RICHARD D. ROTH ELECTED TRUSTEE.
At their August meeting, the Trustees of the Wathen Foundation elected as a new Trustee Maj. G
en. Richard D. Roth (United States Air Force Reserve, Retired). General Roth succeeds Maj. Gen. Patrick Halloran (USAF Ret.) who became a Trustee Emeritus earlier this year. General Roth was commissioned in 1972 and retired in 2007. At the time of his retirement, he was the mobilization assistant to the Judge Advocate General of the Air Force, responsible for over 900 reserve and guard Judge Advocates. He is the senior partner of Roth Carney Knudsen LLP in Riverside, and is active in numerous Riverside organizations. Roth, together with Trustee A. M. "Marty" Butler, will help to integrate the work of the Wathen Foundation, at Flabob Airport, into the fabric of life in the Inland Empire.
THANKS FOR THE KIND WORDS, TOM
EAA President Tom Poberezny visited Flabob for the annual Chapter One Open House at the end of September, and said some nice things about us in the November Sport Aviation and Sport Flying.
[After visiting Corona,] "On to Flabob Airport, which has been around for more than 60 years. [83 years, Tom.] The airport was almost lost to developers, but fortunately, EAAer Tom Wathen purchased it, and has since expanded the facilities and developed an aviation charter high school. I have been asked why Chapter 1 is in Riverside, California, not Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where EAA was founded. It is because EAA member and Riverside resident Ray Stits conceived of the chapter program, which has become one of the most important aspects of EAA with almost 1,000 chapters worldwide. Chapter 1 is one of our most active EAA chapters, having flown more than 12,000 Young Eagles. Its members are active builders, restorers and designers. Flabob Airport is a revered location because of the unique businesses and hangars that tell a story that's part of aviation's lore."
THE AIR EXPLORERS -- DESERT EAGLES POST
We have our own Explorer Post, the Desert Eagles. Those of you who have been around for a while will remember Explorer Scouts. Exploring has now ended formal ties with Scouting, and continues its good work under the auspices of Learning for Life. This organization offers seven programs of career development and character development for age groups ranging from kindergarten through 12th grade. The senior program, Exploring, is for young people 14 (who have completed eighth grade) to 20. Within the Exploring Program, Aviation Exploring is a career development program centered on aviation careers.
Our Desert Eagles Post offers stimulating classroom preparation, valuable "hands-on" building experience, vocational and community service internships, and new warm and supportive friendships. Our Explorers will develop key leadership skills, explore aviation-related vocations, and acquire a "balanced person" approach to life-long learning, a strong mind in a strong body.
The Desert Eagles Post meets most Tuesday afternoons at 3:30 at Flabob Airport, in a safe environment with guidance from experienced adult mentors.
Call Dr. Art Peterson at 951 683-2309 or email him at Art@flabob.org.
Few things are as satisfying as learning that your efforts have inspired someone else to do
good work. We were therefore very pleased to receive an email from Steven Sorge of Wisconsin updating the good work of the 88Charlies. We met Steven at a meeting of Aeroscholars mentors which we hosted at Flabob. We saw him again at Oshkosh Airventure and at the Antique Airplane Association Fly-In at Blakesburg. He flies a unique and beautiful Stearman Speedmail. Steven had been thinking about how he could do more to use aviation for the benefit of young people, and his visit to Flabob helped him to take a big step. He wrote to Tom Wathen: "I wanted to drop you a line to tell you that you've influenced me a quite bit here recently, in that I have started up a not for profit corp to promote aviation thru the restorations of older aircraft, with students and their parents." Steven and some friends founded the 88CHARLIES Restore A Plane Foundation at Palmyra (Wisconsin) Airport, identifier 88C, hence the "88Charlies." The 88Charlies teach kids to restore airplanes, and are now working on a Porterfield 75C which has not flown since 1945. Recently, Steve brought us up to date: "I am happy to report now, that after just 20 months, we have 24 registered students, 10 adult mentors, a year round heated (important in Wisc) and air-conditioned classroom, 3 aircraft projects, 2 flyable aircraft (in process of being licensed) and another project on the way." Just like Flabob, the kids earn credit toward flying lessons. Here is a link to the 88Charlies website. 88Charlies, you go! Thank you, Steven. And if anyone else would like some tips, advice or help in starting up your own aviation education efforts, please let us know.
FLABOB'S OWN MENDOZA BROTHERS
Hualdo and Nando Mendoza are numbered among the best covering and painting hands in the nation, at an age much younger than most of the old-timers who can do this kind of work. To learn how they grew from a troubled background to their present status as solid Flabobians, read this story in the Riverside Press-Enterprise.