Editor: A. J. (Al) Clay, Jr. MAY 1985 Grapevine Editor: O. R. (OLE) OlsonOfficers and Directors of the Association

D. W. Richwine, Vice President, EastR. G. Derickson, President W. S. Cooper, Vice President, Central Larry Decelles, DirectorC. Ritchie Beighlie, First Vice President W. H. Johnson, Vice President, West K. L. Palmer, DirectorA. T. Humbles, Secretary John D'Albora, Director Wayne L. Haggard, DirectorDean L. Phillips, Treasurer R. S. Hamilton, Director Phil S. Hollar, Director

The AVTEK 400 In Flight Near Camarillo, California

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE"1933" BY ED BETTSTHE GRAPEVINE

THE ACTIVE RETIRED PILOTS ASSOCIATION OF TWA

Retired Captain BOB ADICKES sent us this photo and some latenews about the revolutionary AVTEX. Several other ex-TWAveterans are associated with AVTEK. Bob says the plane maybe flown to LAS during the convention. Maybe we'll get a lookat it!

The AVTEK 400 proof-of-concept (POC) aircraft has flown morethan two dozen times from Camarillo airport. Test Pilot DickSliff is very pleased with the handling characteristics, andit is apparent from the cover picture that pilot visibilityis excellent with the top-mounted canard wing. Flight testshave explored various loading configurations at speeds up to200 knots. Testing will continue to expand the operatingenvelope and provide performance figures for flight operationsand engineering.

Since the well-publicized inaugural flight on September 20,1084, the AVTEK prototype has flown another twenty five times.During those times, Test Pilot Dick Sliff explored the handlingcharacteristics in various segments of the low speed end ofthe flight envelope. These tests yielded valuable informationwhich helped verify the accuracy of performance figures computedduring the design of the prototype.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Lump Sum Option Review and Update

In the last two issues of TARPA TOPICS you were advised ofTARPA's activities regarding the proposed addition of a lumpsum settlement option to our B Plan. Efforts to protect theinterests of retired plan members in this change included theformation of an AD HOC Committee, consisting of Roy Van Etten,Dave Richwine and myself whose activities have been coordinatedwith TARPA Pension Chairman Al Clay. They also included appoint-ment of Ed Hall to investigate the effect this option has had onretired members of other airlines where it has been adopted,and advising both the company and the MEC that we expect theretired pilots to have a voice in any such major change in theplan. Our activities have included a meeting of the AD HOC Com-mittee and a pension actuary in New York last October, attendingan MEC meeting in St. Louis in January, and also the one in Tucsonwhere the six man MEC study committee made its report on March 14th.The committee report did not adequately answer all of our questionsabout the potential impact on retirees. Included in the six mantask force report was a letter from an ALPA staff attorney statingthat ALPA did not represent retirees and had no obligation toextend lump sum options to members already retired and that noviolation from ERISA would result for not doing so.

The MEC took the following action:

1. Deferred a motion to have an independentactuarial study made until their May meeting.

2. Passed a resolution adopting the lump sum conceptfor negotiating purposes.

3. Passed a resolution calling for the circulationof a survey or an opinion poll to all plan mem-bers including the retirees.

In view of what transpired on the lump sum issue at the March13-15 MEC meeting in Tucson, I set up a meeting of the AD HOCCommittee with a Mr. Brian Jones, an actuary with Leef and Jones,Inc., of Fort Lee, N. J. Mr. Jones also has a degree in lawand is a member of the Bar in New York State and Washington, D. C.

On March 26, 1985, your AD HOC Committee met with and engagedMr. Jones to make an independent evaluation of both the immediateimpact of the lump sum option and of the ramifications of other

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options should consideration be given to terminating the plan,as has happened on several other airlines.

As a result of their study it was the opinion of Leef and Jonesthat it is possible to put in a cashout program in such a waythat TARPA members and other retired participants would not beadversely affected provided there would be adequate protectionagainst adverse selection (this simply means that we shouldhave some protection against the possibility that those parti-cipants who believe themselves to be in poor health may allelect lump sum leaving only the healthier people in the "pool".If this happens then the mortality experience will become un-favorable to the plan; that is, it will have to pay out morebenefits than the calculations anticipate, producing mortalitylosses. This is not a significant problem if you expect thatall or virtually all of the people who are offered lump sumswill take them because if this happens the good risks and badrisks will all pull out at the same time and there will be noselection against the plan. The cautious position to takeis that the plan should be protected against anti-selectionand they think that a one year irrevocable advance noticewould be satisfactory, although they would prefer two years.

A second, lesser, problem is that if a substantial number ofpeople elect lump sums the size of the asset pool is decreasedand some investment flexibility may be lost; also, investmentexpenses will increase as a proportion of the assets. This ishard to quantify but they do not believe that it would be amajor problem since no cashouts could be permitted to activeemployees who are still working and, therefore, most of theassets could not be drawn down.

The following memo from Brian Jones is a recap of the AD HOCCommittee's (Van Etten, Richwine and Derickson) discussion withhim on March 26, 1985 about methods of implementing a lump sumprovision if the company decides to extend this to presentlyretired employees.

"One reason the company may be reluctant to make a'cash out' available to present retirees is the dif-

ficulty of getting reliable elections from some ofthe very old retirees. If the company feels thatthis problem is manageable and it does decide to makea cash out available to pensioners, the lump sum whichis received will not generally qualify for rolloverinto an IRA and will, therefore, be taxable as ordinaryincome in the year of receipt. An alternative, slightlycomplicated, method of handling the transaction wouldbe for the company to divide the plan into an active

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and retired section and then make these two sections twoseparate plans. If the retiree plan were then terminated,I believe that the distributions on account of plan ter-mination would then become eligible for rollover intoIRAs but not for ten-year forward averaging, perhaps withpartial capital gains treatment; as would be the case foran active participant taking a conventional lump sum dis-tribution when first eligible. This would obviously beadvantagious to those people who were taking lump sumsbut for those who decide to continue with annuity distri-butions it would probably be necessary to purchase variableannuity contracts for them from an insurance company whichmay not provide as favorable benefits as are now providedunder the plan.

"You and/or the company would probably want to take asurvey of the participants to get some indication asto how many would elect a cash out of their benefitsif it were decided to make cash outs available to re-tirees.

"I believe that all of the steps outlined in this memowould be permissible under the applicable laws andregulations but I am sure you will wish to discuss itwith either your counsel or counsel for the companybefore coming to a final decision. You may also wishto ask for written confirmation of the tax treatmentof such a cash out from the IRS before going ahead."

TWA management has advised that they will make no changes inthe B Plan that will, in any way, adversely affect any of thepilot members already retired. It is assumed that future lumpsum settlements would be similar to those afforded furlougheesin the past which, of course, has not been detrimental tothe plan.

It is the consensus of several other actuaries involved in thismatter that, adequately protected against adverse selectionagainst the plan, the lump sum option should have no negativeeffects on it other than reducing its total assets and liabili-ties somewhat. Accordingl it is felt that TARPA has done all

and I believe that we have reduced our exposure to an absoluteminimum. However, due to the possibility of termination of theplan at some future time, it is our intention to monitor theforthcoming negotiations as closely as possible to insure, asbest we can, that the rights of retired , plan members are pro-tected. A more detailed report on this subject will be madeat the coming convention at LAS.

See you there!

R. G. Derickson

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NEW COMMITTEE APPOINTMENT

President Russ Derickson has appointed LOU COOK Chairman ofthe permanent Convention Site Committee.

It is Lou's job to investigate possible convention sites andthen find a man who will accept the job of Convention Chairmanfor a particular site who will make the necessary study of thesite and report to the Board of Directors so that at eachconvention the Board can select a site two years in advanceto conform to TARPA policy.

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MEMBERS URGED TO SUPPORT SENATE BILL S. 210

Frank Cassanti of Pan Am Clipper Pioneers has sent us a copyof a letter he received from U. S. Senator Alfonse D'Amatosaying that the Senator intends to reintroduce his bill whichwould repeal the inclusion of tax exempt interest from thecalculation determining the taxation of Social Security benefits.

Senator D'Amato's bill was passed by the Senate in 1984 by a63-32 vote but was rejected by the House of Representatives.

In his letter Senator D'Amato says: "This issue is too impor-tant to me to let drop. However, I need your help. Youmust again contact your Congressman and Senators urging themto support S.210. I will redouble my efforts to pass thislegislation, but my job will be infinitely easier with yourassistance."

This legislation is important to many retirees and membersare urged to ask your Congressman and Senators to supportSenate Bill S 210. It only takes three stamps and a littleof your time.

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Secretary A. T. HUMBLES sends an invitation to anyone who wasin the 384th Bomb Group, Eighth Air Force, to join the organi-zation of former members of the group. Please contact A. T.

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The following is a condensed version of the insurance reportto RAPA by William C. Root, (BNF), Vice President, Insurance,RAPA.

INSURANCE REPORT TO 1984 RAPA CONVENTION

INFLATION IN HEALTH COSTS AND THE EFFECT OF COST CONTROLMEASURES ON RETIREE MEDICAL INSURANCE.

As most of you already realize, health care costs have beenskyrocketing. In recent years, medical expense for the publichas been increasing at twice the general inflation rate forthe nation. In the year 1960 the nation spent 26 billion onhealth care. In the year 1983 the health costs were estimatedto have reached 362 billion or almost 14 times the 1960 figure.Last year health care costs increased on a national average by25%. California's increased as much as 40%. The costs of em-ployee medical, coverage are rising so fast that an expert fromHarvard Business School states that they threaten to wipe outall corporate profits in eight years. The statistics presenta horror story for elderly patients. The average senior willpay $1550 per year our-of-pocket this year and this amount mayreach $4600 by the year 2000.

Older employees are being snubbed by more and more insurers.Insurance companies know that groups with older people in themrun up bigger medical bills than those composed of younger parti-cipants.

The price of prescription drugs, often considered the leastexpensive part of medical care, is rising sharpy . Since 1980drug prices have risen 37% versus 14% for the price of allcommodities.

The result of the rampaging costs have been a series of attemptsto find a solution to the problem and possibly hold down costs.A number of states have passed laws allowing the creation ofPreferred Provider Organizations (PPOs). The PPO is an attemptto bring free market competition to bear on runaway health costs.Essentially the PPO is a method of allowing a contract betweenthose who provide health care and those who pay for health care.Usually it is the insurance companies, not the patient, who willpay and with the PPOs will arrange to deal directly with thedoctors and hospitals. There are four kinds of PPOs...ENTRE-PRENEURIAL, PAYOR-BASED, DOCTOR and HOSPITAL. The latter twoare the most important.

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HMOs.....Health Maintenance Organization

HMOs may be defined as follows:

1. The HMO assumes the contractual responsibility toprovide or ensure a range of health services, in-cluding at least physician and hospital services.

2. The HMO services a defined population or membership.

3. There is a voluntary enrollment of the subscribers.

4. The HMO requires a fixed periodic payment or periodicmembership fee. There may also be small chargesrelated to utilization.

5. The HMO assumes at least part of the financial riskor gain for providing services.

DRGs.....Diagnostically Related Groupings. Medicare hasstarted assigning patients to one of 467 DRGs and each DRGcarries a specific rate of reimbursement.

Under the Deficit Reduction Act of 1984 Medicare put in placea Physician Fee Freeze. This law imposes a freeze on Medicarereimbursement to physicians and suppliers for the 15 monthperiod from July 1, 1984 through September 30, 1985. Inaddition, it establishes incentives designed to encouragephysicians to accept assignment on 100% of their Medicare claimsand sets up sanctions for those physicians who do not accept100% assignment and violate the terms of the reimbursementfreeze.

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In Memoriam

EULOGY FORDEAN C. BUCHANAN

1919-1085

On Sunday, February 27, 1035, family and friends assembledat Missouri Flat, where they were welcomed with Gaelic musicplayed by a bag-piper clad in Buchanan tartan. This musicwas interspersed throughout the service, which was conductedby the local VFW.

He touched us. Buck Buchanan has touched the lives of everyone here; of everyone who ever knew him. He touched the livesof people all over the world. Those he came in contact withwill never forget his touch. He touched with his hands, hisjokes, his spontaneous laughter, his quick wit, and his abilityto see the humor in ordinary everyday situations. Everyonefelt the warmth of his genuine love for life.

Dean Cornett Buchanan, "Buck" was the youngest of four childrenborn to Gertrude Cornett and Arthur Buchanan, September 5, 1919.in Lincoln, Kansas. Buck, a veteran of World War II, served inEurope as a First Lieutenant in the 15th Air Force, and flew52 missions over Italy. For his outstanding service to ourcountry, Buck received the Presidential Unit Citation on October16, 1944; the Distinguished Flying Cross on July 24, 1944; andhis second of five Oak Leaf clusters on :arch 20, 1944. At theend of WW II, upon returning to the United States, Buck wasstationed in Tonopah, Nevada, with the Fourth Air Force as aB-24 Instructor Pilot. While stationed in Tonopah, he metKatherine :McGowan. Buck and Kate were married June 3, 1945.They went to Kansas City, Missouri, where Buck became a pilotfor TWA. Over the next 34 years, until his retirement, he flewmany types of aircraft, including the DC-3, Martin , Convair,Constellation and the 707.

While on assignment for TWA , other than Kansas City, where theirdaughter Kathy and son Christopher were born, they lived inBelleville, Michigan, where their son Donald was born. Theirassignments then took them to Costa Mesa and El Toro, California,and South Lake Tahoe, Nevada, where they have resided for thepast twelve years.

April 18, 1984

Mr. D. C. UlrichAir Line Pilots Association200 Park AvenueNew York, N.Y. 10017

Dear Don:

On July 12, 1983 you wrote to me with a number of questions regarding theAge 65 Plus Group Insurance Plan. I'm sorry to say your letter was mis-placed and I could not respond until now. Please accept my sincereapologies for this oversight.

You raised five questions dealing with the administration of this Planand our answers are as follows:

1. Since all retired pilots were solicited far the Age 65 Plus Planduring April 1982, only those who chose to remain in the MedicareMajor Medical Plan (3M) were resolicited in 1983 due to the can-cellation of the 3M Plan by Connecticut General. These retireeswere automatically enrolled in the Age 65 Plus Plan effectiveSeptember 1, 1983, unless we heard to the contrary.

2. An employee may enroll in the Age 65 Plus Plan any time after retire-ment, but no later than 90 days after the attainment of age 65. Atthe time the retiree enrolls, he may also enroll his spouse. If thespouse is under age 65, her/his participation in the Plan will not beeffective until she/he reaches age 65.

3. A spouse acquired anytime after retirement will be eligible for theAge 65 Plus Plan, provided she/he presents evidence of good health.

4. The answer to this question is no. The carryover provision on thedeductible only applies to Major Medical. Each calendar year, aretiree must satisfy the $1,000 Plan deductible. After that, anycovered expenses incurred in the preceding October/November/Decemberused to satisfy the Major Medical deductible may be credited to thenext calendar year's Major Medical deductible.

1933

By Ed Betts

As an industry, the nation's airlines had experienced a phenom-enal growth in the number of passengers carried in a five yearspan from 1928 through 1932, from a mere 52,934 to 504,575annually. All other parameters were equally as impressive, al-though 1932 had shown a gradual tapering off, with only a 10%increase. Passengers, money and jobs were scarce; there wasthe depression.

TWA's figures for 1932 were quite different; mail revenues hadincreased 68% while passenger revenues were down 28%. As partof an austerity program there had been a 13% cut in seat milesoperated, but there was an 18% drop in those occupied. Overalloperating costs had been pared 24% (including two employee paycuts), from 92c to 70c per revenue mile, but the company wasstill losing money. The outlook for 1933 wasn't bright as TWAwould still be operating their fleet of slow and noisy Fords,that were not economical to operate, against the modern Boeing247 and Curtiss 'Condor' fleets of its major competitors.

President Roosevelt had taken office in January with promisesof the nation's recovery. Jim Farley had replaced Walter F.Brown as the Post Master General amidst controversy that theairlines were being subsidized with lucrative mail contracts,at the taxpayer's expense. However, it appeared that the newadministration wasn't too angry as, on the first of February,TWA was awarded two important additions to their CAM #34 (thecentral transcon mail route).

One was an extension from LAX to SFO, although on the inaugu-ral day it did not look too productive. George Rice had 19pieces of mail on board his 'Alpha', six were added at Bakers-field and another four letters at Fresno. The other was anaddition of service between CMH and CHI via FTW, and it too,had an inauspicious beginning...four letters on the westboundinaugural flown by Ardell Wilkens and John Collings and fourletters on the eastbound flown by Al Litzenberger and Collings.On March 1st, Oakland was added and 'Dutch' Holloway had amore impressive load with 254 pieces of mail. The only otheraddition for the year was Elk City on the spur route from AMAto STL via Oklahoma stops. George Brill had 27 letters on thewestbound and 'Jack' Wade had 100 on the eastbound.

There was a new breed of passenger, the man with a briefcase,who considered time and comfort when he planned his trip. Themost frequented market was between CHI and NYC. Fares had

TARPA TALES PAGE 1

1933 By Ed Betts

pretty much hit bottom and had standardized at 5.7c a mile.The one way fare was $47.95 (round trip discount 10%) whichwas slightly above that of a first class Pullman. Unitedvirtually had a monopoly on air travel, with eleven dailyflights with their new 247's, that made the eastbound tripin five and a half hours, including a Cleveland stop. TheBoeing plane was the ultimate in speed and comfort althoughit did have an objectionable hurdle in the form of the mainwing spar that pierced the cabin. American was a poor secondin the race with one daily flight with the 'Condor' that wasslower (another twenty minutes, including two stops), butconsidered very comfortable. TWA wasn't much competition....a seven hour and thirty seven minute flight that includeda connection at CMH plus four other scheduled stops.

TWA added a second transcontinental passenger run (the mailrun was separate), but neither were too popular for the longtrip ... it took a hardy passenger. Flight Two left Glendaleat 8:00 a.m. and after four ten minute stops along the way(westbound often had a fifth with a Kingman fuel stop), ar-rived at MKC at 11:15 p.m. At that point the passenger hadseveral choices (including the train): a twelve to thirty sixhour rest at a hotel or reboard the flight at 12:01 a.m., andafter another six stops arrive at EWR at 11:47 a.m. Westboundtook longer.

In addition to the published schedules, TWA had plenty of spareaircraft for extra sections and charters. There was a 61% in-crease in the number of seat miles operated in 1933 and a 44%increase in those occupied (45% load factor). To meet thedemand for the increase in flying time (and pilot attrition)the company hired about twenty new copilots during the year.These included (listed by later first pilot seniority): RussDick, Stan Stanton, Walt Smiley, Jack Thornburg, Don Terry,Bob Larson, Harry Lewis, Wendell Peterson, Gene Klose, P.T.W.Scott, Wally Jones, John Harlin and the Williams twins. KenGreeson was also hired that year but was killed in a 1935 crashbefore establishing a seniority number. Also hired that yearwas Peter H. Redpath, a veteran navigator/pilot who was soonto become one of the experts in air navigation, and in lateryears co-authored with James Coburn the well known textbook"Air Transport Navigation".

Nine copilots were checked out as first pilots, the date offirst trip on the line then established pilot seniority. TheCaptain title came years later...TWA wanted the passengers tofeel reassured by having two qualified pilots aboard. "Check-ing out" depended on the aircraft. With a single-engine planeit would be an hour or so demonstrating landings with a super-visor observing from the ground. With a passenger type, withdual controls, the supervisor might go along as copilot for atrip or two. New first pilots included: Dean Burford, Floyd

TARPA TALES PAGE 2

1933 By Ed Betts

Church, 'Hob' Hoblit, Bill Campbell, Les Munger, Fred Bohnet,Bob Simons, Russ Dick (after six months in the right seat) andOtto Ferguson.

In June the President signed the NRA, the first of numerousalphabetical programs to beat the depression. Basically itcalled for those who had a job to work less for more pay, whichwould create more jobs and spending money. The airline pilotscouldn't agree more, although they had a nation-wide strike inthe making. ALPA wanted a share in the productivity that themodern airlines would bring in the form of a base and mileagepay, as had been the custom during the old air mail days. Theairlines were content with a base and hourly pay, which meantlittle or no increase over the old equipment. The strike wasaverted by a meeting in Washington between representatives ofthe pilots, the airlines and Federal mediators. Besides thequestion of pay, there was also the question of hours, forsafety reasons. The TWA pilots had pulled out of ALPA and wererepresented by their own association. At one point Lex Klotz(then with WAE) and Jack Frye locked horns on whether or nota pilot, in a specified flying time (such as one hour), wasmore exposed to more risk in the faster equipment versus theslow Fords, Fokkers, etc. The case was turned over to theNational Labor Board for consideration...which, in May of 1934,was to be known as "Decision 83".

Starting in September of 1933, and continuing for the next sixmonths, a Senate investigating committee (headed by Hugo Black)held a series of hearings with regards to the infamous "SpoilsConferences" of 1930. On trial were certain former Post Officeofficials (namely Brown), airlines and their executives whohad been a party at the conferences. This is when Brown haddictated certain mergers of smaller airlines and had awardedthe mail contracts without regards to the lowest bid. Therewere numerous charges, including collusion, graft and excessiveprofits. Although United already had their contracts and weren'tinvolved with the conferences, they were deeply involved withthe hearings...such as how Frederick Rentschler had turned anoriginal investment in Pratt and Whitney of less than $500 (for1375 shares), through a series of dividends and stock splits,to one worth (on paper) at one time over $21,000,000...in ad-dition to a five year income of $1,500,000 in salary and bonuses.WAE had some good profits in the early years of their mail con-tracts, but had plowed most of it back into developing passen-ger service. Harris "Pop" Hanshue was on trial for both hisWAE and TWA (former president, at the time a member of the board)connections and at one time was placed under arrest for contemptof court.

Other TWA executives under subpoena such as then-PresidentRichard Robbins and executive committee chairman Daniel Shaeffer

TARPA TALES PAGE 3

1933 By Ed Betts

(Penn RR) had never received such windfalls, nor had the company,so the general feeling was that the entire investigation was anuisance rather than a threat to the company. Probably the mostdamaging bit of 'evidence' was that the former president's son,Herbert Hoover, Jr., was a WAE employee at the time of the mer-ger...no mention had been made that he was considered an expertin his field of aircraft communications.

Other Washington proceedings included the Air Transport Code(ATC) which was signed into law in November. A select group ofairline officials had met with government representatives toagree on a program that would create a 15% increase in employ-ment and a 20% increase in total wages. TWA, WAE and EasternAviation were all represented by Ernest Breech...GM, throughtheir subsidiary North American Aviation, owned all or part ofthe three airlines. The ATC specified minimum wages for allairline employees (in 1933 there were a total of 6,273 employedincluding 543 pilots and 206 copilots). For example: firstpilots a monthly minimum of $250 for 110 hours flying, $150 forcopilots. For 150 hours work a cabin attendant would receive$100, a mechanic riding as copilot should receive a minimum$35 a week, 40c an hour for a shop mechanic and 35c for a helper.Over $35 a week was considered management pay and no minimumswere set.

Although TWA's income from passenger revenues increased from$820,603 in 1932 to $1,162,465 in 1933, revenues from mail stillrepresented 69% of the company's total income for the year."Getting the mail through" was the slogan for the mail pilotsto keep the company alive, but so was the pressure among thepilots of passenger flights to complete their schedules. Pilotswere their own dispatchers, the men in the office were for ad-visory purposes only, to keep the pilots informed of weatherand trends. The mail planes flew in all kinds of weather....pilots set their own minimums (for some it was always VFR),"cloud flying" by the passenger planes was not authorized, al-though somehow numerous flights arrived on time during adverseconditions.....and some didn't.

The 1933 summary of all TWA accident and incident reports willbear out why pilots (and passengers) were considered poor insur-ance risks. There were a total of 44 where damage was done toan aircraft, although numerous were trivial so far as the amountof damage. Seven aircraft were totally destroyed, two involvingfatalities that included two Fords and five mail planes. Inevery case there was an examining board (sometimes just one super-visor) to assess the amount of damage done, what caused the in-cident and where applicable, levy a penalty against the offender.It was up the pilot, hopefully with witnesses, to defend hisown case. There were numerous commendations for a job well done,but where the pilot erred in his judgement the fines got prettystiff...varying from a slight reprimand, 'time on the beach',reduced to copilot , fined or terminated.

TARPA TALES PAGE 4

1933 By Ed Betts

Most of the airports where TWA operated were small, with nooverruns, and only the ramp apron was paved. Many were a testof pilot skill in the most favorable conditions. Camden (PHL),HAR and PIT were never pilot favorites, the latter had beenbuilt by leveling a hill covered with forest forming a mesa orplateau for the airport. The Midway field at CHI was a dirtsquare located in an industrial area with a schoolhouse at oneend. The old MKC airport was like a hole, surrounded by aformidable arresting barrier in the form of dikes...an approachto land north or northwest had many a copilot watching, with'white knuckles', the pilot pick his way around the city, overa bridge and a building before landing in the 'hole'. Out westthe airports were located in the country with a little moreroom to maneuver. The old ABQ airport on the west mesa wasshaped like a wagonwheel...runway strips had been cleared outof the desert and all intersected at the center with a taxiwayaround the perimeter.

In January 'Jack' Zimmerman lost the engine on the 'Alpha' takingoff from PIT, tried to return in a glide, but crash landed. Hewas unconscious when two ground employees rescued him (but soonrecovered from injuries) just before fire destroyed the plane.In February a fire broke out in the floor of a Ford cabin, EddieBellande and Lynn Berkenkamp made a successful zero-zero land-ing at Bakersfield before the plane was gutted. One passengerwas slightly injured during the evacuation.

Also in February, "Doc" Mesker was held responsible for $3,437.24damages to a 'Fleetster' landing at MKC. It was the board's'opinion' that he had not exercised necessary caution in liningup with the runway and was fined $100 a month for one year.While on the ground at Terre Haute, a truck ran into a Ford'stail, causing some minor damage. It was reported to FelixPreeg, but he took off without personally inspecting the damageand was given a two month furlough. A. M. Ferguson was heldto blame for $381 damages to a 'Fleetster' landing at CHI. Al-though the board concurred that the field was in a very poorcondition at the time, and was the cause of the mishap, Fergusonwas reduced to copilot for six months because he didn't circlethe field for an inspection before he landed. Floyd Church alsoreceived a similar sentence for not using caution while taxiinga 'Fleetster' at CHI, although the board concurred that theplane had an inherent blind spot for the pilot that contributedto the incident.

The 170 mile stretch over the mountains between HAR and PIT wasknown by such titles as "Hell's Stretch" or "Aviation's Grave-yard" because of the number of planes lost. The TWA pilots hadonce sought an extra $100 a month 'hazard pay' for flying therun, Located about halfway, at Cresson, TWA operated a radiostation equipped with teletype with a twenty four hour watchin order to have better communications with the pilots, up to

TARPA TALES PAGE 5

1933 By Ed Betts

date weather, etc. Near Cresson, high atop "Jack's Mountain",TWA operated a lookout post (Paul Husak and his wife) in orderto give the pilots a current observation of what the weatherwas like on the deck. Husak's favorite reward was a "buzz job"by the mail pilots; Walt Seyerle was the champ. On the nightof February 26th, Seyerle had to fly high because of the weath-er, ran into gale-force winds and after several unsuccessfulattempts to get into PIT, was returning east. However, he ranout of gas and had to bail out of the 'Alpha', near Crossforks.

The old HAR airport, located on the south side of the Susque-hanna, was the scene of numerous ground loops in order to getstopped. In 1931 a Ford piloted by Ralph Ritchie was totalledwhen he landed short and hit an embankment. There were no in-juries and Ritchie was reduced to copilot. The airport satatop an abandoned coal mine which had a habit of collapsing andcausing deep chuckholes on the surface. At one time a nearbyfarmer created his own 'noise abatement' program by erectinga tall radio-like tower near the east boundary. One night,Ted Weaver and Bill Moore (a state aviation agent) sneaked overwith a pair of wire cutters and toppled the tower for good. InApril a Ford piloted by Bob LeRoy was damaged after landing,buckling the fuselage. The board concurred that the accidentwas caused by the insufficient size of the airport and (afterthirty months of operation), recommended that TWA not landthere until contemplated improvements were made.

One of the favorite summer pastimes for Kansas Citians was tocome out to the airport and watch the planes fly. There wasalways a crowd on hand, jamming the fences or observation deck(or enjoying a meal at Joe Gilbert's). On July 28th tragedystruck when Earl Noe tried to take off with an 'Orion'. Theengine quit, there was no room to stop, and he crashed intothe river with fatal injuries. TWA's other fatal accident oc-curred in August when a Ford crashed near Quay, New Mexico,killing all five on board including pilots Howard Morgan andGlenn Barcus. It was the board's 'opinion' that the causewas severe weather, insufficient weather reports and thepilot's error in estimating his position.

A pilot earns his pay when the engine malfunctions on a single-engine plane, and it suddenly becomes a glider, or it won'tfly at all due to a load of ice. Bailing out could be the safestanswer, although in the winter time there is the additionalhazard of not being found before you freeze to death. Thechoice is to "ride her down" is with hopes that there is anemergency field or a clear spot to land within the limitedgliding distance available. Once committed to a field, it isthe test of pilot skill to make a 'spot landing' and get stopped.A successful landing, with no further damage to the aircraft,was considered 'routine' and no accident report followed.

TARPA TALES PAGE 6

1933 By Ed Betts

unlike today's simulator, it isn't the end of the period and acoffee break, or in the case of a crash you don't push a buttonand do the problem over.

Harlan Hull, a former Marine pilot (and soon to be TWA's systemchief pilot), had more than his share of incidents with single-engine planes. In January of 1932 he made a crash landing withan 'Alpha' near Black Rock, New Mexico due to a faulty fuel sys-tem. Three weeks later he again crash landed an 'Alpha' nearLeuppe, Arizona due to carburetor ice. In November 1933 he wasflying the new Northrop 'Delta' out west when a fire broke outin the engine; he was unsuccessful trying to extinguish it andhad to bail out.

Two 'Alphas' were lost within minutes of each other in Decemberover "Hell's Stretch" when Dean Furford and 'Andy' Andrews pickedup severe loads of ice and had to bail out.

Ted Weaver was westbound from MKC when his 'Alpha' engine blewup. He had just passed the Lebo radio range, so he knew exactlywhere he was, but the emergency field below was giving a 200 footceiling. He glided down for a successful landing. Company dis-patch asked the eastbound mail pilot if he would help expeditethe mail situation by landing there, which he did; the mail wasoff loaded and sent to MKC by truck while Ted loaded the mail onthe good airplane. and headed west.

George Rice experienced a prop failure with an 'Alpha' and madean emergency landing at Acomita, New Mexico, with some damageto the plane. He was commended for a job well done. Bill Coylewas also commended for getting an 'Orion' on the ground at BaldyMesa, California due to the elements. George Brill picked up asevere load of ice on a 'Vega' and made an emergency landingnear St. James, Missouri with some damage to the plane and abruised passenger.

In January, 1934, "Dutch" Holloway had a close one when he ranout of gas with an 'Orion' and crash landed short of ABQ. Con-siderable damage was done to the plane and "Dutch" receivedseveral deep cuts on the lip and bridge of his nose. A mechanicat Winslow had neglected to fill the 16 gallon center emergencytank and was given a three month leave without pay.

In March of 1933 the Commerce Department proudly announced apublic demonstration of a new experimental radio station formaking blind landings at EWR. Hal Snead and radioman Loukotaflew in with a specially fitted Stearman biplane for the tests.It was an advancement, but was far from replacing the state ofthe art as perfected by the TWA pilots. A smell from the oilrefinery below told you that you were on an exact course, orfor a 'precision approach' there was always the Weavers. Theirhome was located beneath the north east leg of the New Brunswick

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1933 By Ed Betts

range. Either Ted or Charlie Cain was always on duty in opera-tions and in radio contact with the pilots. The pilot wouldfly out the range leg, Dot Weaver would listen with phone inhand and relay to the office when the plane was overhead. Theposition report was relayed to the pilot who would then makea procedure turn and let down to the field. It worked.

Before PIT cleaned up the air, smoke in the area was always aproblem for the pilots, especially in the morning hours. Whenmore than one plane was in the area, one would hover above anddirect the others to the airport similar to today's radar vec-tors. The last plane? Well, he was on his own, although theglare from certain burning slag piles would be a good clue fororienting.

Getting into ICT and AMA with low fog type conditions was nevera problem for 'Mo' Bowen. By lining up with certain landmarksabove the fog, he would then throttle back for a gentle glideto the end of the runway. Out west, getting into the old TATairport at Glendale during a stratus or overcast condition wasagain pilot ingenuity...by triangulation from certain mountainpeaks above the overcast, you would locate your position justto the east of downtown Los Angeles, make a let down, and whenbelow the clouds follow the Los Angeles River right to the air-port (sometimes below the level of high rise buildings).

Although the mail pilots were their own dispatchers and settheir own minimums, "cloud" flying with a passenger flight waspretty much limited to climbing above an overcast and cruisingon top provided the intended airport was giving broken cloudsor better and a 500 foot ceiling. The planes were getting inwith less than these conditions and the pilots never knew thatif they got caught, or were turned in, what the company's re-action would be...censored or praised. Fred Richardson had acouple of examples. One was a zero zero landing at ICT withsnow...the copilot had to look out the window and tell whenthe wheels were touching and then the tail was lowered. Theyhad to follow the tracks of previous aircraft and the ship'scompass to get to the terminal. No big problem except thatlater on, after arriving at MKC, the copilot,, a suspectedcompany "stooge'', made a beeline to the chief pilot's officewith his report. Fortunately nothing came of it but a knowingsmile between Fred and the supervisor.

The other occurred when Fred landed at PIT with a load of pas-sengers that included Jack Frye. The weather to the east wasin the three to five hundred foot overcast variety and localoperations assumed that the flight was cancelled and were makingpreparations to transfer passengers to the train. This was allunknown to Fred as he was in the operations office studying theweather, when Frye came in and inquired about the situation.Fred pointed to a bulletin on the wall signed by Larry Fritz.

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1933 By Ed Betts

"Any cloud flying would be subject to dismissal". Frye wasmad as hell, tore the bulletin off the wall and said "This isno way to operate an airline", and that the pilots shouldn'thave to work under such a restriction. It was no longer ef-fective. The passengers were quickly rounded up and the flightproceeded to EWR as scheduled, with all of the stops. Uponarrival the station manager handed Fred a message from JohnCollings....he was relieved of duty and would deadhead home.Once again, Jack Frye overruled, and the following day Fred flewhis return trip (Dick Hanson was copilot), with his own releasefor instrument flying...a TWA first...and even made an approachinto CMH with a 400 foot ceiling.

1933 - THE DC 1

The DC-1 first flew on July 1, 1933, nearly nine months afterthe contract was signed. On December 1st it was officially de-livered to TWA with ceremonies at the Glendale Airport, withTommy Tomlinson handing Donald Douglas a check for $125,000.TWA already knew that they had a 'winner' as the plane met,and exceeded, all of the specifications for performance. JackFrye and Paul Richter flew the plane to MKC, a 1480 mile trip,averaging 205 miles per hour. For the production model, theDC-2, TWA was to get the next twenty airframes off the product-ion line with deliveries starting the following April. Otherairlines such as American, Eastern and Pan Am were alreadysigning up for orders.

Upon arrival at MKC all of the company employees had a chanceto view the new plane. It wasn't exactly awesome as TWA hadseen a larger plane with the Fokker F-32, but it was a thingof beauty with its bright metal finish and huge 'Cyclone' en-gines. While the description to follow is for the DC-1, itwill also pretty much describe the DC-2, which was two feetlonger and had seats for two more passengers (total 14).

The roomy cabin was decorated in a pale grey and blue motif,well insulated (and sound proofed) by a Kapok material. Theseat backs would recline either direction affording a friendlychat or, if empty, extra space to stretch out in. PreviousTransports had windows that would open for ventilation (andair sickness), the DC-1 had permanent shatter-proof windows.Each seat had its own adjustable fresh air vent located in thehat rack above along with a reading light and call button. Awide aisle separated the two rows of seats, although flightcrews were tutored on how to gracefully kneel over to talk toone passenger without sticking his butt into the face of onesitting opposite. Listerine was recommended to insure an in-offensive breath.

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1933 - THE DC-1 By Ed Betts

Photo by Ed BettsDC-2 CABIN - THE LAST WORD IN LUXURY

The door to the cockpit was located on the left side, and lateron the crew and cabin attendant had their name plates displayedfor passenger view. In the rear was a small serving area, acoat rack and toilet. The latter was more of a holding tank(honey bucket) and, unlike the trains, could be used while inthe station.

Numerous new features specified by TWA (some were employee sug-gestions) made it the maintenance department's dream. Engineswere interchangeable, and relatively easy to install. A fullyassembled engine (accessories, prop, etc.) could be installedin less than two hours. The assembled engine, when mounted ona trolley-like conveyor, could be pushed up to the nacelle frameand bolted by four engine mounts, then the various plumbing andrigging connected and the engine was ready to run. It wouldusually take a number of write-ups in the log book before main-tenance would finally get the two throttles to line up evenlywhile in cruise.

TARPA TALES PAGE 10

1933 - THE DC-1 By Ed Betts

There were some bugs with the new plane, some were known andothers turned up much later. Tomlinson had the gear collapsetwice after arriving at the ramp before Douglas installed apositive downlock. The tailwheel assembly was weak and even-tually had to be beefed up. There were some problems with theHamilton adjustable propeller.

The cabin and cockpit heat system was a subject of complaintfor the next two decades (including the DC-3, which was similar).TWA wanted no part of a combustion type system for safety reasons.Douglas came up with what seemed to be a simple and practicalsteam heat system. Water was metered from a tank in the cock-pit through tubes to a boiler located on the right engine exhauststack. Steam was generated and piped to a radiator located be-neath the cockpit. Ram air, which was also metered from thecockpit, passed through the radiator where it was heated andmixed with cool air and ducted to the cabin. A thermostat,located in the front cabin, selected the desired temperature.Cockpit temperature was selected by two push-pull levers locatednear the pilot. The steam in the radiator was condensed andreturned to the boiler for another cycle.

The problem developed almost immediately when various lines,including the tubes in the boiler, would develop leaks or break,draining the limited water supply. The original engine collect-or ring, exhaust stack and boiler were all made of a new stainlesssteel material that developed cracks with temperature extremes.Spot welding was ineffective until CMH mechanic Ralph Charlesfound the right combination of flux etc., that would usuallyhold. Later on, TWA built their own system using an Inconellmaterial, but even this was not the panacea.

Depending on the size of the crack, the water or steam wouldsoon be depleted, and if not discovered in time the system wouldfreeze. The pilots would be the first to know, as the cockpitwas poorly insulated. Even with heat, it was not uncommon incold weather to have large buildups of frost where the air didn'tcirculate. Many pilots wore their "long johns", boots and gloves.Water could be replenished from a reservoir, also located in thecockpit, through a series of valves that was sometimes compli-cated. When the reservoir was depleted, and it was still cold,any liquid would do in the emergency, such as coffee, tea, milk,soup and yes...even that (if the cockpit door was closed). Sincethe system only worked in the air, it could be a very cold cabinon the ground, or on the final descent to land when the engineswere throttled back.

For the pilots there were a number of features that would takesome time and experience to get used to. The older planes hadthe engine and prop directly in front which was part of theirhorizon or reference, now it would take a glance at the rate-of-climb indicator to determine level flight. The two landing

TARPA TALES PAGE 11

THE DC-2 COCKPIT

HOW WILL I EVER MANAGE ALL THOSE INSTRUMENTS?

PHOTO FURNISHED BY ED BETTS

1933 - THE DC-1 By Ed Betts

lights located in the nose were sometimes a hindrance whenthey reflected the bright glare of snow, fog, etc. The wind-shields leaked like the proverbial sieve, bringing about thestandard in flight weather report: "Light rain outside, heavyrain inside". "Dutch" Holloway designed his own weatherproofapron for such conditions.

Applying the brakes was different from the Fords. Instead ofa large handle in the center of the cockpit, the pilot now hadto use his left hand to pull a handle located on the left sideof the instrument panel. Individual braking was made by push-ing the rudder pedal in the desired direction of turn, and hope.Several pilots had a problem with a faulty selector valve andfound themselves doing a 360 0 turn the wrong direction on ataxi way. A long legged pilot had to be careful in his pedaladjustment or he might not get full response to the brakes.The brake drum and shoes were exposed to the elements whichwould sometimes make them ineffective or grabby. The usualsolution, according to Jim Heimer, was to wash them down with afire extinguisher. Since there was no accumulator to store pres-sure, there were no parking brakes. The wheels had to bechocked both front and back, as the brakes only worked in a for-ward direction...if the plane started to roll backward, look out!

TWA's fleet of Fords and mail planes all had a landing speedin the 60 to 65 miles per hour range. With the use of 'speedbrakes' (wing flaps) the DC-2 had the same final speed exceptthat now there was an extra three to six tons of dead weightto get stopped in the same small airports. The flaps and thegear were a hand pump operation by the copilot or an ACM, if onboard. It took twenty seven pumps to get the gear up...thestandard order was to have it retracted "before we are over thefence". With a cold hydraulic fluid or a faster than normalairspeed the pumping was more laborious. Three heavy duty shockcords (bungee) assisted with the retraction, but if one of thembroke, forget it.

The Sperry Autopilot was a highly advertised feature and used togood advantage by Tomlinson with a number of his demonstrationand record flights. However, the line pilots generally preferredto hand fly the plane as the autopilot was too sensitive and yawedthe tail, which would make passengers sick. Besides, the copilotneeded experience or the practice in steering.

The copilots side was designed more for paper work than formaking an approach as there were no flight instruments. Pilotscarried a large navkit, for in addition to the usual maps, flash-lights, hand tools (and maybe a gun) etc., there were 22 variousforms or vouchers required aboard every passenger flight and anadditional five when mail was aboard. The copilot was a "Jackof all Trades", especially on through stops: assisting with therefueling, the loading of bags, mail, sacks of sand for ballast,and passengers (checking tickets, etc.), closing the cabin door,checking the seat belts and arriving in the cockpit before take-off. Once the gear was pumped up, and with the pilot's permis-sion, it was back to the cabin to tend the passengers if needed.

TARPA TALES PAGE 1 3

1933 - THE DC-1 By Ed Betts

The radios weren't much of an improvement, still full of staticwhen needed the most. Position reports were made to the com-pany every half an hour, although the exact location didn't seemto matter. The monotony was sometimes broken with radio broad-casts giving a position relative to Blue Balls or Intercourse,Pennsylvania, or over 'Bessie', followed by a huge sigh. Inlater years a favorite was to report "proceeding up the rightleg of Mercer (Mercer, Pennsylvania had a range and TWA had ahostess named Mercer).

The DC-1 was designed to operate most efficiently at high alti-tudes, cruising at 14,000 to 18,000 feet was not uncommon, par-ticularly out west. Oxygen was not standard equipment and wasconsidered no problem except when trying to light a cigarette,although many a copilot or cabin attendant would collapse intheir seat after walking about and one look at the altimeterwould tell them why.

For the first two winters of operations (1933-1934), there wasno anti-icing or de-icing equipment aboard...just avoid icingconditions. Carburetor ice was always a threat, even in clearskies, and the only remedy was to lean the mixtures back untilthe engines backfired, pump the throttles and then enrichenagain. Ice on the propellers was also a problem and the usualprocedure was to pump the throttles and shift the prop pitch....some ice might break off, but not evenly, which would causevarious degrees of vibration. The increased vibration wouldbreak off more ice, which would slam against the metal fuselagewith a loud bang. Flying in these conditions could be very dis-concerting to the passengers (and crew)....engines backfiring,severe vibrations and ice banging on the side.

So long as the basic shape of the airfoil wasn't changed, theDC-1 could carry a tremendous load of ice, probably better thanany plane ever produced. The added weight was no problem, asTomlinson and Bartles once had the plane overloaded by six tonsfor a record flight for a speed and weight category.

Checking out was of little problem for the pilots, it was justanother "tail dragger", although they had a healthy respect forthe plane's tendency to ground loop in a crosswind. An unlockedtailwheel invited the maneuver . After landing it was usually atwo-man job to get the plane stopped as the pilot had his lefthand on the brake lever, the right hand on the throttles andthe copilot held the yoke. Compared to the DC-3, the main gearwas stiff, which meant that if a three point landing wasn't nearperfect, the plane was apt to gambol merrily down the runwayand destroy the pilot's ego. The recommended landing was tofly it on with the tailwheel about six inches from the ground,and when on the ground, lower the tail. TWA couldn't affordmuch of a practice session for the pilots, just a few touch andgoes was the usual qualification. Copilot checkout was a tourof the plane in the hangar.

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1933 - THE DC-1 By Ed Betts

After delivery, the DC-1 was used for about two months flyingthe night mail between Glendale and MKC. Tomlinson and Richteralternated as pilots, over one night and back the next, withsome of the senior line pilots going along for the experience.Maintenance supervisors Johnnie Guy and Ralph Ellinger rodealong taking frequent notes of the aircraft and engine perform-ance. Besides some limited pilot training the plane was usedfor numerous demonstration flights about the country to acquaintthe public with what TWA would soon be featuring on their sched-ules.

On February 9, 1934, Frye and Richter were piloting a series ofpublicity flights with the DC-1 in the Fresno area. Bob McCor-mick had arranged for a number of the city fathers and otherVIP's to come along for a short ride. Bob went along on thelast flight of the day, riding in the cockpit. An importantmessage came on the company radio...President Roosevelt hadannounced that all mail contracts had been cancelled and, effect-ive the 19th, the Army would carry the mail! There was a hurrieddeplaning of the passengers as the two executives made their wayback to Glendale.

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From the Airlift Retired Pilots Newsletter:

A good excuse is better than a job well done.

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TRANSCONTINENTAL & WESTERN AIR, INC.EXECUTIVE OFFICES—1801 GENERAL MOTORS BUILDING. 1775 BROADWAY, AT 57TH STREET, NEW YORK. N. Y. Member

GENERAL OFFICES—MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. KANSAS CITY. MISSOURI Air Tropic Conference

OFFICERSRichard W. Robbins. President. D. M. Sheaffer . Chairman Executive Committee.

Col. Charles A. Lindbergh, Chairman of Technical Committee. J. L Maddux, Vice President. Jack Frye, Vice President-Operations.T. B. Clement. Vice President—Traffic. W. J. Barry, Secretary and Treasurer. F. G. Wilson. Comptroller.

A. T. shares part of a couple of letters from Howard Hall, withHoward's permission.

Dear Friend:

Just home from EPCOT. We had some company from Texas, and theywanted us to see it again and sorta show them around.

Now regarding that "Sonny Boy". It was Langley Field, Saturdaynight Post dance....the usual bootleg liquor parties. It wasdefinitely understood that all young, unmarried Second Lieuten-ants, when invited to an officer's home, should show.

The officer's wife had invited some of the local "belles". Ishowed. When they all attempted to get into the three cars,they were all very, very merry. Everyone was in a car exceptHall. A large married lady demanded I sit in her lap, ratherthan she on mine. She sounded off "Climb upon my knee, SonnyBoy". Everyone thought it was very funny.

At the dance, the C. 0., an old hard of hearing colonel, bellowedback when I was introduced to him: "Who? Sonny Boy?" So manyheard, I never lived it down and it followed me to the airlines.

The nickname cost me dearly. I am sure I missed out on a coupleor three promotions because of the name and my youthful look.Even now, with my white head, many think it is just premature.Now, you have it straight.

A co-pilot from some airline sent me "Flying the Line" from SanAntonio, Texas. Few realize how hard a "small few" battled toestablish an airline profession. I bow my head low to thatDave Behnke and he cussed me out several times. So few realizewhat he did for those who were to follow, Even some of today'sretired leaders do not know that Senator Wagner and La Guardiatook Behncke by the hand and marched forward to Decision 83. Ishall be forever grateful. I knew Dave at Langley Field. Hewas a First Lieutenant,...ugly, dirty talking, but a leader. Hedied of a broken heart. I know....I knew his family.

No, I can't say all old timers liked Dave Behncke. I didn't.He was a leader and a fighter. You and I and many more are wherewe are because of Dave Behncke. Many wives and many childrenhave what they have because of the long hours and the terrificfight of Dave Behncke for our profession. Even my darling wifecan't understand my devotion....I do. I shall never forget!

You speak of Quesada...I was on special assignment, Army AirCorps, Washington, D. C., when Quesada was a Second Lieutenant,

TARPA TALES PAGE 17

just like me. I was assigned to the White House. He was withthe crew of an endurance flight - he and I tangled. Later,when he was assigned to General Eisenhower, he met my brother-in-law, Senator Gordon Abbott and my sister. He told them ofour differences. I did not "give", I kept my assigned staffcar and crew.

I was the first Air Courier to a president, President Coolidge.I flew his papers and mail to Sapelo Island, Georgia, duringChristmas season, 1928. He was the guest of the president ofthe Hudson Motor Car company. Winter weather up and down theEast Coast, no facilities, just a few grass fields, no radio.Contact, R. R. and road navigation. You did it all. Libertyengine. Mechanic in rear seat. No heat. Live by your witsand the luck of the youthful.

Proud? I shall be very proud to wear my TARPA pin.

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TARPA TALES PAGE 18

FIRST TRIP MEMORIES

Dean "Buck" Buchanan wrote of his first flight for our personalExperiences section, but didn't get around to mailing it beforehis death. We are grateful to Mrs. Buchanan for sending it tous.

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I well remember my first flight as an assigned crew memberof TWA. Although I had had a couple of familiarization tripsas ACM with George Brill, Charles Kratovil and Dave DeBlasio,1st-lowed up two hours early for my first flight - MKC-ABQ withA. R. (Dick) Schmidt. It was a military relocation flight ina loaner C-47 from the Air Force. I introduced myself to Dickand advised him it was my first flight; and he told me it washis first flight in a C-47 and he didn't know . anything aboutAir Force radios. Being only six weeks a civilian and havinghad a few hours in a C--47, I assured Dick if he could fly theairplane, I could handle the radio. So it went, successfullyobviously but what was to have been a two-day trip stretched tofive because MKC was socked in with fog - we did get back asfar as Wichita, only to have to return to ABQ. Dick also gaveme my first airline landing on that trip, for which I remaingrateful; great confidence builder, I enjoyed that trip, al-though Kate, my bride of three months, wasn't too sure aboutthis airline business. But the marriage, career and the airlineall survived, so I reckon it has all been worthwhile, and I'mhappy to be around to recall all of it.

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From JOHN. T. HAPPY comes the following first flight information:

My first trip on the line was from LGA to CVG on DC-3 N-51831,Flight 715. I flew with Lee Berlette, Captain. Can't remembertoo much, but I think I got in Lee's way.

My most unusual flight was on a trip from JFK to FCO on February1, 1971, B-747, Flight 840. The Captain was Bob Norris, FlightEngineer was Bill Zimmerman, and we had received the usualapproach to Rome over Elba at 39,000 feet, and number one forrunway 16 R. Bob just eased the levers back to idle and downwe came. We had just started to slow to approach speed and wewere cleared to 2500 and 200 knots. Bob still had not had totouch the levers. When he started to add power, the leversWOULD NOT MOVE - NONE OF THEM! I saw his knuckles getting whiteand asked him, "Whatsa matta?" Now we are really getting slow( and low) and the ole airfield is waaaaay up yonder.

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We could all picture this large pile of aluminium on FraginiBeach, where I'm sure our 383, or whatever, customers did notnecessarily want to spend the day, or longer, on the sand orsurf. At this point, all three of us were shoving on thelevers.

Someone, I think Bill or Bob, said "Let's try one at a time".Good thinking, I thought, so after starting with number one,and trying them all, we ended up with number one and two .....never did get number three or four out of idle, and went onwith a normal two engine landing. This, of course, confirmedMurphy's Law (Does Bill know about this law?) was still outthere - when you least expect it, naturally.

Postscript: Love retirement, miss the flying, miss all thetroops, but then as every one knows, I retired at 18 and nowI gotta go to work. See you in Las Vegas.

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WILLIAM M, AMBROSE's first trip on the line was from Camden,N. J., to Columbus, Ohio on April 25, 1935, with Captain AlLitzenberger. He writes: "On April 24, 1935, I received atelegram from TWA advising me to use that telegram as author-ization for transportation to K. C . I proceeded to Camden, N.J.the nearest TWA station to Langley Field, Virginia. Uponarrival I was advised that a Ford Tri-Motor was enroute andsince they were short of pilots that I was to be copilot toColumbus, Ohio on that Ford Tri-Motor. That was the happiestday of my aviation career!"

His most interesting flight was on a trip from ABQ to MKC, thedate of which has been forgotten. "As I boarded Flight 8 atABQ as Captain at three A.M., an arm stretched out and thepassenger asked how the weather was ahead. I told him it wasCAVU as far as K. C. However, over Canadian, Texas, the K. C.dispatcher notified me that all passengers to New York wereto be trained to Chicago and N, Y. I returned to the passenger,who was Howard Hughes, and told him the weather east of KansasCity was zero-zero to New York. He was quite upset and demandedthat I contact Jack Frye. I advised him that it was impossibleat the hour of 4:30 A.M. to contact him.

"Upon landing at K. C. I proceeded with Howard to the DispatchOffice. As we opened the door to the hangar, he stopped andwas aghast at the beautiful sight of shiny DC-3's with chromiumoil pans under the engines and the overhead lights reflectingonto the light gray mirror-like floors.

"I said, 'Howard, that sign over the windows says the LindberghLine. It should read the Hughes Line'. He smiled, (which wasvery rare) and said 'That's a good idea. Who owns it now?' Itold him the Hertz car rental brothers owned control.

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"The dispatcher then advised that he was unable to contact Mr.Frye. I then remarked to Howard that the only way he could getto N.Y. by mid afternoon was to either buy, lease or charter theplane, and as tired as I was, I would go along as copilot, sinceI believed the "wx" would lift before noon.

"Howard then asked where the head was. I proceeded down thehall and as I exited, the Chief Pilot from across the way repri-manded me for using the 'Executive Mens Room'. I told him thatI had a V.I.P. who wanted to use it, whereupon Captain OtisBryan dashed in and came out with Howard. This was a reliefto me and I said 'So long, Howard'. I then left for my home andas I crossed the bridge, a speeding car almost struck me. It wasJack Frye. I later learned that Otis and he flew Howard to N.Y.and Howard bought the airline."

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DON J. QUINLIVAN writes: "My first trip on the line was fromWashington, D. C., to ACCRA, West Africa. I was Captain StanStanton's copilot. I can only recall 'Digger' Davis, radiooperator. Our Boeing Stratoliner Flight Engineer was, I believe,Frank Parent.

"We stopped at Miami, Trinidad, Belem, Natal, Ascension Islandand ACCRA. I will always be grateful to Stan for all the helphe gave me on this flight. I remember at Belem, in the tropics,seeing a snow plow parked at the airport . I wondered at thetime, thinking that the Air Force had goofed. However, at alater date, when I was flying in the Arctic, I asked the com-manding officer why they had a building full of tropical equip-ment at a field in the Arctic. He explained to me that theywould load a liberty ship with what would be needed either inthe Arctic or the tropics, then they could divert the ship towherever it was needed.

"My most unusual flight was on a trip from LAX to CHI. I was fly-ing a Convair 880, December 7, 1961. We were shooting for arecord on this flight. Air traffic control gave us any altitudeor route that we requested. It was very exciting followingthe Jet Stream. We lucked out and made Chicago in two hoursand forty three minutes. I even lucked out and made a passablelanding. We arrived so far ahead of schedule that we had towait thirty minutes for a gate assignment!"

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WILLIAM F. (BILL) QUINN remembers his first trip on the linefrom LGA-GANDER-EINN-PARIS in April, 1948, flying with CheckNavigator Frank (Sonny) Harland. About that first flight hewrites: "Gander-Shannon - after instruction at Kansas City

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under Larry Guernon, (of landing in Siberia, when flying withSeaboard during Vietnam war fame), Harland checked me out, AsI remember the highlight for me was when I shot a noon (zenithsun) fix for Sonny (a la sea navigation). Top speed of a DC-4was 150 knots T.A.S. approximate in those days, and the noonfix was possible,

Bill adds: "The most interesting, unusual or exciting flightswere on trips from JFK to EINN in 1959 or 1960,

"1 Flying at 17,000' approximately in the old Connie. Approach-ing weather ship ITEM with Captain Jim Philbin, Talking to theFlight Engineer Gordie Bishop - long discussion between fix andpomar. Gordie told me how much he didn't like alternate "A"for carburetor ice. Went back to my table, all four enginesquit, Philbin comes flying out of top bunk, lands on my desk,Gordie shouts "Going on alternate 'A', We ,lose 4-6000 feet.Very quiet! Engines sputter and all start up again, No ditching.

"2_ February 5. Leave Shannon to Gander, 8000', DC-4. Goingby ship ITEM doing 88 knots G.S. Captain Tex Manning: 'Let'sturn around, Bill', Took us four hours to go 405 miles and onehour and forty minutes to return to EINN, Dispatcher in EINNsays 'Should have kept going'. Tex said 'B.S,' Went down toAzores, up to Gander and down to New York, (Thirty six hoursflying time_ Good old days?)

"3. EINN-JFK - with Captain Bob Guss (R.I.P.) Cargo flight.The Flight Engineers and copilots who were on board know whatwent on between EINN and Gander. I can't reveal the secret atthis writing.

"Note: Flew for World Airways 1960 - October 1969. Chartersand Vietnam and all over Pacific, Europe, and even south Americaonce. 1970 to present, body and hoist equipment salesman inSacramento, California."

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MILLER'S LAW: You can't tell how deep a puddle is until youstep in it.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

CONWAY'S LAW: In any organization there will always be oneperson who knows what is going on. This person must be fired.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

TARPA TALES PAGE 22

Page 36-The Daily Advance, Elizabeth City, N.C., Sunday, February 17, 1985

Mule contributesto election loss

EDITOR'S NOTE: This storywas sent to me by a Hertfordresident. There have been differentversions floating around for severalyears, some of them printed in folktale collections. I'm just printing thetale as told. The absolute veracity ofthe story cannot be vouched for. It isan explanation of how the sheriff ofChowan County, thought to be a shoo-in for reelection lost the campaign.

TARPA TALES

One fine Carolina evening a Mrs.George Wood, now deceased, called aDr. Marvin Satterfield, aveterinarian in Edenton, from herhome in Chowan County. It was abouther mule, Horace. She was upset andsaid: "Doctor, Horace is sick and Iwish you would come out and take alook at him."

The sun was setting but there wasstill plenty of daylight to see by. Afterasking a few questions and hearingthe answers, Dr. Satterfield said:"Oh, Fannie Lamb, it's after sixo'clock and I'm eating supper. Givehim a dose of mineral oil and if heisn't alright in the morning, 'phone'me and I'll come and take a look atyour mule."

She wanted to know how to give themule the mineral oil and the doctorsaid it should be through a funnel.Mrs. Wood protested that the mulemight bite her and Dr. Satterfield, abit exasperated, said: "You're afarm woman and you know aboutthese things, Fannie Lamb. Give it tohim in the other end."

Fannie Lamb went down to thebarn and there stood Horace,moaning and groaning and banginghis head. He certainly looked sick.She searched for a funnel but thenearest thing she could find was herUncle Bill's fox hunting horn hangingon the wall of the barn. This was abeautiful gold plated instrument withsilver tassels.

She took the horn and nervouslyaffixed it properly. Horace paid noattention and she was encouraged.Then she reached up on the shelfwhere the medicines for the farmanimals were kept. Instead ofpicking up the mineral oil, however,she grabbed a bottle of turpentineinstead, and she poured a liberal doseof it into the horn.

Horace raised his head with asudden jerk and stood dead still atattention for maybe three seconds.then he let out a squeal that could beheard a mile down the road. Hereared up on his hind legs, broughthis front legs down, knocked out oneside of the barn, cleared a five foot

fence and started down the road at amad gallop. Since Horace was inpain, every few jumps he made thehorn would blow.

All the hound dogs in theneighborhood knew when that hornwas blowing, it meant Uncle Bill wasgoing fox hunting. So out on the roadthey went, following close behindHorace the Mule.

People who witnessed that chasesaid it was an unforgettable sight.First, Horace, running at top speedand the horn in a most unusualposition, the mellow notes issuingtherefrom, the silver tassels waving,and the dogs barking joyously.

They passed the home of Old ManHarvey Hogan, who was sitting on hisfront porch. It was said that Mr.Hogan had not drawn a sober breathin 15 years. "He gazed in fascinatedamazement at the sight whichunfolded itself before his eyes. Hecouldn't believe what he was seeing.Incidentally, Old Man Harvey Hoganis said now to be head man forAlcoholics Anonymous in theAlbemarle.

By this time it was good andobvious Horace and the dogs werecoming over the Inland waterway.The bridge tender heard the hornblowing frantically and figured that afast boat was approaching. Hehurriedly went up and cranked up thebridge. Horace went kerplunk intothe water and unfortunately,drowned. The pack of dogs also wentinto the water but they all swam outwithout much difficulty.

What makes the story doublyinteresting is that the bridge tenderwas also sheriff of Chowan Countyand was running for reelection at thetime. However, he managed to getonly seven votes and these were fromkinfolks.

Those who took trouble to analyzethe election votes said the peoplethere figured that any man whodidn't know the difference between amule with a horn up his caboose anda boat coming down the InlandWaterway wasn't fit to hold any

public office in the county.PAGE 23

THE TARPAGRAPEVINE

MAY 1985

LARRY TRIMBLE'S excellent article in the March TARPATOPICS, telling the story of the famous "African ETT-12",a "reincarnated" TWA C-47 engine carrier, is well worthreading - and even re-reading. It's an authentic pieceof aviation history, running for several years and re-called by the most logical author, the man who was inthe middle of the action. We would hope to see similarfirst-hand stories in future issues of TARPA TOPICS.Our appreciation for a tale well-told by Larry Trimble.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

The Trimble story brought a response from ELMO JONESin Pittsboro, N. C,: "I thoroughly enjoy the TARPATOPICS and the memories it stirs up. The articleabout ETT-12 sent me to my old log book. I flew co-pilot on ETT-12 from Cairo to Alexandria and return onFebruary 16, 1951, My next entry shows a transitionflight at Cairo, with 15 landings, on November 30, 1951.Again on March 25, 1952, I shot eight landings and hadan instrument check the following day. It seems I wasalways qualifying but never going any place, Finally,I was placed on temporary assignment in Paris, June 11to 23, 1952. I flew co-pilot on ETT-12 during thatperiod, making trips to Rome, Madrid, Shannon and Lon-don, and the only time I have ever been to Amstersdam.

"I extend my thanks to you gentlemen who work so hardto make TARPA the success that it is."

* * * * * * * * * * * *

CHARLES (CHUCK) HOESEL, after occupying No, 1position on several recent annual TWA PilotSeniority lists, has finally decided to giveup that coveted numeral in favor of retire-ment. His career with TWA began in July, 1940.He occupied the Captain's chair for forty yearsand switched to the Flight Engineer position tofinish his 44 year tenure. Congratulations,Chuck!

* * * * * * * * * * * *

THE GRAPEVINE PAGE 1

New Members:

George T. Anton Charles F. Peterson Donovan SiebenalerJoseph W. Carroll Hoss F. Pollard Robert D. SmithRobert G. Cooper James C. Porter Frank M. SturgesDonald M. Donahue Rowland P. Powell William H. TownerJohn J. Fahey William F. Quinn Robert J. VolinDelbert W. Jackson Joe G. Schulte Fred W. WellsLewis C. Jordan Homer Schulz Vernal G. WhiteRobert H. Middlekauff Eugene Schumacher Neil WhitehurstAlbert J. Mundo Ralph M. Seidenspinner John L. Wilmet

Honorary: Kate Buchanan, Barbara Smith, Helen Stahlberg.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

From the March 18, 1985, K. C. TIMES' "Remember When?" column:"40 Years Ago - March 18, 1945 - CAPTAIN DIXIE KIEFER, formerCommander of the Olathe Naval Air Station, was severely woundedin a recent engagement in Eastern Asiatic waters". Is there astory behind that unfortunate incident, Dixie?

* * * * * * * * * * * *

RUDY TRUESDALE, in a note to A. T., reports a change of addressfrom Cassel, CA. to Eureka, CA., and adds this: "Sold ranch,sold cattle, now RETIRED. Cataract surgery and have lens im-planted in posterior chamber of right eye. It is wonderful.Next morning CAPTAIN HARRY CAMPBELL bought our brunch. Stillfly my Mooney". Rudy's note confirms that the lens implant-ation, if you are reliably advised to have it, is the thing todo. We have friends in their 80's who have had the implant -they no longer wear glasses - and swear they don't need them!

* * * * * * * * * * * *

In that same vein, a very poignant letter has reached us froma friend of many years, ROBERT C. (BOB) FIREBAUGH, who lives inWoodland Hills, California. Bob says, "Many of us will sufferdiabetes soon. You may catch it early - have a good doctor;balance your blood sugar with insulin and continue a near-normallife.

"Or you may be treated by many 'Doctors'; stay in several hos-pitals (including Scripps); lose 45 pounds; have severe neuro-pathy and malnutrition; and be bedfast for a year or two. Itis constantly and exceedingly painful. I want my friends tobeware of this disease."

Bob has had the experience and speaks from the heart.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

THE GRAPEVINE PAGE- 2

ED BETTS, HOWARD HANSEN,

and CLAYTON GRAVES

SENIORS ROUND UP

WICKENBURG, ARIZONA

September, 1984

MOE HANSEN, on February 10, had the misfortune to slip on hisice-covered, sloping driveway at Lake Quivera while pickingup the morning newspaper. The unhappy result was a fracturedankle and torn ligaments and tendons in the foot. He spentseveral weeks on crutches and in a wheel chair. He is nowback in circulation and says he's ready to play golf again.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

A. T. has sent along to us a copy of the recently completedmembership application from CHARLES W. MAYNARD, Vero Beach,Florida. Under "comments" we read: "TWA leave to RAF FerryCommand, Canada, 1941 to 1942. Rejoined TWA, July 1942, onTrans-Atlantic ops as Captain and Check Pilot. 315 Atlanticcrossings with TWA as Captain, 1942 to 1951. Manager of U.C.C.Aviation Department in New York, 1952 to 1976."

Captain Maynard (S.A.T.R. #23330) will have forgotten a tripwe had together in March, 1945, prior to my final Captain up-grading check-ride. But I remember it very clearly. It wasnot a preliminary "official check-ride", but this generous andconscientious gentleman gave away every takeoff, every approach,

THE GRAPEVINE PAGE 3

and every landing, regardless of weather on a six-leg round-trip from Washington to Prestwick, Scotland, by way of Stephen-ville, Newfoundland, and Meeks Field, Iceland. He was a greatinstructor and confidence-builder. It gave us a real kick tosee him joining (or re-joining) the ranks of TWA and TARPA -41 years later! Welcome back, Charlie! You are well-rememberedby many of us.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

In a business note to A. T., TOM ASHWOOD (now with ALPA inWashington) closed by saying, "I still remember our trip toShannon together - a -h - those were the good old days". (Ah,yes! Could it be because we were all younger then?)

* * * * * * * * * * * *

JOE IMESON passed the "magic 75" on March 31 and is now afull-fledged EAGLE. Joe is still battling a serious healthproblem, but makes a good case for maintaining a positiveattitude in spite of rough going.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

HOWARD JESPERSON sends in his dues check and says "still flying- and for another year at least".

* * * * * * * * * * * *

GEORGE DUVALL says he enjoyed the TOPICS article about theformer TWA Ford Tri-motor on floats (December, 1984). "Itbrought back fond memories of the days when I was flying sea-planes before I joined the airlines. TWA offered the planefor sale after they decided not to use it between Boston andNew York. As I recall, the price was $10,000. I had visionsof using it as a seaplane airline between my hometown ofDavenport, Iowa, and St. Louis. I had intended to make severalstops along the way and make two round-trips a day. The onlyproblem was the $10,000, which was like a fortune in thosedays. I was trying to raise that much when United offered mea temporary job for the summer of 1936 as co-pilot, and theend result was that I stayed with them for two years and thenwent to TWA, which I never regretted. Hope to see many ofyou at the convention."

* * * * * * * * * * * *

A correction of the new-member list in our March issue: thename of EUGENE GIFFORD was erroneously shown as Eugene Clifford.Our apologies to Gene. (My apologies, too. That was a typo! -Vi)

* * * * * * * * * * * *

THE GRAPEVINE PAGE 4

ORSON RAU, in a thank-you response to A. T. for his help inproviding information on an insurance matter, ended with thiscomment: "Thanks, A. T., for the great Secretary job you aredoing for TARPA. It is appreciated". Everyone seems to agreewith Orson that "A. T . does it best".

* * * * * * * * * * * *

G. W. LAMBERT, from Green Valley, Arizona, in a note to A. T .,has forced us to confess that we sometimes don't read verywell, especially when it's Spanish. Gordon says, "When readingthe current TARPA TOPICS (March 1) I noticed that Caballeroswas spelled Cabelleros. When I saw the word I became suspiciousof the spelling so looked it up in my Spanish dictionary. Theword is not listed as per the second spelling as above. Theonly word similar was Cabello - means fine noodles, cottoncandy. Caballero was listed - it means gentleman, knight, noble-man. Having lived in Mexico for twelve years, I am sensitiveto spelling errors in Spanish words and terrible pronunciationof same. When we pass through Wickenburg on our way to theconvention I will drive by the hotel to see how the name isspelled. It would be terrible if the wrong spelling is used.I cringe when listening to the local T V announcers say aSpanish word. The language is so beautiful; looks like theywould have more pride in their work. Hope to see you at theconvention".

Gordon, you have caught us with no plausible alibi for havingmisspelled "Caballeros" over and over for years, without everseeing that it should be "a" and nor "e". We'll remember inthe future that the second syllable is a "ball" and not a "bell".(As we say in Norwegian, "Uff da!". It means "Aw, shucks!)Gracias, Senor Lambert.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

RALPH SEIDENSPINNER writes to A. T . for TARPA membership infor-mation and says, "The time has come in my young life when itoccurs to me that my career is winding down. Please send mesome info re TARPA. Hope this finds you happy, healthy andstill giving them hell". A. T. responded with the info - andat the same time invited Ralph to the convention and to "stopby if you are driving up from St. Petersburg or boating up -we live right on the Inland Waterway (N.C.)".

A. T. didn't mention it, but his city of Belhaven is not farfrom the area where thousands of acres of timber were burnedoff recently in an accidental fire. Our paper said it wasstarted by a military unit on maneuvers.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

THE GRAPEVINE PAGE 5

HAROLD NEUMANN and "IKE". On the cowling it says: "HolderInverted Speed Record".

* * * * * * * * * * * *

BARBARA SMITH. widow of recently-deceased CAPTAIN FRANCIS A.SMITH, acknowledged TARPA's donation in his name to the TWAPilots' Retirement Foundation, with the following commentswritten to A. T. Humbles: "I am writing to thank you for yoursympathy and kind words about Frank. He was a wonderful hus-band and friend for 37 years and even though this was a mercifuldeath, it is still a shock. I am most grateful for the honoraryTARPA membership card and I thank all the membership for thedonation to the Retirement Foundation. You have been mostkind".

* * * * * * * * * * * *

From information provided by PAUL MCCARTY, we report with regretthat JOHN SOULD'S wife, LEE, passed away March 13. She finallysuccumbed to a recurrence of cancer which had been in remissionfor several years. According to Paul's report, she was 70 andcontinued active to the very end. As she had requested, herburial was next to her mother in North Middletown, Kentucky,her childhood home. John and Lee had participated in the Wick-enburg meeting in November and were planning to make it tothis year's TARPA convention. Paul says that John plans tobe there.

* * * * * * * * * * * *THE GRAPEVINE PAGE 6

You may have seen it in a recent SKYLINER, but we'll repeatthe poem here for anyone who may have missed it. WILLIE MILLER'syoung niece has written about her "Uncle Willie". As many othershave observed for years, he does have "twinkling eyes".

"UNCLE WILLIE"

By Jenny Lynne Snyder12 years old

Willie Miller is his nameA TWA pilot is his claim to fame.I hear tell he was the bestAnd did his job with skill and zest.The world he traveled from near to far,How satisfied his passengers were.His love of flying has lasted throughAll years of changes and progress, too.As time goes by, his job does change,From flying into selling planesTo those who are the new tycoonsOf today's business and financial boon."Uncle Willie", as I know him bestis heads and tails above the rest.He talks real tough and you think he's strick,But his twinkling eyes give him away so quick.This man is special and it's plain to seeHow much he means to my family and me.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

KARL RUPPENTHAL, still domiciled way up there in Vancouver,B. C., will be surprised to hear that we saw his handsomecountenance on our TV screen here in Overland Park on an even-ing in March. Karl was participating in an intellectual dis-cussion with several fellow professors.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

We received recently a short letter signed '"Anonymous ". Itwas postmarked "Summerland, CA". Does anybody out there knowa guy named "Anonymous"? Or a place called "Summerland"?Our own research indicates that neither one exists.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

And another sad note, this one from HANK GASTRICH in El Cajon,California: "Last Tuesday (February 19), my wife Mary Lee of38 years, passed away. She dies less than 14 months afterhaving her back pain diagnosed as bone marrow cancer (multiple

THE GRAPEVINE PAGE 7

myeloma). In accordance with her wishes, she was cremated andher ashes dropped where she had expressed a desire to be.

"Friday I took off in a Piper Sarasota with Mary Lee and myfive children. We flew first to the ocean and then to themountains. I tried as hard as possible to make it a verysmooth flight and I think I succeeded....even on the landingwhen Mary Lee was no longer on board. The kids know where wewere, so when I go I can look forward to being with her again".Hank added that he intends to attend the TARPA meeting in LasVegas.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Well, friends, this Ole's last GRAPEVINE. The first edition- a meager two pages - was put together in December, 1980,shortly after V.P. DAVE RICHWINE had moved up to the President'sjob following the resignation of TARPA's first President, JOHNFERGUSON, due to illness.

AL CLAY was selected by Dave to become Editor of TARPA TOPICSat that time, and it can be said that he has succeeded beyondall expectations in making the publication a solid part of thetotal TARPA effort.

TARPA's rapid growth from about 80 founding members in thesummer of 1979 to 1985's membership of 1241 is proof of ROYVAN ETTEN's theory that the formation of such an organizationby TWA's retired flight crew members was overdue. A firm basehas been established. Given the same kind of strong leadershipit has enjoyed in its first six years, TARPA will be around fora long time.

For my own part, other business and personal activities demandmore and more of my time, and I feel this is an appropriatetime to turn THE GRAPEVINE over to another volunteer. I appre-ciate the many kind notes and letters that have come in overthe last four years and the cooperation and the contributionsof material that you have provided to make THE GRAPEVINE pos-sible.

A. T. Humbles and Dean Phillips have shared their correspondenceand helped to flesh out the final product. Without their help,THE GRAPEVINE would be pretty scrawny. I hope this kind ofsharing will always prevail to keep THE GRAPEVINE healthy.

And I want to commend Vi Richwine for her part in typing thefinal copy, which you eventually receive in magazine form.The job's a big one: the pay is very low. She always gets itdone before the deadline.

See you in Las Vegas!

* * * * * * * * * * * *

THE GRAPEVINE PAGE 8

THE TARPAGRAPEVINE

NOTICE TO ALL MEMBERS

Ole's GRAPEVINE has been a mainstay and vitalpart of TARPA TOPICS from the beginning, beingthe primary source of things we want to knowabout each other. As his message in this issueindicates, he will no longer be able to providethis service for us. To date, no one has vol-unteered to take over this most important taskand if they do not, this section will be blank.

Surely there are some members both capable andwilling to perpetuate the good work Ole hasestablished for our organization. If you arewilling to take on this feature, please contactEditor AL CLAY as soon as possible.

O. R. OLSON10210 Mission Rd.

Overland Park,KS66206

913-642-2778

SECRETARY'S CORNER

Have some last minute news.Stan Budris, 3210 Riverland Rd.

Fort Lauderdale, FL 3331220April85 - Dear A. T., Thought you might be interested to read this account fromour local paper" The Fort Lauderdale News/Sentinel". Didn't know Ray lived in thearea until I happened to read of the rescue mentioned in the enclosed clipping.

Just to bring you up to date on my life here in Fort Lauderdale. Helen and Imade the move from N.J. last part of Sept., 1980, just prior to retirement. Ourhome, situated on 2 lots about 6 miles inland from the ocean, has a deep watercanal leading to the New River which finally flows into the Intra-Coastal Water-way. We have a 32 foot sail boat, diesel powered, parked in our back yard.

Remember how fond I was of all kinds of fruits that I grew on my homestead inN.J.? Well, it's no different now. Only the variety has changed. Now we indulgein oranges, grapefruit, bananas, coconuts , lemons, figs and whatever we can har-vest from our small (15' X 28')- garden mostly during the cooler months. Retire-ment has been anything but boring for me. There's an endless number of activitiesto keep me busy for the rest of my days. Helen and I belong to the Fort LauderdaleOrchard Society ( of which I am a member of the Board of Directors) and the RareFruit and Vegetable Council of Broward County. In addition, I am the treasurer ofour local civic association. When you consider the number of hours needed to keepa boat in good condition plus the time involved in keeping everything else ingood order plus outside activities, it is easy to see how one's day comes to aswift conclusion. Wonder how I ever survived all this while driving along theskyways.

Golly, never thought I'd get so long winded. Anyhow, I always enjoy readingTARPA TOPICS and hope to hear about some of my old buddies from Newark like MofMoffett and Hank Gastrich, a couple of real "down to earth" guys.

Keep up the good work. Stan Budris

Eugene S. Miller, 354 2 Royal Tern CircleBoynton Beach, FL 33436

Dear A. T . - Enclosed you will find a self explanatory note on Ray McQuade thatI hope TARPA would relay in the next edition. I'm sure all of Ray's old friendswould be interested. Thanks. Gene Miller

(Excerpts from article) Captain, six passengers rescued after boat sinks. The42 foot cruiser, Peter Lou II, burned and sank Friday morning off the coast ofBoca Raton carrying with it the possessions of all on board.---It was the smokethat attracted Raymond McQuade, a retired airline pilot from Pompano Beach, whowas fishing for dolphin in the area and went to the passengers' rescue just after9 a.m. Trouble began when one of the engines quit while the craft was about 12miles east of Boca Raton. Hamel tried to shut off the second engine but it keptrunning. Then smoke began pouring from it and the control console. They radioedthe U.S. Coast Guard with a distress but it went unanswered. They apparentlymade it off the craft just in time as it burned and sank.

The group drifted for 20 minutes before being rescued by McQuade and four friends,who were aboard the Flying Fisherman. McQuade delivered the group to the Light-House Point Marina just before noon.

We were about a mile and a half away when we saw smoke billowing up, McQuad said ,as he docked the boat. They were already in the raft and everybody was safe.

"I'm not a hero", he said. "I was just doing what anyone else would have done".Yes, you are. Yes, you are chanted those he rescued. "Thank you", Hamel said.

Richard Rusak, a spokesman for the Coast Guard, said a cutter arrived on thescene about 10:30 a.m. but failed to put out the fire. "The boat burned and sank",he said.

Hamel had the unpleasant task of informing his brother that the Peter [Lou,valued at $200,000, was no more. I called him in Montreal. "He's insured",Jacques Hamel said later in the day. "He was just glad no one was hurt".

DUES DUES DUES DUES

There are still a few who have not paid their 1985 dues of twenty dollars. Ifyou are one of these please get it in to Dean Phillips, our treasurer, whoseaddress is 7218 Onda Circle, Tucson, AZ 85715. Pursuant to TARPA policy anyonein arrears of dues past six months will be dropped from the mailing list so thiswould be your last issue!

I still have not located Stan Jacques nor Fred Richardson. Won't someone help?

Please use the application form in this issue to enroll someone. You must knowa friend that is eligible and hasn't joined.

We have about 1260 members at the present time and slowly growing.

Your humble secretary,