Airfield Letter August 2025

August 1, 2025

What a month! OSHKOSH, an airplane building project completed, Members honored, PANCAKES, and great fun! Where to begin? Where to begin?

How about Oshkosh? Whittaker, Cecelia and Henry Warrington flew up in their Maule and set up camp on the field. Henry watched all the fun. He doesn’t miss a trick.

Others made the trip by car (J Jones), camper (Steve Murray), airplane, hook or crook (you know who you are, Steve Jarrell). Jerry and Nancy Marstall volunteered, as they have for many years, to meet and greet the many attendees; this year at the late EAA Founder Paul Poberezny’s former home, where the greats in aviation are given a special place to gather. Once you’ve been to Oshkosh, you’ve been to the promised land. No doubt it’s the best and biggest aviation show on the planet. Go to YouTube and look it up – then set your sights on next year!

BIG NEWS THIS MONTH!

The WNC Air Museum has secured tax-exempt status for Johnson Field! After almost 2 years of ownership, during which time the status of the Airfield was classified as a commercial airport, Henderson County extended the Museum’s tax exemption to include Johnson Field. The decision recognizes our efforts to preserve history, promote general aviation and educate potential pilots, mechanics and other aviation professionals. Our local aviation heritage is rich and the stories deserve telling. Every dollar saved that can go toward these objectives is very important. Thanks to VP JeD Moore and Treasurer Bill Kelder, particularly, for seeing this through.

A MILESTONE!

Museum Member, Fair-weather Flyer, EAA Member and Airplane Builder Tim Higgins earned the Airworthiness Certificate for his RV-12is! Started 4 years and 4 months ago, Tim did most of the building in his home workshop. Inspectors from the FAA FSDO at Charlotte pored over Tim’s airplane on July 23rd, then came back for a second look after all the bits and pieces were together and ready for flight. Congratulations to Tim and to Nancy for giving up time with her husband while he labored on this project. Asked whether he would like to do another one, there was no hesitation. To quote a lyric: “He just smiled, shook my hand; no was all he said”.

AMEMBERS HONORED

There is a wonderful organization called the Quilts of Valor Foundation that recognizes the service of our Armed Forces Veterans with hand-made quilts, crafted to provide comfort and to show the appreciation of the people back home who benefit from their service. In July, four of our Museum Members received quilts: Sid Tolchin, Waylon Woodall, George Miller and David Erickson. Over 400,000 quilts have been awarded to date. For more info: https://www.QOVF.org.

PANCAKES!

To round out the month, Nancy Higgins celebrated Tim’s having finished his airplane by cooking pancakes at the Fairweather Flyers’ Saturday morning breakfast in Hangar 6. Everyone was too busy eating to take pictures. It’s a special treat every time she does this and there’s always talk of “wouldn’t it be nice if we could have a fly-in breakfast?” … Now there’s food for thought.

FOR OUR MUSEUM HANGAR TENANTS:

Effective January 1, 2026, hangar rental fees in the Museum Hangar will be brought to parity with the rest of the hangar spaces on the field. Monthly rent on all our hangars will then be $250.00 per month per space beginning January 1. Many of our Hangar Rental Agreements were lost during Helene; new ones will be sent out with the new rate during December. The goal is no increase during 2026. There may be provision for special assessments but those would not be invoked without extraordinary and necessary circumstances. Our goal is to promote General Aviation, not burden you with unnecessary expense.

FOR ALL HANGAR TENANTS:

As always, we appreciate your pitching in when something needs to be done. Please change the address on all your correspondence, automatic check payments, etc to:

WNC AIR MUSEUM

P.O. BOX 2343

HENDERSONVILLE NC 28793

Email correspondence to Bill Kelder: wncamadm8nc9@gmail.com

Text (preferred) or telephone: 828-691-2030

HANGAR WAITLIST

1 Earle (Private Hangar by request)

2 T. Brown (Private Hangar by request)

3 Carlson

4 Flaspohler

5 Lynch

6 Duncan

7 Benton (Museum Hangar due to size)

8 Dutton

The airfield email address is: airfield8nc9@gmail.com

The airfield website is: https://www.airfield8nc9.org

Alex Nelon 828-595-5950 Mark Cigal 860-930-5453