Flymall.org / Kraemer Aviation December 2023 Wheels & Wings Newsletter

Saturday, December 30th, 2023

Welcome to the Kraemer Aviation/Flymall.org Wheels & Wings Newsletter

You can view past newsletters here. Since December is the start of the winter season in the Northeast, this month we’re featuring snow and ice vehicles, fun in the snow this month.

Since it’s Christmas time, here is our collection of different versions of T’was The Night Before Christmas. If you find a version that we do not have, please share it with us in the comments section below.

Kraemer Aviation hosted their annual Christmas dinner. It was a true Wheels & Wings event with pilots, car collectors, bicycle collectors, and motorcycle enthusiasts.

Earlier this month, December 17, we celebrated the 120th anniversary of power flight.

This all happened within a lifetime, plus we landed on the moon.

Earlier this month, the Flymall team attended the District Harley Davidson Christmas party and open house. This was the first outing with both Jett and Ace.

Interested in living at an airport?  Visit our Aviation Real Estate page here. You can view price data for airport property in our Market Watch section of the Flymall. Here is the data for all airport property. You can refine the search by “state” simply by searching for the desired state under “Model”.

Want to have your business highlighted on the Flymall???  We offer inexpensive rates to have your business featured on our Wheels & Wings page.  Contact us for more info.

History Trivia: Did you know that Honda made a snowmobile? In 1973 they made the Honda White Fox. With all of the products the Honda company has made, not many realize they did make this snowmobile in 1973. At least 200 were made. Most of them were distributed to dealers in MI and WI, but not long after that, Honda recalled all of them to be destroyed. It is thought that only 2 survived the recall.

If you enjoy history we have a new aviation history fact each day at the bottom of our webpages.  Some days there may be more than one, just refresh the page.  And if you like Beatles history, checkout our Events Calendar and select the Beatles category.  This is a work in progress, we’re building the most comprehensive calendar of important dates in Beatle history.  For those that like to stick with current news, we have an aviation news ticker on our home page.  This is updated daily to show the current aviation news.

Here’s an awesome Larry Shinoda designed Rupp Super Sno-Sport. From the web: An Unlimited Class Snow Dragster. Conceived of by H.E. Rupp, built by Jim Head, styling by Larry Shinoda. 520hp 308ci V8, 1,000lbs, 150mph. First of it’s kind, original styling sketches done on napkins at a hamburger joint.

Achievements & Special Recognition: The Wright Brothers are in the news this month. We recognize them as the first to achieve powered flight on December 17 1903.

Instructors, what to highlight your students first solo or other achievement here?  Just send us a short write-up and a picture or two and we’ll post it here for you.  Click here for our contact info.

Aviation/Aviators in the news: Earlier this month, Moriya passed her private pilot checkride. She did an excellent job. She came from Israel to study aviation in the states. She plans to be an airline pilot. We wish her the best in her aviation career. Next up will be her instrument rating checkride.

The aviation section of the Flymall is full of aviation news, training info, and much more for the aviator.

Air show season is always just around the corner.  Want to travel to air shows in your own aircraft?  Visit our used aircraft page on the Flymall to view our inventory.

Car/Motorcycle Show News:   The Laytonsville Cruise In is the place to be on a Friday night in Montgomery County.  The Laytonsville Cruise In was started by Harry in 2010. It has become one of the most popular cruise ins in the area. You can follow Harry on Facebook for daily updates during the many shows and events he attends.

When the roads are too slick for your Excelsior motorcycle, it’s time to get out the Excelsior powered sled.

Our Events Calendar has the most current info regarding local and national car shows, air shows, and more.  With nearly 30 categories, there is something for everyone.  The Day Tripper section of the Flymall has dozens of day trip ideas and interesting places to visit.  Check it out here.

Here’s our 1896 ice racing bicycle made by the Elizabeth Cycle Mfg. Co. Click here for more information. Ice racing was very popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Necessity is the mother of invention. Here’s an invention from necessity. Click on the image for a larger view.

Barn Finds/Hangar Finds:  Need an appraisal on your barn find?  Visit our Appraisal Page for information on our appraisals. 

Visit our online store to search for hard to find car parts, aircraft parts, and much more.  You can pay online in our secure store, just click on the Store button on our home page.

Visit the Test Drive section of the Flymall for reviews on automobiles, aircraft, motorcycles, and more. Read about it before you buy it.  You can also research price info on a wide variety of vehicles, collectibles, and more in the Market Watch section of the Flymall. 

If you’re restoring a fabric aircraft, Ira Walker of Walker Aviation is your resource.  Visit his page on the Flymall by clicking here. 

CFI / DPE Notes:  Visit Harry’s Practical Test page for information on his checkrides.  You will also find useful information there to help you prepare for your checkride.  You can also visit Harry’s Lesson Plan section of the Flymall for other flight training information.  Visit our Flight Training page for information on our aviation training classes.

Weather in the news: The storm system that moved through the Northeast on December 10 and 11, brought the first snowfall for Maryland in the early hours of December 11.

On December 17, we had two major storm systems merge/come together over the Mid-Atlantic region. One was a storm system moving west to east and the other was a Northeaster moving from the south northeast.

Three Wheel Association (TWA) & 3-Wheelers.com:  Harry started the Three Wheel Association in 2013 to promote/support the industry of three wheel vehicles of all types. Visit the Three Wheel Association page on the Flymall for more info on the association. We now have over 820 listings in the A to Z list on 3-wheelers.com.

Want a reproduction vintage 3 wheeler.  Walker Aviation can scratch built from pictures or drawings.  Visit his page on the Flymall.  

Prototypes: If you enjoy reading about concept vehicles, check out the concept section of the A to Z list on 3-Wheelers.com. Here’s a sample of one of the concepts listed there, these are by Vanderhall Motors. The Vanderhall Miramar. Rumor has it that this may be a tilting three wheeler. The vehicle may lean in the turns.

Nautical Notes: It is not exactly clear as to what was the first icebreaker ship. The Yermak was a Russian and later Soviet icebreaker. It was the first polar icebreaker in the world, having a strengthened hull shaped to ride over and crush pack ice.

Riding The Rails: When the railroad tracks are snow covered, the railroads use a rotary snowplow or snow blower. The rotary snow plow was invented in Toronto, Canada, by dentist J.W. Elliot in 1869.

Native American Indian Transportation: The shoeski (pictured here) was invented in 4000 B.C. in Central Asia. It was a solid piece of wood with a very crude binding. The first people that migrated over the Bering Land Bridge into North America used these.

The Native American Indians refine these a lot into the much larger webbed snow shoes. Here is a pair from the Têtes de Boule Indians of Quebec.

Animals in the headlines: Pat & Harry have a new addition to our K9 pack. Here’s Ace (pictured with Jett & Harry). Ace is a Belgian Malinois.

Pat & Harry plan to switch out the one dog harness on their dog sled, to a two dog harness and start training Jett & Ace to pull the sled as a team.

We close this newsletter with these words: Commit yourself to constant self-improvement.