Memorial

William “Bill” Barry was born in Staten Island. New York in 1958. He owned and operated Bill Barry Excavating, Inc. & Cresco Quarry in Cresco, PA. which he established in 1989. He had a passion for flying airplanes and also building them. He was a member of Most Holy Trinity Parish and was a Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus. 

 Bill Barry was the President of EAA Chapter 839 for a number of years. He flew ultralights and light sport aircraft including the Piper J4 Cub, which he rebuilt from the ground up to near show quality. Bill engaged in many other Chapter projects to varying degrees, offering his unparalleled technical expertise and quality of workmanship which was evident in everything he touched.

 Bill was a friend and a respected colleague in the Chapter. His knowledge and companionship will be greatly missed.

Ron was the chapter photographer. He was often seen at most chapter events. He was a big supporter of Kids Building Planes and was often at the build sessions. He enjoyed watching the kids learn about aircraft construction and he occasionally helped them out.

Ron served 20 years in the Air National Guard. He was a college administrator and professor of photography at Seton Hall for 30 years. He was active in the Civil Air Patrol. He was also a Civil War re-enactor.

In 1942, Dave was just 9 years old when he got a job with Russell Brown at a private airport in Pittstown, NJ. feeding Guinea Hens and Bantam Chickens twice a day for two dollars and seventy-five cents per week.

Eventually Russell taught Dave to mow the airfield with the tractor and gang mower. Due to the war effort, there was not much general aviation at the time. Despite this, Dave kept the field mowed as an auxiliary field for the US Navy pilots flying out of Lakehurst, NJ.

At neighboring Alexandria Airport, Bill Fritche was a civilian pilot trainer and owned a Culver Cadet aircraft. One day Fritche and Brown decided to invite Dave for a plane ride which ultimately became the start of Dave’s aviation career.

Dave was 12 years old in 1944, when his family moved to Clinton, NJ. Working for Charle’s Bootery for forty cents per hour, Dave was able to afford to ride his bike from Clinton to Alexandria Airport where he and his friends could get two-dollar plane rides.

With Dave’s father diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease he left the Bootery at age 15 and started working at Attaway’s department store to help support the family. He often flew with his friends in a “Bamboo Bomber” that they rented at Alexandria Airport for five dollars per flight.

Dave graduated high school and joined the Army on June 16, 1950. He took infantry basic training and became squad leader. He graduated basic on Sept. 26, 1950.

Dave did not move on to advanced infantry training, instead volunteered to run a fourteen-man painting crew to paint the company buildings at Fort Dix, NJ.. As most of the cadre had to go to Korea for the war-effort, Dave became a bazooka demo team leader. He volunteered for airborne and was stationed at Fort Campbell, in Kentucky and attended jump school in Ft. Benning, Georgia, in May of 1951.

After jump school Dave went to Camp McCoy, Wisconsin to train the Ohio Nation Guard in advanced infantry tactics.

After a short stint as a Jeep driver, Dave went to the Pathfinders School in Fort Benning, Georgia. He spent time training air crews and paratroopers on when to jump. Once the paratroopers were on the ground, the Pathfinders would set-up a honing antenna so the paratroopers could gather in one place. He then transferred to “I Company” and spent the remaining three months training recruits.

In 1953, at age 20, Dave used the GI bill to train in retail sales. He managed and worked in the Firestone Dealership from 1954 to 1960 where he met his wife, Barbara. They got married on November 13, 1955.

Dave bought a one-tenth share on a J4 Cub with $250 he got from the State of New Jersey for vets that who served during the Korean War. He was a partner in the J4 until 1958 at which time it was sold. He used his share of the sale for private pilot lessons.

Dave received his license in 1958 and flew until 1960 accumulating 60 hours. He didn’t fly again until 1979 when he bought a rebuilt Aeronca Chief for $3,500. Dave flew the Chief until approximately 1997.

Dave worked for his older brother for 13 years delivering equipment, erecting tents, and outside furniture for parties. He retired in 1990.

Dave started in EAA Chapter 839 in 1995. He rebuilt the Chief with the help of Art Schwedler, completing the project in 2000, and flying it until he sold it in 2007.

Dave became president of EAA’s Chapter 839 in 1998-99. He was president for two years, and in that period built the new hanger at Pegasus Airpark. Dave has been the newsletter editor since 1995, with the exception of a two-year stint where Tim Vallelli stepped in. The Chapter has a dedication plaque at the entrance of the hangar which reads:

"EAA Chapter 839 dedicates this hangar to J.J. Banks and Dave Morse in appreciation of contributions of energy, time, ideas, technical expertise, leadership, teaching, friendship, and love of aviation”. 2001

Bernie, as he was affectionally known, was a member of Chapter 839 for many years. He was very interested in small airplanes and love to go for rides in them. Having owned a car paint shop for many years, he enjoyed helping to build or repairing any aircraft project the Chapter currently was working on. He often helped out at picnics and dinners for the members. Always a gentleman he was friendly to all.

Captain Arthur “Art” Schwedler, of Stroud Township, Monroe County bon vivant mechanic and pilot extraordinaire.

Art was born on Feb. 16, 1927, in Rochester, Wisconsin, the son of Arthur and Gladys Schwedler. His lifelong love of flying and airplanes was kindled at age 16 when he had his first airplane ride with Paul Poberezny, the founder of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). Thereafter, he attended Northrup Aeronautical School, signed on as a mechanic for United Airlines, and subsequently began flying as a flight engineer for TWA in 1954. While at TWA he was upgraded to Co-Pilot and promoted to Captain. For many years he flew as the captain of various Boeing aircraft including the L-1011 to destinations all over Europe, Asia and the United States.

Art was a member of the Monroe County Housing Authority board and Stroud Township Sewer Authority; a member and past president of the local EAA 839 at Pegasus Airport in Saylorsburg; and a Freemason. As a lifetime member of EAA, he consistently attended and was instrumental in EAA’s annual Airventure shows at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where he helped create and was the co-chairman of the EAA Government Host Team as well as the primary host and conduit to NASA. In 1986, he flew to Moscow on behalf of the State Department to promote an aviation partnership with the Soviet Union.

His airline experience and mechanic credentials qualified Art to repair and build small aircraft, which he did, and to conduct annual inspections and certifications of private aircraft. Often, he was called upon by others for advice regarding the construction of small airplanes. He was also adept at handling, repairing and building all manner of guns and was a dedicated lifetime member of the NRA. In sum, there wasn’t anything Art couldn’t build or repair.

Accordingly, he was the chief mechanic and an instrumental member of the crew of the Riff Raft, which successfully competed in the annual Great Delaware River Raft races until that event was discontinued.

John was born in Wartenfels, Germany and he was the son of the late George and Margareta (Pfister) Vogler. John was a member of Chapter 839 and through the years served in many positions supporting it. He helped build the hangar that the Chapter calls home.

John was known for his fine woodworking skills and use them to construct a Pietenpol Air Camper. The Pietenpol is a simple parasol wing homebuilt aircraft designed by Bernard H. Pietenpol. The first prototype that became the Air Camper was built and flown by Pietenpol in 1928. John built the airplane from a set of plans. He painted it in dark green with house paint. The interior of the cockpit reflect John's precise and elegant woodworking skills.

John loved flying and was a long time, well regarded member of Chapter 839. He earned his pilot's license at the age of 17 and logged several thousand hours of airtime throughout his life. Anyone who met John soon learned he loved anything with a motor and he had the curiosity and ability to build or fix anything.

John was a well-known businessman  throughout the Monroe County area. Upon graduation from Bucknell University in 1976 he moved home to work in and later serve as President of the family business, Parker Oil Company, until its sales in 2013.

JJ was one of the Charter members of Chapter 839 in Stroudsburg, PA. He had been a member in good standing since the Chapter was formed in 1984. JJ was president of the Chapter for two years, Chapter vice president for two years, flight advisor for ten years, recruiter (he recruited over 20 new members), and technical advisor for over ten years.

He was the lead man on the Chapter’s Zenith 701 project. The project was completed and can be viewed on our Chapter website (eaa839.org). His overall commitment to the EAA was unsurpassed. He was the chapter “go to guy” on all aviation topics, but it didn’t stop there. His vast knowledge on many other subjects made J.J. Banks an inspiration to all who knew him. He was a modest soft spoken person and at times very humorous. When you needed an answer, you went to JJ. He truly exemplified the true spirit of aviation. JJ was always involved in our Young Eagles Program. He had flown young Eagles for ten years from 1988 through 1998 in two of his RV-4’s. He would brief the youngsters on the flight to be taken and then depart, letting the Young Eagle take the controls and find their way back to the airport. Can you imagine how exciting that must have been?

In 1998 he had a stroke that kept him from the left seat. Some folks may have stopped their involvement right there, but JJ continued volunteering on every Young Eagles event that the Chapter had. JJ fad fully supported all Chapter activities and had given his time freely.

JJ had spearheaded the following Chapter projects: 1) The restoration of a 1946 Aeronca 2) The building of an RV-6 3) The building of a N3 4) The building of a Quad City Challenger 5) The Zenith 701 project.

Military Service and Service to the Aviation Community

JJ’s Military service was with the 8th Army Air Force, Air Depot # 2, Warton, England where he spent one and one half years repairing aircraft from 1943 to mid 1944. When repairs were no longer needed due to the rapid production of aircraft at that time JJ guarded German prisoners in Reinburg, Germany. After the German surrender, JJ was sent to Okinawa, where he guarded Japanese prisoners until he returned home in 1946. JJ worked on the first VOR Station in Pennsylvania on Bangor Mountain in Stroudsburg. The station was named Tannersville VOR with a frequency of 114.2. It was functional from 1951 through 1953. It could be tuned in all the way from Washington, DC while on the ground. The station was too powerful and interfered with other stations having the same frequency so it was taken out of service in 1953-54. Frequencies were hard to come by in the early VOR days.

JJ went on to work on fourteen more VOR stations throughout the country, the furthest being Paducky, KY., constructing roofs and ventilating systems. JJ would fly three workers home each evening if the jobs were within one flying hour of Stroudsburg, PA. If the jobs were more than an hour away, his crew would stay until the job was completed.

JJ also flew from Stroudsburg, PA to Washington, DC to pick up Senator Rooney for a dinner engagement that the Senator had in E. Stroudsburg, PA. He did this in a Cherokee that he had sold to a friend a few weeks before the trip.

Personal Achievements in Aviation

JJ worked for Glen Martin, building the B-26 from 1941 through 1942. In 1946 he worked for ERCO (Engineering and Research Corporation) building the Ercoupe. Some of JJ’s other personal achievements were winning a Zenith model flying contest, held when he was in high school, at the 109 Infantry Armory. There he kept his model flying without hitting the ceiling or walls of the Armory for four minutes and twenty seconds. Five rubber bands, a custom made specially pitched prop and the correct rudder deflection were the deciding factors.

He said that was the start of his aviation career. JJ flew gliders with Mickey Meinhoff, who left Germany to work with the US Space Program as a machinist. He flew gliders, which were winched then catapulted, from Pegasus Airport. JJ’s longest solo glider flight was four hours and fifteen minutes in a Sweitzer 126. He said he had to come down because he was freezing and had to, you know….pee!

In 1986 JJ built a Mong Bi-plane which he completed himself. Also to his credit, JJ had built two RV-4’s; one in 1987 which he completed himself and another in 1990 with Jimmy Giatrakis. On the latter project, Jimmy bought the kit while JJ purchased the engine. JJ held a private, glider and instrument rating. 

Ivan grew up in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. At the age of 16, he entered the Marine Corps and served during WWII in America Samoa, Wallis Island, Abemama and Tarawa. After the war, he attended the Spartan School of Aeronautics in Tulsa, Okla. After graduation, he dusted crops in Oklahoma and Texas. He was hired as a pilot by Pan American World Airlines. Due to industry realignments, he flew for various airlines including Eastern Airlines, Trans Ocean and USOA. In 1955, he was hired by Seaboard World Airlines, a scheduled air cargo carrier, as a relief captain. In 1980 Seaboard merged with The Flying Tiger Line. He retired as a captain of the B747 in 1984. His airline career had taken him around the world.

In 1971, he purchased what was the unused Barrett Airport in Canadensis, restored it and renamed the airport the Flying Dollar. At the Flying Dollar, Captain Battern restored many airplanes and was known in the area by both locals and tourists for his aerobatic rides.

John helped purchase a Commonwealth that was flown and owned along with Art Schwedler and John Parker Jr. The aircraft now sits in the large hangar waiting to fly once again. John Sr. was an avid aviator who received his pilot’s license in the early 1940’s. John was a World War 2 Naval Veteran and the youngest Sailor aboard the USS Tuscaloosa. At age 17, while on the ship, he shook Dwight D. Eisenhower’s hand one day prior to the D-Day invasion of Normandy. John and his dad started the Parker Oil Company in 1955. John served on the Stroudsburg School Board in the 1960’s and 70’s, was a Monroe County Commissioner, belonged to the Monroe County Housing Authority, the Monroe County Solid Waste Authority, the Mount Pocono Municipal Airport Authority, a member of the Public Library Board and the Monroe Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Neal carried a Sport Pilot’s License and was an active member of Chapter 839. Neal flew when he could find the time and loved aviation. Apart from being an active member of our chapter, Neal also gave his time to community affairs. He was a member of the West End Radio Controlled Group for 23 years, a member of the Monroe County Bees Keepers Association, a member of the Old Time Tractors Club, a volunteer for the West End Little League and West End Soccer League, a volunteer for Boy Scout Troop # 98 and Cub Scout Pack # 98. Neal also ran a remote aircraft show for the “Make a Wish” Program called “Wings Full of Wishes.”

Neal would always find time to give of himself. All one had to do was ask. He was a true craftsman who always came up with innovative ideas when working on a project or helping a fellow member. Neal was a “doer”, a friend, and an inspiration to all that knew him.

Tom liked to fly radio controlled models down the middle of New York City streets. He met JJ when a model aircraft had gotten stuck in a tree at the Hialeah Model Aircraft Field near Smithfield, PA, along the Delaware River. JJ recruited Tom as a member right on the spot. Tom became a steady worker in the earlier days of the Chapter, working on the N3 Pup. He was instrumental in building an EAA Bi-Plane with 839. Steve was an excellent craftsman and model aircraft builder. Steve was employed by the New York City Police Department. His military career began when he joined the Marines after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He was in the first deployment to Guadalcanal where the Marines took Henderson Field from the Japanese. Steve was an ammunition carrier for the water-cooled 30 Caliber Machine Gun.

Steve was an original part owner of Pegasus Airport and was also an avid aviator. He became a flight instructor and would lend his time giving Bi-Annual flight reviews for the members of Chapter 839. Steve was also part owner with Micky Minhoff in the Glider operation at East Stroudsburg and Pegasus airports. Steve was also a military pilot and served with the Army Air Force in Panama when World War 2 broke out. He remained there until 1944 when he started flying the A-20 Attack Bomber. Steve then volunteered for Combat Cargo missions in a twin engine Curtis C-46 in which he delivered cargo to the Philippino Guerillas who were fighting the Japanese at that time. He and his Co-Pilot were momentarily captured while landing at a jungle airstrip. They managed their escape and flew the C-46 to a friendlier airstrip. Steve also flew the “Pea Shooter”, the Boeing P-26, which was the first monoplane produced for the services. In civilian life he was an Executive Pilot who mostly flew CEO’s.

Don learned to fly in the J-3 Cub and later went on to become a Naval Fighter Pilot in World War 2 where he flew Grumman Wildcats and Hellcats. Don then became a Night Qualified Fighter Pilot and was stationed with the Carrier Group which was preparing for the invasion of the Japanese Homeland which thankfully never occurred.

James worked on the construction of the Chapter’s RV-6 and N3 Pup projects. He later became a partner with JJ Banks on a Cessna172. James spent his military career in World War 2 as a Celestial Navigator on the B-17’s. His B-17 went out the night before D-Day to gather weather information for General Eisenhower. That weather report from his B-17 was the deciding factor for the next day’s invasion.

Paul was an active member of Chapter 839 who never missed a work session. Paul was instrumental in building the Chapter’s RV-6 in JJ’s shop. For the first part of his working Career Paul was a Police Officer while the second half was spent in manufacturing. Paul was a World War 2 Veteran and an avid aviation enthusiast.

Micky’s aviation career began in 1929 when he was entered into the Glider Group at Dinslaken, Germany. In 1935 he was enrolled in the Motor Plane School. In 1936 he took a flight instructors course for motor planes in Neuruppin where he remained as a flight instructor until 1940, while also doing glider flights in Oldenburg. Also, in 1938, Micky completed his blind pilot course. In 1940 he was awarded his Blind Flight Instructor’s certificate. In 1941 he received his Glider Instructor’s certificate and gave instruction for rubber tubing winches and glider towing. In 1943 he became a test pilot instructor for the German Air Force in all classes up to, and including, the Blind Pilot’s certificate. Mickey flew approximately 120 different motor planes, nearly all German. He also flew the “Booty Machines” including French, Czech, Polish, Russian, English, American and Italian. In 1945 he began flying one man jet fighter planes. Mickey moved to the United States after World War 2. He owned a machine shop in New York City where he also performed works for NASA. Micky operated a glider towing winch at the East Stroudsburg and Pegasus airfields and became partners in the operation with Steve Lakatosh.

Harold was a charter member of Chapter 839. He ran the 3M airport in Bristol, PA and later ran the airport in East Stroudsburg where our Chapter originated. Harold provided our Chapter with its first airplane kit, a Quickie, which was later sold to buy a 1946 Aeronca. That was basically the formal start of our Chapter.