Aerial Bombing in Southern Illinois

Harrisburg, IL
Thu, Apr 17, 2008
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Southern Illinois was the site of one of the first aerial bombings.

A documented incident occurred in southern Illinois in Williamson County in November 1926.

"Bloody Williamson" had already garnered national notoriety during the 1920s as the site of labor unrest among coal mine unions, one of the bloodiest Ku Klux Klan wars in history, and gang warfare between two rival groups of liquor bootleggers.

The Birger Gang, led by Russian immigrant Charlie Birger, and the Shelton Gang, led by brothers Carl, Earl and Bernie, had been involved in a bloody turf battle for domination of the southern Illinois liquor racket for several months.

Their ever-escalating arms race had evolved from shotguns to tommy guns and even homemade trucks covered with armored plate used to shoot up each other's roadhouses.

The warfare turned particularly violent in November 1926 as a series of shootings, bombings, and destruction of property caused terror throughout the county.

Upping the ante once again, the Sheltons embarked on a bold plan to destroy the Birger Gang hideout, a place known as Shady Rest.

They approached a pilot on a barnstorming tour and coerced him into taking a member of the gang on an overflight of the Birger roadhouse.

On 12 November 1926, gang member Blackie Armes climbed aboard the old Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" biplane carrying several bombs, each made out of dynamite sticks bound around a bottle of nitroglycerine.

While passing over Shady Rest, Armes lighted and dropped three of the devices. Only one exploded, missing its intended target and instead killing Birger's favorite bulldog and pet bird.

Though initially stunned, members of the Birger gang fired back but did no damage.

The shocked pilot flew back to the airfield, let the gangster off, and then immediately took off again.

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The Deadliest Plane Crash - Runway Safety 101 - Learn from a 'Survivor'

St. Louis, MO
Thu, Apr 24, 2008 · 3:00pm
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LOCATION: Saint Louis University, Carlo Auditorium, Tegeler Hall

Capt. Robert L. Bragg, the first officer on Pan Am's Boeing 747 involved in the Tenerife Runway Incursion, will discuss the complex issues that allowed this event to occur.

On March 27, 1977, while a first officer with Pan Am, Capt. Bragg was involved in one of the worst aviation accidents in history at Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. Capt. Bragg's B-747 was struck while on the runway by another B-747 belonging to KLM Airline. This accident accounted for 583 deaths. For his efforts in assisting fellow crewmembers and passengers, Robert Bragg received the President's Award for Heroism. He also received the FAA's Achievement Award, the highest award that the FAA can bestow on a civilian pilot and the Flight Safety Foundation's Award for Actions during the Accident.

Contact June Leona Tonsing, (800) 322-8876, june.tonsing@faa.gov

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5th Annual Alternative Engine Round-up

Jean, NV
Fri, Apr 25, 2008 - Sun, Apr 27, 2008
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LOCATION: Jean Airport (OL7)

Forums and presentations all day April 26, located in Jean NV, awards and BBQ dinner at the end of the day.

Forums include:

• Auto Engines, PSRU: Jess Meyers, Belted Air Power
• VW Engines: Joe Horvath Revmaster 100hp R-3000
• Elippse Propellers: Paul Lipps
• "Cool Jugs" Liquid cooled cylinders for 0-360 and O-540 Bob Atkins
• Corvair Confab with Pat Panzera and John Moyle
• 1/2 VW Engine: Scott Casler, Hummel Engines
• Tandem Wing Gathering

If you are interested in alternative engines or just an old-fashion experimental aviation fly-in, this it the event for you!

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Sporty's Hot Dog Fly-In

Batavia, OH
Sat, Apr 26, 2008 · 12:00pm-2:00pm
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LOCATION: Clermont County Airport (I69)

A Sporty's Hot Dog Fly-In takes place every Saturday at Clermont County (I69).

Free hot dogs from noon until 2 p.m.

Contact Jason Pruitt at (513) 735-9500.

United Airlines Aviation Career Day

Carbondale, IL
Sat, Apr 26, 2008 · 7:00am-5:00pm
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LOCATION: KORD-KMDH-KORD

An all day event, the United Airlines-SIUC Aviation Career Day is designed for high school students in the Chicago area who are interested in Aviation.

The event begins at 7 A.M. with check-in at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago for a flight to Southern Illinois Airport at Carbondale-Murphysboro, Illinois.

The selected students will be flown to Carbondale to tour SIUC's renown aviation facilities, the main SIUC campus and, if time is available, the dormitories and the SIUC Student Center.

Students will be flown back to Chicago by around 5 P.M. the same day.

We are currently working on confirming the applicants for this event.

If you applied and have not been contacted, please email David Jaynes djaynes@siu.edu.

The application link will be put back up on 4/21/2008 at 1:00 PM to replace any last minute cancellations.

Thank you for your interest in SIUC Aviation!

Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 277 Hangar Hangout

Marion, IL
Sun, Apr 27, 2008 · 1:00pm
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LOCATION: Williamson County Airport (KMWA) Aeroflite Hangar

Hotdogs and hamburgers. Potluck, bring covered dish or desert.