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| OX5 Aviation Pioneers to hold National Convention in Denver Sept. 20-23 | Sep '06 |
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| By Charles W. Holmes |
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The OX5 Aviation Pioneers' Mile High Wing will host the organization's national convention September 20-23.
Cliff Ball, at the time manager of Greater Pittsburgh Airport, founded the organization in 1955. The OX5 Aviation Pioneers was originally made up of men and women who flew aircraft powered by the Curtiss OX5 engine, or who had worked in maintenance of these pioneer engines. Membership rose to more than 4,000 members in the late 1950s, and maintained itself through later years.
By its very nature, this organization is shrinking because of the loss of its membership of persons associated with the antique engine. In 1989, the historian membership was started. It enabled members to be chosen from interested persons who had no OX5 experience, but who were trying to keep this aviation history organization alive. Today, many of the wings are populated mostly with these younger members, no longer called historians.
The Mile High Wing has an OX5 engine on display at the Wings Over the Rockies Museum at Lowry. It's shown next to an Alexander Eaglerock with its OX5 engine, owned by the Colorado Aviation Historical Society.
The Mile High Wing held a national convention in 1978, headed by Oliver Phillips. The convention this year will be held at the Holiday Inn South at Centennial Airport. One of the highlights will be a field trip to Adam Aircraft on September 23.
For information, contact Chuck Holmes (treasurer) at 970-353-1811 or chuckavhist@peoplepc.com, or Bob Taylor (president) at 303-651-6692 or coloradogold@msn.com.
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