Those in the aviation industry, regardless of their position have come to realize that the "Golden Age or Era of Airline History", as you prefer, is over. What time frame that encompassed, I am not exactly sure. In the GA field it seems to have ended soon after the end of the "two-wingers" production years. For the airlines it seemed to still be in progress until the "Jet Age" came along. Now after September Eleven a new era in the airline scheme of things is emerging but I have yet to hear a truly descriptive term that would adequately or suitably emblazon this era. One came to mind when the security agent at the gate in Denver recently asked me to remove my shoes and he took it and my briefcase, both non-explosive, to an unknown location for whatever. That suggestion would have been overly descriptive. But that was O.K. But, it surely is different than when people climbed the stairs to board a Connie or DC-7 attired in business clothes, ties and felt hats and the ladies wore pretty dresses. They then stopped at the top of the stairs to wave at their relatives and friends. This was in anticipation of a wonderful meal served aloft, ahh, but that was long ago.

Now we have tank tops, flip-flops and baseball caps, backpacks and carry-ons. Surely this is a clue that a new era has begun. But then this new age should not be taken lightly. This is all serious business. April's The Southern Aviator, has a great editorial about your feeling safe on the airlines now, with the new federal security. To paraphrase it goes something like this:
Do you feel safer knowing the pilots cannot carry nail clippers and pocket knives? Do you feel safer that the little old lady next to you is not hiding a finger nail file and a knitting needle? Or do you feel there is a better more secure way, other than the one now that shuts down an airport because a security scanner was left unplugged or a system that doesn't detect a fuse sticking out of a pair of sneakers?

But back to the name for the new era of commercial air transportation. I would welcome suggestions as my cup is not running over with ideas. Here are a few, for what their worth. Let's run these by; "The Dark Age" (sounds familiar), "The Jet Black Age", "The Security of Flight Era", or "'Let's Roll' Age".

Whatever this period will be referred to in the future, there is no doubt that this period from September Eleven and into the foreseeable future marks the evolution of the air transport industry from "Enjoy your flight" to "If you have time to spare, go by air" travel. But let us never forget that the events of September Eleven marks the most dastardly single historical event in the chronology of any airline era.
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Foundation Board Meets
The Board of Directors of the USAIMF met in regular session February 7th. The meetings are currently being held in the conference room at the very fine facilities of Showalter Flying Service at the Orlando Executive Airport. Four new members were inducted to the Board which brings it to full staffing of twelve members.

The main topics of discussion included; museum location, publicity, hangar storage of present aircraft and financial considerations. The later item is systemic of many charitable organizations at this point in time. The location of a permanent office was put off due partly for financial reasons and it was deemed reasonable to wait to locate it in the community in which the museum will be located. That has not been determined at this point. Several locations are being pursued and one has been offered and is being considered. Foremost in this regard is that the goals of the foundation be safeguarded so that it does not be set back to "square one" by future events.

It was also discussed how the website may be improved and you can expect some real improvements and interesting additions in the very near future. Also, publicity on a nationwide scale can be expected soon.

A proud possession of the Foundation is a recently donated 1929 American Eagle with a 100hp Kinner engine in completely restored and flyable condition. It's a little beauty and if it wasn't for the fact that liability insurance has recently skyrocketed., it would be in the air frequently.

Directors Neal Holland and John Ingle will set up and make recommendations for an airline industry Hall of Fame. It will include an airline pioneers section and will be co-located in the museum.

It was discussed with Board member David McLay, the possibilities of cooperative efforts with the Florida Aviation Historical Society. This is a very worthwhile organization and every Board member will be a member of FAHS.

Committed to the museum is an old, 1931 Texaco fuel truck. See pictures below. It will need a little work but will fit in fine for "the early days" section of the museum. It is also looking good for the acquisition of a Wright "Flyer" replica of about one-half size.
Next Board meeting will be April 25th.
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American Eagle 1931 Ford Texaco Fuel Truck

Flight Attendant Tells All In New Book Release
The book is, Around the World in a Bad Mood! Confessions of a Flight Attendant (Hyperion, $12.95) by Rene Foss. Rene apparently enjoyed writing this whimsical book as she explained, "What else is there to do in downtown Flint on a 54-hour layover but think about your pain?" Here are a few excerpts from an interview she had with USA TODAY's Jayne Clark. First mentioned was that since Sept. 11 things have change on the airlines. She mentions that there is now zero tolerance for misbehavior. What in the past might have gotten a dirty look from a flight attendant could now get you arrested. People are calmer and seem to be aware that if something did happen, such as a passenger getting out of line, they're more likely to get involved to prevent a bad situation. Rene admits that people are still grumpy as far as food is concerned, whereas before they complained that they didn't like what we had, now they complain we don't have anything. But she admits at being on an airliner is fuel for interesting situations and some not so. And some are a hangover from the '60's coffee-tea-or-me, fly-me, sex-sells days. Then there was the one-day-I'm-in- Miami, the-next-day-in -New York image that has stuck. But people are more aware of flight attendants and pilots - in a way you think about what firemen do.

Sounds like a good book and should bring back some thoughts of the past along with the present.
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Airliner Glut a Boon to Freighter Market
The parking of the large quantity of the airliner fleet since the terrorist attacks in September could become a great assist to the air freighter conversion market. Though the freight market has slowed and the demand for air freighters is at the present declined, the future looks better for the industry after the first half of this year.
Not only has the parked fleet increased but by the same token, the asking price of this equipment has shown a steep decline. In a recent Aviation Week article instead of converting 15-20 year old aircraft to freighters they can now look forward to converting 8-10 year old aircraft. Boeing 727's particularly are being retired due to operating costs. Not only are they less efficient but they also require a three man crew unless they undergo another transformation. In the first quarter of this year there were 140 727 freighters in operation compared to 287 last year at the same time. (Hopefully the parking of possibly 147 727's would be an opportunity for the Foundation to be able to acquire one.)
Conversion of retired older types in the wide-body range from the Airbus A300-600s to the 767-2&300s. There is continued interest in the narrow-body transports such as the 737-3&400s, 757-200s and some A320s. (No mention of the DC-10 series, another possible opportunity.)
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Getting Scrappy About Scrapping Older Aircraft

The numerous parked aircraft stashed throughout the desert Southwest are of a more recent vintage and are likely to stay in storage a very long time. It is not as expensive as hangar rent. Put your money in firms that modify or convert these planes to other uses. Companies that derive their livelihood from sales might be in line for food stamps soon, however. What gets the anger stirring in the hearts of anyone interested in the history of the airline industry is to see very good and vintage aircraft being wantonly destroyed. This is especially true about aircraft that are hard to find and long ago out of production.

Take for instance the case where this Foundation was more or less promised four Martin 404s. The Foundation was to receive these if a previously granted recipient reneged on its promise to remove them from the premises.

To make a long story short, a third party showed up with an offer of $10,000 each, was sold these aircraft for scrap. Included, of course, were the eight P&W R-2800s. Now, all four Martins are gone forever and lost to the scrap dealer's guillotine. The need for a repository for these important artifacts is imperative and time should not be wasted.
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News of Other Aviation Museums

More than 630,000 people this past year
visited the Museum of Aviation (www.museumofaviation.org) located at Robins Air Force Base near Macon, Georgia. This large facility is the Air Force's second largest. It boasts having 93 aircraft on display plus hundreds of exhibits. It is a great educational experience for young and old alike and the admission is free.

A Wright B Flyer replica is on display at the
Wright Brothers Airport, south of Dayton in Springbrook, Ohio, and moving to Huffman Prairie Flying Field. It is the type flown by Orville Wright over Huffman Prairie in July 1910 and was considered the first production airplane and was produced in 1910 to 1911.

The Rhinebeck Aerodrome Museum is
building a flying replica of Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis for the 2002 airshow season, the 75th anniversary of his epic flight.

Wings Over Miami, formerly Weeks Air
Museum has reopened after having been devastated by Hurricane Andrew in 1993, reopened and then closed again. The museum features vintage military and commercial aircraft, many operable with the engine sounds, exhaust smoke and actual flight. In one hangar there is a large and various array of aircraft. See www.wingsovermiami.com.

The Army Aviation Museum at Ft. Rucker
Alabama, offers the most extensive collections of helicopters and other fixed wing aircraft depicting the history of Army aviation. It traces its evolution from the Army Air Corps to the present. It contains many one-of-a-kind aircraft, research, and experimental craft both rotary and fixed-wing. It is a very large building with outdoor displayed craft. Worth a visit and the website is: www.armyavnmuseum.org.

Galveston, Texas boasts about its Lone Star
Flight Museum. It is a collection of over 40, mostly WWII aircraft but does contain one of only three remaining B-58 Hustlers from the early 1960s. Most impressive is that most of the aircraft are not only flyable but are frequently flown. This is an award winning collection.

The Parker-O'Malley Air Museum located at the Columbia County Airport in Hudson, New York features memorabilia of the World Wars along with a Stearman, Travel Air, Harvard and a Star Cavalier. An excellent program, setup for high school musicians who play music of an era depicted by these planes, is ongoing.

The National War Museum officially closed its doors late last year, hopefully temporarily. After a move from Geneseo, New York to Elmira-Big Flats in 1998 and building new hangars generated unretired debt of $3.6 million along with poor attendance caused the shutdown. Latest word is that it is opened on a reduced schedule. Some aircraft rides are available and soon to include a flight on a restored PBY. For the latest information, refer to the website at: www.warplane.org.
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Short Hauls

· It's just about time for the 27th annual Sun 'n Fun Fly-in at Lakeland, Florida. The theme this year will be "Red, White and Blue Skies." Executive Director John Burton expects 10,000 aircraft and a half-a-million visitors. Good Luck!

· Students at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
University could be on a fast track to an airline career, thanks to a new agreement signed with Northwest Airlines. The agreement lays out course requirements, sets minimum flight experience levels, and allows students to train in Northwest Airlines simulators under a new internship program.

· These days an estimated 20 million people
attend air shows throughout North America each year. In fact, air shows are the second most attended spectator sport in the U.S. giving way only to baseball.
· Did you know that Douglas unveiled its
proposed DC-7 design 50 years ago? It was expected to cruise at 360 mph with its R-3350 engines, at least 50 mph faster than the DC-6.
· Aviation maintenance employers are looking
to tap a different labor market - women. In 1999 there were 340,402 certified maintenance technicians in the U.S. of those 4,722 were women or 1.38%. Organizations like AWAM, the Association of Women in Aviation Maintenance are trying to increase these numbers emphasizing opportunities in aviation.

· Did you know that the Foundation has a
large cache of assorted airline postcards to be awarded to new and renewing members. These are beautiful cards of vintage airliners. For a $100 donation, 90 cards will be sent to donor.

· Also did you know that the first air traffic
control tower was established in 1935 at the Newark Airport in New Jersey?

· The term "jet stream" was unveiled by the
experts at the University of Chicago in 1947. The term was established due to the jet streams similarity in the upper atmosphere to the Gulf Stream and The Japanese Current.

· One of most cherished collectibles an
Airline Museum could hope to find is the venerable Link Trainer. This Trainer was the first commercially accepted simulator for instrument training. The first one sold went to American Airlines in 1937, 65 years ago.

· A new traveling exhibit showcasing Women
and Flight, about pioneer and contemporary aviators has started its 30 city tour. It was organized by the National Air & Space museum and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service.
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Turning Final
The Foundation is dedicated to the preservation of airline industry history and the education of our schooled children in this history. For it is this history that teaches them what can be done in the future of air transportation.

The airline industry name was necessary as there are so many parts that make up the whole. We must include airports and the FAA as part of airline history much the same as ATC, air bridges, tugs, reservation systems, operations offices etc., etc. This list just touches the surface. It is the intention of the Foundation to see that the whole is remembered to set a sound foundation for the future. The Foundation continues to encourage the "Eagle Eye" Award Program. You may find dusty artifacts hiding in the back of an old hangar or garage. If it has value let us know and we will follow through. Maybe you will be an "Eagle Eye" award winner.

Fund raising at this point in time is difficult for charitable entities like the Foundation. Most available moneys are going to the New York rescue funds and to the politicians trying top raise money before the cut-off date of the campaign finance legislation. Many don't need a tax deduction to lower their taxes because losses in the market can take care of that. The Foundation will soon have a brochure describing donation options with an emphasis on bequests, in other words, remembering the Foundation in your will. Real property can also be left and that will be described also.