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Southwest Soaring
Quarterly Newsletter of the U.S. Southwest Soaring Museum A 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt organization
An affiliate of the Soaring Society of America, inc.
December 2006
Earl Fain, Bob Alkov, Dick and Alice Johnson and George Applebay with Duffy,(Earl’s Pooch)
(Photo by Sheila Mink)
Board of Directors
George Applebay, President505 832-0755 (business) [email protected] 328-2019 (cell)
Steve Hill, Vice President505 832-1148 [email protected]
Kathy Taylor, Secretary505 672-0152 [email protected]
Carol Roeske, Treasurer505 [email protected]
Lynn Buckingham, Membership505 298-1239 (home) [email protected] 269-7822 (cell)
Allene Lindstrom,
SSM Foundation President 505 662-7510
Bob [email protected] 281-9505
Bill Barber505 [email protected]
Rick KohlerSundance Aviation505 832-2222 [email protected]
J. D. Huss505 764-1221 (work) [email protected] 899-9169 (home) [email protected]
Bob Knight505 [email protected]
Bob Alkov, Newsletter505 281-7264 (home) [email protected]
Our Web site:
www.swsoaringmuseum.org
Editorialby
Bob Alkov
On the 26th of September we were privileged with a visit from Dick and Alice Johnson. In addition to their generous financial help with the Museum, they donated a large collection of books and documents from Dick’s many years of contest flying and flight-testing various sailplanes. Since he never was in the business of designing, manufacturing or selling sailplanes, he was an unbiased and experienced evaluator. Almost 100 of his objective reports were published in “Soaring Magazine” over the years.
During World War II Dick trained Army Air Corps glider pilots. Later during the war he flew as a copilot for Pan American, ferrying troops and supplies across the Pacific. After the war Dick attended Pomona College in California studying engineering. He graduated from Mississippi State University with a degree in engineering, and then earned a Master’s Degree in aeronautical engineering from Stanford University. He worked for Ling Tempco Vought in Dallas for eight years. For the next 32 years he served as Head Aerodynamicist with Texas Instruments, working on the development of the Strike and HARM Anti-Radiation Missile systems, as well as the Army Javelin shoulder launched anti-tank guided missile. His final years at Texas Instruments were devoted to the development of a low-cost Joint Standoff Attack Missile for Navy and Air Force attack aircraft. Dick retired almost 20 years ago and currently serves as a part-time consultant to Texas Instruments (now part of Raytheon Systems).
Dick Johnson is a prominent figure in the sport of soaring. He won the U.S. National Soaring Championship eleven times. He set the world gliding distance record of 535 miles in 1951 and has represented the U.S. nine times in the World Soaring Championship contest. In 1987 he was awarded the Lilienthal Medal by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale for his achievements in soaring. He is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Dick and his wife, the former Alice Gelling, were married in 1952. We are grateful to them for their support of the museum.
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Around the Museum
Your Board of Directors, Left to Right: Bob Leonard, George Applebay, J.D. Huss, Carol
Roeske, Allene Lindstrom and Lynn Buckingham
A broadband satellite antenna has been installed on the roof of the number three building, which will bring the Internet to the computers inside. George is looking into purchasing a wireless router which will enable us to avoid stringing a mile of cables around the museum. We will have an Internet address soon. Access to the Internet will allow the public to email us directly and we can respond directly. (We already have a web page provided by Frank Whitely.)
The Fernando Rueda scale model collection of historic sailplanes and gliders has been moved into the number three building along with the mural painted by Scott Kukendahl, an Albuquerque artist.
The business plan that was drawn up by George and Allene Lindstrom along with Kathy Taylor’s help was reviewed and edited by Myra Pancrazio of the Estancia Valley Economic Development Association. It is hoped that by focusing on the educational aspects of the museum more financial help will be forthcoming from the state.
We now have sixteen computers and desks that will enable us to accomodate a classroom full of students in the furture.
Gliders in WWII by
Bob Alkov
While viewing the beautifully restored Laister-Kaufmann TG-4 in the museum, many visitors are surprised to hear that gliders were used by the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.
The TG-4 was used to train the glider pilots who would later fly the large Waco gliders (Laister- Kaufmann CG-3s, CG-4s and CG-10s) and the CG-13A during airborne landings in Sicily, Normandy and the South of France as well as in Burma and New Guinea.
After World War I the Treaty of Versailles restricted the Germans from developing an air force. Since the treaty did not specifically forbid motorless aircraft, Germany undertook a program of building gliders and training pilots in clubs between the wars using winch launches. Thus they were supplied with a large pool of skilled pilots for the Luftwaffe when the war started.
Today’s armies make extensive use of helicopters to land and supply troops in combat. During World War II the helicopter had not been perfected to the point that it could be employed on the battlefield. As a means of landing troops and equipment in small confined areas, the glider filled the bill.
In May of 1940 the Germans employed gliders in a successful attack on a fort in Belgium. This was the first time gliders were used in the history of warfare. Later they were employed in a less successful German attack on Crete. General “Hap” Arnold of the U.S. Army Air Corps quickly realized that an airborne assault would prove to be useful should America enter the war. In May of 1941 the Army asked the Elmira Area Soaring School in Elmira, New York and the Lewis School of Aeronautics at Lockport, Illinois to train 12 Air Corps officers in Franklin utility gliders and in 2-place TG-2 Schweizer Gliders. Eventually glider training schools for Army pilots were set up at Twentynine Palms, California, at Lemesa, Texas and Wickenburg, Arizona.
The demand for training aircraft was so huge that light aircraft with their engines removed were employed. The TG-5 was converted from the Aeronica, the TG-6 from the Taylorcraft and the TG-8 from the Piper Cub. (Dick Johnson instructed Army pilots in the TG-5 during WWII.)
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The CG-3A was the first large troop-carrying glider developed by the U.S. With a 74-foot wingspan it could carry 9 troops including two pilots (2,100 lbs) but had no side exit doors. Only 100 were built. The CG-4 was able to carry 15 fully equipped troops or about 4,000 lbs useful load including pilot and copilot. It had an 84 ft wingspan. The entire nose was hinged at the top to allow enough clearance to drive a jeep with a howitzer attached into the 13 ft long fuselage interior, which measured 6 ft wide and 6 ft high. It could fly fully loaded at 65-70 mph and land at 55-60 with a ground roll of 150-400 ft depending on terrain.
The CG-4 was used to train instructors at Lockbourne, Ohio. (A model of the CG-4 is exhibited in the center glass case of the Fernando Rueda Model collection of military gliders in the museum). Advanced training in the CG-4 was held at Stuttgart, Arkansas; Lubbock and Dalhart Texas; Victorville, California and Fort Sumner, New Mexico. (The Silent Wings Museum dedicated to WWII glider pilots is located in Lubbock).
The CG-13 could carry a 10,000 lb. payload of 42 troops or a half-ton 6X6 truck with a howitzer M-2 cannon.
The CG-10 (shown in the photo posted on the easel across from the TG-4 exhibit in the museum) was the largest glider developed by the U.S. Army Air Forces. Entirely made of wood with a 105 ft wingspan it could carry a M-22 tank, a 2 and a 1/2-ton truck, or a 155 mm howitzer. It had a hinged door to provide access to the cargo compartment from the rear.
The largest glider ever built during the war was the German Messerschmitt 321 which was so difficult to tow and operate that it was never used as a glider, but provided with six engines, as the Me-323 became a carrier for airborne troops. The largest glider to see combat was the British Hamilcar. It was the largest wooden aircraft ever constructed until Howard Hughes’ “Spruce Goose”. It had a wingspan of 110 ft and a gross weight of 36,000 pounds. It had a side-hinged cargo door in the nose and could carry either an M-22 tank, or 40 troops or a D-4 tractor. It required a four-engine tow plane, usually the Halifax bomber. It was used in the invasions of Normandy and Holland.
During the landing assault many gliders were lost at sea from broken towropes or early releases (many attacks were conducted at night without landing light and radio contact) or were destroyed on landing, crashing into trees, hills, buildings, etc. Those that survived the landing intact were often used to remove wounded from the battlefield. A wire cable would be attached to the glider and stretched across poles above the glider.
The Hamilcar(Photo from the Imperial War Museum)
The tow plane (usually a C-47) would fly low and catch the cable with a hook. Thus they could be towed back to safety with the wounded. Sources: The book “Silent Wings” by Gerard M. Devlin and an article by Eliot Noyes, published in NSM, The Quarterly Journal of the National Soaring Museum, Fall 1983, Vol. 6, No.2.
By the Way:
Have you seen Kathy Taylor’s article on the Museum in the November 2006 issue of SOARING? It’s on page 40 under Patricia Valdata’s Column on Affiliates & Divisions.
For sale:
A limited number of USSS Musuem 2007Calendarsare on sale in the gift shop/reception area of the museum for $10.00 each. Also there are copies of Soaring Magazine dating back several years, books and photographs and a few T-shirts are left, selling for $15.00 each.
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Spotlight on Board Members: Carol Roeske, Treasurer
THE STORY OF HOW I BECAME THE MUSEUM BOOKKEEPER
byCarol Roeske
I was born and raised in an aviation-centered family. My father got his Pilot’s Certificate at 18; then, joined the Air Force during World War II. During training he met and married my mother, and I was born on an Air Force base in Texas while he was overseas. After the war he made a career of the Air Force, and my parents joined the Civil Air Patrol. CAP became a focus for our family wherever we were stationed and my sister and I spent a lot of time at the airport. When we came to Albuquerque, our focus broadened to include local aero clubs, as well as CAP. We often flew to visit relatives in a 1950’s vintage Piper Tri-pacer.
My mother was a bookkeeper when I was young, which planted THAT seed. She was also very active in CAP, often in charge of the female cadets. She got her Pilot’s Certificate about the time my sister and I joined the CAP as cadets while we were in high school. That’s where I became friends with my future husband, Stan Roeske, also a CAP cadet. My favorite story about Stan and I goes back to the time when he was 18 and learning to fly. I was at the airport with my father the day he soloed. He was so happy, when he climbed out of the airplane after that first solo landing, that he just had to hug someone. I was the lucky someone handy. Not at all romantic, I was like his kid sister at the time.
My sister got her Pilot’s Certificate through CAP then made her career with the FAA. She was among the first female controllers at the Albuquerque Center. My high point in the CAP was in my senior year of high school when I was chosen to represent New Mexico at the CAP Jet Age Orientation Program. One girl from each state flew to Maxwell Air Force Base for a week at the War College, culminating in a flight in a T-33 jet trainer. My sister and I both added pilot husbands to the family, leaving me as the only one in the family not a pilot, but still a bookkeeper.
My first job after attending Business School was as a bookkeeper at the Kresges store at the Winrock Shopping Center. I returned to it off and on until after my daughters graduated from high school. I worked as the Cost Accounting Bookkeeper for Blue Cross and Blue Shield for 6 years before working in accounting at the University of New Mexico in various capacities for 15 years.
The marriage of aviation and bookkeeping for me came when Stan was the Treasurer of the Albuquerque Soaring Club. The Club needed more than just the checkbook for their financial records, so I created a set of books for the club from past records and tax returns. Laurie Carlton and I were bookkeepers for the Club until Stan retired and we moved to Nevada to take another job, and Laurie carried it on her own.
When we moved to Nevada I thought I had retired from bookkeeping. BUT I GUESS NOT! We returned from Nevada, and I found another marriage of aviation and bookkeeping. And that’s how I came to be the Museum Bookkeeper.
Carol Roeske
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Foundation News
Allene Lindstrom, PresidentSouthwest Soaring Museum Foundation, Inc.
Initiated by the Southwest Soaring Museum Foundation, the Museum board approved the sale of glider trailers surplus to the needs of the Museum. A list of trailers available for sale is posted at the Museum and will be placed on the Museum web site at www.swsoaringmuseum.org as time permits. Two of the available trailers are featured in this newsletter issue. The news of this sale precedes any published notices as one trailer has already been sold. Proceeds of the sale will be used to cover Museum operating expenses. Contact George Applebay at (505) 832-0755 for information and pricing.
CHRISTMAS ANYONE?A gift suggestion for anyone who secretly has always wanted to fly! Sundance Aviation has graciously allowed the Southwest Soaring Museum Foundation to sell gift certificates for a glider ride. They come with a variety of options: 1. The first option is a ‘Basic’ ride for $75.00, which will last about 15 minutes. Nice for a youngster.
2. The second is the ‘High Performance’ for approximately 30 minutes and $125.00. This option would be nice for the person who has always wanted to try flying.
3. The third is the ’Extended High Performance’ for 45 minutes at a price of $150.00. This one is for the ‘wannabe’ glider pilot.
4. Then there is the ‘Thrill-Seeker Aerobatic’ for $150.00 and approximately 25 minutes of ‘Adrenaline Rush’The certificates are good for one year. You need to be able to travel to Moriarty to redeem the certificate. Sundance Aviation is donating 10% of the sales to the Southwest Soaring Museum Foundation, Inc. The Foundation will, by law, use this income to support the Museum. Certificates can be purchased in the Lobby of the Southwest Soaring Museum during open hours or by email to: [email protected]. Sorry we are not prepared to accept credit or debit cards.
New Directors:
The Southwest Soaring Museum Foundation welcomes Dr. Gene McCall and Mr. Art Tangen to the Foundation Board. Dr. McCall is a ranking consultant to the Air Force. Mr. Tangen is an agent for New York Life Insurance Co. Both will be able help direct the Foundation in additional directions to better serve the Museum. The Foundation has been able to transfer some small donations this past 3 months to the Museum. We will continue to seek funding sources and activities that meet the IRS requirements to support the Museum.
The following trailers are on sale at the museum:
Cherokee II Trailer $4000.00
ASK3 Trailer $2500.00
Membership numbers and expiration dates are on your mailing labels. The “Current Member” list includes those who are 6 months or less overdue for renewal. We thank all of you for your much- appreciated contributions! Please renew. Lynn B., Membership
Current MembersIndividual Members
K.C. AlexanderRobert AndersonAl BackstromPeter BakewellHoward BanksRon BlumWilliam H. ChambersAugie ChavezHenry M. Claybourn, Jr.Burt ComptonCharles DobkinsLeo DoyalDuane EisenbeissEarl FainChip GarnerH.P. GildersleeveBill HannahanArthur HeavenerJack HickmanGlenn HolfortyWilliam J. HuckellBob HudsonHal HudsonRaymond E. JohnsonBill JonesLaFonda KinnamanDarren LibyBob LorenzoMarilyn R. MelineLewis J. NeylandRoger NyholmDavid OchsnerDaan Parè H.H. PattersonJohn ProdanBill ReadBill RothlisbergerDavid RussellBertha M. RyanPhilip SchmalzJan ScottPaul SearlesGary W. SullivanGerry TaylorBrian ThomsonLeon TracyRick Weber
Family Members
Jan and Dan ArmstrongJohn and Jean BrittinghamDennis and Jane BrownArt and LaVerne EiffertWilliam and Susana FitzgeraldMatthew and Nicole GrunenwaldDon and Diane JacksonChris and Cynthea KinnamanRichard and Mary MahSusan and Tim McAllisterEd and Karen McNabbCharlie & Michelle MinnerRichard T. Mockler
Mark and Neita MontagueBill and Nancy OrdwayStan and Carol RoeskeKen ScarbroughStephen & Pat ScheryDick Seaman and Phyllis WellsDarrel and Maureen WatsonBob StephensMike and Marla WersonickPatrick W. and Elaine Wilson
Supporting Members
Robert and Christine AlkovDavid AllynRichard and Barbara AndersonCraig AngusGalt and Doris BowenConstance and Ernest BuenafeBob and Laurie CarltonAshton B. CollinsVal DeanJohn and Jo Margaret FarrisMae and Doug FroniusFred and Magda HeftyBill HillWilliam HovermanDon and Christie KawalEmil and Mary Lou KisselPaul and Judith MacCreadyMark MochoAngel PalaJohn and Joy PierceDavid Roth and Ann MorrisonRichard Seaman and Phyllis WellsCharles and Joann ShawWilliam T. Smith and Linda McCann-SmithBrian and Carol UtleyRichard A. VollmerChris Wilson
Sustaining Members
Carl and Rhonda EkdahlBob HollidayRobert L. HurniJ.D. HussSergius and Katherine KohudicKen and Michelle JensenSteve LeonardDieter and Suzanne LoeperThomas and Judith McGuireMark MinterNeal and Miriam PalmquistBill and Linda PattersonNeal and Karen PfeifferRenny and Joan RozzoniLisa Ruppert
Life Members
Mike and Mary AnayaToney and Elaine AnayaGeorge ApplebayJohn ApplegateGeorge AventBetty BakerBill BarberDieter BibbigJeffrey BlochJim and Suzy BoboAnn BrattonLynn and Allen BuckinghamJeff Byard
Timothy CampbellHank CapleDean and Tammie CarswellShirley CrispMario and Linda CrosinaJeanne EbersoleWarren GaedeGeorgann and Jim GarverCarson GilmerGary C. GilmerNed Godshall and Ellen TorgrimsonLee Goettsche, Jr.Ted GrussingBruce Hansche and Chris HustedGeorge B. HarrisonMr. and Mrs. Robert O. HausnerCarl and Ann HawkBarry J. HicksSteve and Lilly HillBob and Carol HoeyBob HollidayCliff & Lorraine HoyleAl and Nancy HumeDick and Alice JohnsonRim and Johanna KaminskasOlin and Maile KaneMike and Helen KensrueRobert M. KnightGeorge LaumanAl and Irene LefflerBarbara and Bob LeonardSteve LeonardAllene and Ivar LindstromBill LiscombJohn T. LudowitzJerry and Cindy MercerJohn MildonArlen and Gerri MooreRobert Lee MooreEarl and Audrey NelsonKonrad and Johanna NierichN.B. and Eloise NolandPaul OldershawDan and Carolyn PalmerCurtis RandellDavid and Jan RaspetBill and Linda PattersonJohn V. RawsonGlen ReiboldtDan RihnVaughn RobertsFernando and Alicia RuedaJim and Doris SandsDon SanteeAlcide SantilliJJ and Patricia SinclairBob SparlingFred TaylorKathy and George TaylorMary TeboMike TomazinCharles TurkleTom TurkleBob von HellensDon WallenJohn and Sandra WhitelamFrank and Rita Whiteley
Corporate Donors
EAA Chapter 179Vintage Sailplane Association1-26 AssociationAccess Innovations, Albuquerque
Lisa’s Truck Center 7
USSSM Membership ApplicationBenefits of memberships include:1. Free admission to museum facilities.2. 10% discount on gift shop purchases.3. Receive all USSSM mailings.4. The satisfaction of knowing that you are helping to build a first-class museum.
Life members and major contributors and their minor children receive these benefits for life. Other members receive them for one year. Family, Supporting and Sustaining include minor children. Supporting and Sustaining accrue toward a Life membership.
Send check to: U.S. Southwest Soaring Museum P.O. Box 3626
Moriarty, NM 87035
New ________ Renewal_______
Individual ____ $35 Family _____ $45 Student ____ $20 Supporting _____$100 Sustaining ____ $500Life Member ____ $1,000 Major Contributor ___________$$$$$
Name____________________________________________________________________________________Address _________________________________________________________________________________Telephone ______________________________ E-mail Address ____________________________________
U.S. Southwest Soaring Museum P.O. Box 3626Moriarty, NM 87035
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NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID ALBUQUERQUE, NM PERMIT NO. 642