The Membership Newsletter for The Military Aviation Museum Fall 2017

INsIde ThIs Issue: Joggin' for Frogmen Preview 2Chambers Field Centennial 2Guests Join Suffolk Skydive 3Dawn Patrol Preview 3Warbirds Photo Recap 4Flying Proms Review 5Summer Camp Review 5324 Fighter Group Reunion 6 Eagle Scout Project 6 Sister Cities International 7

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 7

Military Aviation Museum www.MilitaryAviationMuseum.org

Virginia Beach Airport www.VBairport.com

Fighter Factory www.FighterFactory.com

Biplanes & Triplaneswww.VBairshow.com

Our annual Biplanes and Triplanes World War One Air Show will be held October 7-8 taking guests back to the days of The Great War for a weekend of flying, colorful World War One aircraft, family entertainment, kids games, hayride and NEW this year…an Oktoberfest Beer Garden.

The Biplanes and Triplanes show is all about immersing yourself in the days of The Great War. Between the beautifully painted World War One aircraft dancing through the sky, the military reenactor encampments, and the entertainers, patrons feel like they’ve taken a step back in time.

Put this Air Show on your calendar for this year, and visit http://www.vbairshow.com/#ticket-sales for tickets. Mark this as a DON’T MISS event! q

Jarod Hoogland has been named Museum Director after a long search to replace retiring Director Mike Potter. Jarod was previously Executive Director of the Alaska Aviation Museum, the state’s largest air museum with a focus on Golden Age Alaskan aircraft. A lifelong Alaskan, this is his first foray to the East Coast. Apart from his aviation museum experience, he was a former tackle store owner and mobile game developer. He brings with him experience in building educational and development programs, designing

new exhibits, and implementing new business growth strategies. Jarod is excited to join the Military Aviation Museum, and looks forward to working with staff, volunteers, and Mr. Yagen to grow the Military Aviation Museum!

Mike Potter has done a fantastic job leading the museum, growing community and educational partnerships with the Virginia Beach School District and our local Creeds Elementary School, expanding tour bus visits and enhancing the museum’s visual appeal. Under Mike’s tenure, the museum became a 5-star #1 rated tourist attraction in Virginia Beach according to TripAdvisor’s website. Mike’s knowledge and expertise will not be lost as he transitions back to being a museum volunteer and Aircraft Red Dot whenever he can pry himself away from his poolside retreat. Jarod will pick up where Mike left off, with plans to expand the museum’s educational programming, display rotating exhibits, and generating more revenue for the museum. Look out for lots of exciting projects in 2018! q

Join us for the 2017 Biplanes & Triplanes Air Show

Changes in the Director’s Office

Danish Ambassador Lars Gert Lose, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe and Virginia Beach Mayor Will sessoms join Coalition Wounded Warrior veterans in a tandem jump. - PAGe 3

PAGE 2 VOLUME 10, ISSUE 3

Joggin’ for Frogmen 5K Race Preview

MUSEUM NEWS

On Saturday, October 21st, the runway turns into a race course for hundreds of area runners for the 2nd year of the Military Aviation Museum hosting the Joggin' for Frogmen 5K run. Inspired by US Navy SEALs (Frogmen), the Navy SEAL Foundation’s Joggin' for Frogmen Race Series brings communities and families together to jog in honor of the Naval Special Warfare community and their families.

All participants age 7 and older will run in the 5k. Following the 5k is a “Tadpole Trot” for kids ages 6 and under. All registered 5k and Tadpole Trot participants will receive a Joggin’ for Frogmen race shirt at packet pickups. 5k participants will wear a 5k bib and will receive a 5k finisher’s medal when crossing the finish line. Tadpole Trotters need to register for the Tadpole Trot, but can do the 5k with their parents at no extra cost. All Tadpole Trotters will wear a Tadpole Trot bib and will receive a Tadpole Trot medal upon completion of the race. Please note that while Tadpole Trotters can run in the 5k, they will not receive a 5k medal unless they have on a 5k bib, which requires additionally registering and paying for the 5k.

For more information and to register, please go to: https://www.raceit.com/Register/?event=39331#! q

NAS Norfolk’s Chambers Field Centennial Calls on the Military Aviation Museum to Fly their History!

Vintage warbirds, many from the museum, took to the skies during a recent July Saturday at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, VA to showcase the rich history of naval aviation and provide a window into the past of this historic airfield. Museum aircraft participating in the 100th anniversary of Chambers Field included the Grumman Wildcat, the Douglas Skyraider, the FG-1 Corsair, the P-40 Kittyhawk, the PT-17 Stearman and the PBY Catalina. Our volunteers Red Dots handled the launching and recovery of

the aircraft both at home and at NAS Norfolk. Additionally, other museum volunteers and gift shop staff manned our static display booth to answer questions and sell our t-shirts and merchandise.

The air show provided a truly unique opportunity for the public to see flying historic aircraft that have operated at Chambers Field over the last 100 years and to learn that many of these aircraft are just a few miles down the road working to keep these memories alive for future generations to enjoy. q

1. PBY-5a Catalina taxies out for takeoff; 2. Chief Pilot Mike Spalding in the FM-2 Cockpit

3. Johnny Mazza in the FG-1 Corsair; 4. Kevin Sinabaldi on the wing of the AD-4 Skyraider

This October 3rd through the 8th, the Military Aviation Museum is pleased to host of the 2017 Mid-Atlantic Dawn Patrol (M.A.D. Patrol).

In concert with their full-scale brethren flying during the Military Aviation Museum’s Biplanes & Triplanes Air Show on 7-8 October 2017, a large number of R/C models will take to the air as builders and enthusiasts convene near the museum’s World War I hangar to display and demonstrate their work as part of Tidewater Radio Control’s 6th annual Mid-Atlantic Dawn Patrol event.

Starting in 2011, the Dawn Patrol has held their five day event each year during the first week of October. According to Scott Vickery, who founded the Mid-Atlantic

Dawn Patrol event along with Glenn Torrance, model builders and R/C pilots from around the country and around the world travel to attend. Most of the WWI radio control planes are of one-third scale, with wing-spans of over ten feet. The ½ scale models range from twelve to over 20-foot wing-spans!

This year’s Dawn Patrol will again run in tandem with the museum’s Biplanes & Triplanes Air Show. In contrast with the limited flight maneuvers conducted by the Museum’s veteran warbirds, the R/C planes and their skilled pilots are able to demonstrate the full potential of these ancient designs. Engaging in aerial dogfights, we have some very exciting close-calls during the half-time shows on Saturday and Sunday.

Hosted by Tidewater R/C, the local chapter of the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), the Dawn Patrol draws support from Glenn Torrance Models, Aeroscale, Balsa USA, SKS Videos, Arizona Models and Proctor Ent.

• For Mid-Atlantic Dawn Patrol Information: http://www.flytrc.com/madpatrol.htm

• To register for Mid-Atlantic Dawn Patrol: https://flytrc.wufoo.com/forms/k1qsnttv180dfkh/

• For additional Military Aviation Museum or Biplanes & Triplanes Air Show Information: http://www.militaryaviationmuseum.org q

VOLUME 10, ISSUE 3 PAGE 3

Three Special Guests Join Coalition Wounded Warrior Veterans in Tandem Jump

Mid-Atlantic Dawn Patrol Preview

Each year the City of Virginia Beach hosts the Patriotic Festival. Part of that celebration involves special activities honoring our wounded veterans. One aspect of this included a tandem parachute jump into the beachfront to help open the ceremonies. Due to the museum’s location, we were honored to help by providing a launch point for Suffolk Skydive to stage and pick up a select group of wounded veterans selected by the Coalition Wounded Warrior program to tandem jump.

Three very special guest jumpers were asked to participate in this year’s opening jump the evening of Friday, June 2nd. They were Danish Ambassador Lars Gert Lose, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe and Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms. In company with several wounded warriors, everyone arrived at the museum for their safety briefing. Finally, the time came to load up and takeoff for the drop zone. At last report, all arrived at the beach with huge smiles on their faces. q

1. Suffolk Skydrive stages a tandem jump for a select group of wounded veterans; 2. Ambassador Lars Gert Lose receives his safety briefing; 3. Former Museum Director Mike Potter and Mayor Sessoms

walk through the museum prior to the jump; 4. Governor Terry McAuliffe waves upon boarding the aircraft

PAGE 4 VOLUME 10, ISSUE 3

REVIEWS AND RECAPS

Warbirds Over the Beach 2017 Photo Recap

Warbirds Over the Beach was a blast this year! It was great to

see all the birds shake off the dust and spread

their wings in the spring air! Here is just a small

sample of what you may have missed… so mark your calendars for next year's show,

May 18-20, 2018.

Goodyear FG-1D Corsair

Yakovlev Yak-3M

DeHavilland DH-98 Mosquito FB25

Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina

Piper Cub J3C-65

Museum Aircraft Displays

VOLUME 10, ISSUE 3 PAGE 5

Warbirds Aviation Summer Camp and the hottest days of July seem to go hand in hand at the museum! But despite all of that, the staff and cadets persevered and accomplished one of the most successful camps in recent memory. With 24 cadets attending this year’s camp, everyone took the opportunity to have fun and learn a whole lot about aviation!

Gliders, rockets firefighting, tow tractors, virtual reality dogfights, and of course warbirds...whew, what

a week for the kids! The staff had a great time too!

A couple of special shout outs to our friends at Sentara for the visit by our local Nightingale medivac helicopter and to the King Air from Andrews AFB who occasionally train at our airfield for stopping by and sharing their aviation expertise with the cadets. Thanks too, to the Tidewater Soaring Society for their support of the camp’s Glider Day where they brought in six gliders and tow aircraft

to demonstrate soaring to the kids. Don’t forget our own volunteer, Dave Von Rump for bringing his Cessna Cardinal in to represent the general aviation community to the kids.

The family picnic and awards ceremony finished off the week in grand style right after the amazing flight demonstration put on by our P-40 Kittyhawk. Onward and upwards to next year’s camp! q

Warbirds Aviation Summer Camp 2017 in Review

Flying Proms 2017 from a First Time Visitor

My first day at the museum wasn’t as an employee (incoming Director), but as a visitor to what would turn out to be a spectacular night. By the time I arrived on the property, there was a hive of activity all around me. Luckily, as soon as I parked, I spotted a couple of volunteers with a golf cart… and so my adventure began. Piloting this particular cart was none other than museum volunteer historian Felix Usis, and he was very cordial even though this complete stranger was approaching seeking to hitch a lift. From there, I managed to hop from cart to cart with many of the staff and volunteers working this big event. For perhaps the only time as an outsider, I was able to watch the coordinated efforts of the team as the Flying Proms unfolded around me. While

guests were blissfully lounging in their chairs watching the symphony as warbirds flew overhead, dozens of volunteers were working behind the scenes making it all possible, and safe. I had never been to an event quite like this one, and the efforts showed. I was grateful once the sun started to set, as the heat of the day was drastically higher than what I had just left a few days earlier in Anchorage. As the aircraft came to their final resting place as a dramatic backdrop to the orchestra, the

combination of the setting sun and growing stage lights made for a new focus on the music. While my evening was mostly a whirlwind of meet & greets, it was obvious that this is a special event. Fireworks are something we rarely enjoy in Alaska, so as the bursts lit up the night, it seemed a fitting end to my first day at the museum. It may also be indicative of the excitement yet to come. q

By Jarod Hoogland, Museum Director

1. Cadets learn how a Glider is assembled for flight; 2. Plane Captains move the Waco;

3. Virtual Fighter Pilots learn their craft

By Mitchell Welch, Events Coordinator

The Military Aviation Museum is the proud recipient of a recent prospective Eagle Scout’s project when Eric Choi, a Boy Scout from Troop 79, designed, planned and built a U.S. Flag Collection Box for flag retirement ceremonies. Eric Choi presented his Eagle Scout Project to the museum’s Events Coordinator Mitchell

Welch and Volunteer Scouting Coordinator Stan Bialis on Tuesday June 13, 2017. The Collection box was placed at the museum’s front door so guests and friends off the museum can drop of their weathered and tattered US Flag for proper retirement. This was Eric’s final step in his long path towards attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. q

Eagle Scout Flag Collection Box Project Benefits the Museum

PAGE 6 VOLUME 10, ISSUE 3

OUR COMMUNITYOur Community

First and second generation members of the 324th Fighter Group recently visited the Military Aviation Museum for a tour, lunch and memorial ceremony to commemorate their fallen comrades. Fourteen reunion guests first gathered at the Goxhill Tower for the memorial service. Two of the guests were WWII veterans of the fighter group. Stan Hart and Arthur Martone both served in the war and were very honored to represent the group for the service.

Standing in the shadow of Goxhill next to the museum’s P-40, positioned at Goxhill as a surprise for the group, brought back memories of their fellow comrades and numerous stories, too.

The tour and lunch ended with one lucky member receiving a ride in our Stearman. The smile never left Debbie Crull’s face from the time she strapped in for her ride until she drove out of sight through the front gate. q

324 Fighter Group Reunion and Memorial Service

1. Group photo of the 324th Fighter Reunion; 2. Fighter Pilots Stan Hart and Arthur Martone converse in front of the Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk; 3. Debbie Crull takes a plane ride in the Stearman

The Sister Cities International 61st Annual Conference was held in Virginia Beach last month. The goal of the conference is to find innovative ways to foster interaction on a municipal level and to collaborate on the future of their 77 sister city relationships. The museum was selected to host the conference attendees' opening dinner. Nearly 200 delegates attended and enjoyed their brief visit and view of the museum’s collection. They were entertained with brief remarks by Virginia Beach’s Mayor, Will Sessoms and enjoyed a brief overview by the museum’s owner, Mr. Jerry Yagen, before enjoying their dinner under the wings of several aircraft. q

VOLUME 10, ISSUE 3 PAGE 7

Sister Cities International 61st Annual Conference

1. Musical Quartet provided by Symphonicity; 2. Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms speaks at the

opening of the Sister Cities International Dinner

Museum Lands at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

with a New Mission

Every year at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, tens of thousands of visitors welcome some of the most unique, rare and best preserved aircraft in the world. With over 590,000 visitors, AirVenture 2017 was no exception.

At past Oshkosh events, the Museum has flown in some of our prize warbirds and even won major awards. This year our mission was a bit different.

What Oshkosh also has is an abundance of some of America’s most generous aviation enthusiasts who enjoy supporting aviation museums that focus on restoring, preserving, and flying vintage warbirds.

As the museum’s first Director of Development, this year’s visit to Oshkosh became a mission to zero-in on some of the true legends and big supporters of aviation to encourage them to come and see our WWI and WWII warbirds and help us grow.

With the help of our Chief Pilot, Mike Spalding, we were able to meet up with and talk to some of the elite few who can help us “get-the-word-out” about our world-class aircraft collection and help support our mission to keep these warbirds flying for future generations.

We were able to get several major aviation elites to agree to come by – now comes the hard work! q

By Greg Mills, Director of Development

Membership Newsletter for the Military Aviation Museum

1341 Princess Anne RoadVirginia Beach, VA 23457

(757) 721-PROP

Open Daily 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

eLeCTRONIC seRVICe RequesTed

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDVIRGINIA BEACH, VA

PERMIT NO. 235

PAGE 8 VOLUME 10, ISSUE 3

EVENT CALENDAR

NOVEMBER 22 NOVEMBER 28-30NOVEMBER 22 1941 Boeing stearman

Joggin’ for Frogmen 5k

Attention runners… come out and enjoy a fall morning in Pungo. Joggin’ for

Frogmen 5K run is designed to activate communities from around the world to honor the sacrifices of our service

members and veterans, and to support the families of our fallen heroes.

Planes, Trains & Santa

The museum, in association with the Tidewater Division of the National Model Railroad

Association, is pleased to announce its 8th annual model train show! Santa will fly in on

Friday and Saturday only, with a meet-and-greet for children of all ages at 11am both days!

Wings & Wheels AACA Car Show

Presented by Tidewater Region Antique Automobile Club of America. Come out and enjoy a day of exhibition of antique motor vehicles. Hundreds of beautiful cars, trucks, and motorcycles will be on hand around the field as the judges select the best in each category.

Mid-Atlantic Dawn Patrol

Early 1900’s Radio Control (R/C) models will take to the air as builders and enthusiasts

convene near the museum’s World War I hangar to display and demonstrate their

work as part of Tidewater Radio Control’s 6th annual Mid-Atlantic Dawn Patrol.

Come out and enjoy the fall event!

Biplanes & Triplanes Air Show

Take a step back in time as we recognize the War of the Nations. Experience a journey to the dawn

of aerial combat and discover where the term dogfight originated. Join us at the historic style buildings of the Military Aviation Museum, located

at the Virginia Beach Airport.

SEP 23 OCT 3 - OCT 8 OCT 7 - OCT 8

Air & Auto Classic 8

The Porsche Club of America, First Settlers Region, will host its 8th

Annual charity meet, from 9 am to 4pm, All makes and models are welcome!

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to review a large display of fine foreign and domestic motorcars, including rally, racing, rods and restorations.

OCT 21OCT 14 NOV 24 - NOV 26