Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 17, 2016)
Wallowa County Chieftain News wallowa.com August 17, 2016 A9 Photos by Kathleen Ellyn/Chieftain Mark Peterson (rear, in jump suit) had lots of volunteers to help him push is P-51 plane back to the display area after his impressive air show performance at the 2016 Wallowa County Fly-In. FLY-IN Gold Race at the Reno Air Races with a speed of 437.621 miles per hour, under the name Stiletto. Peterson bought and renamed the plane in 2005 and shows it at ly-ins every year. Lessons are available at Jo- seph Airport, and it’s consid- ered one of the cheapest places to learn to ly. Andy Mckee of Eagle Cap Flight School offers full in- struction. Call the airport and leave a message at 541-263- 2665 or email andy@eagle- caplight.com. Continued from Page A1 The problem turned out to be more than the pilots and their new volunteer mechanic could deal with, so eventual- ly Rob just made two trips to Moose Creek, hauling in the gals on the irst trip. The sec- ond plane was repaired by the time they returned from the camping trip. Amy, a former reporter, wrote about that miraculous experience for The Oregonian, and the Chief Joseph Flyers re- ally heard about it from pilots all over the state. The name game This year Amy and Rob re- turned with Rob’s new plane, Gracie. When Rob purchased the plane he took delivery of it in a ield out in remote Mis- souri. Amy recalled how he just stood and looked at it and looked at it. The sun began to go down and it started to get dark. Finally Amy said, “Say good night, Gracie.” And the plane was named. “She’s a driver,” Amy said. “We take her all kinds of plac- es and have adventures.” On the road again Rob got his pilot’s license in Torrance, Calif., before he could drive, and he’s a very good pilot — witness the fancy parking trick. This year alone the couple has taken Gracie to Sanoma, Calif.; Kelowna, British Columbia; Friday Har- bor in the San Juan Islands; and Joseph. They headed back to the Puget Sound area after the event. This, too, is typical pilot stuff. Many pilots came with tents, folding bicycles and even inlatable rafts crammed into the storage area. John Dunlap and Robyn Holdman of Sisters, Ore., un- packed their folding bikes at the Joseph Airport for a trip to the Bronze, Blues and Brews Bill Hall, secretary of the North East Oregon Aviation Foundation, welcomes a smiling Dennis Smith of Enterprise back from his flight with experienced pilot Barney Locke. festival at Joseph City Park. John named his 1973 Cess- na Skywagon 180 Betty Jean after his late mother, who died just a few days before he bought the plane. “She never got to go up in her,” Dunlap said. “But now she goes up with me every time I ly.” Late bloomers Not all pilots are young guys, either. Many folks don’t get their chance to get up in the air until later in life. Marty Ables, wife of Wal- lowa County Flyers Associa- tion President Bill Ables, said she hasn’t been a pilot’s wife for long, and the Ables most- ly take small trips from Port- land to Joseph and back. But she loves sitting right next to the window and the feeling of hanging in space and the sound of the engine. “All these planes have great sounding engines,” she said, gesturing down the runway at the collection of planes. Earning those wings Stories of long journeys to becoming a pilot also were common. Dennis Smith of Enterprise says he stopped short of get- ting his license but went up to Alaska as a ishing guide and has lown bush planes a lot. “I soloed and everything,” he recalled, “but I left for Alas- ka before I got my full time in for a license.” He loves the Joseph Fly-In. “This is a great little event,” he said. “I saw the P51 lying around and I said, ‘Oh, yeah. That’s this weekend.’” Smith went up in the Chief Joseph Flyers Cessna 172 plane, lown by Barney Locke, a retired Northwest Airlines and Sri Lankan Airlines pilot. Smith was all smiles when he came down. Emmet Wold of both Hermiston and Joseph brought his “adopted nephew” Greg, 9, with him for his irst time in the sky and went up with Tim Locke, president of the North East Aviation Foundation and former pilot for Delta, North- west and Skywest. Emmet has been a student pilot for many years and has low a lot, but he hasn’t yet earned his pilot’s license. “Soon,” he said. “Soon.” The vintage DC-3 drew many admirers at the 2016 Wallowa County Fly-In. Biggest gathering yet The air show was a bit limited this year, but the huge crowd was awed by the perfor- mance of pilot Mark Peterson in his North American P-51 Mustang Diamondback. The impressive warplane was a favorite of the crowd on the basis of its history and sleek look. “These planes are much easier to ly than the stories told about them would lead you to believe,” Peterson said. “They were carrying ordinance and a huge amount of fuel when they were war planes, and that ac- counted for their reputation of dificult handling. This plane is easy to ly.” The Diamondback served her country until 1958 and then went on to appear in air races, winning the 1984 Unlimited High school program gaining speed The North East Oregon Aviation Foundation is a new nonproit dedicated to pro- moting aviation in northeast Oregon, particularly among high school students. This year’s Fly-In raised $2,000 for advancing that work and for scholarships. The irst schol- arship was given to Sebastian Hobbs of Lostine, who attend- ed the Treasure Valley Com- munity College aeronautics camp this month. SUMMER Awesome staff and work environment, great company to work for and the boss is super cool. Sound like your kind of place to work? Wallowa Lake, OR 541-432-4940 Dine-In or Take Out Fresh Sourdough Crust Daily New Novelties Open Memorial Day to Labor Day 7 Days A Week The Wallowa County Chieftain is seeking a part-time administrative / advertising assistant. This is a rare opportunity to learn multiple aspects of our business. Successful candidates will need problem-solving and computer skills plus the ability to handle multiple tasks at once. Must be very accurate and detail oriented plus have excellent customer service and communication skills. Driving and criminal background checks will be completed pre-hire. Pay starts at $10 per hour and the hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Send resume and letter of interest to East Oregonian Publishing Co., PO Box 2048, Salem, OR 97308-2048, by fax to 503-371-2935 or e-mail hr@eomediagroup.com. On Select Flooring & Furniture! 800 S River St. Enterprise, OR • 9am-5:30pm Monday - Friday • 9am-12pm Saturdays • 541-426-9228 *At participating stores only. Not all products available at all locations. Photos for illustrative purposes only. Not responsible for typographical errors. Offers cannot be combined with other discounts or promotions and are not valid on prior purchases. Prices valid through August 8th, 2016. See store for details.