Operation "Save the shimmy dampener"

The week of 25 September was devoted to runway repair at Plum Island Airfield. Steve Noyes rallied the troops from near and far with shovels, brooms, and paint rollers. Good friend and down Maine neighbor, Dick Monahan of "Prairiedog Digging fame", drove his dump truck all the way down from Ebeemee Township(you can't go much further north and still be in the US).With Dick and his dump truck in tow, Steve procured 11 tons of hot patch to repair the large cracks in the old runway. Waiting at the airport with a borrowed roller was Billy Caswell, Dennis Dowling and the author ready to pour tack, spread hot asphalt and roll, to fill and repair 10-28. In time Bobby Walton and Gary Palatnick arrived for some added help. Ever present as well, was the US Coast Guards finest, recently returned from duty in the Persian Gulf, Bill Pfeiffer who wielded everything from a paint roller to a bucket loader with equal dexterity.The operation was slowed by the constant breakdown of the roller whose rear axle kept popping off. Not to worry Steve got on the cell phone and soon Red's man was down from Lee raceway with an acetylene torch and with some heat and long lever bar the problem was taken care of.



After two days of patching, the paint rollers came out and the threshold markings, runway designations, centerline and Plum were painted. As soon as we clearly can trace Island we will have the full name painted. Now if we can talk the city into painting the letters on the water tower we will return to pre-GPs airport location.


After prairiedog was done Tina and the mad dog took over. Things are moving right along and soon we will be reporting a new fuel tank and hangar in place.