By Marguerite Sand
Times-Union Women's Editor
Vivacious and strikingly beautiful Dora Carlin, pictured
left, has an important role in the advancement of aviation in
Warsaw and surrounding area. Working with her husband Joe, she
has seen a pasture field developed until it has become an efficiently
run airport, accommodating local business men, flying enthusiasts
and transit aircraft.
All members of Dora's family, from Joe to 11-year-old Fritz and
Betty Jo, who is seven, are air-minded. Fritz and Betty Jo have
been flying since they were babies. Young Fritz, who is a sixth
grader at Center Ward, can pilot a plane, operating the dual controls
when flying with his father. He is not yet quite tall enough to
reach the rudder but time will cure that and by the time he is
16 and allowed to solo, he will have been a veteran for a number
of years.
Fritz used to confound adults when at the ripe old age of four
he could identify planes. The story is told that one day he visited
another airport with his father. After inspecting all the hangars,
he returned and ask who owned the Fairchild. There is no Fairchild
on the field Fritz was informed. Unimpressed, Fritz took the doubting
one to the hanger, and sure enough there was the Fairchild. Few
people questioned Fritz following that episode.
Pastor's Daughter
Dora who was born in Advance, Indiana and spent most of her youth
in Des Moines, Iowa, is the daughter of a Congregational Christian
minister. Her parents, Rev. and Mrs. O. B. Rector, live in Muncie.
She has two brothers who live at Muncie and Duluth, and a sister,
Mrs. Jerry Lessig, of Warsaw. The Rector family moved to Sidney
and Dora attended school there her senior year.
It was a year later that Dora met Joe Carlin, whose family also
lived near Sydney. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Milton Carlin, and
two sisters, Mrs. Vern Ross and Mrs. Lawrence Ross still live
in that community. A brother, Loren (Pete) Carlin, lives in Warsaw,
another, Winburn, at Goshen and a sister, Mrs. Ann Greewalt at
Elkhart.
At the time when Joe and Dora became acquainted, Joe was learning
to fly. Six months after they were married he went to Galesburg,
Illinois to get an instructor's rating at the regular commercial
flight school there. The training proved to be worthwhile. In
1942 with America at war, Joe became a civilian flight instructor,
giving primary and basic flight instruction to air corps cadets
at Carlson's field, Arcadia, Florida. The three years Joe was
at Arcadia, Dora was with him.
As the war progressed there was need for air transport command
pilots. Doro returned to Muncie. Joe went to Memphis, Tennessee
where he learned to fly heavy twin and four-engine aircraft. Once
this training was completed the demand had lessened. He returned
to Carlson field, this time training new flight instructors and
aerobatics.
Once Japan was defeated, Joe's work was done and he and his family
came to Warsaw. Doro said he had always planned to have his own
flight service. Starting on a shoestring, and with but one plane
a Tailorcraft, Joe went to work for himself at Smith airport,
also located on Road 15, north.
Struggling Start
It was at Smith airfield that Dora became interested. Because
Joe's work demanded long hours, there was little time for the
family to be together. Joe needed help and so it was that the
business became a family enterprise. Doro laughed when she recalled
how they would each day, gather Fritz' baby paraphernalia together,
including a playpen and take off for the airport.
At first Dora did general office work: kept records. When the
veterans flight training program was introduced, and as Joe had
more and more students, Dora's work increased.
In the meantime city officials were planning a municipal airport.
They purchased a site on road 15 north and named it Warsaw Memorial
Airport in memory of men who died in service during World War
II. In late 1946 and early 1947, runways were graded and the Carlin's
moved their business to the city airport.
At first it was not easy. There were no buildings on the grounds.
Going to work with a will, Joe build an office building and hanger.
This and training approximately 50 veteran student pilots was
more than a full-time job. Backing him was Dora, who let Joe handle
the flight work, while she did the so-called groundwork which
at times included refueling planes. She also learned to fly, soloing
that same year. By now they had a fleet of 3 Tailorcrafts and
two Cessnas. Things were looking up for this young couple.
In 1948, the city with the financial assistance of the federal
government, laid an extensive tile drainage system and surfaced
the north-south runway. The other two were seeded. Following these
improvements the airport was officially dedicated.
Runway lights and a beacon were installed by Earl Parker, current
president of the aviation board. The second night after the lights
were put in operation, an army pilot, whose radio had gone out,
saw the beacon and landed his twin-engine plane safely. About
the same time, an air-ground radio communications system, unicom,
was installed. Along with her other duties, Dora mans the radio,
talking with incoming pilots, arranging for transportation, relaying
messages.
Kenneth Linn, of Warsaw, an aircraft and engine mechanic, has
been with the Carlins from the beginning. Max Bumbaugh, of Warsaw,
is a flight instructor at the field. Max was Joe's first student
to solo. William (Bill) Wagner, Warsaw business man, does commerical
pilot work. Bill, an army air force pilot, flew heavy aircraft
during World War II.
The airport is a busy place these days. There are now five hangers
on the field-some privately owned. There are 28 planes not counting
operational ships owned by the Carlins.
As times goes on, air travel will increase and already the Carlins
and city officials are looking to the future, planning an expansion
program. Warsaw may well be proud of its municipally-owned air
field. It is rated the most active small field in the state with
daily activity far ahead of any such surrounding ports save metropolitan
facilities at South Bend, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Evansville,
Terre Haute, etc.
Warsaw Times-Union Saturday March 24, 1956
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