Excerpted from EAA 654 Nov 14 2014 minutes/newsletter.
Presentations
Terry Weathers delivered presentations regarding the histories of Montague-Yreka-Rohrer Field, EAA Chapter 654, the Scott Valley Airmen, and Scott Valley Pilots Association.
Bits of History of Montague-Yreka-Rohrer Field
Montague-Yreka-Rohrer Field, which was created in 1928. The existing cemetery used to be spread out further. Some graves had to be relocated to achieve the desired configuration.
The landing area used to be marked by steel A-frames with wood boards on them that were painted orange and white and lighted.
The east-west runway was marked with tires split in half and painted white.
The runways were not paved until approximately 1946-1948. At first all that was paved was the south 200 feet or so of the north-south runway and that was not done for aircraft but for weekend drag racing, which continued into the 1960’s.
Bits of History of EAA Chapter 654
The Chapter was formed in 1979 by a group of local pilots following the search for Bette Akana's father Cliff Stone and others.
Cliff Stone was a very active commercial pilot and flight instructor. He taught all four of his children to fly. In 1978 he owned four aircraft. He was flying with a former mayor of Weed, Frank Rizzo, and Frank's manager of the Miners Inn Motel in a Piper Pacer when they disappeared in November 1978. An extensive search effort commenced involving many local pilots, but the CAP did not allow family members to participate. After about ten days Cliff’s son Cliff Jr. took the family J-3 Cub up and found the wreckage.
A couple thousand dollars in donations had been raised to help with the search. The search pilots formed a committee to divide the donations among the pilots pro rata based upon hours flown in the search effort. In the process of deliberations the pilots decided to form a pilots association. They looked at forming an independent association and at joining other organizations. Ultimately they settled on forming a chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association. EAA Chapter 654 was born. The first meeting took place in November 1979. Bette Akana and Terry Weathers are the only charter members currently active in EAA 654.
Bits of History of Scott Valley Airmen
The Scott Valley Airmen (SVA) club was formed in 1948 to co-own an airplane. The club owned and operated many airplanes over the years, but N8231U, a Cessna 172 was the Airmen's only airplane for about the last 30 years. That airplane was sold in 2008, netting about $8,000. The club’s charter required that when/if it was dissolved the assets were to be distributed to some kind of aviation education association, so the Scott Valley Airmen gave the money to EAA Chapter 654. At that time the three remaining members of the Scott Valley Airmen were made honorary life members of EAA Chapter 654.
The Scott Valley Airmen were responsible for the existence of the Scott Valley Airport. SVA member Bud Davis convinced his father-in-law to sell 12 acres of land in Scott Valley to Siskiyou County for an airport. Thereafter the SVA erected two hangars at the airport.
Bits of History of Scott Valley Pilots Association
The Scott Valley Pilots Association (SVPA) was formed about 19 years ago by pilots who were disgruntled with how the County was maintaining the airport. The SVPA built the pilot center with their own funds and donated funds and turned it over to the County. The SVPA spearheaded the change of the airport's name to Scott Valley Airport, Bud Davis Field.
Miscellaneous History
The Weed, Happy Camp and Butte Valley Airports were built after WWII.