UtahGliding History, 1927-1950 (Part 1 1927-1932)
INTRODUCTION—The early history of Utah gliding and soaring, as recalled herein by author Bob Meakin, who was directly involved during the latter half of much of it during the years 1927-1950, and pioneer Utah glider pilot Glenn Robinson, presents a quite typical cross-section of the development of motorless flight in the United States during the formative years of gliding club activity in America. - Harry Gann, American Aviation Historical Society
PREFACE—I was able to complete the research and writing of this history due primarily to an interesting coincidental quirk of fate—call it what you will. Emma Robinson, wife of pioneering Utah glider pilot Glenn Robinson, ministering door-to-door with a group of Jehovah's Witnesses, happened to knock at the door of one Margaret Meakin of Salt Lake City. Upon hearing the name Meakin, Emma asked Margaret if she happened to know a Bob Meakin. "Why, yes—he's my stepson, living in Southern California. " Emma quickly explained that she and husband Glenn were old gliding friends of Bobs, a pleasant surprise for both.
During a subsequent telephone call to me Margaret mentioned her meeting with Emma. Acknowledging my very close association with the Robinsons and staling that I had begun research for a Utah gliding-history article, I informed her that I could find nothing about a very early gliding club at the University of Utah. Margaret replied, "My goodness, my very dear friend and retired worker at the University, Vanilleer Marx Shafer, of Tooele, Utah, will know all about it. "
Her brother, Theodore 'Ted' Marx, along with her husband Frank Shafer, were both among the co-founders of that University of Utah Glider Club — brother Ted being killed in a tragic glider crash! "
With renewed hope I contacted Vanilleer Shafer. She gave me access to her well-filled photo albums and publications, which completely documented the University-sponsored gliding activities from the very founding in 1927 to disbandment in 1931 as a result of the fatal crash.
I then contacted a surviving family member of the other principal Utah gliding founder, Frank Kelsey, of Salt Lake City. His son, Jim, pulled out stacks of boxes containing photos and other historically important material relating to his father's amazing participation in gliding and soaring for some 50 years and gave me full access to the lot!
The final pieces of my research puzzle fell into place upon gaining access to friend Glenn Robinson's gliding albums and files. With my own quite extensive motorless flight collection at the ready, the stage was set! With complete research material now in hand and boxes of pencils and three-ring binder paper before me, I have authored the following article titled "Utah Gliding History —- 1927-1950, " which I believe to be the only comprehensive treatment of this subject yet written. - Bob Meakin
UtahGliding History, 1927-1950 (Part II - 1933-1938)
POWEREDBIPLANE GLIDER - MYSTERY SHIP, 1932 - A quite unusual (unidentified) photo of what appears to be a powered biplane glider popped up during examination of stacks of material in the Kelsey collection - a mystery ship! None of the few known surviving Utah gliding pioneers have a clue concerning its origin and history. Help!
U-1GLIDER - STILL FLYING, 1983 - On 18 March 1933 the faithful old U-1 primary glider. No. 8068, then flying the colors of a group totally disassociated with the University since the fatal U-2 crash, was issued another airworthiness certificate. Limited gliding was still being conducted from the south slopes at the Point-of-the-Mountain.
WENDOVER- GLIDER CLUB ORGANIZED, 1933 - The Wendover Glider Club, organized in 1933 at Utah's famed Salt Flats west of Salt Lake City, by Willis Orgill, Lynn Orgill and Vernon Staker, constructed a Mead Rhon Ranger primary glider. They paid $89.50 for a complete kit. This craft was assigned identification number 12761.
Flights were conducted from portions of the immense salt flats and sagebrush-covered desert surrounding the tiny, desolate gasoline-and-cafe highway stop at the Utah, Nevada, border. The Orgills operated Wendover's single cafe.
KELSEY-FIRST VISIT TO BOWLUS FACTORY, 1933 - Frank Kelsey made his first visit to the Bowlus sailplane factory at San Femando, California, during the Spring of 1933. Hawley had set up a modest shop in a barn at the family chicken ranch on dusty Paxton Street. This operation was on a somewhat grander scale than the Kelsey chicken-coop shop in Salt Lake City.
Frank's first trip was made on his Harley Davidson motorcycle. Subsequent trips would be by air when he began working for National Parks Airline, later absorbed by Western Air Express/Western Air Lines. His employment with this line provided a source of free passes between Utah and Southern California.
UtahGliding History 1927-1950: Part III 1939-1950
JOE LAMBERT'S CAFE— Occasionally, after a long hot day of soaring or when the anticipated north winds failed to blow, and if someone had a little spare cash left, the glider-gang would load up and head a mile or so down the Provo highway to Joe Lambert's sandwich counter and gas station. There, hangarflying sessions were continued in earnest over hamburgers and soda pop. Joe had been consoling tired Point-of-the-Mountain glider pilots for years and was resigned to not selling gasoline for motorless airplanes —- some tow car fill-ups at best!
Another significant Lambert event occurred from time-to-time. As pilots became more skillful at making modest cross-country flights, as compared to today's standards, and they were forced to land in some remote cow pasture or stubble hayfield due to the loss of updrafts, it became standard procedure to somehow telephone Joe's establishment. Once the errant pilot had pinpointed his location, the retrieval crew would set out from Lambert's with car and trailer to return the glider and pilot to the takeoff site, if the sun had not already set. Looking back on it all, those were the good old days!
POWERED AIRPLANE COMPETITION, 1930—Strange as it had seemed to the Salt Lake gliding faithful, there were at least three others in the area who had become addicted, not to gliders, but to construction and flying of powered airplanes ... "stinkpots," as Frank Kelsey often described such flying machines. One such unworthy individual had even dared to install a small gasoline engine on his home-built biplane glider. We never saw it fly - narrow escape!
Also, two brothers, Fred and Cort Rosenhan, operated an automobile repair garage in Midvale. They constructed a beautiful Corben Baby Ace.....