from On Final March 2006

This year, I have nominated our Chapter 25 member, Roger Anderson, as a candidate for the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame. As most of you know, Roger was one of the founding members of Chapter 25 some fifty years ago, and his Minnesota background of aerospace education, teaching Minnesota youth about aviation technology and aircraft maintenance, makes him a solid candidate. His candidacy will face a challenge this June when his credentials are presented to the Hall of Fame Selection Committee, as he will be among nearly 70 candidates vying for the six openings. You, members of Chapter 25 who know and love Roger can help his case by writing your own comments on Roger’s contributions to the Minnesota aviation community and forwarding them to me, Noel Allard, 14155 Briarwood Drive, Menahga, MN 56464. I’ll need the letters as soon as possible to get things moving.

We are very fortunate that Norm agreed to be the subject of our interview for this issue. Our chapter was formed 50 years ago this month, and even though Norm was a only a boy then, he brings a wealth of memories (and photos) from those early days of the chapter.

What sparked your interest in flying?
That was my father’s fault. He said I was flying in a Cub before I was born, and from the time I was two months old. He had become involved with flying long before. I have a great photo of him and his little brother standing in front of a Curtis Robin (see below). My dad built a primary glider before WWII. Before he got to fly it, the government confiscated it somehow with the broad powers they were given during the war. I have no idea what use they would have had for a primary glider. My dad also built a beautiful 1/12 scale model of the Ford Tri-Motor, all from scratch. It has a 72� wingspan, and we still have it. But flying was the main thing. As far back as I can remember we were always flying somewhere. I remember sitting on my mother’s lap in the J-3 Cub one winter. We were one of four or five planes flying together up to my grandfather’s farm. I remember that it was so cold in the Cub that when it came time to go back, I refused to get in the plane. My mother and I took the train back instead. Later on, my little brother Larry and I would fly with my dad and Mom would stay home. Larry never got his license, but he still flies with me every year and has become somewhat of an expert on WWI airplanes.

When did you start learning to fly?
From the time I was about seven I was allowed to take the controls on different flights. Of course I was too short to reach the rudder pedals, but I handled the stick. When I was older my Dad pointed out a Cessna 150 at the airport. I thought, what is that? I had flown in nothing but tailwheels up until then. So I started flying 150’s at sixteen, when I began formal flight training. My first solo was in a 150 and very uneventful.

Did you go on for more ratings or training? Aerobatics?
No, I loved flying tailwheels for a hobby, but I wasn’t looking to fly as a profession, so I really had no use for the extra ratings. I’ve flown some basic aerobatics such as loops and spins, but never taken formal aerobatic training. I suppose the only job I’ve had connected with professional aviation was restoring aircraft for a while at Aero Restoration. We popped a few award winners out of there. One project I’ll never forget was the Grumman Albatross. We had finished restoring the control surfaces and took it out for a flight over the St. Croix. The owner let me take the controls for about 20 minutes and insisted that I keep the wings below the height of the bluffs. So there I was, banking and turning this thing to follow the curves of the St. Croix River. It was like trying to drive a church.

What other types of aircraft have you flown?
Boy. I think I’ve flown just about every tailwheel with an engine between 50 and 108 hp, including Pipers, Cessnas, Taylorcraft, Stinsons, Aeroncas and Luscombes. I’m still looking for a chance to fly a Porterfield, a tandem TCraft, or an Interstate Cadet. I once owned a share in a couple of nosewheels – a Tri-Pacer, then a Cherokee 180. But I saw the light and came back to tailwheels. I bought a Cessna 120 from Jim Ladwig. Later on my cousin Tom Tesmar bought in, and we then took on another partner, Steve Dietz. I would have kept it, but I couldn’t afford to buy out the others at the time they wanted to sell. It is now owned by Roger Bestland at Webster. And of course I’ve been a member of Wally’s Flyers since it was first formed 20 years ago. I’ve always preferred the high-wings, but lowwings are OK too.

How about homebuilts?
Not as many of those. I’ve flown a few Pietenpols, a Davis DA2, and Bert Sisler’s Cygnet. Also a Tailwind, a Hatz, and a homebuilt Waco. Maybe others. I’ve got a project in my garage now waiting for funds. It’s called a Wilderness – high wing taildragger, side by side, tube and fabric with aluminum wings. It has float mounts and lots of room for baggage.

Let’s turn the clock back. What can you tell us about the early days of the EAA?
I believe Kenny Munson had been to the first fly-in in Milwaukee in 1953. He came back and told my dad about it, and he and my mother and Kenny took the train to Milwaukee in 1954. In 1955 my dad bought a new car and we drove down. We went every year after that – I’ve been to 47 in all, so I’ve only missed as few. I believe the fly-in moved to Rockford in 1959. We always had a great time camping down at Rockford. We had a group of families that camped together – my family, Bert Sisler’s, Fritz Davis’s, Jim Ladwig’s, and Stan Grapp’s. With camping, it was so much easier with all the people and gear just to drive down. I only flew into Rockford once, with Fritz Davis’s son Freddie and a friend named Roger in a rented C172.

It seemed to me that the Rockford years really cemented the EAA and propagated the Chapters. Along with that was the camping camaraderie which helped and created many memories, mostly fun and heartwarming, but sometimes tragic. One of the good ones is of a 4:00 AM wake-up by Bert Sisler to deal with an impending storm. The tribes started securing their campsites. I rode with Bert to the other side of the field to find cover for the Stits Playboy. I was probably around 16 (fuzzy math). He had me taxi up and down between the hanger rows while he checked for any hangers open with space. On the last row he found one with enough space for a couple planes. A few more planes showed up, and without owners around, we stood a couple taildraggers on their noses on pails. We got them all in with one plane’s wing sticking partially out of the door.

What can you tell us about the early days of Chap. 25?
My dad was a charter member, so we were involved from the very beginning. But I keep going back to Fritz Davis. Our families were close long before then. Fritz flew out of Southport, and we flew out of Crystal. Fritz had an Ercoupe and was building a Piet, and my Dad had a Cub, then a PA12. So the community was already there when people came back from those early EAA fly-ins. Bert Sisler, George Jensen and others starting thinking about forming a chapter, and my dad and Fritz joined with them.

The earliest meetings were at Bert’s home, and my dad would always drag me along. I would have been about 11 at the time. They always passed around a box and collected 25 cents from each member. I always thought that was funny – we wanted to build an airplane, and what could you do with 25 cents? I remember one time I thought I would throw in a little extra, so I put in 40 cents. I saw Fritz counting the money, and scratching his head, and counting it again. I finally told him that I had put in 40 cents and he laughed. He had been checking to make sure everyone gave 25 cents, and it wasn’t coming out even. Five members decided to pool their cash and build an airplane. This was the Stits Playboy. Others eventually lost interest, but Bert and George Jensen pushed on and finished it. I remember working with my dad to fabricate the gas tank for the Stits. Fritz was also a great resource, he knew so much, and people respected him. He worked on that Piet for years, a little at a time, and it was finally finished. Fritz also spent time building up a Tailwind fuselage. I think someone else took it over, but I don’t know who ended up with it.

The meetings then moved to Wally Hanson’s plumbing shop for a number of years. I remember walking down those rickety old steps into his basement. He had Piet wings hanging from the ceiling, and tailfeathers stashed here and there. Props hanging on the wall. We would sit on buckets turned upside down, maybe with a 2×6 across the top. There were a few chairs. We would get films on homebuilding instruction and show them. We hardly ever missed a meeting. Wally had built a Pietenpol much earlier – there is a picture of it from 1935 in Minnesota Aviation History.

When I was seventeen we started up the first junior chapter in the country. We got a couple of mid-stream projects to build, first a Flutterbug, then a Piet. But everyone soon graduated from high school and went on to other things, so we never completed the projects. I guess that is why the junior chapter idea never really took hold.

Do you remember others involved in the chapter at that time?
Wally, or Pat Carlberg came in a little later. Half of us called him Wally, and half of us called him Pat. Anyway, he was a very nice person and well respected. You felt good just being around him. I remember we visited his home when he was building the first Tailwind. That was a very pretty airplane, and Wally entered it in the very first AC Spark Plug Rally. He won 1st place.

A couple of others were building Tailwinds at the same time. Ralph Moore was building one. Another was a man named Shermerhorn I think, I don’t remember his first name. He built the first 150 hp Tailwind, and would that thing go! His buzz jobs were something else – over 200 mph. There was a group building a number of Tailwinds at the same time – this group included Bill Hansen, Irv Winer and others. This was in the mid sixties.

Dick Gleason was another early member. He was also an early chapter president. He was an A&E down at Southport. I believe he built a Gear Sport, a neat little biplane.

Forrest Lovely was another one involved in the chapter in those days. He got to know Wally Hanson. There is a great story about his flying Wally’s Pietenpol back East to visit relatives when he was still in high school. You should talk to Forrest to get the details, but I believe he lost a water pump over Ohio and had a forced landing near this little town. The engine on the Piet was from a Ford Model A. The story is that he walked into town, and after asking around, was directed to this factory where they built the parts he needed. He found this guy sweeping up, and asked if someone could help him. The fellow said he could, and knew just where the part was. Turned out this guy was the owner of the factory.

Jim Ladwig also finished a Pietenpol. I got to fly it once. I believe he picked up the project from Ed Sampson, or had him build up the fuselage. Anyway, it is a beautiful Piet – Vi Kapler owns it now. He runs the Piet forums at Oshkosh, and I believe he is building a Model A Piet now.

There were a lot of others I remember flying with in those days. I don’t know how many times we flew up in groups of maybe twelve planes to Balsam Lake, Wisconsin. Those trips were in the winter, and we would land on the lake. My dad owned shares of several planes with Kenny Munson and others. There was the J-3, the PA12, and a Cessna 120. Dick Hardin had a C140 he bought from Kenny Munson – a beautiful airplane. Somebody had a Champ I got some time in. People would switch around and fly each others’ airplanes. You would fly out in one and back in another. Flying on skis is a very special experience. Landing on lakes is fine, but the idea is you are supposed to have some snow. I remember a couple of times trying to fly off of ice, and that is a challenge. It can work if you are direct into the wind, but you don’t have doors like a seaplane to help steer. I remember once just trying to get to the other side of a lake to take off , and it was quite a trick. I was all over the place. Another problem is working around the paved runways. With the skis installed, we would lift up each side and slide a wheel onto the spindle of each ski. As you taxied out, the wheels would tend to walk off the spindle, so you had to keep sliding them back on. Once you got to the snow, you would remove the wheels and leave them right there. That meant that when you returned you had to land at the same place to put the wheels back on.

Earl Wisner was another member. He was an instructor in shoemaking and repair at the Minneapolis vo-tech school. He built a Little Toot, and Bert Sisler test flew it for him. In the interview with Bert, I think you had my dad building the Little Toot, but that was Earl. He also owned a number of other airplanes, including a Swift.

Ray Brown is another one people might forget to mention. He was the fuel manager for Charles Lindberg when he made the flight from New York to Paris. After he moved to Minnesota, he built a variation on the Tailwind with V-struts and a 65 hp engine. It was very economical – I believe it was a plans-built Daphne.

Lee Hurry is a current member who was very active in those days as well. Of course he did that beautiful restoration of the Fairchild with the souped up Ranger engine. I remember all the grief he took from the FAA getting that plane certified with all the special mods. I remember the Fairchild at Rockford one year when Lee flew it down.

When Lee was building the Hurry Sport, he would come up to my dad’s for chromoly steel for fittings. Lee was also very involved with the restoration of the Cub that Wally Carlberg started. Wally suffered from Leukemia those last years, and Lee made sure the Cub was completed and that Wally got a chance to fly it while he was still able. Lee was instrumental in arranging the Cub Club, getting everything set up. People were debating what to call the club, should it be Pat’s Flyers? We finally decided to go with Wally’s Flyers, because we thought Whiskey Fox would sound better than Papa Fox when calling out the tail number. I’ve served as president of Wally’s Flyers for eleven of the twenty years.

Jim Mayer is another current member who was also active in those days. He later built a PL4, and flew it to Oshkosh in 1983.

Ron Zimmerman is another name from those years. He built a T18. Another was Jerry Shallbetter, a very good friend of my father’s. He built a PJ-260, an open cockpit biplane. He also had a Beech Travel Air and an antique sailplane.Do you have a favorite aircraft?
I love them all – its hard to pick a favorite. One memorable ship I’ve flown recently is Dale Johnson & Greg Cardinal’s Pietenpol. Chris Bobka called me up and asked if I wanted some time on it. He wanted help flying off the required 40 hours so he could take it to Brodhead. So I flew a couple of 1½ hour stints. It flys great, and with those big wheels and that skid, it is easier to land than a Cub. I had to do a couple figure eights to get use to the skid, but it works great. Another memorable one is Dick Bylands 1939 J-3 Cub which almost squeaks of too perfect. It’s front seat entry is rough because of the wheel pants.

Least favorite?
No, not really. Although I always kid Peter Denny about the Tomahawk.

Have you flown Young Eagles?
Yes, I’m up to around 120 now. Most all of them have been in the J-3 Cub, with a few in a Cessna 120 and a few in a Luscombe. It is always rewarding to see the excitement on the kids’ faces when they get their first flight.

Most memorable flights?
I really wouldn’t know where to start. I love the grass strip fly-ins most of all. I have dozens of great memories. One of my favorite fly-ins is a private airport four miles east of Mondovi Wisconsin – Log Cabin airport owned by Doug Ward. We’ve had some great times there. Another is Jewel Ness’s Cherry Grove airpark, south of Wanamingo, Minnesota. His fly-ins always have a unique kind of carnival atmosphere. Lots of fun. I’ll never forget the time a Cessna 172 failed to clear the corn at the end of the strip. He was trying to take off, and kept full power in when he hit the corn. His prop created a trail of silage halfway across the field before he finally gave up. Another favorite is Brown’s Farm, southwest of Starbuck, Minnesota. It has kind of a golf course quality, well groomed and very serene.

Any future plans?
Well, I would like to do some work on the Wilderness when I can work out the funds. And of course I’ll continue flying the J-3. This summer, I’m also hoping to get some time in a Stearman!

Do you remember your first airplane ride?
My first ride was probably in a Travel Air, in one of the barnstorming events. We would spend a couple days wiping oil off the belly of the Travel Air in return for a ride. While they were giving rides, I remember they would hold a contest. A couple of guys flying biplanes would load up a couple passengers, fly a circuit and land, take off their pants, and fly another circuit in their shorts. Whichever pilot finished first would win the prize.

What was your early flight training like?
I got a couple rides in a Cub where I got to hold the stick, but it really wasn’t flight training. The first flight was with a pilot from Hibbing. I remember my dad wanted to meet him first, so he came by the house before taking me up. Another fellow, Babe Alsworth, flew in from Waseca and landed his Cub on the ice near our house one winter. I received another ride from him.

The real flight instruction began when I was a junior in high school, working at the airport in the summer, gassing up planes and changing oil. For working six long (10-12 hour) days I would receive $6 a week and 11â?„2 hours of flight training. The mosquitoes at the airport were so bad that we would tie down one Cub and leave the engine running while we worked on an- other Cub behind it. The propeller blast would keep the mos- quitoes away! It was fun to taxi the Cubs back and forth to the hangars. During the war years they started up the CPT (Civilian Pilot Training) program, and that provided a lot more work at the airport.

Did you fly in the military?
I joined the Army during WWII and was assigned to basic training in the regular Army Air Corp. They had an evaluation process to slot the recruits into various specialties, and I had my choice of navigator, bombardier, or pilot. Of course I se- lected pilot and went through several levels of training. I trained in PT 22’s, PT 13’s, and earned my AT6 wings at Wil- liams Field near Phoenix. This was followed by gunnery train- ing. I was selected for night training in B25’s at Douglas, Ari- zona. I was then transferred to Fresno, California where I was trained in P61’s. During that period I was also renting aircraft at civilian airports, and picked up my commercial instructor rating that way. I finished my training in P61’s just as the war ended.

They kept many units active for a time after the war as they demobilized, and many pilots moved on to other assignments. I was assigned to the flight line where we supported training of the GCI (Ground Control Intercept) radar crews. They had ra- dar on the ground for initial tracking, and radar in the intercept aircraft for closing in on the target. We would fly at night, and the unit on the ground would vector us to intercept the aircraft being tracked. We would approach the target via vectors until we could spot it on our own radar. As we closed on the target at night from below, the first visual indication was always the exhaust rings from the engines.

What did you do after the war?
After the war I returned to college at the University of Minnesota. I started out in aeronautical engineering, but that field was pretty crowded and I switched to mechanical engineering. While in college, I was still in the Air Corp Reserve, and would fly AT6’s, AT11’s, and P51’s. During the summer, I instructed at Grand Rapids. After graduation, I took an engineering job with Kimberly Clark in Neenah, Wisconsin. During that time I rented aircraft out of Timmerman Field north of Milwaukee and earned my commercial instrument rating.

How did you begin flying with Northwest?
There was a lot of competition for airline jobs in those days. The airlines preferred pilots with four-engine bomber experience. I was selected for ground training by Northwest Airlines, but you had to take the training on your own time; you were not placed on the payroll. I returned to Minneapolis for the ground training and took various assignments from an engineering job shop to make ends meet. Near the end of the Korean War I finally got on the Northwest payroll for training flights in the DC3, and was placed on reserve status. When Northwest called, I would drop my pencil and take the flight. This continued for three or four months until I was laid off with the end of the war, when Northwest lost their flight contracts for Korea. I was on lay-off for two or three years – at that time I set a national record as the pilot with the longest lay-off from Northwest Airlines.

When I finally got back on reserve status with Northwest, I spent a year flying DC3’s, then DC4’s. I was then assigned to their Test Ops section for three years, where we conducted test flights on aircraft being returned to service after repairs and the like. I flew for a year in Lockheed Electras and Boeing jets, finally checking out as captain on the 727. After a few years I went on to flying 707’s, and then to DC10’s. I spent my last five years at Northwest flying 747’s with flights to Europe and the Orient.

When did you build your first airplane?
Throughout college, I was always sketching designs for air- planes. While working for Northwest in the 50’s, I spent many Saturdays at Southport with others who shared a strong interest in building airplanes. Southport was a grass field at the southeast corner of Cedar and Co. Rd. 42. Of course it is now a shopping center. One member of our group, Fritz Davis, was finishing up a Pietenpol at the time. He was a very strong influence and a great inspiration for all of us. It was around that same time, probably ’54 or ’55, that five of us decided we wanted to build an airplane. So we went together and started building a Stits Playboy. We did this with sawhorses, a hacksaw and files – that was our big investment in tooling! These were low-dollar projects, as nobody had any money then. But the support from everyone in the group in those days was just wonderful. George Jenson and I finished the Playboy around 1961.

The EAA fly-in had moved to Rockford by that time, and we flew the Playboy down there a number of years. We would fly down and camp in the woods, and we always had a lot of fun. We did a lot of flying, and the emphasis in those days was on homebuilts. Eventually George bought my share and later sold it. I last saw it down at Jenson airport about ten years ago. Chuck Doyle had it at that time; I’m not sure where it is now.

What other projects have you built?
My next project was a low-wing two-place that I designed. I named it the Pipet. It was an original design – I didn’t have any particular airplane in mind when I designed it. But in designing you use what you have learned from other air- planes. So there are similarities to the Playboy and others, but many differences also. I completed the Pipit in 1970. We flew the Pipit around to many fly-ins and had a lot of fun with it.

The Whistler was my next homebuilt. I wanted to make some improvements on the Pipet design to make it easier to fly. These included a longer wing and a longer tail to give it a little more stability. My son Eric learned to fly in the Whistler, and he really liked the way it flew. The Whistler was kind of a predecessor to the Cygnet.

The Cygnet is the latest design I’ve built. I originally completed this one in 1977. You can see from the photos that it has a rather unique wing design and superb visibility. I eventually sold it, but a few years ago I found it was on the market again. My son wanted to restore it and get back into flying again, so we bought it. We completely recovered it and replaced the Volkswagen engine with a Jabiru. Eric flies it up to his cabin now.

You’ve also restored some factory built aircraft?
Yes, I restored a Culver Cadet and donated it to the Antique Aircraft Association in Ottumwa. I also restored a Piper Clipper with a 106 hp engine, and a Piper Pacer. I sold the Pacer to Mike Dolan at Sky Harbor, and he is still flying it.

Any plans for a new design?
I’ve been thinking about a three-engine design for some time, and I’ve done quite a bit of work on it. That is, I’ve worked out a lot of the numbers for dimensions, weight and balance, power, drag etc. I’ve done some work prototyping the cabin, and I have that in my garage. It would be a six place airplane, named the Six Pac. I think the Jabiru might be the right engine, with its high power to weight ratio. But it would take a major effort to complete this, and I haven’t committed to that yet. But, we’ll see.

This month, we decided it would be a good time to profile our new chapter vice-president. The picture at left was taken at American Wings Museum before our December meeting.

Early interest in flying
My father was a Naval Aviator in the late 60’s. There was always a flight suit and helmet in the closet while I was growing up. After the military, Dad worked as a CFI to supplement his income, and I got a few flights as ride-alongs. This is probably where my interest in GA was born.

Flight training
I was flying with Dad before I could walk. My first remembered time at the controls was straight and level in a V35 Bonanza at age 8. My first take-offs and landings were around age 14 in a 1947 Aeronca 7AC Champ. My ‘non-official’ training began around age 12 in the ‘47 Champ. I didn’t log any of that time, as my Dad’s CFI had expired and we were just out for fun. My first ‘official’ lessons began while I was in my senior year at college. As part of my aerospace engineering degree, I could earn credit hours by taking basic flight training. Since I was a poor college student at the time, it didn’t matter that I’d be a little poorer from flying lessons.

First solo
I got 12 hours in a Piper Warrior, with a solo 9 hours into the training. After graduation, I realized just how poor I was, got married and put my flying lessons on hold for the next 6 years. To be honest, it wasn’t that memorable my first time in a Warrior. I had 3 different ’solos’ during my training and the one I remember the most was the last in the Katana. That aircraft has such good visibility you felt really alone in the cockpit. It also was the aircraft with the most change in performance between solo and dual flights. By the time I got my private license, I had trained in a Warrior, C152, C172, and a Diamond Katana. I did my private checkride in the Katana in 2003. I added a instrument rating in 2005, using my own aircraft.

Aerobatic experience
Other than chandelles and spins in the Champ as a kid, I’ve only done serious aerobatic flying once in a co-worker’s Steen Skybolt. He was a weekend airshow performer in the New York area. I got to go along for one of his practice sessions. The biggest memory from that experience was watching the gmeter go past 6 on a pull out from a hammerhead and my vision starting to close in on me. Six G’s was a lot more pressure than I had expected. He was killed 6 weeks later when the Skybolt didn’t recover from a spin in a show performance. I haven’t been too motivated to do more aerobatics since then.

Professional aviation experience
I worked as an aerospace engineer for 2 years in the early 90’s at McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis (now Boeing). I worked in the flight simulation and training department developing training systems for military fighters such as the F-15, F-18, and AV-8 Harrier.

Aircraft flown
I’ve only owned 1 aircraft so far, a 1977 Grumman AA5 Cheetah. I’ve flown C172, C152, Piper Warrior, Aeronca 7AC, Ercoupe, Cirrus SR22, Beech A36 & V35, Steen Skybolt, Rans S12, Diamond Katana, Schweizer 2-33 and Schleicher ASK-21 sailplanes, and my Grumman Cheetah. I also have a couple of hours trying my hand in a Hughes 300C helicopter. I had no problem ‘flying’ the 300C, but that hovering in ground effect is another story.

Favorite/least favorite aircraft
My least favorite so far has been the C152. It’s just too small and confining from my perspective. Maybe that was just due to the 250 lb. CFI sitting next to me. My favorite (other than the F18 simulator at McDonnell) has been the Diamond Katana. It was very responsive on the stick, had great maneuverability, and the free castoring nose wheel made ground handling a breeze. Flying the Katana led me to the Grumman Cheetah for similar control response, visibility, and ground handling.

Memorable flights
My most memorable pilots who stopped by McDonnell Douglas to thank us for building them such a great aircraft. Interestingly enough, our simulators were so realistic that the active duty pilots who flew in to test them out were advised to wait 24 hours before getting back in their own jets and flying back to base. You don’t get the same G forces in the simulator, and it was thought that practicing combat maneuvers in these conditions should not be immediately followed up by actual flight time.

Homebuilding experience
Not much experience here. I’ve helped my dad stitch the wings of an EAA Biplane. All of my homebuilding to date has been on scale R/C models. I’m pretty good with balsa wood and monokote.

EAA
It started in 1979 when my dad took me to Oshkosh for the first time. I’ve been back 10 times in the years since and flown in twice with my Cheetah. I’ve been an EAA member on my own since 2000. I joined Chapter 25 in 2003 after getting my private license.

Young Eagles
I’ve never flown any Young Eagles, but I’ve helped ground crew a number of times. Now that I’m getting more accustomed to my new aircraft, I’d like to fly some in the future.

Oshkosh
My best Oshkosh experience was sitting under the wing of an old DC-3 in 1985 talking with an older gentleman about how he had lost his medical 15 years prior and wished he still had a way to fly legally. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet and showed me a faded piece of paper from 1921 with Orville Wright’s signature on it. It was his original civilian pilot’s license. If only the sport pilot rules had been in place 20 years ago.

Family flying
My wife Carol flies with me anywhere I go. She even took ground school and 3 hours of training to become more familiar with the whole experience. She has no desire at present to get a license, but at least she could get us down safely in an emergency. She’s also been to Oshkosh twice.

Aviation plans/goals
I will build an airplane someday, but I first need a place to do so. Right now I’m leaning towards a Lancair Legacy as a fast cross-country cruiser. I’d love to retire to an airpark and spend my days working on the plane, but that is 20 years away. I’d like to help someone else with their project in the next few years to gain some homebuilding experience.

Lou Martin (photo on right), from Apple Valley and a Chapter 25 member, was informed that his book, “Wings Over Persia” was designated the best aviation writing by a Minnesotan for the year 2004, by the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame. The letter, informing Mr. Martin that he was the recipient of the award stated, “Your book was exciting and personal, definitely the type of aviation writing the MAHOF wishes to honor and encourage with its annual award.”

Mr. Martin, following 22 years as an Air Force pilot, and 5 years as a captain for Japan Airlines, joined a small cadre of foreign pilots flying for an air charter company in Tehran, Iran. His military service included 10 years in overseas assignments, including flying combat cargo support missions during the Vietnam War. He retired from the Air Force in 1970 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

From 1970 to 1975, he flew as a captain for Japan Domestic Airlines where he commanded a Japanese aircraft, crewed by Japanese copilots and Japanese flight attendants. Many of Colonel Martin’s flights in Japan were unique, in that he flew with several senior Japanese pilots who had participated in the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. When in Japan he met, and later married, a senior Japanese flight attendant.

After his contract in Japan ended he relocated to Tehran, Iran where, from 1976 to 1979, he worked for an air charter company, flying throughout the Middle East transporting members of the late Shah’s family, high ranking Iranian military and government officials, and oil field roughnecks. He was in Iran during the troubling years of 1978 when Islamic fundamentalists rioted in the streets seeking the overthrow of the Shah. The tempo of the demonstrations rose to the point where thousands were killed, forcing the Shah to flee to Egypt.

When a personal friend was killed, Colonel Martin feared for his own safety and made a hurried exodus, abandoning unpaid salary, a Volkswagen, and personal property. The Shah’s abdication allowed the fire-brand Islamic leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, to assume the position as Iran’s despotic ruler, and form a ruthless Islamic theocracy government. Several of Mr. Martin’s Iranian pilot colleagues, and VIP passengers, were summarily executed by Islamic revolutionary guards after Khomeini’s takeover.

Lou Martin’s book, “Wings Over Persia,” is a true story of intrigue and adventure of an American pilot flying in Iran, during the revolution that overthrew the Shah. It provides a unique opportunity to share in the experience of flying in a troubling part of the world, along with a first hand insight into the inflexible attitude of Islamic Fundamentalists towards infidels.

Readers state that, “Wings Over Persia” has given them a much better understanding of the problems we face in the Middle East, while at the same time providing an interesting book that is difficult to put down. Congratulations Lou! “Wings Over Persia” may be reviewed on “Google” search web page, and Amazon.com. Lou Martin may be contacted at: pilotlou@aol.com, or Tel: 952-891-1250.

September 11, 2004

We learned with great sadness on September 11th of the passing of one of our long-time members, Earl Adams. Earl was born September 24, 1930 in Hayward, Wisconsin. He moved to St. Paul for his freshman year at Central high school and joined the Air Guard in 1947. He had his first airplane ride in an AT-6 at Holman Field in October of 1947. He graduated high school in June of 1949 and then worked for General Air at the St. Paul airport until September. He then attended Air Force Mechanic School at Shepherd Field, Texas and graduated in May of 1950.

He flew his first solo in a PT-19 in Wichita Falls, Texas on October 30, 1949, and received his Private Pilot¹s license in 1950. Earl was activated in 1950 and shipped to the Far East. He was stationed in Japan as a flight engineer on a DC-3, and flew a few combat missions in a B-26 dropping propaganda material in North Korea. Earl returned home in August of 1952. He flew as a flight attendant for North Central until spring of 1954 when he became the fixed base operator at the Worthington Airport. He repaired aircraft, gave flight instruction, and sprayed crops until re-joining North Central Airlines as a pilot in 1956. He also did some barnstorming out of Worthington with Eldon Sorenson.

Earl had a long and distinguished career with Northwest Airlines. A number of chapter members served at Northwest with Earl, and recount their memories of flying with him. He began flying as first officer in DC 3¹s, and moved to the left seat in 1958. He later moved to Convair 340¹s, 440¹s, then 580¹s, and subsequently to DC 9¹s. He flew Republic Boeing 757¹s for a time until they were sold by Northwest, and then returned to DC 9¹s, this time DC 9-80¹s until his retirement in September of 1990.

Earl flew over 100 different types of aircraft, including many warplanes (C-47, P-51, B-26) and virtually all Piper, Cessna, and Stinson models. Earl owned many airplanes, including a plans-built Casset and a Hatz open-cockpit biplane which he completely rebuilt. Among his other aircraft were a Pitts Special, and a J-3 Cub which he restored and first flew in 2001.

Earl was a valued member of Chapter 25. He received the chapter¹s highest service award, the Traveling Trophy, in 1991. Members will remember Earl flying his Mooney 201 on chapter fly-outs and for Young Eagle events. Earl flew his last Young Eagle mission for the chapter in May of 2002 (photo above right), when his battle with Lewy bodies disease began to curtail his flying activities. Earl continued to participate in chapter events as his health allowed. We extend our sympathies to Earl¹s family. He will be missed.

Obituary Posted: 9/24/04 Earl Frank Adams, 73, of Rosemount, died Sept. 11, 2004, at Ebenezer Ridges Care Center.

Services were held at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Apple Valley and officiated by Rev. Duane Paetznick. Interment was at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.