Airfield Letter - September 2025
Alex Nelon
8/29/20255 min read
One of the groups that meets regularly at the Museum is EAA Chapter 1016. The Chapter was chartered in 1993 at Asheville and held their meetings there until 2021 when they moved to the Air Museum. EAA members meet on the second Tuesday of the month at 6pm from March to November and take the winter oU for building and modifying and fixing airplanes (and wishing for warmer weather). Aaron Nelson was honored with his Private Pilot propeller cap at the EAA
September 1, 2025
August was a big month for the Air Museum!
Nominations opened for seats on the Board of Directors for the first time! Museum Members may nominate prospective Board members by email, letter or in person. A nominee must agree in writing to serve on the Board and provide a photo of themselves and a short bio to be included in the Museum’s newsletter. This marks the beginning of the new governance model for the Museum and we’re looking forward to greater opportunities for member participation in the daily life of our organization.
We’ve had several tour groups in and out of the Museum this past month – many schoolchildren and adult groups - plus the Apple Festival this weekend. Word is getting out again about our unique place in the local community. We’re hoping more attention from more people will help train the spotlight on some of the problems we face, especially with the drainage system.
August was also a big month for our Airfield !
Member Tom Charbonneau built a hangar some years ago on a plot that was leased from the founder of the Airfield, Leland Johnson. Tom recently donated his hangar to the Air Museum and went further, replacing his old hangar door with new ones of the type used by the Museum to replace the ones in the Museum’s rental hangar. Mark Cigal helped Tom with his preparations and rounded up members to brave the heat and install the doors in Mid August (missing the cool weather by a week). The pictures help to tell the story. There is a lot of work involved installing new doors and, to a great degree, success depends upon careful preparation!
Aaron took his checkride in Florida and is now building time, rediscovering all the things he forgot from his training and working toward his professional pilot ratings and certificates. Congratulations!
Our great Members show up when they’re needed! After our Saturday morning breakfast gathering, a group of skilled door hangers moved themselves over to Tom’s hangar for what has become old hat to them. They were some of the same Members who installed the new hangar doors at the Museum Hangar and by now they have the know-how. Special thanks to Mark, Steve Murray, Brian Leverson, Gene LeTourneau, Dennis Carlson, Bill Kemper and you (if I forgot you were there).
Jerry Groendyke and Rachel Shannon were there to take the pictures to chronicle the big event.
Tom’s Piper Cub has a secure place to live now and he’s happy about that!
Member Joe Harber found himself juggling too many priorities after the hurricane wiped out his new house project and his airplane. He donated his Light-Sport Excalibur project to the Airfield! It is now in Florida, bought by a former Marine and Army vet whose dream has been learning to fly! He knows the work ahead of him and is planning to spend the better part of a year between the project and his flying lessons, plus caring for two newly-adopted special children. He and his wife are extraordinary people and we wish them well.
Thanks to Doug Elliott, Sid Tolchin, Leo Dringoli, Gene LeTourneau, Jerry Groendyke, Mark Cigal, and Dave Erickson for all your help. Penny Tolchin was there to take pictures and offer advice, too. Thank you from new owner Daniel Trask, too.
Joe Harber is one of those quiet supporters of the Museum whose contributions, both cash and in-kind, have been incredibly valuable during our rebuilding following last September’s storm. We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to him as well as all who came to our rescue.
Big doings and – thanks to good weather – Lots of Flying!
Bill Kemper (Aerolite 103) reported that Tim Higgins called a “Beehive” of activity on Wednesday the 27th of August.
It started with a terrific lunch in Hangar 6 with about 20 Fairweather Flyers enjoying their brown bag sandwiches, salads, goodies of all description … topped oU with a visit by James Spurgeon in his 1935 Fairchild.
We all got a chance to pose with this beautiful airplane and marveled at the workmanship of James’ interior – the Pendleton blanket he fashioned into a unique and beautiful headliner, the leatherwork and the clean, classic instrument panel. Truly a labor of love and a work of art.
We all got a chance to pose with this beautiful airplane and marveled at the workmanship of James’ interior – the Pendleton blanket he fashioned into a unique and beautiful headliner, the leatherwork and the clean, classic instrument panel. Truly a labor of love and a work of art.
Later on Wednesday afternoon, when the thermals stopped thermalling and the bumps smoothed out,
Kemper reported:
“Pete was doing his Yak attacks. Eric was flying his ultralight, I was flying mine. Jon was flying his Pipistrel. Ricky was flying his plane. There were several powered parachute guys buzzing around. The Skylane (Tim Anderson’s) in the museum hanger was up . . .
It was great!”
We agree.
The airfield is closed to fixed-wing traffic from Friday, the 29ᵗʰ through Monday, the 1ˢᵗ to allow extra room for the safety of our visitors during the Apple Festival.
FOR ALL HANGAR TENANTS:
Please change the address on all your correspondence, automatic check and bank direct deposit payments to the Museum PO Box (2343). The old box (1269) will go away in September.
WNC Air Museum, PO Box 2343, Hendersonville NC 28793
Email correspondence to Bill Kelder: wncamadm8nc9@gmail.com
Text (preferred) or telephone: 828-691-2030
HANGAR WAITLIST
Norm Earle (private hangar by request
Travis Brown (private hangar by request
Dennis Carlson
Ben Flaspoehler
Mike Lynch
BArry Duncan
Rogner BEnton (Mus. Hgr. due to size)
John Wilkinson
Dennis Dutton
*** John was left off last month's waitlist inadvertently - he has actually waited for several months
As always: Contact us with any Questions: Alex Nelon 828-595-5950, Mark Cigal 860-930-5453