Left to right – Jon Melby, Bob DeLong, Bob Walch, Earl Cuyler, Sylvia Nelson
Gary Woodbury, Vern Nelson, Jim Theobald, Ceil Iantorno, Jim Iantorno
Leroy Hurler and Steve Lambert
Not shown; Al Galvi

Field Trip Saturday February 28, 2009

Thirteen members and guests of SLAC met at the flag-pole at Cottonwood/Palo Verde and car-pooled to the Chandler Airport for breakfast at the Hangar Café followed by a visitation to the Chandler Air Service Facilities.

Member Jon Melby took the group to inspect his Pitts aerobatic bi-plane and explained the ins and outs of the plane and how he uses it in air shows around the country. It is a beautiful Black and Gold single passenger biplane of 340 HP. The cockpit is covered with plexiglas so Jon is somewhat protected. Although he sits on a parachute, it has never been used and Jon indicated he would never use it.

Jon Melby’s beautiful Pitts Aerobatic Plane

We then toured the facility of Chandler Air Service owned by John Walkup and he informed us of the background of CAS.

John graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1969 with a B.S.in Finance. He has ATP and CFI certificates with 24,000+ flying hours and has been a pilot examiner for 37 years. John and his wife, Diana, purchased Chandler Air Service and started operations on January 1, 1980. It is believed to be the oldest flight school in the valley and is the oldest with the same owners. There are 10 flight instructors, 29 airplanes, maintenance shop and 100LL/JetA fuel for the airport. The school does all fixed wing certifications and ratings. One of the more active aerobatic and tailwheel training schools in the U.S., CAS operates 4 Super Cubs, 4 Great Lake bi-planes and 1 Pitts S2-C.

John has formed the Chandler Airport Alliance to provide for feed-back to the City of Chandler from the tenants at the airport. Anyone interested in the future of the Chandler Municipal Airport can receive current information via email from John. Send your email address to chdairforce@chdairport.net if you are interested.

John Walkup in one of his Great Lakes planes