Scott Crossfield Foundation Updates

First photo, Presenter Walter Boyne, Winner Lt. Col. Bill Powley, Presenter Justin Farley

2nd and 3rd Lt. Col. Bill Powley accepting.

4th Lt. Col. Bill Powley

This appeared in AOPA this week:

http://www.aopa.org/aircraft/articles/2010/100720teacher.html?WT.mc_id=100723epilot&WT.mc_sect=gan

The presentation of the 24th A. Scott Crossfield Aerospace Education Teacher of the Year Award will be tomorrow night at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Air Force Base, Ohio.

Teachers had a profound influence on Scott’s life and because of this, he established this award in 1986 to show his appreciation and to reward and recognize Kindergarten-12^th grade teachers.

Each year the selection committee is faced with the difficult task of selecting only one winner.  All nominees were extraordinary in one way or another, and all are dedicated enthusiastic motivators and educators.

This year’s winner is retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Bill Powley.  Lt. Col. Bill Powley is a Vietnam veteran fighter pilot with experience in F-4, A-7, and F-16 jets. Because he is passionate about introducing teenagers to flight. When he retired from the military he began teaching Air Force Junior ROTC classes at Unicoi County High School in a small town in east Tennessee.  This county has no airport, but he built a remarkable aviation success story and today he teaches Aerospace Science and JROTC at Sullivan High School South in Kingsport, Tennessee.

Lt. Col. Bill Powley founded FLIGHT Foundation which stands for Flight Lessons Instructional Grants Helping Teens.  This Foundation provides grants and other benefits to help teens learn to fly.

Over the last 19 years, he has soloed over 85 students, flown over 3900 students on orientation flights, 4 private pilots, 4 USAF Academy appointments, 2 West Point appointments and 4 MTSU pilot majors. (Middle Tennessee State University)

His course not only requires the cadets to take required academic courses but they also take specially designed aviation courses.  Lt. Col. Powley takes the cadets on learning field trips to enhance their knowledge of historic places in the country including aviation sites.  His dedication, “can do” attitude, and contributions to aerospace education make him this year’s A. Scott Crossfield Aerospace Education Teacher of the Year.

Our 2010 A. Scott Crossfield Aerospace Education Teacher of the Year Award is Lt. Col. Bill Powley! Details to come.

Group Hopes for DC-3 Miracle

Sitting idle in the weeds for more than a decade, hopes are to ready N74589 for a flight to Oshkosh this year.

EAA Chapter 1025 members Dick Seiders and Billy Waters help remove one of the DC-3 wings.
June 10, 2010 — There’s nothing quite as forlorn as the sight of an abandoned airplane slowly rusting away off the side of the runway, and for the past decade that has been the case for a 1942 Douglas DC-3 parked in the tall grass at Covington Municipal Airport (9A1), Georgia. Now, a team from London, England, with help from local EAA members, is working to restore the vintage aircraft with the goal to fly it to EAA AirVenture – only six weeks away!

Working 14-16 hour days, the crew hopes to have the historic aircraft, bearing the registration number N74589, ready in time to fly it to EAA AirVenture at the end of July. While this plan is ambitious, Clive Edwards and his team from Edwards Brothers Aviation are experts, having restored more than 35 DC-3s all over the world, as well as numerous other vintage aircraft like Catalinas, B-25s, and others.

Some EAA Chapter 1025 members helped to remove and inspect the wings, including Chapter Treasurer Dick Seiders, along with fellow member Billy Waters – both of whom are RV builders. The pair helped remove the 328 bolts attaching each wing and they offer assistance whenever they can.

“The plane is in remarkably good condition,” Seiders said. “There is very little corrosion. It is a well maintained airplane.” The team is now focusing on fixing some unforeseen wiring issues and will then install the two engines, one brand new and the other with 200 hours on it. Also on the list is restoring the interior. “Clive is very passionate about the airplane,” Seiders added.

If all goes as hoped, Edwards has indicated he wants to fly it up to Oshkosh to participate in EAA AirVenture’s DC-3 75th anniversary celebration. We’ll continue following this story and the progress of this uber-restoration project.

For more information on the events planned in honor of this event, visit www.airventure.org.

Teachers_Day_Press_Release

Crossfield Aerospace Workshop