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Saturday July 3, 2010 -

Larry Stone, Phyllis Warner, Diane and I took advantage of the beautiful weather forecast to fly the Cub and Champ to Put-In-Bay, South Bass Island, Lake Erie. We have made this trip a couple of times and Saturday the 3^rd was perfect flying conditions for the old airplanes. Sunny and warm but not hot with moderate winds.  

We stopped at Port Clinton for fuel and to stretch out legs before flying the few miles over the great lake to the island. The old Ford Tri-Motor was taking families, friends, and couples for a nostalgic ride around the islands, celebrating the history of island air service on Lake Erie by the Tri-Motors over the years. 

We made the hop out to South Bass Island and landed at historic Erickson Field. We took a taxi into town, had a wonderful brunch buffet and walked the streets, parks, and docks soaking up the sunshine and island ambiance. It was a great day to enjoy and experience the fervor of the holiday spirit on the island. 

That afternoon we fired up the Continentals by swinging the props and we were back up in the air over Port Clinton, headed west toward the mainland. There was the big old Tin Goose making the approach to land again at the airport. The Cub was glowing in the sun just off our port side. The waters around Port Clinton were sparkling under the high summer sun. 

And then I saw it. It was a big bird and in fact it was a huge bird. We were on course to fly very near it as it seemed to hover in the currents over the heated land. I watched to be sure we would keep a good distance from what could be a close encounter.  

As I glued my eyes to it while it soared without a movement it struck me… a white tail and yes a white head! It was a bald eagle! How cool is that! As we slid by within a hundred feet or so I swear it glanced over as if to say “is this great or what?” before it slid off to our left to continue doing what it is eagles do for the day.  

Independence Day, the Ford Tri-Motor, historic South Bass Island with Put-In-Bay and the Perry Memorial, a great trip with good friends flying classic airplanes… and flying along with a bald eagle. The eagle got it right… is this great or what?

[Click on the thumbnail images on the right to view the full size image in a new window or tab.]

Brad Moore, EAA Chapter Two

Tuesday, August 10, 2010 – 

Do FAA Controllers make mistakes??

     Recently while leaving Lee Bottom Flying Field, August of 2010, we contacted Louisville Approach and ask for flight following back to KSMD.
     The controller says squawk 1844, out of repetition I went to put in the squawk code 1844, hmmmm no eight in the transponder. I asked my flying buddy, Kris Miller, was that the right code?
     I called Approach back and asked for him to repeat the code he did 1844 hmmmmm. I then re-contacted approach and ask to verify the squawk code. 
     The controller came back and stated, "Oh I gave you the wrong code. I was looking at the clock and gave you the time." A little chuckle and we got a better code. 

     True Story!

Daniel Leonard, EAA Chapter Two

Friday, November 20, 2009 –

    Larry Stone and I had just finished a very loose formation flight together, he in the Cub and me in the Champ. The Cub was out and warmed up, on the ramp, and begging me to take it for a few laps around the pattern. I love taking the Cub up now and then because it is such an icon of aviation and I trained and soloed in a Cub.  

    I jumped in the back seat, Larry propped it and I taxied solo the short distance to the intersection of Alpha 3 and two-seven at GWB. I checked the radio frequency, the altimeter, the oil pressure, and the mags. All systems were go so I announced the takeoff on the radio and away I went. As I climbed out to a couple hundred feet I was stricken with panic... had I checked the fuel knob? I glanced at the knob and was relieved to find it in the "on" position which is pushed forward toward the instrument panel in a Cub. What a dumb thing to do. Larry didn't know I wanted to take the Cub up until after we both had dismounted our planes. What if he had shut the fuel off? Had I checked it as part of my runup subconsciously? Would I have noticed if the fuel knob was in the "off" position? The short taxi and quick runup may not have exhausted the fuel in the lines had the valve been closed.

    The lesson I learned that day is not to assume anything... ALWAYS complete all of the checklist before taking flight. We hear it and read it over and over as pilots. Use the checklist! You can be sure I always will!

Brad Moore, EAA Chapter Two

Heavenly Dreams (download the .pdf version)

© 2001 by Betsy Walker

The plane lightly grazed the clouds or drifted through them as he navigated the plane across the sky. As he looked down through his window, he saw the earth gradually drop away from him. He was in his own little world now.

"Cory, time for breakfast! Get out of bed or you'll be late for school!"

What? How did his mother get up there in the sky with him? Cory slowly opened his eyes to see that he was still lying in his bed, in his room, in his house, on the ground. He let out a slightly exaggerated sigh.

"Coming, Mom," he groaned as he lowered his feet to the floor. He moped out his door and down the stairs to his kitchen where his mother was standing at the stove, working diligently to achieve a grade A breakfast.

As his mother turned to look at him, she asked, "Did you plan on sleeping in until noon? You know you have that math test today." She stared sternly at Cory while he slumped into one of the old country style chairs and scooted up to the table.

"No, Mom. I was having another dream about flying." His eyes lit up when he mentioned flying. His mother's eyes, on the other hand, narrowed and burned into him.

"There's no room for talk of nonsense in this house. Haven't we had this discussion enough times? I'd think you could recite it by now!"

"Yes, Mom. But-"

"Nonsense! There will be no more pilots in this house as long as I can help it." She turned her back to Cory coldly and returned to breakfast. A moment of awkward and tense silence passed.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I know that you don't want me flying because of dad's accident." His mother's back tightened.

"Yes, that's exactly why I don't want you flying. Your father had the exact same dreams, only his came after I married him." She turned to face Cory, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. "He wanted to fly so much, Cory. He wanted it so bad that he put himself through flight school by working all the extra hours he possibly could. So I was happy when he finally achieved his goal because it meant he'd be home more often."

"He loved flying so much, Cory. He really did. He went to the airport every Saturday and Sunday, if I'd let him. Even once you were born. Then he took you with him. I'll never know how he managed to strap that baby seat into the passenger seat of the plane." She smiled. "So of course you had the same obsession.

"If only he had just flown on nice days. But no. Come rain, snow, sleet, hail If it rained houses, your father would have flown anyway. That's how much he loved flying. I can't understand what he loved about it so much." Cory saw a tear slide down his mother's cheek.

"It's okay, Mom. Don't cry. I'm sorry, I really am," Cory pleaded.

"No," she insisted. "I've told you this story ten thousand times and I'll tell it ten thousand times more if that's what it takes to discourage your dreams of flying.

"Anyway, one Sunday your father skipped church so you and I went alone. After church, we arrived home to an empty house so we drove out to the airport. It was raining really hard and you'd occasionally see lightning and hear thunder. The line-boy inside the building said your father had taken one of the planes out before the weather had gotten too bad.

"We sat in the airport for a little while as the line-boy, I think his name was Jason, tried to radio your father. I thought he'd never get a response." Tears rolled down Cory's mother's cheeks. "Through all the static, we heard a small message. Do you remember what it was?"

"Yeah. He said ïTell my little boy I love him and that I won't be coming home anymore.'"

"That's right. Then after that Silence." Cory's mother sat down at the table beside him. "I'm sorry that I have to tell you that story repeatedly but Cory, I can't lose you to the sky like I lost your father. That's the only reason I don't want you to fly."

"I know, Mom, and I'm really sorry."

"It's okay, it isn't your fault." Cory's mother stood up and wiped her tears away and put on a fa?ade immediately. "Now, how about some breakfast?"

* * *

As Cory grew through his pre-teen and teenage years, he continued having dreams of flying but he never told his mother of them after that. He thought it would be best not to since it hurt her so much.

Cory graduated high school and attended a college nearby so he could still see his mother. In college, he met a girl who shared his dreams of flying but who also understood his mother's point of view. They married and she was pregnant with their first child when Cory, against his mother's will, graduated from flight school.

"I really don't think it's a very good idea for me to go with you, Cory. I don't want any complications with my pregnancy."

"I understand, Eve, it's okay. Are you still going to come to the airport with me to see me off on my very first flight as a licensed pilot?"

Eve smiled. "Of course I am. I wouldn't miss it for the world. Is your mother going to come? I know she sounded like she really didn't want to but is there a chance?"

"I doubt it. This is really hard on her since I have the same ambitions as my father did. She thinks I'm going to make a fatal mistake and suffer the same fate, too."

"I hope your mother's wrong."

"I know she is." Cory put on a confident smile and walked out the door after kissing his wife goodbye.

Later that day, Cory ventured on his very first flight while Eve and his unborn baby remained on the ground. He radioed down occasionally to assure them of his safety and tell them how beautiful it was.

During one of his radio transmissions, an unfamiliar voice invaded the airwaves.

"Cory, no hot-doggin' up there. You hear me?"

Cory sat in silence for a moment before replying. "Mom?"

"Yeah, it's me. I made it after all. I might as well support you since you'll do what you want anyway."

Cory could picture his mother smiling. "Thank you, Mom. This means a lot to me."

"Okay, you just better come back down here in one piece or whatever's left is going to receive a sound lashing from me." She laughed lightly.

"I gotcha, Mom. Thanks for the warning." Cory smiled to himself.

* * *

Over the next few years, Cory spent most of his spare time in the sky with his wife, Eve, or his beautiful son, Matt. It was very rare that Cory flew alone. He even coaxed his mother into a trip or two.

After satisfying his taste for leisure flying, Cory wanted to join the Air Force. When he told his mother and Eve, neither was very happy about his decision.

"I'm thirty years old. I think I'm old enough now to make my own decisions."

"You are and I know that, son. You've done really well with your flying. Unlike your father, you take the weather into consideration. But the Air Force? Do you realize how dangerous that is if you go into a war?"

"Mom, the last war was several years ago. Before I was even born. It's 1941, Mom."

"Yes, and there's a war going on over seas as we speak!"

"But we aren't in it. It's Germany and all those countries over there."

"You don't know when the U.S. could be brought into it though. It could happen any day now."

"It's too close to Christmas, Mom. I doubt anything will happen any time soon. What is it, November 24th today?"

"That's right," Eve said quietly.

"I thought so. I'm going to enlist, you two. There's no stopping me. I want to see the world. I've seen our tiny little town from every angle possible and I'm ready to move on. Dad would wish me luck."

"If he were alive, yes, he probably would," Cory's mother muttered sourly.

"So wish me luck on his behalf, Mom."

Cory's mother rose to her feet and silently left the room. Eve followed her.

* * *

"A few minutes before 8 AM on Sunday, December 7th, Japanese carrier-based airplanes struck Pearl Harbor. In a raid lasting less than two hours, they sank four battleships and damaged four more. I'm sure you're already fully aware of this seeing as how it is currently December 11th. The attack brought the U.S. into the war on December 8th and I've heard that as of this morning, Germany and Italy have declared war on the U.S. Yes, mother, you were right. I should have listened to you. Unfortunately, I'm in one of the troops being sent over to fight in aerial combat. I will write again as soon as I am able. Tell Eve and Matt that I love them."

Cory's mother dropped the letter to the table but remained silent herself. Matt was the first to speak.

"So dad has to fight that Hitler guy?"

"Yes, Matt. He does." Eve put her arm around her son.

* * *

Four long years passed with no word from Cory except the occasional telegram that he was okay. Many events had occurred, also, such as The Battle of Midway, The Casablanca Conference, The Battle of Kursk, The Tehran Conference, The Normandy Invasion, The Liberation of France, and many others.

All through the last four months of 1944 and into 1945, the family heard nothing from Cory. They presumed him to be dead but none of them lost hope.

September 4, 1945, Matt, seven at the time, was sitting on the front porch of his grandmother's home, spending another afternoon hoping his father would be home that day.

"Matt, you can come inside now. It's starting to get dark." Eve kneeled beside him.

"When will he be home, Mom?"

"Soon, I hope. Since the war's over, I don't think they need him anymore so he should be home any day." Despite Eve's doubt, she continued to keep Matt's hope alive that Cory would be home.

"Eve, there's a phone call for you," Cory's mother called from the kitchen.

"I'm on my way." Eve rose to her feet and returned to the kitchen where Cory's mother stood. She had tears glimmering on her cheeks. "Cory?" She nodded and Eve took the receiver and put it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Radcliffe? Mrs. Cory Radcliffe?"

"This is she."

"My name is Mr. Franklin J. Galen, I'm the secretary of the U.S. Air Force. Your husband, Mr. Radcliffe, hasn't been accounted for. We're very sorry, Mrs. Radcliffe." Eve's heart sank.

"Thank you for letting us know, Mr. Galen. It's very much appreciated." Eve hung up the receiver and looked at Cory's mother. "They haven't been able to find Cory."

Cory's mother sat in a chair, as did Eve. Suddenly, Matt burst into the room.

"Why do you look so sad?"

"Honey, daddy's not coming home."

"What are you talking about? He's walking up the street right now!" Matt ran back to the porch with his mother and grandmother hot on his heels. Sure enough, Cory was walking down the street. He quickly broke into a run as his family ran toward him.

They met half way in a big hug.

"I don't understand," said Eve. "The secretary of the Air Force just called and said you hadn't been accounted for."

"At one of the final raids, there were quite a few casualties and they gave up counting."

"So what was it like, dad? Flying up there in the really big planes?"

Cory smiled and hugged his family closer. "Let's just say it was the closest to God and Heaven that I've ever been. Oh, and Mom, Dad says, ‘Hi!’”

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