WEBVTT 1 00:00:03.319 --> 00:00:05.719 Good morning, good morning, good morning, and welcome, welcome, welcome 2 00:00:05.719 --> 00:00:08.800 in his time now for our community connection right here on K one, the 3 00:00:08.880 --> 00:00:12.320 one you trust. It is eight thirty three in our program. Today is 4 00:00:12.359 --> 00:00:16.199 being brought to you by Arnold Moore and Kneecamp Funeral Home. Also Tall Grass 5 00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:21.000 Motors and got Real Ministries. We've got a big two coming up this weekend, 6 00:00:21.039 --> 00:00:25.120 folks. It's back to Bartlesville Regional Flying In here and I have Kevin 7 00:00:25.160 --> 00:00:28.519 Connor, who's the fly In Committee chair. First of all, welcome, 8 00:00:28.600 --> 00:00:30.519 welcome back to martles Well, how are you doing here, young man. 9 00:00:30.559 --> 00:00:32.920 I'm doing good. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Now you're 10 00:00:32.960 --> 00:00:35.320 a pilot, so you have a little bit of fun with this too, 11 00:00:35.880 --> 00:00:40.079 and this is one of your many passions. And tell us a little bit 12 00:00:40.320 --> 00:00:43.640 a little history and then we can get into what's going to happen this weekend. 13 00:00:43.840 --> 00:00:48.719 All right here in Bartlesville. In the years past, this is the 14 00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:53.719 this was home of the National Biplane Association, was established here years ago by 15 00:00:53.759 --> 00:01:00.640 a fellow named Charlie Harris, and he organized a National Biplane Expo that happened 16 00:01:00.679 --> 00:01:04.560 here in Bartlesville. The last flying happened in two thousand and nine, and 17 00:01:06.359 --> 00:01:11.040 it was the largest biplane gathering in the world that happened right here in Bartlesville. 18 00:01:11.519 --> 00:01:14.200 That happened early in the summer, and then later in the year in 19 00:01:14.239 --> 00:01:19.760 the fall, the Bartlesville was hosted also the Tulsena Regional Flying Those were very 20 00:01:19.959 --> 00:01:23.200 very big venues, big events, and known all around the area and they 21 00:01:23.239 --> 00:01:29.840 were attracted a lot of people and a lot of airplanes, and and I 22 00:01:29.879 --> 00:01:34.439 was able to attend those and see those and so we talked with the organized 23 00:01:34.439 --> 00:01:38.439 a group of folks and the Flying Committee and talked about bringing a flying back 24 00:01:38.480 --> 00:01:42.840 to Bartlesville. And so that's our plan and it's scheduled for this weekend. 25 00:01:42.079 --> 00:01:46.680 This is really pretty cool. What sparked your interest in these older planes. 26 00:01:48.200 --> 00:01:52.719 Well, I've always been interested in aviation since I was a child, and 27 00:01:52.760 --> 00:01:57.319 then pursued flying as a career, which I'm a corporate pilot now, But 28 00:01:57.439 --> 00:02:04.400 I've always been fascinated by early vintage airplanes and uh, and then I had 29 00:02:04.400 --> 00:02:09.000 an opportunity to join the World War Two Airborne Demonstration Team and become a pilot 30 00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:13.280 with them, flying the C forty nine and C forty seven, which are 31 00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:21.599 military DC three airplanes which are used in some parachute World War Two parachute training 32 00:02:21.639 --> 00:02:24.520 operations that happened down in southern Oklahoma. Are we bringing that here? Yeah, 33 00:02:24.560 --> 00:02:30.639 Douglas C forty nine Wildcat. Yes, is actually hangered here in it's 34 00:02:30.639 --> 00:02:35.280 it's permanent home. Now. Our team has two airplanes. One is still 35 00:02:35.280 --> 00:02:38.039 based in Frederick, but we have a group of guys that are organized that 36 00:02:38.039 --> 00:02:42.400 are from the Tulsa area and we come here usually a couple of days a 37 00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:46.599 week and do maintenance on Wildcat and and so the airplane, it's a beautiful 38 00:02:46.599 --> 00:02:52.319 airplane and we want to expose it as much as we can to folks here 39 00:02:52.319 --> 00:02:54.080 in Bartlesfield. And you'll be able to see it fly this weekend. Are 40 00:02:54.080 --> 00:02:59.400 you gonna have folks jumping out? Yeah? Oh my goodness sakes. Yeah. 41 00:02:59.479 --> 00:03:02.879 So the Airborne Demonstration Team they exist or remember, honor and serve World 42 00:03:02.879 --> 00:03:09.000 War Two veterans. And so we conduct parachute school in southern Oklahoma three times 43 00:03:09.000 --> 00:03:13.280 a year, and people come from all over the country and out of the 44 00:03:13.319 --> 00:03:20.240 country. They come and can train and experience original World War Two parachute training 45 00:03:20.360 --> 00:03:25.319 is exactly as they jumped on D Day, and so we have some of 46 00:03:25.360 --> 00:03:29.599 our members that are coming a part of our parachute team that will be here 47 00:03:30.879 --> 00:03:34.360 and we're going to do a honor World War Two veterans and also the Women's 48 00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:38.639 Air Service pilots. We have a nice exhibit for those that folks will be 49 00:03:38.680 --> 00:03:43.000 able to see here at the fly in and the parachute operation will happen on 50 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:46.960 Saturday the twenty third around the noon to one o'clock hour. And we also 51 00:03:47.039 --> 00:03:53.400 have a youth honor team that we've organized, and the Youth honor team they 52 00:03:53.439 --> 00:04:00.560 are going to be present and organized and they will read a short biography about 53 00:04:00.719 --> 00:04:04.800 a World War Two veteran from Bartlesville, Okay and uh. And then once 54 00:04:05.599 --> 00:04:12.039 that uh they read that, then we'll assemble those the youth together and we 55 00:04:12.159 --> 00:04:15.240 have a small cloth American flag that they're going to present two each of our 56 00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:19.480 jumpers on our job team in honor of those veterans. Uh. And then 57 00:04:19.560 --> 00:04:24.639 we will our team will board the airplane, will fire up Wildcat, go 58 00:04:24.800 --> 00:04:28.959 flying, and then do a demonstration jump right there on the field for the 59 00:04:28.959 --> 00:04:31.560 public. Wow, this is gonna be cool. Yeah, this is gonna 60 00:04:31.560 --> 00:04:36.360 be cool. You know, we were talking about how we do have still 61 00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:42.040 a few World War Two veterans around, and day by day were losing them. 62 00:04:42.120 --> 00:04:45.279 But you know, it's it's great to have these folks still around, 63 00:04:45.319 --> 00:04:47.680 still a big part of our history, and they deserve all the honored tribute 64 00:04:47.720 --> 00:04:50.600 that they absolutely. Yeah, they are, and people will be able to, 65 00:04:50.680 --> 00:04:58.800 like you mentioned earlier, to witness living history. I've become acquainted with 66 00:04:59.199 --> 00:05:01.319 a local history in that. You've met Joe Todd. Yeah, he's been 67 00:05:01.360 --> 00:05:04.360 a guest on our show several times. Great guy, he's pretty amazing. 68 00:05:05.040 --> 00:05:09.560 Uh. And I spoke with Joe yesterday. He called me and let me 69 00:05:09.639 --> 00:05:14.040 know that we have a World War Two veteran, James Todd, no relation 70 00:05:14.120 --> 00:05:16.639 to Joe, but James Todd, as ninety seven year old World War Two 71 00:05:16.720 --> 00:05:20.800 veteran, will be at the event. And we also have a Harold Turner. 72 00:05:23.079 --> 00:05:27.519 I believe Harold lives here in Ballsville and he's one hundred and three years 73 00:05:27.560 --> 00:05:30.079 of age and he'll be at the flying as well. So it'll be great 74 00:05:30.079 --> 00:05:33.240 to have those gentlemen. And we're going to honor those, uh, those 75 00:05:33.279 --> 00:05:39.360 World War Two veterans and uh and uh, the goal is is to bring 76 00:05:39.399 --> 00:05:45.959 this younger generation and uh and educate them about World War two history and be 77 00:05:46.040 --> 00:05:50.680 able to actually meet these gentlemen and witness how parachute operations happened in World War 78 00:05:50.720 --> 00:05:54.959 Two. Wow, this is this is going to be exciting. I understand. 79 00:05:54.959 --> 00:05:59.199 We're also going to have a nice little honor for the Girl Scouts and 80 00:05:59.279 --> 00:06:04.680 Trial Life well Trail Life Group, and also the local Girl Scout group. 81 00:06:04.759 --> 00:06:09.360 They're the ones that are going to make up the the youth honor team. 82 00:06:09.480 --> 00:06:13.680 Oh, okay, they are exactly. So We've I've spoken with the leaders 83 00:06:13.680 --> 00:06:16.399 of both of those groups and we'll assemble those and they are going to be 84 00:06:16.439 --> 00:06:20.720 the ones that will honor the veterans uh and do the flag presentation to our 85 00:06:20.800 --> 00:06:26.240 jumpers and UH and then go execute the jump. This just keeps getting better 86 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:30.759 yea. And we also have we also have a group of eight six Texans 87 00:06:30.800 --> 00:06:34.959 that are coming from the Tulsa area and that will be doing some formation flying. 88 00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:40.600 There's also a group of the Advance RFI aircraft that will be on display 89 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:46.519 and also doing some formation demonstration. But the flying is open to the public 90 00:06:46.639 --> 00:06:49.759 driving in to come into the fly in. Also, there will be a 91 00:06:49.759 --> 00:06:54.560 lot of general aviation airplanes that will be flying into the event, so they 92 00:06:54.560 --> 00:06:57.800 wouldn't mention it. Yeah, and so all of these aircraft and all of 93 00:06:57.800 --> 00:07:00.839 these displays are available to the public, and that's why we're doing it. 94 00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:03.399 We want to expose it and make all this available here in Bartlesville. Now, 95 00:07:03.399 --> 00:07:06.639 if I heard right from our friend mister Richardson down at the city, 96 00:07:06.680 --> 00:07:10.480 he said that it's like ten bucks of carloads will come on out, and 97 00:07:10.639 --> 00:07:13.959 come on out and just fill up the parking lot and just have yourself a 98 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:17.000 ball, have yourself a day. It's really going to be not only entertaining, 99 00:07:17.040 --> 00:07:23.439 but highly educational. That's true. We will have the Douglas C forty 100 00:07:23.519 --> 00:07:26.720 nine Wildcat will be on display and open for tours. It'll be open all 101 00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:30.920 day. Anybody can come on board the airplane, and the airplane's configured in 102 00:07:30.959 --> 00:07:36.439 the original parachute configuration with troop seats, so you can see how the jump 103 00:07:36.480 --> 00:07:41.959 operation works and how it's conducted. You can also tour the cockpit and see 104 00:07:41.959 --> 00:07:46.680 what it looks like. And we'll also have a T six Texans on display, 105 00:07:46.519 --> 00:07:53.560 some Steerman biplanes PT nineteen PT Twenty six airplanes that were all used as 106 00:07:53.639 --> 00:07:57.600 trainers in World War Two that will be on display, and the folks will 107 00:07:57.600 --> 00:07:59.759 be able You'll be able to come right up to the airplanes and talk to 108 00:07:59.759 --> 00:08:03.639 the philots and learn about the history of the airplanes. This is going to 109 00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:09.560 be really pretty cool now for the youngsters. Now, these are what your 110 00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:13.439 great great grandfathers flew in. Absolutely, this isn't star trek, that's correct. 111 00:08:13.439 --> 00:08:16.680 This is this is let's go get or done and come back home, 112 00:08:18.160 --> 00:08:24.279 UH style of military aircraft here, and you're gonna see what what they what 113 00:08:24.319 --> 00:08:30.560 they used, and how it was used and how effective it was. Yeah, 114 00:08:30.600 --> 00:08:35.720 and the uh the parachute operations in the US Army Air Corps were basically 115 00:08:35.720 --> 00:08:43.080 invented in UH back in World War two. And so our jumpers will be 116 00:08:43.840 --> 00:08:50.080 wearing and configured with original style uniforms, helmets, the parachutes that they jump 117 00:08:50.200 --> 00:08:54.039 or the old round parachute round canopies, just as they jumped in World War 118 00:08:54.080 --> 00:08:58.480 two. Man. So if you've watched the History Channel or Discovery and watched 119 00:08:58.480 --> 00:09:05.080 all those documentaries and you saw those nice, tightly spun round parachutes popping out 120 00:09:05.080 --> 00:09:07.759 of the planes and black and white, you're going to see them in color 121 00:09:07.879 --> 00:09:11.759 this time. That's right. Get with real people. Well they were real 122 00:09:11.799 --> 00:09:15.679 people hanging on and those two. But you know, folks that you'd be 123 00:09:15.720 --> 00:09:18.519 able to talk to afterwards. This is really going to be a really a 124 00:09:18.559 --> 00:09:20.840 good thing for everyone. Yeah, and we're glad to do it. We 125 00:09:20.120 --> 00:09:26.039 we looked at several locations to to UH hanger our airplane, and by far 126 00:09:26.919 --> 00:09:31.600 Bartlesville was our our choice. And there was an opportunity to bring the airplane 127 00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:35.679 to Bartlesville. And so we want to make it available to everybody. Everybody 128 00:09:35.679 --> 00:09:39.360 know that it's here, uh and be able to see the airplane and what 129 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:43.679 we what the airplane is used for and uh. But we want to honor 130 00:09:43.759 --> 00:09:48.080 our veterans, and the purpose of the UH the Youth Honor Group is we 131 00:09:48.120 --> 00:09:52.120 want to we want to display how in Bartlesville, how are we want to 132 00:09:52.159 --> 00:09:56.120 include our youth, educate our youth, and how to honor these veterans. 133 00:09:56.480 --> 00:10:01.120 I think it's gonna work. I think so we have a lot of good 134 00:10:01.200 --> 00:10:03.639 kids and a lot of good parents around here, and I think this is 135 00:10:03.960 --> 00:10:07.879 something that's been a little overdue and I can't wait to see it myself. 136 00:10:07.879 --> 00:10:11.360 I'm kind of itchy to get out there as well. Yeah. Absolutely, 137 00:10:11.360 --> 00:10:16.919 and we're also going to feature back in World War Two the Women's Air Service 138 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:20.200 pilots, they were referred to as WASP pilots. We're going to have a 139 00:10:20.399 --> 00:10:28.200 very nice WASP display and talk about that will expose history of WASP and their 140 00:10:28.200 --> 00:10:31.919 home base and training base was in Sweetwater, Texas, and they were the 141 00:10:33.279 --> 00:10:37.480 first ever women that trained to fly, were trained to fly military airplanes, 142 00:10:37.519 --> 00:10:43.039 and they ferried airplanes, they towed targets. They flew airplanes to test run 143 00:10:43.120 --> 00:10:46.480 engines and run them in then to be shipped overseas. And there's a lady 144 00:10:46.559 --> 00:10:52.240 named Mary Jones, since has passed a few years ago. Mary was a 145 00:10:52.279 --> 00:10:56.759 WASP pilot in War two and she was one of the original founders of the 146 00:10:56.879 --> 00:11:01.080 National Biplane Association here in Bartlesville. So we'll talk a little bit about history 147 00:11:01.080 --> 00:11:07.799 about Mary Jones and her experience as a WASP pilot. And so there we 148 00:11:07.919 --> 00:11:11.480 have some things on the loans, such as an original uniform that was used 149 00:11:11.480 --> 00:11:16.879 by WASP pilots that will be on display and a lot of history about WASP 150 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:20.200 and what they did. And that's the one of the things we want to 151 00:11:20.200 --> 00:11:24.279 expose our youth on our team. They'll learn about that as well. Worth 152 00:11:24.279 --> 00:11:26.519 your flying. And a lot of people don't know about the Women's Air Service 153 00:11:26.519 --> 00:11:30.759 pilots at flew in World War which is pretty important. But yeah, so 154 00:11:30.799 --> 00:11:37.559 we'll we'll have a nice exhibit displaying WASP history as well. Kevin Connor, 155 00:11:37.600 --> 00:11:41.120 thanks for being our guest today and I can't wait to see out there Saturday, 156 00:11:41.159 --> 00:11:45.240 and we'll have fun out there. Gates open at eight am and the 157 00:11:45.320 --> 00:11:50.679 flying happens all day and the parachute operation happens on Saturday to twenty third around 158 00:11:50.720 --> 00:11:54.080 the noon to one o'clock hour. Sounds great. Thank you.