I wanted to forward several pictures I took this morning at the Prairie Aviation Museum.  The group of six freshmen students did a great job helping to clean the displays inside the museum.  We were able to save about 30 minutes to spend at the A-4 Skyhawk for some ‘show and tell’ time.

I am a 1970 Wesleyan alum and flew the A-4M Skyhawk during 1972 and 1973 with the Marines. Having the same type aircraft as part of our museum air park is a dream come true for me.  As you can see on the aircraft, I am honored to have my name and ‘call sign’ on side of the cockpit.
The boys each got to wear my helmet (issued to me 43 years ago in 1970 when I started flight training in Pensacola, FL.  It is painted in the colors of VMA-331 ‘Bumblebees’, my former A-4 squadron.

We have open cockpit days once a month (third Saturday) from May to September.  I think the Wesleyan group enjoyed their time at the museum today.  Hopefully, they will come back to visit and bring some of their friends.

Barbara and I hosted two freshmen international students last Sunday evening for dinner in our home.  One of them (Junru Zhao) was in the work crew this morning at the museum.  She is a young lady who will be double majoring in math and economics.  The other young lady in the group this morning was Haley Lower, niece of Bloomington councilman, Kevin Lower.