MARCH 10TH 

SECOND SATURDAY  

March is Motorcycle Madness

Spring is around the corner. Time to start Riding! The museum's collection of  31 motorcycles will be the focus of this month's Second Saturday special events.

Local collector John Stanley, whose extensive collection is on display at  WAAAM,  will give a talk on  the intricacies of motorcycle design.  The museum's collection includes:  Indian, Harley Davidson,  Douglas, AJS, Velocette and more. 

 Museum open 9-5

Second Saturday special events  10-2

Lunch is served  in Hangar M2  from  11-1:30

Education at the Museum

Horizon Students Lend a Hand to WAAAM

The young people of today have great enthusiasm. Two are sharing their passions with WAAAM.

Daniel Kempf and Scott Halliday.

By combining requirements for a school class and taking on a much needed project at the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum Daniel Kempf and Scott Halliday are moving their lives forward and helping WAAAM at the same time.

Both Daniel and Scott attend the Horizon Christian School in Hood River, OR. As seniors they are taking a Job Shadow Class. This class is designed to introduce students to careers in areas of which they have an interest, passion and dreams. With Scott's career focus on history and Daniels' interest in aeronautics and aviation, WAAAM is a good fit.

"The research Halliday and Kempf are doing is huge for moving WAAAM forward. Each person willing to give time and energy to further the mission of education and of keeping these artifacts alive is priceless. We love the young people involved here, they bring fresh ideas and excitement to old things" says Museum Director Judy Newman.

If your school is interested in having students put what they know to work and who show an interest in community volunteering, let us know, we will be glad to work together to benefit all.

Contact: Donna Davidson 541-308-1600 

Car Corner   

The 1916 Dodge Roadster two door red convertible, a part of the museum's permanent collection, was donated by  Gary and Sally Jenkins of Colorado

1916 Dodge Brothers Roadster with donors Sally and Gary Jenkins

 Upon arrival last year,  the volunteers  tuned her up and she runs like a gem. For being nearly 100 years old, this DB is a real treat to show off!

This vehicle sports its original Oregon license plate. The donor thought it appropriate that its final resting place be a museum in Oregon.

Jenkins says " I searched on-line for a museum of antique vehicles to donate this to and WAAAM seemed the best place.  My wife has historical family roots in the Hood River area and its original owner was her father. I was gifted the vehicle through his estate heirs, and  the Oregon license plate records that it was purchased in Oregon, which makes it a full circle."
 

WAAAM  paraded this beauty in the  December 2011 Holiday Parade in Hood River and displayed it at the NW Aviation conference in Puyallup, WA last month and is on display in Hanger M1.

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT 

 IT'S ALL IN THE PRESENTATION 

Varied and mysterious are the backgrounds of the eclectic individuals who walk through the museum doors and offer their talents.

Perry Richards   developing the Women in Aviation displays.

Perry  Richards could be  described as the 'accidental volunteer'.  Growing up in Burbank, California, surrounded by people employed in the Hollywood studio business, set builders and  graphic designers, Perry majored in graphic arts and worked professionally in commercial printing.

His experiences creating graphic presentations to design firms honed is visual arts and lay-out skills. Perry's personal passion is embedded in the  road via the Model 356 Porsche.  Perry's 1964 Model 356 has shared his life for 45 years. "I courted in it, honeymooned in it."

Accustomed to the camaraderie of fellow 356 travelers, plentiful in Seattle, Perry found the Gorge lacking.  He then formed his own sports car club and brought  his group to the first fly-in opening of WAAAM five years ago. The All Vintage Sports Car Group embraces a range of makes and models. The club attended the first WAAAM Fly-In five years ago.

Perry explains, "The traditional Model 356 club represents 1948-1965 Porsche only. But I could only find 6 of us in Hood River. There are about 50 in Portland and 150 in Seattle for example. Expanding the scope of the club has created a viable group.  We meet twice a month."

While cognizant of the engineering and design similarities shared by his beloved Porsche and airplanes ...'Airplanes are air cooled just like a Porsche and Ferdinand Porsche built the Volkswagen opposed engine, the same principle as aviation opposed engines'... Perry's connections with aviation were connected to his wife's career as stewardess for United Airlines and his mother-in-law's service as a  WASP in  World War II.

His focus on women in aviation was heightened in March 2010 when all 1,120 Women Air Force were given a Congressional  Gold Medal in recognition of their history of service.

He organized some historical materials and created a mock-up display proposal for WAAAM -- an accidental volunteer is born.

Perry's background skills set was immediately seized upon and that first project now heads a growing resume of presentations seen in Hangar M1 and M2, and the connecting passage way space.

His personal interest in highlighting the regional women of aviation history engaged his focus towards polishing the Melba Beard presentation  which accompanies her Bi-plane (see photo), expanding the Northwest Chapter of the 99's presentation, of which Museum Director Judy Newman is a member, and pulling together all of the various pieces of aviatrix history from the museum archives.

Perry takes satisfaction in ..."taking a pile of stuff and making it into something that communicates, is interesting, and tells a story."

All of the museum's display cases are now filled and organized into a professional museum presentation. The uniforms and flying attire collection keeps expanding and Perry expressed the continuing need for wardrobe display props, mannequins, and display cases. Donations of materials in these areas will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you Perry. You help make WAAAM Wonderful!