Attn: Old Time Airline Pilots

[Jay Honeck]

As many of you know, I am working on developing a comprehensive history of
the Iowa City Airport. You can see our initial efforts at
http://alexisparkinn.com/the_iowa_city_airport.htm . We are attempting to
get the old Boeing/United hangar -- one of just seven original air mail
hangars left in the country -- put on the National Register of Historic
Places.

To this end, we need to compile a history of this grand old structure. One
huge gap in our knowledge-base is any first-person accounts from folks who
actually flew into Iowa City back when this hangar was used by the airlines.
It was primarily used as a passenger terminal from 1930 through World War
II, but was phased out in the late '40s as aircraft became too large to
"taxi through".

This means that pilots who flew for United Airlines in that era would have
to be at LEAST 80 years old now, and passengers (who would remember) could
be as young as their late 60s.

Anyone know anyone who might fit the bill? Anyone have any suggestions on
where else to search for someone like this?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[G.R. Patterson III]

Jay Honeck wrote:
>
> Anyone have any suggestions on
> where else to search for someone like this?

I would try asking Barry Schiff this question.

George Patterson
A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something that can
be learned no other way.

[Jay Honeck]

> I would try asking Barry Schiff this question.

How?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[G.R. Patterson III]

Jay Honeck wrote:
>
> > I would try asking Barry Schiff this question.
>
> How?

Well, when I first suggested that, I thought I remembered him writing for AOPA
Pilot, and I figured he'd have an email address (as many of their authors do).
I just went through about five different issues, though, and don't see a credit
for him. Sorry 'bout that.

George Patterson
A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something that can
be learned no other way.

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
news:dnRub.250967$Fm2.261184@attbi_s04...
>
> How?
>

[Aviv Hod]

Jay,
Have you tried asking Don Nelson from Greencastle? He never flew for the
airlines, but he did fly forever in and around Iowa. Surely he would have
some stories to add. Give him a call.

-Aviv

"Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
news:IFLub.247343$Tr4.755836@attbi_s03...
> As many of you know, I am working on developing a comprehensive history of
> the Iowa City Airport. You can see our initial efforts at
> http://alexisparkinn.com/the_iowa_city_airport.htm . We are attempting
to
> get the old Boeing/United hangar -- one of just seven original air mail
> hangars left in the country -- put on the National Register of Historic
> Places.
>
> To this end, we need to compile a history of this grand old structure. One
> huge gap in our knowledge-base is any first-person accounts from folks who
> actually flew into Iowa City back when this hangar was used by the
airlines.
> It was primarily used as a passenger terminal from 1930 through World War
> II, but was phased out in the late '40s as aircraft became too large to
> "taxi through".
>
> This means that pilots who flew for United Airlines in that era would have
> to be at LEAST 80 years old now, and passengers (who would remember) could
> be as young as their late 60s.
>
> Anyone know anyone who might fit the bill? Anyone have any suggestions
on
> where else to search for someone like this?
> --
> Jay Honeck
> Iowa City, IA
> Pathfinder N56993
> www.AlexisParkInn.com
> "Your Aviation Destination"
>
>

[Big John]

Jay

Check around the Des Moines Airport. If I understand the structure you
are talking about they had one at DM, on E side of airport, in the
30's when I few there.Was there in the 50's as I recall when I flew a
T-bird in with an Iowa student to RON and parked on the NG ramp.on
north side.

Might be some around DM that also flew through Iowa City or at least
know something about those hangers/passenger facilities, etc.

I can remember a DC-2/DC-3 taxiing into one, shut down, and doors
closed. Passengers got off and new ones got on. Doors opened, engines
cranked, and bird taxied out and took off, all in a snow storm.

Big John


On Wed, 19 Nov 2003 18:33:53 -0500, "Aviv Hod"
om> wrote:

>Jay,
> Have you tried asking Don Nelson from Greencastle? He never flew for the
>airlines, but he did fly forever in and around Iowa. Surely he would have
>some stories to add. Give him a call.
>
>-Aviv
>
>"Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
>news:IFLub.247343$Tr4.755836@attbi_s03...
>> As many of you know, I am working on developing a comprehensive history of
>> the Iowa City Airport. You can see our initial efforts at
>> http://alexisparkinn.com/the_iowa_city_airport.htm . We are attempting
>to
>> get the old Boeing/United hangar -- one of just seven original air mail
>> hangars left in the country -- put on the National Register of Historic
>> Places.
>>
>> To this end, we need to compile a history of this grand old structure. One
>> huge gap in our knowledge-base is any first-person accounts from folks who
>> actually flew into Iowa City back when this hangar was used by the
>airlines.
>> It was primarily used as a passenger terminal from 1930 through World War
>> II, but was phased out in the late '40s as aircraft became too large to
>> "taxi through".
>>
>> This means that pilots who flew for United Airlines in that era would have
>> to be at LEAST 80 years old now, and passengers (who would remember) could
>> be as young as their late 60s.
>>
>> Anyone know anyone who might fit the bill? Anyone have any suggestions
>on
>> where else to search for someone like this?
>> --
>> Jay Honeck
>> Iowa City, IA
>> Pathfinder N56993
>> www.AlexisParkInn.com
>> "Your Aviation Destination"
>>
>>
>

[Jay Honeck]

> I can remember a DC-2/DC-3 taxiing into one, shut down, and doors
> closed. Passengers got off and new ones got on. Doors opened, engines
> cranked, and bird taxied out and took off, all in a snow storm.

Thanks, Big John. You're the first person I've communicated with that
actually saw one of those hangars in use that way.

The doors on ours have been changed at some point. Both ends of the hangar
used to have the doors that slid open on big, long suspended tracks, so that
you could have the full-span of the building available for wing clearance.
This arrangement would result in all of your hangar doors actually hanging
outside (and beside) the hangar, on a big metal scaffold-type framework that
extended some 75 feet alongside the hangar door opening.

Somewhere along the way, the North doors have been sealed shut (although the
big track framework is still there), and the South doors were completely
changed so that they all slide to one side or the other, INSIDE the hangar.
The framework for the South side was removed when they changed the door
track design.

This still leaves a huge open span -- big enough for anything up to King Air
size -- but no longer big enough for a DC-3 or better.

I'm sure this was done for maintenance reasons -- can you imagine keeping
those huge, suspended structures (and they are WAY up there, like five
stories in the air) clear of ice and snow? It must've been a nightmare.

Still, the amazing thing is that those big old doors, four stories tall,
immensely heavy, and 70 years old, can still be pushed open by my 10 year
old daughter without effort. They are SO precisely hung, and the bearings
are so perfect. Heck, my stupid T-hangar, built 30 years later (in 1960)
has a door that requires far more brute strength.

Thanks for recollecting!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Jay Honeck]

Good idea, Aviv. Thanks!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Jay Honeck]

Thanks, Steven!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Steven P. McNicoll" > wrote in message
hlink.net...
>
> "Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
> news:dnRub.250967$Fm2.261184@attbi_s04...
> >
> > How?
> >
>
>
>
>