..

-Volume I
No. 12
November J,
1943

r::4}i-- ,~

f t;Ai'=c-

f ROG R~M S

k[AME
JO ~E ~HANGED ~
NO LONGER TO . BE KNOWN
~
_A_S THE U · S • NAVA~
;-:-:_FINE RECORD
--:-FLIGHT GROUP--FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS SCHO_~ \.
- --ESTABLISHED-• • • fl 43-J II • • •
Wi th the last few AV(P)
COMPLETES TRAINING
flight checks rolling around,
'
With the 11 43-J 11 group
the school is rapidly fallmore than a month ahead of
Following close uping into a new classification.
schedule and the Av-cads
on the heels and overThe title - Naval Flight Inprogressing smoothly thru
lapping in a few cases
structor's School - will soon
their flight stages, the
the preceding flight
be a memory and the new one of
results of ·the fine cooper- group, 11 Class 43-J" anU. S. Navy CAA War Training
ation between Aircraft Ser- ticipates transfer orSchool - Bloomsburg will bevices Consolidated, the
ders to Philadelphia
come official.
Commanding Officer of this
·by November 5th.
station and the C.A,A. ofCAA/WTS is the second phase
The class is drivficials, are becoming realof the trip toward those Navy
ing
toward this goal
ized.
wings of gold. The first step
in expectation of a
The careful attention to few weeks leave prior
being the Flight Preparatory
detail as well as the sound to their next assignSchool, then CAA/WTS followed
organization of the operaby Pre-flight School - Primary
ment. With Lt. Rice
tions and instruction units and Messrs. Wolf and
Air Base - Intermediate (the
is largely responsible for
gold wings) - Operational Snyder aiding in rushthe fine performance.
Training - Fleet and Combat.
ing the completion of
the ground school proThe CAA/WTS assumes the role
gram,
the goal approof the initial (E) Base, or the
aches
reali zation.
spot where the student takes
his elementary training. Some
Lt. Michaelis and
AV Cadets however seem to think
Lt. (jg) Prendergast
that the (E) stands for Eliminhave been busy during
ation, for it is at this base
the past week at the
that he stands for the first
task of qheck riding
time a chance to be eliminated
Flight Group 43- J.
because of his flying ability.
This group can now
.....• continued p. 5_••••••••••
look back to the· ,17th
of Mey when they first
were transferred to
J\\IRPORT
L O O M S ~_J[__R G
Bloomsburg as AV(P)s,
..•.•. By H. J . Ganly ..... .
Class 43-J, to t he ir
Why Bloomsburg? Doe s that question sound familiar to you? i determination and hard
It has been pondered over time after time by some of the
' effort in survival
deepest thinkers at this station. During our efforts to learn! thru the course. To
the first thirty days
why the Bloomsburg Navy came into being, we consulted such
of
indoctrination as
great analytical minds as Daryl Crane, Jim Carlin and 11 Waco, 11
line
gremlins wa tc:hing
t he r,anine clairvoyant. The first two just scratched their
the
other
cla s se s fly .
heads ,--but Waco had business elsewhere.
Then the happy day
Undoubtedly, the principal reason for the Navy coming to
when they got t he ir
Bloomsburg - the Gey Paree of the Wyoming Valley - was the
chance in the air.
Elks Club. Another influencing factor was the proximity of a
Next acrobatics,
large open area along the banks of the Susquehanna which we
then
cross - country,
have since come to know as Ailor's Aerodrome or the Land of
the
hours
looking down
the Mid- day Fogs.
on
the
lights
of the
The far - sighted.less of five local citizens was demonstratown, the revol ving
ted in 1931, when they organized the Bloomsburg Flying Club-significantly--on December 7th. In addition to indulging in !1 beacon and fl ares on
a hobby, these men hoped to educate ]loomaburg in what was to ,;, the field.
.•. continued p . 3 •...
b ecome one of her major contributions to the war effort .
• • . . . . • •QQ.ntinued - p a,g.e..__7_, •••••••
H09_,L

/ft

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••••••••••••••••••••••••••• STRAIGHT

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~Vol. I. ------- November
Edi tor. • • • • • • • • .
InMa.~aging
Editor • • • • •

? · ),(_·~~· _

:_:.::43~:.--~-:: ::~

• John C•.Parker
Lester J. Abele
ijCartoons • • • • • William C. Melanson, Jr.
~News Editor • • • • • • • • • • H.J. Ganly
Sports_·_·_· _:_ ._._·__ . ••• R. ~~~-,

I
t

A1D1V1I1S101R1S --

.................... .
Michaelis ••••• ,Officer-in-Charge

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From "Andy" Boyaj ian
I feel highly honored to be able to
make a few s1igg8stions to the few i::emaining A.V.P. officers who, when graduated
from this activity, will no doubt become
Flight Instructors in Our Navy.
Inasmuch as this will be the last issue of "Straight and Level" published at
this activity before all of the remaining A.V.P.'s leave, I should like to have
each and every one of you to try to always remember the following suggestions:

,,Lt. C. L.
:1t. J. J. Boyd .••••••••.• F.xecutive Officer
I!'I
The Flight Instructor owes a tremen!;
STRAIGHT AND LEVEL is published by the
dous responsibility to both his students
Ii student officers of the Naval Flight Inand to the Aviation Industry. He will
pstruc tors School, of Bloomsburg, Pa.
== r n
-=- - - - = = = . . = - = o : ·. be responsible ...for the flying habits,
and therefore in a large degree for the
safety of his students throughout their
FROM A FRIEND WITH THE R.C.A.F.-flying careers. Further, he will be
responsible for the safety of not only
11 I know just how you feel in this waitthe students but also of the equipment,
ing business. At one point after I got my property and passengers that are later
wi..:.gs I went 5 months without even flying
entrusted to.his care. The potential
or being near a kite. That's the worst
results of negligence or incapability on
part of training - the wa1ting - but in
his part ~re obvious and should his
due course it e.11 works out and generally
students later become instructors themfor the best.
·
selves, these results may be transmitted
and multiplied to a degree impossible to
11 • • • • I'm really foolish not to have
estimate. Every instructor should be
gone on at least twins or heavies, but I
aware of this responsibility and should
wouldn't trade this life for anything and
conscientiously strive to instruct every
can never regret getting a fling on S.E.
student to the best of his ability.
A/C, particularly on Spitties. They are
superb and there is no S.E. A/C for my
Today we are confronted with a bitter
money that can be classed with them---Allied
war;
however, in spite of this war, our
or enemy - Atlantic or Paci.fict
standards must be upheld as well as om11 Am with a Canadian outfit which is tops ability and our desire keener to become
both in personnel and record. Last week on the best Instructor and Pilot.
my second "do" over the ditch and back we
As one instructor to another, may I
had quite a "Schnozzle" vlith quite a few
remind
you of some of your responsibiliJerries. Managed to get e. 11 190 11 almost
ties
as
the instructor?
head. on (first hun I've seen) and tho' my
kite took a few slugs, managed to prang
Each student will present a different
him--went down smoking and then in flames.
problem of mind and personality, but all
Lot of luck, but. then it 1 s needed and one
students have certain fixed limitations
can never have too much."
that must be considered. Every new student has to be adjusted, inasmuch as he
has neYer flown an airplane before. The
rate of adjustment depends largely on
CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD LUCK
th.e aptitude
of the student, but the
training methods, knowledge, adapta.bili ty, capability and technique of the inSubj.: ZORN, Irvin James, Jr., Y2c,
structor ust?d play a large part.
4os-10-79,o-1, u.s.N.R.
Assignment to Naval Flight
1. Careful study and analysis by the
Preparatory School.
instructor of the'art of instruction.
2. Flawless flying technique on the
1. In accord~nce with references you are
part of ·the instructor and a thorough
authorized and directed to transfer
knowledge -of the art and science of
subject named man to report at least
flight.
two (2) days prior to convening date
of class, to Officer-in-Charge, Naval
3. The instructor's ability and
Aviation Cadet Selection Board, Bospatience to impart his knovilecige to
ton, Massachusetts, for further transthe student.
fer to Flight Preparatory School, for
4. The ability of the instructor to
aviation cadet training, in the class
inspire a student to want to fly in
convening November 25, 1943,
the proper manner.
Ed. Note: We warned Irvin to stay away
5, The ability of the instructor to
from those flying machines, but understand
inspire and obt&in the full confidence
that the bug has bitten him and th&t the
of his students.
yellow kite which has been hovering over
6. The ability of the instructor to
the Tovm of Bloomsburg recently has been
thoroughly sell the student on the
piloted by none other than our -yeoman.
fact that good instruction is not only
.
necessary but higl1ly desirable.
•
• •• Continued page •• ~.

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....................................

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November 3, 1943 - - - - - - STRAIGHT A.llD LEVEL - - - - - - - - - Page 3
FINE RECORD ESTABLISHED--(Con'td. from p.l)
Those students who pat themselves on tl:ie
back for the record time in which they have
completed the flight course, and you can't
blame them, might well stop to thank the
people who have worked nights on the wings
in the shop down at the other end of the
field. Bernie for keeping the instruments
in order; Fred and Wess for keeping the
engines humming; Steve for his zeal for the
radios; and all the others, but above all
Messrs. Ailor, Boyajian, and Fisher for
their endless effort. They'll be here dQing the same fine job seven days a week
when those now stationed here are headed
for leave, Texas, or other horizons.

FLIGHT CHECK
. .HANGAR
.. . .. .. ... .. ..... ... ... .. ......
Placed in suspense by an unexpected
muster in full uniform last Friday
evening, the cadet company was expecting anything from an hour of drilling
to a football game. They were caught
entirely unawares by a salvo of flight
quizzes fired at them by the Skipper
and Lt. (jg) Prendergast.
The tests on Elementary Flight Maneuvers, Stages 11 A11 and 11 B11 were readily taken over by the cadets but the
Billet Flying they produced was much
more prolonged.
The results were generally good, 11
said Lieutenant Michealis, "although
many cadets should spend more time
studying the procedure of flight maneuvers, as explained in their manuals,
so that all their time in the air can
be spent in going through the actual
maneuvers. At advanced bases, this
study is a neqessity. 11
11

FLIGHT GROUP "43-J" COMPLETES TRAINING-•••••• Continued from p. 1 •.••..
Time in the Fleets, then back to the good
old Waco's for Instructor refresher and the
"F" check--the time above all when a good
job was to be done. They made it. A few
hours formation and the end of the co-qrse,
and the end of the Flight Instructors
course. The beginning of the fledgling
V-5 vrogram.

For the information of the cadet who,
when advised to study the book, asked
"What book?" -- The Navy Flight Training Manual, No. 1. You know, the one
you use to swat flies with down at the
airport.

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ABELE, LESTER J., ENS. (Siri)--Detroit, Michigan - Age 28 - Married - No children.
Sworn in at Detroit, Feb. 11, 1943. Prior to enlistment designed and sold bar and
restaurant equipment. Wants duty anywhere on or cff the Pacific coast.
BAXTER, MATTHEW A:.lllDREW, 218. ( Snafu) - Cleveland, Ohio - Age 23 - Married, one child.

Sworn in at New York City, Jan. 29, 1943. Prior to enlistment was a machinist for
Aircraft Screw Corp., Long Island City. Wants coustal patrol.
CRANE, DARYL SCOTT, EHS. (:Jut, Sir, the snow) - Whiting, Maine - Age 22 - Eligible
bachelor. Sworn in at Boston, Mass., Oct. 10, 1942. Enlistea. previously as an
Av/Cad July 20, 1942. Took Secondary at Concord, N. H. and X-C a,t Allentown, Pa.
prior to Bloomsburg. Was attending University of Maine when E:nlisted. Wants
combat duty.
: : : : : :CONTINUED--PAGE 4::::::

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Page

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STRAIGHT AI·JD LEVEL •••• :••.•.. November 3, 1943

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FINNEGAN, EDWARD JOSEPH, ENS. (Hot Lips) -

Peekskill, N. Y. - Age 27 - Married. Sworn
at New York City, Jan. 29 1 1943. Prior to
.enlistment was Field Engineer for I .B.M. Graduate of I.B.M. :E.;ngineering School at
Endicott. Wants sea duty with the fleet.

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GLE:NN, ROBERT ELLIS, ENS. (Rocks & Shoals} Plattsburg, N. Y. - Age 27 - Married three
children. Sworn in at New York ' City, Jan •
.21, 1943. Prior to enlistme.nt· was Ass't.
Manager, Pal Blade Co. Graduated Ohio State
University 1938. Wants transport service.
HEGEivlA...~, Vv1.JI. DiWIS=Lt. (jg) (Silver Beaver} Port Washington, L. I. - Age 31. Sworn in at
New York City, Jan. 18, 1943. Prior to enlistment managed his own real-estate and insurance business. Wants transport service. 7 ,-1,qr:5 TNE C4S, co u1::?S 1:;-)

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HOWARD, K&'IJNETH B, ENS. (Restricted)
Flint, Mich.' - Age 29. Sworn in· at De\ ) ; ,\l l
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worked for A. C. Spark Plug Co.
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JONES, THOMAS HENRY, F..NS. (Down-Check) Buffalo, N. Y.
Married, two children. Sworn in at Buffalo, N. Y. ,. _1 ' .
Jan. 19, 1943. · Prior to _enlistment ·owned_. and oper- , · · __:.; C'<,)
lt,::..-------.)
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ate¢ radio sale~ and service business. Wants to inst~ct/.~\.·9)~

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MAIER; GEORG~ HOBE~T, ENS. (Wilkes-Barre) -.Hoboke4f
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Sworn ~n at New York Cit?, Jan. 21, 1943. _ _Prior
CN>~]~'}·
to enlistment was an est1m1:ttor for Todd Shi.p
'(t~'.-1
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Ya:ds. Majored in Phys. Eci. at Panzer Collegef'f!j
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Ea.,tOrange,N.J.
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MARTIN, GEORGE ROB'T., r.Jt~. \Don't Stop Now) -:Newburg, N. Y. - Age 26 - .Married, one child.
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Svva:n in at New York City;.Jan. 27, 1943. Prior to
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enlistme~t worke ·· ~
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Dupont Co.~ Newburg, N. Y • .. /I, v'!) /•/Oc;j""G"df#r.LC/'-/£N Tl-IC
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Taught Biology · -~i~ and English at Oneonta · · 1 .
Hig~ School, ; .~;,
. '~ •. ·/ Oneon~a, N. Y.
VE:ul PO.t/V. r //"./.,'DIC//Tc5 FO.l<.
Gractua ted fro ,i_:; ~~/ flh) Hc1:rtvnck College,
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MELANSON., Wm. Chas~, Jr., LT. (jg) - (Beep-Boy-it. -up-Bub}
Ore. -Age 25.-Sworn in at Boston, Sept. 15,

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town, Pa., prior to Bloomsburg. Before enlist::i..ng graduated from Dar-tmouth C~+.lege 1942 in architectur~. P~<ltoon leader - Cartoonist S&L - Wants sea duty vn th fleet.

McCABE, JOSEPH HENRY, ENS. (New York's Finest) - Queens,
N~ Y. - Age 28 - Sworn in at New York City - Jan. 21,1943.
·. ,1~'')'
Prior_ t~ enlistment was ~, mem~~r ~f N. Y; Police For~e.
·'""""':·:".':r;i~L ~~ .
Attended Brooklyn Polytecn,. l"lant'° coasto.l patrol _prefer'',i;OD..V~'l-&]~'~"':"';~/JRVE y
ably at. Fl_oyd Bennett
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Field •
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•••••••••••
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November 3

Page 5

STRAIGHT AND LEVEL

1943

SCHOOL NAME TO BE CHANGED-(Continued from p. 1)

As a1CAA/WTS this activity
will be made up entirely of Aviation Cadets. All regulations,
etc., concerning them will be
handled from the Naval APTC at
Kansas City. It is well at this
time to let it be known that the
cadet's activities are governed
by the regulations as set up by
NAPTC and Training Division Bureau of Air and by the local regulations necessary to operate the
school in as military a fashion
as possible. With the event of
our coming under the cognizance
of NAPTC, cadets will be in contact with Primary training from
the beginning to end.

R.E.S.'U.M.E'
Thirty-one stalwarts of 43-J
Came here to Bloomsburg the middle of May.
Last of the AVPs, though no one then knew,
Starting as many, they soon became few.
Pushing the planes around was too much for one.
Thirty were left when the first month was done.
Thirty good men, all able and strong,
But, alas and alack, not thirty for long.

With "A" stage completed and "A" checks all
finished

One more bit the dust and the number diminished.
Six more of the men went down in stage "B".
Cros2-country was taken by just twenty-three.

Here too one was lost and a mere twenty-two
Remained in the place of that· first gallant crew.
"D" stage was a breeze, in "D" stage no check.
As "E" stage came up, twenty-two still on deck.

The cAA/~11TSch9ol.s have already
proved their- worth 'put there has
always been 'a fe1elifyg among cadets that :their stay at this type
Twenty-two in the Fleets, those historic antiques
of activity has been so~ewhat of
Twenty-two with their fingers crossed one or
an interl~de from .ravy·life. This
two weeks,
is due perhaps to ' the nature of
Twenty..;two came to ''F" tstage. There one more
the schools and college locat~pn.
wasdost • .
It is a tough job for·a man to
_Twenty..;one•still flew on through the October
frost. ,
·
vision himself on active duty and
at the same time have a bunch of
coeds under his ·heels at all times. One of these, though a flier · of , skill· and repute
H~d obtained on the gym floor a fracture acute,
However, you may depend on the
Leaving -twenty who are wishing the best to
fact that this school will become
this ace,
more _and more military every day.
He will probably go to some other base.
That you are a 100% Navy man on
active ·.duty in war time; that you
Thus twenty are left, and they're checking
are in this type of work because
out fast
.
the Navy thinks it best for you;
With a sigh of relief as the "F" check is passed,
that you are governed by Navy regAnd nothing remains but ten hours of formation,
ulations the same as the men on
Then to Philly, and Texas, and all over the
Guadalcanal; that your part in the
nation.
war effort is vital; that you are
a member of the finest, fightingist
Navy in the world; that if you are
not the proudest person when you
wear that uniform you are in the
wrong spot.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

In short you are a fµil~fl~dged
member of the "Aristocracy of the
Service. 11
•••• Lt. J. J. Boyd
,

·~-~

GRADUATES •• Continued. from page 4---MEAD, FRANK R. JR., ENS. (Martinis, King Size)
St. Matthews, So. Car. - Age ·23 - Married, th~ee
children. Sworn in at New York City, Jan. 13, 1943.
Cola Bottling Co. Attended Univ;. of . Virginia ano.
others. Wants comba t duty.
.
: .
.
PAJ\KER, JOHN C • , ENS • ( Sand Blcw~i:- j

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-· Huntirigtan ;' L • I.
Age 27. Sworn in at New York Ci tyl Jan. 7, 1943 ~ Prior

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to enlistment was assistant to Production Control Superintenclent; Nassau Plant, Sperry Gyroscope Co. Graduated ~'-/
.. · ·
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·
from Amherst College, 1938. Editor of "Straight and
Level." Wants duty in Pacific.
·
~~SLUTZ, PHILIP A., LT._ (jg) (Hello~ John??) - Nort~ Bergen,-~
N. J. - Age 32. Married. Sworn in at New York City,
Jan. 9, 1943.. Prior . to enlisting was business
FOLLOW nt= THR.OUG/.1
mane..ger for Denman & Davis, steel wholesalers.
0/'11/-1!$.
Wants to instruct or transport service.

c£~. .

·-.-.-.-.- _Concluded ••• page 9 -.-.-·~·-··-

Page 6 •.•••.•••••••••••••••••••• STRAIGHT .AND LEVEL ••••.••••••••••••• November 2, 1943,

CiETCl-l /.t

GE/-IH ON -

'

t-ET5

-

G-£t

'

TS

,5TAflT£D,

s
.

•••• CHAPP, HILL-IT!§,.:•••
. !net and finishing 21 feet inside the
The old competitive spirit is great
;building line of Navy Hall. A more reastuff. Do or die_ neaver say "uncle" (if ls?nable c~urse was selec~ed and it was
"auntie" can get you what you want) _ that Bill (Let s Have a Dog-fight) Barba who
is the attitude a Naval Aviator has to have.' turned in the best time of 11 seconds
Never pass a two-year old with a lolly-pop flat. We can.vouch for ~he time, but
without making hint prove he has a right to I not for the d~stance. J~m Hazelwood and
said lolly-pop. You might wind up with an Jom_my Lazevnick (Attention all mu~ter
occasional pair of black eyes_ like a
officers: s?e~led_LAZE:7NICK) supplied
friend of ours whose name we would mention
the close fim.sh in this event. Lazevbut the EDITOR might not like it. Now the nick (we can't tell you how to pronounce
trouble with this competition business is alt) might have won this event but he
that the spirit is contagious.
!!churned up so much gravel at the start
Ithat he had to climb out of' a six-foot
To prove our point.- last month ~im Latrench before he could begin to run.
lanne was named the winner of the t:;i.tle
1
The 280 yard dash was another displ
11 Simon Legree."
T~e champ went on a 10-day !!or blinding speed although we regret t~y
leave - we would like to know how you do
I report that darkness fell bef re e.11 th
dat - a nd :ight away Mr. Buchhe~t is in
contestants returned and one ~adet is e
there working for the title~ His metho~
still missing. Mr. Lalanne is worried
was to ~allow the Obstacle C?urse,(h?rrible about this because the cadet failed to
word) with a track meet. This haa tne caturn in his gym gear before departing.
dets so upset that most of them thought
The
lieutenant pointed out that this is
I
:hey were ~upposed to cra~l through the
i in the cadet regulations and besides he
1 needs the elastic to repair his suspennurdles - instead of running around them.
~
ders.
-C 'OLYMPICS
Did we remember to mention that Barba
won the 280 in 35 seconds?
The class track meet unearthed a veritable ·"gold" mine of undeveloped talent ~'***
CARLIN SHINES
AGAIN 1111
·*-'~*
mostly in the brick form.
11111
.

I

I
1

I

.....................

Bill Barba and Jim Carlin were the outstanding performers with two first places I
Fresh from his triumphs behind the
apiece and when they came face to face
f?ot-lights Jim (Wanna Paper Doll) Carthe starting line for the sixty yard low
lin waltzed __round the 840 yards in 2
hurdles, they brought the crowd (Buchheit
--7'. minutes and 24 secand two binnacled V-12 1 s) to its feet. The · ii
e " "-·~
ands. Jim had less
two favorites must have spent too much time
trying to dazzle each other with their foot
work because when the event was over it was
discovered that Broad Beam Galletly h..ad wad
dled around, through and even ·over, the hur 1
dles to capture first place. Barba and Car
lin crossed the line in a dead heat to leave
the individual championship still undetermined. It is rumored that they are going to
settle it in a rough and tumble game of
"Battleships" with no holds barred. Gallet
Carlin also showed himself to be the
ly's time for the hurdles was 9.2 seconds
best jumper in the class--both for height
while Barba and Carlin made it in 9.4.
and for the number of consecutive jumps.
His
best height was 4 ft. 6 inc. (It I s a.
Barba takes 100 and 280-bird! - It's a plane! - No, it's Carlin!)
The century tlash was precedetl by Chief
How many jumps he made was not tabulated
Field Judge Buchheit's selection of a suit- by the scorekeeper, but Jim really had
able course . At first he showed a preferthe ground torn up.
ence for a stretch star~ing at the cargo
(~tMore Sports on Scuttleflash page YID
--··--·--·-· (next column, please) --··· --·

atl·
I

-

.

;

GET VP .

SO!''0~ GvYS

LEflRN

HAR\) WA'(

Tl-ii::..

..

<

November

3, 19La •.••...••....••. STRAIGHT ..AN"D LEVEL• • • ••• • ••

I)

•••••••

•

•••

•

•

•

Page 7

(BLOOMSBURG AIRPORT •• Cont. from p._1)

By 1934, however, after the town had
displayed a complete lack of interest in
the venture, and under financial stress,
these men lost heart and the club dissolved. Fortunately, though, one of the
members was confident that aviation was
Bloo,msburg's Big Chance and he took over
the airport as a strictly business venture. That person was Harry L. Magee,
who, from that time on, waged a one-man
campaign to make Bloomsburg air conscious.

f

He must have enjoyed ramming his head
against the town hall, because apparently
Bloomsburg was dogged in its determination to keep its eyes lowered to the
ground.

Chapel Hill bound, the last contingent of 44-B boarded an outgoing Greyhound on Tuesdav morning, October 19.
With many hours of flying logged in
UPF7 1 s they hope to be the hottest pilots ever to invade II the Hill. 11
Originating at P~nn Pre-Flight last
April as the "fighting fourth battalion 11
this group was the first to invade the
exclusive officers1 club atmosphere of
:Bloomsburg Teachers. They arrived at
this thriving little metropolis on the
fourth of August ready to fly at last.
During their ten weeks stay the men were
kept busy putting in .their flight time.
A number of memor,a ble incidents spiced
their tenure at this base. 11 Peachy 11
Miller's night flying junket will probably be remembered long after Doolittle I s
Tokio raid is forgotten. Big Deal Ben
Leathers cannot be passed over lightly.
It will be a long time before any at
this base will meet one as informed on
world affairs as our former shipmate.
The bitter defeat administered at the
hands of 44-C in footb~ll, the impending
Carco-Leathers feud, Jones and Harris,
Noisemakers, Inc., and Lover Clements
all joined together to make this mighty
fine little outfit different.

The new business was christened
COLUMBIA AIRWAYS and expansion followed
with .the purchase of additional planes and
equipment. The first hangar was built
probably to help the unemployment problem
because these were lean years and business
certa:{nly did not warrant it, but civicll1inded Harry Magee was out to prove that
the airport would be a boon to the community if the citizens would allow it to
get ·s tarted. A distrJbutorship for the
Aeronca. was obtained and charter flights
and student instruction were undertaken.
The airport was one of three licensed
airplane repair plants in Pennsylvania,
and the charter to fly established passenger and freight routes was the first of
its kind in Pennsylvania. An organized
program ·of public education in aviation
was begun and eventually a course in aeronautics was offered at the airport by the
Extension Services of the Pennsylvania
State Coll~ege.
.

*****"'***********

~Y

I. ,,; ,

A~ ·
~-i·-;;~~'~s-S~::~J/l
i/J. A"7:·:·;
. \ ~;::,? . ,
· ~ f''0 Jj

In 1935, the hangar
Seven men left for Chapel Hill at
at the east end of the
the end of eight weeks of training:
:ield wa_s . built. Thie
Bair, Cordell, Harris, Kenny, Leathers,
is now tne wing shop.
and Learned are already in sight of
This ye·a r . was also
.their primary bases. The rest of the
~
.
marked by continued
wing: . Brooks, Clement, Davis, Joines,
if,,
{
efforts to have the
Jones, Larsen, Ma.rmelstein, Schmidt,
ffe~ ·,
town take over the
and Webster moved out on the 19th of
11
D JI". J i.11
land a..'Yl.d operate. the
October. Only two men, Barclay and
fl\). I :iJ.. · }
field as a municipal
Benuisius, failed to make the grade.
airport. The thorLentz was moved back to 11 D11 because of
~
~
oughness with which
sicknes.s ., and Dal.e Miller is temporar\
( ~ Mr. Magee worked is
ily indisposed, but upon recovery from
2·
v
shown
in
the
fact
a
concussion sustained in the heat of
·'·-:::::::··:•.,. . ::::;·:~~::..:.. :,:·: ·····-•-:-i::~,,,:•.:..,..
that he ··had a special act put through the I a soccer tilt he is expected to continue
State Legislature to make it possible for
his training.

J~

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-/;ff \J \

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!~igE~~;~:£(:~J~:;:;~~:~. - ·•: : :·:::::;~;,f~~~:·r

unless you stop to inquire how many towns
...,.......................,.. . . - ,,// /f ·
there are in Pennsylvania. Oddly enough,
p-,:_'.
.. . ./!j,.71 ......... . - .... . . . . . · // ./ !
:Bloomsburg i~ ~he only 11 town 11 in the state~0 -t,
...............··
•·•••...-/
i/
1.;
other communities are boroughs, townships,,,t,t-"\'·'"'\,tl) J, _i
•.•./·
r
'f
etc. However, due to the pressure of ec- .0~r.~~ -·,:·.~ :1\ .. . /
onomic conditions and ·the local new~paper ,, ,,,,r "
c:: Y•} ;V)IJ}.J /7!--ft!:1~ ' ·
the town did not want a municipal airport.
~>(0 /. ;\X,:~ /.·,._· -': ~)
.
.....,
\ 9"
J···.y.· V1 ,,,,"
/,.t , . ~
,
. ,-,
,,y .,,,. . ~
/ ..... . ·. . ~··"'·z
.,
- '"' t
The Federal Government first came on
.'Jo.. - .t>-~
::..:::.:--- --·-·~·--~/ 11 ~
·.· the scene about this time and for a wh~le
,,.···R,--:, .:_: ~ ~ ::~~~~:""..)
it seemed that :Bloomsburg might be desig._._. ,...,.
OT!i
-· - ···- ..... . ":'- - --::-:...............
na.ted a.s an auxiliary field in the airNOW E:.NjO'\ \\""'( .,,,.,,,,.,·,.·"'·"''"'···LP..'.~
mail system. Conscious of this opportun- ····· .. a<'tr.\
~c.'.,l::tie!\
ity,. Mr. Ma.gee further increased the facilities at the airport. His efforts were
in vain because the P.O.Dept. never followed thru on its proposal. (Cont.-pagell)

.1

"),.£>~ ~,i
1

i:t

f

Page 8 ••••••••••••••••.•••.•••••• STRAIGHT AND LEVEL •••••••••.•••••• November 2, 1943

--

L

.I.M

F AL S E
II II 11

A L A R .M -:--..

,nni if11·,,·111111 ·1111 ttif"ii"i·, It 1111II11111111111111

the
·-- ·- ---- -· -and

/-IOT _I

shot between your feet, . reach., ~Q~m\':::i::;
grasp-·ft -iirmii ·v.,ii:i.le - · - .;)'.:'. >--'·' .~.: ··

curling up li_k·e a. r_e_t-~el:; - " _
J j':_!;
~;[fr:;~·~
Drop-shot-Joe Ganly rang the bell on a
then heaving the ba:J..1, .UPt'~\
;;:;,,
·long shot from mid court during a lively
and over your )heart, ·re- \ " ~ .·. r, ·
basketball drill last week. He really has
leasing it of\ coidrse at \
. ,.~,.,:;.
+.,•.
an eye for the hoop. The only consternathe proper time ,+;' Cahill~ '/ :1;;:,,,,, .
tion that was caused was in trying to stop
overlookecl "t41i~·t1~st step \ · _1
..
the bell. With the split second judgment
and almo s;t WOrli t;:p,_e\ broad
~
-: ·. . ;>
found in· all naval officers it was decided
jump by clea:ri(pg,>,,i·S,.Jeet
. .,,:~-~ -·:
the best tack would be to ring the local
before he' reniehib~:['.ed t6 · . · ,.,., ,- .: . -,.;;~' ./' _;.fire Department, Friendship Company No. 1.
let go of 'the·. shG.t.> :::~Jo-3.(;J·):·Cafi°;_ wii·s·
.
Ganly explained to them that the ,j_;i~~i' ,,-h_,~(f perfectly at hom,~ .in"-th:i:'s ' eY$t'iit···and __ w6n
alarm box was broken by mistake.
, ,--....~~...
it easily with a \os.~ of 26 ·l't~_,. .2½''in.
A. nickel was wasted though, They-·
'While being interviewea·rater··on, Jose'
hadn, t even heard about it• • • • • • ~ ,· 7
said, "It was a tough fight, folks; but
••• P. S. - Wyder repaired said
·
you lr.rww how I can throw it. 11 Meaning,
damage. Is Ganly always kicking the gong
of course, the SHO.
around?
p.

·,

;,.

.

.,; .•:.1,;!.

':.f t'
t~

000000

SOCK-0 SOCK! (mostly)

00000

Not to be outdone by the previous class,
44-C took to the greensward to prove that
soccer can be enjoyed by all. Since 44-C
~~n~ists of 16 cadet~ in totum, they were f .··./ ,
aivided seven on a side-<;,.)
we allow two goldbrickers _ . ·
· · . _ .,_ ..,"::~: ,,.:·:.fj,':"f
a day (in turn of course). _______ .... ,_..:-\j. :': -,f,;.'
A two out of three series was arranged. T4
··. ·'l"' . , ::~i
gold team came through to take the first l 4 3 !': •··
one handily, but the blues booted home a
,-.
"'-------,,----=--,,....,..-----,--winner in the second. The final contest Gf
was a furiously fought affair. At one
.:.:.:.:PART OF 44-C LEAVES.:.:.:.:
point _Mr. Lalanne grabbed the ball, and it
was ten minutes before either team realized
On Wednesday, Nov. 3rd, part of class
that they were kicking Caria around the
,
field.
After an hour the Blue team surged: 44-C will be detached to 11 Cripple" Hill.
'
ahead to victory. All the contestants
This class arrived at Bloomsburg on Sept.
headed for the gym dragging their tails
1st, and settled dovm to the task of bebehind them confident that a good night's
ing eager beavers. Nine of them receivrest would set them aright.
ed the Beaver Badge after the first eight
.
weeks but the Skipper gave them the nod
. _'i!F:_·_ q _ttlebutt has it that Walt Gra~ now
which sent them on their way. The seven
lfr'C
holds the college record in the
who remain will be put through the Inter,t t~ e/ high jump: While :prettying 1:1-P : mediate Stage of flying and ground-school
(
', ~i
for g~, it seems he backed into · and will join their mates in North Caro'=\.....-,v
·
. a~e~,i1ot_ radiator. H~s inj1:;ry lina in the near future. This additicml
was"---,i.m_~ecfiately the obJect or:.
training will undoubtedly serve them well
-~ rn and un.told remedies when they reach Basic Flight School.
-~
/ome corTo
were offered as a cure. Yes,
The nine men who were detached were:
.
...--rJ
_ {'si;,1Gtff is the brand of cadet I
Barba,
Cahill, Carlin, Ganly, Graf,
l j~rivy needs.
j
Hazelwood,
Lazevnick, Milliman and Rambo.
rt!: ',.\.\ ---....... ··-·
:~ .~:·. ;:::-:· ,:=,;:~:::.trJJ"tAB.Ict'cAii'"REALLY THROW IT! - • - • -

HHH¼ __
_. . .,.
9

......................
.....................

U

I

-------------------------. --

The· torreadors came into their 0vm in a
picturesque event known as the overhead
shotout. When Mr. Buchheit was demonstrating· the technique the cadets thought he
was just having trouble picking up the 16lb. shot. The idea, however, is to place
•••• (Next column, plea se)

NAVAL FLIGHT
INSTRUCTOR'S SCHOOL
BLOOMSBURG, PA.

LT. JOHN J.

LT. ( j • g. ) JAMES LEI.ANNE

11

LT. (j.g.) H. ROTH

BOYD

S~IPPER" LT. C. L. MICHAELIS

LT. (j.g.) WILLIAM PRENDERGAST

0

43-J

BACl ROW
Lt.(j.g.)
Ens.

w.

w.

Watson

D. Hegeman

Ens. E. J. Finnegan

Ens. F. R. Mead

Ens. T. H. Jones

Ens. L. J. Abele

Ens. G. R. Martin

u. E. Ensor

Ens.

CEN 'I'ER ROW

Ens. R. G. Wyder

Lt.(j.g.) P. Slutz

Lt. (j .g.) Wm. Melanson

Ens. G.

w.

Ens. K. Howard

Maier

Ens. M. A. Baxter

FRONT ROW
Ens. R. E. Glenn

Lt.(j.g.) ¥. Walkonen

Ens. M. Wallace

Ens. D.

s.

Crane

Ens. J.

c.

Parker

Ens. J. McCabe

PRES. H.A. ANDRUSS
DEAN J .c. KOCH

DEAN E .A. REA.MS

LT. NORMAN L. RICE

SHIP'S BELL

G.C. BUCHHEIT

A.M. WOLFE

DR. E.H. NELSON

Y 2/o I.J. ZORN

LT.(jg) M. SCHIFF

OPERATIONS

"TINY"

-

"C.A.A."

WILLEY

THE! TA OORT US

"ANDY" BOYAJIAN

ASSISTANT "CHIEF"
FISHER

MASCOT "WACO"

THE "FLEET'S'' IN

CHECIC

"CHEC:rITIS"

"ED" "l4ETZ" "lAUKO"

...

~

November 3, 1943 ••.••••••••••••• STRAIGHT AND LEVEL •••• .: •••••••••••••••• Pa e
A P./1.RUNG W0RD----Continued from page 2--

44-B MEN ESTABLISH RECORD

7. The use of the best methods of Flying Instruction so that the maximum
instruction can be imparted and absorbed in a given period.

LEAD IN ALL SUBJECTS AT
C H A p E .L

-=-------

HI L L

.: ~;·

_/;./

.,:Jt-1

/(/!~;tS

A_;/):.Vf!dif

The first group of seven Av. cads.
to be graduated from this school under
the recent program have made a fine
start at Chapel Hill.

8. A proper sequence of instruction
so that one maneuver will lead naturally to the next.
9. A close and careful analysis of
the student's reactions.
10. The maintenance by the instructor
of high standards in flying technique for himself and the insistance on high standards from his
students.

As members of Battalion 36 at Preflight, these men ranked first, of the
five schools in the Fourth Naval District, in every academic subject included in the tes,ts given all hands
reporting.

The duties of a Flight Instructor are
such that he must not only possess a high
degree of theoretical knowledge; but he
· must also be able to give a flawless practical demonstration of that lmowledge. He
must not only have perfected his own flying technique, but also must know the
"Whys and wherefores" of it. This requires
qualities of a,.-,alysis and synthesis; that
is, the ability to divide the whole or any
action or maneuver into parts, explain
their individual causes and effects and then
accurately and clearly show how they fit into the whole, with their relative importance
as well as position.

Lt. Michaelis
splendid showing
lowing groups to
and keep up this

feels that this is a
and expects the folget behind the wheel
performance.

The staff "and faculty are proud of
the work of this group. There is still
room for improvement as the table below shows.
SCHOOL

RANK AVERAGE

I

l
Bloomsburg • • • •
3.0
. Franklin & Marshal
2
2.7 ·
'1 Lock Haven • . • •
2
2.7
Westminster • • • • • •
2
2.7
Moravian • • • • • • •
2.6
3
The instructor should have a type of per-;
sonality which makes its presence felt, but!
BLOOMSBURG SUBJECT AVERAGES-not in an offenslve way. He must inspire
l SUBJECT:
AVER. %ABV, 2.5
confidence and respect. He must know when
Aerobgy • •
• • • 3-3
100
to praise and when to censure. He must be
Math • • •
3.2
100
quick to sense undesirable mental and phyNavigation • • • • • 3.4
100
sical reactions , on th~ part. of' the stu~ent. j Physics • • • • ••• 2.5
43
He must be abl~ !o ~d~ust his personalityj1 Principles of Flight. 3.1
100
to that of each individual student and de- , Nom. & Recognition •• 2.2
29
velop that of the student, strengthening
his weakness and still exercise t act and
TOTAL •••• •.•••
3.0
78.7
manifest understanding.

I

Above all, the instructor must be able
to impart his knowledge to others.
In conclusion 1 wish to state: If and
when each of you A.V.P. officers is capable of adhering to the
above recommendations, there will never be any doubt as
to your ability as an Excellent Instructor
and Pilot.
Happy Landings - Always

.

Cbd'A~u~r'~?~
GRADUATES •• FLIGHT GROUP "43-J"--Concluded--(from page 5--)
WALK0NEN, KAUK0, LT. (jg) (Berwick) - East Jaffrey, N. H. - Age 29 - Sworn in Boston,
Sept. 15, 1942. Took secondary at Concord, N. H. and x...:c at Allentovm, Pa., prior to
Bloomsburg. Wing Leader. Prior to enlistment was Ass't. foreman and tool maker for
Granite State Tool Co., Peterboro, N. H. Definitely does not want to instruct. Wants
VS or VO duty on cruiser.
WALLACE, MAURY, ENS., (Eager) - Ithaca, N. Y. - Age 27 - Married, one son. Sworn in
a t Ithaca, N. Y., Feb. 8, 1943. Prior to enlisting was Estimator for Structural Salvage Co. Grad. Sy-.cacuse Univ. in Public Admin. 1938. Wants Air Transport.
WATSON, WALTER L., ENS. (Bub) - Hollis, L. I. - Age 26 - Married. Sworn in at New
York City, J an. 26, 1943. Prior to enlisting was structural designer a t Sperry Gyroscope Co. Gradua ted from R. P. I. 1940. Wants Transport Service.
WYDER, ROBERT GEO. ENS. (Big Deal) - Ridgewood, N. J. - Age 31 - Married, two children. Sworn in at New York City, Dec. 26, 1942. Prior to enlistment ovmed and operated "The Well" - Caldwell, N. J. hot spot. Graduated from Penn. Univ. 1933. Wants
Coa stal pa trol on east coast.

STRAIGHT .PJm LEVEL .
PETTICOAT SCUTTLEBUTT
••• by •••

The Wives of the Navy
Sometime within the future
When the battles have been won,
And we 1 ve found again our individual
Spots beneath the sun,
Our men will have a lot of
· Very fancy tales to tell.
Sirs, the ladies will have stories
That they can -share, as well.
We'll recall 'way back in Bloomsburg,
Our husbands' preparation
For the manifold intricacies
Of naval aviation.
Our men may have forgotten,
So much else they will have seen;
So we hereby.make this record,
To keep -the memory green.
THINGS WE LIKED:
The hospitality at the Elks Club •• : •••••••
Eaglesmere/ •••••
Lt. Rice's super art class ••••••
The cinnamon buns at H & C •...•.
The Pennsylvania countryside in October ••••••
Picnics. at the Park, which made us feel really, "Navy" ••••••
The gal with the slanty goggles, even tho' our men liked her, too! ••••••
Shickshinny ••••• Shickshinny ••••• Shickshinny•••••
Horseback riding at Stott 1 s •••••
THINGS THAT PAINED US:
Horseback riding at Stott 1 s ••••••
The way 2400 was a signal for the lid to come down - but tight! -Saturday nights, on the Bloomsburg Naval Cafe Society meetings ••••••
The welcome-in-reverse we got at the USO Hut - the hostesses cried
11 Policyt 11 but could it be the local gals feared competition? ••••••
The all-rn.ale "whip" at the slcating rink, making it suicidal for any
gal to venture out on the floor - we know how you felt, Dr. Schiff!
The weired organ music which ~eeped out of the cracks in the walls of
the Fibber . - Bloomsburg version of voodoo, perhaps? ••••••
THINGS WE'LL REMEMBER:
The very grim housing situation. Bloomsburg is lli2.i a doggy tovm - ask
any Navy wife who owns one •• .- •••
Too-many apartments which the landlords fondly called Bohemian and we called II stinko" ••• ·•••
The intense bu~ we developed when we learned that although our
husbands couldn't speak to us on town liberty, they could be free
with their greetings to the college gals ••••••
The fun we had in ankle sox and hair-down-the back, making like we
were freshmen, and getting into the Fair for nothing, on
·College Day ••••••
The way our hearts huddled in our throats on ."check11 days ••••••
The relief when the call would come -

11

Made itt" ..... .

:,.,

-

..

Page 11 •••••••••••••••••• ~ •• ~ ••• STRAIGHT A.~D LEVEL ••••••••••••••••• November 3, 1943
BLOOMSBURG AIRPORT •• Continued from P· 7 --

l ( (( ( ( (Continued

The business year of 1936 started off'
with a ruGh, when, during the first three
months, three hours of flying time were
sold. Further encouragement followed when
the sleepy Susquehanna took a crack at the
local aviation enterprise by dumping three
feet of water on the field. The valuable
equipment was saved by having the planes
blocked up on barrels. It must have been
a lot of fun to sit around and watch the
water creep up the sides of
the barrels. Happily it did
stop a few inches short of
the tops of the barrels.(We
wonder where the old boy
with the yellow ping-pong
•~~~,~\»~~~~ paddles was du.ring all this.
;0~~
We trust that he found a
barrel of his own to ease
..-··
. .-~:.,.:h.:a:-;,;..the tenseness of the situ- ..:.~t-\'i~~~~--'~;;..,.~ a tion.) It was after this
flood that the "tomb-stone" was set up to
show the high water marks.

.W

from 1st column))))))))))

This time the field was operated under
the direction of Mr. Sam R. Bigony who,
with the college, held a contract for
Civilian Pilot Training. The ground
school class~s were conducted at the
college, as they are now. The town was
becoming aware of aviation and finally,
in August, 1941, sanctioned the port by
leasing it and then subleasing it to the
operator - Mr. Bigony in this case.
In January, 1942, when all civilian
flying had been banned along the coast,
Mr. Ailor came to Bloomsburg and took
over Mr. Bigony's interests. The latter
is now in Washington, D. C. as Assistant Chief of Flight Operations of the
CAA/WTS •

Mr. Ailor came from Roosevelt Field,
Long Island, where he had been operating a program of C.P.T. in cross-country,
Link Trainer and secondary instructors'
training. He transferred these courses
The flood must have deposited a lot of to Bloomsburg and, with the elementary
and secondary courses already under way
good silt or top soil or whatever it is
that cheers the heart of a farmer, because here, the airport entered an era of
after the water receded, Mr. Magee releas- unprecedented activity.
ed his agrarian instincts and planted peas
In the summer of 1942, the program
in the northern half of the field.
changed from C.P.T. to CAA/WTS and 30
This experiment caused a lot of bewil- Army cadets and 10 Navy cadets arrived
derment among the local gentry and prompt- under the new program. In addition to
ed Dr. Nelson, of the college faculty, to this, there were 75 Link Trainer students
write a very learned thesis on pea pro~
sent here by Pan-American Airways.
duction. Dr. Nelson completed this work
In the fall of 1942, the airport bewith the following salute to the "Flying
came
exclusively a Navy ·ll.,raining center,
11
Farmer - and the first class of V-5 cadets went
"Harry Magee, the big pea man of
through the elementary course. They were
, today, cannot remember when he first
closely followed by the first group of
entered the business of pea producFlight Instructor irainees. This last
tion. He says that his mother prob-I
course is about to be terminated when the
1
. ably helped him with his first lit-·¥
last class of AVP 1 S, 43-J, leaves here
tle patch, 11
, ·
around the first of November.
The periods following were succeedingBy the end of 1943, the "old pea
ly worse since all the advantages were
patch" will have provided training for
with airports operating ~'l'ith municipal
over six hundred military pilots, insanction. Finally the competition was
cluding 180 instructors. From all indimora than Columbia Airways could cope
cations, there will be almost as many
with and in 1939 the field was closed.
V-5 men bouncing Wacoes around the field
~
during the comihg year.
This time wheat was planted.
Evidently this information did
not reach everyone who had
, , ,,~ , "'
OrF
occasion to visit the field because the records show that a
·.\
few visitors landed in the wheat-:!·
One stranger m&de this mistake
when the wheat was quite high
.
and h~ came to rest in a three point
position--two wheels and a propeller hub.
During this time the east hangar was used
as a storage plant for the Magee Carpet
interests.

I
!

In the fall of 1940, through the combined efforts of Mr. Magee, Mr. Roy Snyder
and President Andruss, of the college, the
port was reopened and the wheat was harvested--but not forgotten. The students
are still reminded of it when using the
upper half of the field for a landing. It
sounds as though the landing gear and
crankshaft are grappling in mortal combat •
•••••• Continued next colwnn ••••••

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