator, in circling the globe, has an immense effect on theworld's weather. Two facts that many of us remember from schoolare that when it is winter up north it is summer down south, andwater drains counter-clockwise. Two imaginary lines, the Tropicof Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, form the officialboundaries of the tropics, The first is 23 degrees 27' north of theequator — the second the same distance south.


A Great Dane in Pittsburgby

Russ Day

I hadn't been flying captain too long when I got involved in something I wish never happened. Iwas flying out of Newark in June 1968 and being junior it meant I was stuck flying those horrible727 QC cargo flights. The "QC" in case people forgot was a standard size 727 with removableseats via pallets. The theory was the aircraft would fly people during the day and then certainstations would unload the seats and put cargo pallets in so us junior pukes could fly them all nightlong. I guess it looked good on paper but the plane took a helluva beating from having the seatand cargo pallets slammed around twice a day and the operation eventually was scrapped.

Anyway June 20th , 1968 I commanded Fight 63o that left STL in the middle of the night andmade many stops ending up in EWR in the morning. On this particular flight a large Great Dane(female I found out later) was loaded in the #1 pallet right behind the cockpit. By the time we gotto PIT, I was tired of the barking from the poor animal and being an animal lover thought maybewe should give it a walk and some water. The cargo crew obliged and we took the dog out of thepallet and down some rickity maintenance stairs. On the way down the stairs, the dog ducked outof the loop around it's head and took off! !! For the next 45 minutes or so, we all, including thecargo crew, chased the damn bitch to no avail. She was having a ball running all over the airportand runways. In fact the tower even closed the airport for a few minutes while we were alsorunning all over the airport and runways chasing the damn dog.

Finally we had to load cargo,flight plan, and go, sans one fe-male Great Dane. As we left I re-member seeing the animal sit-ting underneath a parkedLockheed Electra with Los An-geles Dodger markings on it inthe visiting aircraft area. Obvi-ously the Dodgers were in townfor a series with the Pirates.We off loaded the cage and equipment the dog came with and we even departed on schedule. Thecargo time tables were very loose on arrival and departure times in those days. My crew was RichAckley and Pat Meneilly (who very sadly died of ALS a few years later). We got back to EWR andI hung around for an hour or two until the office opened and then told Sam Mariani, Newark'schief pilot, what happened. I thought he would never stop laughing. I warned him that I hoped hewas still laughing with the bill for that bitch came in.

I went home and told my wife what had happened and she also laughed hysterically. No help forthe downtrodden. A few days later I get a call from a EWR cargo supervisor telling me not toworry. The dog was delivered a day late to EWR where she was transported to a vet at LGA whowas going to use her for breeding as she was a champion prize bitch! I'm glad I didn't know thatat the time!


I recall seeing Captain Dick Baker (another junior puke flying those damn CQ's) and few dayslater on the line. He elaborated that he was on #63o a day later. What happened was EWR noti-fied STL who notified the primary shipper, Ozark, in Springfield, MO what had happened, allwithin minutes of my departure. The breeder wasn't overly upset as apparently things like thishappened every so often All he wanted was for his son and daughter-in-law to be flown to Pitts-burgh to try and get the dog back. Both airlines readily agreed and by that afternoon the couplewas at the Pittsburgh airport where they quickly retrieved the damn dog. They were put up in alocal motel and when Dick came through on Flight 63o that night they brought the dog right tothe aircraft. Dick very nicely gave them a cockpit tour and showed them how the operation went.Then he departed with the dog and they caught the next flight or flights back to Springfield feel-ing very impressed with the operation. Dick said they enjoyed the cockpit tour immensely. So itdid have kind of a therapeutic effect.

Of course all the EWR domicile teased me unmercefully and the word slowly leaked around to allof the junior guys in the New York area where I took a lot more grief. I did draw a cartoon, abouta month later, and presented it to the cargo supervisor in Pittsburgh. I can't recall exactly what Idrew, but I know I had that damn Great Dane bitch right in the middle of the picture. The com-pany, thankfully, never said a word to me about the incident. I guess they figured the teasing I gotwas enough punishment. I know one thing though, I never ever let any animals out of any aircraftI captained, nor even petted one for the rest of my career!


A Trip to DaNang

byRuss Bowen

The Boeing 707 made a steep approach to runway 17 at Danang,Vietnam at the end of its flightfrom Okinawa. This was in the early morning hours of May 9, 1967. This was not my first flightinto Vietnam. As TWA Captain flying charter flights for the Pacific Military air Command I hadflown into both Tan San Nhut and Bien Hoa airports at least a dozen times. However this was myfirst into Danang. The 5000 member Marine Corps Reserve Officers Association (MCROA), ofwhich I was serving my second term as President, had raised nearly one million dollars incontributions to the Civic Action Program and I was in South Vietnam to check on the progress ofthese programs.

TWA did not service Danang and I was occupying the cockpit jump seat as an additionalcrewmember aboard a Continental Airlines charter flight. This gave me the opportunity in thehalf-dark hour of our landing approach to observe and marvel at the immense amount of shippinglying offshore and to take note as well of the flares dropping to the south of the airport. Thoughconsidered "secure" Danang continued to have its occasional flurries of military action. That verypreceding night there had been an attack by the Vietcong on a radar site adjacent to the airport.

I was here with the approval of General Wallace M. Greene, Commandant of the Marine Corpsand as a guest of the Commanding General, Third Marine Amphibious Force, General LewisWalt.

My first day started with a thorough briefing by the MAF Staff headed by Brigadier General RobertOwen, Covering the current tactical situation as well as the progress of the various Civic ActionPrograms in the area.

There were four of the programs in which MCROA was most interested. But first Major Harristook me to the civic action warehouse at Red Beach on the outskirts of Danang. Here a dozen ormore of South Vietmanese refugees under the direction of our Marines were storing, processing,and distributing the various items purchased with Care funds.

Throughout, the emphasis in the programs was on self-help. General Walt had insisted that ourprograms be of a nature that generated initiative and response from the villagers. We furnishedthe tools and the raw materials and supervised while the South Vietnamese provided the labor.

We next visited the brick factory, a project that typifies this approach to self-help. Here, refugeeworkers, women as well as men, produced 1200 large construction bricks daily, seven days aweek using native clay soil mixed with cement and compressed into bricks using the importedCimca Ram machine. The latter is a simple highly leveraged ram that applies muscle power tosqueeze bricks into shape. These are then sun dried and ready for use. This factory had furnishedenough bricks to construct 14 schools, an orphanage and several public buildings. Also it provideda source of income for the area refugees who were paid 14 cents an hour for their labor. Thispayment was usually in products such as food or clothing rather than in cash.


The demand for bricks had steadily increased with orders on hand for 300,000. One order alone for100,000 was to be used to construct a municipal building in Danang. We planned using our funds toincrease production with the purchase in Japan of additional ram machines and the hiring of morerefugees of which there seemed to be plenty.

Another local project in which MCROA had a keen interest was the pig farm, located on the outskirtsof town and managed by our Marines. Its purpose was the up breeding of the local village pig, animportant economic factor in village life, and we had observed that the local pig, small and scrawny,could use a little genetic uplift. By outcrossing the native stock with imported blooded boars importedfrom our own mid-west we hoped to produce a better and larger pig and yet one which could endurethe local harsh environment.

Travel outside the military perimeter was always hazardous so on our tour of the next Civic Actionproject our jeep was accompanied by two additional jeeps with armed Marines. I noted with interestthat we were to some degree protected from exploding land mines. Our jeep was equipped with a steelplate bolted to the floor beneath our feet. This made me feel somewhat better.

Without incident we arrived at Hoi An, a provincial capital 20 miles south of Danang. Here a Buddhistorphanage was supported with our funds. Over 200 youngsters, ages 4 to 7 were under the directionof dedicated native teachers, the children bright and eager to learn.

Similar programs furnished the elderly and the indigent from war torn areas with food, clothing,shelter and medical attention. Thus, by extending a helping hand to the old, the infirm, the wounded,and the very young our Civic Action programs mended the war torn fabric of life in Vietnam.

The fourth and probably the most important program was the education of the young. Civic Actionfunds were used to build over 100 small schools in the I Corps area. I visited several of these andwas impressed with the need for more schools since only a third of available children were attendingand these with a high dropout rate in the third and fourth grades.

These were but four of the many projects in which Civic Action was at work. That they weresuccessful was evident by the many acts of trust one of which was told me by a Marine Sergeant."In the hamlet of Yen Bac, the people were at first suspicious and unapproachable. Gradually ourMarines established some repport and little by little their hostility disappeared. Where they ignoredthe appearance of a jeep, they now gathered around it smiling and exchanging greetings. One dayan 8 year child handed the Marine Patrol an M26 hand grenade; Through this action undoubtedlyMarine lives were saved" This was a spontaneous act by a youngster to help his new friends. Hisjoy was complete when rewarded with a carton of rations.

We lost this war because we failed to continue it to a successful conclusion. But our fight againstaggression and our aid to the South Vietnamese people was in keeping with a correct policy ofhelping people and strengthening their national institutions as they join the world family of nationsin the preservation of peace.


IN MEMORY OF

CAPTAIN JOHN FERGUSON

MAY 23, 1922 — JUNE 7, 2003

John Ferguson, the first President of TARPA, was born in Brechin, Scotland. He came to theUnited States with his family when he was four years old. He flew for both the RAF and theUSAAF during World War II and completed eighty-nine missions. John was a pilot for twentyyears with TWA and was an investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board for twelveyears.

John served as President of the Shenandoah Area Agency on Aging after retirement. He loved tofly, sail, play golf, read and study the Bible.

John was honored by a most moving burial ceremony in a new military Cemetery a bagpiperplayed as we arrived and after I was given the flag, and taps was played, two pilots who had WorldWar II planes flew over in a missing man formation.

His wife Abby, daughters Janice, Barbara and, Edie, grandchildren Nicky and Elicia, brother Billand his dog Geordi survive him. by Abby Ferguson


IN MEMORY OF

HENRY GILBERT DALE

JANUARY 15, 1922 — MAY 11, 2003

Henry Gilbert Dale was a Flight Radio Operator for TWA starting in 1942 and continuing until1957 when the position was terminated. Prior to his employment with TWA, Henry was a groundradio operator for Mid-Continent airlines at Sioux City, Iowa, and he served on Liberty shipsduring World War II, where he had one of his ships sunk by a mine off the coast of Brest, France.Henry returned to sea duty in the first Gulf War until retiring in 1990. Following his retirement,Henry served aboard the medical mission ship Anastais as navigator and radio officer.

Henry was active in his church and numerous civic organizations. He was highly regarded by allwho knew him. He kept in contact with other Flight Radio Operators and TARPA Members EarlKorf, Cliff Bruce and Harry Stitzel by ham radio.

His wife Marie, a sister, a son, two daughters, five granddaughters and eight great-grandchildrensurvive Mister Dale

IN MEMORY OF

CAPTAIN DONALD R. EVERSMAN

NOVEMBER 26, 1942 — JULY 7, 2003

IN MEMORY OF

CAPTAIN JOHN B. SCHULTE

MARCH 3, 1932 — JULY 17, 2003

IN MEMORY OF

CAPTAIN ARTHUR J. MURPHY

MARCH 12, 1919 — AUGUST 1, 2003


IN MEMORY OF

CAPTAIN BENJAMIN L. YOUNG

JANUARY 18, 1918 — JULY 23, 2003

Ben was born in Weston, MA on January 25, 1918, and started with TWA in August of 1942 flyingthe DC2 and DC3. During his thirty-six year career, Ben was based in Kansas City, Burbank,Boston, New York International, and San Francisco International. He retired while flying theLockheed loll out of Los Angeles. During his career he also flew the DC4, Boeing 307, Martin202 and 404, all of the Constellations, and the Boeing 707.

After his retirement Ben and his wife Didi retired to Los Osos, California. He liked playing golf,fishing and he traveled extensively. Ben enjoyed owning two antique aircraft, a 1953 Cessna 195and a 1942 Fairchild 24W. He and Didi flew one or the other to many air shows and fly-insduring those recent years. Ben spent many hours working on the airplanes in their large hangar at the San Luis Obispo, airport. He liked to say he never worked, but instead, he got paid to do what he woulddone for free. He often said he retired the day TWA hired him. by Didi Young

IN MEMORY OF

HOMER B. SCHULTZ

JULY 2, 1920 — JUNE 6, 2003

IN MEMORY OF

CAPTAIN EMMITT E. "IN MEMORY OF

CAPTAIN LAWRENCE A. GIRARD

IN MEMORY OF

CAPTAIN WILLIAM REESE

DECEMBER 27, 1930 — JULY 8, 2003


IN MEMORY OF

CAPTAIN LAWRENCE A. GIRARD

JANUARY 23, 1922 — JULY 25, 2003

Larry passed away very peacefully early Friday, July 25, with his loving family by his side. He wasborn on January 23, 1922. Larry was always interested in aviation and as a youth he built modelplanes and hung around airports at every opportunity. While attending Newark College ofEngineering Larry enrolled in the Civilian Pilot Training program where he flew all types of singleengine aircraft and completed his Commercial and Flight Instructor Ratings. Being an eager type,he also managed to obtain Ground School Instructor Certificates, which were responsible for hisfirst aviation job at Roscoe Turner in Indianapolis. He went to work for TWA in 1942 as a SecondOfficer on the newly formed ICD (Inter Continental Division), Where he gained much experienceflying with the "Veteran TWA Captains." Those flights across the North and South Atlantic involvedtransporting top military and civilian VIP passengers such as Generals "Hap " Arnold, Clark,Bradley and even President Roosevelt.

In 1945, at the age of twenty-three, Larry was promoted to Captain. Larry rose quickly on theDomestic Operation and later became Regional chief Pilot at Newark, LaGuardia and KennedyAirports. For four years Larry was Director of Flight Crew Administration and Labor Relations,negotiating all Flight Crew Contracts system wide. In 1972, Captain Girard returned to line flyingand moved to California where he flew the Pacific routes as well as the Polar Flights from LosAngeles to London on 747's until retiring in 1972.

Larry was a long time member of the Knights of Columbus and the Serra Club, the latter of which,he served as President. He was Eucharist Minister at St. Angela's Parish in Pacific Grove, Californiafor two decades. He also served on the Monterey County Grand Jury and enjoyed being long-timeDocent at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. He was also an avid golfer and tennis player, and oftenenjoyed flying his own plane.

His beloved and devoted wife of thirty-eight years, Phyllis, and his family, Jeffrey Girard, Andrewand Dr. Karen Cirincione, Dr. Kathryn and Gerry Cirincione-Coles, Dr. Diane Cirincione and Dr.Jerry Jamplosky, survives Larry. Larry was preceded in death by his son Lawrence Girard, Jr. Heleaves many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He will be very much missed.

by Phyllis Girard


IN MEMORY OF

CAPTAIN ROBERT H. BRICKNER

SEPTEMBER 13, 1922 — JANUARY 17, 2003

Robert H. Brickner, 8o, retired TWA Airline Captain passed away on January 17, 2003. His ca-reer spanned four years in the Army Air Corps and 36 years with Trans World Airlines. He wasborn September 13, 1922 and was raised in Cleveland, Ohio. His wife of 59 years, three daugh-ters, son-in-law, granddaughter, three grandsons, their wives, and four great-grandchildren sur-vive him. by Robin S. Renfro

IN MEMORY OF

CAPTAIN PHILIP G. VORGIAS

MAY 24, 1928 — JULY 14, 2003

Phil was hired by TWA as a member of the Class of September 10, 1956. He initially flew out ofDetroit followed by San Francisco and Chicago before finishing his career by retiring from JFKInternational.

He was married to Joan and had a daughter Diane and two sons, Phil Jr. and David. In later yearshis wife obtained her law degree and is still practicing in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His daughterand son David live in Grand Rapids. David is flying Captain for Northwest Airlines on the A3ooseries. His other son Phil is an engineer with General Motors in Troy Michigan.

After moving to Michigan in the 70 's, Phil bought a small farm which he enjoyed very much. Atthat time, he also adopted his two granddaughters in order to give them many opportunities theymight not otherwise have been able to receive.

Phil's death followed a period of declining health due to ongoing diabetes, neuropathy, kidneyproblems and decreasing circulation. Phil Vorgias was a good man and will be missed by thosewho knew him.

IN MEMORY OF

CAPTAIN KEITH A. CUTLER

FEBRUARY 24, 1935 — AUGUST 1, 2003

IN MEMORY OF

CAPTAIN A. BOSSARD

JUNE 5, 1926 — AUGUST 6, 2003

IN MEMORY OF

CAPTAIN ROBERT C. KANE

JULY 10, 1924 — AUGUST 18, 2003


IN MEMORY OF

CAPTAIN JEFFREY T. MCWHORTER

MARCH 5, 1937 — MAY 21, 2003

My dear husband Captain Jeff McWhorter after a painful seven- month struggle with cancer lostthe battle on May 21 St.. Although in and out of the hospital these past months, his interest andcare about TWA and his former co-workers was always foremost in his mind.

Jeff s initial pilot training was in the Air Force where he flew B-47's for SAC. In 1966 he washired by TWA and during his 27 years with the company flew B7o7, B727, L1011 and B767 aircraft.His dream came true when he received his TWA Captain certification in 1983. His last assignmentwith the company was flying as international check airman. He retired in 1993.

I believe he will be remembered for the passion he had for flying TWA airplanes and his terrificsense of humor.

Survivors include his wife Carole, a former TWA flight attendant, a son, daughter and fivegrandchildren. by Carole McWhorter

IN MENTORY OF

CAPTAIN CURG H. HOGAN

JULY 22, 1918 - JUNE 27, 2003

IN MEMORY OF

CAPTAIN WILLIAM REESE

DECEMBER 27, 1930 - JULY 8, 2003

IN MEMORY OF

CAPTAIN EDWARD H. BREEN

MAY 3, 1917 - AUGUST 29, 2003


SUPER LOCKHEED CONSTELLATION LIVES ONby

Bill Dixon

There is good reason to visit the "Save A Connie, Inc " exhibit based at the old Kansas City, MKCAirport. It is now known as the Airline History Museum. They have masterfully restored apiston four-engine 1049G Constellation, a Martin twin-engine 404, and are working on a DC-3.

I have been fortunate in my time to have flown thousands of hours on a number of different airtransports, from the Army Air Corp Douglas C47 and Curtis C46, to the giant Boeing jet 747 onTWA. Of them all, I enjoyed the most piloting the Lockheed Constellation, known as the "Connie",above even the jets.

The long range version 1049G boasted streamlined tip fuel tanks attached to each wing tip,which added to its majestic look and were reinstalled by the Museum. This restored Super Gis occasionally flown at air shows through out the country.

The Constellation came on the commercial scene on TWA and Eastern Airlines immediately afterthe end of WW II. It was developed prior to the war to the specifications of TWA president JackFrye and TWA's majority stockholder, Howard Hughes. The few models that had been manufac-tured, called C-69s, were drafted by the Army Air Corps and turned back to TWA at war's end,when production resumed.

Already nicknamed the Connie, the first commercial TWA model was a sleek, triple-tailed beautywith 51 seats, tastefully furnished inside and out. It was the original model 049, pressurized butnot air-conditioned. It climbed and descended fast to use the cold upper air for cooling. All latermodels were air-conditioned. The 1649A, the biggest and longest range of the Connies, had awingspan of 150 feet and a maximum gross take-off weight of 16o,000 pounds. The model 749Aand 1049G probably were the most numerous, and carried 64 to 92 passengers, depending onseating arrangements. The seats all were comfortably spaced.

The Airline History Museum and Save-A-Connie, Inc. are carrying on its legacy. Founded in 1986,Save-A-Connie christened its Connie the "Star of America". It had earlier been owned by the lateJim Wheeler, a retired TWA captain, who used it to carry cattle for a short period. It then stoodunused in Mesa, Arizona for approximately eleven years, after that, it was virtually given to the"Save a Connie" group. It was put in shape in two months to ferry to Kansas City, where fullrestoration began immediately, with active and retired TWA employees.

It has become a fascinating display of historic memorabilia. Donations are welcome.

This Connie ' s vital statistics are: Fuselage length, 116 ' , 2 " ; wing span with tip tanks,123 ' , 6 "; weight (empty), 76,67o lbs; usable fuel capacity, 7,020 gallons; cruise speed,up to 328 mph; flight range, 5,400 miles.


NORMAL 880 CHECK LIST

LANICA

(Lineas Aereas de Nicaragua S.A.)

byH. B. Pratt

Over the years, the TWA Flight Operations Department was involved with a variety of projectswith other airlines and entities. One of the more interesting for me personally was the Convair88o training TWA provided to Lanica Airlines crews.

Lanica was the national airline of Nicaragua and had been operating Electras over certain routesin Central America and to Miami. In 1972 it upgraded to jets, namely Convair 88o's, which weresupplied by Howard Hughes' Hughes Tool Company (Toolco). The two aircraft involved hadoriginally been assigned TW N numbers at the time of manufacture, but due to financing problems,were never delivered to TWA. Instead, they were stored for a while and then leased to NortheastAirlines. Northeast later sub-leased one back to TWA during the summer of 1967, but it wentback to Northeast in the fall and both were subsequently returned to Toolco in 1968. Since thenthey had been parked in storage. In 1972, Toolco traded these two aircraft to Lanica for a 25%interest in the airline. There was a rumor that maybe Hughes wanted to expand Lanica's routesnorth to the US west coast. Howard Hughes had been living in the Intercontinental Hotel inManagua, Nicaragua off and on during 1972 and is reported to have had at least one meeting withthe President of Nicaragua, General Anastasio Somoza, who was also the President of Lanica

TWA was approached by Toolco to do the necessary flight crew training and arrangements wereformalized. At that time Capt. U. J. Kampsen was head of TWA Flight Operation Training and Irecently spoke to him about those events. He was gracious enough to offer this interesting insight.He told me that Howard Hughes called him and explained that he was supplying some of his88o's to Lanica and he needed training for their crews, and could TWA do it? Capt. Kampsenresponded in the affirmative. The next question posed was what would it cost? After somediscussion about the scope of the training, the number of crews and their backgrounds, Capt.Kampsen established a price of $1,000,000. Hughes seemed to accept that, but before closingthe conversation Capt. Kampsen stipulated that the money had to be up front. What next occurredwere Lanica people presenting themselves in Capt. Kampsen 's office at the TWA Training Center,1307 Baltimore Ave., Kansas City, MO, and delivering a check for the agreed to amount. Groundschool began.

The training was to consist of ground school, simulator and aircraft to include FAA type ratingsfor the captains, followed by line training and line check for the Captains over Lanica's routes. Toaugment their pilot staff, Lanica had hired three pilots off the street that had 88o type ratings,with the intention of moving them directly into the left seat. Two were retired from another airlinethat operated 88o's, and the other had a non-airline background. In addition to their refreshertraining, TWA was asked by Lanica to evaluate these individuals to determine their suitability fordirect entry to the Captain's chair.

The two aircraft that were destined for Lanica had been removed from storage and relocated toLas Vegas where they were refurbished. On June 15, 1972 Capt. Wally Moran, P/E Cony Metcalf,and I ferried the first ship from LAS to MCI and training in the aircraft began. On July 5th Lanica'sChief Pilot Capt. Mike Murciano, F/E Cony Metcalf and I ferried that A/C to Miami so it could bein place for ground crew training and the inauguration of Lanica's CV 88o service scheduled


to begin on July 14, 1972. On August 22nd Capt. Moran, Capt. Jim Morgan and F/E Cony Metcalfferried the second A/C from LAS to MCI and A/C training resumed. It was later ferried to Miamiby Lanica's Capt. Andreolas, Cony Metcalf and me. Also in the cockpit was Jack Real of Toolco.Jack Real I believe was the Toolco representative who was putting this Lanica thing together.After 88o ground school and simulator at 1307 Baltimore, Kansas City, the Captains were givenfull A/C ratings and the F/O's full A/C proficiency checks. (By full I mean no credit was taken forany maneuvers done in the simulator). In addition to me, the instructors were Wally Moran andJim Morgan. Instructing the F/E's were Cony Metcalf, Lee Magnuson and one other whose nameI have misplaced. Harvest Mitchell of the FAA gave the type ratings.

The A/C were to be based in Miami and would operate one fight daily. On certain days of theweek the flight would operate from Miami to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Managua, Nicaragua,back to San Pedro Sula and return to Miami. The other days of the week the flight would operatefrom Miami to Managua, to San Salvador, El Salvador, Mexico City and then retrace those stopsback to Miami. The flights were all turnarounds back to Miami every night; because that is theonly place maintenance was available. Wally Moran and I did all the line training, flying on alternatedays until such time as we got some of the captains qualified. The workload then eased a bit. TheF/O's received their JOE (line training) from the jump seat.

Operations in Central America were rather primitive compared to what we had been accustomedto here in the USA. The runways at Managua, San Pedro Sula and San Salvador were narrowstrips, short by our standards, with no overruns or parallel taxiways. Taxiing and 18o degreeturns on a narrow active runway were commonplace. All approaches to these three airports werenon-precision, (NDB or VOR) and there was no VAST. Considering those factors, plus high ambienttemperatures, runways that were frequently wet, and the high over the fence speeds for the 88o,flight operations had the potential to be a bit dicey to say the least. Operating 88o's under theseconditions would be a formidable challenge for experienced crews let alone crews that were newto the 88o and jet operations in general. Therein lay the training challenge. The three airportswere all controlled facilities, but there was no radar. Enroute control was in place but could notbe considered reliable. Sometimes you could establish contact with opposing traffic and insureyour own separation, but the general rule of the day for everyone operating in that area wasclimb, cruise and descend on the right side of the airway.

You old 88o drivers will recall the high takeoff speeds of the 88o and that there was a tire speedlimit one could run up against at high altitude airports that would limit T/O weight so as to keepV2 at or below the tire ground speed design limit (174kt/20omph). This was a factor on MexicoCity departures. On those long takeoff rolls one wondered if the tires could hold together as theair speed crept slowly toward those limits. They did.

There were several incidents that occurred that made the Lanica experience somewhat memorable.One occurred on the inaugural flight. This was a big event for Nicaragua as well as Lanica. Throngswere on hand at the Managua airport when we arrived from MIA. The tarmac was a sea of peopleincluding the President, General Anastasio Somoza and his family, the Nicaraguan Ambassadorto the U.S., the American Ambassador to Nicaragua Turner Shelton, and just about anybody whowas anybody was present. Jack Real, Bruce Stetman, Bill Gay, Ed Shrodery and Chester Daviswere there from Toolco. People made speeches, bands played, the Monsignor blessed the plane,General Somoza 's mother poured champagne on it and the dignitaries all got a tour. Capt. Murcianoand I were the pilots and although I was technically P-I-C because he was not yet qualified, I hadtold Capt. Murciano that this was his day, enjoy it, be involved and I would keep myself invisible.


The only stipulation I made was that if anything came up that we had not discussed or not plannedfor, I wanted to be advised and kept informed and I reserved the right to veto any operationaldecisions I did not concur with. Capt. Murciano agreed.

After the festivities, we prepared for departure to the next stop, San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Asboarding was progressing I noted several armed men around the aircraft but thought nothing ofit. Armed soldiers were always visible at those airports. Departure time came and went and Capt.Murciano had not yet appeared. When he did, he hurriedly buckled in and advised that the problemhad been solved and it was now safe to go. As politely as I could, and trying to maintain mydecorum I asked just what in the sam hill was going on. He explained that he had been meetingwith security personnel, where they had worked out how to respond to a high jacking threat. Hewent on to say that they felt the culprit had been apprehended, but as a further precaution,additional armed plain clothed security people had been boarded. I found out later that armedsecurity people had also been boarded that morning at MIA and had been with us all along. Somuch for keeping me informed of anything unusual. Of course had I been able to understandSpanish I probably would have picked up on this sooner.

On another occasion the airplane was pulled off schedule at MIA and sent to Nassau to pick up aNicaraguan baseball team that was returning home after winning some sort of majorchampionship. From Nassau we were to take them to Managua and then pick up the rest of ourturn. Upon arrival at Managua we were denied landing clearance because General Somoza andhis entourage had not yet arrived on the scene. We held for a while until General Somoza was inplace and then were permitted to land. The welcoming festivities for the ball team were nearlyequal to what went on at the inaugural.

Wally Moran had an interesting experience on his first flight into Central America with Lanicaand his description as to what happened follows.

This was my first flight into San Pedro Sula, Honduras and naturally I was interested in recordingthe event with my Super 8 movie camera. At the time San Pedro Sula airport (La Mesa) was asmall strip in the middle of the jungle with very little civilization around. However the arrival ofa noisy four engine jet transport brought out everybody nearby to see what was going on.

After parking on the ramp, I stepped out the door and from the top of the steps began takingmovies of the airport. There was not much to photograph except a rather run down terminal, twobeat up F4U Corsairs and one or two AT-6 's parked nearby. Within about thirty seconds therewere two military men with guns in my face and speaking Spanish. I had no idea what they weresaying but since they seemed to be pointing to my camera, I handed it to them, whereupon theyturned and walked away with it..

I proceeded to the operations area where Capt. Pineda was working on the flight plan and explainedwhat had occurred. Capt. Pineda, the ACM First Officer Martinez and I then proceeded to themilitary office, which was nearby. Soon a long, loud, and animated conversation ensued betweenthe Lanica pilots and the military officials. It turns out that the La Mesa airport is a military baseas well as civilian and as such, photography is not allowed at the airport. The military was concernedthat I would sell the movies to El Salvador, which they were, from time to time, at war with. Theofficials were hard pressed to believe that I was not some sort of spy for the enemy.


It took a great deal of explaining to get them to understand what a pilot in a TWA uniform wasdoing flying a Lanica airplane and taking pictures of their air force. Finally the military peopleagreed to give me my camera but they removed the film. I was delighted not to be arrested, butdisappointed to lose my film with lots of other pictures on it.

Some time later we departed and while taxiing out, First Officer Martinez reached in his jacketpocket and handed me the film. It seems he was a high-ranking person in the Nicaraguan militaryand he apparently used his influence. I was able to put the film back in the camera in time to get ashot of two wild pigs crossing the runway just as we taxied into position for take off. I still have thepictures today and am ready to sell them to the highest bidder as soon as war breaks out down thereagain. (WJM)

After our mission was finished we continued to maintain occasional contact with Capt. Murcianoand some of the other pilots to see how the operation was going. During that period, which wasmore than a year, there had not been one single accident or incident involving flight operations,and I think that speaks well for the Lanica crews. There is no doubt in my mind however that Lanicahad the highest replacement rate of brakes and tires in the industry. Also during that period, theaircraft reliability was such that it had made it back to Miami every night, although I suspect therewere a lot of nights it limped home wearing a lot of band-aids that were beyond the limits of theMEL. That speaks well for the Ole 880. In 1975 Lanica retired those two aircraft and replaced themwith two more 88o 's, which flew a couple of years until they were replaced by 727's in 1977.


NORMAL 880 CHECK LIST

Mines Fieldby

Earl Jinette

My first visit to Mines Field was in1929 when the German dirigible,the Graf Zeppelin was moored thereafter a non-stop flight from Tokyo,Japan to Los Angeles. I ' m alsoenclosing a photo of the GrafZeppelin taken by a friend's father

who had taken us to view the giant airship. I recall he was forced to back up several hundredyards to be able to include the complete dirigible as he did not possess a wide angle lens for hiscamera.

I again went to Mines Field in 1933 as a spectator during the 1933 National Air Races. I still havethe original program and my ticket, price, $3.50 for boxseats! The only paved runway, nowprobably 24R was only 1800 feet long. Of course, the field being one square mile at that time wassufficient to handle the large number of planes during tie air races.

The two buildings in the picture, according to Ted Hereford, were probably constructed as earlyas 1927. Ted said he spent almost two hours searching for those original buildings about threeyears ago and they are still there. The long tree lined road behind looking east is Sepulveda Blvd.That's Los Angeles in the background. Nothing but bean fields between Mines Field and LosAngeles.

In the late 1940's when the airlines moved from Burbank to LAX I was on one of the flightsferrying Constellations to the new terminal. The captain was Dutch Halloway with whom I'd notflown before. As we made our approach into LAX Dutch was lining up for landing on the taxistrip. We had another captain in the ACM seat who was watching the approach and when heobserved what was happening he said, " Dutch, you're lined up on the taxi strip!"

Dutch paid no attention and continued todescend. The Captain again said loud andclear "Dutch, you're landing on the taxistrip!" And he did!

As there was no traffic, the airlines were notyet operating out of LAX, we expected asevere reprimand from the tower personnel,but none was heard. We were almost certainthe FAA would get involved, but they, too,were silent!

I knew Dutch was number one on the pilot'sseniority list but was not aware he wasalmost deaf. One pilot later commented,"Hell, Dutch can't hear 2nd class thunder! Mines Field (now LAX) taken about 1930.


There are three kinds of men. The ones thatlearn by reading. The few who learn by ob-servation. The rest of them have to pee onthe electric fence.

From the Grapevine Editor: I love this job because I get to hear from so manypeople. Keep it coming! I get stories, jokes, pictures and they are all good. Some so good Ican't print ' em. But yesterday Igor an email with two pages of addressees for a one linemessage. Now all of those addresses are in my data bank. The following article is from mycomputer club newsletter. (When I want to forward a message I `cut' the addresses from theTo: line and Paste' them into the Bcc: line. Easy.) Gene

Learn and Use Blind carbon copy

When you forward a message, COPYONLY THE TEXT into a new message andsend it to your friends. DO NOT just forwardthe existing message, complete with theprevious lists of recipients and their ad-dresses. If you want to forward a message,take care to manually remove the list ofprevious recipients to preserve their safety.It's really easy.

When sending messages to a group ofpeople, unless it is REQUIRED that each onesee, the names of all others who received themessage, PLEASE USE A BLIND RECIPIENTlist. I am not aware of an e—mail programthat does not allow you to send messages to alist of "blind" recipients, in which each per-son who receives the messages sees only theirown address, and not the entire list of recipi-ents.

If you have AOL, simply bracket allrecipients in a pair of parentheses (address1), (address2) each separated by a comma.

If you use Microsoft Outlook or OutlookExpress, there is a special field for "Bcc"(Blind carbon copies) just below the "To" and

"Cc" rows. If you do not see it when you openthe program, click on View and select "BeeField." Eudora and Netscape Navigator alsohave blind recipient capabilities.

Yahoo! And Hotmail users can find the"Bcc" field for entering addresses in theonline address header. The Juno mail soft-ware works very just like AOL, in that you canenclose multiple addresses in parentheses tomake them blind. By doing this each recipi-ent will see only their own address, and notanyone else's.

Anyone who wants to protect hisprivacy and safety will appreciate your doingthis. Few things about e—mail bother memore than when something I sent gets for-warded to a large list of people I don't know,and because my address is now in their mes-sage base, I am then vulnerable to receiving avirus or one of those hoax warnings fromthem or anyone to whom they forward thatmessage.

Please try to use blind recipient lists. Itwill make us all safer from viruses, worms andhoaxes.


Barney Rawlings

It's been a long time since I flew a TWAairplane, but I still dream about it nearly ev-ery night. Not the good stuff, like breakingout on top of white clouds into a blue sky in aBoeing 131—B, climbing like a homesick an-gel at 250 knots indicated. Or sliding downthe final toward a slick runway at 154 knotsin a Convair 880.

No, I mostly dream about the nigglingbad stuff, like reporting to LaGuardia in themiddle of the night and trying to rememberhow to start the engines on a DC—4. Reservecaptains like me were qualified on the Mar-tins, Connies, and DC—4s, and most of uswanted to get rid of the DC—4 qualification ifwe could avoid the airplane for 90 days. Butthe schedule clerks kept track of that stuff,and usually scheduled reserves for a DC—4trip after about 89 days.

And I dream about making a range ap-proach into the old Pittsburgh airport on aDC—3, finding the cone—of—silence and drop-ping down carefully into the smoky murk.Which side of the range leg is the "A" on? AndI dream about how you checked the mags onpiston engines. Left, both, right, both — andcheck the RPM drop. I dream about the DC—3 a lot. We had some with Wright enginesand some converted C—47s with Pratt—Whitneys. You cruised the Wrights at 1900RPM and the Pratt—Whitneys at 2050 RPM.It's important to remember that stuff, evenin your dreams, because you never knowwhen you might get a chance to fly a DC—3again.

But the most—dreaded dream is beingdressed in my TWA uniform and trying to findthe Operations shack at some airport. (In my

If you find yourself in a hole,stop digging.

dream I might be dressed in my first TWAsuit, the gray—blue one with brass buttonsand a cap with a white top and an Indian onthe cap—badge, or maybe the gray double—breasted suit with invisible gray stripes.) But— whatever the uniform — I am trampingaround the airport, getting my shiny blackshoes wet and muddy, looking for that OpsShack. Sometimes the airport is Ciampinoin Rome, with the PSP iron runway left overfrom WWII, and sometimes it ' s Municipal atKansas City, soggy with the last flood whenthe Missouri River got over the dike.

I suppose guys retired from other oc-cupations have those dreams about the trou-bling little problems they used to have doingtheir jobs. Firemen probably dream aboutsliding down that pole, half awake, and hold-ing that wiggly hose on the fire when the wa-ter pressure is high. Retired policemenmaybe dream of the time they might havemade John Dillinger do the perp walk if theyhadn't forgot and left their handcuffs homeon the dresser. And retired farmers probablydon't dream about the odd times — threshinggolden wheat under a blue sky with a warmand gentle breeze — but they may dream ofsloppin' the hogs on a bone—chilling wintermorning, wondering if that old

green-and-yellowtractor will start.All in all, I prefer my TWA. dreams, even

the troubling ones, like trying to rememberhow to get cabin heat to a DC—3 from thatsteam boiler. That was the final test of air-manship in those days. But — except for theboiler — I am ready for the boiler — I am readyfor the DC—3 again if an opportunity turnsup.DC—3 again if an opportunity turns up.


There are 2 theories to

arguing with a woman ...

neither works.

Ed Harvey

Everything is in storage while I build a 44 X 44 hanger and slightly smaller house next toChesapeake Ranch Airport in Lustby, MD.

This retirement is great In `99 I did about i800 miles of the Appalachian Trail (Georgia toNew Hampshire ) with my twin brother, Jim. I did a lot of volunteer work on the cabins andshelters prior to the hike. That's where we learned how to hike light. I've also been to Costa Ricahiking , climbing old volcanoes, snorkeling, etc. Last year was an interesting trip hiking trailsaround Tokyo, Kyoto and the southern coast of Honshu.

I moved to get closer to water, get some sailing and maybe even learn how to fly a smallairplane. Thanks for your work.

Bear Beck

Wanted to thank you for putting my chicken scratches in the TARPA. I remember flying withTed Herford as a 2nd Officer and when not there to cut hair I got to listen to Earl Jinette point-ing out imaginary flights of military jets to Ted at 12 o'clock low, with Ted's reply "I've got 'em".

What a great pair. Between Earl and Jimmy Jones I learned more about the plane than that

engine instructor at KC who used to say "visualize " 38 times an hour. Just reminiscing....BEAR

John Boyce

Madame and I are doing just fine. I'm recovering from hernia surgery, but that's a relativelytrivial matter compared to some of the things they do to the human body these days. I'll be backto flying/soaring as soon as this spell of bad weather moves out. I have to get some practice hoursin before the Regional Soaring Contest mid—June. Wally Moran and I are flying team in thatevent.

I' m still instructing glider pilots and flying the Pawnee and Super Cub tow planes for our

soaring club.We lost access to the last soaring airport in Connecticut and, facing the prospect of disband-

ing, we bit the bullet and bought a small airport thirty miles south of Albany. It's working out OKso far, but if you know of anybody in the area who might be interested, we could use more mem-

bers. It's a great sport, good people, a beautiful site, and WE OWN IT!


If you're riding' ahead of the herd,take a look back every now andthen to make sure it's still there.

John Thomas Happy II

My career with TWA started in 1953 and went on hold in 1984 courtesy of the FAA. I wasand always will be a proud member of the TWA family. My whole family is TWA. But lets facereality. It's OVER. Braniff, Eastern, Pan Am, Allegheny, my favorite, Mohawk and many othershave had their day and disappeared. We, as TWA survivors are going to go on for a long time.The retired pilots group T ARP A, will continue on for a long time too.

There is a way to keep TWA alive for many years to come. It 's called SAC. Now known asthe" Airline History Museum". Based in Kansas City (Where else?). The beloved "Connie" the" Star of America" a Super G, now painted in TWA colors, "TRANS WORLD AIRLINES" is inHangar 9 at Downtown Kansas City Airport. along with a Martin 404 and a DC3.

The Connie travels as much as possible around the country to airshows and has been oncommercials and in movies. Join the Museum as a member or just donate to the upkeep andtravels of this beautiful aircraft. This Museum is made possible by all volunteers and is a non-profit organization.

WWW . airlinehistorymuseum. corn.... e–mail: [email protected] ChrisClark would be more than grateful for your participation and so would I. Talked with Chris at theDayton Air and Tradeshow in Dayton this past week.(17th July). He is positive about the Mu-seum and the future of TWA as represented by the "Star of America". So get to it and help keepthe name TWA alive for all time.

Thanks to you all. Hap

Airline History Museum201 NW Lou Holland DriveKansas City MO 64116–4223

Jack Morin

Jack Morin wrote today that he has been very ill since the death of his wife Mickey in2001. He also sent dues for the next 3 years and thanked all of us for the work we do.

After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring.He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him...The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.


The quickest way to double yourmoney is to fold it and put it

back in your pocket.

Ray Bertles

Hi Gene –Thought that I should report on this years EAA Airventure at Oshkosh. At the Airline Pilot's

Headquarters Tent we had 1,032 sign ins with 57 from our TWA Pilot group. Roy Rogers (EALRetired) and I arrived on the 26th of July to set up the tent only to find that our normal posterboard sign in sheets and equipment boxes had been misplaced during the past year - - a resultof refurbishing the building it had been stored in.

By Sunday afternoon (27th) we had set up an alternate method for signing in. No soonerhad we started when it was brought to our attention that retired TWA/AA Captain Don Eversmanhad passed on at 4:30 AM that day from a heart attack, while camping at EAA's Camp Scholler.Not the way we like to start a friendly get together.

The first pilot signing in on the TWA sheet after me was my good friend Retired Captain Art

Schwedler. Art is one of the Co–Chairman volunteers on the Government Officials Commit-

tee. He has been doing this for the past 15 years. This committee squires high level governmentofficials and foreign dignitaries attending EAA's Airventure. I will not list all 57, but will giveseveral names and hope I an not upsetting those I leave off.

Jeff Hill, Sr., John Lumley, Bill Jabust, Ed Harvey, Don Tate, Marty Sailer, Rich Ackley,Don Palmer, Rich Achley, Jr., Hank Freeland, Tom O'Connor, EdTurner, Ole Olsen, GeorgeKaramitis, Bob Stebbins, Ray Waldach, Stan Crawford, Andy Anderson, John Nelson, MartySobel, Sam Payne, Laslo Samolyi, Jr., Markt Meyer, Peter Sherwin, Bill Canavan, Tom Irwin,Roo Jorges, Bill Bands, Bud Cushings, Brad Williams, Willard Womack, and Dub Davis. If you

would like all of the names, let me know.

Dub Davis was the oldest TWA retiree to sign in this year, and it was his daughter and grand-son that insisted he come . Dub, I hope you can make it back next year.

The tent is a great place to meet, visit, talk about the old days and meet old friends. I andmy Co–Chairmen (or should I say Chairpersons) Two are sisters ... one a Delta Captain andthe other an American Captain. We all have a great time each year and I hope more TWA folks

can make it in the future.

Best regards – Ray Bertles, Chairman, Airline Pilot 's HQ


Never miss a goodchance to shut up.

Gene Gifford conversations with the O'hare tower.

You're gonna have to key the mike. I can't seeyou when you nod yourhead."

"Climb like your life depends onit..........because it does."

"If you want more room Captain, push yourseat back."

"For radar identification throw your jumpseatrider out the window."

"Don't anybody maintain anything. "

"Put your compass on 'E' and get out of myairspace. "

"You got any more smart remarks, we can bedoing this over South Bend."

"If you hear me, traffic no longer a factor."

"Citation 123, if you quit calling me center, I'llquit calling you twinCessna. "

"Listen up gentlemen, or something 's gonnahappen that none of us wants tosee. Besides that, you're pissing me off!"

"Approach, how far from the airport are we inminutes?"

N923, the faster you go the quicker you'll gethere."

"I don't mind altitude separation as long asthey're not on top of eachother."

"The traffic at nine o'clock's gonna do a littleLinda Ronstadt on you.""Linda Ronstadt? What's that?""Well sir, they 're gonna 'Blue Bayou' "

"I can see the country club downbelow.... looks like a lot of controllers outthere!""Yes sir, there is....and they're caddying forDC—10 drivers like you."

"Approach, what 's our sequence?""Calling for the sequence I missed your callsign, but if I find out what it is, you're last."

"Approach SWA436, you want us to turn rightto 090?""No, I want your brother to turn, Just do it anddon't argue."

"Approach UAL525 what 's this aircraft doingat my altitude?""UAL525, what makes you think it 's YOURaltitude, Captain?"

"DAL1176, we slowed it down to two—twenty. "

DAL1176 pick it back up totwo—fifty...ain't Atlanta, and themain't grits on the ground."


Never slap a manwho's chewing tobacco.

Gene Gifford Cont'd

"Request Runway 27 Right.""Unable.""Approach, do you know the wind at six thou-sand is 270 at fifty?""Yeah, I do, and if we could jack the airport upto fifty—five hundred youcould have that runway. Expect 14 Right."

"Approach, what's the tower?""That's a big tall building with glass all around

John Boyce

The Airline Pilot profession has produced anumber of memorable characters, and TWAhas certainly produced its share of them. Forinstance...Well, one night after dinner I was walkingdown the hall at the Celtic Hotel when I heardcoming from one of the rooms the beautifulsound of someone playing a violin. I could tellthat this was no casual fiddler; the tone wasrich and full, the bowing and phrasing deli-cate. Someone practicing for a recital or con-cert, I thought. It certainly sounded like play-ing of concert quality.Does anyone remember Capt. Don Terry? Ishould ask, rather, "Could anyone of ourgeneration NOT remember Don Terry?"Don was senior, real senior, when I went onInternational in 1954. He

'd been with TWAsince the middle thirties, probably. His middlethirties, too, I suspect. He was a bull—necked,red—faced Irish terror when aroused, andknown for a temper with a short fuse. He was

it, but that's notimportant right now. "

"How far behind traffic are we?""Three miles.""That doesn't look like three miles to us!""You're a mile and a half from him, he's a mileand a half fromyou.... that's three miles."

known to get angry at times, and noisy, too.Junior co—pilots held him in considerable awe,maybe fear, in some cases. In short, a man notto be trifled with.But there was another side to the man. Thebeautiful music I heard in the hallway of theCeltic was Don Terry, trying out a violin hehad purchased. It turns out he was a collectorof fine instruments, and had acquired a num-ber of them in his travels. And he played themwell, too.He also had a fondness for poetry, as I learnedon an unscheduled layover in London onenight. For some reason I can't recall (it's beenalmost fifty years) while at dinner that eveningthe conversation turned to poetry and I startedreciting a long verse I'd learned years earlier.Don was amused by that and asked me for thetitle of the book from which it came, which Isupplied.A few weeks later, I found in my companymailbox a small package containing the


Never kick a cow chip on a hotday.

John Boyce Cont'd

aforementioned title of the book from whichit came, which I supplied.

A few weeks later, I found in my companymailbox a small package containing the

aforementioned book, inscribed: "To theBishop of Rum—ti—Foo, from Uncle Don."

Ed Kimball, do you remember thatevening? You were there.

By the end of his career, Don hadn'tmellowed one bit. At age sixty, when crew

Jim Coughlin

Gene..We were out here in Paradise Valley, AZ,

Marc, 1971 celebrating our 25th. Bought ahouse, bid LAX, moved, and commuted (do-

mestic) until the FAA mandated retirementJune 1985. I feel very fortunate to have been

with TWA during it's best years.Lela has done many wonderful and

thoughtful things for me during our 57+years ofmarriage. After retirement she got me started in

golf...dumb game (easy game but hard to play)but fun if not taken seriously and we have metand made many interesting and fun friends.She also likes to travel and I was very reluctant

to do so for a while after retirement.

schedule informed him that he would not beon his next flight, he threw down the gauntletand challenged the company to show wherein the contract it said he had to retire. He

grieved it, and won!Now, if there are any of you REALLY old

guys out there who read this, I expect andfully accept your recollections, which maydiffer from mine. Please, set the record

straight if necessary.

However this turned out to be a very gooddeal! Lela does lots of inquiries, makes all thearrangements and reservations, and I "carry

the tickets"....just like a captain expects todo. We don't go in for big cities or crowds.More for natural beauty.

Tomorrow we leave for Anchorage, AK.Will do a small boat 4 nite cruise (70 pax) ofPrince William Soundfollowed by bus and train to Denali andFairbanks. About 2 weeks in all.

I don't like the security checks, crowdedterminals and airplanes, but it's all part ofgetting there. (ain't like it use ta' was)

Bart Hewitt

In two weeks I'll be 82 (going on 100) and happy to still be here! That TWA is no more makesme a very sad and angry gent... just knowing that Icahn is still alive!


Sent by Charles Reyher, Author unknown

You see them at airport terminals aroundthe world. You see them in the morningearly, sometimes at night. They come neatlyuniformed and hatted, sleeves striped; theyshow up looking fresh. There's a brisk,young—old look of efficiency about them.They arrive fresh from home, from hotels,carrying suitcases, battered briefcases,bulging with a wealth of technical informa-tion, data, filled with regulations, rules.They know the new, harsh sheen ofChicago's O'Hare. They know the clutteredapproaches to Newark; they know the trickyshuttle that is Rio, they know, but do notrelish, threading the needle into HongKong.They respect foggy San Francisco. Theyknow the up—and—down walk to the gates atDallas, the Texas sparseness of Abilene, theBerlin Corridor, New Orleans' sparklingterminal, the milling crowds at Washington.They know Butte, Boston, and Beirut. Theyappreciate Miami's perfect weather; theyrecognize the danger of an ice–slick runwayat JFK.They understand about short runways,antiquated fire equipment, inadequateapproach lighting, but there is one thingthey will never comprehend: complacency.They remember the workhorse efficiency ofthe DC—3s, the reliability of the DC—4s andDC–6s, the trouble with the DC–7. Theydiscuss the beauty of an old gal namedConnie. They recognize the high shrill whineof a Viscount, the rumbling thrust of a DC—8 or 707. And a Convair.They speak a language unknown toWebster. They discuss ALPA, EPR's, fans,

The world is divided into twoclasses: those who believe the incredible,

and those who do the improbable.

mach and bogie swivels. And, strangely,such things as bugs, thumpers, crickets, andCATs, but they are inclined to change thesubject when the uninitiated approaches.They have tested the characteristic loneli-ness of the sky, and occasionally theadrenaline of danger. They respect theunseen thing called turbulence; they knowwhat it means to fight for self—control todiscipline one's senses.They buy life insurance but make no con-cession to the possibility of complete disas-ter, for they have uncommon faith in them-selves and what they are doing.They concede that the glamour is gone fromflying. They deny that a man is through atsixty. They know that tomorrow or thefollowing night, something will come alongthat they have never met before, they knowthat flying requires perseverance. Theyknow that practice lest the y retrograde.They realize why some wit once quipped:"Flying is year after year of monotonypunctuated by seconds of stark terror?'As a group, they defy mortality tables, yetapproach semiannual physical examina-tions with trepidation. They are individual-istic, yet bonded together. They are familymen, yet rated poor marriage bets. They arereputedly overpaid, yet entrusted withequipment worth millions. And entrustedwith lives, countless lives.At times they are reverent: They havewatched the Pacific sky turn purple at dusk.They know the twinkling, jeweled beauty ofLos Angeles at night; they have seen snowup on the Rockies. They remember the vastunending mat of green Amazon jungle, the


Never miss a good chance toshut up.

Sent by Charles Reyher, Author unknown Cont'd

twisting silver road that is the father ofWaters, an ice cream cone called Fujiyama.And the hump of Africa,

They have watched a satellite streakacross a starry sky, seen the clear, deep blueof the stratosphere, felt the incalculableforce of the heavens.

They have marveled at sun–streakedevenings, dappled earth velvet–night, spunsilver clouds, sculptured cumulus.

God's weather. They have viewed the

Northern Lights, a wilderness of sky, apilot's halo, a bomber's moon, horizontalrain, contrails and St Elmo's Fire.

They have learned to accept thesechallenges everyday, they have realized acomplete removal from earthy attach-ments, and they have reveled in a sense ofhigh suspension.

Only a pilot experiences all these. It istheir world.

Betty Rollison sent this in.

Jimmy Rollison is the son of Capt Jim Rollison By Amy Gingerich

Charles Gianaris walked around theturbo–prop airplane, rubbed his hands to-gether to keep warm and wondered aloud if itwould be too foggy to land at Palo Alto Air-port.Gianaris visually inspected every part of the2000 Pilatus PC12 as his business partner,Jimmy Rollison, closed the hangar door at NutTree Airport and got ready for takeoff.

"You want to drive or should I?"Rollison asked as the two prepared to fly theplane to its owner in the Silicon Valley,

The partners at 1 Flight Up manageairplanes for owners in the Bay Area fromtheir base inside a hangar at the Nut TreeAirport.

Rollison, a captain with Federal Ex-press, and Gianaris, a flight instructor in theBay Area, teamed up last year and formed 1Flight Up, which is not connected to the book-store of the same name that once operated at

the famous Nut Tree complex.When a planes owner wants to fly, he

calls the business partners, who will fly to theairport nearest the pilot, typically Palo AltoAirport or San Jose Jet Center.

"We advocate coloring outside thelines and that's what this business is about,"Rollison said.

All the plane owners who contractwith 1 Flight Up are licensed pilots them-selves. although many are newer pilots. Theplane's owner pilots the plane while Rollison,Gianaris or Richard Beardsley, captain with 1Flight Up, ride along as co–pilot.

The aircraft management arrange-ment has enormous financial! benefits to theaircraft's owner because having a pilot withmore logged flying hours cuts the insurancepremiums by up to two–thirds. Rollison said,saving the owner tens of thousands of dollarsannually.


Betty Rollison Cont'd

1 Flight Up handles everything frommaking sure planes remain well maintainedand have full fuel tanks to having a variety ofnewspapers and beverages onboard theairplane. They know birthdays, anniversariesand other special occasions and remember tohave flowers or other gifts along for theseoccasions. Service, the partners said, setsthem apart from other airplane managementbusinesses.

"Imagine purchasing a vehicleand never having to put gas in it," Rollisonused as an analogy. "We try to give value; wereally do."

But the major difference between 1Flight Up and other airplane management

Lettin' the cat outta the bag is awhole lot easier'n puttin' it back.

companies is that 1 Flight Up lets people flyand teaches them how. Most corporateexecutives that own airplanes leave theflying to the firm managing the airplane,never getting in the cockpit themselves.Rollison believes 1 Flight Up is the only firmletting these licensed pilots and plane own-ers fly.

The concept of teaching people to flyand maintaining their aircraft has workedor

1 Flight Up. Gianaris' connections from hisyears of flight instruction in the Bay Areabrought the first clients to the firm.

"Most of these people live in a tight knithigh—tech world," Gianaris said. Word hasspread from there.

Betty sent in this little golf story too. Never having played the game, I don 't really under-stand the concept but l'm sure some will get the gist.

Four old timers were playing their weekly game of golf, and one remarked how for Christmasthis year he'd love to wake up on Christmas morning, roll out of bed and without an argumentgo directly to the golf course, meet his buddies and play a round.His buddies all chimed in and said, "Let's do it! We'll make it apriority, figure out a way andmeet here early, Xmas morning."

Months later, that special morning arrives, and there they are on the links. The first guy says,"Boy this game cost me a fortune! I bought my wife such a diamond ring that she can't take hereyes off it."Number 2 guy says, " I spent a ton too. My wife is at home planning the cruise I gave her. Shewas up to her eyeballs in brochures."

Number 3 guy says, "Well my wife is at home admiring her new car, reading the manual."They all turn to the last guy in the group and he is staring at them like they have lost theirminds.

"I can't believe you all went to such expense for this golf game. I slapped my wife on the buttand said, "Well babe, is it sex or golf?"She said, "Take a sweater."


Jack Nuss

Stepping into the third decade of retirementwith only fond memories of the great yearswith TWA to live on. Fortunately the retire-ment plan has allowed us to enjoy a comfort-able life here in sunny Florida where we canenjoy golf and tennis year round.August 1, 1941 marked the start of a career of42 active years. The few months before goinginto the service was a period of quick learninga few things about the airline business. thelingo, and certain very precise SOPS. Enlistedin the Army Air Corps February 1942 to avoidany possible draft into some other branch ofservice.The Major in charge of base ops was a formerCAA inspector from the Chicago area and hadsome connections with the TWA operation atthe old Midway airport. It was another phaseof aviation experience being trained by a staffsergeant and a corporal who love to kid meabout working for the PWA.Filing flight plans and working with ATC wasanother step in my aviation education. Got toknow most of the stops on old airway Amber7 by heart. Got to sign flight plans for noneother than Jimmy Doolittlle, Ira Eaker, andTooey Spatz when they were flying back toDCA. Later realized they were meeting therewith other top brass formulating plans for theTokyo raid and also . At the time I was pur-suing a transfer to newly established AirTransport Command, which had been theFerry Command.Of course this took some time, as usual withthe services, but in October received orders to

The one charm of marriage

is that it makes a life of decep-

tion absolutely necessary for

both parties.

proceed to Presque Isle, ME. Went right towork in base operations working for a groupof former airline pilots, three from TWA,Jack Zimmerman, Roger Kruse, and HalShafer. The main purpose of this group wasto train new Air Corps pilots for transportoperations, which included flights to GooseBay, Gander, the Crystals up in Labrador,and the Hudson Bay area.Most of these flights were provisioning flightsand carrying personnel being transferred.Jack Zimmerman was killed in a PBY crash inthe Gulf of St Lawrence. Hal Shafer waskilled in an accident involving a test hop ofC—54 that had just come out of overhaul.Presque Isle was the last stateside base forferry operation headed to the U.K. and alsothe point of departure for the contract opera-tions of TWA—ICD, American, and Northeast.Met quite a few of the TWA pilots who wereflying the ICD, Don Terry, Stan Stanton, RossWeaver, Frank Niswander, During that firstwinter at Presque Isle the whole operationwas involved of the search for an AmericanC—87 that had crashed in Labrador, thefamous Chuck Conners story which ErnieGann made into a best selling book and latera movie. All part of a continuing educationof aviation and airlines and it's many charac-ters. Learned much in that short time, but

much more to learn at OCS and subsequentassignment to the Caribbean Wing of ATC,and the rest of the war at Borinquen Field,Puerto Rico. How lucky can one get???


There is hardly a person in the

Senate worth painting, though many

of them would be better for a little

whitewashing.

Ed Gruber by Kyle Wright

No matter where a person looks in Delphi,Indiana's, Canal Park, one gets a glimpse ofEd Gruber's contributions.At the southeast border of the park flows theWabash and Erie Canal itself, which Gruberand several other volunteers worked to clean.In the park's Historic Village sits a black-smith and carpentry shop, erected in 1991 byCanal volunteers.Also taking shape in the Historic Village isthe all—volunteer group's latest achievement:the Wabash and Erie Canal Conference andInterpretive Center. Half of the 1850s—stylebuilding will use interactive exhibits to helpvisitors learn about the canal and its opera-tion. The other half will serve as a conferencefacility."Most of us are retired from different fields,"Gruber said, "so we've `got a littbit of exper-tise in a lot of fields here. So something wewant to do, we get it done."Gruber contributes a little bit of everything.He is co—chairman of Delphi Historic Trailsand treasurer of the Canal Association. Theretired pilot also provides his skills as aplumber, electrician,. carpenter, painter, and"anything else you can imagine, " according toDan McCain, president of the Canal Associa-

tion and himself a frequent worker at thepark."Ed has worked harder than ,anyone I canthink of in the daily hands—on work of plan-ning and restoration of the Canal Park,"McCain said. "A very unselfish person. He hasso many tools of `his own and shares all thatand his talent."Gruber's involvement with Canal Park beganinnocently enough."When I lived in New York, I came out to anOld Settlers Reunion meeting here in Delphi,"Gruber said. "At the Old. Settlers' meetingwas a man I went to school with. He said:`Hey, come here. Give me five dollars.'"I said, "What for?'"He said, `Give it to me. '

"I did, and he said, `Now you're a member ofthe canal.'

That was 1976. Gruber became a fre-quent contributor at the park when he relo-cated to Carroll County three years later. Heand about 15 other volunteers now spendthree days a week working at the park.

"We're capable of doing what we've donewith a lot of people helping us," Gruber said."The group of people I work with are real finepeople. It 's a nice group to work with."

I signed up for an exercise class and was told to wear loose—fitting clothing. If I hadloose—fitting clothing, I wouldn't have sighed up in the first place!


The following is an excerpt from an account of Stu Nelson's time flying the F4U Corsair as aMarine carrier pilot in Korea. There is more, all interesting, and I will try to get in more in comingeditions.

In the "every day something—new"category, I was tail end Charlie on a flight of

four directed to take out a bridge just southof Sinuiju. The weather was mostly overcast,

but we spotted the bridge through a hole inthe clouds, and made a dive—bombing at-tack. The leader missed, his wingman scoreda hit but his bomb failed to detonate, the

section leader missed, and my bomb hit, butalso turned out to be a dud. These bombshad been stored on Okinawa since WW II.We pulled back up through the clouds, and

turned west towards the coastline. Theleader, the squadron executive officer, andrelatively new to the war, decided that weshould make a damage assessment. As the

last one off the target, I advised him that thebridge was still intact, and suggested that if

we go back in under the overcast the enemyanti aircraft gunners could time their shellsto explode at the cloud base and somebodymight be hit. His response was; "Lieutenant,we will make a damage assessment!"

As we approached the bridge area hewas bracketed by the AA and hit. I instructedhim to take up a Zoo—degree heading and Ijoined on his right wing. His plane wasairworthy but he was wounded in the armand leg and losing a considerable amount ofblood. I suggested that he break the ammo-nia capsule that was taped to the windshieldto keep him from passing out. If I could justget him out over the water he could success-fully ditch the plane and be rescued. About

this time, he began to fly erratically andwhen he banked too much, I flew under his

plane and lifted his wing up with mine. I hadto do this three times. This procedure and

constant talking to him kept him reasonablyalert. As we approached the shoreline, Iasked whether he wanted to ditch or bail out;he preferred ditching. In order to lighten hisplane as much as possible, I had him drophis belly tank, shoot off his rockets and fireout all his machine guns. This eliminated2500 pounds.

I told him that if he could hang on forfive more minutes, he would be rescued. Ihad alerted a British picket ship, on guardchannel, to his plight, and told them toexpect a ditching 500 meters north of theirship. I literally talked him into a water land-

ing—when to lower his flaps, cut back on thepower, and flare the airplane. The plane hit,skipped once, and settled in. A whaleboatfrom the ship was less than loo meters away.

The Brits gave me thumbs up and I shovedoff for the carrier. He later told me that whenhe hit that 29—degree water, he really came

to!When I landed back at the ship, I was

anxious to look at my upper wing tips. To myamazement, there was not a scratch on them.Apparently, the wind speed at 200 knots andthe wing airfoil prevented them from touch-ing. I said that this might be a something -new kind of day; it certainly was!


Barry Schiff

With an evening coat and awhite tie, anybody, even a

stockbroker, can gain a repu-tation for being civilized.

Longtime AOPA Pilot columnist and contributing writer Barry Schiff was honored withthe Aero—Club de France Award for "best general aviation submission" during the prestigiousAerospace Journalist of the Year Awards in June. It was the only pure GA award given duringthe event that preceded the Paris Air Show. Schiff won for "The Spirit Flies On," published in theMay 2002 Pilot, about flying the Spirit of St. Louis replica built by the Experimental AircraftAssociation (EAA) and marveling over Charles Lindbergh 's feat. First presented in 1996, theawards are organized by the London—based World Leadership Forum in conjunction with theRoyal Aeronautical Society This year's event attracted more than 500 entries across 16 cate-gories, ranging from news to safety related submissions.

Bill Dixon

Men's ties are following the same path as starched collars, cuff links, and straw hats --delegated to a dark corner of the closet and retrieved only when absolutely mandated. Newspa-per and magazine pictures prove that even the CEOs of huge corporations (particularly in theSilicon Valley) spurn ties. The open neck shirt is now a badge of honor. Once designated asFriday casual dress wear , they now dominates the dress code all week.

Monster homes and fancy cars symbolize dignity and money today; status is no longerportrayed by the cut and quality of the suit and accessories. And California seems to be out therein front with the long time sporty states (if not exceeding them) in helping make ties a thing ofthe past.

Of course ties are still being worn, like in church and weddings, but even in that arenathey are often discarded for a more comfortable and casual look.

It definitely is time to retire most ties; perhaps to the Salvation Army or just directly tothe trash bin. At a recent reception, I was one of only two who thought a tie would be appropri-ate. How wrong I was! To change to apparently what was proper dress for that affair, I removedmy tie and stuck it in my sport coat pocket.

Take a glance around the next time you are at any public eating place in the area. You willhave to look hard to find anything worn by the male population that could qualify as dressy. Thewomen are doing much better, for the nonce at least.

So bid goodbye to ties, untie the noose and admit they are outdated.

I remember my first trip on International, Bill. I showed up at dinner wearing a sport coatand no tie. The check pilot walked all the way back to the hotel and got an extra tie and loanedit to me. The stripes didn't go well with my plaid jacket, but the French didn't seem to mind.People in Modesto only wear ties when they go to court and then only if they're indicted. Gene


Women love us for our defects; if wehave enough of them they willforgive us everything, even our

superior intellects.

Mary Lee Smith, Mrs. Ermon (Easy) Smith

I've been so busy with dear Ermon. He has a brain disorder called Arnold Pick's. He has beenin a care home for 2 years. There is nothing to do for him—but he's in a lovely home. He has somany other problems—of course he doesn't know us any more. Sometimes he remembers oldfriends for a short time! I miss seeing the TWA logo!

And we miss seeing Easy 's smile and hearing his laugh. Tell him hello from all of us.

Russ Day

Gene — Haven't sent very much to the Grapevine Editors over the years, but figured now isthe time. I became a TARPA EAGLE this past March 9th for whatever that 's worth

The "bod" is hanging together but with some problems. My knees are pretty shot, mayface surgery, had my thyroid out 2 years ago, and had a bout with bladder cancer (all cured

supposedly) this past year. So much for the $%% A "& "golden years!" My cartoon says it all.Hope you can use it in the TARPA TOPICS. I sent John Gratz the original so if you use it, checkwith him.

I'm still living on Long Island, The last one to do so of our seniority. Joe Stack just movedto the mid—west I heard through our "Long Island" grapevine. I'm either too stupid to move ortoo much of a "New Yorkha" to leave. I have a boat but want to sell it. Been doing a lot of art-work, been in a couple of shows and even sold some of my art. I'm working mainly in pastels but

I do dabble in other mediums, i.e. watercolor, acrylics, etc.

Glad I'm no longer flying although I miss the trips. With the takeover by American I'mjust as happy with my easel. Hope to come to the convention in Reno, but I have a daughter whois finally getting married and it may conflict. But don't want to miss this one, wonder how manymore we'll have. I keep in touch with a few of my classmates, Bill Teommey, John Schulte, DonKillian, and Gus Gustafson and Ben Densieski from the class behind me. We're all hanging inthere, but I wonder for how long.

I enjoy the easel too, Russ. Wish I could do cartoons. Gene

William H. Mikels

Hey Rufus,Thanks for the reminder letter. I thought I had paid this long ago. I still remember my 747 ratingride in Flying Tigers sim at LAX in the mid 80's . I had inadvertently kicked the auto pilot off on aCAT III landing, put it on the ground manually and the guy behind you and I never noticed. Whoneeds autoland. Hope all is well with you. These fourteen years since retirement have gone all tooquickly but enjoyably.


Thirty–five is a very attractive age;society is full of women who have of

their own free choice remainedthirty–five for years.

Barrie Mootham

About time I visited my favorite magazine, eh? I want to extend my thanks to all the crewmemberswho made the TWA years the greatest. Also special thanks goes to you pilot leaders and volun-teers who made our lives better.

I'm still aviating and loving it in our picturesque Ca. No $10o hamburgers though, I get a littlepay to fly C310R's for Comstock Air out of SAC. And it 's nice to see TWAer 's in print, i.e. Bob

Buck, Barry Schiff, Charles Jackson, etc. See you in Reno.

Anonymous

Subject: COMPANY POLICY

Start with a cage containing five mon-keys. Inside the cage, hang a banana on astring and place a set of stairs under it. Beforelong, a monkey will go to the stairs and startto climb towards the banana. As soon as hetouches the stairs, spray all of the othermonkeys with cold water.

After a while, another monkey makesan attempt with the same result – all theother monkeys are sprayed with cold water.Pretty soon, when a monkey tries to climb thestairs, to prevent being sprayed with coldwater the other monkeys will stop him.

Now, put away the cold water. Removeone monkey from the cage and replace it witha new one. The new monkey sees the bananaand wants to climb the stairs. To his surpriseand horror, all of the other monkeys attackhim. After another attempt and attack, heknows that if he tries to climb the stairs, hewill be assaulted.

Next, remove another of the originalfive monkeys and replace it with a new one.The newcomer goes to the stairs and is at-tacked. The previous newcomer takes part inthe punishment with enthusiasm! Likewise,replace a third original monkey with a newone, then a fourth, then the fifth. Every timethe newest monkey takes to the stairs, he isattacked. Most of the monkeys that are beat-ing him have no idea why they were not per-mitted to climb the stairs or why they areparticipating in the beating of the newestmonkey.

After replacing all the original mon-keys, none of the remaining monkeys haveever been sprayed with cold water. Neverthe-less, no monkey ever again approaches thestairs to try for the banana. Why not? Becauseas far as they know that's the way it's alwaysbeen done around here.

And that, my friends, is how companypolicy begins.

Never argue with an idiot; people watching may not beable to tell the difference.


The world is divided into two classes:those who believe the incredible, and

those who do the improbable.

Richard Ruff

As a September '65 hire, I spent 19 years as a co—pilot. Every trip but one, I wanted to be thecaptain. That trip started with a dhd SFO—ORD, then layover. Early the next morning we met theORD based flight attendants and picked up a B—331 at the hanger. We were to ferry to NewOrleans and take a tour group from New Orleans to LAS, then dhd back to SFO. The plane hadbeen pre—provisioned at ORD.

Everything went as planned until we were about one hour out of LAS. One of the cabin attendantscame to the cockpit and asked, "Captain, do you have a minute?" "Of course, what's up?" "Well,we passed out most of the meals in back; then we found a dead rat in one of the ovens. And nowthat I think of it, I think that the last 8 or 10 meals had bits of tinfoil ripped off. What shall I do?"I just sat quietly chortling in the right seat thinking, "Thank God the buck stops in the left seat".

Lew Judd

The freighter Connies had the regular crewcompartment up forward but the lavatorieswere in the rear. An aisle was left on either sideor in the middle of the cargo so the crew couldget to the johns.One night when we reached a check point overthe North Atlantic where the Navigator wouldbring the How—goes—it chart to the Radio Op-erator he didn't show up, so the radio operatorwent back to check on him. He didn't show upeither!The co—pilot got up and went back to see whatwas going on and he didn't come back! TheCaptain was in the bunk so I woke him up andexplained what was happening. The Captainwoke the other F/E and sent him back to seewhat the problem was. In a few seconds he wasback. He said there was a Doberman Pincherloose in the cabin who would attack anyone andthe rest of the crew were locked in the johns. I

suggested using the crash axe to subdue the dogbut the Captain, a dog lover, rejected the idea.He said he would go back quiet the animal andretie him. He didn't return either! Knowing wewere in deep trouble the remaining pilot andthe other F/E left me alone in the cockpit andtaking blankets from the crew bunks went aft.When the dog attacked they threw the blanketsover his head and wrestled him to the deck.Finding his tie down cable they refastened himto the floor. They found the Captain, in his un-derwear, on top of a pile of mail sacks out ofthe dogs reach. The navigator and the co—pilotwere in one john and the radio operator was inthe other. With the dog safely fastened to thefloor a belated report was radioed.The rest of the night was spent conjuring upfunny FAA accident reports as to what had gonewrong, if the plane had gone down with thedog in command!

My wife says I never listen to her. At least l think that's what she said.


HOW TO FLIGHT LIST FOR PERSONAL TRAVEL

Jetnet Travel PlannerFrom your Jetnet Home Page, click on "Non-Rev Travel Planner" to check flight availabilityand create flight listings.NEW (11/23/2002) - A separate Sabre password is not needed to use the Travel Planner!

WE-FLY-AAEmployees and retirees are encouraged to use the automated We-Fly-AA systemwhen planning travel on American Airlines, American Eagle, or American Connectionfor any person on his/her authorized traveler list (Traveler Information).

When you call 1-888-WE-FLY-AA (1-888-933-59 22) you will be presented with 3 options:Press option 1 for flight arrival, departure, and gate infoPress option 2 if you have a valid AA employee number and want to check flight loads, list orcancel a listing. Do not use this option for AA2o travelPress option 3 for assistance with the purchase of industry reduced rate travel such asAA2o bookings or other airline travel, including American Connection

1-888-WE-FLY-AA OverviewThe speech recognition system performs the following tasks:Checks flight availabilityCreates or cancels flight listingsAssigns seats for À' pass travelAdvises actual seat counts and the number of space available travelers listed in each cabin

The toll free number, 1-888-933-5922, is valid from the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands,Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Isles, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos, Dominica and Panama.

Tips for Effectively Using We-Fly-AAA `barge-in' feature allows callers to interrupt prompts so an answer can be given before theprompt stops speaking. To avoid `false barge-ins' — meaning the system thinks you haveinterrupted it, try to avoid noisy backgrounds and use landline phones. Employees need to listeligible travelers in their Traveler Information in order to create a listing. When creating a listingthe employee traveler number, along with pass type will be collected. Please note that you canprint a list of your family members and their traveler numbers from the traveler list displayfound on Jetnet. Traveler numbers may change when you add a new traveler.

Logging on to the SystemEmployee NumbersYou will need to provide your 6-digit employee number. If your employee number is less than 6digits, you will need to use preceding zeros; for example - 001234. You can speak your employeenumber or enter it using the telephone keypad.Social Security Number You will need to provide the last 4 digits of your U.S. issued Social Securitynumber. You can either speak this information or enter it using touch-tones.


To Cancel a Flight ListingTo cancel a flight listing you can provide either the record locator using the phonetic alphabet, orby flight number and date. The system currently does not have the ability to cancel and rebook inthe same record; a new listing will need to be created.

System FeaturesUniversal commands such as repeat, next and help may be spokenWhen checking flights use the following commands: previous, next, list, change plans, moveon, list me on it, go back one, change request or repeatFor assistance in accessing records use the military phonetic alphabet: alpha, bravo, Charlie,Delta, echo, foxtrot, golf, hotel, India, Juliet, kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, papa,Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, tango, uniform, Victor, whiskey, x-ray, Yankee, Zulu

WE-FLY-AA Calls Defaulted to Non-Rev Assist Desk

We-Fly-AA will transfer callers for assistance under certain conditions listed below, but notlimited to:-Sabre system outagesDatabase system updates or outagesMultiple user errors

Non-revenue calls to international destinations are currently not supported by the systemEnhancements due in 2003 will allow international flight listings; however, passportdocumentation and phone contacts will be collected at the airportWhen a PNR is retrieved to be cancelled and more than one PNR is returned with the same itineraryUpdated Date: 08/05/2003/how/flight

AIRPORT AND SELF-SERVICE CHECK-IN

You, your spouse, and dependent children must have a flight listing before arriving at theairport, and travel will be ticketless systemwide. You will not be allowed to prepay servicecharges at the ticket counter.

Upon arrival at the airport, you must check in to be placed on the priority list. You and your familymembers are required to appear in person at the airport ticket counter, departure gate, Self-ServiceCheck-In machine or other designated check-in location.

Please note: For domestic travel, you may place family members on the priority list at any check-inlocation or self-service machine 4 hours prior to departure. At least one, but not all travelers inyour group, is required to be present at a check-in location in order to be placed on the priority list.

If you are traveling on international flights, all travelers must be present to be placedon the priority list and must provide the necessary travel documents to theagent at the ticket counter or departure gate prior to accommodation.

You can check in up to a maximum of four (4) hours prior to departure at the ticket counter orself service machines. At a minimum, you should check in at least 45 minutes before departurefor domestic flights and 90 minutes for international flights. Be aware that some airports cutoff acceptance of checked baggage 1 hour prior to departure.


Remember that first and business class check-in positions at the ticket counter are for revenuecustomers. Please only use coach/economy check-in positions, even if you are listed in first orbusiness class.

When at the gate, stand away from the desk and wait for your name to be called. Have yourgovernment-issued photo identification available and be ready to board the aircraftimmediately after receiving your boarding pass. If you cannot be accommodated, you willthen be automatically transferred to the priority list of the next scheduled flight and willmaintain priority within the same classification based on your original check-in time. In somehigh frequency markets, operational requirements may govern that you are rolled over toflights in 1-hour increments only, i.e. between DFW and ORD.

You may not be rolled to the Priority List of any other city/airport. If you wish to standby at anairport different from the one you originally planned, you will need to change your flight listingand be placed on the appropriate Priority List for that airport.

Your boarding priority is based on your travel classification and the time you initially checkedin. Preference for class of service will be offered in order of boarding priority when possible.Please note: Revenue customers and higher priority non-rev travelers will be accommodatedbefore you. All space available passengers may be upgraded or downgraded to accommodaterevenue passengers or for other operational considerations. Non-rev travelers will not be assessedextra charges if involuntarily upgraded after boarding if departure activities preclude removal.Pass travelers who are downgraded will be eligible for a refund of the difference in servicecharges. Upgrading will be accomplished by an agent prior to boarding. Flight attendants arenot authorized to upgrade space available travelers.

Self-Service Check-In MachinesSelf-Service Check-In is available for retiree travel check-in at ticket counter and gate locationsin select airports as well as some work locations. Airport locations with Self-Service Check-In are listed in Sabre Star: N*SELF SERVICE CHECK IN.

Based on current security regulations, Self-Service Check-In can only be used for travelwithin the United States.

Check-in using Self-Service machines is fast, simple and available until 30 minutes beforescheduled departure. Once you have flight listed for your trip, go to any Self-Service Check-Inmachine and swipe one of the following:

Existing Travel CardsHowever, if your travel card is lost, stolen or is demagnetized, a new travel card will not be created.Major Credit Cards Cards (American Express, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, etc.)The Self-Service machines will not read the account number on the credit card. The credit card isused solely for purposes of name verification, and your travel charges will be mailed to yourhome address. To use a credit card for check in, the name on the credit card must match how thetraveler's name was registered. You should register your travelers using the name found on his/her government issued ID card. Debit Card (with Mastercard or Visa Logo)


Only one person in the flight listing will need to have a credit card or travel card for check-in. The Self-ServiceCheck-In machine will be able to check in everyone in the same flight listing using a single credit card swipe.

When using Self-Service Check-In, you'll be able to:Ticketless passengers may obtain boarding pass/seat selection for coach cabin when flight isnot restricted.If your flight is restricted, place yourself on the priority list and complete the check-in processat the gate.Ticketed passengers may use the Self-Service Check-In machine for priority listing only. Placeyourself on the priority list for a premium cabin. You will then need to go to the gate forissuance of the premium cabin boarding pass, if available.Check baggage (ticket counter locations only)

Travelers will need to check in with an agent if:They don't have a credit card or travel cardThe name on their credit card doesn't match their flight listingThey have an international segment in their itineraryThey desire an earlier flight than current listingMore than 4 people are flight listed in the same PNRThey are in a location that doesn't have Self-Service machines

Important information to remember:Ensure you register your family member using his/her name as shown on his/her government issuedID card. Flight listings are created using a person 's name as it was registered. When checking in, aperson's name in the flight listing has to match the name on his/her government issued ID.

All non-rev travelers must be registered and flight listed before checking in. Travelers should usethe Self-Service Check-In machines when available for travel within the U.S.

You must check in at least 30 minutes prior to departure when using Self Service Check-In machines.

--- ASIA--- --- CARIBBEAN---

Air India, LTD AI ZED Cayman Airways KX ZEDUnlimited Unlimited

Cathay Pacific CX ZED --- EUROPE ---Unlimited

Aer Lingus EI ZEDKorean Airlines KE ZED UnlimitedUnlimited

Air France AF ZEDPhilippine Airlines PR ZED UnlimitedUnlimited

Alitalia AZ ZEDThai Airways Intl LTD TG ID90/75 Unlimited1 M90


OS ZED

BA ZED

ZED

ZED

Austrian - includesTyrolean Airways (VO),Lauda Air (NG), andRheintalflug (WE)Unlimited

British Airways -includes CityFlyerExpress (FD),Comair Ltd (MN),GB Airways (GT),LoganAir, andMaersk Air Ltd(VM)Unlimited

FinnairUnlimited

Iberia - includesAir NostrumUnlimited

Icelandair - includesAir Iceland FIUnlimited

Malmo Aviation) SKUnlimitedSN Brussels Airlines SNUnlimited

TAP Air PortugalUnlimited

Turkish AirlinesUnlimited

--- LATIN AMERICA ---

Copa Airlines CMUnlimited

Lan Chile - includesLanExpress Airlinesand LanPeru (LP) LAUnlimited

--- MIDDLE EAST ---

El Al Israel Airlines LYUnlimited

AY

IB

TP

TK

ZED

ZED

ZED

ZED

ZED

ZED

ZED

--- SOUTH PACIFIC ---KLM - includes KLMExel (XT), KLMCityhopper (WA) andKLM UK (UK) KLUnlimited

LOT Polish Airlines LOUnlimited

Qantas - includesQantasLink,AWOP,and JetConnectUnlimited

QF ZED

Air Tahiti Nui TN ZED

ZED

ZED

ZED

UnlimitedLufthansa - includesCondor Flugdienstand LufthansaCitylineUnlimited

--- NORTH AMERICA---

Air Canada ACUnlimited

ZEDLH ZED

Olympic Airways OAUnlimitedScandinavian SASincl SAS CommuterAir Botnia, andBraathens (exceptflights operated by

ZED AWAC/Air Wisconsinoperates as UnitedExpress & AirTranJetConnectUnlimited


ZW ZED

Alaska Airlines AS6ID90

American Connection AXUnlimited

ID90/75 orizon Air - usesAlaska Airlines(AS) flight numbers QX 6ID90/75

D1,D2, D2P (retiree: 1/yr)

Midwest Airlines YX ZEDAmerica West HP ZED UnlimitedUnlimited

ATA-AmericanTransAirincludes ATAConnection/Chicago Express flightTZUnlimited

NEW MEMBERS

Paul Gerling Tom Greenwood (Sharon) Hank Freeland (Bobbi)255 Terrcce Trl. W. 2313 Navajo Av. 436 Crystal CoveLake Quivira, KS 66217 Placentia, CA 92870 Windsor, CO 80550

Paul Murray (PJ) Bob Macintosh (Sue) Dave LaRocque (Azita)110 9th St. E. 619 W. 57 th St. 984 Whimbrel Ct.Tierra Verde, FL 337 15 Kansas City, MO 64113 Carlsbad, CA 92009

Frederic Sherman(Suzanne} Bob Houston (B.J.) Ed Fuller III (Cheryl)6061 Tantara Estates Box 4118 44

27 E. Olive Branch WayOsage Beach, MO 65065 Incline Village, NV 89450 Anaheim Hills, CA 92807

Roger Leach Jeff Arnold (Cindy) Kent Hulse (Sheridan)Box 43 87 19 Bluff Av. 1933 Carter Ct.Incline Village, NV 8

945 0 Mashpee, MA 02649 Liberty, MO 64068

Richard Heinisch(Barbara) Rick Friberg Daniel Petersen (Sondra)

434 NW 58th St. Box 1296 1671 N 22

ndRd.

Kansas City, MO 64118 Carnelian Bay, CA 96140 Unadilla, NE 68454

Joe de Bettencourt (Nancy) Lance Lankenau (Alisa)6209 Washington Av. 45

18 Woodland Dr.St. Louis, MO 63130 Lake St. Louis, MO 63367

Northwest Airlines NW ID90/75(retiree: 1/yr)

Southwest Airlines WN ZEDUnlimited

ZED


MY MEMORY OF MRS. FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT and .. .by Bill Dixon

One day in Kansas City, Mo., when I was a young member of the TWA News Bureau, I had thelucky opportunity to meet Mrs Franklin D. Roosvelt, wife of the president, better known as EleanorRoosevelt. WW2 had not started, so it probably was about 1940.

She was arriving on a TWA DC-3, the top aircraft of that period, and as the only member of thepublic relations department in town, I got the choice assignment to not only meet her plane, butalso to take her to her hotel in a taxi. I don't recall that she was met by any news media. Theyweren't as pressing in those days as they are now for someone that distinguished. Today, it wouldbe the president of the company who met her!

The close-in Kansas City airport was only about a ten minute ride from downtown, but we had anice conversation. She wanted to know how old I was (21), and how I enjoyed my work (I did),and did I do much writing (not much). Later I was editor of the house organ until entering theArmy Air Corps in 1

943.

She seemed to profess sincere interest in my work, and the fact I was recently married to myhome town sweetheart. Her friendliness and quick smile impressed me a lot. She wasn't evenaccompanied by the Secret Service. It wasn 't necessary in those pre-terrorism days.

On arrival at the Hotel Muehlebach, I jumped out and opened the door for her, and she thankedme kindly. This time there was a reporter and photographer greeting her., In my opinion, shetruly was a great lady. She was no beauty, but her outstanding spirit more than made up for it. Ifeel very honored yet today for having the privilege of escorting her.

Airlines Developed Forerunner to Today's Credit Card

The airlines back in the 1930s developed a credit card for purchasing airline tickets. It was uniquefor those days. There were no Visas or MasterCard 's, or anything remotely approaching thenumber of credit cards available today.

Most airlines had what was called an "Air Travel Plan", with a card they issued which could beused to have air travel only charged to a company. Each company had to make a $500 deposit toget the card with an airline. Some of the larger department stores and banks were the largestusers. Roundtrip tickets with multiple stops easily could be a couple of feet long.

Usually, companies would have two or three buyers and sales people who would travel ratherfrequently to Chicago and New York, for example. They would use the card to charge their airtravel, and the airlines would then bill their companies. Any organization issued such cards hadto have a top-notch credit rating. Individuals could also apply for a card on their own.

I remember issuing many a ticket against the cards when I was a ticket agent in TWA 's downtownticket office at the Hotel Muehlebach in Kansas City, during 1937-1938. The cards went out of usemany years ago as they were supplanted with today's type credit card. The agents' biggest concernin those days was taking a bad check. It happened just once to me and it was a small check. Ididn't have to make it up!


TWA MUSEUM

The TWA Museum is a chapter of the Platte County Historical Society, set up in the 198o's to

protect and preserve a collection of TWA memorabilia. We are dedicated to keeping it together

for future generations. It was started by Tom Perry and over the years many of you in Kansas

City, as well as many around the world, made it grow into an astounding collection. It has been

displayed at the overhaul base, at KCAC and at the training center in St. Louis. Part of the collec-tion is still on display at the Community America Credit Union, formerly the TWA Credit Union,

at 112th & Ambassador Drive. We have been looking for a permanent home for this collection and

we believe we have found the perfect place. KCI Expo Center, located near KCI, is a 70,000 square

foot exhibit hall with 11,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space. The UP, UP AND AWAY

CAFE encompasses a large portion of that square footage with an area tailor made to showcase

TWA's elegant history. Thousands of people pass through this convention hall and the display

will be available for school field trips. Dennis Pierce, President, Community America Credit Union,

whose history parallels that of TWA, presented this information to the Executive Board of the

Credit Union with an appeal to assist in raising the funds necessary to establish a permanent

display at KCI Expo Center.

Display cases have been designed and will be built and installed by EXHIBIT ASSOCIATES, INC.,of Kansas City. They are the same professionals responsible for the TWA traveling exhibit, as a

corporate partner of AMERICAS SMITHSONIAN, a 12 city, 2 year tour, celebrating the 150th

Anniversary of the SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE. There is one 20 ' enclosed glass case and two 11'

enclosed glass cases on either side, all properly lighted and free standing, at a cost of $48,875.00.

The appreciation for TWA `s long partnership with the credit union was evident as the boardagreed to provide $10,000 in matching funds towards our financial goal. As soon as we raise

$10,000, we can proceed with construction of the center 20' display case. This completed case,

with memorabilia displayed, is exactly what we need to launch a fundraising campaign to com-

plete our goal.

TWAer's have made this collection possible over many years and it has been cared for and dis-

played to perpetuate a rich history. It is yours, we invite you to help us insure its' continuation by

contributing to the campaign to match the challenge handed us by our friends of the credit union.

Please make your tax-deductible contribution payable to Platte County Historical Society, withTWA MUSEUM noted on the memo section of your check. All funds raised will go to the TWA

Museum Chapter for construction of this permanent exhibit. Mail to: Platte County Historical

Society, P 0 Box 103, Platte City, MO 64079-0103

My sincere thanks,

Diane Pepper, President

Platte County Historical Society


TRANSPORTATION TRAINING CENTER

1307 BALTIMORE KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI

Revised Crew Flight Time Log - Domestic 0-105 (2-67)

Information covered in the attachment.


Documents

2003.11.TARPA_TOPICS