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The DPA is proud to present our Fall 2009 newsletter!
Many thanks to Anthony Witcher for putting this together for us.
DPA Manitowoc 2009 Fly-In Events
Written by Leslie Stayer
Edited by Anthony Witcher & Todd Barker
Four deaf pilots made long cross country trips from their hometowns in Cessna 172s.
Leslie Stayer and Karl Kovach flew from Kentucky to the EAA Air Venture Air Show at Oshkosh. They camped there for two nights before flying on to the DPA Fly-In Events at Manitowoc.
Leslie and Karl standing in front of Leslie's C-172 at Oshkosh.
Then Mike Borland and Jonathan Leach flew together to Manitowoc from Missouri.
In addition to these four pilots, there were more pilots who participated in the fly-in. The eight deaf pilots and the airplanes flown during DPA Event Week were:
- Carl Callsen - local rental C-172.
- Leslie Stayer and Karl Kovach – Leslie’s C-172.
- Mike Boland and Jonathan Leach - in a rental C-172 from Missouri.
- Matt Olson - local rental C-152.
- Tibor Farkas and Anthony Spiecker - local rental C-172.
- Henry Kisor – Henry’s C-150.
Kent Powers, Doug Tong, and Randy Callsen were also passengers on various flights throughout the week.
On Friday, the DPA group began their annual gathering by taking a one hour bus ride to attend the EAA Air Venture Oshkosh Air Show.
On Saturday, the DPA pilots flew to Washington Island for lunch and then flew around Washington Island at the northern tip of Wisconsin.
On Sunday, they hosted a Youth Outreach Program at the Lakeshore Airport.
The weather was lousy on Monday for flying, so pilots and friends stay on the ground to have a pizza party at Tony's in Manitowoc.
On Tuesday, DPA flew out to Poplar Grove, Illinois to visit the Poplar Grove Museum & Estate Park.
Finally, on Wednesday, DPA hosted their annual banquet and awarded plaques to:
Jean Hauser, middle, for being selected to the
Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame.
Curt Drumm of Lakeshore Aviation (FBO)
for contributing his facilities for DPA
activities.
Carl and Lisa Callsen, and their son Randy Callsen for
their wonderful job hosting the 2009 Fly-In at Manitowoc, WI.
(Photos above by Doug Tong)
Also, Carl won the grand prize of a 296 Garmin GPS, generously donated to the DPA from Garmin.
Todd Barker emailed DPA that he has already started planning DPA 2010 Fly-In events near Boulder, Colorado. He plans to have antique airplane rides, glider rides, parachute jumps, pilot competitions, public barbeque, and beautiful formal banquet. This 2010 Fly-In event will be announced in Todd Barker's website; www.dpa2010.com.
DPA members, friends, and family members who attended DPA Manitowoc 2009 Fly-In include:
- Leslie Stayer - deaf pilot (Kentucky)
- Karl Kovach - deaf temporary autopilot (New Jersey)
- Carl Callsen - deaf pilot (local host)
- Lisa Callsen - wife of Carl (local host)
- Randy Callsen - son of Carl and Lisa (local host)
- Clyde Smith - deaf pilot (Illinois)
- Marla Smith - wife of Clyde Smith (Illinois)
- Jean Hauser - retired deaf pilot (Wisconsin)
- Betty Amderle - cousin of Jean (Wisconsin)
- Kent Powers - deaf pilot (Australia)
- Tibor Farkas – deaf pilot (New York)
- Anthony Spiecker – deaf pilot (New York)
- Henry Kisor – deaf pilot (Wisconsin)
- Doug Tong – deaf glider pilot (Hawaii)
- Mike Boland – deaf pilot (Texas)
- Jonathan Leach – deaf pilot (Texas)
- Matt Olson – deaf pilot (Nebraska)
- Mel Futrell – hearing pilot (California)
- Michael Lock – pilot friend
Kent Powers and Leslie Stayer show Jean Hauser's
Hall of Fame plaque. Photo by Doug Tong.
From Left to Right: Randy Callsen, Matt Olsen, Doug Tong, Leslie Stayer, Jean Hauser, Mike Borland, Tibor Farkas, Anthony Spiecker, Kent Powers, Jonathan Leach,
Carl Callsen.
DPA President’s Note
By Leslie Stayer
Before the sunrise Karl Kovach (my best friend and roommate from our college days) and I drove to the airport to prepare my C-172P (a 4-seat aircraft). We packed our things and noticed that it was very close to the maximum gross weight of my airplane. Then we waited inside the aircraft for the sunrise. When it came up, we took off immediately from Kentucky and flew toward Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Our main reason we wanted to leave early was to arrive at Fond du Lac airport before 10 am (45 miles south of Oshkosh). But we confronted bad rainstorms ahead and had to divert to nearby airport. We landed at Hartford, Wisconsin airport.
We found the airport office was closed and out of business. We went to another nearby business place and met friendly people. They offered us food.
About an hour later, we took off and landed at Fond du Lac airport about 1:30 pm. I asked one clerk to call Oshkosh Tower for instructions to fly there. They warned us that we had only thirty minutes left to fly into Oshkosh before the air show opens.
They also instructed us to fly on 18L runaway (18L is narrower than the main 18R runaway). 18L was for taxiing but 18R was busy with many aircrafts. We flew in and landed on 18L in front of many thousands of air show watchers along the runaway.
We were escorted by several moped volunteers to the campground for handicapped people. We found that area was very good and very close to the air show. We camped there two nights. Lucky, the weather at Oshkosh was very cool most of time. On Saturday morning we took off and flew toward Manitowoc.
Then after DPA Fly-In week we took off to fly back to Kentucky. Lucky, the weather was perfect with clear blue sky most of the time. I let Karl fly about 90% of the time, and called him my best autopilot! However, when it was time to take-off and land, I flew the plane myself.
He is considering to take flying lessons at a local flight school someday.
Deaf Aircraft Mechanic
By Anthony Witcher
Mike Boland
Photo by Anthony Witcher
This man likes to work with his hands to fix mechanical things. As a deaf aircraft mechanic working for American Airlines, Mike Boland is making his living working in the aviation industry. He's an airframe & power mechanic working on large commercial airplanes.
Also, he is a private pilot and member of the Deaf Pilot Association.
Mike was born deaf and grew up in St. Louis, Missouri area and went to North County Technical High School. He liked fixing mechanical things and thought that being a mechanic would be an exciting career for him.
When he wanted to enroll in the high school’s aviation program to become an aircraft mechanic, they told him that pursuing a career in printing was best for him. No airlines would hire deaf mechanics, they said. The school said there are successful deaf people working in the printing field. Mike took printing classes in high school and graduated in 1976.
He went to National Technical Institute for the Deaf to learn printing. He was hoping that he would also learn to fix printing machines while he works in the printing field. He also worked as a printer for McDonnell-Douglas in the 1980s.
Meanwhile, he lost his left forearm to amputation when he was in a motorcycle accident. He recovered and made adjustments to continue his life missing his left hand. In 1983, he took up skydiving lessons and has made many skydiving with hearing friends.
Mike had been hanging out at St Charles airport, which is outside of St Louis, where his brother was working. He started his flying lessons there and picked up 10 hours of flying lessons when he quit. He thought he had to use the radio. So he stopped flying for 10 years before his brother told him that he didn’t have to use the radio as long as he doesn’t fly to airports that require the use of radios. He went back to finish his flying lessons and earned his private pilot license in 1993.
Mike wasn’t happy working in the printing industry. He said there were little or no printing machines to fix. In 1990, he enrolled in the Aviation Maintenance School in Oklahoma. The school accepted Mike into the program. According to Mike, when he showed up, they said that he was deaf and that they weren’t sure how he could do well in their program to learn and work with only one hand. So he left the school.
Mike doesn’t like to complain. One day while he was sipping beer with his skydiving buddy who wanted to know how he was doing at Aviation Maintenance School. Mike joked that the school didn’t like him. The skydiving buddy, who worked for FAA, didn’t understand why the school turned him down. After Mike explained, his skydiving buddy was on the phone next morning giving the school an earful advice.
“Yes, I work for FAA,” he said, “But Mike can succeed… Yes, he is deaf and has one hand. Mike is learning flying and goes skydiving with me... He lost his left hand in a motorcycle accident. He can succeed in becoming an aircraft mechanic... Just give him a chance and you will be surprised how well he does.”
The school wasn’t totally convinced. They took a chance to enroll him back into the program based on the advice of Mike’s skydiving buddy. Mike enrolled into the program for 18 months. He had no problems with the school and graduated in 1991 with a degree in airframe & power plant.
Mike standing front of a Boeing airplane engine
He found a job working for Federal Express part time and full time for Trans States Airlines (formally known as Trans World Express for TWA).
In 1996, he quit working for them to take on a job with American Airlines in Tulsa, Oklahoma for six months. He transferred to American Airlines’ maintenance overhaul base in Dallas/Fort Worth.
He loves his job because he followed his goal to fix mechanical things. He checks and fixes everything on Boeing 767 and 777 airplanes.
In Mike’s spare time, he still flies occasionally in Cessna 172 airplanes.
Deaf pilots gather in Manitowoc
Published: Sunday, 02 Aug 2009, 5:24 PM CDT
Reprint with permission granted from Fox 11 News, Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
MANITOWOC - Most of us are familiar with the sound of a prop plane, but can't fly. Others have never heard it, yet are soaring to new heights.
"It feels really free. You can just see anywhere and go anywhere," New York resident Tibor Farkas told FOX 11. Farkas is one of the handful of deaf pilots who came to Manitowoc for the annual fly-in of the Deaf Pilots Association.
Les Stayer, president of the group, said many people don't realize that deaf people can become pilots.
"A lot of the hearing pilots are in shock with jaws dropped. They can't really believe that we can fly," Les Stayer said.
Deaf pilots say there are some challenges.
"The challenge is to be able to watch other aircraft," Anthony Spiecker said. "You have to follow the visual flight rules."
Since pilots can not communicate on the radio, they are restricted to smaller airports, where there is no control tower.
"I can't fly into Milwaukee unless I have someone hearing, another co-pilot with me, like an interpreter, to clear the control tower to land there," Tibor said.
The Deaf Pilots Association holds its annual fly-in in a different city every year. It is usually held in June. But this year, since it's in Manitowoc, the group pushed it back to coincide with EAA Air Venture. That's where some met Mitchell Lock.
"We all have the common language of aviation," Lock said. He is able to hear but said he had no problem communicating with his fellow pilots. Lock flew to Manitowoc to show off his home-built airplane. He said the Deaf Pilots Association sends a great message.
"General aviation is open to anybody and everybody," Lock said.
The next generation of deaf pilots agreed.
"I think it goes to show that anybody can do anything they put their mind to," 16-year-old Logan Wood said.
Despite their lack of hearing, for these pilots, the sky truly is the limit.
According to the Deaf Pilots Association, of the 13,000 airports in the country, only about 700 have control towers. The other 12,300 are uncontrolled and accessible to deaf pilots
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