| | | | The "Ready Room" Newsletter
Volume 16, Issue 7 | | Our Mission is to increase the awareness of aviation through the flight of historic aircraft while supporting the Anna Shaw Children’s Institute. | | Message From the Chairman | | The hot summer months are usually a pause for the Airshow community. No one wants to attend an Airshow in 95-degree weather. Our museum, on the other hand, has been busy with tours, flyovers, parades, and events. In addition to the occasional walk-in patron, our docents have hosted several tour groups. One group was from Marietta Schools with 75 children. Our flight team has completed several flyovers for events this summer. The big event was the 4th of July celebration in Dallas, GA. After walking the Marietta 4th of July parade, we launched 3 T-28’s for the National Anthem in Dallas. Following the flight, we were introduced to an estimated 18,000 people in attendance to promote the museum. What a big day for the mission of our museum. At the end of July, I flew to Oshkosh, WI, to participate in the World’s Largest Aviation Celebration, AirVenture. In addition to flying in the Airshow along with other Warbird enthusiasts, I was able to meet with organizations that can help further our goals. I can confirm that we will be receiving a donation of computers to start setting up our new flight simulation program. Although we are in the early stages of planning, we will have multiple levels of flight introduction and instruction for museum attendees. The goal will be to share the principles of flight and encourage young museum-goers to consider aviation as a possible career. Another project in the works will be the creation of a display charting the history of the North American T-28 Trojan. Ultimately, we want to become the center point for anyone who has had a connection to the T-28 Trojan. The Summer can be a downtime for airshows, but not for our museum. This is just a small snapshot of what we have been doing during summer vacation. While we plan for our busy season this fall with airshows, fly-ins, a golf tournament, and our own open house, I will say our organization is really starting to take flight. To close, I would like to recognize some of the hard-working members of our team working through the dog days of summer to produce something we can all be proud of. Our Docents, led by Gil Espy, have spent hours maintaining and preparing for tours, both scheduled and walk-ins. Scott Sanders, our curator, is working to improve the displays so they tell stories about the history of military and commercial aviation. Barb Letts, our Admin Assistant and Bookkeeper, spends countless hours on the small details required to keep an operation like ours ticking. And finally, Becky McAllister, who produces and sends out all our media, keeping our efforts visible to the membership and the surrounding community. It truly takes a village.
Blue Skies and Tailwinds, Rich Henderson Board Chair | | | | | | MOF Chief Pilot Phil Martin is presenting Rome Airport Manager John Carroll with a Museum of Flight photo, which will be displayed inside the KRMG Terminal Building. | | | | Golf Fundraiser at Champions Retreat | | | | | | Did You Know the Connection? WWII and Milkweed Pods | | | | Soon after the Japanese launched their surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, they focused their attention on capturing the resources of the Dutch East Indies, present-day Indonesia. The Japanese were after the oil, rubber, and kapok found in abundance on the islands of the Dutch East Indies. Rubber and oil are well known for their strategic importance, but kapok played a similar role in 1941. Harvested from the seed pods of the ceiba tree growing on the island of Java, kapok was a buoyant fiber used by almost every nation to fill the life jackets of airmen and sailors. With the supply cut off, the War Department needed a substitute.
Milkweed, growing wild and random throughout the Appalachian Mountains region and into Ohio, Michigan, and Southern Canada, couldn't be harvested by tractors. Ultimately, they reached out to schoolchildren, Boys and Girls Clubs, Scouts, and Community groups. The government came up with the slogan, “Two bags (of milkweed pods) save one life.” They were paid 10-15 cents per bag, depending on whether the pods were wet, newly harvested, or dried. During the war, children collected enough milkweed floss to fill more than 1.2 million life vests. Everyone- young, old, soldiers, or Rosie the Riveters- played a role in winning the war. | | | | | | Military Honors for William "Bill" Watts | | Phil Martin did a T-28 flyover (Military Honors) at Georgia National Cemetery for Veteran, William Henry "Bill" Watts 1941 - 2026. Bill served in Vietnam flying the C-47. After returning, he worked as a Delta pilot for 28 years.
During his time at Delta, Bill furthered the modernization of aviation safety as he helped bring the Heads-Up Display (HUD) to pilots and was instrumental in the design of the first crew rest facility on the B-777.
Bill retired as the Director of Flight Operations in 2002. In retirement, he worked with Delta, NASA, and the FAA to create and patent the Flight Weather Viewer application for Delta's pilots to help avoid hazardous weather. | | | | | | Independence Day
250th Celebration | | | | | | Volunteers banded together to celebrate the 250th Independence Day Celebration Parade in Marietta, GA. Later in the day (right), our T-28s did a flyby over Dallas, Georgia, for the National Anthem. Thanks to our pilots and members for their dedication. | | | | | | | |
| Date | Event | Location | March 7, 2026 | Murder Mystery Dinner | Paulding Airport
| March 27 - 29 | Flyby T-28 | Meridian, MS | April 24 | Flyby T-28 (3) | Augusta, GA | May 30 | T-28s | Calhoun, GA | July 4 | Flyover T-28 (3) | Meridian, MS | July 11 | First Annual Auction & Taste of Local | Paulding Airport | | Sept. 19 | PDK Good Neighbor | PDK Airport, Atlanta | | Oct 5 | MOF Golf Fundraiser | Evans, GA | | Oct 10 | MOF Open House | Paulding Airport | | Oct 17 - 31 | Haunted Hangar | Rome Airport | December (TBD) | Santa Flying - Toys for Tots | Paulding Airport |
| | | | We send out the newsletter once a month plus an occasional update or request.
Mission: Our Mission is to increase the awareness of aviation through the flight of historic aircraft, while supporting the Anna Shaw Children’s Institute.
Past issues of the Ready Room can be found on the website. Watch your email or Facebook for upcoming events.
Just a side note. Be sure to add communications@mofts.org to your email contact list so you receive this newsletter in your e-mail and it doesn't end up in the spam folder. | | The inside aviation, military memorabilia and outdoor displays are open 10-4 (Tues-Sat) at the Paulding County Airport. Paulding Co. Airport 730 Airport Parkway, Dallas, GA 30157 | | Tours of our flying aircraft in Rome (Richard B. Russell Airport) by appointment only. (423) 228-2FLY. Rome Hangar 304 Russell Field Rd NE, Rome, GA 30165 | | | | | | Our mailing address is:
MOFTS
1759 Thrasher Pike
Hixson, TN 37343
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