arizona aviation journal - july/august 2012

ArizonA AviAtion JournAl July/August 2012

Guidance AviationArizona Flight School Partners with Think Global to Inspire Students

1st Aero Camp Held in Tucson

July/August 2012 Issue #9

Lake Havasu City’s Steve Johnston

Lake Havasu Starting Point for Air Race Classic 2012

Arizona Aviation Journal

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Contents

Page 8

Page 23

Page 18

Red Bull Arizona Home to Team Chambliss Page 6

Guidance AviationPrescott Flight School Partners to Round the Globe

AzAPArizona Aviation Photographers Capture Their Passion

Giacinta Bradley Koontz Her Pen Takes Flight

From the Publisher Page 4

Annual Aero CampFirst Year in Tucson a Success Page 16

Lake Havasu AirportAir Race Classic Gets Arizona Start Page 10

Steve JohnstonPassion for Aviation Leads to Lake Havasu Airport Job Page 14

Cover Story

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On the Cover

Publisher/Editor Kim J. StevensGraphic Design Andrew StevensLayout Design Andrew StevensAdvertising Director VacantPhotography Kim Stevens Contributing Jenny WattsWriters Claire Stern Wendie Davis Grauer

Published by the State Aviation Journal9866 W Lone Cactus Drive, Peoria, AZ 85382. 623-326-1125

Photo - 1967 Cessna 150G sits in a hangar at D2aero in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

Steve Johnston with the general aviation ramp in the background during the launch of the Air Race Classic 2012 in June. (Cover photo by Kim Stevens)

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Photo by Jay Beckman

Behind the Lens

From the Publisher

I figured it out! Well sort of. I estimate that I’ve spent nearly 10,000 hours of my life in a dark room. You know, the photography kind of darkroom. Whether developing film (hurray for digital) enlarging prints or looking through the lens, I’ve spent my lifetime in photography. As many of you know, I most always have a camera with me. Kind of like a geek or engi-neer with a pocket protector - please no letters. What can I say. In every business I’ve been involved with and in every aspect of my per-sonal life, I’ve used photography to document, enlighten and amuse. It has been a creative release for me and I’ve even made a few bucks. Obviously, its a very big part of what I do now - publish several online magazines and web-sites. It is also what motivated me to feature an article in this issue on an organization called

Arizona Aviation Photographers (AzAP). They are a very talented group that have a passion for photography and for aviation and I look forward to spending more time with them. I signed up several months ago and partici-pated in a night shoot at the Commemorative Air Force Museum at Falcon Field in Mesa. Just in that short time span of a few hours, I was able to come away a greater appreciation for their pas-sion, their skill and their individuality. Photos from that shoot appear in this issue. I’ve already used a photo from one of the members for the cover of a previous issue and I look forward to including many more of their photos in future is-sues. Take a look at their website. I think you will be impressed. http://azaerophoto.com/homepage.html

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Arizona Home to Red Bull Team ChamblissBy Penny Rafferty Hamilton

In the sky over his 170-acre Flying Crown Ranch, Kirby Chambliss, five-time U.S. National Aerobatic Champion and two-time Red Bull Air Race World Champ, flies in his beloved Zivko Edge 540. He said, “I train constantly. There is no substitute for practice.” Kirby lives between Tucson and Phoenix with his wife and fellow pilot, Kellie, and their daughter, Karly. The airplane hangar and runway are in their own backyard. “Even before I bought the ranch, I made sure the airspace above the property would have a waiver so that I can practice the aerobatic skills and maneuvers,” Chambliss shared. Flying is a family legacy. “I always knew aviation was in my heart because at age two I was focused on toy air-planes. I would zoom and swoop them through the imagi-nary sky. At age 13, I helped my father build an airplane. Later, I became a line boy at our local airport. Later, I worked in baggage service to have money to build flying hours. By age 21, I was a corporate pilot in a Cessna Cita-

tion,” Kirby said. Chambliss became the youngest commercial airline pilot at age 24. By the time he made Captain at age 28, he was already looking at commercial flying as a “day job” to pay for his passion of aerobatic flying. According to www.teamchambliss.com, “Kirby is intense when he climbs into the cockpit of his beloved Zivko Edge 540. He is ag-gressive and has learned to go all out to win. Chambliss loathes second pace, regarding it as first loser.” Helping him win, the entire Red Bull Team Chambliss calls Arizona home. Jason Resop from Chandler is the crew chief and ferry pilot. He also came to aviation at a very young age. While still in high school, Jason fueled airplanes at his local airport, when he met Kirby. After earning his private pilot license at age 18, over the years Jason has added his commercial, multi-engine, instrument and flight instructor ratings. Because of his many skills and mechanic rating, Jason is the head technician for Team Chambliss. Also from Chandler, John Hanlon is on the team. John had his first flying lesson at 11 years old. He soloed at 16.

Kirby Chambliss jokes he has spent so much time flying his Zivko Edge 540 the planes wings are a mere extension of his arms. He is in the “Zone” with his Red Bull team. (Photo by Shahn Sederberg)


At age 18, he earned his private pilot’s license. In addition to a bachelor’s degree in Aviation Science, Hanlon earned an A&P license. On the Red Bull Team, John provides support as a technician and aircraft inspector for the Chambliss fleet of four Zivko Edge 540’s - two air show and two race planes. Also, a Beechcraft Baron serves as team support. Team Chambliss flew in 27 events last year to promote the sport of extreme aviation as part of Red Bull. “Flying is a passion and a career which should be encouraged,” concluded Chambliss.

Jason Resop from Chandler is the crew chief, ferry pilot and head technician for Team Chambliss.

On the Red Bull Team, John Hanlon, based in Chandler, provides sup-port as a technician and aircraft inspector for the Chambliss airplane fleet.

Kirby Chambliss


As a child John Stonecipher used to pretend to talk to police helicopter pilots through his wrist watch as they flew over his house in southern Califor-nia. Now, as an adult, he is us-ing his real-life knowledge and love of aviation to broaden the horizons of thousands of stu-dents across the globe. Stone-cipher’s company, Guidance Aviation, is the Premier Spon-sor of Think Global Flight – a non-profit initiative to circum-navigate the earth in a general aviation aircraft for the sole purpose of educating students. Prescott-based Guidance Aviation is a Part 141 airplane and helicopter flight training facility that specializes in high altitude training. When he founded the company in 1998 Stonecipher had a single helicopter and gave lessons in his spare time. Now the company has 18 aircraft in-cluding both helicopters and planes. When he heard about Think Global Flight’s plan to round the world, he wanted Guidance Aviation to play a significant role. Guidance Aviation donated the use of one of its high-tech Cirrus SR20 G3 aircraft for the nearly 24,000 mile flight. The company is also helping with planning and marketing the flight which is set for the fall of 2013. “Without Guidance Aviation this wouldn’t be happening at all,” says Judy Rice, founder and executive director of Think Global Flight. “John Stonecipher is so dedicated to

our future. It is a perfect fit.” Rice’s non-profit organization, Think Global Flight, is planning the journey as a way to inspire students of all ages and help them better understand the importance of the STEM disciplines – science, technology, engineer-ing and mathematics. Through the process they will also be highly engaged with reading and geography. Students from across the country and from across the globe will be involved in every step of the flight. Teams will be respon-sible for tracking global weather, global air traffic control, green technology and international relations. There is absolutely no charge for students, classrooms or entire schools to be involved in Think Global Flight. “We al-ready have 15 schools in the United States and schools in more than 10 countries involved” in the planning process,

By Claire Stern

Arizona Flight School Partners to Round the GlobeGuidance Aviation

Bobby Fields, Veteran with Mobile Veteran Center, left and John Stonecipher.

Gudiance Aviation Cirrus SR20 G3 donated to Think Global Flight


says Rice. During the flight itself students can follow the plane via the Think Global Flight website, Facebook page or streaming video and audio straight from the cockpit. Schools or classrooms wanting to be even more involved can become student command centers directly responsible for helping plan and monitor the logistics of the flight. The logistics of the flight are made a bit easier by the aircraft that will be used. The Cirrus SR20 G3 is highly advanced and, according to Stonecipher, well-suited for a round-the-world flight. It features Garmin Perspective, Synthetic Vision and a Ballistic Recovery System which includes a parachute that is launched by a rocket in the unlikely event of a worst-case scenario. “This aircraft has an incredible safety system, good fuel efficiency and is ideally suited for this mission. It is truly a 21st century ve-hicle,” he says. It is also the same aircraft Guidance Avia-tion uses for fixed-wing flight training. Its glass cockpit, ergonomic design, air conditioning and fatigue-reducing technology give pilots the opportunity to remain heads-up and paying attention to the priority of the moment. “We so strongly support this cause that whatever Judy needs, we are right behind her,” says Stonecipher. He wants to ensure that kids have something to be excited about. “Kids don’t have a lot out there to inspire them, so they aren’t as engaged as they once were about aviation.” He attributes much of his own childhood enthusiasm about aviation to the NASA space shuttle program and is concerned that with its sunset, the numbers of students interested in pursuing careers in aeronautics and aviation may dwindle. The Think Global Flight will enable stu-dents to “be an integral part of the flight planning pro-cess,” says Stonecipher. Along with Guidance Aviation, other flight sponsors include Women in Aviation International, Gulf Coast Avi-onics Corporation, aerox and X Plane 10 Global, but both Rice and Stonecipher stress that more sponsors are needed to ensure that the flight is a success. In fact, Rice believes it is the aviation industry’s responsibility to step in to edu-cate future generations about the importance of flight and the many opportunities available within the industry. As a 501(c)(3) organization donations to Think Global Flight are tax-deductible. Details about the round-the-world flight including opportunities for students to be-come involved and specifics about the route are avail-able at thinkglobalflight.org and general inquiries can be directed to [email protected]. Judy Rice, along with her navigator and co-pilot Fred Nauer, will start from Honolulu, Hawaii and head west ending up back in Honolulu with 35 stops in between – in-cluding a stop toward the end of their journey in Prescott.

Throughout the flight they will be directly connected with classrooms filled with students learning how the STEM disciplines impact every aspect of flight. Without a doubt, Rice and Nauer will be inspirations to each of the students they interact with from the cockpit.

Judy Rice with the Cirrus donated by Guidance Aviation


2012 Air Race Classic Gets Arizona Start Lake Havasu Muncipal Airport

Racers parked on the Lake Havasu City Municipal Airport apron.

Family and friends gather to support Arizona racers Tookie Hensley and Sherri Dwyer, both with the Rio Colorado 99s.

Lake Havasu City Municipal Airport was this year’s launch point for the 36th Annual Air Race Classic 2012. More than 100 women pilots from around the country descended on the community in June to prepare for the first leg of the cross-country race. Many more support personnel and volunteers

also spent several days in preparation of this year’s event. Hosted by the Rio Colorado Chapter 99s, this is the first time the Air Race Classic (ARC) has started from Lake Havasu and only the third time in the race’s 35 year history that the race has started in Arizona. Departing the morning of June 19th participants either had to land at or fly over eight different air-ports in seven states before reaching their final destination in Batavia, Ohio, a course distance of 2,300 miles. Other than for emergencies, the pilots could only land at one of those eight destinations. A lot of pre-planning took place for the race start and accord-ing to Steve Johnston, Lake Havasu City Airport Manager, it involved many of the airport FBOs, businesses, support groups, pilots and the city as well. “The goal was to make this ARC the best start ever, have three local teams compete and have fun in the process.” Johnston said all of the goals were realized. “In fact, we were surprised at how successful we were!” Johnston said the majority of the Airport Advisory Board volunteered to help out during the event by park-ing, inspecting and marshalling aircraft. “All of us that were

Continued on Page 12


From left are Donna Harris, Bill Rudolph and Francis Irwin.

Preparing in-flight snacks are from left, Dottie Holman, Lake Havasu City, AZ, Mary Holsenbeck, Albuquerque, NM and Virginia Harmer, San Gabriel Valley, CA.


Classic Racers, Kristine Anthony, left and Marlene Wessel represent-ed Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott.

involved continue to receive complements and thank you post cards from race participants and officials.” Arizona participants in the race included Tookie Hensley, Sherri Dwyer, Shannon Hicks and Pam Rudolph, all members of the Rio Colorado 99s, Marge Thayer and Helen Beulen of Mesa, Roxanne Beckman and Fran Strubeck of Tucson and Marlene Wessel and Kristine Anthony, representing Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott.

Johnston said one of the reasons that this was one of the best starts the Classic has had in years is due to the fact that it was a community effort and there was good communication before, during and after the event. “Our success was due to a great bunch of people who organized the event. The Havasu commu-nity made them all feel like they were family while they visited the region and prepared for the air race.” The race continues the tradition of the transcontinental women’s air race, first held in 1929. After World War II, the race came to be known as the Powder Puff Derby before being reincorporated as the Air Race Classic. Famous participants over the years included Amelia Earhart and Louise Thaden. The winning team, based on fastest handicapped speed, was Dianna Stanger of Fort Lavaca, Texas and Victoria Holt of Belton, Texas who flew a Cirrus SR-22.

Continued from Page 10Classic

More than 50 teams registered for this year’s race.

The first leg of the Air Race Classic 2012 was from Lake Havasu to Gallup, New Mexico.

Lake Havasu City Municipal Airport


Pam Rudolph and Shannon Hicks of Arizona prepare for the first leg of the race.

Left to right are Suzie Azar and Laura Pena-Pannel from Texas and Leah Dunn and Joan Evert from Florida.Airport manager Steve Johnston.

Team Snoopy in a Cirrus SR20 departs Lake Havasu for Gallup. Photo by Steve Johnston.

Team Red Baroness members Renee Brilhante, (left) and Katja Jourdan.


Early Passion for Aviation Leads Johnston to Role as Lake Havasu Airport Manager

Cover Story

Growing up one mile north and just to the west of the final approach to Sea-Tac International Airport, Steve Johnston’s first memories of airplanes were DC-7s, Boeing Stratocruisers and Lockheed Constellations landing and taking off from the Seattle airport. “When not gawking at airliners in flight I was look-ing through my Dad’s collection of depression era aircraft photos that he and other young people took and traded before WWII.” By the mid 1960s Johnston’s father had purchased a Mooney Mark 21, achieved his pilot’s license and soon after they were flying all over the west coast, Canada and Mexico. “Everyone got their flying licenses by the late 1960s but me,” said Johnston. “I became legal in 2004.” As a child he was given a great gift of flight, although at the time he didn’t realize it. “Dad liked to fly in the late afternoon and I always liked to eat large lunches. Needless to say I was air sick a lot.” As Johnston grew up, when others were focused on sporting events on the ground he had his focus up in the sky. “I started taking aircraft photos around this time and continued the traditions of my dad building and designing balsawood, stick and tissue, scale model airplanes.” After college and some non-aviation jobs Johnston went back to school and received a degree in air transportation manage-ment. “From there I got into airport management.” Johnston’s interest in airport management brought him to the Lake Havasu City Municipal Airport in April of 2007. “The airport is well placed by location, condition and customer ser-vice to continue to be one of the best general aviation airports in the western U.S.,” said Johnston. “Havasu is a tourist town and the airport enhances that role of the city. It is one of the gateways or portals to timely access to this region and all the recreational activities inherent in this area.” Johnston believes that the airport appears to have a bright future, continuing to be one of the economic development driv-ers for this community, generating additional jobs, tax base and revenue for the city. “It has property to expand both in aviation and non-aviation areas,” said Johnston. “Its use has grown to international status with the increase of seasonal Canadian residents here and the increasing utilization by international rotorcraft companies performing certification testing during focused periods of the year.” The airport is a major part of the overall economy of the city and an indirect indicator of the business health of the city. John-ston said there are three active FBOs on site, a successful chain restaurant and approximately 150 plus based aircraft. “This fa-cility serves the numerous flight training colleges, universities, schools and flying clubs,” said Johnston, noting that this part of the country is where many of the world’s pilots train. Johnston said the airport is known as a friendly airport. “Many

By Kim J. Stevens

Steve Johnston on the ramp of the Lake Havasu Municipal Airport during the Air Race Classic 2012. (Photo by Kim Stevens)

corporate and military flights stop in to fuel up at the gas pumps or eat at the restaurant.” Crew cars are available and allow exploration of the city or the convenient shopping mall across from the airport. “In the past four years we have been successful, if the de-preciation of the facility is discounted, in making the airport operation nearly cost neutral with significant reduction in city general fund subsidies,” said Johnston. Johnston says the opportunity to grow the airport, ensure its long term sustainability, compete for, plan and build Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant improvements here, are what really fires him up. “I really enjoy the excellent staff-ers, airport support groups, tenants and businesses here,” said Johnston. “They are a pleasure to work with. This airport is one of the jewels out here in the Mohave Desert.”


By Jenny Watts

First Annual Aero Camp a Success in Tucson While some middle school and high school students were participating in basketball, soccer, or traditional camps this summer, a select few had the opportunity to partici-pate in something a little more unique. 25 young people in the 6th – 12th grade age groups participated in the first annual Aero Camp held at Double Eagle Aviation located at Tucson International Airport (TIA). Double Eagle Aviation is a Part 61 flight school that has been in business at TIA for more than 25 years. They offer traditional ground school and flight training, as well as several accelerated certificate programs. The majority of the company’s students are usually adults, but for three weeks this summer their classrooms and planes have been occupied by a younger group of eager students. Aero Camp is a creation from the Flight School Asso-ciation of North America (FSANA), designed to spark interest in aviation early in young kids’ lives. The Asso-ciation cites the short fall in professional pilots within the aviation industry as the main reason behind the creation of

such a camp. Their hope is that by exposing kids to avia-tion, and more specifically flying, at an age where they are typically identifying what they want to do as a career, that some may then choose to become professional pilots. Aero Camp is a relatively new idea, and for the last cou-ple of years associated with flight schools mainly on the east coast. However, with Double Eagle Aviation offering the camp this summer in Tucson, it makes it the first camp of this type in Arizona and the Southwest. This is the first year Double Eagle Aviation has offered the camp, and based upon the success this summer, they plan to offer it again next year. Double Eagle Aviation’s knowledge of the Aero Camp program stems largely from the company’s General Manager, Jim White, who was recently elected Chairman of the Board of Directors for the FSANA in May of this year. “It has been great to see the kids get excited about flying, and to watch them forge new friendships,” said White. Furthermore, White comments that the camp has been a great way for kids to practice their math and sci-

Tim Amalong, President and Owner of Double Eagle, left with Whitney Egerton, ground school instructor and Jim White, General Manager.


ence skills. Math and science are areas where U.S. kids have fallen behind in recent years compared to kids in other countries. During their time at camp, the kids learn about navigation, weather and aerodynamics, among other things. White explains that “aviation is a fun way to learn math and science.” The greatest benefit from learning these skills is the pay-off. For the older kids this meant actually flying in a small trainer aircraft on four different occasions, and for two of those flights they were at the aircraft controls themselves. When the kids weren’t learning new skills in the class-room or the cockpit, they were learning about other career fields in aviation by participating in several field trips. A few of the most notable field trips included “flying” an F-16 flight simulator at the 162nd Fighter Wing of the Air National Guard, getting a tour of the ARFF (Aircraft Res-cue and Fire Fighting) station at TIA and seeing the foam truck in action and finally getting a bird’s eye view of TIA from inside the FAA air traffic control tower. Again, the success of Aero Camp this year is the deter-mining factor in Double Eagle Aviation’s decision to host the camp again next summer, and hopefully for many more after that. White said the camp will “continue to evolve,” and describes the next step as introducing Aero Camp Solo. Aero Camp Solo is a program designed to

bring an interested student with no flight training experi-ence, to the point of his or her successful solo flight in an aircraft. The Aero Camp concept proves to be a fun, unique and educational experience for young people who may one day become the next generation of pilots and other avia-tion professionals in this industry.

Whitney Egerton conducts a ground school class.


Historian’s Pen Takes FlightBy Wendie Davis-Grauer

Giacinta Bradley Koontz, New England born turned South-west transplant, worked in the 1990’s as a screenplay writer in Los Angeles. While on one of her documentary-research expe-ditions regarding the Douglas DC-3 airliner, the curator at the library handed Koontz a single, solitary photo. The photograph was of a woman named Harriet Quimby. Not much was known about Quimby other than she was the first American woman to receive her pilot’s license in 1911. Koontz had stumbled upon a treasure that would unlock the doors to a new found passion in aviation. In a pre-internet era, Koontz pressed on to find original con-tent that would tell the great feats of Harriet Quimby. Koontz who was a historic archeologist, turned avid, aviation historian, extracted information about Quimby’s life by going straight to the source - visiting places that Harriet frequented or where more original research could be conducted. Koontz traveled to places around the country such as Louisiana, Michigan, New York and northern California and created the Harriet Quimby Research Conference. This was a place where die-hard “Qui-mbyites” would choose an abstract about Quimby’s life, write about it, present it at a workshop and Koontz would edit and publish it in the Harriet Quimby Research Conference Jour-nal. “In that way, researchers from all over the world were

involved,” said Koontz. “The name Harriet Qui-mby caught on… from 1995 on I kept her in the limelight.” Eleven years later, Koontz pub-lished her biography, The Harriet Quimby Scrapbook, The Life of America’s first Bird-woman [1875-1912] in 2003.

Just like her discovery of Harriet Quimby, Koontz filled in the gaps to make the “behind the scenes” contributors to aviation her focus. Koontz shared that in the 1920’s and 30’s, public events were held on the beautiful grounds of Pierce Brothers Valhalla Cemetery in North Hollywood. A large, Memorial Rotunda that stood adjacent to Burbank Airport and Lockheed Aircraft Company is now the “Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation,” a location recognized on the National Reg-ister of Historic Places. Koontz served as Director and created a museum dedicated to the early pioneers of aviation: Bertrand B. Acosta, Walter R. Brookins, Mark M. Campbell, Rev. John

Carruthers, Col. Warren S. Eaton, W. Bertrum Kinner, A. Roy Knabenshue, Elizabeth L. McQueen, John B. Moisant, Matilde Moisant, J. Floyd Smith, Hilder F. Smith, Carl. B. Squier and Charles E. Taylor, (the Wright Brothers’ mechanic who built the first plane engine in 1903). As a result of Koontz overseeing the Portal, she made con-nections and contacts that led to a number of speaking tours. In 2006, at a speaking engagement in Washington D.C., Koontz met a man named Joe Escobar, then Editor of Aircraft Main-tenance Technology Magazine. Escobar enjoyed the stories Koontz shared and asked her if she would like to write for the magazine. Koontz agreed and went on to write a number of articles for that publication as well as others, including her current, monthly columns which appear in Camp Systems International’s InSight and Director of Maintenance magazine for which Escobar is the Editor. The research she compiled for the magazines aided in publishing her third book, Pioneer Mechanics in Aviation, which went on to be used as a success-ful textbook at a junior college in California. Because of Harriet Quimby and Charles Taylor, the quintes-sential doors of “behind the scenes” people of aviation made the “Portal of Folded Wings” not only valuable to aviation, but also to American history. This inspired Koontz to dig deeper and see what other sources were waiting to be discovered. After moving from California to Flagstaff, Arizona, Koontz was told that one of the original airports, the Red Butte aerodrome, was in danger and going to be torn down. This prompted Koontz to look into the situation and led to her being hired as the sole researcher to prove that the airport had enough significance to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, just like the Portal. Koontz’s investigation took six months to complete and once concluded it was found that the rarity of the aero-

Giacinta “Gia” Bradley Koontz

Giacinta Bradley Koontz

Koontz wrote the biography of Harriet Quimby, after seeing her portrayed on the USPO stamp during the1990s.


drome should be properly distinguished. Koontz went about her life, writing for magazines, but in the back of her mind thought about putting her research to good use. Six years after her examina-tion of the rundown aerodrome, Koontz wrote her fourth book, The Original Grand Canyon Airport: A 1930s Scrapbook of Life at Red Butte Aero-drome, Arizona. Koontz knew that in order for her story to come alive, she needed to get in touch with people who actually lived at Red Butte. She continued her interest in aviation and attended an Amelia Earhart festival in 2006. While there, Koontz met Ann Pellegreno, a fellow aviation historian and record-setting aviator who flew the same global flight as Amelia Earhart 30 years after Earhart’s disap-pearance. As Koontz shared her current writings, Pellegreno recommended that Koontz get in touch with Gene Tissot, the son of Amelia Earhart’s me-chanic who actually lived at Red Butte. This opened the door to an invaluable source of information. From there, Koontz’s book came alive. Her website touts that, “Every chap-ter is illustrated with images of Ford Trimotors, Travelairs and more Golden Age aircraft.” Koontz’s original research at the airport during 2005 resulted in a listing on the National Regis-ter of Historic Places. Naval Aviator, Rear Admiral Ernest Eu-gene “Gene” Tissot, Jr. (USN Ret.), shared personal memoires

and family photographs from his childhood years living at the airport and near Boulder Dam (now Hoover Dam). These stories and most of the photographs have never before been published. Whether you are a fervent, aviation buff or interested novice, The Original Grand Canyon Airport: A 1930s Scrapbook Of Life at Red Butte Aerodrome, Arizona is the gateway to bridging the gap of aviation with one

of our natural wonders of the world, The Grand Canyon, (the first national park to ever provide air tours). Koontz says, “This book is a teaser to the larger and more detailed story of Arizona aviation his-tory. It is a scrapbook of life

which gives an insight into this period of time and the relation-ships between the families that helped pioneer commercial aviation. Readers wouldn’t need to be an aviation buff to love these stories.” To order your copy of this book or to learn more information, please visit http://harrietquimby.org/pages/Grand-Canyon.html

Koontz with Bob Hoover in Van Nuys, California.

Koontz and Ernest Eugene “Gene” Tissot, Jr., Ret. USN Rear Admiral during a visit to the hangar at Red Butte (2006). Gene’s photographs are the centerpiece of Koontz’s book on the original airport at Red Butte, Arizona where Gene lived as a child.

Ernest Eugene “Ernie” Tissot, Sr., Amelia Earhart’s mechanic for her Lockheed Vega in which she made her record-making flight from Hawaii to Oakland in 1935. From Koontz’s book, “Pioneer Mechan-ics in Aviation.” Photo: Courtesy Gene Tissot.


AZ Aviation Photographers Display Passion and Skill

Joe Copalman frames his shot of a MiG on the ramp of the Commemorative Air Force Museum at Falcon Field. Inset - Copalman with camera gear.

In early June of 2009 a hand-full of photographers met at a Chinese Buffet in Ahwatukee, Arizona to form an organization for those who had a passion for aviation and for photography. Today, Arizona Avia-tion Photographers (AzAP) has grown to become a very active and vibrant organization with members around the globe.

Continued on next page

Photos and Story by Kim Stevens


Jay Beckman uses a wagon to haul his camera gear.

“There have been several changes since we formed back in 2009,” said Joe Copalman, one of the original founders. “The most notable change has been in the size of the group.” AzAP started out with a core of eight to ten guys, including co-founders Matt Ottosen and Dave Shields and within two months they were up to around 20 members. “We’re currently at 130 mem-bers, though maybe only 40 of those make up the active core,” said Copalman, referring to the guys who are ac-tively going out and shooting photos in their spare time. The group has also grown in terms of their geographic distribution. “While we started out with a membership base that was largely in the Phoenix area,” said Copal-man. “We’ve grown to include members in Tucson, Casa Grande, Yuma, Wickenburg and Prescott.” The group also has a fairly large number of what they call “sponsored” and “legacy” members. Sponsored mem-bers are photographers who live out of state but are in Arizona frequently enough to warrant membership, and legacy members are photographers who had lived in Arizona but have moved out of state yet remain active in the group. Copalman said these members span the globe from Japan to the United Kingdom. AzAP membership is made up of a large cross sec-tion of society and have varying degrees of experience in photography. Copalman said the bulk of their active members are serious amateurs but they also have quite a few who are new to photography but committed to learning more. “Very few members are full-time photogra-phers,” said Copalman. “Most of us have full-time jobs, and quite a few members are retirees.” “We have a very diverse membership covering the entire spectrum from beginners to professionals and I’ve yet to see a situation where a question goes unanswered on our online forum,” said Jay Beckman. “We really try to encourage every member to create and show their very best work.” Beckman said it’s very satisfying when you see another member improv-ing their craft or implementing a suggestion or tip and getting more enjoyment out of their photography. “I really enjoy the fact that the AzAP is a helpful group,” said Beckman. “Other organizations I’ve encountered tend to some-times withhold information on potential interesting subjects and jealously guard shooting locations.” At AzAP, Beckman said they all try to help each other as much as possible including sharing imaging techniques. Camaraderie is very strong among the more active members. “This might be a silly thing to worry about,” said Copalman, “but sometimes I get concerned that the camaraderie is so good that newer members might be somehow intimidated or turned-off by how close most of us seem to be when we have larger group shoots.” Although they may see some members only three or four times a year, Copalman said that when they do

Arizona Aviation PhotographersContinued from previous page

Boeing/Stearman Model PT-17 Kaydet


Vance Lessard

Chris Voyles

Copaland and Beckman with opposing views.

get together, it’s like everybody just picks up where they left off either on the online forum or the last time they were all together. “One of my favorite illustrations of this is a photo I took of three of our members in Yuma during a Marine Corps exercise,” said Co-palman. “One guy lives in Tucson full-time, another is a Canadian who spends his winters in Arizona, and the other lives in Yuma - and all three are laughing and having a great time.” Copalman said that’s a common scene among AzAP members, whether it’s a small group meeting at a local airport or 30 of them at a larger organized shoot. All incoming members are screened before they are approved and aside from verifying strong Arizona connections, the group also wants to make sure that prospective members own a camera, show an interest in growing as a photographer and won’t be an ethical liabil-ity when it comes to copyright or other issues. “The benefit of screening members is that it establishes a minimum stan-dard,” said Copalman. “Too many of the established aviation photography groups out there have been hijacked by guys with cell phones posting shot after shot of aircraft several thousand feet above them and often you can’t even tell what type of aircraft it is.” Copalman says the group has definitely grown but its slowed down a bit over the past 12-18 months. “I think that’s largely due to the fact that we’re visible enough at this point to have attracted most of the people who would be inclined to join the group.” Another factor that limits membership num-bers is that the group has maintained the state/regional focus that they started out with. “We still have a fairly steady stream of people submitting requests

to join, but most of them are from out-of-state photographers who are never or hardly ever in Arizona.” Since the group’s inception they’ve been able to establish and build relation-ships with several aviation museums, civilian airports and military bases that have allowed them periodic access for photo shoots or ‘photocalls’ that yield opportunities to get shots they otherwise would not have been able to get. The most recent example was a night photoshoot at the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson. “We had been discussing setting up this shoot for some time and finally approached the museum to let them know what we wanted to do, and they were receptive to it,” said Copalman. Some incredible shots came out of that trip, and according to Copalman, it exposed a lot of photog-raphers to true night photography, without the aid of the electric worklights that they’ve used during previous night shoots. “We try to set up shoots that are not just fun or interesting, but also push our members to develop their skills further, and the more relationships we establish, the more opportunities we have to do that.” Looking at the photographs produced by members (http://azaerophoto.com) it is easy to see the passion for photography and aviation that exists, as well as the talent exhibited. “I think what fires me up the most about photography

is that there are so many different ways to shoot images of the same subject,” said Co-palman. “A few years back, after one of our trips to Naval Air Facility (NAF) El Centro, Jay Beckman commented about how it was remarkable that we had 20 or so guys out there all photographing the same aircraft in the same place, yet all of our photos were dif-ferent - And it is pretty remarkable.” Copal-man says there’s a tendency among aviation photographers to default to a “reference” style of shooting, and he’s a fan of those shots too, but he thinks one of their greatest strengths as a group is that there’s a more artistic angle to what they do. Continued on next page


P-51 Mustang ‘Stang’ is let out of the pen.

“In my own case, I’m grateful for the opportunities garnered through AzAP to be able to shoot in locations that aren’t always available to a wider pool of shooters,” said Beckman. “Our visits to NAF El Centro [California] and the opportunities to shoot A-10s in live fire situations at the Goldwater Range

[Arizona], are always highlights of my shooting calendar.” Earlier this year when the Public Affairs Office at NAF El Centro contacted AzAP and two other aviation photography groups, both of which according to Copalman are larger and better-established and asked each group to submit 20 photos for consideration to be hung inside a new transient line building they had built. All three groups have long-standing relationships with El Centro and have made several trips out there, so each group had a pretty deep pool of im-ages to choose from. “We had asked all members to submit five images that they thought best captured the spirit of the base,” said Copalman. “We had five judges sift through all the submissions and vote on which ones we thought best represented AzAP’s interpretation of that spirit.” When all was said and done, the Public Affairs Office selected 14 of the 20 images AzAP submitted and apparently did not select any images submitted by the other two groups. “That was, to date, the strongest validation of what we’re all about,” said Copalman. “Especially given the competition we were up against from the other groups. Definitely a high point for us.”

Continued from previous page

Photographers

The CAF’s MiG 15 was one of several aircraft photographed.

arizona aviation journal - july/august 2012

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