Here's the Nebraska Chapter August 2010 Newsletter. Read all the Chapter Newsletters.

It all started Saturday of Memorial day weekend when I flew my Stearman to warm it up good before a oil change. After a uneventful, beautiful flight I open the Y drain, drained all the oil, and then took the sump plug out and ran a magnet up into the sump as I always do, and the magnet came out spotless. I walked away to put my magnet back when I decided to go back and double check the sump, and as I slid the magnet back into the sump I heard it, that gut wrenching sound "klink." My heart sank and when I pulled the magnet out of the sump for the second time there was a piece of a bearing cage about one inch long. Read the rest of the story.

In 1930, the then-16 year old Louis "Andy" Anderson, a resident of Dow City, Iowa decided to build himself an aeroplane. Typical of many homebuilts of the period, this one is unusual in that it has not only survived, but remains in the care of the Anderson family almost 80 years later. Deciding on the configuration, he wanted to build a biplane, as "everybody knows that an airplane should have two wings."

Andy was a long time AAA member who passed away in 2008, but his son Don, grandson Mark & great-grandson Andy have restored the "Bi-Wing" and will have it on display at the AAA/APM Fly-in as part of Iowa's 100th Anniversary of Powered Flight.

Read the full article by Michael Shreeve on the history and construction of Andy Anderson's "Bi-Wing". Photos by Michael Shreeve and the Anderson Family.

Presley Melton sent us photos of his new Howard restoration. Photos by Chris Miller of the EAA:

I actually did attend last year's Corporate Wings AAA/APM fly-in - but I drove in. My Howard restoration was not complete. It was my first time and I had a great weekend.

I'm happy to report the airplane is flying now. It won Champion Custom Antique at Sun 'n Fun this spring. I plan to attend Blakesburg this year. I have made a hotel reservation but am seriously considering camping.

Presley Melton

In the 45 years the APM has been in existence, 39 which have been centered at Antique Airfield, the museum and its collections have endured many a Midwestern weather event. Everything from blizzards with snow loads that threatened to collapse our buildings, to severe thunderstorms and tornados which have tried to take the roofs off. While there has been damage to the buildings and grounds, and we have had our personal aircraft damaged in the past due to these events, none of those damages involved aircraft belonging to the APM.

That all changed early Sun. July 18th. At a little after 5am an apparent tornado touched down at Antique Airfield and the APM's Republic "SeaBee" was wrenched from it's tie downs, flipped over and destroyed.

To say we are heartbroken is an understatement. A dedicated team of volunteers had just spent two years traveling to, working on and funding an effort to return A. K.Young's generous donation to flying status. We had just flown the "Bee" into Antique Airfield on June 30th with an amassed flying time of three hours since it's return to flying status. The process of re-arranging the museum hangars, to be able to display the "Bee", was also underway.

If there is a silver lining to every cloud, in this case it would be that the "Bee" was properly insured.

So as we have always done when faced with challenges here at Antique Airfield, we will persevere and move ahead. After all the AAA/APM Fly-in will be here before we know it and we look forward to beginning construction on the APM Restoration Center (if the weather will ever cooperate).

See you all in September we hope.

Brent Taylor

While postwar Bellancas are pretty common here in the US, they're rare in the UK. Howard Cox flies what is likely the only flying Bellanca 14-19-2 in the UK and Europe. Based in Devon in southwestern England, Howard also built and flies a BD-5 based in Waterford, Ireland. Howard and his wife Liz are often seen at European airshows and events in the UK.

Photos Copyright Gabriel Desmond

Here's the Colorado Chapter Newsletter for August 2010: Reports on chapter fly-ins, another set of photos from Sentimental Journey.

Bellanca Skyrocket at Sentimental Journey, by Richard Hawley

See all of the chapter newsletters.