
"Please become a member of our Foundation we need your membership and support"
The Aerodrome
May 2010
**Be sure to read
PARCEL
#1 IS OURS! – MILLER VISIT – BOARD CHANGES – APPOINTMENTS TO ADVISORY BOARD –
DESERT EXPOSURE ARTICLE
Also attending were Advisory Board Chair Jim Greenwood,
Green Valley AZ.; and Advisory Board Members Pete Adolph, Albuquerque; Bob
Worthington,
Dr. Miller’s presentation explored the early deployment of
the First Aero Squadron and the creation of
The end of April,
Village Magistrate Javier Lozano took your President on a tour by foot of our
property, actually acquired the last day of March.
We were able to identify the southeast corner of
the property in the middle of a fence line in chest-high desert brush, although
by that time this writer was ready to call in the Medivac.
With luck, this represents the start of getting a
landing strip bladed out of the mesquite.
Steve Watson,
it should be noted, has
donated about 2 dozen copies of a document important to you serious aviation
historians.
It is: Logbook of Signal Corps No. 1,
the US Army’s First Airplane, by Benjamin Foulois (later 1st
Aero Commander), edited by Meghan Cunningham.
This 52 page book was published in 2004 as a part
of the Hundredth Anniversary of Flight by the Air Force History and Museums
Program.
The book is well illustrated and has an excellent
introduction by the editor.
The books, while they last, are available from the
Foundation for a donation of $10, including postage and handling…
Significant changes have
come to the Board of Trustees.
Charter Trustee Pete Oesper had been serving as an
interim treasurer when James Efferson offered his services to the Foundation.
Efferson, whohas a history with non-profits, most
recently was Treasurer for the
One of our esteemed historians,
We are being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st
Century.
The last two Board meetings saw the local Trustees
connected by live feed with Webmaster Kris Lethin in
Member
Benjamin Delahauf Foulois,
December 9, 1879 – April 25, 1967
This brief biography
is
by
General Foulois started his military career as an enlisted
man in the Spanish-American and Philippine Wars.
While in the latter, he was commissioned a 2nd
Lieutenant in the 17th Infantry on February 2nd, 1901.
He was promoted to 1st Lieut. on October
16th, 1906, and to Captain, Aviation Section Signal Corps, July 23rd,
1914.
His aviation duties began in 1908 and continued until his
retirement, December 31, 1935.
Foulois was ordered to Fort Sam Houston TX with Signal
Corps Airplane #1 to teach himself how to fly.
At this point he had received less than an hour of
instruction from Wilbur Wright and had not soloed.
He did so on March 2nd, 1910, making
four flights in a Type A Wright flyer.
These included his first solo takeoff, first solo
landing, and first solo crash!
He was truly a “mail order pilot” for, as problems
arose, he requested and received instructions from Wilbur by mail.
Over the next two years, he improvised and made
modifications to the Flyer, such as replacing the skids with wheels, adding a
seatbelt, and using a radio while airborne.
On March 3rd, 1911, he and Philip O.
Parmalee made the first official military reconnaissance flight in conjunction
with a ground exercise.
After duty at
He left 1st Aero in September, 1916, and after stops at
Ft. Sam Houston and
After the war ended, Foulois helped draft the air clauses
of the treaty of
He
became commander of Mitchell Field, NY in 1925 and in 1927 became Assistant
Chief of the Air corps.
He became Chief of the Air Corps on December 19,
1931.
During his command, the development of long range bombers
(B-17’s and B-24’s) began.
Also, during this time, the “Air Mail Fiasco” of
1934 occurred.
Previously the mail was carried by commercial
airlines, but an ongoing dispute with the Government led President Roosevelt to
ask Foulois if the military could do the job.
Foulois said, “Yes”, thinking that there would be
time to prepare but, a week or so later, the mail was dropped in his lap.
Between February 19, 1934 and May 17, 1934, 1.5
million miles were flown by Air Corps pilots who lacked training, funding,
equipment and experience.
There were many fatal crashes, and the image of the
Army Air Corps suffered accordingly.
Foulois was caught in the middle of a political battle
between commercial aviation, Congress and the military.
His previous adversarial position with
now-President
Major General Benjamin D. Foulois retired from the Army on
December 31, 1935, quietly with no parade, fly-by or farewell from the general
staff.
Jim Greenwood has said, “…Benny Foulois was one of the
most under-rated individuals ever to command the U.S. Army Air Service (later
Air Corps).
“(He) first envisioned the concept of military airpower
when he was the Army’s only aviation, long before Billy Mitchell had ever
learned to fly.
And it was Foulois and (Col. Edgar) Gorrell who
came up with the idea of strategic bombardment, not Mitchell.”
General Foulois was the U.S. Army’s first, and for a time,
only pilot and ended his career as Chief of the Air Corps. During that time he
observed and helped implement huge changes and was instrumental in laying the
groundwork for the U.S. Air Force today.
Vital Statistics
Born:
Washington, CN
Died:
Andrews AFB
Buried:
Washington, CN
Served:
Rank:
Major General
Commands:
1st Aero Squadron; Chief of Air Service,
AEF; Asst. Chief of
Air Corps; Chief of Air Corps
Awards:
Distinguished Service Medal
French Legion d’nonneur (commander)
Order of the Crown of
Congressional Air Force Medal of Recognition
Enshrined in Aviation Hall of Fame
January 12, 2010
The Annual Board Meeting of the First
Aero Squadron Foundation was held at the Columbus Library on 11 January 2010.
The First Vice President reported that over 50% of
the membership was represented by ballots and proxies.
Reelected for a two year term were
The election of officers
resulted in the following:
President- Bill Wehner
1st
VP- Martha Skinnner
2nd
VP-
Secretary-
Treasurer- Pete Oesper (with a plea to
be replaced.
It is noted that officers must be elected trustees,
although a person could be appointed “Asst. Treasurer” and report directly to
the elected Treasurer.
Standing and Pro-Tem
Committee Appointments, effective immediately:
(Standing)
Fund Raising-
Historical-
Public Education- Bill Wehner,
Website- Kris Lethin
(Pro-Tem)
Audit & Budget- Bill Wehner, Pete
Oesper,
Insurance-
By-laws- Pete Oesper,
Those named first will be responsible for convening each
committee
The incoming president would like to
join the other trustees in thanking
Special emphasis
this year will be on (1) internal organization and budgeting, (2) membership
recruiting and retention, and (3) local publicity.
We have a couple of years experience
with a growing foundation, and a full year with a new accounting system.
Now we have the opportunity to de-bug the system,
and to use the numbers we have developed to create a working budget.
In
October of 2009,
Most organizations experience a 10 to
20% falloff in membership each year.
That means that
just to stay even we will have to
enroll an equal number of new folks, or go out of business.
We
placed a recruiting ad in the
170 News for their 1st
quarter issue to begin this effort as well as to thank the International Cessna
170 Association for their support.
We need serious input for this enlistment campaign.
Another facet we are hoping to explore (exploit?)
is the wealth of local of talent in our local membership.
By putting emphasis on dealing with
local publicity, we are hoping to grow the program to a national/international
level on a continuing, coordinated basis.
As any organization grows, so must the by-laws.
The committee so-charged will report from time to
time on recommendations for needed changes
Last, but certainly not least, the
Webmaster, Kris Lethin, has put together a small group to revitalize our site.
If you haven’t checked it in the last few days, I
urge you to do so.
Kris has devoted a lot of time to the site and it
shows.
The First Aero Squadron Foundation only
because of the faith and hard work of the individuals involved.
The trustees welcome your attendance and input at
both board and committee meetings.
Please email or call me any time you have an idea,
comment and/or criticism- this is your organization.
Thanks again for your participation,
Bill
THE AERODROME
COLUMBUS, NEW MEXICO, NOVEMBER 2009
ELECTIONS - ANNUAL MEETING - FLY-IN CONFERENCE - PETER WESTACOTT DAY -
NEW ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS - LOGO, WEBSITE
Ballot - Enclosed with this issue is the annual ballot and proxy for
2010. Please fill in and return by December 31 st. Actually, do it NOW, that way
you won't forget. Annual Meeting - Elections will take place as usual in
December, followed by officer installation on Monday, January 11 at the Annual
Meeting. This year's Annual Meeting will be a relatively low key affair because
of festivities planned for the visit of Dr. Roger Miller, Air Force Historian in
April. Miller is an Air Force Historian who will be presenting a highly
entertaining program at our first ever Fly-in Conference.
Fly-in Conference - Mark the date of April 24, 2010 on your new calendar
in red ink. In addition to the presentation by Dr. Miller, we are planning the
"official" ribbon cutting ceremony at Parcel One, First Aero Squadron Aerodrome
as well as other events. More on this important date in the February issue of
the AERODROME.
Peter Westacott Day - The week of September 14th
will not soon be forgotten in Columbus. The Wednesday event featuring aviation
icons Jim Greenwood, Dave Clemmer, Alex Kvassay, and Jim Davis helping to
celebrate the work of artist Peter Westacott culminated that afternoon when all
but Greenwood sat down to regale the crowd in American Legion Post 1916. G4
pilot Clemmer described his flight on 9/11 while airborne with Attorney General
John Ashcroft aboard The FAA's Nan One. Davis (retired FAA Rapid Response Chief)
and Westacott talked about aviation philosophies and personal experiences.
Kvassay's reminiscences centered on day-to-day life with Bill Lear. He
recalled that the Learjet offices were a stone's throw from the Wichita Air
Terminal and the resident carrental counters. Someone noted that Learjet had
paid several monthly invoices from Hertz, and that same someone asked around to
see who had the car out. Nobody knew.
It finally came to light that Bill Lear had decided that he didn't care
to walk from the terminal to his office one day, rented a car, parked it in the
lot, and promptly forgot about it ... Alex noted that he stays in touch with
Lear's daughter, Chanda.
Final accounting is not yet complete for the print sale but it looks like a total of about $1500 was raised for the Foundation treasury, with the Wednesday afternoon event resulting in a little over $1200. At this writing, we have a few (six or less) signed and embossed prints- both First Flight and Jenny- left for sale. Prices for signed/embossed prints are: Jennys over Columbus, $60; First Flight, $100. One print of each is offered as a special for $125 total.
Unsigned prints are available too, at $35 and $60. Please add $6.00 per
order for shipping.
To Peter, Alex, Dave and the Jims, our profound thanks for your generosity; and to those who purchased prints or otherwise contributed, thanks again.
Advisory members added- The September board meeting saw the election of two new Advisory Board members. Sandor "Alex" Kvassay, besides being a successful author, has had a career that has spanned the better part of seven decades including the German and Russian occupation of his homeland, Hungary. Freed from his captors, he was whisked to the Pentagon in an intelligence role and served in the US military. He eventually hooked up with the peripatetic Bill Lear and became Lear's Director of International Sales. He now splits his time between home in Wichita and traveling worldwide with his grandchildren and their parents.
Bob Worthington is retired from the Army where he served multiple roles;
currently he serves as President ofthe New Mexico Pilots Association and VP of
the US Pilots Assn. Bob is a retired journalism professor, was an FAA Safety
Counselor, and now a F AAST rep. A prolific author - over 1800 articles and
books - Bob has just finished a documentary movie on Viet Nam. He is also an
amateur historian and gun collector.
Logo selected- You will note that we have a new logo, reproduced on the
enclosed Application Form. "1916" and "1917" represent the years the First Aero
Squadron spent here on the border before being shipped to Europe. The Jenny
depiction is taken from Peter Westacott's painting. Peter has been especially
generous to the First Aero Foundation and we deeply appreciate it.
New website- Go
ahead, Google up
www.firstaerosquadron.org
and share our delight in Kris Lethin's latest version of the website. Assisting
Kris were Ric Lambart, Ken Emery and Sharan Maxwell. This same committee has
been working to develop language for a 4x8 sign to be erected on the recently
acquired Parcel One.
Noted in passing- It is certainly interesting to realize that this patch
of sand and gravel desert we are trying to save for posterity has seen
everything from IN-3 Jennys to the biggest prop driven passenger planes.
August 2009
THE AERODROME
PETER WESTACOTT TO VISIT COLUMBUS -SPECIAL PRICING ON JENNY PRINTS
THE FIRST DAY OF US MILITARY AIR POWER CRADLE OF AMERICAN AIRPOWER Columbus New Mexico 1916
The original painting hangs in the office of the Chief of Staff of the US Air Force in the Pentagon.
Peter Westacott, whose depiction of Jennys in flight over Columbus in March, 1916, graces the First Aero Foundation's website will be visiting Columbus. The Foundation and the Village will celebrate a special "Peter Westacott Day", Wednesday, September 16th, in his honor. A reception will be held in the American Legion Hall on E. Broadway from 3:00 until 5:00 PM. Light refreshments will be served. All Foundation members are cordially invited to join us on the 16th and to meet Peter. We can meet flights to EI Paso, and would delight in greeting you if you'd like to fly into our airpark.
It is designated First Aero Squadron NM09 (no connection the Aerodrome itself). We monitor 122.9; suggested landing to the west on either of two gravel runways. If you prefer hard surface, Hacienda sur Luna is located just north of us. Again, advise on 122.9. If you are driving in, give us a call at 575-531-7044 or 505-660-1112 Gene Valdes, Foundation President, announced that a feature of Peter's reception will be the offer of Jenny prints, authenticated by the artist, for a donation of$50 or more. In addition, the Artist has made available a small quantity of prints of his rendition of the Wright's first flight entitled "The Dream Fulfilled" as bonus for those who donate $100 or more. Only 750 prints were made of this painting. The Jenny original hangs in the Pentagon in the office of the Air Force Chief of Staff.A Gathering of Eagles-The week of September 14th will witness a true gathering of Eagles in tiny Columbus, New Mexico, as Peter Westacott joins reunion of sorts with other key figures in aviation. Among them will be Jim Greenwood, former Gates Lemjet Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs, government executive, author, journalist and pilot. Bill Lafferty is retired from the US Air Force after flying the Berlin Airlift and the very last B-36 mission. Sandor (Alex) Kvassay served Bill Lear as Vice President for International Marketing, and flew to several international speed records with famed race pilot Clay Lacy. Dave Clemmer is a highly decorated retired Army pilot who flew the FAA's N-l Gulfstream before retiring from that
organization. Dave had Attorney General John Ashcroft as a passenger on board when the 9/11 attack took place. Jim Davis, who simply describes himself as a "retired government clerk", led the FAA's Administrative Command Post which job it was to represent the FAA Administrator in responding
to large emergencies-highjackings, crashes and the like. First Aero Foundation invites you to meet these aviation icons prior to the reception for Peter. All will be present at the Legion Hall from 1 :00 PM, Wednesday, September 16th. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to visit with folks who have been so deeply involved in the history of US Aviation.Our faithful Treasurer, Pete Oesper, is an engineer, so he must be forgiven as he struggles to get us current on Quick Books, and to
At a board meeting a few months back, I invited the Trustees to submit at least two names to me of folks who might be interested in our project of memorializing the intrepid airmen of First Aero Squadron. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I extended that challenge to the Advisory Board. Now, I'm going to issue that same challenge to the membership at large.
It goes like this: send me the names and mailing address of men and for women who might fit the above description. I will then send a low-pressure letter to them saying that you suggested I might contact them. I will include an outline of what we are all about, and a back issue of the AERODROME. If you'd like to see a copy of the letter, email me at wehner@vtc.net and I will email a copy back to you. In order to just maintain ourselves as an organization, we must keep expanding our membership base. Eventually, we'd like this base to be somewhere around 1000, with a retention rate in the 95% area. In spite of the recession, we can do this .With great reluctance, President Valdes accepted the resignation of Trustee Ruth Smith last month. Ruth is an idea person who worked with this writer on public education projects; she will be missed. However, life goes on and at the August Board meeting the name of Ken Emery was placed in nomination by Valdes to replace Smith. Ken is a Columbus resident, and a Cultural Archeologist by profession. I have had the privilege of working with him on our local Historic Preservation Commission and know he will be a decided asset.
It was Ken who reminded us that the first actual military flight over foreign territory took place at Vera Cruz by recon planes from battleships anchored in that harbor. First Aero Squadron launched the first unit sortie into an enemy airspace, and was fully involved in all facets of the Punitive Expedition-including getting shot at from time to time.Contact us at Box 1516, Columbus NM 88029 or email meatwehner@vtyc.net
June 2009
The Aerodrome
To preserve and protect the cradle of American Airpower
FIRST STEP
TAKEN!
PARCEL #1 PURCHASED-
WESTACOTT DONATION DUES- HELP WANTED- BOOK PROJECT
April 30th, 2009, certainly
will be recorded as a red-letter day for the First Aero Squadron Foundation.
That morning, President Gene Valdes sat down in the offices of Southwest
Escrow and put his signature to the documents closing the purchase of Parcel #1
of the Landmarked Historic Site of the first air unit operations into foreign
territory.
While a number of folks
made this purchase possible, the Foundation would like to thank those in
particular that put up the cash to make this transaction possible:
C.E. “Pete” Adolph, Albuquerque (Advisory Board)
Lyn Benedict,
Jim Davis,
Sharon Maxwell,
Patricia Walsh,
Bill Wehner, Columbus
(Trustee)
Susan Wehner,
The essential details are:
purchase price, $50,000 (15,000 loan from Mrs. Walsh, 35,000 in loans from the
others); loans secured by property mortgage; terms are 3 years at 0%, then 2
years at 4%.
Now we just have to
raise 50 grand to pay off the mortgage…
The actual transfer of the
parcel will have to wait a few days while contract language is clarified and the
lawyers earn their fees, but these are formalities as of this writing.
Next steps:
With the acquisition of Parcel #1, the Foundation
has gained more legitimacy in the eyes of potential contributors.
We need to reach out to these folks and plead the case for preserving and
memorializing an important part of American history.
By creating a memorial to airmen involved in the earliest days of
aviation and the Punitive Expedition, the First World War, and the Golden Age
that followed, we will have insured that
We need your help, again:
As you know by now, this organization is entirely run by volunteers (some
would say rank amateurs).
We have
yet to spend a dime on salaries, so you know that you are getting a pretty good
bang for your dues buck.
However,
local talent can only be stretched so far.
We’ve often said how much we need your cash, now we need your mind and
body as well.
We are in real,
serious need of folks who can (and will) write press releases; we need folks who
can get our message on the internet; and we need help from you if you have any
knowledge of grant writing.
We can
use help on one-time projects, or on a continuing basis.
And to tell the truth, we need all the advice and help we can muster in
legal areas- for instance, it is looking like we will spend close to a thousand
dollars in attorneys fees just to close on Parcel #1.
We are certainly not looking to put any lawyers out of work, but at this
time when cash is so hard to come by, we would sure welcome any aid we can get.
Do we have any experienced fund raisers
out there?
Oh, boy, can we use your
help!
Writers- this is your chance
to help get the First Aero story out to the world, and maybe pick up a
submission check or two along the way.
We have had at least one request from an aviation slick, and we need to
submit to the broad spectrum of aviation press, as well as to the historic and
landscape preservation press as well.
Can you- will you- help?
We
can load you down with briefing material if you are interested.
Contact Bill or Ruth (our public education committee) at
wehner@vtc.net for more information.
Articles dealing with the
First Aero Squadron itself or on its impact on modern warfare, on Benjamin
Foulois and his dealings with Billy Mitchell, the process of saving the
Aerodrome, and restoring a historic landscape are all grist for the mill.
This years dues
cycle has begun.
We need
you.
Our dues pay the cost of doing business day-to-day, stuff like the costs
of paper, printing, mailing and so on.
Also the purchase of a laptop and printer and
Quick Books for Treasurer Pete Oesper and file cabinets and folders,
etc.; and for fees involved with our tax exempt status and corporate
registration.
This last year’s
start-up was especially costly, and we’ve had to rely on donations to cover
shortfalls.
Had not President Gene
donated the legal fees involved in the Parcel #1 transaction, the Foundation
could not have pulled it off.
The
date of your renewal is written on this newsletter, and you can use the
application form on the back sheet to update us if wish.
Protect your Charter Member status… renew!
Here’s the thing- we are a
very small group for a national organization. Don’t get the idea that your 20
bucks don’t count, because they do, big-time.
For
instance, instead of having a professional mailing service do the
AERODROME, my long-suffering wife and
I sit at the table on our porch and stick the labels and stamps on the envelopes
in order to get it into your hands.
Mary says that we are a “kitchen table” operation- and that’s how this
newsletter gets into the mail.
The country needs landmarks
like the First Aero Squadron Aerodrome more than ever.
If the First Aero Foundation is to
survive, we have to keep your interest as well as recruit new members; and while
recruitment is important, we feel that it’s even more important to keep members
on board.
You.
Brochure.
The Board of Trustees has
authorized Marge Myers,
Some have expressed opinions
(pro and con) on the paperwork we have been using to date and this is your
chance to have input on the new production.
If you have opinions and/or ideas, please send them on to Bill Wehner at
wehner@vtc.net, or mail to
Next steps.
At the request of the
Foundation,
Important donation:
Artist (and Advisory Board Member Peter Westacott) has very generously
donated 100 prints of his work showing Jennys over Columbus,
The Cradle of
American Airpower, and 25 prints of his painting
The Dream is Fulfilled, The Dawn of
Powered Flight (a limited run of 750 prints)
to the Foundation for use as fund raising incentives.
The Advisory Board and the Trustees are considering how best to utilize
these gifts. How about letting us know
what you think?
Visit Peter at
westacottart.com and enjoy the work of this very talented man.
Lt. Billy Schauffler:
Does anyone have any
pictures or information about Schauffler they would like to share with
Odds & Ends.
We really need your input, this
is your organization.
Your Board of
Trustees is starting to build a learning curve and your thoughts and ideas will
be a great help.
We are learning to
utilize the various talents on the Board, but have yet to effectively tap into
the energy and resources of the Advisory Board.
We don’t know much about you,
either.
Note the “interests” line on
the application form below and help us out.
The Board is about to have a
sign erected on Parcel #1 noting the it is part of the aerodrome from which the
first military unit sortie into foreign airspace was launched, and plans are
underway for a permanent memorial to be separate from the planned museum .
Have you a suggestion as to how these pioneer airmen could be best
honored?
If so, please let us know.
All suggestions will be evaluated seriously.
Also being explored are
insurance needs, and a standard set of financial procedures.
Donation.
We are pleased to acknowledge
the recent donation of $100 from Mrs. Marion Good of
You have no doubt noticed
that an awfully lot of space in this issue of the AERODROME has been devoted to
requests for your input and help in various areas.
It is simply because we cannot accomplish what we’ve set out to do with
just a Trustee Board of 9 people or an Advisory board of a dozen of so.
At this writing we have about seventy or so members across the country
(actually, internationally if we count Peter); We must expand this membership
base- and the best way to do that is for you to pass on a copy of the
application to someone you know has an interest in aviation history.
Please protect your Charter Membership
and help keep the Foundation alive; your dues are due by:
Thank you
very much!
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION OR RENEWAL
Mr/Mrs/Ms/Dr
(F)____________________(MI)______(L)________________________
Address_________________________________________________________________
Address_________________________________________________________________
City-State
(Province)______________________________________________________
Postal
code-Country_______________________________________________________
Phone__________________________email____________________________________
Dues- Gold:
$1000______Silver: $500______Bronze: $250______At large: $20______
New_____Renewal_____
Sponsor (not req’d)__________________________________
May we get in touch about
help with activities (writing, grant research, publicity, etc.)?
Areas of
interest__________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Address all mail to: FAF,
February 2009
ANNUAL
MEETING AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS - MUSEUM DONATIONS AERODROME FUNDING -
501(c)(3) STATUS OFFICIAL - BOARD RETREAT
ADVISORY
BOARD MEMBER ADDED
Election -
January 13th saw the Second Annual FAF
Board of Trustees meeting elect 1 new Trustee, and reelect 3 others.
In the election of officers that followed, newly chosen Sharan Maxwell
was elected Secretary, Pete Oesper was elected Treasurer replacing Tom Willmott.
Kris Lethin and Bill Wehner retained their seats on the Board.
Kris will continue to serve as Webmaster; and Bill on the Public
Education Committee.
Willmott, a
newly minted Sport Pilot who lives in
501(c)(3) Status –
President Gene Valdes announced that the IRS had finally given its
complete blessing, dating back to February 11, 2008, to our status as a
corporate non-profit.
Gene
personally herded our incorporation through
Museum Donations - Our proposed WWI/Golden Age museum has begun to receive donations of
potential display or trading materials.
John D. Benham of
Pledge Update
– A polling of the Board of Trustees has produced a little over $30,000 in
pledges toward the purchase of the 60 acre Parcel One of the old Aerodrome.
That leaves us about $30 to 35 thousand short of the needed war chest.
Members are being asked to loan moneys to the Foundation, secured by the
land itself, for purchase of this parcel, and for others that may be on the
market in the future.
Parcel One, by
most estimates, represents about a third of the Aerodrome.
Purchase Fund –
Here is the way it works: members are asked to loan money to the
Foundation for the purchase of Parcel 1.
The loans will no-interest, and may run for a maximum of 5 years,
although it is anticipated that they will be repaid sooner.
Loans will be secured by a lien on the property.
The rationale is this:
FAF
has been self-supporting since its founding.
Ownership of the 60 acre Parcel 1 will provide a solid base from which we
can expect to open doors to a number of grant programs and potential donors.
Another factor is that in this era of poor interest rates, one might as
well put funds to work where they could do the most good. i.e., purchase of
Aerodrome property.
If you’d like
more information contact me, Bill Wehner (see below).
Of course, should you be interested in making an outright donation as
some have, we would be delighted to accept.
Donations of more than the $20 dues are tax exempt.
Financial Condition – As of December 31st, 2008, FAF had Cash on Hand of
$4269.69. Of this, dues and renewals
accounted for $840, donations. Bronze, Silver, and Gold memberships accounted
for $4120.
Expenses included bank
fees, State and Federal Registrations ($760), Post Office and mailing $164.
Planned expenses will be a pair of filing cabinets, and a lap top.
Historic Program-
The New Mexico Heritage Preservation Alliance has invited FAF members to
present a program about the Foundation at its annual meeting, March 26-28 in
Board Retreat –
The Board of Trustees will meet in retreat at the Columbus American
Legion #1916 on March 11th at 9:00AM.
We expect to deal with those eternal questions… Where are we? Where are
we going?
How are we going to get
there?
What is our timeline?
And, of course, perhaps the most important- how are we going to pay for
it?
Your input is seriously invited.
Newest Advisory Board member-
C.E. “Pete” Adolph of
Finding First Aero members.
A project near and dear to the
hearts of many of us is the location of information about– and the descendants
of – the original First Aero Squadron.
Historian Jim Davis, who we think has a bunk in the National Archives,
has been unearthing salient facts about the Squadron and its operations, as well
as personal tidbits about the members.
What about some of us involving ourselves in the histories of both
officers and enlisted men of First Aero?
This certainly would mean locating the offspring and/or relatives of
these young men… it is noted that we have little information on their adventures
in
Bill Wehner
(575)531-7044
wehner@vtc.net
The Aerodrome Newsletter
Columbus, New Mexico, November 2008
ANNUAL MEETING, ELECTIONS COMING UP – NOMINATIONS MADE – JAIL OFFER - MEMBER NEWS – MEMBER’S PURCHASE PROPOSAL
Annual Meeting - The by-laws of the First Aero Foundation require an annual meeting of the membership. The 2008 Charter Year will close with the first annual meeting which will be held in Columbus NM on Tuesday, January 13th at 6:30 PM. The tentative meeting place will be Martha’s Place B&B. All members are invited to attend, and will be welcomed. Plans for the event include an examination of the actual Aerodrome site on Tuesday afternoon, a welcoming party for early arrivals on Sunday evening at the First Aero Squadron Airpark north of Columbus, and dinner at the famous Pink Store in Palomas, Mexico, late Monday afternoon (bring passport). Informal tours of the area will also be available.
There are rooms available on a limited basis in Columbus at Martha’s Place and at the Pancho Villa Motel. Several local members have volunteered guest rooms as well, but all are available on a first-come-first-served Basis. For more information call Martha Skinner at 575-531- 2467 (www.Martha’s Place.com) or Bill Wehner at 575-531-7044.
We can arrange pick-ups at El Paso (ELP) if you arrive by Kerosene Queen. If you plan to arrive in light aircraft, limited hangar or tie-down space is available at First Aero Squadron (NM09). Please note that RW 28L is preferred for landing because of its 3% grade toward the mountains, unless winds are from the east at over 15K. The runway is 4000’x 50’, well maintained dirt/gravel; 122.9 is monitored.
Elections - Enclosed with this newsletter you will find two other documents: a proxy assignment, and a ballot. If you do not plan to attend the Annual Meeting, please vote by checking or otherwise marking the ballot. Your signature on the proxy will permit the First Vice President to vote for you on matters before the board.
We cannot stress the importance of these two pieces of paper enough – this group was formed to be an entirely grass roots, member run organization; without your participation in the process we will certainly fail.
Keeping Chuck Straight - A couple of months ago at a board meeting we were discussing candidates for the Advisory Board. It was noted that Gen. (Ret.) Bob Cardenas had been the pilot of the "mother" B-29 that had launched Chuck Yeager and "Glamorous Glennis" to fame. A voice down the table was heard to say, "Anyone who could ride herd on Chuck Yeager has my vote…"
Newest Member - As of this writing, Ken Emery of Columbus is our newest member. Ken is a retired Cultural Archeologist from "Down East" He is a member of the Columbus Historic Preservation Commission, and though not a pilot, is vitally interested in the future of the Aerodrome. He and wife Sheila are veteran fire-watchers who man a tower in the Safford AZ area every summer. Ken notes that they have retired at the end of this season One wonders if the 10 rattlers they found in the cabin when they opened it this year had anything to do with that decision…
Box 1516 - We field questions from members and non-members alike from time to time. One of those is "Where are you actually located?" and "Why is the Foundation address 1516?"
First, you must understand that Columbus is a very small town- maybe 1800 or so souls. Charter Member Eddie Booth of South Carolina visited us a week or so back and remarked on the large sign on a Government edifice that read "Main Post Office." Simple explanation: if you have only one Post Office, that makes it the main one, doesn’t it?
At any rate, because Columbus is so small, we employ only the Postmaster and one part-time helper, and there is no mail delivery… all residents have PO boxes. We were granted the use of Box 1516 because the block of boxes that contains #1916 (our original request) has not been made available to the public yet. Welcome to small town USA.
Jail Time - The Old Columbus Jail was built in 1917 by the Village of Columbus which still owns it, although it has been many, many years since the last resident occupied it. The last resident, by the way was a mother cougar and her cubs… but that is another story. Incidentally, the two cells inside are rumored to have come from the old Yuma Territorial Prison. The jail is on the National Register of Historic Places, and has recently been given by the village to the local Historic Preservation Commission to refurbish and preserve it. The Commission, in turn, has offered office space to FAF, so maybe in the not-too-distant future we will have an actual home.
Gold Membership – Our most recent Gold Membership has been granted to John D. Benham of Pipe Creek TX. John D. has been in general aviation most of his life and is a founder of the Cessna 170 Club. He shares this Gold Membership distinction with Advisory Chair Jim Greenwood. Gold Membership is awarded to those who have donated $1000 or more to the First Aero Foundation. Will our GM next be you?
Challenge – One of our members has issued the following challenge: He will advance $10,000 toward the purchase of the Aerodrome site if 5 or more others will join him. It is planned that the buy would be made and held for eventual purchase by the Foundation from these member/buyers. The buyers would retain title to the property until the FAF buys it from them, or a specified time elapses. (This could be a year or even two. If time expired, the buyers could resell.) Given the present state of savings interest, and the fact that the invested money remains yours, you might consider volunteering 5 or 10 grand in this effort. Who will step up to the plate for the Aerodrome?
Bill Wehner and Ruth Smith, Public Education 575-531-7044 wehner@vtc.net