HELLO AGAIN FROM THE COCKPIT

KAPTAIN’S KORNER

March-April 1999

YUMA JAYCEE FOUNDATION
PO BOX 121
YUMA, AZ 85366-0121
(520)344-3860 FAX(520)317-0705
E-mail: jspencer@primenet.com
Web: http://aztec.asu.edu/enduro49

THE TIME MACHINE CONTINUES TO MARCH ON WITH ONLY 24 WEEKS NOW AWAY FROM LANDING THE "City OF YUMA" ON THE 50^th ANNIVERSARY IN OCTOBER 1999. IT HAS BEEN A WHILE SINCE I HAVE UPDATED EVERYONE, BUT THE CREW HAS STAYED BUSY WITH EVENTS AND RESTORATION ON THE AIRPLANE. HANG ON LADIES AND GENTLEMAN AND I WILL GIVE A RUN DOWN OF WHAT HAS TRANSPIRED AND WILL TRANSPIRE TO MAKE THE "City OF YUMA" RE-ESTABLISH ITS HISTORIC PRESENCE AGAIN 50 YEARS LATER.

PAST EVENTS:

MARCH 5-7, 1999 - IT WAS A GREAT DISPLAY THIS YEAR AT THE CABELLERO’S ANNUAL CAR SHOW "MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS". FIRST OF ALL, WE WANT TO THANK THE CABELLEROS FOR INVITING US TO DISPLAY THE AIRPLANE AND THE 1948 BUICK SUPER CONVERTIBLE (EXACTLY LIKE THE ONE USED TO REFUEL THE AIRPLANE IN 1949; COMPLEMENTS OF GEORGE AND SHIRLEY MURDOCK). WE RECEIVED NUMEROUS POSITIVE INPUTS FROM OUT OF TOWN PEOPLE, AS WELL AS, FROM THE MANY THAT WERE HERE IN1949 AND REMEMBERED, OR PARTICIPATED IN THE EVENT 50 YEARS AGO.

MARCH 13^th – WE HELD OUR SECOND "City OF YUMA" ENDURANCE FLIGHT DINNER AND AUCTION AT BRITAIN’S TUMBLEWEED CHUCKWAGON (THANK YOU, BILL AND LOIS BRITAIN). AGAIN, WE WANT TO THANK BOBBY BROOKS FOR COOKING A GREAT TRI-TIP AND WE ALSO WANT TO THANK MAYOR YOUNG AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR SERVING A GREAT DINNER AND SUPPORTING THIS PROJECT. THANKS ALSO TO JOHN PHIPPS AND CRISTYJO JOHNS FOR BEING OUR AUCTIONEERS. GREG GARDNER HELPED THE AUCTIONEERS BY DOING A SUPER JOB OF ANNOUNCING THE AUCTION ITEMS AS THEY CAME UP FOR BID. EVEN THOUGH THE NIGHT’S EVENTS WERE NOT WORKING IN OUR FAVOR ALL THE TIME, WITH THE GREAT SUPPORT FROM ALL THAT PARTICIPATED AND HELPED, IT WAS SUCCESSFUL. THE ENDURANCE FUND HAS ANOTHER $5500 TO GO TOWARDS THE RESTORATION OF THE "City OF YUMA". A BIG THANKS GOES OUT TO ALL THE MERCHANTS AND PEOPLE THAT DONATED ITEMS FOR OUR AUCTION, AND TO ALL THE BUYERS AND FANS WHO SUPPORTED THE AUCTION AND DINNER.

EVENTS COMING UP:

THE GOLF TOURNAMENT FOR THIS SPRING HAS BEEN CANCELLED. WE WILL TRY TO RESCHEDULE FOR THE FALL PRIOR TO THE OCTOBER COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS

May 6 – 8, 1999 - ERIK BOWMEN AND RJ BONES FROM RADIO STATION KTTI HAVE VOLUNTEERED AN ENDURANCE OF THEIR OWN. TO REPRESENT THE 47-DAY ENDURANCE FLIGHT OF 1949, THEY HAVE AGREED TO STAY IN THE AIRPLANE FOR 47 HOURS STARTING AT 4PM ON THURSDAY THE 6^th OF MAY, AND ENDING AT 3PM ON SATURDAY THE 8^th OF MAY. ALONG SIDE THE AIRPLANE WELL BE THE1948 BUICK SUPER REFUELING CAR. THIS WILL BE A FUN EVENT AND WE HOPE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO REACH A DONATION GOAL OF $5000. OR… MAYBE WE JUST WON’T LET ERIK AND RJ OUT OF THE PLANE UNTIL WE REACH THE GOAL!! OF COURSE, BEING THE JOCKS OF KTTI, THERE WILL BE LIVE BROADCAST FROM THE COCKPIT AND YOU CAN NEVER TELL WHAT ELSE. THERE MAY BE EVEN SOME SURPRISES THAT ERIK AND RJ DON’T KNOW ABOUT. WE INVITE OTHER MEDIA TO PARTICIPATE AND HELP US REACH OUR GOAL. THE LOCATION OF THIS EVENT HAS NOT BEEN FINALIZED YET, BUT STAY TUNED BECAUSE THERE WILL BE PUBLICITY PUT OUT ON IT SOON.

50^TH ANNIVERSARY AND COMMEMORATIVE CEREMONIES:

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8^TH, 1999

A CONCERT EVENT WITH A RENOWN CELEBRITY (LOCATION AND CELEBRITY UNKNOW AT THIS TIME, BUT CONTACTS HAS BEEN MADE.)

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1999 8AM – 10AM "City OF YUMA" FLY-IN:

(EAST VALLEY/WELLTON & VACINITY)

HOSTED BY LARRY BOYD FARMS (DOME)

INCLUDES A PANCAKE BREAKFAST SPONSORED BY A LOCAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1999 12N-2PM "City OF YUMA" FLY-IN

(YUMA/YUMA VALLEY/SOMERTON & VACINITY)

HOSTED BY SOMERTON AIRPORT

INCLUDES A LUNCH CONCESSION SPONSORED BY A LOCAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1999 6PM-10PM "City OF YUMA" DISPLAY

HOSTED BY BET-KO AIR

INCLUDES DINNER SPONSORED BY THE YUMA JAYCEES AND THE YUMA JAYCEES FOUNDATION.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1999 12N—5PM "City OF YUMA" LANDING

WE HOPE THAT THIS EVENT WILL BE STAGED AT THE YUMA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT/MCAS. WE SHOULD BE HEARING SOMETHING FROM THE MILITARY NOW THAT "WTI" IS OVER.

RESTORATION

WE HAVE CONTINUED OUR RESTORATION ON THE AIRPLANE, EVEN WITH OUR BUSY SCHEDULE OF TRAVELING TO OUR DIFFERENT EVENTS. FOR THE LAST THREE WEEKENDS, WE HAVE DEVOTED OUR TIME TO INSTALLING THE NEW WINDSHIELDS AND MAKING THEM FLIGHT WORTHY. I NEVER KNEW THAT THERE WAS THAT MUCH WORK TO INSTALLING WINDSHIELDS. MEASURING, TAKING OUT, CUTTING, DRILLING, PUTTING BACK IN. WE DID THAT A LOT BUT WE NOW HAVE THEM IN WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A FEW MORE SCREWS.

ENGINE: TO MEET OUR SCHEDULE OF MAKING THE PLANE FLIGHT WORTHY, FOUR QUALIFIED AND DEVOTED MEN HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE ENGINE: ERNIE MUNOZ, JIM SEIMENS, JOHN YOUKIE AND JIM GILLASPIE. THEY HAVE PUT MANY HOURS INTO THIS ENGINE TO MAKE IT FLIGHT WORTY. THE ENGINE IS TOGETHER AND IS READY TO HANG BACK ON THE FUSELOGE. THE ONLY THING LEFT WILL BE INSTALLING THE BAFFOLING AROUND THE ENGINE. AFTER IT IS INSTALLED WE WILL BEGIN THE INSTALLATION OF ALL THE TUBING, WIRING ECT. I SINCERELY WANT TO THANK THESE MEN VERY MUCH. EVEN WITHOUT A SPONSOR FOR THE ENGINE, THESE MEN MADE IT WORK. YOU CANNOT BEGIN TO APPRECIATE THEIR DEDICATION UNTIL YOU SEE THIS ENGINE. THANKS TO ALL OF YOU, AGAIN.

INTERIOR: THE INTERIOR PANELS HAVE BEEN DELIVERED TO JERRY McGUIRE. THE MATERIAL HAS BEEN SELECTED AND JERRY IS IN THE PROCESS OF ORDERING IT AND THE MATERIAL TO BUILD THE PILOT’S SEAT. JERRY IS VOLUNTEERING HIS TIME TO DO THE UPHOLSTRY ON THE INTERIOR OF THE AIRPLANE. AGAIN, ANOTHER PROFESSIONAL OFFERING HIS TIME. THANKS JERRY.

OUR NEXT MEETING IS MAY 13^th, 7PM AT THE YUMA LANDING. PLEASE TRY TO ATTEND. WE HAD AN ATTENDANCE OF ONLY 3 AT THE LAST MEETING AND GUESS WHO THEY WERE. LADIES & GENTLEMEN, JAYCEES AND FOUNDATION….THIS IS A ONE TIME SHOT! WE KNOW WE CAN PUT ON A RODEO. BUT, IT WON’T BE ON DATELINE AND THE TODAY SHOW. THIS AIRPLANE WILL, IF WE DO OUR JOB RIGHT. MAKE THIS A PRIORTY AND JOIN US AT EACH AND EVERY OPPORTUNITY. WE NEED YOU!

CAPTAIN RON

PS: I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT CARL FRANKS FINISHED MAKING THE NEW DOOR THAT GOES ON THE CO-PILOTS SIDE. THIS IS A FOLDUP DOOR THAT WAS FOLDED AND STRAPPED UP TO THE TOP OF THE COCKPIT DURING REFUELING RUNS. THANKS, CARL. WILL ADD MORE IN THE NEXT NEWSLETTER.