Mike Lucas has good news on his and Andy Heins' Rearwin Skyranger project:

Andy Heins flew our 1941 Rearwin Skyranger 175 tonight, after 8 months of work on the paint, and interior. There are still many smaller details to work on (fairings, wheel pants, interior panels), but it is a flyable project again. Click here for a photo album of the restoration.

Here's the Michigan chapter May 2012 newsletter.

The chapter is holding a hangar luncheon and business meeting on Saturday June 2, at Jerry and Fern Lugten's house, or Mason Jewett Airport (TEW). Please RSVP by May 27. Contacts and directions in the newsletter.

Here are the Florida Antique Biplane Association's May Newsletter and the Florida Cub Flyers' May Newsletter. These are the last newsletters for "the season", will pick up again for the Florida chapters in the fall.

Steve Carter has just completed the purchase and export of Ryan SC-W, the original N18916 then N46207, and soon to be VH-???. Here is his story:

Recently I was fortunate to have had Jimmy Rollison inspect and test fly a 1938 Ryan SCW on my behalf at Fresno CA. Following a positive report, I have purchased this rarebird and am having her shipped to Australia, where I live. Thus begins a new chapter in her life following a drawn out rebuiding phase, a result of a forced landing in 1989. Richard Hulme rebuilt the Warner 145 at Santa Paula in 1996, and more recently Alan Buchner in Fresno completed the airframe restoration. This concludes my search for a 1930's antique aeroplane capable of transporting two in comfort.

During the early years of aviation in my part of the world, regulations restricted aircraft imports to largely those of British design. The legacy of which revealed an interesting array of available British type of aircraft during my localised search. For example, a Miles Whitney Straight, a Miles Mercury M28, a DH Leopard Moth and a Percival Vega Gull. All of these types are of timber construction. The amount of specialized restoration work required to return these aircraft to their former glory would present huge challenges and certainly test one's patience. Sure if I was 20 years younger, things may have been different - however?

Referring, once again, to my "Vintage Flyer" book by Eric Preston, an all metal constructed Ryan Sports Coupe caught my eye. I began to investigate further afield, North America. It didn't take much to discover a wealth of information on Russell Williams' Ryan SC website. Before long I was communicating with Russell, asking many questions about the type.

Maybe it was meant to happen! There were two examples, of the 12 ever built, available both for sale in California. A trip to the US, to inspect these Ryans was timed to take in the Reno Air Race. Witnessing the disastrous crash at Reno shall stay with me forever, however flying in Russell's beautifully polished Ryan SCW over Seattle the following day, more than compensated my emotions. As a result Ryan SCW N46207 is now mine and is something that I shall enjoy flying around Australian skies for many years to come.

Manufactured on the 5/18/1938, first registered NC18916, and originally owned by Doc Booth and Al Henning, she was the 11th airframe off the production line. She first appeared on the FAA register in 1939, and flew based out of Dallas and Oaklahoma City before spending time seconded to the Air Transport Command during the war for coastal patrol duties. Fortunately the remainder of her history is well documented. Apart from the newly painted and bright blue and gold color scheme, she appears to be in relatively original condition, due to the low hours that she has flown over her lifetime. However, there remains a great deal of work detailing her back to an original state, for that is my aim.

Acknowledgments: To fellows like Jimmy, Russell and Alan, a big thank you. Your wealth of knowledge and dedication to the preservation of vintage aircraft is meritorious.

Sparky Barnes Sargent sent photos of the Oklahoma Chapter well-attended annual fly-in on May 5, 2012 at Pauls Valley, Oklahoma. Attendees arrived from Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas. Thanks, and here's a small sampling of photos. Photos (c) Sparky Barnes Sargent.

Rocky Rutter's Swift

Gary Grubb's Howard

Greg Lucas Rearwin Skyranger

Claude Koenig 1957 Taylorcraft DCO-65

Marty Hall in Fairbanks, AK has great news:

The "Time Machine", Travel Air SA-6000-A N9966 has flown for the first time in roughly 5 years after a 2 year rebuild. Ron Klemm was primarily responsible for the work and he did an outstanding job. She's now down in Anchorage for the Trade Show this week end. It took her some 2 hours and 35 minutes to fly from Fairbanks to Anchorage, and arrived there with very little wrong with her after her first long flight after all this work. This spring work will start on her floats, and maybe in time for duck hunting she'll be ready to make her traditional trips over the ridge to Minto Flats and the Duck Camp.

Andy Isburg sent us some photos of this past weekend's Georgia Cub Flyers Chapter fly-in:

Please find a couple of pics I took yesterday at Hodges Hobbies Cub Club fly-in. Sorry more of you did not make it. I would like to mention that.........the Hodges' Brothers (Mac & Billy) are "The Best" and could not be finer Hosts! Also, Robin from Loganville was there directing operations and parking airplanes and a big Thanks goes out to him, too!! Thanks Guys!

Andy Isburgh

APM Director Mark Robotti has discovered the remains of a Cessna T-50 "Bamboo Bomber" on a farm in Minnesota.

Mark is in the process of salvaging any useful parts (and there are several ie; tanks controls etc) from this long forgotten and forlorn aircraft. The plan is for those parts to find there way to the APM "Fly Market" at some point in the future.