Our column on Amelia Earhart prompted a call from veteran Provo aviator Mike Jense with this interesting tid-bit of local history: The famed American aviatrix once force-landed her small plane near Eureka and spent a week in that Central Utah city during the wait for repairs. As we searched out the facts, partly though old… Continue reading Local Residents Recall Aviatrix
Category: Aviation
New Light on Miller Death
The disappearance of Glenn Miller, noted American band leader and Army Air Force major, in a single- engine plane on a London-to-Paris flight 41 years ago continues as one of the lingering mysteries of World War II. It still pops into the news once in a while – as it did in a recent press dispatch on… Continue reading New Light on Miller Death
Dec. 7, 1941, A Day of Infamy
It was a day never to be forgotten – in President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s somber words, “a date which will live in infamy.” Japan had taken the United States by surprise, tragically bombing Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941, while negotiations were going on in Washington. More than 350 planes had zeroed in on the harbor… Continue reading Dec. 7, 1941, A Day of Infamy
Divided Berlin: Lesson in Freedom
Where could you find a more striking contrast of the fruits of freedom versus repression than on the two sides of the infamous Berlin Wall? Gail S. Halvorsen has some special insights on why so many East Berliners “have left behind everything but the clothes on their backs and then given their lives in an… Continue reading Divided Berlin: Lesson in Freedom
Candy Smiles
During the crucial Berlin Airlift 3 1/2 decades ago, rays of gladness were spread by human interest stories of an American “candy bomber” who dropped sweets to destitute German children. If you are old enough to remember the historic airlift (called Operation Vittles) – the Allies’ answer to the infamous Berlin Blockade by the Soviets… Continue reading Candy Smiles
‘Tiny’ American Flags ‘Giant’ Support For POWs
By N. LA VERL CHRISTENSEN Scripps League Newspapers In their dark days as prisoners of war in Vietnam, four American Air Force and Navy officers – cellmates at the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” POW camp – decided to conduct a Sunday church service in the hope this would boost morale. Navy Pilot Mike McGrath of Delta,… Continue reading ‘Tiny’ American Flags ‘Giant’ Support For POWs
Book Recalls Earhart Tragedy
Amelia Earhart’s ill-fated round-the-world flight attempt in 1937 and the long, fruitless search for her and her navigator has one of the most extensively-covered news stories of that era. Tragic and still a mystery to a considerable extent, that episode and Earhart’s many successful exploits will be remembered this week, 50th anniversary of the solo trans-Atlantic flight of… Continue reading Book Recalls Earhart Tragedy
Power Line Proposal – Close Scrutiny Urged
For years the efforts of many dedicated individuals and a considerable amount of money have gone into developing and maintaining the Provo Municipal Airport as an economic force in the community. At present funding is being considered for a branch fire station to be built on airport property. Three fixed wing aircraft operations are already… Continue reading Power Line Proposal – Close Scrutiny Urged
Tribute to ‘Lone Eagle’
It is almost impossible for a generation that takes the time – and distance – annihilating jet and even space flight for granted to appreciate the tremendous excitement with which the world heard the news on May 21, 1927 that one man in a small, single-engine airplane had flown across the Atlantic Ocean. The only thing… Continue reading Tribute to ‘Lone Eagle’
Omni Range for Provo Airport
Two recent occurrences have emphasized once again the need for equipping the Provo Airport with the Terminal Omni Range (TVOR) radio directional device for instrument landings. The first occurrence was the plane crash less than two weeks ago in which 13 Salt Lake persons met death in a plane crash near Camp Williams. Local aviation… Continue reading Omni Range for Provo Airport