The "Former Student Wins Volunteer Of The Year!" Story

The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania

It was an ordinary day.  Standing inside the front door of The Railroad Museum of Pennsyl- vania in Strasburg, Pennsyl- vania waiting to see George Swartz.  My story began December 13 of this past year when I read an article in the Lancaster newspaper titled "Railroad Museum of Pa. honors its top volunteer.  Story about George Swartz who is a Lancaster native who currently lives in Lititz and was recently selected by the Friends of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania board of directors as the volunteer of the year.  He was picked from more than 150 active volunteers.  Quite an honor!  George spent 35 years as a corporate pilot for Armstrong World Industries and is now a regular volunteer at the museum, spending much of his time installing a model train layout located in the museum's second floor gallery.  The more I read, the more I wondered if I might have had George as a student years ago.  I remembered a George Swartz who I had in my Graphic Arts class who one day asked if I would like to a ride in an airplane with him.  He was trying to get his pilot's license and needed so many hours in the air.  All I had to do was pay for the gas.  Mike, the fellow whom I work with during the summer doing the in-house printing for the Manheim Township School District, where we both taught years ago, has a daughter who works at the Museum so Mike asked her to ask George if he recognized my name.  

The museum as seen from a catwalk over the tracks.

You bet!  So, I'm standing inside the door of the train museum, getting directions to the second floor to meet with George.  The elevator door opened and there was George, slightly older than I remember, but with the same smile I remembered from 1970 when he graduated from Manheim Township High School.  We spent the next hour reminiscing and catching up on each others lives and then he showed me some of the HO miniature railroad train yard that he is working on at present.  It had been moved from the first floor to the second floor and placed in a much smaller space, so he is in the process of making changes so most everything can fit once again.  He asked me about teachers he had during his high school career and I questioned him if he had a sister named Sharon.  Seems two of my traveling friends as well as classmates in the same high school where I ended up teaching, Jere and Sue Herr, asked me a few days before my visit with George, to ask George if he had a sister by the name of Sharon who ran around with them in high school.  I, too, knew Sharon, but mainly as a classmate.  George smiled and looked at me and said he also remembered Jere and Sue from years before when they visited his sister.  He told me he graduated from the Piedmont Aerospace Institute after high school with degrees in Airframe and Powerplant Technician.  During his career as a corporate pilot he achieved more than 74,000 hours of flight safety.  The knowledge learned in his professional life is now serving him well in his life as a volunteer.  He told me his interest in model trains began at the age of 4 when he received an American Flyer miniature train.  

LDub with former student George Swartz.

George will be formally recognized as the Museum volunteer of the year in Harrisburg, PA in April.  A well deserved award!  He ushered me around the museum and answered all my questions about the display which is immense.  I ended my visit with George when he showed me the large Flipboard that used to be in the Amtrak 30th Street Train Station in Philadelphia.  It was removed and brought to Strasburg.  It looked beautiful, but will be returned to the station after they have finished renovations.  Said my thank you and goodbye with the promise of returning once again to visit with him.  I cherish all my friendships, but friendships with former students seem to be special, especially when they thank you for what you did for them as a high school teacher.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

PS - George later sent me an email telling me he pulled out an old logbook and reported we went flying August 7, 1969 right after receiving his Private Pilot Certificate in a Cesena 150 n8337J.  I was one of his first passengers.  A great honor for me!

The "The Island Of Tintamarre" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting on Orient Beach looking Northeast toward the small island known as Tintamarre.  It is an 80 acre island that at one time had it's own King, Navy and airline.  

This map shows the island of Saint Martin/Sint Maarten
with the small island of Tintamarre to the top right.

It is situated to the East of the Orleans quarter of St. Martin, the French side of the two country island known as St. Martin/Sint Maarten.  Carol and I had a boat ride a few years ago where we got to see the back side of the island which still has some woodland on it, but is no longer inhabited.  The coast line of this small island is the most abundant in fish in the surrounding area and you can still find an plenty of limestone on the island.  The island is known locally as "Flat Island".  At first it was said that the French took possession of the island from the English, but then passed it to the van Romondt family.  The first to come to St. Martin was Diederik Johannes van Romondt who arrived from Holland in 1801.  He served as governor of Sint Maarten from 1820 to 1840.  The last known member having the van Romondt name was Diederik Christian who died at the age of 76 in 1948 at Mary's Fancy, his estate in Dutch Cul de Sac on the Dutch side of Sint Maarten.  

The beautiful island of Tintamarre.

Diederik Christian move to the Isle of Tintamarre, which he owned, in 1902 due to a dispute over property taxes in Sint Maarten.  It was reported by a French journalist in 1913 that he was The King of Tintamarre.  After that he began to receive letters from Paris, Italy and Germany from women who wanted to be lifelong partners with him so they could be Queen of Tintamarre.  I'm not sure if that ever worked out or not.  Many of the people who worked for him on Tintamarre were from the nearby island of Anguilla.  Here he raised 60 to 70 head of cattle and about 540 sheep, grew fine island cotton and made cheese and butter which was renowned throughout the West Indies.  In 1931 he sold the island to Louis Constant Fleming, a merchant and mayor of Marigot, the capital of St. Martin.  It was said that during WWII Tintamarre was a place for submarines to recharge their batteries.  In 1945 an airport with a 500 meter dirt runway was developed by the French along with a protected lagoon suitable for "flying boats".  

A pontoon plane landing near the island.

Soon Tintamarre became the base of a regional airline, CAA Stinson Trimotors ("Sompagnie Aerienne Antillaise").  There was a brief "Golden Age" for this tiny island with its 20 inhabitants and its airport.  That was until March 22, 1947 when a disastrous night take-off from the unlit airstrip killed a pilot.  Then on May 22 of the same year a plane crashed into the sea between Tintamarre and St. Barths which killed two. 18 days later, during a night take-off, three more people were killed.  Didn't fare well for air travel to or from the island.  On September 1st of 1950, a hurricane put an end to the old CAA airplanes that still sat on the island.  The last traces of the dirt airstrip were erased in the 1956 and 1960 hurricanes.  

Boats carrying nude bathers arrive for exploration of the island.

The only activity that takes place on the island today is when the "Nude Cruise" from St. Martin arrives and the naked patrons explore the island looking for traces of it's history when Mr. D.C. van Romondt was the King and was romanticized by journalists.  They just may find a few screws or bolts from one of the CAA airplanes or a hoof from one of the goats that roamed the hills of the island years ago or maybe a stone or two from one of the old buildings that at one time sat on "Flat Island".  Carol and I have seen the island up close from boats, but have never stepped foot on the island.  Beautiful place, but I guess it's use as a site for a town has passed years ago.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "Travel Through The Ages" Story

A favorite TV show of mine.

It was an ordinary day.  Talking with my wife about the TV show that we enjoyed that only lasted for a few short months, Pan Am.  Show was based on Pan American Airlines as it operated in the early 1960s at the beginning of the commercial Jet Age.  We never had the chance to fly anywhere until the mid-1980s when our children were old enough to travel to Disney World in Florida.  We never thought we would be able to afford to fly, but by that time in history, flying was more affordable to the America family than ever before.  I recently read a summary of travel throughout history beginning in the 1900's.  120 years ago about the only means of transportation was the horse and buggy.  In the 1910's travel was possible across the oceans on ocean liners and when Henry Ford began mass producing his automobile, land transportation soon became easier for those that could afford the luxury of an automobile.  In the 1920's travel became affordable on the rails.  In the 1930s the airplane became accessible to the masses, but was still expensive.  The 40's found that most families could afford to purchase a family car for the first time.  The 1950's ushered in an era when the car was still the preferred and most inexpensive way of travel, but flying became cheaper.  In the 60's, even with plane tickets costing on the average of 40% more than they are today, it was still a neat way to travel.  The 70's saw a slight shift away from flying due to the thought that flying was a luxurious method of transportation.  That, plus the airlines began moving their seats closer together so they could get more people on the plane.  Oh for the 70's and the amount of leg space they had back then, even with the reduced amount.  Affordable flying came about in the 1980's when the average American family, such as mine, could afford airline tickets to go to Disney World.  Once again the leg space was reduced to make up for the cheaper prices.  

You just knew they weren't going to make less money, right!  The economy seat frenzy began in the 1990's and smoking was no longer allowed on planes, even in the restroom.  Flying became almost a normal thing to do for the average American.  Airport security changed after 9/11/01 with long lines at check-in as they searched both the suitcases as well as the body.  Economy seating exploded making it harder and harder to enjoy a luxurious experience unless you could afford the more than double-the-price 1st class tickets.  We are now in the Modern Age of flying with in-flight connectivity offered along with satellite entertainment options; naturally with an additional cost.  The older airplanes are now being put to rest and newer ones are in the air.  The modern renaissance of flying has begun.  But, you know, Carol and I still loved the Pan Am TV show and seeing how it used to be.  Made us realize how good we have it today even if you did have more leg room and a finer meal back in the late 50's and early 60's.  It was a more simpler way of life.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Eyes Aloft" Story

This is a pre-radar listening device to hear enemy planes.

It was an ordinary day.  Looking for a few old photographs online when I came across a pre-radar listening device.  Rather interesting black and white photo that showed a young man listening for enemy airplanes by means of an unusual contraption that had curved metal units on either side of his head that I suppose were used to detect noise from airplane engines.  To think that people used items such as this to help defend our country was astonishing.  

A Spotter's Shack for the Army Air Forces
Ground Observation Corps.

A few years ago Carol and I made our third visit to Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.  We met a native Hawaiian by the name of Jimmy who as an 11 year old child lived on a farm close to Pearl Harbor.  He told us about the day that the harbor was bombed; December 7, 1941.  They had no warning until they heard the bombs dropping.  He and a few of his friends sat on the railroad tracks near Pearl Harbor and watched the Japanese planes dropping bombs on the harbor.  Someone reported that the Japanese had landed so his family went into the nearby hills and found refuge in a mountain cave.  

Signing up to be tested to be an airplane spotter.

They stayed there for three days before they returned home to find Martial Law had been declared.  Perhaps if they had some type of warning system in place it may not have been as scary or may have been prevented.  I also recently read about a system that was developed to prevent the exact same thing from happening.  It involved as many as 1,500,000 Americans who became part of the Army Air Forces Ground Observation Corps.  

Book titled "Know Your War Planes."

By July of 1940 the town of Mayfield, New York had organized volunteers and set up regular schedules by December 10, 1941.  Citizens of Kent, Connecticut also began the same observation schedule with many observation points that were manned by citizens of every age from high school students to senior citizens working in pairs.  The observers were meant to serve as an early warning system to avoid another surprise attack like the one at Pearl Harbor.  They had to stay current on all military planes and therefore studied sketches and photos of current military aircraft.  People all over the United States prepared and trained to be plane spotters.  For all the preparation, only one German airplane ever entered American air space during the war.  Just so happened that the plane had been captured by American airmen who flew the captured plane to Florida.  

A chart showing shapes of enemy aircraft.

Local plane spotters in the area were informed of the arrival, but they still reported the plane to test their effectiveness.  They reported the model and make of the plane before it ever reached land.  Plane spotters were trained to look at planes on the horizon and ask "How Many?", "Where are they headed?" and "Are they ours or the enemy's?"  These plane spotters were part of the Army Air Forces Ground Observer Corps (aka GOC) who manned observation posts along both east and west coast locations.  The posts were staffed around the clock and were anything from a specially built structure to family's posts in their upstair's bedrooms.  All that was needed was a telephone, binoculars, an official identification book with photographs and silhouette drawings of warplanes from Allied and Foreign countries.  

Patches and pins were issued to plane spotters.

When a plane was seen or heard they recorded as much information as possible and then called the information into an Army Center.  It was reported that Boy Scouts to little old ladies manned the posts.  The only requirement was that they pass a training course.  Many had models of the planes with them to help with the ID.  So many models were needed that the government put out a call for children and hobbyists to build half a million models for official use.  Our entire country was involved in the war.  

There was even music written titled "Eyes Aloft."

Even blind men were plane spotters.  They distinguished the different planes by the noise of their engines.  Coca-Cola even offered a popular manual to plane spotters called "Know Your Planes" for ten cents while Wonder Bread offered an Aircraft Spotter Dial.  By 1943 the Aircraft Warning Service was put in reserve due to the nation's new radar technology.  Posts in Hawaii remained active until the end of the war.  I visited a few websites that talked about plane spotters and many wrote about being one.  All these people are in their late 80s to 90s at this time.  Tough to imagine a time in history when the entire population of the United States pitched in to help save our nation.  I'm sure they were all proud to be Americans.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Illness-Free Plane Travel Tips" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Talking with my wife about the swine flu outbreak that occurred in 2010.  During the spring of that year we traveled to our favorite vacation spot, St. Martin.  But, before we traveled to the island, we decided to prepare ourselves for the airplane ride just in case someone on the plane might have had a case of the flu.  We both got a flu shot, a prescription from our family doctor for the Tamaflu and Carol baked a batch of Flu-fighter cookies.  The cookies included ginger which has an antiviral compound, cranberries which have antioxidants, oats which are rich in selenium that helps your body fend off free radicals, walnuts which have zinc that prevent viruses from reproducing in your body and yogurt which boosts your ability to absorb helpful vitamins and minerals.  

Choose a window seat and stay put whenever possible.

And our final precaution before we boarded the plane was to buy masks to wear over our nose and mouth while on the plane if we happened to suspect that someone on the plane might have had the flu.  We searched every drug store and pharmacy in the Lancaster area, but couldn't find any masks.  A day or two later I went to our local Walmart to get our Tamaflu prescription and happened to be walking through the hardware department when I saw them.  

Do you know whom might have touched these before you?

Two masks meant to be worn when sanding something or removing insulation.  BINGO!  Well, we felt rather funny wearing them, so we kept them in her pocketbook while on the plane...just in case.  We luckily didn't need them, but we felt our precautions were what might have saved us.  During the years that we have been traveling overseas or to the Caribbean, we have found ways that we feel have kept us from getting sick from illnesses that might strike us while on the airplane.  

Do they ever clean these trays?

Some of the tips we picked up on different websites, while others we have developed ourselves.  I will share some with you so as to keep you from getting any illness that can be caught while flying to your destination.  First, pick a window seat if at all possible, and stay put.  Seems that people in window seats come into contact with fewer passengers because they leave their seats less often than those sitting near, or on, the aisle.  Plus, anyone who may have been in the restroom might touch your seat as they pass by to steady themselves and who knows what they touched last when leaving the restroom.

And, how many germs are in this place?

Carol, if not seated by the window, will sit in the center seat...and she stays put.  I can't remember more than one time that she had to leave her seat and that was to walk a few yards back and forth due to just having surgery before we traveled and her doctor told her to walk to avoid any blood clots.  Then there is the issue of reading the magazines in the bin in front of you.  Has someone who just left the plane touched the magazine and had the flu?  Or had they used the rest room and not washed his hands before grabbing the magazine to read it?  And what about the tray in front of you.  Do they ever wash them?  At times we get on a plane that had just landed half an hour before and there's no way they cleaned those trays.  A couple of other tips for you that may help you from getting sick.  

Carol and I feel safe when flying with these!

One is called the "Two-row-rule."  This rule tells you not to sit within two rows of an infected passenger if possible.  Another is the "Projectile rule."  The main transmission vehicle for viral infections such as the flu are the droplets of saliva and mucous that an infected passenger might eject.  These droplets are usually at least five micrometers in diameter, therefore rarely travel far before landing.  If those droplets happen to be from someone who has just passed you in the aisle...another reason to sit by the window!  Make sure you have a small bottle of hand santizer and use it often.  I do remember getting ill one time over all my years of travel.  I then proceeded to give it to my wife and before long we were both at an island doctor.  Not fun to be sick while on vacation.  And, no matter how careful you are to avoid sickness, a bit of luck is still required!  That and a mask from the hardware department and, a couple of Carol's Flu-fighter cookies.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Melia Visitor #28056: Part I - The Upgrade" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Traveling to the Bahamas with friends Jere and Just Sue.  Flying on American Airlines flight #4707 which is a smaller jet than what we usually take when visiting islands in the Caribbean.  Two seats on either side of the aisle instead of three as well as only 20 rows of seats instead of close to double that. 

"Selfie" of Carol and LDub.

Left the airport in Philadelphia about 10:30 am and arrived less than three hours later in Nassau.  Lines at Immigration were terrible with passengers from at least four planes lined up in front of half a dozen agents checking passports.  Found our ride to the Melia Resort and in no time were checking in at the main desk.  When we made our original reservations, Jere and Just Sue came to Lancaster from their home in State College, Pennsylvania so the four of us could visit Karen, our personal travel agent at Liberty Travel.  We have taken close to 30 trips and Karen has helped us with everyone of them, so we now call her our personal agent.  She made a few suggestions and finally made arrangements at the Melia for us.  All four were under my name to ensure we would sit together on the plane and have rooms together at the resort.  Well, plans do not always work out as planned.  The line at the Melia was short, but with just two clerks we had to wait close to 15 minutes to be helped.  When an agent opened, I told Just Sue to go ahead of me and I would take the other clerk.  She was almost finished when I was able to talk to the other clerk. Sue did manage to tell me that they had given her an upgrade as she passed me in line.  When I began to check in I signed all the necessary paperwork and then the clerk asked if I would like an upgrade for my room.  Sure!  Cost was $35 a night!  That would be close to a $400 additional fee which I wasn't prepared to pay.  

The Melia Nassau Beach Resort.

Just then Carol arrived by my side.  She had been waiting with Jere and our luggage and had a chance to talk to Sue about her upgrade.  Carol asked how come the people who we were traveling with, and who were all on one reservation with us, got a free upgrade.  Total confusion!!  We asked her to check with the other clerk, which she did, and in no time we had our free upgrade just as our friends had received.  Thank you!  Only problem was the two upgrades were on different floors of the nine floor resort and close to 100 yards apart.  We all figured it was no big deal, but we did find we all had to wear a bracelet for the next two weeks so the staff could tell if we actually got free food and services. We finally began to search for our rooms.  Our view had changed from a garden and street view to a beach and water view.  Finally all was well with the rooms for our two week vacation.  We all hopped on the elevator and pushed the buttons to floors 2 and 3.  For some reason, the elevator immediately opened onto the same floor from which we had just entered.  

Resort bracelets that we are required to wear.

Tried again with the same results.  Then we realized that the lobby where we registered was actually the 3rd floor. Jere and Sue exited the elevator with their luggage while Carol and I closed the door and dropped a floor to find our room.  Door finally opened and Carol and I got off with our luggage.  All was now well as we began the task of unpacking and learning about the air conditioning, safe, TV channels, small refrigerator and WiFi.  Check back tomorrow to see what happened a few minutes later.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Sadness And Concern For The People Of SXM: Part IV - Lifeblood Of Tourism/PJIA" Story

The Princess Juliana International Airport in Sint Maarten

It was an ordinary day.  Posting my final story about Hurricane Irma and the tremendous damage caused by the category 5 hurricane.  As is true with most islands in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, the livelihood of the islands is tourism.  And, when your airport is almost totally destroyed, it makes more of an impact than most other locations on the island.  

Airport as it appeared in 1960

The Princess Juliana International Airport on the Dutch side of the island, known as Sint Maarten/St. Martin, is the vital link between island vitality and tourism.  The airport was first opened in 1942 as a military airstrip and a year later converted to a civilian airport.  In 1964 it was remodeled and relocated, with a new terminal building and control tower.  The facility was upgraded once again in 1985 and heavily modernized in the early 2000s.  It was at this point that we began to travel to what has become our favorite island destination as well as our second home. 

The airport as it appeared recently

This past year, during our visit to the island, we noticed that the upper-floor of PJIA was amazing with new shops, restaurants and the addition a rocking chairs where you could sit while you waited for your plane to load.  Then, on September 6th, all that changed once again.  The roof had been blown off parts of the terminal, the jetways were damaged and there was a significant aamount of sand and flooding on the runway.  

Recent damage from Irma can be seen in this photo.

The airport was in the news a few months ago, as well as on this blog, when a woman was killed while trying to hold onto a fence at the end of the runway while a plane began to fire up its jet engines in preparation for takeoff.  Popular Maho Beach is at the end of the runway where many gather to view planes land and take off.  But, the hurricane is a much bigger story than plane watching.  I'm sure that the island will concentrate on the airport and try to get it back in working order as fast as possible, since the island relies heavily air flight for their livelihood and most tourists arrive by airplane.  I have included some photos to show you what a daunting task the PJIA airport has before it. Here's hoping they can get the construction completed in a timely manner.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Damage to the airport can seen in this photo as well as the following

The Dutch Marines recently arrived to help keep peace on the island

The "Air Travel From The Past: Part II - The Liberty Ford Tri-Motor Plane" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Standing inside the fuselage of a 1928 Ford Tri-Motor plane taking a photo of the interior to share with you.  

Photograph from my front yard of the Ford Tri-Motor.
Click on photographs to enlarge them.

All day yesterday I kept seeing this bright silver plane flying over my house every half hour.  Figured it was coming from the nearby Lancaster Airport, but didn't realize exactly what it was or the historical significance the plane carried with it.  Then I saw a story in the local daily newspaper and realized what I was seeing flying past my house.  

Taxiing into the loading area at the Lancaster Airport.

It was a 1928 Ford Tri-Motor plane that was in attendance at the Lancaster Airport Community Days and offering rides to anyone who wanted to pay $75 for the approxi- mately half-hour flight.  The Ford Tri-Motor is one of eight planes that still remain from the 199 that were made in 1928.  

Wing towers above me.

Pretty sleek silver aircraft that can reach speeds of 90 miles per hour which was considered extremely fast for 1928.  It can reach heights of 1,000 feet and has two seats in the cockpit as well as 10 passenger seats; five on each side of the fuselage.  Needless to say, every seat in the plane is a window seat.  Since the plane carried very few passengers, a co-pilot wasn't needed, thus 11 passengers could fill the plane.  

Plaque on the side of the airplane.

The planes were made by the Stout Metal Airplane Company which was a division of the Ford Motor Company.  The company was founded by William Bushnell Stout in 1922 and was purchased by Ford Motor Company in 1924.  In 1936, at the height of the Depression, Ford closed the aircraft design and production division, but temporarily re-entered the aviation market with the production of the B-24 during World War II.  

Refueling the plane.

I made a visit to the Airport Community Days to see several of the planes, but really wanted to see what all the excitement was about with the Tri-Motor.  As I stood looking at it, I noticed a couple standing in line whom I recognized.  Found that Jim, whom I taught with at one time, was waiting with his wife for a chance to ride the Tri-Motor.  

Interior of Ford Tri-Motor airplane.

I told him I would love to have a photo of the interior of the plane, but didn't want to fly in it.  He told me he would try to take a photo and email it to me if I wanted one.  I said that would be great if I couldn't find a way to get it myself.  Few minutes later I was talking to an attendant who was preparing to take tickets from those in line.  He said he would ask his boss who was helping to refuel the plane at the moment.  

Passengers loading into the plane

He walked toward his boss who in no time motioned me toward the plane.  Yelled to me I had a minute to enter the plane and take the photo before people would board.  Climbed into the rear of the plane and snapped a horizontal and vertical photo and took a second to look around the passenger compartment.  

Passengers can be seen through the large windows.

The interior was lined with wood paneling and had miniature curtains at every window with valances between the windows.  Small wall sconces dotted the paneling above each seat much the same as current planes would have an overhead light for reading.  I didn't notice if there were seat belts, but suppose there must have been.  

One lucky passenger got to sit in the cockpit.

I could see the cockpit in front of the plane but realized my time was up when the first passenger arrived.  Stood close by as my friends entered, the door was locked in place and the motors were started, one at a time.  The plane taxied to the runway and in no time was in the air.  Pretty neat experience and would have been even better had I been one of the 11 passengers.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Taking off!

Sign telling of the price for the ride.

The "Air Travel From The Past: Part I - Lancaster's Airport Community Days" Story

Foreword:  I recently visited the Lancaster Airport Community Days with the intention of taking a few photos and heading home.  At least that's what I had told my wife.  Seems I stayed almost three hours.  The event was spectacular with close to two dozen planes on hand to examine as well as a few you could pay to ride.  I did take photos of the Ford Tri-Motor Plane, which I had read about in the local newspaper, but ended up also examining and photographing a few others.  Today I will give you a look at a variety of different planes and tomorrow show you the spectacular Ford Plane.

Entrance into the Lancaster, Airport Community Days.

It was an ordinary day.  Standing on the runway at the Lancaster, Pennsyl- vania airport talking to a fellow who had just taken a ride in a biplane, single engine plane at the Airport Community Days.  Telling me of the thrill of the open cockpit and the unobstructed view you get when all of a sudden he says, "I think I know you!  Do you live in Lancaster?"  

Biplane that you could take rides in over Lancaster County.

I told him I lived close by and that I taught high school at Manheim Township High School. "I knew it.  You paddled me in high school!  I was in a wood shop class and you were inside the room next to me.  You saw me throwing something and came out and paddled me."  I looked at him in amazement ... then said, "Sorry for that."  "No, I deserved it and if you hadn't done that I probably would have gotten in more trouble."  

Pilot in his gear for flying the plane.

Anyway, he introduced himself and we shook hands and spent the next fifteen minutes talking about his $195 airplane ride.  The plane he had flown in for the past hour was an open two-seater with a fantastic paint job of blue and yellow.  The front seat was where the passenger sat while the pilot sat in the rear seat.  

Getting ready to to lift off once again.

Along the side of the plane under the pilot's seat read Flt. Lt. David Kingston Inch RAF.  Naturally had to "Google" the name and found that Flt. Lt. David Kingston had died a few years ago.  But, I forgot the last part of the name and when I searched more I found that Flt. Lt. Inch was more than likely the pilot of the plane today,  He must have been, or perhaps still is, a member of the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom.  The biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other.  This wing structure has a structural advantage over a monoplane, since it produces more drag than a similar unbraced or cantilever monoplane wing.  The pilot and passenger communicate by way of headgear.  The pilot wore a leather hat that brought back memories of times past.  The passenger wore whatever head gear they chose.  

The "Bikini Blue" Assalt Helicopter.

After watching another passenger takeoff, I walked nearby nearby to view an a 170th "Bikini's" Assault Helicopter.  It was a Huey 823 which flew for the 170th AHC and Company 101st Airborne in Vietnam during 1968 and 1969.  It is currently being restored at the Lancaster Airport.  The wings for the copter were nearby on supports, but the body of the plane was open for inspection.  

A small boy having a chance to use the gun.

Children were able to sit in the side panels and see how the machine guns were used in war.  The machine guns were M-60s.  The engine had 1,400 HP and the plane had a crew of 3-4 but could accommodate up to 14 passengers.  As far as the helicopter's name, it was in 1965 that the 170th Assault Company in Vietnam adopted the name "Bikini's" with the first flight platoon called "Bikini Blue," the second flight platoon called "Bikini Red" and the armed helicopter platoon named "Buccaneers" or "Bucs,"  The 170th AHC paints custom graphics of the nose of their helicopters of the blonde "Annie Fannie" of Playboy fame wearing either a red or a blue bikini depending on the flight platoon.  

A retired commander telling about the assault helicopter.

The cockpit of the helicopter.

There were many places like this on the copter.  They are repair patches where the copter was hit by enemy fire while in battle in Viet Nam.

The two blades for the helicopter are in these wooden holders.  This plane is housed in a hangar a short distance away from where it is displayed.  It is still being readied for flight once again.

Another plane I had the chance to visit was a huge helicopter with the name of: CH-53E Super Stallion.  It was 99 feet long, 27' 9" in high and weighed 73,000 lbs.  Had a speed of up to 170 kilometers per hour, a range of 540 nautical miles with a ceiling of 18,500 feet.  It carried 2 .50 caliber machine guns in its windows and 1 GAU-21 .50 caliber machine gun on the ramp. It had a crew of 5 (2 pilots, 2 gunners, 1 crew chief) and could carry 37 troops or 55 if there were seats placed along the center of the chopper.  As you might imagine, you could walk up the incline plane at the rear of the chopper and into the rear of it.  Seating was along the sides.  The cockpit of the plane was amazing.  Hundreds of dials and controls line the panels in front of the pilots.  I suppose the pilot knew what every switch and dial were used for.  One of the crewmen of the helicopter told me it had 7 rotor blades and three engines.  Used primarily for transport of troops and cargo.  It could fly longer distances than what I stated if the fuel tube in the front was used for fueling while in the air.  

I'm standing in line to enter the rear of the Super Stallion.  Cargo and troops could be loaded into the plane through this door in the rear of the immense helicopter.

Seating along the side of the helicopter.

One of the crewmen with his stallion logo on his uniform.

The cockpit of this plane is amazing.

An officer of this plane walks along the side of it.

This device on the side of the helicopter is used for refueling while in flight.

A view of the plane from in front of it.

One more plane I will tell you about was the T-28B "Trojan." It was marked on the sides with "NAVY" and the US Navy logo.  The planes were built between 1950 and 1957.  It was designed to be a trainer for teaching military pilots to fly high-performance, combat aircraft.  It therefore has two cockpits with each having full instrumentation.  The pilots were being trained to fly combat aircraft.  The plane had a Wright R-1820-86B engine with 1,425 horsepower and could fly at 298 knots at 20,000 feet.  The T-28C would have had a tail hook for making landings on a carrier.  All T-28's could carry machine guns, rockets and bombs for weapons training.  They were used in ground attacks during the Vietnam War.   This particular plane was retired in 1976 and sold as surplus in 1990.  The owner of the plane was sitting next to it.  We talked about this plane and how he ended up buying it a few years ago.  Today was his second air show where he was showing his plane.  

A side view of the T-28B Trojan.  Please remember to click on photos to enlarge them.

The engine of this plane had 9 cylinders.  "Warbird" is a term that has come to mean any retired, military aircraft, whether or not it is a type that was used in actual combat.  Those with a true love of aviation view these airplanes as special.  There are about 200 civilian-owned T-28's in flying condition around the world and about that many more in various stages of restoration.

Here you can see the two cock-pits needed since it is a training plane.

My time at the air show was amazing.  Got to meet so many great people who have given of their time to serve in the United States Military.  I thanked each one of them for their service after talking with them.  Tomorrow I will tell you of my experience of viewing and entering the Ford Tri-engine plane that was probably my favorite.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.