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NORDO News
Conventional News for Unconventional People
February 2005
ROMANCE IS IN THE AIR at LEE BOTTOM
Since February 14th is Valentine’s Day, we asked permission to share this letter which we recently received form one of our “airport family members”.
I first visited Lee Bottom in 1997 while working for Cardinal Wings. We had a little gathering there when Fritz still tied down there. I then started coming in with Jack Kuhns on a regular basis in his Stearman. But my most memorable visit was in October of 2003.
Let me back up a bit. In 1997, I moved to Louisville from Cincinnati. I am in the Kentucky Air National Guard and was flying quite a bit with them and figured it would be easer just to live in Louisville then to drive down all the time. So I pack up and headed to Louisville and fell in love with the city. I continued to fly with the Air National Guard and picked up some flying here and there with Cardinal Wings. In 1999, I ran into a friend and he put me onto a job flying Falcon 20’s for GrandAire. I did that for six months until I got picked up flying the Embraer Regional Jet for Continental Express where I am still today. In October of 2002 I started dating a girl in my home town in Ohio. We immediately hit it off! In February of 2003, I got the news that I would be deploying to the desert for Operation Iraqi Freedom. I decided to sell my home in Louisville and move back to Ohio. I left on March 10th. While there, my girlfriend decided to pay me visit!!! She used my airline benefits and her Delta miles to fly from Cincinnati to Dubai, United Arab Emirates to come see me. I had two days off and we had a wonderful visit! We spent 36 hours together and it was time for me to get back to the war. I flew into Baghdad the day she left. What a treat it was to see this wonderful woman who traveled halfway around the world and into an Arab nation by herself. It was also the first trip outside the US!!! I knew that I would marry her…if she would say yes.
I came home in July (landed on US soil on the 4th of July!!) after being injured. I healed up and was getting ready to head back when the rest of our unit came home. I was to remain on active for another six months and had to stay in Louisville. Donna came down quite a bit and I finally decided it was time to pop the question. It was an absolutely beautiful fall day on the 24th of October 2002. We drove out to Bowman, pulled out the Citabria, and put Lee Bottom on the nose. After a smooth touch down (if I say so myself), we rolled to stop on the north side of the field. She was a bit nervous landing on the grass but I assured her this was the only way to fly. We got out and walked around a bit and just enjoyed the beautiful scenery. It was like stepping back in time. Anyway, we were getting ready to head out and I told her a place like this would be a wonderful place to raise a family. She agreed and I pulled her close and whispered in her ear “Will you marry me Donna?” She broke out in tears and said yes!! I could not have been happier! We had not talked about marriage and I was a bit nervous. We loaded back up in the little Green and Crème Citabria and head back to Bowman for dinner.
Flying is my life and I could not think of a better way or better place to propose to Donna. A little tube and fabric airplane and a long piece of green grass…what more could anyone want!!
We celebrated out one year anniversary this past December and are having the time of our lives. We recently returned from a visit to Phoenix. While flying back, I was reading the article on your fly-in and showed her the exact place I asked her to marry me. We had a nice smile and memory.
So to make a short story long…Lee Bottom holds a special place for Donna and I and always will. I plan on bringing my Yak in for the next fly-in and look forward to seeing some old friends and meet some new ones! Thanks for keeping an important part of aviation alive and well!!
Best wishes,
Tim and Donna Gagnon
Congratulations to Tim and Donna!
This makes 3 marriage proposals that occurred at Lee Bottom within a year’s time.
Honest Flying . . .
Those of you who receive Sport Aviation magazine may have seen the nice reference to Time Pieces in Lauran Paine Jr’s article, Honest Flying. Lauran contacted us some time ago with an interest in Time Pieces. As suspected, having read several of his articles, he turned out to be one of the good guys and a true supporter of the freedom of flight. What we did not know was that he would end up writing another piece about our kind of flying and referring to Time Pieces as a new way to keep the old planes flying. But that’s not all. In fact, that was just part of the story. Lauran’s main focus was the small airports like ours that are out there simply because people insist on keeping them open. Thanks Lauran. Your piece is the first time EAA has allowed any mention of our efforts in Sport Aviation.
*We hope all our readers who get Sport Aviation make a point to read Lauran’s articles.
IT’S IN THE MAIL
The Lee Bottom ultra-rare, incredibly valuable, earth moving calendars will soon be hitting your mail boxes. We’re sorry they are so late but it has been an absolutely tiresome and infuriating process getting them finished. Due to many problems with the calendars this year, they will lack some of that “old time drug store calendar” feel. It will be fixed next year so cherish this as a one of a kind. For those of you who get them, we hope you enjoy them……..for those who don’t, we are truly sorry you were missed. If you have any questions as to why you received or did not receive them, go to our website and look at the calendar page to read about our selection process.
**Note: the picture on this year’s calendar was a great photo until the printers got hold of it….sorry for the washed out color…from here on out we will be claiming it was intended that way to give it an old feel.
Moving on and out. . .
We recently received a parcel containing exciting documents. Knowing how this place started (1000+ X 25+), it is hard to believe we now have approval from the FAA to expand our runway to over 4000 feet. Receipt of these documents marks the completion of the second step of our expansion plans and leaves us looking forward to the next objective, the actual expansion. This step will require the largest investment of cash and hard work since Fritz extended and widened the airport in the late 80’s.
As with most expansions though, there will be some changes and they come in the form of stipulations required for approval. Sadly, the trees in front of the house will have to be removed and the shelter will have to be relocated. Like your favorite booth in a restaurant, we realize it may not feel the same when you first walk in and realize it is taken or not available. Knowing this, we promise to replace them with something that will make you feel even more at home. If there is something you would like to see replace them, please feel free to let us know. Once those are removed, a few of the trees to the North and the barn that has shown up in so many pictures will be removed.
Now, the real work will begin. Currently, we are looking at options for ground work on the new section of runway. Although it appears to be level, much of the upper half will have to be cut down, leveled, and made to drain so that it will fit in well with the current runway and allow for even further expansion in the future. If anyone knows of or owns an airport friendly earth moving operation, let us know.
E-mail us if you know of an airport friendly earth moving operation
WHERE IS THE TAILWHEEL ? ? ?
Jay Gordon and his beautiful yellow Stearman are regulars at Lee Bottom Flying Field. However, Jay has a side of him that prefers to go a little faster than his open cockpit biplane can handle. His L-39 recently made an appearance in Warbirds International magazine. Taken when Michael O’Leary (Air Classics) and Nick Stroud (Aeroplane Magazine) were here visiting the fly-in last fall, the picture is easily the best one we have seen of an L-39. Thanks to Jay for stepping up to offer his plane and talents for the shoot, to Michael at Air Classics for giving another local some coverage, to Paul Redlich for bringing the T-6 photo ship, and to Nick who gave his biggest “I think I’m going to wet myself” smile from the back seat of the Jay’s aircraft.
GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE
Recently I have become suspicious that GA News has our living room bugged. Several years ago, they printed what appeared to a transcript of a conversation held in our home. When it continued to happen, I made sense of it with the liberal (sorry about that word) use 
of the phrase “It’s a coincidence.”
Unfortunately, I can no longer make sense of it and have hired a contractor to tear our house apart. The instructions? Keep looking until you find that bug and then put it in the bathroom where I am inspired most. Why would I do such a thing? Well because I want them to keep it up. I honestly cannot explain it but all joking aside, GA News reads my mind every month without fail and is often the only publication willing to call a spade a spade, poke the eye of politicians, and tell the powers that be in aviation where they are wrong with no sugar coating.
This month they cover the subject of looking to the NRA for inspiration on grass roots efforts. I have said many of the things in there to many of you over the years and I’m sure you will remember it because of my excited state. I suggest you read it. In fact, I suggest you either get a subscription or pick one up wherever you can find it. If you are not a spineless, go with the flow, do not rock the boat type, you will love it.
SAVE the BIRDS
With the help of a couple "Lee Bottom Devotees", we have started to create the necessary paperwork to form a museum with 501(c)3 status based at Lee Bottom Flying Field.
The focus of the museum will be General Aviation aircraft from the 1940’s era (and before) as well as the airports that served these aircraft. Realizing that everyone wants a “warbird”, we wanted to focus on an area of aviation that is often overlooked – the average pilot and his plane. We also needed to ensure airports that support these aircraft are kept alive – it is much like keeping a wildlife preserve or refuge as pristine as possible to support the great birds that inhabit the area except we will exist for a different type of bird.
So now, if you can imagine . . . several hangars that reflect older style hangars with a signs such as “RYAN”, “STINSON”, “PIPER”, “CURTISS,” etc above the door surrounded by old airway beacons, a Model T fuel truck, and pilots in white jump suits talking about their airplanes as well as the possibility of an old gas station, an old general store and other items reminiscent of the era . . . then you can get the picture of the living aviation museum that we are trying to create.
SUMMER WORK KAMPERS
After advertising in The WORKAMPER magazine, we received numerous inquiries from individuals applying for our summer Groundskeeper position. After what seemed like thousands of emails and phone calls later, we have selected a couple that we feel will be a great addition to our "airport family". Pam and Kirk Wood have been workamping since June 2000 in 
their 35’ class A motorhome. They will be responsible for mowing the grass from mid-June until the end of September in exchange for a full-hookup site on one of the most scenic airports in the world. This arrangement is great for everyone involved and we are very excited about it. Please welcome Pam and Kirk if you happen to see them around this summer.
Sinful Sundays . . .
A “soda jerk” is the person behind the counter in an ice-cream store that makes and serves ice cream, sodas, and malts. This group of people created a set of lingo all their own. . . . we think it is appropriate that the use of “BOTTOM” in soda jerk lingo means “a drink with ice cream”.
Mark your 2005 calendar to join us for “Sinful Sundays” and get a PATCH BOTTOM (strawberry shake) at Lee Bottom – 2nd Sunday of the month (May – September). We have already located a shake machine, vintage type sundae glasses and have started looking at recipes to make this a fun and informal event reminiscent of the Sundays from our past.
CLICK HERE for the Lee Bottom website and more information on SINFUL SUNDAYS
We recently saw the movie The Aviator. I’ll keep it short but I recommend that you all see it. I have been fascinated by HH (Howard Hughes) since I was a kid and found the movie be quite accurate…..especially for Hollywood. Some of the digital stuff is so good you would swear it is real and when the Spruce Goose flies over head, it will give you chills.
We have a lot of guys out there who think they’re Howard but fall far short. One is a nut, one is self centered, one of them loves aviation with his heart, one hoards aircraft because they are too rare to fly??, another flies each one once and puts them away, one guy keeps going after records, and still another has done pretty well running an airline. Yet, none of them will ever be HH. Together, they would do a good job of being Mr. Hughes but apart they are merely impersonators.
Talk about YOUR airport
This past month, Ginger not only had lunch with our newly elected State representative but spent an evening with the local Rotary Club talking about our airport, the fly-in, and our future goals. It was wonderful to receive such positive feedback from the local entrepreneurs in our area.
The only disheartening part came when we called AOPA to find pertinent educational information to present to non-aviation individuals. The analyst at AOPA said that they usually do not hear from individuals giving pro-active talks to their community – they only hear from them when they are in trouble or need something. WHAT ?!?!? Every airport should have a marketing arm that works with their local government and/or businesses. We challenge each pilot to talk about their airport to one non-aviation person or group during the next month .
Support Lee Bottom Flying Field
As most of you know but some of you might not realize, we go through a yearly certification process that allows Lee Bottom Flying Field to be open to the public yet unlike most municipal airports, we receive NO funding from local, state, or federal government entities. Many of you ask if you can pay for calendars or send us donations. Therefore, a new area has been added to the LeeBottom website entitled AIRPORT SUPPORT.
Although not expected but greatly appreciated, if you would like to contribute to the yearly airport operation fund, you can do so from this page via PAYPAL. If you feel uncomfortable with PAYPAL, we are also open to the old-fashioned method of checks and the US mail service:
7296 S. River Bottom Rd, Hanover, IN 47243.
Along these same lines, you will see that we are now showing GOOGLE advertisements on some of our web pages on www.LeeBottom.com. Each click that you make from one of these advertisements puts a few cents into our airport operation fund. So, if you see one that looks interesting, check it out.
CLICK HERE for the Lee Bottom website and go to the Airport Support page
Time Pieces at Creve Coeur
If one cub is good, two have to be better. After great success with the first cub at Creve Coeur, the Time Pieces’ operation at this location is preparing to implement their 2nd cub. Interested individuals should email for more information.
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Lee Bottom Flying Field
Identifier: 64I
7296 S. River Bottom Rd.
Hanover, IN 47243
812-866-3211
Time Pieces
7296 S. River Bottom Rd.
Hanover, IN 47243
317-501-2773