Airplanes R Us: EAA, Then and Now (Chapter One of Two)

OK… it is the new year and I have promised some “deft” writing … attempting content that would pertain to EAA and Chapter 430. Let’s call this one “EAA, Then and Now.” It is divided into a couple installments.

So … I was an aviation nerd in my early teens. I was fortunate to be close to some aviation-oriented adults who nurtured my interest. At the time, the Civil Air Patrol was an available local conduit for combination of military and aviation environment for youth and adults. I was keen and took full advantage of the CAPs Piper J-3 … and managed to solo in the summer of 1961, age 16.

By summer 1964, I was a Private Pilot, free of college for the summer, and pursuing next ratings for an unknown but desired future in aviation (This is where EAA comes in). Someone in the Newark, Ohio airport crowd sought to gather some enthusiasts, youth included, for a journey to ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, the site of EAA fly-in which was supposed to be a big deal!

At the time, I was not very familiar with EAA, but apparently there were some old guys among the airport crowd (40-somethings) who thought this trek to Illinois was a good idea. A really old guy (70-something) took the trunk lid off his Hudson Hornet and made it a 5th wheel tow-vehicle for a homemade plywood sleeping trailer of considerable size. This became our base vehicle for the adventure.

To make a long story shorter, we made it to Rockford in good order. It was a “coming-of-age” experience for me … making a grander connection with aviation, camping-out, hanging out with old guys, and girl-chasing. There were airplanes galore, airshows with Bob Hoover and Duane Cole, constant fly-bys of contemporary craft, and campfires at night. We all got a ride in the Ford Tri-motor. I am not sure who among us was an EAA member, but it was probably old Colonel Fisher, the owner of the Hudson & trailer. On the way home, we stopped at Xenia, Ohio airport where the Colonel bought a pair of Cub wings, which were strapped to the top of the plywood RV. We camped out at the Xenia Airport, fixed a flat tire … and got home to central Ohio with many good memories. The Cub wings became part of the Colonel’s hangar collection of bits and parts.

At Newark Airport, we had a couple of Colonels and couple Doc’s, none of which were retired military nor physicians. Historical Note: At the time (1964) the event was called the “EAA Annual Convention.” From 1959 to 1969, ROCKFORD ILLINOIS was the site, but the attraction outgrew the site. Next came OSHKOSH. More to come… with second chapter.