WAHF Flyer

December 2003 WA H F F LY E R Q u a r t e r l y W i s c o n s i n n e w s l e t t e r o f t h e A v i a t i o n H a l l o f F a m e Six Inducted Into WI Aviation Hall of Fame Photo by Tom Thomas For the first time in its 18-year history, the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame inducted a father/daughter team at its annual investiture ceremony at the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh on October 25. Marie Schuette and Archie Towle received the honor for over a half-century of commitment to Wisconsin aviation. Archie Towle was manager and fixed base operator of the Wausau, WI airport from 1931-1945. A barnstormer who gave aerobatic exhibitions throughout the state, Towle promoted aviation with such enthusiasm that 2 16 members of his family became pilots. After his death in an airplane crash at age 45, his Towle Flying Service business lived on, 2 managed by daughter and son-in-law, Marie & Lyle Grimm. At 22, Marie was already an accomplished pilot. She soloed in an Aeronca C-3 at age 16 3 and became the country’s youngest female pilot on her 17th birthday. She passed ad3 vanced aerobatic courses in a Waco F-2, was a charter member of the WI 99’s, and won several awards for her aviation achievements. Marie Towle Schuette Inside this issue… President’s Message Keith thanks those who make our organization great Member Spotlight Former Air Force pilot writes on aviation history Contest Winners Announced Thomas wins Grand Prize! Successful Silent Auction Thanks to your help, Scholarship Fund grows Book Corner New feature Recommended Reading Membership Renewal Time 100% Renewal Rate Goal 3 4 Like her father, she served on numerous state aviation committees. The Grimm’s managed the Wausau airport for over 25 years as Grimm Flying Service with one of the state’s largest flight schools. Marie continues her father’s legacy with the establishment of the Archie C. Towle Aviation Scholarship. It was a $1 airplane ride at age 8 that led to a love of flying and induction of Lt. Col. Robert Goebel for his outstanding service to his country. Goebel became an ace in July of 1944 and a double ace by August. After flying 61 missions, the Racine, WI native returned home in Sept. ’44 with several medals, including the Silver Star and the Distinguished Flying Cross w/Oak Leaf Cluster. Once home, he earned a degree in Physics while serving as CO of the WI Air National Guard, then returned to active duty to work in the Gemini Space program. Retiring from the USAF in 1966, Goebel wrote a book entitled, Mustang Ace, Memories of a P-51 Pilot. In 1932, Eau Claire, WI native Charles Wood built a primary glider while still in high school. He earned a glider rating (to pg. 2) Maggie Flood: 2003 Scholarship Recipient Marjorie “Maggie” Flood, chanical; her parents said that her Waukesha, a student in the Airframe favorite thing to do once she could & Powerplant (A&P) program at walk was to sneak into her dad’s Milwaukee Area Technical College machine shed to play in the tools is the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of and grease. Fame’s 2003 recipient of the Carl Ms. Flood’s first year of A&P Guell Memorial Scholarship. School has had its challenges and The 43-year-old mother of two Maggie Flood rewards. The sole woman in her EDITOR’S NOTE: enrolled in the program after the loss class, she has found only encourExpect a new name and new look of her husband in 2002. At that point, Magin the March 2004 issue agement and support from her classmates. gie said, “I needed to start my life over again. The challenges have been on a personal level; SEND NEWSLETTER I began to think of careers I would enjoy and losing her husband in 2002, and her father in IDEAS & COMMENTS TO: decided on a mechanical line of work. A January 2003. Her sons, Ben, 13, and Jack, WAHF FLYER 8550 GREENWAY BLVD #405 friend suggested A&P School, and after some 15, are adjusting to mom’s busy new schedule MIDDLETON WI 53562-4724 research I decided that of all the different but continue to encourage their mom in her flyer@aviationhalloffamewisconsin.com mechanical work, being an A&P offered the goals. “I continue to hear how proud my sons most diverse opportunities for me.” Indeed, are of me,” she said. Flood had a lifelong interest in things me(to pg. 3) WISCONSIN AVIATION HALL OF FAME MISSION STATEMENT To collect and preserve the history of aviation in Wisconsin, recognize those who made that history, inform others of it, and promote aviation education for future generations.

PAGE 2 W A H F F L Y E R President’s Message… By Keith Glasshof Keith Glasshof THANK YOU - to those of you who were able to attend the WAHF investiture banquet. I am certain the inductees, past and current, are very grateful for your show of support as demonstrated by your attendance. At the same time I wish to thank you for your support of our scholarship program by your participation in the silent auction. While the details of the auction are set forth elsewhere in the Flyer, let me simply say that your efforts generated over $2,000 in support of the scholarship program. CONGRATULATIONS - to the six current inductees. Each of you was selected for induction into the Hall of Fame because of your unique and outstanding contributions to the field of aviation. We are grateful for all that each of you has done to advance the state of aviation. At the same time, I wish to congratulate Maggie Flood as the recipient of the 2003 Carl E. Guell Scholarship award. We salute you for your accomplishments, and we know that you will be a fine addition to the ranks of aviation. MEMBERSHIP - the heart and soul of the WAHF is its membership. The organization’s membership drive is nearing success; we stand at 81 new members in our goal of 100. Encourage a friend to become a member. Likewise, as the heart and sole of the organization, your active participation is greatly encouraged and welcomed. We need your counsel, your presence, and your financial support. Your participation will help the organization be all that it can be. Member Spotlight: Gary Dikkers If you are a WAHF member and have interesting news to share with our readers about your aviation activities, please contact the WAHF FLYER at 608-836-9840. We look forward to spotlighting you and the successes you have achieved in aviation. Board members of the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame aren’t the only people sharing stories of Wisconsin’s rich aviation history. For the past year, new WAHF member Gary Dikkers, an Airspace Specialist with the WisDOT Bureau of Aeronautics, has been writing aviation history articles for the WisDOT Employee Bulletin. Distributed weekly to over 3500 state employees, Dikkers’ stories included several WAHF inductees, such as Fritz Wolf and Sam Johnson. He also wrote about Arch Hoxsey, the second pilot to fly in Wisconsin and the first to crash an airplane here. “I started the series to keep WisDOT employees aware that this year is the centennial of powered flight, and to make them familiar with the importance Wisconsin has played in the development and history of aviation,” he said. Dikkers’ own history is worth writing about; he is an Air Force Academy graduate who flew a combat tour in Vietnam as a Forward Air Controller (FAC). He was also an instructor pilot in the T-38, and a fighter pilot flying the F-4 Phantom II. ’03 Inductees (from pg. 1) Lt. Col. Robert Goebel Be sure to check the WAHF Website to see more photos from the 2003 Banquet and the new inductees’ Hall of Fame pages! in Poland just prior to WWII, and then came home to earn his instructor ratings. He was a CPT instructor, and he also trained British pilots in AT-6’s. Returning to Eau Claire after the war, he was instrumental in establishing the Eau Claire airport at its present site. Wood died in August ’03; his son Guy accepted the plaque honoring his father and remarked, “I accept this honor in Dad’s memory with great pride. He was excited about coming to Oshkosh for this event.” The Hall of Fame also recognizes aviators who made contributions prior to 1927 in its Pioneer category. 2003 recipients are Thomas Hamilton and Melvin Thompson. Hamilton, a pioneer pilot, designer and manufacturer, laid the foundation for the aviation industry in Wisconsin. He built his first airplane in 1910 and was the first person to fly in Washington State. In 1917 he moved to Milwaukee to design and build propellers and pontoons for the war effort. In ’26 Hamilton designed and built his first all-metal monoplane, which carried passengers and mail for Northwest and other early airlines. Hamilton acquired property on Layton Avenue in Milwaukee that later became Mitchell International Airport. Melvin Thompson began flying in 1918 and quickly became a Texas barnstormer by rebuilding a JN4D Jenny. He returned to Wisconsin to continue barnstorming, build airplanes and train pilots at Green Bay’s first airport, Blesch Field. In 1928 he moved to the Kohler Airport and became Governor Walter Kohler’s personal pilot. He remained active at the Kohler Airport until 1961, then moved to the New Holstein Airport where he restored airplanes and operated the FBO until his retirement in 1968.

Page 3 Thomas Wins Membership Drive Contest Aviation history supporter Tom Thomas, Madison, WI, was the Grand Prizewinner of the WI Aviation Hall of Fame’s 2003 “100 for 100” Membership Drive Contest. Thomas recruited 9 new members into the Hall of Fame, and continues his efforts. Said Thomas, “Please know that I am not done yet and that I will continue my efforts to help reach 100 new members in this centennial year.” The contest ended on Oct. 1. Thomas received a collection of Wisconsin Aviation History books, including, Forward in Flight, the History of Aviation in Wisconsin by Michael Goc; Wings North, Wausau’s Aviation History by Robert Wylie; and several other books, along with a lifetime membership in the WI Aviation Hall of Fame and two tickets to the 2003 Investiture Ceremony. The grand prize was awarded for recruiting the most new members into the organization during the contest dates. In the drawing for all those who recruited new members, first place went to Joel Thompson, Reno, Nevada; second place to Cliff Tomas, Madison, WI; and third place to Jeff Taylor, Verona, WI. Place winners received a varied set of aviation history books, donated by the authors. Bill Baker, Monroe, WI, and Scott Nolinske, Madison, were winners in the “New Members” drawing. Baker, Nolinske and all those who joined the organization during the contest were entered into a separate drawing. Baker received an EAA gift package; including two passes to the AirVenture Museum and other EAA gifts. Nolinske won the book, Forward in Flight. The Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame would like to congratulate all of the new members who joined in 2003, and thank all those who helped spread the word about the organization by encouraging their friends to join. Your support and enthusiasm is necessary to continue the work we do and to meet the goals our organization is striving for. Thanks also to the EAA and all who donated prizes. With a bit of humor, Tom Thomas said of his win, “Well Roger Ramjet, it is both exciting and humbling to have won the WAHF Membership Drive Contest.” Over $2000 Raised For WAHF Scholarship Fund Thanks to the generosity of its members and the fine business people who generously donated cash and merchandise, the WI Aviation Hall of Fame Carl E Guell Scholarship Fund has grown. Over $2000 was raised at our first Silent Auction, held during the social hour preceding the annual investiture banquet in Oshkosh. The auction was popular among those in attendance. The event was a collaborative effort to increase awareness of the program and raise much needed funds. The scholarship program is a key endeavor of the group. Several individuals were instrumental in establishing the scholarship, most notably Earl Pingel, former WAHF President and Chairman of the Board. His tireless scholarship research and financial support outreach efforts before he died were vital in awarding the first scholarship in 2002. Pingel also gave the scholarship fund an immense boost with his own generous financial contributions to the program. With Earl’s loss, the organization continues to seek scholarship funding ideas like the Silent Auction. Year end tax-deductible contributions can still be made; see the contribution panel on our membership application. Maggie Flood (from pg. 1) Wylie Retires Amid personal hardship, Flood holds a 3.76 GPA and is respected by her fellow students and instructors alike. Instructor Ken Mischka said of Flood, “Her dedication and desire to succeed is of the highest caliber. When assigned tasks which require diligence and perseverance, she always rises to the occasion and exceeds our goals.” Instructor Jon Pribyl said, “Her quality of work and dependability sets a standard that can be used to measure others by. Maggie would be a great asset to any aviation company she decides to work for.” The WAHF Board of Directors congratulates Maggie on her outstanding achievements. Robert Wylie, Wausau, WI, WAHF Board Member since 1998, is retiring from his board position effective December 30, 2003. In his five years of service to the WAHF, Bob was chairman of the WAHF Nominations Selection Committee and vital in organizing the nomination packages. Bob is also the author of Wings North, a look at Wausau’s aviation history. With a debt of gratitude for all he’s done, the WAHF Board extends their sincere best wishes to Bob and his wife, Grace. Dave Duax, Eau Claire, completes last minute shopping at the 1st Annual WAHF Silent Auction. Check the WAHF Website for links to the businesses that donated items. Book Corner Recommended Reading: On the Wing, Jessie Woods and the Flying Aces Air Circus, by Ann L. Cooper A personal look at the life of wing-walker Jessie Woods and both the adventures and anguish of her air circus lifestyle.