EIGHT - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Chase St. home wins Local aviator Barbara Van Arsdale
yard of the month nominated for prestigious Wright
Brothers Master Pilot award
“Flying is my life”
The September Yard of the Month goes to Ruby Crosthwaite
and her son Cole at 215 North Chase Street. Landscaping
with a fun mix of rustic collectibles and colorful annuals lit up
the corner lot of the charming historic home. Heppner’s Yard
of the Month recognition is sponsored by the Heppner Volun-
teers, MCGG-Green Feed and Seed and the city of Heppner.
-Photos by Kay Proctor.
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188 W Willow Street
Heppner, OR
editor@rapidserve.net
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
By April Hilton-Sykes
Local aviator Barbara
Van Arsdale, Lexington,
has been nominated for
the Wright Brothers Mas-
ter Pilot Award, “the most
prestigious award a pilot
can get.” “I couldn’t believe
it,” said Barbara. “It’s just
an honor to be nominated.”
“Flying is my life,” she
said. “I don’t know how to
do anything else.”
VanArsdale was an in-
fant still in diapers when
she first flew with her fa-
ther, Ken McKinney (pic-
tured above). Her father did
heavy construction and the
family moved a lot, but then
settled down in Newhall,
CA, where Barbara grew
up. He had been a pilot for
most of his life and later
managed the John Day air-
port before his retirement.
Barbara obtained her
private license in August
of 1962 and has been flying
ever since. She first soloed
in 1965, got her commercial
license in February of 1969,
her instrument license Jan-
uary 6, 1972, her Certified
Flight Instructor certificate
in March of 1972, her Air-
line Transport Pilot license
in April of 2001 and her
Seaplane license in April
2004. She had logged more
than 18,000 miles by 2005.
After her marriage to
first husband, Bill Murray,
they moved to Kernville,
CA, where they started the
Sierra Air Service. From
1975-1978, they extended
their air service, managing
an airport at Susanville.
“That led to contracting
with the Forest Service for
fire surveillance in the Sier-
ra Mountains,” according to
an article in “The Ruralite”
by the late Merlyn Robin-
son. “That’s when I really
learned how to fly—hop-
ping around over that rug-
ged terrain,” says Barbara.
“In those days it was up to
the pilot to direct the ground
fire crews.”
“She also counted wild
horses for the Bureau of
Land Management and
surveyed big game for the
Fish and Wildlife Depart-
ment,” continued the ar-
ticle. Barbara flew on the
BLM’s air attack platform
as the Aero Commander
500 Shrike from the BLM
air attack base at the Lew-
istown Municipal Airport.
She had flown fires all over
the west, but said she found
the Lewiston air attack
base staff to be one of the
most professional she ever
worked with.
After Barbara and her
Barbara Van Arsdale
first husband divorced, she
moved to Baker, OR to
be closer to family and
“escape the congestion in
California.” At Baker she
mainly did contract work
for the Forest Service. She
met Guy Van Arsdale there
in 1983, when he flew into
the Baker airport. They
connected over their love of
airplanes and flying. At that
time she flew for a commer-
cial and charter service as a
senior pilot with the highest
number of logged hours.
She and Guy were
married in 1984 and then
moved to Lexington, OR,
where they mainly did fire
patrol for Kinzua, the State
Department of Forestry
and some Forest Service
work. She flew an Aero
Commander twin engine
in 2000, “strictly air attack
for the Forest Service on
big fires.”
Barbara also held an
airplane mechanic rating
and was an authorized air-
plane maintenance inspec-
tor. In addition, she had be-
come an advanced ground
instructor and a certified
flight inspector.
A 1945 photo with baby Barbara McKinney Van Arsdale held
by her dad, Ken McKinney. “I have been flying all my life,”
she said.
According to Robin-
son’s article, Barbara flew
all over the Blue Mountains
looking for fires for the
State Forestry Department
and Heppner’s then Kinzua
Mill Corporation. Robinson
said that Barbara also went
“crow hopping” to pick up
parts for the former Van
Arsdale Construction and
Logging business, operated
by her and Guy. At that time
she also did the bookwork
for their business.
Barbara’s sister, Linda
Nave, her sister’s husband,
Denny Nave, and her son
from her previous marriage,
Chris Murray, also have
pilot licenses. According
to the “Ruralite” story, her
son was “only hours old” on
his first flight, when he and
Barbara were flown home
from the hospital after his
birth. Chris soloed when
he was just 16 years old.
Barbara says Chris, now of
Overton, NV, and daughter
Barbara Van Arsdale, along with her sister and brother-in-law
Linda and Denny Nave, Heppner, and JoyceKay Hollomon,
Heppner, recently painted the taxi way at the Lexington Air-
port. Van Arsdale reported that it took 22 gallons of paint to
finish the job. The paint was furnished by Morrow County
Public Works. Van Arsdale has painted the runways for nu-
merous airports over the years. Her late husband, Guy, along
with other local pilots, built the Lexington Airport up to specs
on land donated by the late Pat Cutsforth.
Broker Chris Sykes
Owner/Broker David Sykes
188 W. Willow
P.O. Box 337
Heppner, OR 97836
25 SW Emigrant
Pendleton, OR 97801
chris@sykesrealestate.net
Information deemed correct not guaranteed
541-980-6674
$330,000
JoLynn Vernon of Driggs,
ID, “practically grew up
in an airplane.” So it’s no
surprise that Chris is now
a pilot. Sister Linda Nave
and her husband Denny
are also pilots, operating
Columbia River Air Repair
in Hermiston. Barbara has
five grandchildren and one
great-grandson.
In addition to her many
flights, and a few close calls,
Barbara tells of an interest-
ing anecdote about meeting
and becoming friends with
the actor Harrison Ford,
who is also a pilot.
Barbara officially re-
tired on January 4, 2003,
selling the Van Arsdale Air
Service. She now owns
Sequoia Aviation and is
doing some instruction and
flight reviews. She is still
flying her Cessna 185F and
her Piper Super Cub and
has now accumulated over
18,848 hours of flight time.
www.sykesrealestate.net
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When you are ready to sell your home
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sold
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$24,900
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$70,000
Large level lot. City water at site
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525 LINDEN WAY, HEPPNER
Looking for a place for your business here it is.
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369 N MAIN ST, HEPPNER
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