Lots of folks, the most unexpected people, fly airplanes. Some have even acquired a fame of sorts after leaving our village.

Remember Joe Crosson, the famous arctic flyer? He is a former Warsaw boy. Crosson is still the far north's leading pilot, I believe. We'll write a column about him some day.

The former Ruth Grimm, Mrs. Charles Grimm Trees, pretty daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Grimm, now vacationing at Tippecanoe lake with her husband and cubs--boy and girl. Ruth was a "hot pilot" during the war, man-handled such ships as the Airacobra and the Mustang.

Graduated from Warsaw high along about 1934. Married a flying husband and racked-up 200 hours flying time. When the war broke out, she became associated with Jackie Cochran's early group of women ferry pilots. Learned to fly the heavy and fast stuff at Houston, Texas. This flying family, originating in Warsaw, hangar their crew at Indianapolis.

 

When a small silver ship circles a farm west of Warsaw, Mrs. Hobart Creighton puts supper on the table. Indiana's flying speaker of the house of representatives is back from another air-trip. As progressive as he is congenial, Mr. Creighton, owns his own plane, flies it himself. Has his own private landing strip south of Atwood.

Then there is Stanley Arnolt, who is not as "Wacky" as he'd like people to believe. In addition to owning something like seven going industries, airman Arnolt owns two airplanes which he pilots.

Industrial philanthropist Bert Anderson owns a classy four-place cabin ship, rides in it, but doesn't fly it.

Auto dealer Frank Hartsock is going to be prepared to jump either way if the airplane treats the auto like the auto euchred the horse. He owns a trim new ship. He lands it hotter than anything I've ever seen. Will probably plant the nose wheel three feet deep one of these days.

These chicken dealers are all fast on the trigger. Non of them let progress pass them by. Dick Manwaring of the Manwaring farms was a Thunderbolt pilot during the war. Manwaring Farms own their own three-place plane. Fly it off a strip just west of Mentone. The other Manwarings are learning to fly, too.

C. I. Bashore's right hand man, friendly, serious Bob Hogue, finds that Silver Lake isn't very far from anyplace he wants to go--for he pilots his own ship too.

Creighton, Manwaring, Hogue--these chicken boys deal strictly in FRESH eggs! Just to prove it, Warsaw fire chief, Sam Lowman, owns his private airplane. Stables the thing southwest of town on his farm--and he is Bashore's Warsaw manager.

There are lots more of these flying people to catch in a later column. They'll all agree with me that you don't have to be a little crazy to fly, but it helps!

Wheel Landings
Attention private pilots near and far. You've all flown over grand looking military fields with paved runways two townships long and a city block wide--and wanted just once to land on one? Well, Bunker Hill naval base is open to you. Now privately operated, has everything including a restaurant. They even ASK you to land on those big, smooth, beautiful hard runways. (Previous to now they practically shot at you for looking).

Paul Hudson soloed last week, is on his way toward a private license. Art Bayne, wife and son Bobby, back home after flying trip to Danville, Illinois--Art at the controls.

For you guys with time and money on your hands, the National Air Races open in Cleveland, August 30 and September 1. That's the Kentucky Derby of aviation.

Warsaw Daily Times Aug. 18, 1947

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