Airport News
Something is always happening at Flabob Airport. Abandoned and left to the elements for many years, this important piece of American aviation history is not just being restored, but is quickly becoming the Sport Aviation Capital of the Universe (as we know it).FIRECRACKER RETURNS TO FLABOB. The beautiful Schoenfeldt Firecracker replica racing airplane of the late 30's, another of Tom Wathen's projects to replicate famous racers from the Golden Age racing, will return to Flabob later this year after it is showcased at Sun N Fun in Lakeland, Florida.
The project got its start at Flabob and was moved to Colorado for final construction and first flight in 2006. its first public showing was at Oshkosh in 2007 where it was viewed with great interest by thousands of fans and won the Judges Choice award.
The tiny racer was originally flown by a young Tony LeVier in many of the famous air races of 1938/39 where it posted several victories. The Firecracker is now piloted by Major General Pat Halloran, a Wathen Foundation Trustee and former president of EAA Chapter One.
FLABOB EXPRESS COMES HOME.
The arrival culminated a year and a half of work getting the plane airworthy. Sam Pratt, under the supervision of Roger Farnes totally rebuilt one wingtip. One aileron was rebuilt and recoverd primarily by Travis Gammill and Ken Brown. Over the past several months the trio of Pratt, Gammill, and Brown have done those Hundreds of little things that had to be completed to make Flabob Express airworthy after sitting five years at Chino Airport. The final inspection and maintenance items were completed by Joe Garcia, a mechanic with extensive DC-3 experience. Mr. Garcia is now operating his own aircraft maintenance business at Flabob Airport.
Flabob Express is destined to become an integral part of Wathen Aviation High School recruiting efforts and will become a kind of flying classroom for the many education programs at Flabob. When not winging its way to or from aviation events it will be used for classes relating to all aspects of aviation including literature, maintenance, history and science.
The aircraft will eventually be open to the public as a "living history" exhibit, but in the meantime, everyone is invited to walk around and take a look.
A few years ago, the Thomas W. Wathen Foundation brought a proposition to a group of teenagers: if you're willing to give us a commitment to learn, in exchange we will teach you a valuable skill, aircraft restoration. Several of the young men took the challenge and a year later, after many long hours of mentorship from Flabob experts including Foundation Trustee Jon Goldenbaum of Poly Fiber, the young men developed remarkable skills and formed West Side Aviation aircraft restorers. The first total restoration they undertook was a 1946 j-3 Cub owned by the Wathen Foundation. Under the leadership of Ken Brown, brothers Leandro and Hualdo Mendoza, assisted by Armando Enriquez and Romaldo Rios, began a ground-up restoration of the old Cub.
Flash forward a few years. Poly Fiber receives a call from an international blimp operator who needs the fins of a blimp based in England recovered after a mishap. Hualdo Mendoza from West Side Aviation and Tony Markl, one of Poly Fiber's factory certified instructors, travel to the rescue. Tony is a unique aviation guy. Not only is he a restoration expert, he is also a tail wheel flight instructor who honed his skills as a USAF and Pan American Airway pilot. Once in the UK, Markl and Mendoza asks the young man the magic question: are you a pilot? Sadly, the answer is 'no.'
In late 2006 the last details of the Cub restoration were coming together, as another young Flabob mechanic, Justin Taylor, completed the engine installation, assembly, and rigging as his last project before reporting to USAF officer training. As 2006 was ending, the Cub was finally preparing to take to the air.
On Christmas Day, 2006, Trustee Jon Goldenbaum swung the Cub's tail wheel around to line up on the centerline of Flabob's Runway 24 to begin the Cub's renewed life. The Mendoza brothers, Leandro and Hualdo were there to watch. After a short takeoff run, the brightly yellow J-3 lifted into sky for a flawless first flight.As if it wasn't enough to watch the results of their work finally take wing, the Mendoza brothers got another gift that Christmas day. They learned that Tony Markl was on his way from the East Coast to begin teaching the brothers how to fly, free of charge, courtesy of the Wathen Foundation. The Cub they had made beautiful again was now to be their trainer. Is that a Christmas story, or what?
CONGRATULATIONS! Leandro and Hualdo have now flown solo in the Cub and continue training toward their private pilot's certificate.
EAA Chapter One generously donated a check for $10,000 to the Thomas W. Wathen Foundation at Chapter One's annual Open House and Gala banquet on September 22nd. During the presentation, Chapter One president Jerry Cortez stated: "Without the Wathen Foundation, Flabob Airport would not exist, and the original chapter of the EAA started by Ray Stits in 1951, quite possibly would not exist either. The aviation education programs developed and administered by the Wathen Foundation ensure a strong future for both the airport and Chapter one."
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