Theodore (Ted) R. Heineman

Member, Grampaw Pettibone Squadron

HISTORY OF THE WRIGHT BROTHERS EARLY FLIGHT EFFORTS

About Our Speaker for the November Meeting

In May 1922, my parents left Boeing in Seattle and proceeded to Saginaw, Michigan via the northern route in a Tin Lizzie(Model T). I arrived in November. During the early years, I was involved in sports, playing the
baritone, and scouting, eventually becoming an Eagle Scout. In high school, I played football and was the drum major. I enrolled at General Motors Tech in 1941, transferred to Michigan State in 1942, and signed up for the V5 Program. I was activated in August 1943 and commissioned as an Ensign/Air Navigator July 30, 1945.

The first operational assignment was on a seaplane tender (AV-7 Currituck) on the West Coast. I married Virginia Stawarz and was eventually released from active duty in July 1946. I enrolled at Michigan State University and received a BS in Civil Engineering in 1949. During this interval, I was in a Reserve R4D
Squadron and then transferred to a PBM Mariner Squadron (VP-731) at Grosse Isle. We were activated in 1950 and patrolled the Formosa Straights every night for nine months. I then received APS-20 radar training and was assigned to VS-931 which was flying the Grumman Guardians aboard the CVE Sicily on the West Coast. Being an Air Controller on a Guardian was a lot more exciting than being a navigator on the dinosaur Mariner. The Guardians were doing ASW and Recon for the fleet. During this interval, I experienced a barrier arrest and had to evacuate an up-ended aircraft.

I was released from active duty in May 1953 as a Lieutenant and designated NFO (Naval Flight Officer) Number 57. Ginny and I remained in California and raised a boy and three girls. She became a teacher and I became a General Contractor of all types of buildings. I also manufactured a line of soft luggage. All my leisure time was spent flying. I had my own Luscombe for 14 years and managed to accumulate 2200 hours
flying 110 types of aircraft. Also got involved with the Neptune Society or as I call it, "The Eveready One Way Airline". I currently own two vintage aircraft; a 1945 Culver PQ-14 and a 1946 Commonwealth Skyranger. My 82 turns around the sun have been challenging, exciting, and frustrating, but extremely satisfying.

I became very interested in the Wright Brothers as a result of a visit to Kittyhawk while attending the 1995 ANA National Convention in Virginia Beach. Since then, I have read every book about them that I could get hold of. I havealso visited Dearborn Village in Michigan that holds the original Wright Brothers Bicycle Shop as well as many other Wright artifacts that were purchased by Henry Ford. Doc Helton and I also attended the first flight centennial at Kill Devil Hill last December. Note the book report on "Kill Devil Hill" by Gary Colms and Martin Caiden elsewhere in this OP-Plan issue. I believe this to be the best book on the Wright Brothers.