The Eagle’s Scream Spring 2025
Beechcraft T-34 Mentor · Other Documents
Overview
This document is the Spring 2025 newsletter for the Florida Wing of the Commemorative Airforce, focusing on activities, reports, and updates related to the Beechcraft T-34 Mentor. It highlights the wing's achievements, financial status, and community engagement, including educational events involving the T-34. The newsletter serves as a communication tool for members and supporters, providing insights into the operations and maintenance of the aircraft, as well as upcoming events and initiatives.
- The T-34 Mentor is back in service after maintenance and inspections.
- The hourly flying rate for the T-34 Mentor is $125 until January 1, 2025, when it will increase to $150.
- The Florida Wing is financially stable and actively engages in community outreach and education.
- The wing hosted educational events for local youth, including hands-on experiences with the T-34 Mentor.
- Donations can be made via Zelle, supporting various wing initiatives.
Document
Source
Originally published by www.caffl.org. Sprinkle hosts a reference copy with an added summary, specifications and searchable full text.
Document details
- Type
- Other Documents
- Year
- 2025
- Pages
- 12
- File size
- 1.1 MB
- Publisher
- www.caffl.org
Common. Rarer than 9% of the aircraft models we track.
Most owners only have the POH. Here's the essential set for the Beechcraft T-34 Mentor.
- Pilot's Operating Handbook / AFM
- Checklist
- Maintenance Manual
- Parts Catalog (IPC)
- Systems & Wiring
- Service Bulletins
- Type Certificate (TCDS)
Free — save the T34 MENTOR to your watchlist and track it in one place.
More Beechcraft T-34 Mentormanuals & documents
- Emergency Procedures for the Beechcraft T-34 MentorEmergency Procedures
- STEM Mentoring Supplement to the Elements of Effective Practice for MentoringOther Documents
- Elements of Effective Practice for MentoringTraining Manual
- INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR T-34, T-34A, and T-34B MAIN WING SPAR LOWER WING BOLT REPLACEMENT AND TENSION CABLE PER T-34 SPAR CORP. AMOC TO AD 2004-25-51Flight Manual
- National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Accident Final ReportOther Documents
- The Door man's lighterPilot's Operating Handbook
- Performance Data for Beechcraft T-34 MentorOther Documents
- Normal Procedures for the Beechcraft T-34 MentorNormal Procedures
- Wiring Diagram for the Beechcraft T-34 MentorWiring Diagram
In this document
Wing Leader Comments
Col. Joel Lonky reflects on the successes of the Florida CAF Wing, thanking members for their contributions and highlighting the financial stability of the wing. He notes the importance of teamwork in maintaining the T-34 Mentor and expresses optimism for the upcoming year.
Maintenance Officer Report
Col. Ian MacMahon reports on the T-34 Mentor's return to service after completing necessary maintenance and inspections. He emphasizes the aircraft's readiness for reliable service and encourages pilots to enjoy flying the aircraft.
Operations Report
Col. Zach Woeller discusses operational successes, including compliance with maintenance recommendations. He mentions the hourly rate for flying the T-34 Mentor, which is set at $125 until January 1, 2025, when it will increase to $150.
Education & STEM Report
Col. Eileen Simoneau outlines the wing's educational outreach efforts, including workshops for local youth. The report emphasizes the importance of community engagement and the need for grant funding to support these initiatives.
Finance Update
Col. Shannon Rubin provides details on financial contributions and the use of Zelle for donations. The update highlights the wing's tax-exempt status and the allocation of funds for various programs.
Full document text
The Eagle’s Scream Spring 2025 The Florida Wing of the Commemorative Airforce Newsletter INSIDE __ Wing Leader Comments I pause to reflect upon the many successes of our Florida CAF Wing. 99’s Introduction to 99’s Officer Reports Updates from wing staff And more….. T-34 N88RM on approach to KDED Photo Credit: Sam Knutson Wing Leader Comments -by Col Joel Lonky Photo Credit: Jay Selman As another year has come to its end and 2025 is just getting started, I pause to reflect upon the many successes of our Florida CAF Wing. First and foremost, thank you to our members and staff! It truly is a team effort to keep the Wing active, and I appreciate each and every one of you. Currently, the Wing is in a very strong financial position. As always, we are indebted to Col. Pat Foley’s Thornedge Foundation and to Diane Bauman for their very generous annual donations! Thank you, Pat, and thank you, Diane! Many thanks also going out to the Wing staff involved in the preparation and presentation of the Volusia County Grant application! Our pilot sponsors also deserve mention for their support of our T34 with their flying hours. All of these individuals contribute to our ongoing success. 2024 was not without its trials and tribulations in regards to the annual inspection of N8S8RM. Our aircraft was out of service for 5 months due to very important airworthiness directives involving testing of the wing spars and a propeller overhaul. This was made even more time-consuming by also needing a sample “coupon” for the non-destructive testing technicians to use as a benchmark for their tests. Many thanks to Col. Curtis Boulware and Col. Doug Scabilia for sourcing a manufacturer to produce the needed test samples when none were available. I am very happy to say that N88RM is back and flying again better than ever! The Florida Wing is happy to host our hangar tenants and the Daytona 99’s who are using our space for their monthly meetings. An article follows introducing this great organization for anyone who is not familiar. Looking forward into the New Year, I am hopeful for a renewed vitality of the Florida Wing with upcoming events and projects that will stimulate membership growth and participation in the Florida Wing of the CAF. As your Wing Leader, please accept my heartfelt gratitude for YOUR contribution to our success! The Ninety-Nines: Amazing Women with a Proud History With a long-ago established name that gives no clue as to what it stands for, the Ninety-Nines (99s) organization offers an interesting history and a fascinating story. Created on November 2, 1929, at Curtiss Field, Long Island, New York. the Ninety-Nines organization was founded by a spirited group of female pilots. Over the years, they have maintained their mandate of accepting only licensed female pilots for membership. The exception today is acceptance of female student pilots. Early organizers and founding members invited all lady pilots to assemble under the principles of mutual support and advancement of aviation, as well as creating a central office for maintaining files on women in aviation. But what united these ladies was their passion for flying. In the beginning, it was hard to get the group started. Louise Thaden, winner of the first all- women’s air derby, was elected secretary and worked to keep the group together as they established the organization. Women pilots were few at that time and were spread out across the country. Contact among the lady fliers was difficult. However, their foundation already had a prior starting point with the first Women's National Air Derby in August 1929. Flown from the starting line in Santa Monica, California, to the finish line in Cleveland, Ohio, the ladies kicked off the 1929 National Air Races (races traditionally for male pilots only). The eyes of the country watched as these brave women made history flying cross-country completing 17 required landings in 9 days. Humorist and newspaper reporter Will Rogers covered the event for the newspaper on opening day of the race. The lady racers – intelligent, courageous pioneers yet feminine and ladylike – were seen powdering their faces in preparation for their photo shoots. It was here that Will Rogers endearingly coined the phrase “powder puff derby”. After it went into print, the phrase stuck. But setting up this race wasn’t without struggle. Back during the planning stage, the ladies argued with race commissioners to have this race steered by some of their own rules. This meant total control of all flying and maintenance without any male mechanics flying along in the aircraft with the lady fliers during the race – something that the race commission had initially stood firm to not allow these ladies to do. The commission insisted it wasn’t safe. Keep in mind this was the dawn of the women’s rights movement with women gaining the right to vote, while having previously attained the right to keep their earnings and hold property. These determined lady pilots were not about to let a mechanic fly with them, losing credit for flying the race totally by themselves. Boldly winning their argument, off they went. Nineteen women started the race and fifteen finished. Those who had to drop out for various reasons showed up at the finish line to celebrate the achievements with their fellow lady fliers. Camaraderie and friendship were just as important as competition. Tired and worn out after flying all day, the ladies wanted only a steak, bath, and a bed. But every evening involved a command performance in a ball gown participating in the local townships’ formal banquet galas put together for the lady competitors (a practice abandoned on all future air races). The obstacles that they overcame to fly in this air derby, and the subsequent everlasting friendships made among the lady fliers, became the impetus to form a non-profit organization of women pilots. There are some conflicting details about how the club was initially started,
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but the one thing for sure is the organization’s name “Ninety-Nines” was selected for the 99 charter members. Today the Ninety-Nines are a strong international organization that still ardently sticks to the principles of only licensed female pilots – and the recently included female student pilots -- being allowed to join. However, they now have a separate non-profit organization called Friends of The Ninety-Nines for individuals, businesses, and organizations of all backgrounds who share an enthusiasm for aviation and a desire to support the lady fliers. The structure of the Ninety-Nines organization divides the membership into chapters that are part of geographical "sections" covering the United States and provinces in Canada. There are many other countries with chapters: Australia, France, Brazil, China, Israel, etc. The central international headquarters is located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, which oversees the high- level organizational processes. Procedural and leadership decisions are made at the chapter level. The Ninety-Nines Museum of Women Pilots is located at the Will Rogers World Airport, which is also the location of the Ninety-Nines headquarters. Housing a huge repository for resource materials on women in aviation and aerospace, this facility continues to grow in size. Contained at the facility are archived records, personal memorabilia, oral histories, books, art, films, photographs and biographical files. Close to home here in Florida, the Daytona 99s chapter is the nearest to Spruce Creek Fly-in. Chapter meetings are held quarterly in Deland and monthly social events are scheduled throughout the area. Author: Laura Kelly Find the 99’s on-line National https://www.ninety-nines.org/ Local http://spaceport99s.org/ The Reports Adjutant Report -by Col. Trevor Simoneau In December, the CAF Florida Wing hosted the Volusia County Boys and Girls Club at the Wing’s Hangar for a special holiday themed event. Each student had the opportunity to sit in our T-34 Mentor aircraft, construct and fly a foam glider, and learned about the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Also in December, the Wing hosted the 8th Grade class from St. Barnabas Episcopal School in DeLand, Florida, for an aviation education workshop, which included an engaging discussion about the fundamentals of flight, a pre-flight walkaround inspection of our T-34 Mentor, and traffic pattern flying in our flight simulator. Development Report -by Col. Patrick Foley The CAF Florida Wing considers to open its doors to other non-profit 501C(3) organizations who do not have a facility to hold their meetings. Currently we host the Daytona 99s. Their use at the CAF hangar is limited to the meeting room and certain areas in the hangar. As a side note, for those who may not be familiar with who the Ninety-Nines are, included in this issue of the newsletter is an article by Laura Kelly that was recently printed in the Spruce Creek Fly-in Update Magazine. Education & Stem Report -by Col. Eileen Simoneau In addition to working with local scout troops to schedule STEM programming and possible summer camp field trips - grant writing is in full swing here. Steve Simoneau volunteered to attend the mandatory Volusia County Cultural Workshop in March. Without his attendance, we would not qualify for the grant funding. Thank you Steve. We are currently seeking photos from any event in Central Florida with our planes or in the hangar. This does not have to include youth. Any outreach is needed. The grant also includes a 2025 calendar, so list your activities and events for the forthcoming year. If anyone wants to update their biography or photo, send in your updates. Please email EMSimoneau@gmail.com with your contributions. Deadline for contributions is 25 April 2024. Thanks in advance for your participation and representation. Grant funding success depends on a village of content. Col. Dave Lloyd gives one of many cockpit orientations during a rain delay for Young Eagles flights at our KDED neighbors EAA Chapter 635 photo credit: Sam Knutson Operations Report -by Col. Zach Woeller Florida Wing Aviators, from an operational perspective it has been a really strong year! Rallypoint compliance has been consistently very good and based on trends it seems that our pilot group has done a really great job at applying the changes we’ve recommended to extend the life of our airplane. I am happy to report that 88RM is back in service with a clean bill of health after a thorough annual. We are coming up on that time of year where flying weather is just about as perfect as can be, so the wing staff is glad to have the airplane ready to go for this time of year. As you all know from my emails it has been determined by the wing staff that an increase in the hourly rate for 88RM was required. It is $125 an hour until January 1 2025, when it will then increase to $150 an hour. This was not a decision we made lightly, however as I am sure you have all noticed the price of nearly everything has increased, and airplane parts are no exception (Especially Beechcraft!). This decision will ensure that our airplane has the funds it needs to stay in fighting shape when the inevitable maintenance squawks come up, and will help insulate us if (knock on wood) we have a larger issue we find during an inspection. In closing I would like to say that I have really enjoyed working with and meeting you all, through ground school or new pilot onboarding. I would like to personally extend a thank you to every pilot in our unit, both for your continued support of our unit and our mission to educate, inspire, and honor the history of the men and women who flew and maintained these airplanes in service of our nation, but also for your commitment to safety and prolonging the life of our airplane. Operationally we are right on track. Thank you for your continued support. In 2025 Operations will be transitioning to Mike Meyer. Public Information Officer Report -by Col. Sam Knutson Our Facebook page is being regularly updated please visit and like at https://www.facebook.com/TheYellowT34/ Our web site http://www.caffl.org has been updated with more work to follow. The plan is in 2025 to publish the newsletter at least twice and to become active on Instagram again. Please share information, photos, and suggestions to sam@knutson.org Finance Update -By Col. Shannon Rubin If anyone wants to Zelle money to the wing they can do so with the following instructions: 1. Send money to cafflwing@gmail.com NOT my cell phone number 2. In the memo/description of the transaction state the allocation (ie. T6 insurance, T34 Flight time, General Donation) 3. Either email me a donation form (attached) OR email me the name, address and colonel number of the donor. For those who don't know, Zelle is a payment system offered by our bank (PNC) and many others. The monies are immediately direct deposited into our Operating Account. If the funds received are for the aircraft accounts I can easily transfer the monies over to that account. Zelle just became a free service to us. Now folks can't say "I forgot my checkbook...." Try it out with a donation to the wing! You can specify where the money goes as well, such as STEM programs, the T34, the T6 or general operations. Remember your donations are of course tax deductible as we are a 501(c3) Wing Staff Officers Wing Leader CAF Col. Joel Lonky Jlonky@gmail.com 407-733-8276 Executive Officer CAF Col. David Lloyd david.lloyd416@gmail.com 386-795-7535 Adjutant CAF Col. Trevor Simoneau tsimoneau01@gmail.com 386-837-9233 Operations Officer CAF Mike Meyer Michael.meyer657@gmail 386-624-1942 Maintenance Officer CAF Col. Ian MacMahon 407-715-2262 Finance Officer CAF Col. Shannon Rubin shannon@sunshineaccounting.org 321-264-5959 Public Information CAF Col. Sam Knutson sam@knutson.org 301-996-1318 Bus. Development CAF Col. Pat Foley pat.foley@gmail.com Safety Officer CAF Col Mike Miller Education Officer CAF Col. Eileen Simoneau Maintenance Officer Report -by Col. Ian MacMahon As always, I’m happy to be involved in the continuing support of the CAF and their aircraft. It’s great to have the T-34 returned to service in good standing in a condition fit for continued reliable service. Now go fly and enjoy her! That what all the work is for! Col. Ian MacMahon Wing Information: Address: 1570 Old NDB Road Deland, FL 32724 Website: CAFFL.Org Hours of Operation: Bob Robbins Library Butch Stevens Education Hanger Open selected Saturdays 10-2 please reach out before arriving when meetings are not scheduled