SOME HISTORY OF THE FLIGHT STANDARDS RETIREE GROUP

AS RELATED BY

JOHN H. VAUGHAN, SECOND PRESIDENT

AT THE 25TH REUNION

I was asked to tell the group something about the history of the organization and the early days in which it was formed. Before I go into the history, I would like to give credit where credit is due and that is to Merle Hunter, who was the founder and instigator of our organization.

Merle Hunter and I both retired in early 1972. He was an Inspector located in Dallas-Fort Worth. We belonged to Diamond Oaks Golf Course in Fort Worth and as I was going out to play and he was coming in from the course one day, he stopped me and asked me what I thought about forming a Flight Inspector's Group. I told him I thought it was a heck of a good idea and he asked me to call him at home that night and we should discuss it flirther. In talking with Merle that night, he said he was acquainted with an organization American Airlines had, known as the Grey Eagles. He felt maybe we could get an organization started commensurate with this group.

We talked at some length and he asked me if I would contact as many people as I could who worked in he Flight Standards Division that were either retired or about to retire in the near future to see what they thought of forming the organization. I told him I would and went to work contacting as many General Aviation Inspectors and others I knew and asked them in turn to try to contact two or three more people. We talked back and forth and Merle decided that we probably had enough people to get together somewhere and make plans for this organization. He decided on Oklahoma City as that was a central location for the United States and a place where almost everybody in the FAA went through training at one time or another.

We had a meeting some time in the fall - probably in September, 1972, at the Holiday Inn in Oklahoma City, at which 24 people showed up I think the feeling that more people attended our first meeting was due to the fact that about 20 people from the Center came over and had lunch with us. That gave us some 40 people to start our recruiting. Merle's wife, Pat, kept a record of this first get-together and of the first few meetings we had. We are indeed gratefull to her for doing this, otherwise, we would not have had any record of how we were formed and the early meetings. Pat, after each meeting, sent copies of the minutes to those who attended and gave us impetus to recruit more members. She was a great asset to our organization.

At that get-together, we elected Merle President of our forthcoming organization. The Vice- President was Bob Hutton and a Secretary/Treasurer whose name I cannot recall. We agreed to meet again in Oklahoma City, in 1973, as there seemed to be a lot of people to help us recruit. At the 1973 meeting, there were probably 50-60 people in attendance. The first order of business was to establish a set of by-laws for the organization. Merle had obtained a copy of the by-laws for the Grey Eagles and we used that somewhat as a guide to fit our organization. Our meeting took up most of the morning, as it seemed a lot of people wanted to make a lot of suggestions, but I really think they just wanted to be recognized. We spend about 3 hours in the morning and about 4 hours in the afternoon going over the formation of our group and trying to establish the by-laws. One thing I noticed at this meeting was that some of the people had brought their wives along and they sat very patiently through the morning meeting. However, most of them did not attend the afternoon session. I am sure it was rather boring to the ladies. Our first meeting went fairly well and we asked those in attendance if they would go out and help us recruit more members. We did decide at this meeting that the annual dues would be $5.00 per year. We also gave them Merle's and Pat's address as a central point for contacting this organization.

The second meeting was held at the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport which was about to be completed and dedicated just prior to our meeting in the fall of 1974. We asked Merle to be President again, along with his vice-President, and Secretary/Treasurer, since they were familiar with what had gone on before. We had the meeting at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport because we felt people could fly in to the meeting and those close by could drive. I thought there would be adequate parking, but it turned out that the hotel which I believe was the Hilton, had not completed their parking lot and it had rained the night before and it was a muddy mess. We arranged for busses to take the people around the new DFW airport. We had enough cars at this meeting that we took anyone who wanted to eat out in Dallas or Fort Worth. Again, at this meeting, there was always one who wanted to change our by-laws or procedures in some manner. I will have to say that Merle was patient and let everyone of them who wanted to speak, be recognized and have a say in our program. About 75 or so attended this meeting.

I did learn one thing at the 1974 meeting, and that was how officers were elected. Buck Buchanan, whom I knew in the Northwest, was elected to head up a nominating committee for new officers as it was decided that Merle and his officers had served well, but needed a little relief Buck called me in my room the night before new officers were to be nominated and asked me to come down to the bar and have a drink with him. I just assumed we were going to talk about old times, but it wasn't long before he asked me if he could put my name before the group as the next President. I told him that I wasn't sure I was the right man, but if he would put my name in and then open it up for other nominations from the floor, I would be willing to do that. Little known to me was that other members of the nominating committee were talking with someone to be the Vide-President and someone to be the Secretary/Treasurer. The next day Buck gave a report from the nominating committee and listed the names they had recruited the night before. But, before he could open it up to the floor for other nominations, of course, someone made a motion that we be elected by acclamation. There was a second and we were in as officers just that quick. I would imagine that some of this goes on today.

At this meeting, Merle suggested that we have an Historian and asked that nominations be made. One person in particular was picked out and that was Henry Weeks, who had been in charge of all aircraft and engineering in the Washington office and was now retired. Henry was about 6 foot 4 and sort of a raw- boned individual from Montana, with a wry sense of humor. When asked to serve, he really didn't want to accept it, not knowing what he was getting into, but I told him, "Hell, Henry, we've only been in business for 2 years, there can't be a lot of history." Henry smiled and said he guessed he would take it and then proceeded to do bang-up job, as he was the one who got all the pictures of the people in training in various times in Oklahoma City and put them in binders for review at our meetings. I imagine later historians have cussed Henry because it takes about a 6 mule team .wagon to haul all this memorabilia to all our meetings. We are indeed grateful to all the historians who have taken on this difficult job and saw to it that all of our voluminous memorabilia was at each and every meeting. Henry also devised a form and mailed it out to each individual asking that we list what we had done for the CAA/FAA during our careers and to provide a passport size picture. I saw this book at the last meeting and it was kind of fun looking at the picture and what we had put down. This evidently has not been carried over. Someone might wish to look into it to see if we could bring it up to date. I am sure the next historians will be glad to haul some more paper work along with everything else.

Everyone seemed to have a good time at this meeting and all of them agreed that they would attempt to recruit new members. they asked if we could submit a list showing those who were now members. We didn't really have much money, but again, Pat stepped in and drew up something to send with her minutes of the meeting. We left this meeting with high hopes that our organization would grow during the coming year. As I said, in those years we had very little money and not a lot of experience in planning a reunion for a great number of people. However, we did the best we could.

As President of the organization in 1975, I had two cracker-jack specialists, the Vice-President was Harry Turnpaugh, who was in Maintenance/Washington, DC, retired and living in Kerrville, Texas The Secretary/Treasurer was Frank Hand, Chief of the Air Carrier District Office, Fort Worth, Texas, retired and living near me in Fort Worth. In those days, since we didn't have any money, the site for the next meeting was selected after the new officers were selected. The reason was that we didn't have any way to pay the officers to drive or fly to the location and make arrangements for the meeting, This way it was the least expensive for the new officers to set up a program. Since Frank and I were In Fort Worth and Harry was in Kerrville, we all agreed it would be good to have a meeting in San Antonio, Texas it being central in location for both coasts. I asked Harry Turnpaugh if sometime before our next meeting he would kind of "Bird-Dog" the hotels/motels in San Antonio and find a good meeting place for 1975. Harry found the location where he thought would be the best spot. He told me he thought the old Menger Hotel would be the most appropriate place and asked me to come down and meet with him and the people at the Menger. While Harry was looking into accommodations, Frank Hand was receiving new applications, dues, and comments from both old and new members of our organization. We had papers all over his floor, dining room table and I don't know where else, in his house. Frank is not with us anymore and I have no been able to get in touch with Dottie Hand in the past 3 or 4 years. I must commend them for ajob well done, as Frank and Dottie answered each and every letter and wrote back a comment which took up most of their time during the year preceding our third meeting. I guess this service started the newsletter.

I met with Harry and the hotel people sometime during the summer of 1975 and we thought this would be an ideal place, as on one side was the Alamo, which most people would like to see when in San Antonio, and I particularly liked the place on the other side, which was Joske's Department Store, the equivalent to Neiman-Marcus in Dallas. This was a place the ladies could shop till they drop. God knows we needed to take care of our ladies, or they might not "let" their husbands come to any more of our meetings. We also got a room for bridge playing or just hanging out - whatever they wished to do. This made for a much happier meeting. At our meeting with the hotel we made arrangements for all of us to stay in the new section of the hotel, as there was an old section and a new one. Of course, when we met, the best laid plans of mice and men went astray, as they put about one third of the members in the old section The rooms were small, steam radiators, clanking pipes and low water pressure. Of course, I heard about this the first hour of the morning meeting. We dispatched one of the officers to the reservations desk, got it cleared up and were able to advise them by noon they would all be moved to the new section. There is quite a lot of history to the Menger Hotel., as this is where all the old cattle barons met before and after their cattle drives and had a bar where Teddy Roosevelt recruited some of his Rough Riders. Of course, it was a very small bar and not very big for a group, so as before, in other meetings, people just bought a bottle and invited friends to their rooms for happy hour. The hotel gave my wife and me the Roy Rogers-Dale Evans Room, which was reserved for them anytime they carne to town. I shouldn't say it was given to me, because I had to pay for it just like everyone else. It was a large room with a fireplace and when a lot of the people found out about the large room I was in, many migrated to it in the evening. About midnight we had to send down for more booze and around 2 or 3 AM, I told them they had to leave, as I had to run a meeting the next day. Of course, the same thing happened the next night and it was "De Je Vous all over again" We learned we needed someplace to congregate, thus the hospitality room.

When we started our meeting the next day, sure enough, by-laws and procedures were brought up again I was ready for this and after we went on for some time, I scratched my right ear, which was a signal for a plant in the audience tojump up and say, "I move we adjourn for the morning." Another spy jumped up and seconded the motion. I slammed down the gavel and said, "The ayes have it, The meeting is adjourned." By the way, Harry Tumpaugh made me a gavel out of pure Texas mesquite wood Somewhere bver the years, somebody has the gavel and it should be returned to be included in our memorabilia. When I conducted the afternoon meeting, I rather apologized to the group for being so abrupt in the morning, but felt we should be spending more time with each other, as that was what it was all about. In fact at lunch, someone reminded me about the CAA not having enough money and decided to use Western Union for their messages. Someone in the regional office said it was costing too much money to use the telephone, so why not use Western Union. By the time the one sending out the message dictated it to his secretary, she dictated it to Western Union, Western Union sent it to our District Offices, they dictated it to my secretary, it was unreadable. So I sent back a message saying, "Yes". I figured I was at least 50% right. About 2 hours later the regional office called and asked me if I couldn't understand the English language and I read them what I had received and they said that wasn't what they sent out. So they dropped the idea of using Western Union.

I hoped we could spend a lot of time remembering things like this in our meetings and spend less time with our by-laws. Our meeting progressed pretty well that afternoon. But sure enough one person had to bring up by-laws again! One of the other members jumped up and said, "John, I would like to tell the group something that happened to me." He evidently was an inspector in a mountainous state and at one time he had to investigate an accident which had happened rather high in the mountains. He had to take up some equipment and no doubt bring down some equipment, so he hired a man with a mule. He got the investigation over with and at the end of the month he sent in his voucher for all the expenses he had incurred for the month, and of course, it included the rental of the mule. The regional office sent it back, saying they wouldn't approve renting a mule. Well, he sent it back in two or three times, with the same results. So he finally drew up a voucher that covered many things in the investigation, beefing them up so he could get paid for what he spent. He sent it back in to the regional office with a note attached. He said, "The mule is in there somewhere - yOu find it." He got paid. The meetings gradually got shorter.

During the morning meeting Harry Tumpaugh said he would like to speak to the group for a little bit and he explained to them he had made arrangements for 4 boats to take us down the River Walk, but found out that since they didn't have a deposit, they wouldn't guarantee it. Remember, we had very little money. He asked everyone to stay cool and he wou]d get back to them. Well, you have to know Harry Tumpaugh --- I am sure he started with the Better Business Bureau --- Visitor's Center Chamber of Commerce --- The Mayor's office and no doubt the Governor's office. Anyway, he came back in a little later in the afternoon and said, "We are all set for the boats." Harry hadn't told me but he had set up a bar on every one of the boats. Well one of the boats got stuck in the turn and the other boats just sailed right on by with the occupants sniiling and waving and you could tell they were having a good time. Then disaster struck, The place where the boats departed was a city municipal building and the only place with rest rooms. They closed at 6 PM and we returned About 6:30 PM. It was a fast race by all the people to get back to the Menger -- only 2 or 3 blocks away. Some of them told me the next morning that some of the people in San Antonio started running with them. I guess they thought the river was rising -- or the Alamo was on tire. They didn't know what was going on. We were learning, so thereafter, we made sure there were pit stops available.

Evidently we started a lot of traditions at this third meeting. We had our banquet which was the last thing on our agenda. To my surprise someone had invited a fellow named J. H. Alexander to the banquet. He was the Director of Flight Information for Braniff Airways at Dallas/Fort Worth and good friend of the inspectors in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. He brought 10 cases of booze. I asked Harry if we had an extra roll of tickets so we could maybe have some sort of door prize. He said "No, but I'll get one." So we passed out the tickets and kept the stubs and I guess started the tradition ofa door prize at each of our banquets. This brings to mind one of our drawings. After about 15 years they finally called my name I went up and got my door prize all wrapped up in a box. When I got back to the table, I opened it to find four little steak knives in a little wooden box with slots in it. Made in Taiwan! I thought to myself -- "Uh Oh! We're out of money again." I didn't want to complain, as the first person called that night had evidently complained. They made sure that his number was called and since it was a "Door Prize", they went out and bought him a closet door. I sure didn't want to haul a door home someday. I have those knives to this day and they rest on my kitchen counter, just to remind me to be humble and thankful for anything I might receive in this life.

I thought we had probably made some progress in the organization as Frank told me we had almost $200 left in the treasury. But before I cou]d turn that over to the new officers, someone got up and made a motion that the three officers be given $50 each to take their wives to dinner for all they had done for the organization and that it was probably a pittance as to what we had spent. Well, that blew the treasury again. Harry Turnpaugh, who was the next president always kids me about him getting $37.45 from me to run the fourth meeting. I said, "Well, at least you got some stamp money." At the next meeting we decided we would incorporate in our by-laws a section that gave us the opportunity to appoint Honorary Members. of course, I said to the members we should appoint the guy who brought the booze to the last meeting as our first honorary member and he was voted in as number one. We have had several honorary members including the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, one Jimmy Pyle. A couple of regional directors, I believe, and, believe it or not, we have one Air Traffic man. I was not at that meeting, but some way Dave Thomas, who was head of all Air Traffic in Washington, was nominated and passed upon. When I was a Flight Inspector, there was a bit of competition between Flight Standards and the Air Traffic Division. To me, this was kinda like a sailor telling a Marine that he did an outstanding job. But, we do have an Honorary Air Traffic Man within the organization. "nuff Said!

Merle used to dismiss us at the end of each meeting with an old Irish saying that went like this:

"May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face. May the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may the Good Lord hold you in the hollow of His hand." After a few meetings we decided we needed to appoint a Chaplain. Clyde Angel, who was at the first few meetings was asked to assume this position and he readily accepted. What a great name for a chaplain -- Angel. I want you to know that he and his wife have been truly dedicated to this organization because they, I believe, have missed only one meeting up to the present time. At one of the last executive meetings, it was discussed that they would try to find somebody to help him out with his duties because, after all, even a chaplain needs a little help every now and then. You will note that we have a candle-lighting ceremony for those persons who have passed away during the past year. The first time I was involved in this ceremony, it was just after my wife, Roe, had passed away, a month or two before our meeting in Colorado Springs. At that time, a candle was lit for each person and the name was called out at the time of the lighting. One was ~it for my wife, which was very impressive to me. The lighting of each candle went on for some time and it got to the point where we were about to burn the table down, as so many had left us. It was decided we would light one candle and read the names of the departed. Our chaplain in his wisdom suggested we should also light one for those we did not know about. So we now light 2 candles at each meeting.

When I retired in 1972, my son was stationed at a Naval Air Station in Albany, Georgia, and when he came through Atlanta to change planes he say a little something in the gift shop and said, "Dad, I just couldn't resist getting it for you." It was a little toy stuffed man wearing a pork-pie hat in his pajamas and robe plus house slippers, sitting in a wicker chair with his glasses on, reading the Wall Street Journal. There was a caption to him that said, "Retired". After about the fourth or fifth meeting, I took him to several meetings and set him on the dais with a card stating "Roger, The Retiree". The one time I didn't bring him, everybody asked about him and then made a motion that we adopt him as the official mascot of our organization. I donated him and Roger was the kind of guy just like some inspectors I know would show up sometimes, and other times, he wouldn't be there and we didn't know his whereabouts. Then he would show up again at one of our meetings. No one would confess as to where he had been. But, I am afraid Roger is gone for good this time, as in our meeting in Williamsburg, Virginia, he evidently got misplaced. After an intensive search, he was nowhere to be found. I guess he found a place with the old Civil War Veterans. He will now only be remembered as pictured in some of our old news letters.

There is one other tradition that I guess I started some 10 years ago. I always nominate as a city for our meeting as New Orleans, Louisiana. It never wins, but I always nominate it. I try to be courteous and thank everybody for not voting for it, but someday, maybe after my time, someone will carry on the tradition and nominate New Orleans. If it wins, "Roger, The Retiree" and I will hover over New Orleans and say, "I told you so?"

Two people who have never been mentioned for their outstanding service to this organization are Jim and Ginny Creed. Working with the officers, they are always there to greet us and help us get checked in and give us all the information necessary about the meeting. There should be more volunteers like Jim and Ginny and we are greatly indebted for their services.

Writing this history, I was going through some of my old papers and I came across something called ^t'The CAA Inspector", which I changed to "The FAA inspector", which might be of interest to you. (see attached) In closing, I turned 80 years of age during this meeting, and what better place for me to be than among friends -- at least I hope some of you are my friends - and with an organization that is so near and dear to me. Thank you for listening to me.

John Vaughan

THE FAA INSPECTOR - WHAT A MAN

With Civil Service examinations currently open for Inspector jobs, applicants are offered this definitely unofficial version of the requirements:

Must be a man of vision and ambition, an after-dinner speaker, before and after dinner guzzler, night owl, able to fly all day and make out reports all night and appear fresh the next day; learn to sleep on the floor and eat two meals a day to economize on traveling expenses so he can entertain his friends in the next town.

Must be able to entertain wives, sweethearts, and pet stenographers without becoming too amorous; date waitresses, and at the same time keep out of the local Bastille; inhale dust, drive through snow ten inches deep at ten below and work all summer with perspiring or acquiring B.O.

Must be a man's man., a ladies' man, a model husband, a fatherly father, a good provider, a plutocrat, Democrat, Republican or New Dealer, an Old Dealer, and a fast dealer, a technician, a politician, mathematician, and an old airplane and engine mechanic. Must be a competent stenographer and typist able to do 50 words a minute and keep a ciga? going.

Must attend all meetings, air shows, funerals, visit pilots in hospitals and jails, contact and soothe feelings of every operator, student, and instructor in his district, and in spare time do missionary work and good will work; drive a Government Ford with a poop-sheet strapped to his knee and be readily able to compute mileage, drift, ground speed, gas consumption per block per minute, wear and tear on the tires and depreciation on paint job.

Must have unlimited endurance and frequent over-indulgence in wine, women, wind and gab; wide range of telephone numbers and latest stories. Must own the latest car, an attractive home, belong to all the clubs, pay all expenses at home minus Old Age Pensions and Social Security deductions.

Must be able to stick his neck out by answering all questions of operators and then pull it back before it's chopped off Must be an expert talker, lier, dancer, traveler, bridge player, poker hound, golf player, diplomat, financier, capitalist, philanthropist, and an authority on palmistry, chemistry, physiology, psychology, cats, dogs, horses, engines, airplanes, students, blondes, brunettes, redheads, etc., and still make his expense voucher stick the first time it is submitted.