Volume 17 , Issue 37

Walking With Sadie

Woof! Woof! Want to know more about the "Flying Farmers" of the past? The image on the left is a picture of Gene McGill, his wife, Vada, and their daughter, Dorthy (about two years of age, 1945).

We take you back of 1 August 1946, Stillwater, Oklahoma, and the Miami Daily News-Record, news article with page 3 headlines that read: "Planes Bearing Delegates To Stillwater Farm Meet."

Found on Newspapers.com

Stillwater, Okla., Aug 1, 1946 -- (AP) - Assorted light aircraft roared over Stillwater on 1 August 1946, bearing delegates from more than a dozen states to the first annual convention of the National Flying Farmers association.

The delegates, whose knowledge of machinery extends to the power and maneuverability of aircraft as well as the mechanics of farm implements, opened a two day meeting held in conjunction with the annual Oklahoma farm and home week.

Highlighting the opening day's session of the farmers' meeting would be addresses by Gen. Ira Eaker, deputy commander of the U. S. Army airforces and Josh Lee, former U. S. Senator from Oklahoma, and a member of the Civil Aeronautics board.

Farmer aviators attending the meeting represented flying farmer groups organized in their home states since the national association's inception a year ago (1945).

The national organization grew out of the Oklahoma Flying farmers association, the first of its kind, which was formed i Stillwater in 1944 and whose membership was comprised of farmers using airplanes for use on farms at the time. Among the leaders in the movement were Henry Bomhoff, Calumet, Oklahoma, wheat farmer, who learned to fly a ship he built, and J. P. Ressen Rogers county farm agent, who learned i fly in 1942.

Twenty-six places attend the 1944 organizational meeting and the following year the group met again to form the national association which Gene McGill, Alva, Oklahoma, was chosen to head.

The first flying farmer to arrive for the convention was Myron C. Baker of Morrow, Ohio. Baker was secretary-treasurer of the Ohio Flying Farmers group.

(1946) Flying Farmers Would Organize Throughout U. S.

Found on Newspapers.com

Oklahoma City, Nov. 21 (19146) -- (AP) - A national alliance of aerial agriculturists with he Oklahoma flying farmers as the parent group was planned on this date for immediate organization by the National Aeronautic association.

Forrest Watson, Thomas, Oklahoma, president of the Oklahoma unit, and William R. Enyart, Greenwich, Conn., NAA president, announced the group would be known as the National Flying Farmers association.

A state may organize when as many as 25 members have been secured. Membership would be limited to plan operators deriving 51 percent of their income from agriculture, watts said. It would conduct its own affairs through national, state and local officers but would be a part of the NAA.

Headquarters would be at Oklahoma A. & M. college, Stillwater, where the farm fliers held their organization session in 1944.

Watson said flying farmers and ranchers in Arizona, Texas and Kansas have already informed the Oklahoma group of their interest in organizing.

Good Night! Good Luck! Woof! Woof!
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