Hi, Craig and Bob. It’s me.
Hope you are both into good mischief these days. Craig…please remind
me where you are located in FL? I know it’s north — and for some
reason the word “Orange” is in my head. Port St. Orange?
Gracie, my RV, and I are making June trip plans and waiting to find out
if I can arrange a meeting at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in
Daytona Beach. They feel our research is “interesting and important” and
a topic for an on-going (but intermittent) student research project on
the Non-Sked era. We’re in very early stages of discussing when and how
— but they’re interested in having the students do a video interview
with me about Veterans Air!!! I’ve suggested a meet-and-greet during
my June trip. We shall see.
If that meeting develops (and maybe even if it does not), I would, of
course, only be a “stone’s throw” from Boynton and Delray Beaches!!! to
visit Marilyn Gries, the Stettners … and your Aunt Mary, perhaps????
So far, First Draft of the trip has me on the road from June 6 thru
approx July 5. Currently, I have stops planned for:
Dallas to visit VAE families Noll and Chambers and an under-restoration Carvair
aircraft/modified DC-4 (long story)
TN (just north of Chattanooga) to stay with a dear friend
Atlanta to meet with aviation writer and expert on the non-sked airline
era who is encouraging me to write a book (no, no, no! please, no!)
spend a day at Airliners International Atlanta Convention renewing
acquaintances with some folks I met last year when I made a presentation
at their 2018 gathering.
Griffin, GA, (just south of ATL) site of 1997 crash of our first DC-4
when it was owned by Robert McSwiggan. I’ve tracked the a/c down and
hope to meet Bruce McSwiggan (son) who logged over 3,000 hours in the
aircraft (!!!)
Dayton Beach – Craig & Carol hopefully…and hopefully ERAU. That would
be around June 23.
South Florida – as mentioned above
Some stops along the 1,941-mile route to HOME .. total of at least 4
weeks, maybe 5.
All subject to change at this moment.
I wish I were coming further north, Bob, but this is already an
ambitious trip. There’s such a vast expanse of country to span just to
get where I want to go! I’ve thought of leaving Gracie somewhere East
of the Mississippi and flying home, but I’d miss her too much. I now
have full utilities where I store the RV and have converted her into my
research lab!!!
My best to all the Broughtons!!
Look forward to being in touch,
Gaye Lyn
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On 4/21/2019 7:20 AM, Craig Broughton wrote:
Gaye Lyn,
Good to hear from you! Carol and I are back in our Florida home now in the same county where Daytona Beach is. Port Orange is familiar to you because that’s where we met you for lunch at
that riverside restaurant called Our Deck Down Under (July 2017). Port Orange is about five miles south of Daytona. Does that help you get your geographic bearings?
You’ve certainly got a busy travel itinerary this summer! As to our
availability in June, it’s still somewhat up in the air…If you wind up
coming to Daytona Beach for an interview at Embry-Riddle, we’d certainly
like to get together again if we’re in Florida then. I guess we’ll just
have to wait and see.
Keep in touch regarding your travel plans and I’ll do the same as they
become known.
Take care,
Craig
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On 4/21/2019 10:24 AM, Gaye Lyn wrote:
Craig, hi!!!!
Great hearing from you! I will keep you posted. I’ve also added
Tyndall AFB to my exit route from FL (if they’ll let me in). That’s
where my Dad last served in the Army Air Corp…supposedly as a gunnery
instructor – which makes sense for a 22-year old fella from the Hills of
West Virginia! And it’s where Mom and Dad spent their “honeymoon” …
isn’t that romantic! Dad taught me to shoot with the same single-shot,
bolt-action .22 he learned to shoot. I still have it. My treasure.
But, my favorite, was his lever-action .30-30. I loved that rifle and
got pretty good with it. We’re talking maybe I was 11 or 12 years old
then. Sweet!
I did hear from Bruce McSwiggan in Atlanta and he will be there. That
means I’ll get to visit the our DC-4s final resting place. This is the
aircraft your dad flew twice to Prague and once to Warsaw. She was our
workhorse. Many years later, an owner converted the aircraft to a
Carvair ALT– made it look like a ungraceful guppy — somewhat like a
747, but awkward. Can’t find a photo right now. If I come across it,
I’ll send it along.
Happy Spring, Craig.
Best to you and Carol,
Gaye Lyn