SOHS will mark the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers with local artifacts

Gripping the wheel with both hands, Dawna Curler fought to retain control of the bucking aircraft.

But the compass was going haywire, along with the air speed indicator and the array of other instruments.

"You have to learn to fly by the seat of your pants, Dawna!" yelled Sams Valley area resident Warren Dunning, a pilot who owns of the old Link trainer simulator that was originally used to prepare fighter pilots for aerial battles in World War II.

Curler, who says it was like taking a ride at the county fair, isn’t a would-be fighter pilot preparing for war: She is the interim program coordinator for the Southern Oregon Historical Society, which is getting ready to launch an impressive exhibit on aviation history.

"Celebrating Flight: A History of Aviation in Southern Oregon" begins Saturday at SOHS’s History Center in Medford.

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In addition to the trainer, there are countless airplane models, aviation artifacts, oral histories of local old-timers, a flightsuit used by a female wingwalker for local stunt pilot Bill Warren, even a smokejumper suit used by Forest Service airborne firefighters.

Most of the material for the exhibit, which will be on display for a year to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers first flight, was loaned by local residents, said John Enders, SOHS executive director.

"We’re trying very much to wow the younger kids as well as the ‘older’ kids with this," Enders said. "We’ve had gentlemen in here consulting with us who are in their 80s. They are thrilled about this, and we are thrilled to bring it alive for them."

Aviators began landing in the Medford area a few years after the Wrights’ first flight on Dec. 17, 1903, observed collections curator Steve Wyatt.

The first plane to drop in on in Medford arrived in June 1908. Eugene Ely, the pilot, had intended to offer locals a ride in his aircraft, Wyatt said.

"But he couldn’t get off the ground that time," Wyatt said.

But Ely returned in 1910 and again in 1911 with a more reliable plane which did get locals off the ground, he said.

Located halfway between Seattle and San Francisco, Medford proved to be strategically located for pilots, he said.

"Geographically, Medford was the ideal location for an airport for going up and down the West Coast," he said, noting that Medford had the first publicly owned airport in Oregon.

The blue and yellow trainer reflected the difficulties of precomputer flight.

"The old airplanes had needle, ball and compass — that was flying by the seat of your pants," explained Dunning, 71.

He bought two trainers from a fellow in Ashland, then worked with the local chapters of the Civil Air Patrol and the Experimental Aircraft Association to put together a simulator.

Mardell Day, 75, a member of the EAA, was helping set up the simulator this week at SOHS. He and fellow EAA members have spruced up the simulator a bit, adding a propeller and wheels.

Day also replaced some old parts to keep the trainer functioning properly. For instance, he put in a small air compressor to replace an old vacuum pump.

"This was a great tool for training during World War II," Dunning said. "They had short ground schools in those days because there was such a demand for pilots.

"Originally, it was an instrument-rated trainer with a canopy and door that enclosed you in complete darkness," he added.

Outside were controls for the instructor to put the trainee through his or her paces.

"The instructor could program different scenarios — lightning, wind, probably a blown out tire," he said. "The pilot had to make corrections to keep flying or land safely."

Museums open their doors to the wings of imagination

The center, operated by the Southern Oregon Historical Society, is at 106 N. Central Ave.

The center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays, with holiday closures Dec. 24, 25 and 31 and Jan. 1, 2004.

Admission is by donation with a suggested donation of $5.

Saturday’s activities will include a new collaboration between the historical society and ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum in Ashland, when the WingZinger, ScienceWorks’ state-of-the-art paper airplane launcher, will be on loan to the society.

ScienceWorks’ science of aviation exhibit, "Take Flight," opens Dec. 13.

Sponsors of "Celebrating Flight" are Horizon Air, KOGAP Enterprises and the Jackson County Airport Authority.

Tickets for a raffle of two pairs of Horizon Air tickets, donated by the airline and valued at up to $400 per ticket, are available for purchase for $5 each or five for $20. They can be purchased during museum hours, at other SOHS sites and events and from supporters of the organization. Proceeds from the raffle help fund the new exhibit.

Call 773-6536 or visit www.sohs.org for more information about historical society.

Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at pfattig@mailtribune.com