The Nebraska chapter is holding their annual fly-in at Seward, Nebraska this coming weekend, August 25 through August 27. Come to the fly-in and then fly on to Blakesburg!

The Texas Chapter is holding the 55th Annual Fly-In in Gainesville, Texas on October 13 and 14th. Fly-In or Drive-In for a weekend of celebration with static displays, vendors, fuel discounts, door prizes, food and music! Gainesville is located in northern Texas on I-35, six miles south of the Oklahoma border.

Texas Fly-In detailed flyer.

Outstanding was the group of volunteers that showed up Sat (Aug 19th), as well as the work accomplished, to help prepare Antique Airfield for the upcoming AAA/APM Invitational Fly-in (Aug 30th - Sep 4th).

Here’s a list of what was worked on/accomplished:

• The cleaning and re-arrangement of the Bunkhouse.
• Cleaning and organizing (with more to do) of the APM Fly-Market
• Electrical work & upgrades in both the APM Restoration Center & the Ground Loop Inn (for the Coffee House)
• More work on the displays for the 6th Air Force room in Powell Hall.
• Cleaning and stocking the APM Gift Shop.
• Work on the North shower house.
• Cleaning & painting the floor in the 24th Fighter Sqd. Mess Hall.
• Painting the cowling for the APM’s pre-war Aeronca Chief.
• Further upgrades to the wi-fi & Internet service.
• Plus various other projects.

Thanks to the following for coming from MN, MO & IA to help: Mark Lancaster, Luke Pieper, Jeff Claypool, Dan Quinn, Doris Gretz, Holly Vanorny, Jessica Fuller, Mark Flounders, Harve Applegate, Aaron Klugherz, Rick Gritters, Les Gaskill, Mark Robotti, Bill Sheperd, Marcy, Ben, Brent & Robert Taylor, plus a special appearance by Ken Marth!

This Saturday, August 26th and 27th will of course be the annual mowing party, so plan on bringing your tractors, riders, mowers, weed eaters and other implements of destruction to help have Antique Airfield looking it’s best for the Fly-in. If you can come help for a few hours or all day please let us know!

Bill, Mark L, Mark R and Luke working on sorting, and storing electrical supplies for future use.

Les (aka “Sparky”) working on an electrical upgrade for the Dave Warren Coffee House.

Lunch!

Marcy, Jessica & Doris work on getting the APM Gift Shop ready.

Holly & Aaron painting the floor in the 24th Fighter Sqd. Mess Hall.

Dan & Ben working on cleaning/organizing the APM Fly-Market.

Rick trying to hide.

Mark L spent the afternoon getting the new cowling (built by Rick Gritters) painted and ready to re-install. Here’s the lower cowl...

And here’s the nose bowl.

Another GREAT group of volunteers showed up throughout last week to help prepare Antique Airfield for the upcoming AAA/APM Invitational Fly-in (Aug 30th - Sep 4th).

Much was accomplished and the list includes:

• New insulation and door seals installed on the APM Restoration Center hangar door.
• The cleaning and arrangement of the APM Restoration Center.
• Moving & installation of the shop equipment & tools in the APM Restoration Center.
• Finish repainting of the “Keep the antiques flying” sign.
• Completing the 6th AF room in Powell Hall.
• Cleaning and organizing the APM Gift Shop.
• Cleaning the main museum annex.
• Work on both the N and S shower houses.
• Cleaning & organizing the Mike Gretz Library of Flight.
• Moving, arranging and evaluation of the Adkisson Hangar project.
• Plus various other projects

Thanks to the following for coming from MI, MN, MO, IL & IA to help: Tim Verhoeven, Eric Fritz, Ken Marth, Mark Lancaster, Luke Pieper, Kim & Samantha Claypool, Dan & LuAnn Quinn, Holly Vanorny, Bill & Ryan Weyers, Mark Flounders, Harve Applegate, Steve Adkisson, Gary Van Farowe, Bob Tejchma, Steve Black & grandson Fletcher Marcy, Ben, Brent, Robert & Barry Taylor, plus a special appearance by Les Gaskill!

We'll be holding another work day next Sat, Aug 19th. If you can come help for a few hours or all day please let us know!

Earlier in the week, Steve Adkisson, Gary Van Farowe, Bob Tejchma & Ben Taylor tackled putting new insulation & door seals on the APM Restoration Center hangar door. This necessitated removing all the door skins, cutting, fitting & installing the insulation, followed by re-installing the door skins.

It took one day to do the top half of the door.....

....And another day to do the bottom half.

The APM’s Great Lakes & Corben Baby Ace parked in the early morning sun on Saturday, as work was getting under way in the Restoration Center.

First order of business, install the new air compressor.

Then to Hangar 1 to move the APM’s, shear, brakes, roller & lathe. Here Dan and Luke make ready to move the lathe.

Deciding where to place everything in the Restoration Center shop.

Another load of tools & equipment heads to the Restoration Center. Besides the APM's equipment, Aaron Klugherz, Brent & Ben Taylor have put much of their personal equipment and tools on loan to the Restoration Center.

The Adkisson Hangar was sorted, moved and stacked to evaluate, in preparation for the future re-assembly of that structure.

Kim & Sam Claypool (along with a friend of Sam’s) completed the re-painting of the "Keep the antiques flying" sign. It looks great!

Sweeping, followed by a power washing, and the Restoration Center is ready to be transformed into the “Runway Cinema” during the upcoming AAA/APM Invitational Fly-in.

The Restoration Center hangar door with new insulation and new seals all completed.

There is a bit more equipment to move in, and we need to do some more arranging, but the shop portion of the Restoration Center is beginning to look like....well, a shop!

Here are the latest pre-registered aircraft for the 2017 AAA/APM Fly-in, Back to Blakesburg and Back to Basics. You can register online or use the paper form.

	Bill Bradford's 1947 Clipwing Luscombe 8A from Missouri (Dave Miller photo)		Chris Overson's 1947 Bucker BU-131 from California (Photo courtesy of Chris Overson)
	John Hickman's 1947 Bucker BU-131 from California (Photo courtesy of Chris Overson)		Dave Stillinger's 1953 Bucker BU-131 from California (Photo courtesy of Chris Overson)
	John Banes' 1997 Stits Flutterbug from Iowa (Alan Achor photo)		Jim Rezich's 1940 Culver Cadet from Illinois (G.R. Dennis Price photo)
	Ben Redman, 1936 Stinson SR-8C from Minnesota		John Cournoyer's (flown by Scott Johansson) 1937 Waco YKS-7 from Missouri (G.R. Dennis Price photo)
	Roald Lutz’s 1952 Cessna 195 from New Mexico (G.R. Dennis Price photo)		James Schrag's 1946 Piper J-3 Cub from Oklahoma (G.R. Dennis Price photo)
	Ron Wagner's 1943 Howard DGA-15P from Minnesota (Dave Miller photo)		Rick Gritters' 1947 Stinson 108-2 from Iowa (G.R. Dennis Price photo)

A “GREAT” group of volunteers showed up on Sat Aug 5th to help prepare Antique Airfield for the upcoming AAA/APM Invitational Fly-in (Aug 30th - Sep 4th).

Many projects were worked on including; repairs to the N showerhouse, more expansion of the field wi-fi system, trimming all the fence lines, painting the "Keep the antiques flying" sign, running electrical service to the new 6th AF room in Powell Hall, getting the cowling ready to paint on the APM's pre-war Aeronca Chief, and assembling the APM's Great Lakes in order to get it ready to display, among other projects.

Thanks to the following for coming from as far away as Minnesota & Northern Iowa to help: Tim & LuVerne Verhoeven, Eric Fritz, Ken Marth, Mark Lancaster, Luke Pieper, Jeff, Kim & Samantha Claypool, Rick Gritters, Aaron Klugherz, George Winheim, Scott Burbank, Dan Quinn, Holly Vanorny, Jessica Fuller, Marcy, Ben, Brent & Robert Taylor, plus a special appearance by Nick Hildreth!

We'll be holding another work day next Sat, Aug 12th. If you can come help for a few hours or all day please let us know!

Getting the scaffolding (courtesy of Danny Glenn) moved into positions so..

....Kim & Sam Claypool can continue making progress on the "Keep the antiques flying" sign.

Eric Fritz & Ken Marth trimmed all the fence lines on the field

Aaron Klugherz working on the wi-fi expansion project.

Jeff Claypool & Mark Lancaster remove the new cowling (built by Rick Gritters) from the APM's pre-war Aeronca Chief, in preparation to painting same.

Rick Gritters working in the new 6th AF room in Powell Hall.

Lunch time!

Rick Gritter’s Stinson 108 from Pella, IA and Scott Burbank’s Piper Pacer from Ft Dodge, IA

George Winheim’s Miller C from Keosaqua, IA

Jeff Claypool, George Winheim, Ben Taylor, Dan Quinn & Scott Burbam begin assembling the APM's Great Lakes. This former Rod Jocelyn, Frank Price, Mel Baron airplane has quite the history!

Installing the last wing.

Time to install the tail surfaces.

The airplane still needs cleaned, the windshield repaired and some other misc. work done, but it is almost ready for display.

Here are the latest pre-registered aircraft for the 2017 AAA/APM Fly-in, Back to Blakesburg and Back to Basics. You can register online or use the paper form.

	Jim Savage's 1939 Spartan 7W from PA (G.R. Dennis Price photo)		Steve Mason's 1946 Aeronca 11AC from Missouri (Gary Payne photo)
	Bill Mecozzi's 1950 Piper PA-20 from Wisconsin		Mark Weinreich's 1988 Kelly D from Wisconsin (Photo by P. Banitt)
	Mark McClure's 1943 Piper J-3 from Wisconsin (G.R. Dennis Price photo)

One of our Youngest AAA members and APM volunteers solos a Cub on his 16th Birthday. Click for the article.

Here is the latest pre-registered aircraft for the 2017 AAA/APM Fly-in, Back to Blakesburg and Back to Basics. You can register online or use the paper form.

	Gerry Flaugher's 1941 Waco UPF-7 from Illinois		Stefan Honegger's & Andre' Schneeberger's 1943 Beech D17S from Bern Switzerland (Dave Miller photo)
	Nick Hildreth's 1948 Piper PA-11 from Iowa		Michael Tindall's 1953 Cessna 170B from Iowa (G.R. Dennis Price photo)
	Jim Schreier's 1955 Cessna 170B from Iowa (photo courtesy of Jim Schreier)		Jerry Morelock's 1973 Great Lakes 2T-1A from Nebraska (G.R. Dennis Price photo)
	Michael Vaughn's 1940 Howard DGA-15P from Illinois (Gilles Auliard photo)		Ric Woldow's 1952 North American AT-6G from Illinois (G.R. Dennis Price photo)
	Don Jonas' 1954 Cessna 170B from Missouri (G.R. Dennis Price photo)		Clarence Fulford's 1957 Bellance 14-19-2 from Texas (G.R. Dennis Price photo)
	Steve Curcio's 1957 Piper PA-22 from WI (G.R. Dennis Price photo)

Dear AAA Member,

The 2017 AAA/APM National Fly-in is just around the corner (Aug 30th - Sept 4th) and it is time to get Antique Airfield ready for another great year. It’s been a hot and dry summer so far but we’ve put in an order for cool, dry weather with light winds for this years event.

We hope you’ll be able to join us for the Fly-in and encourage you to pre-register, as it greatly helps with our planning for the event. Online registration is available on our website.

Pre-registrations are coming in, and at present include aircraft from 25 states. Included, a 1929 Laird, 1931 Stinson Jr.S, two Stearman model 4s, a 1932 Waco UEC, 1932 Waco IBA, a Monocoupe, Howard, PT-22 and a group of 8-10 Buckers among the 60+ aircraft already pre-registered.

We are planning a series of work weekends to prepare Antique Airfield for the event and this letter is a request for your assistance. As you probably have heard or read, we have been at work already this summer accomplishing several projects and upcoming amongst those is another major step in completing the APM Restoration center. That step includes new insulation and seals for the hangar door, installation of the new air compressor and routing of associated pneumatic lines/fittings, plus moving & installation of much of the shop equipment & tools. However, there are lots of smaller projects needing attention, plus the usual cleaning, painting, mowing, electrical, plumbing and other preparations to accomplish in order to have Antique Airfield ready.

The dates for the work weekends will be August 5th & 6th, 12th & 13th, 19th & 20th, 26th & 27th. The work weekend on Aug 26th & 27th will of course be the annual mowing party, so plan on bringing your tractors, riders, mowers, weed eaters and other implements of destruction to help have Antique Airfield looking it’s best for the Fly-in.

So if you can, please plan on coming to Antique Airfield and bring a friend along as it is always good to have some "new blood" to share the fun as well as the work with. If you can’t make the work weekends, we hope you’ll give consideration to volunteering your time during the AAA/APM Fly-in.

To help plan the food and refreshments please RSVP at (641) 938-2773 or AntiqueAirfield@sirisonline.com on which weekends you can come and help.

As usual we will hit it hard during the day but after supper we will spend some time flying and also playing with models, kites etc. (bring em’ if you have em’) or just relaxing.

Looking forward to seeing all of you.

Brent Taylor
Fly-in Chairman
AAA President

Steve Adkisson
APM President