WE NEED EVERYONE’S HELP TO STAY UP WITH OUR BUSY FEBRUARY/MARCH/APRIL SCHEDULE. PLEASE TRY TO ATTEND THE MEETINGS. IF YOU CAN’T MAKE IT BUT YOU STILL WOULD LIKE TO HELP ON ANY OF THESE EVENTS AND RELATED ACTIVITIES, CALL JUDY OR I AT 344-3860.

OVER THE HOLIDAYS THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF ACTIVITY WITH THE AIRPLANE. WE WERE INVITED TO COCOPAH RV TO DO A PRESENTATION ON THE 18^th OF JANUARY. WE WERE GRACIOUSLY GREETED BY THE PATRONS OF THE PARK AND THEY FOUND THAT THIS HISTORICAL EVENT IS BOTH ENTERTAINING AND INFORMATIVE. HORACE GRIFFEN MADE THE PRESENTATION AND PLAYED THE MARRIES/KYMA DOCUMENTARY VIDEO. AFTER THAT HORACE, JIM GILLASPIE AND MYSELF ANSWERED MANY QUESTIONS RELATING TO SOME OF THE TECHNICAL AND HUMOROUS (EVERYONE ALWAYS WANTS TO KNOW???)ASPECTS OF THE AIRPLANE AND THE FLIGHT. I WANT TO THANK COCOPAH RV FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO TELL OUR UNIQUE STORY AND TO SELL OUR MERCHANDISE. I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE PATRONS FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION AND GENEROUS DONATIONS. (THERE MAY BE MORE RV PARK PRESENTATIONS FOR US IN THE FUTURE.)

ON JANUARY 22^ND KYMA HAD THEIR 11^TH ANNIVERSARY AT THE KYMA STUDIO. WE WERE INVITED TO TAKE THE AIRPLANE DOWN AND TO BE PART OF THE FESTIVITIES. THANK YOU, KYMA, FOR THE EXPOSURE AND YOUR SUPPORT. AGAIN, I THANK THE CREW THAT ALWAYS HELPS WITH SETTING UP/DOWN THE PLANE FOR THESE EVENTS. IT IS NOT EASY, BUT THESE GUYS HAVE BECOME PROFESSIONALS AND CAN SET UP AND TEARDOWN THIS AIRPLANE IN A WINK. WE ARE DEALING WITH A HISTORICAL AIRPLANE WITH MANY HOURS OF DEDICATED RESTORATION AND HARD WORK PUT INTO IT (NOT TO MENTION THAT ITS MADE OUT OF FABRIC!!) AND AS MANY TIMES AS WE HAVE MOVED IT, WE HAVE NOT HAD ONE MISSHAP…… CLOSE… BUT IT WAS UNDER CONTROL BEFORE ANYTHING HAPPENED. CHEERS TO THE CREW!!!

WE’VE GONE NATIONAL!!! THE NATIONAL EAA PUBLISHES A MONTHLY MAGAZINE ON VINTAGE AIRCRAFT AND THE JANUARY 1999 ISSUE INCLUDES A VERY NICE ONE PAGE ARTICLE, INCLUDING "THE" PICTURE, ON THE "City OF YUMA" ENDURANCE FLIGHT. THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE MAGAZINE REACHES ABOUT 20,000 TO 25,000 READERS A MONTH. IN THE ARTICLE IT MENTIONS A FEW ITEMS THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR. WE HAVE BEEN GETTING MANY RESPONSES FROM ALL OVER THE STATES. A READER FROM RHODE ISLAND, JERRY BROWE, IS DONATING AN OVERHEAD INSTRUMENT LIGHT THAT WE NEED. ANOTHER READER FROM MISSOURI, RAY KIRGAN, IS SENDING SOME TAIL WIRES. WE THANK THEM ALL AND WITH THEIR HELP, WE’LL GET THIS PUPPY IN THE AIR YET!! OUR THANKS ALSO, GOES OUT TO THE ‘EAA VINTAGE MAGAZINE’, ITS READERS, AND ITS EDITOR, H.G. FRAUTSCHY. (BY THE WAY, H.G. HAS ALSO DONATED SOME PARTS. THANKS H.G.)

• ENGINE: WE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR A SPONSOR THAT FEELS THAT THE "CITY OF YUMA" IS A WORTHY ENOUGH PROJECT TO ADD THEIR NAME AS "THE SPONSOR THAT MADE THE ENGINE FLIGHTWORTHY". IT COMES WITH A LOT OF RECOGNITION, BOTH AT RELATED EVENTS AND MUSEUM DISPLAY. WE ESTIMATE THAT THE COST TO REBUILD THE ENGINE IS $7000. I KNOW THAT THIS NEWSLETTER REACHES MANY PEOPLE AND, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BECOMING A MAJOR SPONSOR AND BECOME PART OF THE STORY OF THIS HISTORIC PLANE, PLEASE CONTACT US. WE’LL MAKE YOU PROUD!!!

• INTERIOR: WE KEEP MENTIONING THIS, AND JERRY McGUIRE IS WAITING ON US TO MAKE UP OUR MIND ON THE INTERIOR UPHOLSTERY. WE HAVE RECENTLY LOOKED AT SOME OTHER SAMPLES, WHICH WILL PROBABLY WORK. IT’S SURE HARD TO FIND A REPLICA OF THE 1949 PATTERN. WE’LL DO OUR BEST.

FOLKS, TIME IS JUST FLYING BY. WE ALREADY KNOW ABOUT FEBRUARY, MARCH, AND APRIL. BUT, THE GRAND FINALE AND BIG CELEBRATION, THE 50^th ANNIVERSARY, WILL BE HERE BEFORE WE KNOW IT. WE ARE STARTING TO PUT THE PLANS TOGETHER FOR THIS EVENT AND THEY ARE EXCITING. HERE IS A LITTLE OF WHAT TO EXPECT:

• 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

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

THE TICKETS ARE PRINTED. THE POSTERS ARE PRINTED. AND, THE FORT YUMA ROTARY CLUB HAS COME TO OUR RESCUE. THEY HAVE OFFERED TO CHAIR THE TICKETS AND AUCTION FOR US. THANNNNK YOU…. FORT YUMA ROTARY!! BUT, THAT DOESN’T LET US OFF THE HOOK. I EXPECT US TO STILL DO OUR PART. THERE IS STILL A LOT OF OTHER WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, INCLUDING:

• MAILERS TO AREA SUPPORTERS & BUSINESSES
• FACILITIES SETUP AND CLEANUP
• PUBLICITY
• PROGRAM
• ENTERTAINMENT
• MERCHANDISE SALES

AND "WE", MEANING AS IN "US", ….JAYCEES, FOUNDATION, COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND ENDURANCE BRATS….ALSO NEED TO SELL TICKETS AND ROUNDUP ITEMS FOR THE AUCTION. AGAIN, THIS YEAR, THERE WILL BE A REGULAR, AS WELL AS, A SILENT AUCTION. WE NEED YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AROUND FOR ANY HISTORIC OR UNDAMAGED ITEMS OF WORTH THAT YOU, YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS, OR BUSINESS MIGHT BE WILLING TO PART WITH (FOR A GOOD CAUSE, OF COURSE). THE DINNER/AUCTION FLYER IS ATTACHED TO THIS NEWSLETTER. DON’T THROW IT AWAY. MAKE COPIES…PASS THEM AROUND…FILL IT OUT AND SEND IT IN.

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 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND FORMS SENT TO YOU OR YOUR PROSPECTS.