An Aeronca to AirVenture

An Aeronca to AirVenture
Flabob teens restore plane, fly it to Oshkosh
B Y
H E A T H E R
R O B I L L A R D
T
housands of airplanes fly to EAA AirVenture
every year. The blue and yellow Aeronca
Super Chief and the teenagers who flew
from Riverside, California, to Oshkosh, Wisconsin,
however, represent more than a long crosscountry flight—they mirror much of what EAA has
engendered since its founding.
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TOP: A young Anthony Ward works on the disassembly of the
Super Chief. Ward later flew the Aeronca to Oshkosh.
MIDDLE: Roger Farnes supervises as Brittni Tanenbaum applies
the finishing tapes to the seams.
BOTTOM: Robin Hoeltje and Clara Laursen work on the Aeronca’s
doors.
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That plane, the kids who restored it, and the two who flew
it to AirVenture are remarkable, but they are only part of an
ongoing project that teaches aviation to young people and
that saved an airport.
The story begins about 2,000 miles from EAA headquarters and about seven years ago in a place called Flabob
Airport—a place where some would say magic happens. It
is the type of aviation community most of us only dream
about. A place where the homebuilding industry thrives,
and you can still live with your airplane. A place that inspires the next generation of pilots while teaching them
traditional crafts like how to cover a fuselage with fabric. A
place where friends gather and the essence of general aviation is alive and well.
Flabob’s programming emulates all that is good about
grassroots aviation and passes it down to the next generation to carry the torch and keep the flame for many generations to come. The airport’s history is as rich now as it was
in 1925 when a barnstormer named Roman Warren buzzed
into one of the two Riverside airports and stayed working
as the airport manager, making it his home.
In 2000 when the airport caught Thomas Wathen’s eye,
it was on the brink of extinction. The family owners had already accepted an offer to sell the land for non-aviation development. It didn’t take much for him to prove his interest in
purchasing and preserving Flabob, giving his Thomas Wathen
Foundation a home and saving the airport from oblivion.
The foundation began immediately making improvements, widening and resurfacing the runway and paving
the aircraft parking areas and taxiways. Security fencing
was erected, landscaping added, and a self-serve fuel pump
installed. Several buildings around the airport were painted
and repaired, giving the first breath of a new life to the
Riverside aviation community. In addition to fostering the
economic growth of the airport, the foundation’s educational programs also took root.
The Wathen Aviation High School, based at the airport,
offers an aviation-based curriculum to local youth and
partnerships that give its students the opportunity to attend classes taught by the San Bernardino Valley College
Aeronautics Department. Eight times a year the foundation
also hosts an Air Academy designed as a broad introduction
to aviation science for middle- and high-school students.
The foundation also has programs such as the Elementary School Introduction to Aviation and the Middle School
Prime Time After School Program that run throughout the
school year. Committed to using aviation to inspire and
educate, the foundation has also reached out to gang members in the local community with its Youth Intervention
Program, which helps young people redirect their lifestyle
and learn productive skills in aviation.
One of the foundation’s undertakings, however, has
also created a unique opportunity for almost two-dozen
area teenagers. In partnership with EAA Chapter One, the
foundation has combined a love of aviation with education, camaraderie, and fun, teaching teens how to restore
an airplane, all by themselves.
CLOCKWISE: Ret. Maj. Al Gester (green shirt) supervises as
Tiffany Felton, Robin Hoeltje, and Alan Mota work on a wing. •
The Super Chief, pre-restoration. • David Fox sprays the fuselage.
• Roger Farnes helps Shady Grove Oliver and Daniel Hilgar with
some fabric work.
Aeronca Kids
The “Aeronca Kids,” as they are known, are beyond the beginning stages of aviation interest—they are Young Eagles
who have shown dedication by volunteering at EAA Young
Eagles events, but it was easy to see they were searching for
more. More than a flight, more than helping out as volunteers—these cadets wanted to get their hands on aviation.
It all began with a lonely, deserted little taildragger.
The foundation purchased the airplane in 2000, after its
owner’s death. Organizers then found an empty building
in which the kids could take on the project of replacing
the rotted fabric, wood, and rusted steel tubing with new
components to make the old bird airworthy again.
Like any beloved and cherished airplane, NC33712
has character. This particular Aeronca Super Chief rolled
off the production line in 1941 and found new life as a
learning tool for an eager group of teenagers who restored
and rebuilt it from the ground up. Retired Air Force Col. Al
Gester recruited a group of kids and adult volunteers, and
the work began. Originally, their goal was to rebuild the
Aeronca, fly it to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2003, and then
use it as a trainer for flight instruction. Without a doubt
one of the biggest unexpected lessons the adults learned
was patience.
“We originally began this project thinking we’d fly it to
AirVenture in 2003. When we finally let go of that dead-
The “Aeronca Kids” are beyond the
beginning stages of aviation interest–
they are Young Eagles who have shown
dedication by volunteering at EAA
Young Eagles Events, but it was easy
to see they were searching for more.
More than a flight, more than helping
out as volunteers–these cadets
wanted to get their hands on aviation.
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Craig VanderKolk
line, we realized when it was done, it was done, and then
we’d fly it to AirVenture,” said Dr. Art Peterson, president
of the Thomas Wathen Foundation.
The airplane was in rough shape and needed a complete
makeover.
“Its stringers were rusted, the tires were useless, the fabric
ripped—with big holes in it, and all the wood was rotted,”
said John D. Lyon, foundation secretary. “The work schedule was every Saturday morning, except once a month
when the youngsters volunteered for Young Eagles ground
duty,” a program making them Young Eagles “cadets.”
Roger Farnes, Flabob’s Aeronca project manager, said, “It
took a year and a half to rebuild the wings, but now they’re
better than new.”
Anthony Ward, one of the Aeronca Kids, paints a
straightforward picture: “It was literally held together with
duct tape and string!”
The airplane was completely stripped of fabric and disassembled. Little of the wood was usable, but it provided a
pattern for the construction of new wings, stringers, and
floorboards. The steel parts were sent out for professional
cleaning and then refinished by the kids. Some of the kids
volunteered to help overhaul the engine. New wings were
constructed, the airframe was covered, and wiring, plumbing, and instruments were installed.
The adult supervisors offered guidance but were told to
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keep their hands in their pockets.
“They [the adults] would say, this is how you do it, this is
how I want you to do it, now do it. Then they would come
back and check to see that we’d done it right,” said Andrew
Blaize, another Aeronca Kid.
Not surprisingly, the kids found that the amount of detail, measurements, and generally “getting it just right” to
be the most difficult elements.
In addition to the learning experience of restoring the
airplane, a system was also set up whereby the kids could
earn flying lessons—the first 60 hours spent working on
the airplane earned 10 dual flight instruction hours, with a
meager $10 co-pay per hour. For every five hours after that,
an additional hour of instruction was earned.
Peterson also hosted a 12-week ground school course
for one hour each Saturday, bringing in guest speakers and
teaching the kids not only ground school basics, but also
leadership and civic involvement as a continuing responsibility.
“Parents of the Aeronca Kids reported positive changes
in attitude, respect, and improved confidence. There was
more improvement than hoped for in skills, organization,
The kids replaced the ripped fabric, rotted wood, and rusty
stringers on the Aeronca, all the while learning important life
skills through their work on the project.
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Craig VanderKolk
and work ethic. You could see the
improvement in self-esteem that was
created from a sense of accomplishment,” Peterson said.
During the course of the restoration, 75 Young Eagles cadets came in
and out of the Aeronca program—
most moving on to college.
“The estimated total time to restore
the Aeronca was about 60,000 hours
over five and one-half years costing
around $50,000, about $100,000 if
you include flight instruction time,”
Lyon said.
Farnes added: “Of course you could
take it to a rebuilding company that
would spend about 1,800 hours on
it—then again, kids build airplanes
and airplanes build kids.”
Like all building or restoration projects, at a certain point there is a paint
scheme to decide on.
“At first we were going to have everyone draw up what they wanted to
do and then vote on it. But then the
elders decided they wanted a simple
design,” said Blaize.
“Our paint ideas had too much detail,” said Ward.
With the completion of the Aeronca
and its first flight on July 5, 2006, the
group was ready for its next step: EAA
AirVentue 2006. Blaize, a Young Eagle,
Young Eagles Cadet, and Air Academy
graduate, and Ward, a Young Eagle
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and Young Eagles Cadet, would take
turns piloting the Aeronca to Oshkosh
with experienced pilots Ron Caraway
and Hal Nemer.
Oshkosh
Finding the Aeronca at Oshkosh involved wading through an ocean of
airplanes, the multitude of which can
truly only be seen at AirVenture. The
search narrowed to a sea of taildraggers near the trusty landmark of the
Vintage Red Barn. Afternoon sunshine
glistens off its pouty little nose, wide
front windshield, bright yellow body
and blue wings—the Aeronca gives
the impression it’s proudly perched
in the grass. Its 36-foot-long wings appear to want to reach out and grab the
air, claiming its piece of the sky with
the elegance of the 1940s era when
it was born. Under NC33712’s wing
Blaize, Ward, Farnes, and Caraway are
soaking in the AirVenture landscape.
A first impression of the two boys
paints a couple of typical shy 17-yearolds talking about a time spent with
friends. However, gradually, in unmistakable tones, emotion and sheer
pride begin to show through. What
becomes clear is that regardless of
their age, these kids and their friends
have taken a broken and flightless
airplane and put time, dedication,
and sweat into creating a strong and
The fully restored Aeronca made its first
flight on July 5, 2006–just in time to
make the trip to AirVenture.
airworthy airplane.
For Blaize and Ward to be able to
take turns piloting the Aeronca and
log the most hours, as student pilots,
Tom Wathen’s Ercoupe was used to
shadow the Aeronca. The two boys
switched off piloting either plane with
an instructor. A Cessna 150 piloted by
Jerry Cortez played a support role by
cruising ahead to set up lodging and
meals. Farnes, Steve Curry, and Robert
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An Aeronca to AirVenture
Route
Day 1
Blyth, California
Eloy, Arizona
Day 2
Lordsburg, New Mexico
Deming, New Mexico
Clovis, New Mexico
Day 3
Artesia, New Mexico
Borgen, Texas
Follette Texas
Beatrice, Nebraska
Day 4
Ames, Iowa
Decorah, Iowa
Portage, Wisconsin
Day 5
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
1655 miles total
Jorden drove a support vehicle outfitted with tools and supplies.
In addition to the Aeronca caravan,
about 50 people from Chapter One
came to AirVenture 2006.
The Journey
At 7:05 a.m. on July 19, the temperature was 102°F.
“It was blistering hot!” Blaize said.
“I was wondering why we came, what
had we gotten ourselves into!”
While telling the story of their pilgrimage to AirVenture, grins permeated their young faces as memories
of the trip danced in their heads. It’s
the same look you see every pilot get
when reminiscing over his or her last
flight, whether you’re chatting over a
meal, camping in the North 40, or sit64
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ting in the shade during the air show.
Every long-distance trip affords a
lesson or two. For Blaize and Ward, the
lessons didn’t just come directly from
aviation. Although, Blaize said with
pride, “I learned how to dead-reckon.
You should have seen my (course)
lines before—now they’re right on!”
Ward added: “I learned charting.
How to find landmarks and how to estimate time and fuel consumption.”
The boys also learned the beauty of
general aviation airport warmth.
“My favorite part of the trip was
Great Bend’s hospitality,” said Ward.
Great Bend, Indiana, stuck out in
both of the boys’ minds because of
its overwhelming generosity. “They
washed our windows, lent us a courtesy car, and asked us to autograph an
Bonnie Bartel-Kratz
On July 30, after maneuvering around several storms,
logging a total of 30.5 hours, and waiting in a holding
pattern for more than an hour, the crew successfully
completed the trip when Ward brought the Aeronca down
on Runway 36, arriving in Oshkosh.
Andrew and Anthony took turns piloting
the Aeronca during the five day trip.
[Aeronca Kids] brochure.”
With wide grins, both Blaize and
Ward say the trip was a complete success. The Aeronca performed “surprisingly good; we built it right,” said
Blaize.
“It climbs great!” Ward added.
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On July 30, after maneuvering
around several storms, logging a total
of 30.5 hours, and waiting in a holding pattern for more than an hour,
the crew successfully completed the
trip when Ward brought the Aeronca
down on Runway 36, arriving in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
How did he win the coveted pilot
in command position for landing?
“Anthony gets to do the air-to-air
photo shoot,” Blaize said.
A portable GPS carried in the classically refurbished 1940s’ interior provides all the details. Average altitude ,
AGL, on the trip was 1,500-2,500 feet,
Due to a storm over Eloy, New Mexico,
average speed the first three days was
only 58 mph. A good tail wind, however, produced a high speed of 111.82
mph. Chock to chock, the Aeronca’s
average speed was 62.17 mph for a total distance of 1,958.9 miles.
Of AirVenture, the boys were surprised at its size. “I had no idea it
would be this many airplanes; I’m
overwhelmed,” said Blaize.
Ward said, “It’s really big! I knew it
would be big…but, it’s big!”
Blaize and Ward both said they
loved working on the Aeronca, and
when asked if they would like to rebuild another airplane or work on an-
other project, they responded with a
resounding “definitely!”
Blaize and Ward are planning for
college, and now a new group of teenagers are knee-deep into the same experience. Flabob Airport, EAA Chapter
One, and the foundation have two
more projects underway: a 1948 Stinson 108-3 and a 1946 Aeronca that
are being carefully rebuilt by another
group of eager Young Eagles.
The future for these boys is clear,
bright, and directed straight into aviation. Blaize said he would like to earn
a degree in aeronautical engineering,
and Ward would like to earn his aeronautical science degree and become
an airline pilot.
Both will have a unique extracurricula activity to add to their college
applications, all because of a little airport community where the essence
of general aviation is alive and well,
the homebuilding industry thrives,
you can still live with your airplane,
and the next generation of pilots is inspired to do great things.
GO DIRECT
Several Flabob participants kept
journals of their trip to AirVenture
and their return trip home. These
logs are available at EAA Chapter
One’s website–www.EAACh1.org.
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Aeronca Project 2000-2006
Founder – Al Gester
Project Director – Roger Farnes
Andrew Blaize
Jared Bowles
Alexis Caldarone
Karelie Cobian
George Coon
Bryn Enoch
Tiffany Felton
Erik Fleming
David Fox
Anna Kate Harrison
Laurin Harrison
Daniel Hilger
Robin Hoeltje
Nicole Hurtado
Tim Hurtado
Travis Kingsley
Gabriel Koenig
Clara Laursen
Erik LindHolm
Amanda Lockman
Sean Marshall
Chris Montes
Amber Mota
Alan Mota
Shady Grove Oliver
Courtlen Rhoades
Tristen Rhoades
Sean Royer
Sarah Saldana
Devin Strzok
Brittni Tanenbaum
Hailey Taylor
Shea Taylor
Freddy Torrez
Anthony Ward
Craig VanderKolk
Andrew Blaize, Hal Nemer, Anthony Ward, and Roger Farnes
with the Flabob Aeronca Super Chief.
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