First Test Flight of the Pusher!
83 year old WAAAM Volunteer Takes to the Skies!
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Video Parker Pusher First Test Hop
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November 23rd was a cold, cold day and exciting here at the museum and the Hood River Airport. It was a regular museum day, visitors wandering about enjoying the displays , volunteers sharing stories and working on projects. Bill Avolio and Ben Davidson were here. They agreed that it would be a good day to see if the old Curtiss OX 5 engine on the Parker Pusher would start. Not much moisture was in the air so the threat of the carburetor icing up was slim. By time it was pushed out of the M1 hangar, Larry McCollum, Doug Davee, John Krecklow and Brian Brandt had showed up. With enough pushing, pulling, propping and tinkering the Pusher started! It was running just fine. Bill and Ben had decided that a short test flight was in order and to take it off for a low flight down the runway and see how it feels. Bill was to be the pilot today. After just a short run down the blacktop, this thing wanted to fly...and it did! At about 30 mph it jumped into the air then sagged back toward the tarmac then lumbered veering off to the right then our brave 83 year old test pilot landed back safely on the runway. All this in about 30 seconds! But fly it did!
To those who just happened to be here this day it felt like being there for the first flight of the Wright Brothers Flyer!
Exciting, thrilling and a bit nerve wracking!
We will be testing and proceeding with adjustments on the Parker Pusher and will soon be ready for a debut that would make Billy Parker proud! We will keep you posted.
"To the Volunteers who have put in over 3000 hours in this restoration; You made it fly again. You brought history to life! Thank you" Director Judy Newman
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Spreading Our Wings
and Things
 People always ask "how do you moved all this stuff around?" Here is a glimpse into our crazy day of doing just that. Positioning displays in the new 27,000 square foot addition we call M3 (M is for museum, 3 is for the third display hangar) takes our army of volunteers so many hours...What is moving? What has to go first, Who is going to drive, push or pull? Who has the left wing, Who is watching the tail.... where is the sign that belongs to this motorcycle? Grand Opening of the new M3 expansion is the Second Saturday of February! Celebrate WAAAMs accomplishments with us. Our Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will start this Second Saturday of right! Cake and of course the engines around here will be purring as this is the Museums' Day of Action!
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SECOND SATURDAY
December 14th
WAAAM Presents :
Holiday Happenings and Horsepower!
The weather is turning cold and the snow is going to fall but that won't stop our Second Saturday fun at WAAAM. We now have 117,000 square feet of indoor displays that are ever changing. And you know that if the weather holds we will be out of doors around the fire pit watching and experiencing these wonderful old treasures as they roar to life
A great way to spend a Saturday!
Free Hot Cocoa, Cookies and Make a Unique Holiday Ornament
9-5 WAAAM is open
10-2 A Museum in Action - watch and learn.
Stop by and see what we get flying and driving.
10-2 BYOC- Bring Your Own Camera and we will take your
picture with the Grinch (or with out him) in our adorable Model A Roadster - It's decked out for the holidays and we just need you to make it the perfect picture!
10-2 The Grinch is here. He is a good guy after all...
11-2 Make & Take a cute little ornament
11-1 Lunch is served - A good hot meal in a cool museum!
12-2 Cookies, Hot Chocolate & Marshmallows too!
12:30 IT FLEW!!! The Parker Pusher's first test flight.
 Hear our pilots' first hand experience on being a test pilot on this newly restored early aircraft! How exciting!
5 Museum closes - See you again soon!
As each "Second Saturday" comes around we are excited to share our transportation history with you. Come out and see what takes flight and what takes a spin around the yard!
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** Jan 11th **
Second Saturday : Stars and their Cars (and planes)
with Sonny Starr.
Hollywood Producer, Speaker, and columnist, Sonny Starr will be our guest speaker. Sonny is host of the nations #1 Classic Hollywood program, Starr Talk, heard live around the world. ( www.sunstarstudios.com )
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2 New Plymouths
Donated by Charles and Marge Babcock
The beautifully restored
1939 Plymouth Coupe and still original 1956 Plymouth Sport Suburban Stationwagon
Making our current count
of autos on display #142
"I bought the Stationwagon new in 1956 from Hahn Motor Co. of Yakima, WA. I put 100K miles on it and then my kids put another 20K going to college before I retired it... The '39 was a thirty year restoration......"
We love the stories of these operating treasures.
Keep them coming our way.
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End of the year TAX Planning:
Its tax time again and donations to WAAAM are tax deductible!
If you are a Oregon Resident then the The Oregon Cultural Trust is our state's thank you gift for your generous support of WAAAM. Donors who contribute to Oregon cultural nonprofits, including ours, then make a matching donation to the Trust, can receive a 100% state tax credit on the Cultural Trust donation, up to $500 per individual, $1,000 per household and $2,500 per Class-C Corporation. The more donations Oregonians make this year, the more dance and theatre productions, museum exhibitions, preservation projects, in-school writing programs, summer arts and philosophy camps, community concerts and festivals our state will be able to fund next fall.
Thank you for your support.
Please Consider a gift to the Cultural Trust!
Support Your WAAAM Air & Auto Museum
The Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum stays open and keeps our engines running because of people like you!
Thank you. You help make WAAAM wonderful.
From Keeping Things Clean to Keeping Them Running or Doing a Full Restoration, it take a village to make everything at WAAAM happen. THANK YOU for being a part of this Village.
A Current Fundraiser for WAAAM :
"Donate for Dusters" here
***Cash, Stocks, Cars, Planes, Motorcycles, Real Estate***
Donations of items not fitting in the collection may be sold to fund suitable acquisitions or restorations.Memberships & donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.
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The
CALENDAR
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Dec 6th
See the WAAAM spirit in the Hood River Holiday of Lights Parade
Dec 14
Second Saturday Holiday Hot Chocolate ...and HorsepowerDec 25th
Merry Christmas WAAAM is closed today. 2014
Jan 1
Happy New Year WAAAM is Closed Today Jan 11
Second Saturday
Sonny Starr presents :
Stars & their Cars
(& planes)
Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting for M3
March 8th
Second Saturday
Author David Childs shares his story of WWII
Second Saturday will happen all year long. Stay tuned for more info
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Give a Gift
MEMBERSHIP
Solo (individual) $50
Family $100
(2 adult of the same household + their children/grandchildren 18 yrs & under)
Member +1 (guest) $120
(one named member who can bring a guest)
Members +2 (guest) $150
(two named members who can bring 2 guest each )
membership benefits are
non-transferable
MEMBER BENEFITS
~ Unlimited museum visits ~ Gift Shop 10% discounts
~ Monthly Newsletter
~ Members only events ~ ~Tax deductible (check limits with your tax adviser)
MUSEUM HOURS
Open Daily 9 ~ 5
Closed:
Thanksgiving, New Year Day
and Christmas Day
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VISITOR QUOTE
"Just one word - WOW! When you think you saw it all- Turn the corner and OMG! Something Else"
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Really...
Just as I was ready to publish the newsletter, news of three more cars came in.
Two arrived for display today. A 1909 Model T Speedster and a 1937 Terraplane on loan from Steve Maier.
A 1913 Rio will arrive on Friday. This has been donated by the late Thomas Engel
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Supporting WAAAM
Many thanks to Jeff and Francie LaMarche for their continued donations to the museum. Books, Models, posters and now an A-10 flying wing ultralight.
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Oregon Lifestyles
A Video Tour of WAAAM Click the Picture
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Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum
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