EAA Sport Aviation - April 2009

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zinc, magnesium, etc. Two different metals in an acid solution make a battery and act much like intergranial corrosion. The result is destruction of the alloy’s strength because it’s now as strong as a screen.

Bertran Copp, EAA 16427

Monmouth, Oregon

Lost Aviation Moments—and How to Prevent Them In the October 2008 issue’s Flight Advisor column (“Hapless to Hero”), readers were shown how allegedly heroic experiences may have been more the result of “fortune favoring the foolish,” as bad beginnings were turned into satisfactory outcomes. Not very long ago, my wife, Joann, and I were beneficiaries of a similar run of good luck in a more mundane situation that was, nevertheless, highly enriching for us.

It has been more than 50 years since I last piloted an aircraft (long enough ago that taildragger experience was the norm, rather than the exception), but that has not diminished my fascination with the field of light aviation. Thus, while visiting a nephew who lives in the vicinity of College Park, Maryland, we made our annual pilgrimage to the College Park Airport Aviation Museum.

We had intended to merely review the exhibits to see if anything new had been added since our previous visit, and to update our photo record of the museum and its surroundings. And, had it not been for Joann’s eagle eye, that is all that we would have experienced on that visit.

As it turned out, just as we were about to depart the facility, Joann spotted a flier announcing “An Evening With Aces,” to be held that evening at the museum. We immediately purchased tickets.

After a hurried meal at the nearby 94th Aero Squadron Restaurant, we returned in time for the evening’s presentation, to listen with fascination to the combat memories of former P-47D pilot Col. David Thwaites, USAF, retired, and former F6F pilot Rear Adm. Edward Feightner, USN, retired.

Remembering the frustration of learning “pylon 8s,” I

was especially impressed with Adm. Feightner’s account of the Navy’s use of the Thach Weave tactic which, according to his description, strongly resembled the pylon 8, except that the maneuver was executed over a fast-moving set of “pylons”; that is, the bomber aircraft they were escorting to target. The admiral said that they never lost an aircraft to enemy fighters while performing this maneuver.

Similarly, Col. Thwaites’ account of high-speed, low-level strafing runs in restricted valleys that could cause one plane to fly into another’s weaponry explosions emphasized the importance of timing and flying skill in another demanding setting.

After their presentation, the two aviators opened up the discussion to questions from the audience, following which audience members were able to talk individually with the aces while having their evening’s programs autographed. Standing beneath a Taylorcraft Cub (J- 2), I had the great experience of meeting and talking with a lively 92-year-old gentleman who had soloed in a Piper J- 3 Cub in 1940. As we swapped J- 3 solo stories in the presence of Adm. Feightner, the admiral shared with us his solo experience, which had been in a Ford TriMotor.

It was an enjoyable evening for those of us who had the good fortune to be there that evening, but not such a great experience, it turned out, for the College Park Aviation Museum. I asked one of their representatives, after the event, about their video recording of the event (hoping that copies might be made available at some time in the future), and he told me that it had been an unfortunate botch-up, as their videographer never arrived at the museum that evening.

What made it especially sad was the fact that Joann and I had with us at least three cameras capable of making an acceptable record of the evening, but had seen no need to do so, believing that the museum would have it covered. And, I am sure that there had been other people in the audience with video cameras. Thus, had anyone asked, some of us could easily have made a record of a unique historical moment that is now lost forever.

Even if the two aces appear together again somewhere, their audience will be different, their recollections will vary from the April 25, 2008, event, and the questions and answers will differ.

So, we had a great experience listening to the two gentlemen, but we also had a learning experience that emphasized the need, ( 1) to make a record of any such event for posterity and, ( 2) to be ready to call upon the audience for backup should our own media coverage be disrupted for any reason. Chances are, someone will have the equipment to provide emergency backup.