The year 1947, first full year of peace-time aviation, has brought a multitude of changes in the flying picture, locally and nationally.

At the end of this busy year, several hundred veterans, dozens of businessmen and a surprising number of farmers have learned to fly and own airplanes within our Sky Writing circle, Koskoland.

Who are the owners and were do they come from?

Here in Warsaw Dale Duckwall, of Pierceton, keeps his Super Cruiser; Frank Saemann hangars two Stinsons' Bert Anderson makes practical use of a Stinson to ferry new automobiles; Harold "Dutch" Ford commutes between his auto tire stores in his own Stinson; lawyer Jim Snodgrass makes good use of an Ercoupe; Dr. Virgil McCleary finds recreation in a new Cessna; Stan Arnolt flies a Beech Bonanza; Freddy Strauss, Jr., has a Cessna, T-Craft and Stearman; don't forget the Air Scouts and their C-47.

Paul Lowman rents a Super Cruiser, a Stinson, an Ercoupe, three Cub trainers and two Luscombes; Howard Smith has a Swift; Frank Hartsock, an Ercoupe; Joe Carlin, two Cessnas, three T-Crafts; Jake Menzie, a low-winged powerful BT-13; the Civil Air Patrol, an L-4 liason plane; Rev. Paul Hartford, a Stinson; and the Brethren church headquarters at Winona, a new Cessna.

Just west of Warsaw, those progressive Creightons all fly. All I know is what I read in the newspapers, but Indiana's next governor might be an aircraft owner and pilot with Hobart Creighton owning an Ercoupe and landing strip. Right across the road, brother Charles has a slick new Super Cruiser.

Down around Mentone, there are more airplanes than horses left with the Manwaring farms owning a Super Cruiser, Dick and Miles flying and Charles learning to fly from their landing strip. Carl Zolman sports a new Ercoupe, based at Chick's airport.

There also Wayne Shunk keeps a new Aeronca Chief and a mile or two away Frank Meredith has built a new hangar, plowed out two runways for his Aeronca Champion.

Chick Herendeen owns a Porterfield and two Aeronca Champions and laughing added, "One busted up Stearman."

At Rochester there are 14 airplanes at present among them Russell Doering's new Luscombe, Harrison Crabill's Aeronca, Howard Dillingham's Culver Cadet, an Ercoupe, three Cubs, a Super Cruiser, a Cruisair, Stinson Voyager, Stinson Station Wagon, a Waco UPF7 and a Link trainer.

Scattered around this busy airport, off-shoots from it you'll find more flying farmers, Loren Cunningham and Harold Lazier, of Kewanee, both with Aeronca champions; flyer Hoover at Monterey and Curt Morrow at 12 Mile, both with private planes; Don Atchison, at Fulton, a Cessna 140 and Bud Hillis, of Culver, flies a Cessna.

R. H. Hunicutt, of Syracuse, has a new landing strip and plane this year; Roy Taylor of North Manchester, is the only plane-owner I can name, but there are 14 or 15 ships based there. Milt Fry at Plymouth mothers 8 or 9 and Goshen airport is host to at least 20 planes.

Even the busy little town of Argos, due west of Warsaw, sports a new airport, operated by Rev. Luke. He has three Cubs on the field. There is a landing strip at Nappanee, one at Bremen.

Sam Lowman, keeps his Cub Coupe under wraps on his farm southwest of Warsaw.

Of all the cities in the state of Indiana, Warsaw is one of five with an active member on the state aeronautics board, Morrison Rockhill. At least one top-notch airline pilot hails from Kosciusko county, Louie Meredith from Mentone-way.

that's a flying town, but the way with Max Smith, garage man, who doesn't own a plane, but can fly anything you've got.

One internationally-known aviation pioneer and present-day successful manufacturer hails from Mentone. Larry Bell, first with a cannon mounted ship, first with a super-sonic rocket-ship, first with a licensed helicopter too many "firsts" for me to remember.

Warsaw was second town in the state during 1947 to secure approval of its federal airport improvement plan signed the contract for the actual work in 1947 and will probably be the first city of the state to complete the work.

Last year also saw the development of the first super-sonic rocket airplane traveling faster than the speed of sound; saw the first helicopter commercially licensed; the first ramject helicopter; the first 8,000-mile bomber to haul 400 troops or passengers and Howard Hughes flying boat actually flew. I might find it appropriate to say here that 1947 also saw some of the air corps brass hats flying for cover when the investigations started, but these "stinkers" shouldn't be held against those hundreds and thousands of air corps men that turned in honorable, brilliant work during the war.

1947 proved that 55 per cent of all aircraft owners are farmers and that holds true in Kosciusko county. Merchants, lawyers, doctors, but no Indiana chiefs that I know of learned to fly here in the past 12 months. The Indiana state police department acquired an airplane and so did the aeronautical board, naturally.

It was a great year for flying expansion. It had a few bumps, but look at the advancements! Watch 1948 in the flying game, when every body does it. The sky is no longer the limit and visibility is perfect.

P.S. and The Daily Times became the first small newspaper to run as a regular feature an aviation column. Written for folks who don't fly--yet.

Warsaw Daily Times Wed. Dec. 31, 1947