Remembering Eastern Iowa’s Aviation Heritage

[If you’re not an aviation or history buff, you might not know about the long legacy of adventurers, innovators, and enthusiasts that exists in Iowa - particularly the eastern part of the state. That’s why Scott M. Fisher, an aviation expert who grew up in Davenport, decided to write a book on the topic. Below, Scott offers just a few surprising highlights from his new book book, Eastern Iowa’s Aviation Heritage, which is now available through Arcadia Publishing.]

Before I started this book, I had only vague knowledge of the balloon ascensions that occurred in Iowa along the Mississippi River in the 1800s; certainly no knowledge that women participated. I like how the photo clearly shows the frail balloon structure and how she’s just hanging on to that flimsy parachute bag with her fist and that determined look on her face. She represents the courage and unfortunate anonymity that female early pioneer aviators faced, not just in Iowa, but everywhere.

“Old Timers.” All these guys, the Livingston Brothers, Ralph Reed, Ole Oleson, etc. represent so many other young Iowa kids who were pioneers in the “old days” of fabric and open cockpit biplanes, yet never stopped flying or promoting aviation to later generations, not only giving generously of their time, but also just plain having FUN doing it, right up to the end of their lives. That also reminded me of other Iowa “old timers” I grew up around, not necessarily in aviation, who genuinely enjoyed sharing their time and stories with young people. Our lives are so much richer for their having taken the time with us.



Irv and Irene Lindner.

 One of the best parts of researching this book was the great people in Iowa that I met along the way. Irv Lindner spent a lot of time visiting with me at Lindner Aviation in Keokuk about his and his late wife Irene being part of aviation all their lives. He learned to fly with Art Hartman in Burlington, then Paul Shaw in Iowa City during World War Two and Irene was a member of the WASP group which was how they met, and they would cross paths during the war, then how they got married after the war and built and managed the flying service in Keokuk. This photo is another example of a couple being partners for each other in fulfilling dreams and sharing common goals. I think of my parents, grandparents, and other couples I knew growing up in Iowa that lived like that even if it wasn’t aviation related.

To learn more about the new pictorial history book, Eastern Iowa’s Aviation Heritage, visit http://bit.ly/iOmeIn. Enter code “TourIowa” for 20% off your purchase.


Commentary by Scott M. Fisher

Bloomfest at Rainbow Iris Farm

Saturday, May 14, was not the best day to drive to Rainbow Iris Farm in rural Bedford. For one thing, the previous week’s unseasonably warm weather had turned unseasonably cold. And windy. And it was raining. So there was mud.

Rainbow Iris Farm is located four miles of dirt (mud) roads off of Hwy. 148, very near the Missouri border. The farm manager is Kelly Norris, a 2008 Iowa State horticulture graduate whom I met when I was working on an entrepreneur feature story for VISIONS magazine. The Norris family owns the farm, but Kelly is gardener extraordinaire. He became Iowa’s youngest certified master gardener at age 13, has published a number of gardening books, and encouraged his family (at age 15) to start the iris farm.

The result is a 7.5-acre plot of blooming beauties. Rainbow Iris Farms is currently celebrating Bloomfest 2011 from May 7 to June 3. From shy, delicate, early-blooming dwarf irises to the showy, tall beardeds, irises are expected to bloom throughout this period of time.

When I was there last Saturday, getting a perfectly good pair of shoes muddy, maybe a third of the plots had irises in bloom. The rest of them looked like they were nearly ready to pop. It will just take some warm, sunny weather to get them to show off their colors.

Kelly’s irises are unique in that he is a prolific plant breeder. He is creating new cultivars each year. As I tromped around in the mud, exclaiming about the color of this iris and that, Kelly pointed out that the ones I liked were actually crosses between these other ones here and here…I get sort of lost in the genetics of it all, but gosh they sure are pretty. Kelly says there are 1,100 different kinds in all.

The Rainbow Iris Farm catalog can be accessed online. Order early for best selection! Plants are shipped in the fall. If you want to take your chances with the weather, visit the farm yourself.

Carole Gieseke, Iowa Girl on the Go

Honoring our Veterans



Photo courtesy of the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum.

 The Iowa Gold Star Military Museum's mission is to "honor and depict the military experience of Iowa citizens in all wars, homeland defense and Iowa service."

Visitors can learn about Iowa military history from 1846 to the present as well as see uniforms, flags, trench art, weapons, aircraft and tanks. The museum will be participating in the Blue Star Museum program, offering free admission to active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day (May 30, 2011) through Labor Day (September 5, 2011). Find a list of other Iowa museums participating at http://1.usa.gov/l1tgdB.

Our family had the pleasure of visiting the museum last winter, shortly after the grand opening of its 18,000-square-foot addition. Since our previous visit last June, the museum had added several more large pieces of military equipment, including a Huey helicopter hanging from the ceiling, an army jeep and a huge tank with all of the military apparatus. While we were there, an artist was carefully painting a life-size mural depicting Iowa soliders of long ago. Plan a trip and check it out yourself!
 
Lonie Mezera, Iowa Tourism Office