Official Newsletter of the Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society

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1 Official Newsletter of the Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society Virginia Eagles is made possible through the generosity of the Estate of Reed I. West Winter 2018 Volume XL No. 4

2 VIRGINIA EAGLES The oﬃcial newsletter of the Virginia s Aviation History Is Calling... YOU! VIRGINIA AERONAUTICAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY Brig.Gen. David L. Young, Ret.USAF, Lynchburg, Chairman Officers and Board of Directors W. Hunter Old, Richmond, President Ray Gill, Fredericksburg, Vice President Gary Allen,Williamsburg, Secretary Open, Treasurer Col. Richard Anderson, Ret.USAF, Woodbridge Courtney Beamon, Richmond Van Crosby, Richmond Luke Curtas, Fredericksburg Jarod Hoogland, Virginia Beach Bill Kelly, Richmond Charles A. Kulp, Sr., Bealeton Tim McSwain, Williamsburg Nancy Miller, Mathews Don Serio, Irvington Ret. Judge William Shelton, Richmond Mark Sternheimer, Richmond H. Ray Tyson, Jr., Ashland Doug Winegardner, Beaverdam Elizabeth Winegardner, Beaverdam Tom Woodburn, Glen Allen David Hahn, Sandston Welcome New Chapter Members H. Fraser Getgood, Fredericksburg Chapter Kevin Grindel, Warrenton Chapter Don Booth, Fredericksburg Chapter Mark Bearden, NNMP Chapter Butch Cover, Fredericksburg Chapter Allen Schmidt, Fredericksburg, Chapter Organizational Director Mark Flynn, Director, Virginia Dept. of Aviation Chapters Northern Neck Middle Peninsula, George Galo Warrenton, K.N. Dutch Rauch Williamsburg Eagles, Terry Riley Fredericksburg Chapter, Ray Gill & Don Serio Staﬀ Tim McSwain, Williamsburg, Editor Sue Baker, Fredericksburg, Staﬀ Editor Visit us on the Web at Contact us by mail at: VAHS, PO Box 7795, Fredericksburg, VA us at: vahsonline@gmail.com Telephone: (540) About the Cover Photo: The VAHS 1936 Waco YOC, NC17740, currently on loan to, and hanging in, the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport. 2

3 A Letter from our President December is always a great time to reflect on the past year, and look toward the future. In the past year as President of the VAHS, it seems like the months have flown by. We have celebrated 40 years of the Virginia Hall of Fame, celebrated its new home at Shannon Airport in Fredericksburg, and opened a new chapter, among many other things. Here is a snapshot. Just last month, it was the absolute pleasure of the Board of Directors to welcome three new inductees into the 40th class of the Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame: former Gov. Gerald Balisles, retired Colonel Ronald Gatewood and Evelyn Marshall. It seems airport development was the theme, as each of our inductees made significant contributions to aviation infrastructure and operations, both statewide and on a local level in northern Virginia. We also celebrated our 40th year by formally opening our new Hall of Fame, which is beautifully displayed within the Shannon Air Museum on the campus of the Shannon Airport. Our partnership with Shannon Airport has also led to us taking up residence with office space in The Pilot House, which is easily identifiable and centrally located on the campus of the airport. Within The Pilot House, we not only have our office, but are beginning to introduce our Library of Aviation History, containing an assortment of articles, periodicals and books all touching on aviation, both here in Virginia and elsewhere. Our chapters also continue to play an important role in the VAHS. With monthly meetings, which usually take place over a meal and involve speakers on a wide variety of aviation history, our chapters bring an element of camaraderie and interaction that statewide organizations usually don t enjoy. Our chapters also schedule field trips for their members, whether it s to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Dulles, Virginia, with a tour by HOF inductee Buzz Carpenter, or to the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, home to one of the largest private collections of WWI and WWII era military aircraft. As of this fall, we have opened our Fredericksburg Chapter, a fourth chapter to the existing chapters in Warrenton, Williamsburg and Northern Neck Middle Peninsula. If you do not already participate in a local chapter, or have some ideas about locations for new chapters, please let us know. The local chapters are one of the best reasons to join the VAHS, and we want to make sure as many of our members as possible are able to have access to them. Please call the local chapter presidents (listed on page 7 of this newsletter) with any questions or suggestions, or the main office: (540) With the New Year comes a host of new opportunities, as well. We intend to have a presence at many of the fly-ins and airshows throughout the state in 2019, and could use your help in making sure we maximize those opportunities. If you would be interested in staffing a booth at your local airshow, please let us know! We also are streamlining the membership process this year, making it easier to renew your membership, and making available a new Sustaining Member category, which we hope many of you will consider joining. And of course, in mid-october we will be inducting the class of 2019 into the Virginia Hall of Fame. Please go to our website ( to find out how to nominate your favorite contributor to Virginia Aviation History. Whether it s a local chapter meeting, on the tarmac at a Virginia air show, or here at home at the Shannon Airport, we hope to see you out and about this year, and thank you for your support of the VAHS! Happy New Year. W. Hunter Old President, Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society 3

4 New Year s Day Time to Renew Your Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society Membership! Holiday greetings from your friends at the Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society. With the new membership year starting on January 1st, 2019, we wanted to tell you about some new initiatives your VAHS is undertaking to make your membership experience better for you, and better for your VAHS. All memberships will be based on the calendar year, January 1st December 31st. You may get a renewal notice in January, when you already have a 2019 expiration date. You may pro-rate your renewal or you may give your balance to VAHS as a donation and pay the annual fee for 2019 to end on December 31, Please call the office, if you have any questions and we will be glad to help you We have simplified the number of membership categories to the following annual memberships (existing Lifetime memberships will be honored, but no longer available): Basic membership: $39/year Student/Active Military membership (new): $29/year Basic membership plus spouse: $69/year Sustaining membership (includes spouse): $149/year What does it mean to step up and be a Sustaining Member of the VAHS? It means that you identify with the VAHS mission of honoring and publicizing the people and the events of Virginia s rich aviation history. It means you want to foster the development of Virginia-based civilian, military and general aviation activities and facilities, and the businesses and personnel who support them. It means you want to expose our young people to the abundant and exciting career opportunities in every facet of aviation, here in Virginia and worldwide. And, for your VAHS, it means you re willing to provide extra financial support so that we can expand our outreach in all these areas. It means that you understand that an expanded vision of the past and the future of aviation requires an expanded base of financial support from its supporters.

5 The Sustaining membership also provides recognition for your commitment. Sustaining Members and their business affiliation will be listed in every issue of the VAHS newsletter Website and will appear in the annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony program materials. Sustaining Members will have special identification on VAHS-supplied nametags at special events. The commitment of you and your company will be an encouragement to everyone involved in the mission of VAHS year-round, and a fine reflection on you besides. We hope you ll give serious consideration to becoming one of our first Sustaining Members. The support you ll provide to VAHS will be very significant to our continued progress in this new and exciting phase of our mission. And, with basic memberships and student/active military memberships now available at reduced cost, there s no reason everyone with a heart towards aviation can t be a VAHS member. Now, your VAHS has another special request and opportunity for your consideration when you renew: auto-renewal by credit card. Auto-renewal enables VAHS to set up an annual charge to your credit card at the membership category you select. You will be notified in advance of the charge every year so that you may change your membership category or cancel auto-renew and revert to manual renewals. This simple step by members has proven vital to other fine member-driven organizations and enables your VAHS to devote less time to administration and more time to the programs, publications and initiatives that matter to you, our VAHS member. The Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the VAHS ask and strongly recommend that you that this step. It will be very helpful to you VAHS and it will save you time and effort in the renewing every year. Your VAHS is moving from an unexpected and challenging time of transition and relocation over the last several years into a period in which we can see our exciting new future taking shape on the EZF aviation campus. Growing our membership in all categories and freeing up officers and staff from annual, intensive periods of renewal-chasing will maximize our resources for the good of all of us. And here s a thought: give a holiday (or anytime) gift of membership to a friend or colleague! Let them experience what you already know and love about this unique and historic organization: the bond of the love and enjoyment of Virginia aviation history in all its diverse forms. PLEASE DO IT NOW! Your VAHS needs you, and thanks you for your membership!

Toy Airlift Tappahannock-Essex County Airport To those of you who placed toys in the toy collection box in the terminal, participated in the Roma s dinner, or helped

Story from Jack Pettigrew, VAHS Member December 12, 2018 The toys are distributed to military families who need help providing for their children, many of whom are

Army Soldiers from Fort Lee to be delivered to their Holiday Helpers program The group taken at Roma s restaurant in Tappahannock.

Not only did we collect the most toys, we (Greg Wright) provided plane rides to 5 kids and 2 adults, one of whom just happened to be the commanding officer of Lima

6 Toy Airlift Tappahannock-Essex County Airport To those of you who placed toys in the toy collection box in the terminal, participated in the Roma s dinner, or helped transport the items collected to the Chesterfield County Airport, THANKS. Story from Jack Pettigrew, VAHS Member December 12, 2018 The toys are distributed to military families who need help providing for their children, many of whom are injured, ill or struggling financially. Toys were picked up by U. S. Army Soldiers from Fort Lee to be delivered to their Holiday Helpers program The group taken at Roma s restaurant in Tappahannock. This was a very successful event and one that made KXSA shine in the mid-atlantic region. Not only did we collect the most toys, we (Greg Wright) provided plane rides to 5 kids and 2 adults, one of whom just happened to be the commanding officer of Lima Company at Fort Lee. Disembarking Greg s plane, I personally heard two of the kids say their flight was the best Christmas present they had EVER received. Coverage of the event was also provided in the Northern Neck Sentinel, Vol 1-Edition 11-Dec Left to right are Barbara Headley, Jack Pettigrew, Greg Wright, Rusty Acree, Fred Wimberly, Wayne Angola, with soldiers from Lima Company, Ft. Lee, Virginia. To all involved, give yourself a pat on the back for a job very well done! 6

usaf heritage of america band Holiday Concert We were honored to sponsor, along with the local Fredericksburg newspaper, the Free Lance-Star, 43 wonderful musicians of the USAF Heritage of America

Board Director and Shannon Museum Executive Director, Luke Curtas, welcomed an audience of over 1,000, who are still calling and writing to thank us for such a superb show.

Santa even made an appearance, bringing 30 + children from the audience to the stage for a rendering of Twas the Night before Christmas and four Secret Santas sent donations to the VAHS as a thank

7 usaf heritage of america band Holiday Concert We were honored to sponsor, along with the local Fredericksburg newspaper, the Free Lance-Star, 43 wonderful musicians of the USAF Heritage of America Band, from Langley, VA in concert, celebrating the holiday season and paying tribute to our heroes who are far from home. Board Director and Shannon Museum Executive Director, Luke Curtas, welcomed an audience of over 1,000, who are still calling and writing to thank us for such a superb show. Many have called to ask for more information about the Society and are excited to see us and Shannon Air Museum in Fredericksburg. Santa even made an appearance, bringing 30 + children from the audience to the stage for a rendering of Twas the Night before Christmas and four Secret Santas sent donations to the VAHS as a thank you. Pictures by Allen Schmidt, Fredericksburg Chapter Chapter News Warrenton Chapter Northern Neck/Middle Peninsula Contact: Contact: K.N. Dutch Rauch 1446 Waggaman Circle McLean, Virginia (703) ﬂynavy@cox.net George Galo or Nancy Miller P.O. Box 545 Lancaster, Virginia (804) galoga205@gmail.com Meetings are held the 3rd Thursday of each month at the Pilot House Restaurant in Topping, Virginia at 11:30 a.m. Williamsburg Eagles Chapter Contact: Terry Riley 3599 Splitwood Toano, Virginia (757) triley02@aol.com Fredericksburg Chapter Contact: Ray Gill or Don Serio, Chapter Coordinators 3381 Shannon Airport Circle Fredericksburg, Virginia (540) vahsonline@gmail.com Meetings are held the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 10:00 a.m. at the Williamsburg Airport. Meetings will be held monthly. Dates will be announced. 7

Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society The Pilot House, 3381 Shannon Circle Fredericksburg, VA 22408 Address Service Requested Non-Profit Organization US Postage PAID Richmond, Virginia 23232

8 Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society The Pilot House, 3381 Shannon Circle Fredericksburg, VA Address Service Requested Non-Profit Organization US Postage PAID Richmond, Virginia Permit No. 120 Winter, 2018 Vice President, David Hahn and Treasurer, Frank Lennon step down in 2018 As their time on the VAHS Executive Board draws to a close, we want to express our sincere gratitude for their service. Board service is the toughest volunteer role, and they took on their Board duties with dedication and grace. More than their amazing ability to connect friends to our organization through our Board meetings, annual meetings and events or their willingness to support every fundraising effort we had, we are most grateful for their active leadership as a judicious steward of our organization. We know they always carefully deliberated on matters before the board or the membership, even when the decisions were difficult. Not seeking another term was clearly a difficult decision for them, and we respect their decision. A famous peace activist once said, "Wisdom is knowing what to do next; virtue is doing it." They are both wise and virtuous, and we are grateful they shared those qualities with us. David, who stepped down earlier this summer was replaced by Ray Gill of Fredericksburg and will remain as a member of the Board. Frank resigned on December 11th. He will be sorely missed by this group and we wish him all the best and look forward to staying in touch with him for years to come.

King William Historical Society Newsletter

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 8 King William Historical Society Newsletter Ensuring Our Future By Preserving Our Past Come join us at our next membership meeting! January 21, 2018 2:30pm King William Administration