COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL | JULY 9, 2020 | 11A PHOTOS BY DAMIEN SHERWOOD/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL The 1928 Stearman C3B is being housed in the OAHS museum and is slated to remain on display through July as restoration work on other aircraft continues. Stearman from A10 mail and passenger ser- vice in the 1920s and was also the type of plane Charles Lindbergh flew to survey air routes for Transcontinental and Western Airways. The OAHS’s Stear- man, given identifica- tion number C6487, was completed on October 12, 1928, and sold to National Parks Airways, for which it flew a north- south route between Great Falls, Mont. And Salt Lake City, Utah for several years. “That was Montana’s first airline,” explained Talen. “They carried both passengers and mail. … And if there was a mailbag to go along with a passenger, it got thrown in.” The Stearman C3B model had two open cockpits with the pilot in the rear and two side-by- side passenger seats in the front as it contribut- ed to the humble start of the nation’s commercial passenger airline indus- try. Following the bank- ruptcy of National Park Airways in 1937, the Stearman plane changed The museum is selling commemorative license plates as part of its fundraising. ownership over the years, at one point serv- able to retain its original and tail surfaces. The a back burner to a spot- ing as a crop duster in identification and serial front two-thirds of the light project, a new paint fuselage were welded up scheme carefully repli- California. After an ac- number. Since 1995, Talen has anew, as were the gear cated the craft’s original cident in 1947, however, 1928 look. the craft’s registration worked to restore the and struts. The mailplane will be New wings were slow- was canceled and it lay plane from what was dormant until Talen ac- originally just the “rusty ly built and, as the resto- displayed prominently quired it in 1991 and was bones” of the fuselage ration transitioned from at the museum through W I L D F I R E July. On top of the Stear- man, OAHS’s volunteers have been busy restoring several antique aircraft for the year of commem- orations and travelling museum. By fall, the museum hopes to have on display world-renowned aero- batic pilot John Gilbert “Tex” Rankin’s famed Great Lakes Biplane. Due to the public health threats related to COVID-19, OAHS asks that visitors wear protec- tive face masks and fol- low the suggested proce- dures to remain safe and ensure the health and safety of the museum visitors, staff and volun- teers. S A F E T Y TIPS & COLORING ACTIVITY Fire Prevention with Campfire Safety I n the United States, nearly nine out of 10 wildfires are caused by people not being careful. Help Smokey prevent these types of fires by learning to be careful and helping others do the same. Make sure that the grownups building your next campfire follow all the rules below, and tell them to check out Campfire Safety to learn even more. Make sure you are at a site that allows campfires Make sure there are no burn bans and it’s not too windy Dig a pit away from overhanging branches Circle the pit with rocks Clear a 10-foot area around the pit down to the dirt, removing anything that could catch on fire Stack extra wood upwind and away from fire After lighting, throw the match into the fire Never leave a campfire unattended; an adult should supervise the campfire at all times Keep a bucket of water and shovel nearby Never put anything but wood into the fire Do not pull sticks out of the fire Do not sit on the fire ring or rocks around the campfire. They will heat up quickly and they’ll stay hot for a long time When it’s time to put the fire out, dump lots of water on it, stir it with a This message brought to you by these sponsors: Cottage Grove Police Dept South Lane County Fire and Rescue Lane Electric Grove Medical Equipment Pinocchio’s Pizza Old Mill Farm Store Little Caesars Pizza Starfire Lumber Company Dave’s Pump & Construction Grace Olson Fountain Gutters Fort Rock Construction Cottage Grove Sentinel shovel, then dump more water on it. Make sure it is COLD before leaving the campsite. If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave! And remember, Smokey’s friends never play with matches, lighters, lighter fluid or other flammable liquids. If you find any of these items, tell a grownup where they are. If you see younger children playing with them, tell them to stop, and then tell a grownup. Kids who help prevent wildfires deserve a Smokey Bear Hug.