HELLO AGAIN FROM THE COCKPIT

KAPTAIN’S KORNER

May-June 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 OUR NEXT MEETING IS JUNE 10^TH, 7PM AT THE YUMA LANDING

THAT’S THIS COMING THURSDAY…OKAY!

I HAVE ALWAYS STARTED MY NEWSLETTER WITH HOW MUCH TIME WE HAVE TO MAKE THIS HISTORIC PLANE FLY ON ITS 50^TH ANNIVERSARY. THIS IS GOING TO BE A LONG SUMMER WITH A LOT TO DO TO GET READY FOR OUR GRAND CELEBRATION OCTOBER 8^TH – 10^TH OF THIS YEAR. I AM GOING TO LET YOU SIT DOWN AND FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH TIME WE HAVE LEFT. BUT, I WILL SAY, THAT WITHIN ALL MY POWER AND WITH THE SUPPORT I HAVE GOTTEN OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, THIS HISTORIC AIRPLANE WILL MAKE ITS COMMEMORATIVE FLIGHT ON OCTOBER 10^th, 1999. CREW, I NEED YOUR SUPPORT… ESPECIALLY WITH THE ORGANIZATION OF OUR EVENTS IN OCTOBER.

PAST EVENTS:

IF THERE WAS A WAY OF ENTERING OUR LAST EVENT INTO THE FLIGHT LOG AND HAVING THE FAA UNDERSTAND, WE WOULD DO JUST THAT. ON MAY 6^TH –8^TH, TWO OF YUMA’S OWN COURAGEOUS DISC JOCKIES FROM LOCAL RADIO STATION KTTI, STAYED IN THE AIRPLANE FOR A "47 HOUR ENDURANCE" OF THEIR OWN. THE 47 HOURS WAS TO REPRESENT THE 47 DAYS BOB WOODHOUSE AND WOODY JOUNGWARD FLEW 50 YEARS AGO. THE OTHER GOAL WAS TO RAISE $5000 DOLLARS FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE RESTORATION ON THE ""City OF YUMA" AIRPLANE. ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON WE SET UP THE AIRPLANE ON A SELLERS UNION 76 LOWBOY IN THE PARKING LOT OF DOBB’S ELECTRONICS AND APPLIANCE. AT 3PM.ON MAY 6^TH, ERIK BOWMEN AND RJ BONES ENTERED THE AIRPLANE AND STARTED PLEADING WITH THE COMMUNITY OF YUMA TO DONATE MONEY SO THAT THEY MAY REACH THE GOAL OF $5000 DOLLARS AND, POSSIBLY, TO GET OUT OF THE AIRPLANE PRIOR TO 4PM SATURDAY MAY 8^TH. THESE TROUPERS STUCK WITH THE DEAL AND AT 3:45 PM SATURDAY, BILL RUCH FROM THE HOUSE OF VACCUMS, AND DAVID SCHUMAN FROM FARMERS INSURANCE, DROVE INTO THE PARKING LOT AND WROTE THE CHECKS WE NEEDED TO COMPLETE OUR GOAL OF $5000 DOLLARS. I CAN NOT SAY ENOUGH TO THANK ERIK AND RJ FOR THEIR PERSERVERANCE AND DEDICATION. MANY THANKS ALSO GOES OUT TO ALL THE OTHER BUSINESSES, MERCHANTS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, AND YUMA’S OWN CITIZENS AND FRIENDS, WHO WITH OUT THEIR SUPPORT, WE NEVER WOULD HAVE REALIZED OUR GOAL. IN PARTICULAR, I WANT TO THANK THE CHILDREN WHO CAME DOWN AND DONATED THEIR OWN MONEY FOR THE PLANE. THAT’S WHY THIS PLANE IS BACK HERE AND THAT’S WHAT MAKES ALL THE WORK AND SWEAT WORTH IT.

OUR NEXT MEETING IS JUNE 10^TH , 7PM AT THE YUMA LANDING

I SEEM TO BE REPEATING MYSELF. COME ON DOWN AND JOIN US

50^TH ANNIVERSARY AND COMMEMORATIVE CEREMONIES:

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8^TH, 1999

HOSTED BY PARADISE CASINO

A CONCERT EVENT WITH A RENOWN CELEBRITY (CELEBRITY UNKNOW AT THIS TIME, BUT CONTACTS ARE BEING 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’RE STLL WAITING FOR CONFIRMATION FROM MCAS TO STAGE THIS EVENT AT THE YUMA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT/MCAS.

OUR NEXT MEETING IS JUNE 10^TH, 7 PM AT THE YUMA LANDING

CAN’T SAY WE’RE NOT REMINDING YOU.

RESTORATION

WITH THE KTTI EVENT, MAY 6^TH –8^TH, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO DO A LOT OF RESTORATION. WE DID WORK THE SATURDAY BEFORE THE EVENT, REINFORCING THE FLOOR AND REINSTALLING THE SIDE PANELS, JUST TO PRESERVE THE INTERIOR OF THE AIRCRAFT. ALSO WE ADDED "SIMULATED" GAS TANKS SO THAT THEIR STAY IN THE PLANE WAS THE SAME AMOUNT OF LIVING SPACE THAT BOB AND WOODY HAD IN 1949.

ENGINE: JIM GILLASPIE, RUDY SCHANTEK AND I WORKED SATURDAY, MAY 15^TH INSTALLING THE ENGINE MOUNT PERMENENTLY TO THE AIRPLANE’S FIREWALL. WHEN WE STARTED WE FELT IT WAS GOING TO BE AN EASY TASK. 6 HOURS LATER, AND WITH THE HELP OF MANY LEVERS AND STRAPS (NOT TO SAY SWEAT), THE MOUNT WAS IN PLACE FOR GOOD. ON THE MORNING OF MAY 22^ND JESSE MOONYHAM, GREG GARDNER AND OTHERS ARRIVED AT THE WAREHOUSE TO TRANSPORT THE FUSELAGE TO JIM SIEMENS HOUSE SO THAT WE COULD MOUNT THE ENGINE. JIM SIEMENS, JOHN YOUKEY, JIM GILLASPIE, GENE LaHAISE, BUDDY DEAN, AND MYSELF MOUNTED THE ENGINE THAT DAY. THE YUMA DAILY SUN SENT A PHOTOGRAPHER DOWN TO CAPTURE THE EVENT, WHICH WAS PUBLISHED IN THE FOLLOWING MONDAY’S NEWSPAPER. (JOHN YOUKEY.. THEY FORGOT YOU IN THE ARTICLE. BUT WE KNOW YOU WERE THERE WORKING HARD). ON MONDAY EVENING, WE CONTINUED WHERE WE LEFT OFF ON SATURDAY. MANY OF THE CONTROLS FROM THE COCKPIT HAVE BEEN INSTALLED. PLUS THE BAFFLING AND MANY OTHER ITEMS ARE NOW INSTALLED TO READY THE PLANE FOR FLIGHT. THANKS GO OUT TO JIM SIEMENS, JOHN YOUKEY, ERNIE MUNOZ, AND JIM GILLASPIE, FOR PUTTING MANY DEDICATED HOURS INTO REBUILDING THIS 145 HORSE CONTINENTAL ENGINE.

INTERIOR: ACTUALLY THERE IS NO CHANGE IN THE REPORT I MADE IN MY LAST NEWS LETTER, EXCEPT WE KEEP GOING BACK TO JERRY McGUIRE AND ASKING FOR THE PANELS BACK FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER. THIS LAST TIME WAS SO THAT WE COULD INSTALL THEM FOR THE KTTI EVENT. JERRY, THAT’S IT…. DO YOUR THING.

CO-PILOT’S DOOR: SINCE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT INTERIOR I WANT TO AGAIN MENTION THE REPLICA OF THE CO-PILOT DOOR USED DURING THE FLIGHT IN 1949 HAS BEEN BUILT BY CARL FRANKS. CARL IS A WINTER VISITOR FROM THE STATE OF WASHINGTON WHO HAS BEEN HELPING US ON THE PROJECT FOR TWO YEARS NOW. CARL..YOUR DOOR HAS NOT BEEN PAINTED YET. BUT, FOR SURE, IT’S ON OUR AGENDA BEFORE THE PLANE IS HUNG IN A MUSEUM ENVIRONMENT.

ON THURSDAY MAY 27^TH, JUDY AND I WERE INVITED TO ATTEND THE YUMA CADET "SQUADRON 509’S’ END OF SCHOOL YEAR DINNER. WE HAD A GREAT TIME WITH ALL THESE GREAT YOUNG ADULTS. THEY ARE ALL OUTSTANDING YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHO TAKE THEIR OTH TO THE SQUADRON AND THEIR ROLL OF THE FUTURE VERY SERIOUSLY. THE BIGGEST SURPRISE CAME WHEN TODD PINNT, THE SQUADRON’S SENIOR LEADER, PRESENTED ME WITH A BEAUTIFUL AWARD OF APPRECIATION FOR INVOLVING THE CADETS IN THE "City OF YUMA" PROJECT. I THANK YOU, CADETS, FOR THE AWARD AND YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THIS HISTORICAL RESTORATION AND HELPING TO PRESERVE THE "City OF YUMA".

OUR NEXT MEETING IS JUNE 10^TH 7PM AT THE YUMA LANDING

GET THE PICTURE!!! SEE YA THERE!!!
CAPTAIN RON