THE DAYS ARE "MARCHING" ON. ONLY 32 WEEKS AWAY FROM LANDING THE "City OF YUMA" ON THE 50^th ANNIVERSARY IN OCTOBER 1999. I KNOW IT SEEMS LIKE A LONG TIME AWAY, BUT MUCH REMAINS TO BE DONE AND EVENTS TO PLAN BEFORE OCTOBER 10^TH. JUST READ ON AND WE WILL TELL YOU WHERE WE ARE GOING.

* MARCH 5-7, 1999 MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS

* MARCH 13^th, 1999 50^th REUNION "City OF YUMA"

ENDURANCE FLIGHT DINNER & AUCTION

BRITAIN’S TUMBLEWEED CHUCKWAGON

* MAY (???)1999 2^nd ANNUAL "City OF YUMA"

ENDURANCE FLIGHT GOLF TOURNAMENT

* OCTOBER 8-10, 1999 50^th ANNIVERSARY "City OF YUMA"
ENDURANCE FLIGHT CELEBRATION AND DEDICATION CEREMONIES

PLEASE CALL US IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP ON ANY OF THESE EVENTS AND RELATED ACTIVITIES. CALL JUDY OR MYSELF AT 344-3860.

ON FEBRUARY 6^TH, THE AIRPLANE MADE A TRIP DOWN THE 54^TH SILVER SPUR RODEO PARARDE. THE "GOOD LOOKING" RIDE WAS PROVIDED BY SELLERS PETROLEUM. THE TWO WHERE QUITE IMPRESSIVE. OUR THANKS GOES OUT TO SELLERS PETROLEUM FOR THE RIDE.

THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND WE HAD THE PLANE SET UP AT THE 54^th SILVER SPUR RODEO. OVER THE THREE DAYS WE MET MANY PEOPLE THAT WERE HERE DURING THE EVENT IN 1949. AND WE HAD MANY POSITIVE COMMENTS ON THE PLANE AND THE PROJECT. I MUST THROW IN THE FACT THAT THE JAYCEES PUT THEIR FIRST RODEO ON IN FEBRUARY 1946, 4 YEARS BEFORE THIS HISTORIC FLIGHT.

ON THE NEXT WEEKEND WE HAULED OUR "City OF YUMA" TO MCAS YUMA TO CELEBRATE THE ANNUAL MILITARY APPRECIATIONS DAYS. WE HAD GOOD EXPOSURE WITH THE AIRPLANE AND THE 1948 SUPER CONVERTIBLE (SAME MODEL AS THE REFUELING CAR IN 1949). WE WANT TO THANK MARINE CORPS AIR STATION YUMA FOR ALLOWING US TO BE A PART OF THEIR EVENT.

BREAKING NEWS!! WE NOW HAVE A 1948 BUICK CONVERTIBLE AS A PART OF OUR ENDURANCE DISPLAY. GEORGE MURDOCK WAS THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE REFUELING CAR USED IN 1949. HE SOLD THE CAR TO GRIFFEN BUICK TO CUSTOMIZE FOR THE FLIGHT’S NEEDS. WITH THE HELP OF MILT PHILLIPS, GEORGE TRACED DOWN ANOTHER CAR JUST LIKE IT AND THE CAR IS NOW IN YUMA. THEY HAVE OFFERED THE ENDURANCE COMMITTEE FULL USE OF THE CAR FOR DISPLAY WITH THE AIRPLANE. OF COURSE, ALL OF US KNOW THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS A VERY IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE HISTORIC FLIGHT. ONCE WE FOUND THE PLANE, THE NEXT QUESTION WAS ALWAYS "WHERE’S THE BUICK?". THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO BUICKS IS THE COLOR. THIS ONE IS DARK GREEN AND THE ORIGINAL WAS WHITE. GEORGE DOES HAVE PLANS TO HAVE HIS NEWLY ACQUIRED 1948 BUICK SUPER PAINTED THE WHITE COLOR THAT WE ALL HAVE SEEN IN THE PICTURES FOR THE LAST 50 YEARS. GEORGE AND SHIRLEY MURDOCK HAVE ALWAYS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE AND ACTIVE WITH THE RESTORATION PROJECT. WE CAN’T SAY ENOUGH "THANK YOU’S" TO THEM BOTH.

• ENGINE: WE ARE STILL IN PERSUIT OF AN ENGINE SPONSOR(S). WE WILL CONTINUE ON WITH WHAT WE HAVE TO MAKE THE ENGINE FLIGHT WORTHY. IF WE WAIT ANY LONGER, WE MAY NOT MEET THE FLY DATE OF THE SUMMER OF 1999. I DO KNOW THAT SOME OF THE BEST MEN FOR THE JOB HAVE BEEN PUTTING IN DEDICATED HOURS: JIM SIEMANS, JIM GILLASPIE, JOHN YOUKEY AND ERNIE MUNOZ. THANK YOU GUYS, FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND EXPERTISE. I HAVE ALL THE CONFIDENCE IN THE WORLD IN THESE MEN.

• INTERIOR: NEWS FLASH! WE’VE MADE A COMMAND DICISION AND JERRY McGUIRE HAS BEEN DELIVERED OUR CHOICE FOR THE UPHOLSTERY. JERRY IS ANOTHER OF THE PROFESSIONALS (J&S SEWING) THAT WE HAVE ON THIS PROJECT AND IS DEDICATING HIS TIME TO MAKE THE AIRPLANE LOOK AS IT DID IN 1949. THANKS JERRY.

• THE MOVING CREW. MANY DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO MOVE THIS AIRPLANE AROUND TO DIFFERENT EVENTS. THE MOVING CREW MAKE IT LOOK EASY. I DO APPRECIATE EVERY ONE OF THEM OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. FIRST, I MUST THANK MCNEECE BROTHERS, AGAIN, FOR THE USE OF THEIR TRUCK AND JESSE MOONEYHAM WITH HIS TRAILOR THAT HAS SAVED US IN TIME OF NEED. MY MOST RECENT MOVING CREW HAS BEEN GARTH WOTHEN, JIM GILLASPIE, CARL FRANKS, GENE LaHAISE, BUDDY DEAN, BILL COX, GREG GARDNER, AND THE CAP CADDETS. THERE ARE ALSO MANY THINGS GOING ON IN THE BACK GROUND WITH MARY WORTHEN TAKING CARE OF ALL OUR FINANCES AND JUDY KEEPING THE REST OF THIS PROJECT GOING FORWARD. THANKS TO ALL, AND IF I FORGOT ANYONE, I APOLOGIZE.

• SATURDAY, MARCH 13^TH, 1999 6PM – 10PM
• BRITIAN’S "TUMBLEWEED CHUCKWAGON SUPPER"

THE FORT YUMA ROTARY CLUB AND THEIR CHAIRMAN, BILL HAYES, ARE ASSISTING US ON THE PROJECT. THEY WILL BE SELLING TICKETS AND SOLICITING MERCHANDISE FOR THE AUCTION. BUT, THAT DOESN’T LET US OFF THE HOOK. I EXPECT US TO STILL DO OUR PART. THE MAILERS HAVE BEEN SENT TO AREA SUPPORTERS & BUSINESSES AND CHAMBER MEMBERS.

WE WILL STILL NEED TO SOLICITE TICKETS SALES AND ADDITIONAL AUCTION DONATIONS. OTHER AREAS REQUIRING OUR MANPOWER IS:

• FACILITIES SETUP AND CLEANUP
• MERCHANDISE SALES
• AUCTION (ASSISTING WITH SETUP AND AUCTION LOG)

• FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8^TH, 1999

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

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

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

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

WE HAVE HAD MANY COMMENTS ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO LOG ONTO OUR WEBSITE. REMEMBER THAT OUR WEBSITE IS ON A "EDUCATIONAL" DOMAIN. THEREFORE, IT IS NECESSARY TO INPUT THE ENTIRE WEBSITE ADDRESS TO REACH IT, INCLUDING "http".

INPUT: http://aztec.asu.edu/enduro49/

OUR NEXT MEETING IS MARCH 11^th, 7PM AT THE YUMA LANDING.