WE ARE NOW LESS THAN 320 DAYS AWAY FROM LANDING THE "City OF YUMA" AIRPLANE ON THE 50^th ANNIVERSARY OF THE WORLD ENDURANCE RECORD THAT IT SET ON OCTOBER 10, 1949.

ON OCTOBER 24, 1998 WE PARTICIPATED IN THE CHILI COOK-OFF WITH THE YUMA HISTORICAL SOCIETY. IT WAS A GOOD DAY FOR WEATHER AND A GOOD DAY TO PRESENT OUR FRESHLY PAINTED AIRPLANE. AS MOST OF YOU MAY REMEMBER, THE 1997 CHILI COOK-OFF WAS OUR FIRST APPEARANCE AFTER ACQUIRING THE PLANE AND IT WAS A SADDDD LOOKING PLANE. AFTER SEEING THE NEWLY "RESTORED" PLANE, WE RECEIVED A LOT OF POSITIVE COMMENTS AND INTEREST. THANKS TO BUDDY DEAN, GARTH & MARY WORTHEN, SHELL OIL/ McNEECE MART, CREG RENDEL , THERESA BUSCKO, MICHELLE BUCSKO, NANCY WOODHOUSE, AND JUDY SPENCER, FOR THEIR HELP ON THIS EVENT.

WE ALSO HAD THE PLANE AT THE COLORADO RIVER BALLOON FESTIVAL ON NOVEMBER 21 –22. AGAIN, A LOT OF POSITIVE COMMENTS AND CONGRATULATIONS ON A JOB WELL DONE. (THANKS TO JIM ALLEN AND RON CONTRERAS AND THEIR HARD WORK AND OUTSTANDING TALENTS) HELPING US WITH THE APPEARANCE WAS CLAUDE "FREEZE" & JoBETH SHARPENSTEIN, THE CIVIL AIR PATROL CADETS, NANCY WOODHOUSE, THERESA BUSCKO, LAURA PULLY, JUDY SPENCER, ELTON WORTHEN, AND MY ALL MY MOVERS, INCLUDED OUR NEWEST CREW MEMBER, GENE LaHAISE.

RESTORATION

• JIM ALLEN HAS FINISHED PAINTING THE RUDDER AND TAIL FEATHERS, AND RON CONTRERAS (PENN SIGN) HAS COMPLETED THE LOGOS ON THE TAIL SECTION. THESE MEN CONTINUE TO DO SUCH AN OUTSTANDING AND PROFESSIONAL JOB THAT I CAN NOT EXPRESS ENOUGH THANKS. IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE (AND I AM SURE YOU WILL), TELL THESE MEN WHAT A GREAT JOB THEY’RE DOING. AFTER ALL, THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ARE MAKING THE PLANE LOOK AS GREAT AS IT DOES. THE ONLY THINGS THAT REMAIN TO BE PAINTED AT THIS TIME, ARE THE AILERONS, STRUTS, DOORS, SOME METAL TRIM, AND THE LOGOS ON THE WINGS.
• SPEAKING OF DOORS: CARL FRANKS, ONE OF OUR CREW FROM THE STATE OF WASHINGTON, HAS BUILT A DOOR FOR THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE. MOST PEOPLE DO NOT EVEN KNOW THAT THERE WAS A DOOR THERE BECAUSE IN MOST OF THE PHOTOS YOU SEE, THE DOOR IS OPEN. LAST SPRING CARL MET WITH DALLAS HOVATTER AND DESIGNED A TEMPLATE. DALLAS WAS THE ORIGINAL DESIGNER OF THE DOOR FOR THE 1949 FLIGHT. OVER THE SUMMER, CARL BUILT THE DOOR FRAME AND ALL THAT NOW NEEDS TO BE DONE IS SOME TWEEKING, AND INSTALL THE SHEET METAL AND WINDOWS, AND THE DOOR WILL BE AS ORIGINAL AS IT WAS IN 1949. THANKS CARL.
• THE NEXT GREAT ENDEAVOR IS PUTTING A FLIGHT WORTHY ENGINE IN THE AIRPLANE. WE ARE IN PERSUIT OF A SPONSOR FOR THE ENGINE AND WE HOPE THAT IT WILL BECOME A REALITY IN THE NEAR FUTURE. TELEDYNE CONTINENTAL MOTORS, HOWEVER, HAS RESPONDED WITH OUR REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE ON THE ENGINE BY OFFERING TO SUPPLY THE CYLINDERS AT $600.00 EACH AND WAIVE THE NORMAL $150.00 CORE CHARGE PER CYLINDER (6EA). THIS WILL RESULT IN A SAVING OF ABOUT $1000. OTHER ENGINE PARTS AND WORKED NEEDED ARE MAGNETOS AND HARNESS, MUFFLER REWORK, CARB REBUILD AND MISCELLANEOUS.
• INTERIOR OF THE AIRPLANE: WE KEEP MENTIONING THIS, AND JERRY McGUIRE IS WAITING ON US TO MAKE UP OUR MIND ON THE INTERIOR UPHOLSTERY. WE HAVE ONE CHANCE TO MAKE IT RIGHT AND WE ARE TYING TO MAKE A MATCH AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE WITH THE LIMITED KNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE. IF ANYONE OUT THERE REMEMBERS THE TYPE AND COLOR OF THE UPHOLSTRY IN 1949, PLEASE SPEAK NOW.

FOLKS, TIME IS JUST FLYING BY. THERE ARE ALOT MORE EVENTS COMING UP IN 1999, INCLUDING THE 50^th REUNION IN MARCH, AND A GOLF TOURNAMENT SOMETIME IN APRIL. BUT THE GRAND FINALE AND CELEBRATION, THE 50^th ANNIVERSARY, WILL BE HERE BEFORE WE KNOW IT. WE ARE STARTING TO PUT THE PLANS TOGETHER FOR THIS EVENT AND WE COULD USE YOUR HELP AND INPUT. IF YOU WANT TO BE A PART OF THESE EVENTS, JUST CALL AND WE’LL PUT YOU TO WORK.

HAVE YOU CHECKED THE WEB SITE LATELY? LOWELL VAHL IS DOING A GREAT JOB. OUR NEWLETTERS ARE UP WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS AND YOU’LL BE ABLE TO REFER TO PAST NEWLETTERS AS WE PROGRESS. HE HAS THE MEMBERSHIP DONATION PACKAGE ON LINE. WE ARE GETTING RAVING REVIEWS ABOUT THIS SITE. PASS THE WORD ON TO FRIENDS AND RELATIVES. (http://aztec.asu.edu/enduro49)

NOW ABOUT THE "MEMBERSHIP DONATION PACKAGE": WE HAVE FORMS AND MEMBERSHIPS AVAILABLE. IT’S TIME TO KNOCK ON SOME DOORS. AS WE EXPECTED WHEN STARTING THIS PROJECT, THE BUSINESSES AND PEOPLE OF YUMA WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS HISTORY IN THE MAKING. THERE IS A WEALTH OF SUPPORTERS OUT THERE, IF WE WOULD JUST ASK. IF EACH OF US WOULD APPROACH JUST FIVE PEOPLE, FRIENDS, AND BUSINESSES, THE RESPONSE WOULD BE GENEROUS. CALL 344-3860 AND REQUEST INFORMATION AND FORMS TO BE SENT TO YOU OR YOUR PROSPECTS.

MY LAST BIT OF NEWS IS THAT WE WILL NOT HAVE A MEETING ON DECEMBER 10^TH, OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED MONTHLY MEETING DATE. OUR NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING WILL BE ON THURSDAY, JANURARY 14^TH, 1999, 7PM, AT THE YUMA LANDING. WE ARE MAKING A LOT OF CONTACTS AND I HOPE TO HAVE BOTH NEW AND GOOD NEWS FOR YOU IN JANUARY. MAKE A NOTE TO ATTEND THE JANUARY MEETING. WE’LL REVEE UP YOUR ENTHUSIAM AND SPIRITS.

JUST A REMINDER, WE HAVE T-SHIRTS, HATS, AND COMMEMORATIVE BEVERAGE STEINS THAT MAKE GREAT CHRISTMAS PRESENTS. CALL US AT 344-3860 TO ARRANGE PICKUP OR DELVERY.

• "BRATS" LOGO T-SHIRTS $13.00 (SALE PRICE)
• 49 PHOTO T-SHIRTS $15.00
• HATS $15.00
• BEVERAGE STEINS $6.00 EACH OR 4 FOR $20.00 (SALE PRICE)

January 14, 1999 General Meeting/7PM/Yuma Landing Restaurant

February 6, 1999 Silver Spur Rodeo Parade

February 12-14, 1999 Silver Spur Rodeo

February 20, 1999 MCAS Air Show

March 5-7, 1999 Midnight at the Oasis