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Flying Aces magazine has been around since nearly the beginning
of motorized model aviation - October 1928 to be exact. I specify
'motorized' because people have been building and operating various
sorts of flying models since mankind figured out how to construct
a device that looks and performs somewhat like a gliding bird. Flying
Aces clubs have been around as long as the eponymous magazine, from
what I can tell. However, there seems to have a more recent incarnation
of the
Flying Aces Club News publication that began in 1967.
Mr. Ross Mayo was president of the Flying Aces while I lived
in Erie, PA, but I see he has relocated to the North Carolina mountains.
Anyway, here is the February 1941 edition of the Flying Aces Club
News for your education and ejoyment.
Flying Aces Club News
Mr. Old Year has at last been Kayoed and Baby New Annum is the
champion! But is Clint sorry? Not a bit, fellows. Instead, he's
mighty glad - because we've got twelve more issues to gab and make
more friends before again warbling "Auld Lang Syne"!
by Clint Randall
National Adjutant, Flying Aces Club
Hey! What's going on here? Well, bless our buttons
if it isn't the whole F. A. gang - once again taking - off to wish
you F.A.C.'s a Happy New Year! And it looks like Pilot Dave Cooke
and Co-pilot Jess Davidson gave 'er the gun too soon, 'cause Clint
missed out entirely, Joe Archibald and Don Keyhoe are just hangin'
on, and Ed Smalle wos left -in the slipstream. But Arch Whitehouse
takes it easy through it all - still reading his war news!
Hell Clubsters! What say you leave your ships out -there on the
F.A.C. tarmac and bounce right into our hangar? All here? Okay!
We're holding a meeting of the biggest and best flying club in the
Yunivoice - the Flying Aces Club! Yes, fellas, the letters that
have been pouring into headquarters every day have certainly made
your ol' N. A. feel right proud. Squadrons are being formed everywhere
- North, South, East and West-and that includes Canada, too. Don't
know whether it's the war in the air, aviation headlines, or what
have you. But, by golly, when Clint checked back on his log book
and saw the increase in the number of Clubsters that three-pointed
down on this tarmac during the last twelve months, the "dog ears"
of the pages almost stood up in sheer astonishment.
Anyway, it's been a great year for the F.A.C. membership drive.
Think of it, you feather sprouters, there are more than one hundred
thousand of you - all over the world! But Clint hain't satisfied
yet. It's the million mark - or bust!
So before we get into the real news, your N. A. wishes to remind
you Flying Aces readers that joining the Club is the easiest thing
in the world to do, and it's never too late - young or old. So c'mon,
all you Cadets, Pilots, Aces, Escadrillions, let's bind together
and strive to increase the membership to the Flying Aces Club on
to its next one hundred thousand!
C.O. Ross Smyth is still on the job up there in Toronto, Can.,
and recently sent us the thirty-third report of his Squadron's activities.
His letter reads:
"Our guest speaker at the first meeting for the Fall season was
Mr. James Davidson, inspector and engineer for the Fleet Aircraft
Company at Fort Erie, Ont, He drove over a hundred miles to address
the members of our unit. At the end of the session the Club presented
Mr. Davidson with a little gift in appreciation for his interest
in our work.
Among those present at the meeting were Bob Grossman, Ronald
Bell, Malcolm Inglis, Milton Patterson, Murray Sommers, Bud Wyatt,
Bill MacLaren, Ben Bramble, Niel Gillespie, Gord Batley and Ross
Smyth. Guest Speakers were Mr. Frank Walker, Business Manager of
"Commercial Aviation," and Miss Helen Harrison, one of the foremost
flying instructresses in the Empire.
"The reason for not reporting this meeting earlier is that Sec.-Treas.
Malcolm Inglis is employed by the DeHavilland plant here in Toronto
and has been on night shifts. Norman Dawber is now serving with
the Royal Canadian Air Force in Trenton, Canada's largest military
aviation center.
"Former member Bob Currey, who moved to Niagara Falls, Ont.,
has obtained his private pilot's license. Ben Bramble, who has not
missed a single meeting since the inauguration of the Squadron in
January, 1938, was presented with a silk scarf as a token of recognition
for his splendid record."
As you other Clubsters probably know, the Toronto Squadron is
one of the most active organizations in Canada. And it might be
a good idea for some of you other C. O.'s to have various aero personalities
visit your club meetings and address the members. The best method
would be to form a committee of three and visit the person in question
and ask him. Your N.A. is quite sure these "regular guys" will go
out of their way to help do it. Since we're all working for the
same "boss" they'd be more than glad to further the cause through
educational talks and tours around the local airport.
Quite a number of letters addressed to the N. A during the past
year seemed to be bent on finding out whether Clint still gets a
kick out of flying. Now that's a fair question and deserves a fair
answer. And just as we were about to go to press, a letter from
Ed Mathiew, of Yonkers, N. Y., arrived, wanting to know about the
whole gang up here and when we manage to do a bit of cloud hopping
to keep fit.
In answer to your question, Ed, you're right about Clint being
a pilot. Your N. A. has a commercial rating and he buzzes around
most of the neighboring New York air fields. Also, Arch Whitehouse
has been flying since the days of the First World War. Don Keyhoe
is a Reserve member of the Marines and at this moment is standing
by for immediate call. Joe Archibald is a Navy man who has had wide
experience. Model Editor Jesse Davidson is an active amateur pilot
and Editor Dave Cooke also manages to get his hand in whenever time
allows. As for Major Freddie Lord - ah, there's a flyer's flyer.
He flies everything from Cubs to winged machine gun nests.
So you see, Ed, Flying Aces has one of the best group of experts
any aero mag can boast. As far as paying a visit to the F. A. office,
I can only tell you this: The boys here are busy all day long with
very little time to devote to "visiting firemen," so to speak. Your
N. A. drops in once a week to pick up mail, say howdy to the gang,
and then dashes right out again. Since trips to the office are so
irregular, it would be difficult for Clint to make a definite appointment.
However, if there's something important on your mind, the boys up
here will be glad to help you out.
Shhh! Genius at work! Here's Henry Struck (Hank,
to you) popular F. A. model designer pondering over some intricate
problem. Probably about that super-super for the i941 Nationals.
A short note from Charlie "Chuck" Barranco, of Chicago, Ill.,
advises the F. A. headquarters of a new unit to be called "Flight
13" because it has been organized with thirteen members. All meetings
will be held at Charlie's home, 1321 Elmdale Avenue. Chicago readers
who live in this vicinity are welcome to join the club. Following
is a list of the original thirteen members: Bob Casey, Santo Abbato,
Tony Hibbs, Bob Peterson, Tom Wright, Edward Houlihuro, Robert Dremmer,
Earl Podowsky, George Hughes, Norman Rose, Bob Miller, John Dickens,
and Charles Barranco.
From Frisco, Texas, Ben Parker writes: "I've tried unsuccessfully
to get boys interested in aviation and model building by organizing
a club and holding contests. So when our school library started
to subscribe to new magazines I spoke to the teacher in charge about
listing an aero magazine among them. She asked me which one would
I suggest and I told her Flying Aces. I believe the new issues of
F. A. will make these fellows sit up and take notice."
Well, Ben, don't fret if your efforts were to no avail in attempting
to get the boys to join the bandwagon. We're sure, though, that
they will if you keep plugging. And thanks for suggesting F. A.
Cecil Dorminey, of 1211 Mortimer Place, Atlanta, Ga., would like
to join the local squadron and would appreciate its secretary informing
him if members are still being accepted.
Clubster Robert Flapnick, of Ambridge, Pa., who is down with
rheumatic fever, writes us of a new movement in his district which
is going a long way in making the folks air minded. The movement,
called "The Flying League of Pennsylvania," is aided by a plan through
the cooperation of local merchants who pass out "Flying League"
stamps. Six hundred of these stamps entitle the holder to one flying
lesson. Bob has saved up 400 to date and hopes to be well enough
soon to get his first lesson.
Well, Bob, the N. A. admits this plan of collecting aviation
stamps is an original one. It would be a swell idea if some national
food concern would offer such a plan. The experience of flying at
least once would then come within reach of thousands. And here's
hoping, Bob, that you get well in short order so's you can take
that hop.
Club member Edmund Wood. Jr. of South Bend. Ind.,
turns out to order such excellent jobs as this built-up S.E.5. The
models are made to a scale of three quarter inch to one foot.
Because of the many letters that piled up during the Xmas rush,
GHQ has been so loaded down with other pressing duties that it's
been impossible for the Brass Hats to get together on the choice
of this month's Distinguished Service Medal winner. Besides, when
the DSM letters were separated from the rest of the pile and opened,
a hasty glance showed that the photos were pretty poor. Tsk, tsk,
tsk.
Now, fellows, you know this contest is the easiest possible way
to win a handsome DSM, and we're really ashamed of the results you
have been turning out. This monthly special award feature was started
in the first place to make decoration winning a little easier for
you Clubsters. If the response doesn't get better, though, we'll
have to ditch the whole idea. And that means you'll be able to earn
the handsome DSM only through the Escadrille or by performing some
outstanding deed in the promotion of aviation. They were the rules
in the first place, you know, but we changed them just to make it
a little easier for you Clubsters to win the small DSM.
Sorry Clint has had to bawl you boys out like this, but it just
had to be done. And there's only one way you can salve his feeling,
too - enter the Distinguished Service Medal Contest right away.
Don't be discouraged if you don't win the first time; just keep
at it, and one of these months you'll be sporting one of the most
outstanding medals in the world.
Here's a note from John J. Jeckell, of Wilkes Barre, Pa. His
communiqué says:
"I read about your Club while I was stationed with the National
Guard encampment in up-state New York recently, and, as you see,
I've decided to join the F. A. Club. I've been building models for
the last twelve years, the first being out of cigar-box wood. I
belong to the NAA and am also a charter member of the Wilkes Barre
Aero Modelers, the most active club in town. Anyway, Clint, I thought
I'd better tell you to reserve a nice D.S.M. for me - for I'm quickly
completing a 'Plecan Paragon.' "
Okay, Johnny. You just send in that snapshot of the "Paragon"
and if it shows up as good as you hope, the judges will all agree,
then we'll call you the "Master."
Personal to Bob Flapnick: Sorry, but there are no complete "Trail
Blazer" sets available. However, we may have some back issue containing
certain plans you wish. Write to the Subscription Dept., c/o this
magazine.
Well, fellows, this winds up our session for this month. Adios,
Amigos Mio.
Posted August 22, 2015
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