OSH Go Arounds

Also, on the subject of Apollo stuff... there used to be a sort of museum
at Florence, SC on the airport. Calling it a museum perhaps gives it more
dignity than it deserves. It was really just a pile of interesting old
junk. Included amongst the objects there were some things that looked like
the consoles for the Apollo program. I think that "museum" isn't there any
more, but I'm not sure. It was there ~15 years ago.

I'm always amazed by how haphazard we are with our priceless history. A
few years ago we randomly landed at an airfield near Springfield, IL, and
were astounded to find a really cool museum of World War II "stuff".

It was obviously someone's personal collection, and that "someone" was
apparently dead, judging by the condition of the displays, and the general
lack of maintenance (or even anyone in attendance). Here were all these
priceless artifacts, untended, rotting away at some grass strip in
Illinois... One fire, or even a casual vandal, and *poof* there goes a
bunch of irreplaceable history.

Another example: There is apparently no "Airmail Museum" in America.
Anyone who knows the amazing history of the airmail pilots and planes must
surely be astounded by this gaping hole in our aviation history, and I've
often wondered at how this travesty has been allowed to happen.

Perhaps it's because aviation is still so new, but in 500 years people will
be surely be cursing us for so casually discarding much of the early legacy
of flight.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Another example: There is apparently no "Airmail Museum" in America.
Anyone who knows the amazing history of the airmail pilots and planes must
surely be astounded by this gaping hole in our aviation history, and I've
often wondered at how this travesty has been allowed to happen.

Perhaps it's because aviation is still so new, but in 500 years people
will be surely be cursing us for so casually discarding much of the early
legacy of flight.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

I was fortunate to spend an afternoon with Hal Ruschenberg about 20 years
ago. He was one of the 10 original Northwest pilots. They flew the mail and
wore full leathers and a Colt 45. His airplane was a Rearwin Special and of
the 10 pilots he was the only man to survive. He had a picture of the 10
pilots and pointed to each and told of their demise.

Hal was a close friend of Benny Howard, who built the Howard DGA airplanes.
He had several fantastic stories about the early days and of flight testing
the Howard airplanes. Hal retired out of Boeing Stratocruisers and lived in
Hamilton Montana. He had the flight manual to a Stratocruiser, it had less
information in it than you'sd see in a Cherokee's manual. Hal didn't see any
need to stop at stop signs while driving out to the Hamilton Airport to see
his gorgeous DGA-11. He died a couple of months later.

One never knows what history is lurking behind some old man sitting around
the airport.

Karl

On Thu, 31 Mar 2005 15:36:33 GMT, "Jay Honeck" wrote:

... Perhaps it's because aviation is still so new, but in 500 years people will
be surely be cursing us for so casually discarding much of the early legacy
of flight.

I belong to The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR)
http://www.tighar.org.

For the last 16 years, TIGHAR's work has been dominated by trying to
find evidence to back their theory of where Amelia Earhart and Fred
Noonan ended up. But the organization is dedicated to the larger
task of making sure that historic aircraft "escape the teeth of time and
the hands of mistaken zeal" http://tighar.org/Projects/Histpres/HistPres.html.

In 2004, TIGHAR did a survey of five WW II wrecks in the Jaluit lagoon:
http://tighar.org/Projects/Devastator/devdescrip.htm.

There are links from TIGHAR's website to other preservation groups.

Marty

"Jay Honeck" wrote

Another example: There is apparently no "Airmail Museum" in America.
Anyone who knows the amazing history of the airmail pilots and planes must
surely be astounded by this gaping hole in our aviation history, and I've
often wondered at how this travesty has been allowed to happen.

Perhaps it's because aviation is still so new, but in 500 years people
will
be surely be cursing us for so casually discarding much of the early
legacy
of flight.
--
Jay Honeck

I recall going through someplace that had to do with making stamps, (I
think) and they had several aircraft and displays about early airmail. I'll
be damned if I remember where, but I think it was in Washington.
--
Jim in NC

I recall going through someplace that had to do with making stamps, (I
think) and they had several aircraft and displays about early airmail.
I'll
be damned if I remember where, but I think it was in Washington

Dang, Jim, if you can remember where it is, please post it. I've searched,
and found nada.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Dang, Jim, if you can remember where it is, please post it. I've
searched, and found nada.


A couple of old Mail Planes were on the 2003 National Air Tour - you have a
photo of one on your site.

There. A flying museum :-)

http://www.nationalairtour.org/pilot...aircraft_id=15

http://tinyurl.com/563av
(same link as above)


Montblack