National Aviation Day

Long-time aviation advocate Jennings Randolph (D-WV) constantly pushed for programs to advance air travel and airport development. He sponsored the 1938 Civil Aeronautics Act. A year later, he spoke at the National Aviation Forum on February 20, 1939. His remarks, entitled Aviation and American Welfare included, “We must be alert to take every advantage of the air, to fill the heavens with pilots and with planes, to provide the factories and the technicians which we need, to inform our people of the myriad purposes which aeronautics may serve, to encourage them to use and to enjoy the benefits of flight.” 

Jennings convinced President Franklin Roosevelt to proclaim August 19 National Aviation Day. The date coincides with Orville Wright’s birthday. National Aviation Day – is a day where aviation is to be celebrated. Our National Aviation Day celebration includes recognizing those Wisconsin aviators who have been awarded the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award or the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award.

Selected for the Master Pilot Award are:
William Bancroft, Poynette (05/2008) WAHF member/supporter
Gerald Beekman, Oconto (01/2005)
William Buettner, West Bend (09/2009)
Donald Burritt, La Crosse (01/2006)
Gene Chase, Oshkosh (03/2005)
George Cudahy, Anthony NM (10/2009) WAHF inductee
Daniel Donovan, Brookfield (08/2007) WAHF member/supporter
Walter Embke, Marshfield (10/2009)
Glenn Gauger, Delavan (04/2005)
David Harmon, Greendale (02/2008)
James Igou, West Bend (12/2007)
Vilas Krueger, Clintonville (02/2009)
David Lau, Oconomowoc (07/2008)
Donald Mosher, Neenah (02/2009) WAHF member/supporter
Wallace Partlow, Jr., Hayward (02/2008)
Charles Pollard, Tomah (10/2005) WAHF member/supporter
Roland Schable, Janesville (09/2006)
William Stoeckmann, Rock Springs (04/2006)
Wilmer Tews, Cascade (09/2006)
Gunter Voltz, Milwaukee (02/2008) WAHF inductee
William Wenkman, Wisconsin Dells (06/2005) WAHF member/supporter
Richard Wixom, Janesville (09/2005) WAHF inductee

Master Mechanic recipients include:
Gerhard Buettner, Oshkosh (unknown)
Robert Converse, Hager City (unknown)
Dean Crites, Waukesha (unknown) WAHF inductee
Walter Embke, Marshfield (10/2009)
William Frisbie, Hortonville (unknown)
Raymond Goss, West Bend (unknown)
Eugene Hackbarth, Milwaukee (unknown)
Bernard Harrington, Appleton (unknown)
Frank Holbus, Greendale (unknown)
James Igou, West Bend (unknown)
Glen Krohn, Brookfield (unknown)
Donald Mosher, Oshkosh (unknown) WAHF member/supporter
Donald Nelson, Knapp (unknown)
Edward Pietrzak, Greendale (unknown)
Richard Porter, Franklin (unknown)
Roy Reabe, Waupun (unknown) WAHF inductee
Bruce Rintlemann, Milwaukee (unknown)
Nick Quint, Janesville (4/2010)

Congratulations to these gentlemen who serve as a foundation for aviation as we know it.

Who was first to fly the Pacific?

Today we celebrate the 83rd anniversary of the first trans-Pacific flight. The significance of many historic achievements is often lost when competing with current events. In this case, the crossing from San Francisco to Honolulu was overshadowed by the solo trans-Atlantic flight of Charles Lindbergh a month earlier.

The Fokker F.9 aircraft, designated C-2 by the US Army Air Corps, had been significantly modified at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio. Powered by three Wright J-5 Whirlwind engines, each developing 220 hp, the airplane cruised at 105 mph. The crew met with the press before their departure, this video clip is from a silent newsreel. Lt. Albert Hegenberger (navigator/pilot) is on the left, Lt. Lester Maitland (pilot) on the right. A second video shows the C-2 departing Oakland’s still under construction airport.

Maitland would land the large transport at 6:29 am on June 29, 1927 after flying 2,416 miles, all of it over water. Total flying time was 25 hours, 49 minutes. In addition to each being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the crew earned the Mackay Trophy for 1927. F. Trubee Davison, Assistant Secretary of War, said, “The flight is unquestionably one of the greatest aerial accomplishments ever made.”

The flight was described as a test flight of radio navigation equipment the Army had been developing for years. Hegenberger, an MIT graduate in aeronautical engineering, would spend his career advancing aviation technology.  Major General Hegenberger retired from the Air Force in 1949.

Maitland had a long and storied career in the military, retiring from the Michigan Air National Guard as a Brigadier General. He was director of aeronautics for both Wisconsin and Michigan. In 1956 he was ordained an Episcopal minister; he retired as rector emeritus.

Video footage courtesy the Prelinger Archives.

Fred Ascani, Wisconsin native, pilot

The challenge of being a student of Wisconsin’s aviation history is realizing just how deep that history is. Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame (WAHF) speakers are approached following every presentation. More times than not, the question people ask is, “Do you know about _________?” (Fill in the blank with any aviator’s name.) Such is the case with a recent obituary from the New York Times. An attached sticky note read, “Do you know of this guy?” My answer, no, led to some research time and, with apologies to Paul Harvey, here is the rest of the story.

 Alfredo John Ascani was born in Beloit, Wisconsin on May 29, 1917. The family moved to nearby Rockford, Illinois where Fred graduated from high school in 1935. He returned to Beloit, attending Beloit College for two years until he was accepted at West Point. Ascani graduated 24th of 424 members of his 1941 academy class. He immediately entered pilot training.

Ascani was test pilot on the Northrup X-4

Following flight school and assignment as a flight instructor, target-tow pilot, and commander of a flight training squadron, then Major Fred Ascani served as squadron commander of the 816^th Bomb Squadron flying B-17s out of Italy. Fred flew 53 combat missions before returning stateside.

Ascani served as Colonel Albert G. Boyd’s executive officer while at the Flight Test Division in Dayton, OH. Boyd would become known as the “father of modern flight test.” In 1950, Ascani moved to Edwards Air Force Base where he served as Director of Experimental Flight Test and Engineering. He was later promoted to the first Vice Commander of the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC).

In July, 1951 then Colonel Ascani earned the Thompson and Mackay trophies by setting a new speed record. Fred was flying a North American F-86E, Sabre at an average speed of 635.68 mph.  Other assignments and promotions followed including System Program Director for the XB-70 Valkyrie. Ascani retired from the Air Force August 1, 1973 as a Major General.

Ascani biography Mentor Inbound

General  Ascani died March 28, 2010. He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in June. Mentor Inbound by Sheryl Hutchinson is the General’s biography.

They keep going and going

Members of Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 60 Beloit/Janesville bring to mind the Energizer Bunny. They keep going and going and going. Yesterday, ten of them met at the Beloit Historical Society’s Lincoln Center to install a one-quarter scale model of the Warner-Curtiss aircraft. This effort is the culmination of more than 12 months of work and dedication to Wisconsin’s Centennial of Flight. A more accurate reference to these gentlemen is – they keep doing and doing and doing.

Final adjustment to Warner-Curtiss exhibit

Arthur Pratt Warner was already a successful engineer and businessman from Beloit, Wisconsin, when he attended the Auto Club of America’s 1906 event in New York. An aviation exhibit turned curiosity into passion. Warner became the first individual to buy an airplane and the sixth person to fly in this country in 1909. The Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame (WAHF) sponsored the Wisconsin Centennial of Flight celebration. The celebration’s centerpiece was the quarter-scale model of Warner’s airplane constructed for WAHF by EAA Chapter 60.

The centennial culminated in Beloit on November 4, 2009. The day’s events concluded with the model being placed into long-term loan with the Beloit Historical Society. The exhibit has been under construction since that time. WAHF representatives Tom Thomas and Wynne Williams were on hand to lend moral support to Chapter 60 members. A news crew from Janesville radio station WCLO (1230 AM) were also on hand and filed this report.

Warner-Curtiss exhibit, Beloit Historical Society

Review earlier blog posts to learn about the Warner-Curtiss model, the craftsmen who built it, some of the locations the centennial exhibit visited, and the concluding ceremony at Beloit’s Morgan Elementary School. Visit EAA Chapter 60’s website for their story on building the Warner-Curtiss model. Thanks guys! Your skills, dedication, and generosity know no bounds – you just keep on doing and doing.

UAV makes Wisconsin aviation history

The controller said, “Omaha zero-eight, you are cleared to land runway one eight.” At 0946 local, a Predator B aircraft landed at Wittman Regional Airport (OSH). The landing is historic in that the Predator B aircraft is an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and UAV’s have never operated from a general aviation airport. The aircraft departed from Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota at 0704 and flew direct to Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The landing was controlled by a pilot operating from a mobile ground control station (GCS) located on Wittman Airport.

Predator B shuts down upon arrival at OSH

The Predator B resembles several modern day aircraft with its mid-wing, tricycle gear, and V-tail. The aircraft is powered by a Honeywell TPE-331-10T turboprop engine driving a McCauley pusher propeller. Output of this version of the popular engine is 940 shaft horsepower at takeoff.

Basic aircraft specifications hint at its capabilities. The aircraft is 36.2 feet in length, stands at a maximum height of 11.8 feet, and has a wingspan of 66 feet. The aircraft has an empty weight of  about 4,900 pounds, a maximum takeoff weight of 10,500 pounds, and a maximum fuel load of 3,775 pounds. The aircraft can operate at altitudes above 45,000 feet, cruises at 220 knots, and has an endurance of nearly 30 hours.

WAHF members Jim Martin and Bob Kunkel inspect the Predator

The Predator B is manufactured by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. This airframe is one of 5 operated by US Customs and Border Protection (CPB). The CPB first began using the Predator B in October, 2005. The agency operates 3 aircraft from Libby Army Airfield in Sierra Vista, Arizona and 2 from Grand Forks.

The Predator B and mobile GCS will be joined by other CPB aircraft displayed during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2009. Look for it near the federal pavilion.

First to fly in Australia – 99 years ago today

A paddock outside Diggers Rest, a village 20 miles northwest of Melbourne, was the site of a race – a race to determine who would be the first to fly in Australia. The winner grew up in Wisconsin.

While some of the minor details surrounding the event are somewhat clouded, the facts are known, if not widely. Harry Houdini was the first to fly a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft in controlled flight in Australia. Houdini made aviation history on March 18, 1910, in his Voisin aircraft. His first flight lasted barely a minute, traversed a complete circle, and was witnessed by a dozen or so onlookers. That flight was followed by two others. The second ended in a nose-first landing after covering a distance of nearly two miles. The third flight lasted about three and a half minutes, flew a circular path of greater than two miles distance and reached an altitude of 100 feet.

We also know that another hangar tent was located at the same paddock outside Digger’s Rest. Inside the tent rested the remains of a Wright aircraft. Some reports state the Wright and a Bleriot model were imported by Mr. L. A. Anderson to achieve the goal of first to fly in Australia. Pilot Ralph Banks, in an attempt to beat Houdini, took off on a windy March 1. The aircraft cleared the launch rail, struggled to about 12 feet, and crashed back to earth. Banks was hurt only slightly, the aircraft was less fortunate.

As with the Wright brothers’ flights much discussion (and disagreement) focuses on what constitutes a successful flight. Numerous attempts were made by various pilots, each with questionable success. All of the attempts were international in makeup. Houdini, an American, who first flew in Germany, succeeded in a French aircraft. Banks (possibly Australian, English, or American) attempted with an American aircraft. Englishman Colin Defries had made an attempt in Anderson’s Wright on December 9, 1909, in Sydney. He made a second attempt in the Bleriot (French) on December 18. These attempts resulted in some damage to each aircraft. Another Bleriot, this one a model XI, was owned by an Australian businessman by the name of Jones, Australian Frederick Custance attempted to fly it on March 17, 1910.

Houdini flew additional flights first on March 20, again at Digger’s Rest with about 120 onlookers. Later he flew at the Rosehill Racecourse in Sydney. While at Sydney, Houdini addressed an audience stating, “After my reputation as the Handcuff King is forgotten, I will be remembered in Australian history as the first man to fly here.”
Images, videos, and additional information can be found at:

http://www.aarg.com.au/Aviation-EarlyAustralian.htm

http://member.melbpc.org.au/~mulvany/mulv2.html

http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/houdini_bio.html

Visiting the Museum of Aviation

The day, though it dawned grey and overcast, held great promise. It was 0730 and I was boarding a bus for a two-hour ride from Atlanta to Warner Robins, GA and the Museum of Aviation. This trip was part of the Women in Aviation International 2009 Convention. My wife worked, making several presentations, and I reaped the benefits of accompanying her. While familiar with Robins AFB from my time in the USAF, I had limited knowledge of the museum. Little did I know the treat that awaited.

Museum of Aviation main gate

The museum sits on 43 tree-lined acres along the base’s southwest boundary. The museum complex consists of four buildings and displays nearly 100 aircraft. A North American Rockwell B-1 B, Lancer, guards the museum’s main entrance. A Fairchild-Republic A-10 A, Thunderbolt II (Warthog), parked nearby reminds me of wars ongoing. Across the main drive sat a McDonnell F-4D, Phantom II, from an earlier war, my generation’s war. My senses were now on high alert. The sun began to peek from behind the morning’s clouds and yes, it was going to be very promising day.

North American Rockwell B-1B Lancer

We were advised to begin our tour at the Century of Flight building as an event scheduled for later in the day would prohibit our entry in that building. Good advice as it turned out. The building held prime examples of USAF aircraft. I lingered while reading information plaques and attempting a few photos.

I then made my way to the outside storage areas. The aircraft here are in various conditions – many are showing the affects of sun, wind, rain, and even more sun. Most had their cockpits protected by sun shades which made the canopy/window crazing all the more obvious.

General Dynamics F-111E Aardvark

The F-111 E will undoubtedly suffer more than others will – its nose art “Heartbreaker” more telling than a pilot’s lament. The airplane’s big nose cone is AWOL; the radar set sitting out in the elements.

My pulse quickened as I approached a B-52 D Stratofortress. An early model of the aircraft I worked on for over six years beginning in the late 1960s extending into the mid-1970s. The D’s were the oldest B-52 model to carry the Hound Dog (AGM-28). This particular aircraft, 55-085, served in Southeast Asia twice. First in 1968, and later, flying out of Guam in 1972 and 1973. A number of my squadron mates would have loaded external weapons on this aircraft while serving TDY there.

The typical in-flight lunch, served in a quiet picnic area, provided time for reflection. Years have passed since my days in blue (can it really be that many?) but the memories are still vivid. Alas, there were still airplanes to view, pictures to take, and two more buildings to visit. I had to pick up the pace, only two and a half hours to departure. The main museum building provided the more typical museum exhibits, a gift shop, and cafe. I spent a great deal of time pouring over the exhibits telling the history of Robins AFB; its development, layout and early construction. It never ceases to amaze me how much work was accomplished in the early months of World War II.

Among other exhibits are tributes to the 507 Parachute Infantry Regiment, the Tuskegee Airmen, those CBI pilots that flew the “hump”, and the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame. The Museum of Aviation is more than just a museum; it is an education center for all ages. Artifacts of the past, reminders from yesterday, and glimpses into the future.

Discover more about the Museum of Aviation at their website.

The Cold War

While the war waged on in Viet Nam, the Strategic Air Command (SAC) continued fighting the cold war. Depending on base assignments, the troops may have been fighting a cold war on two fronts.

I served in the USAF from January 1969 until April 1975. For all but seven months of that time, I was stationed at Grand Forks AFB, ND. Grand Forks is a cold and windy place all year round. It gets real cold during the winter. 

Coming from Wisconsin everyone thought I had thick blood and would be acclimated to North Dakota winters. I worked on the flight line (outside!) for five of the six winters I was there. You learn to cope with the cold but you never get used to it. 

The 319th Bombardment Wing (H) had the latest B-52 Stratofortresses, the H model. These aircraft were built during 1960 and 1961. The airplane went through numerous modifications while I worked on it and many more since. The BUFF continues to serve as a deterrent and will for the foreseeable future.

Tech school class, Chanute AFB, 1969

I worked on the Hound Dog missile (AGM-28B) as a missile mechanic and later as a missile systems analyst. Two of the missiles were slung on the underside of a B-52’s wing. The 319th Airborne Missile Maintenance Squadron (AMMS) was a small unit, with just under 100 men.

Like most GIs, I have fond memories of my time in the service and stay in contact with some of the guys. One way we keep in touch is through an alumni organization. You can learn more about the Hound Dog, the AMMS, and some of my friends at http://www.ammsalumni.org/index.html

John Dorcey, SSgt
SAC, Peace is our Profession

Hello world!

A couple of facts about history according to your blogger:

• History is being made everyday. What you or I may find insignificant today may well be in tomorrow’s history books.
• Time clouds the memory, bias may change the perspective, but historical facts never change.
• For every story recorded in history there are many more to be told.

We look forward to sharing Wisconsin’s aviation stories; we look forward to hearing even more.