Genealogy Kittrell » Oscar Vance Kittrell K 3WWiiPqZS 1 fr 4 "Vance" (1925-2005)

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1. GEDCOM file of Gary Shaw, Record Group: Kittrell, Gary Shaw
2. Web page at:, 21. August 2011

   
   Model planes still challenging many would-be pilots
   StoryDiscussionModel planes still challenging many would-be pilots
   By THOMAS LANGFORD,T&D Correspondent The Times and Democrat | Posted: Sunday, August 21, 2011 8:15 am | (0) Comments
   
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   SPECIAL TO THE T&D
   Vance Kittrell's favorite lifetime hobby was flying the early model planes, which he started doing in 1947. In only a few years, model planes controlled by radio transmitters, such as the one shown here, took over, and Kittrell lost no time flying those, too.
   
   ..."I can't remember the exact year this all started. Time flies," says Vance Kittrell. "About 1947, my wife and I were driving down the Summers Avenue hill toward Ellis Avenue. As we came closer to Ellis, we heard a loud, high-pitched sound coming from the big, open playground, now used for truck parking.
   
   "Curious, I pulled the car to a stop and looked to where 10 to 15 also curious people were watching a young man holding something in his right hand. From the small black box, two wires rose 60 feet in the air to a model airplane about 2-1/2 feet long and moving 50 miles an hour. As we gaped, fascinated, the model plane began doing stunts such as wing-over-wing and loops. An airplane lover all my life, I became more fascinated every minute," Kittrell said.
   
   He said the model plane suddenly ran out of gas and was glided down to a perfect landing by its owner.
   
   "Talk about being sold on the spot! I walked up to the pilot to tell him how completely fascinated I was with his plane's performance and his personal skill. His name was Gordon Blackman, an Orangeburg native who worked securing rights-of-way for the local branch of Southern Bell," Kittrell said.
   
   Put together in two hours
   
   He said he told Blackman he wanted to get started in the hobby right away and asked him how to go about it.
   
   "He told me where I could find all the equipment from a man here in town, Mr. Ted Schiffley, who had a small corner of the R.L. Culler Refrigeration Service for displaying his wings, fuselages and tail assemblies," Kittrell said. "This was a Sunday. By Tuesday, I was there ordering a kit, which came in at least half a dozen parts. The assembly turned out to be easy; I had it together in a couple of hours, and could hardly wait until Sunday to fly it."
   
   He continued, "Driving out to the field, I felt excited as a 12-year-old boy. My age had reached 28, but for me, the next few hours had all the excitement of a 12-year-old. Gordon told me to fill the fuel tank. I did -- about six ounces. This would allow a flight of 10 minutes. First though, he checked out all the details of my plane and found them right. He said he would hold the control box, which ran 60 feet up to the plane. I had to flip the prop with my fingers and adjust the needle to obtain the right number of rpm's. Then he moved over to the center of the 120-foot diameter flight field and picked up the control handle. He signaled me to let go of the fuselage (body) and back away toward him. The little plane began rolling on the ground, picking up speed, Kittrell said.
   
   "Then in a few seconds, it took off, rising 12 feet into the air. Then he began showing me how to keep control with a handle holding the ends of the wires. I could raise the tail to make it rise higher, etc. In a very few seconds, my bright red and yellow marvel was flying gracefully around the circle."
   
   Don't pull too heavy
   
   Kittrell said Blackman, standing in the circle's center, explained how to keep it moving in a circle and how pulling back on the handle would make it climb higher.
   
   "Also, that I had to be careful not to ‘over control the flight.' Pull too heavily, and my plane would make a high ascent, then come crashing down," he said.
   
   By the next Sunday, Kittrell said he met Blackman at the lot and flew the plane by himself.
   
   "I seldom missed a Sunday afternoon with him for the thrills of making our take-offs, then performing stunts such as wing-over-wing or a complete loop. Our piloting always brought a small crowd to watch the acrobatics. On into autumn, we savored all this fun until the chilly weather forced us to give up the fun for the winter," Kittrell said.
   
   "We began again as soon as March had a warm up and kept up the fun until a year later when Gordon was transferred to Aiken. But soon, I met Calvin Deaton (now deceased) from Bamberg who had learned about the latest addition to the sport, that of flying a similar plane without any wires connected. They were operated through a radio control transmitter you could hold in your hand."
   
   Kittrell said he was soon driving over to Bamberg to meet Deaton and be introduced to this advanced type of miniature flying.
   
   "He agreed to teach me without charge. But there was a hitch. These more advanced models were equipped with much fancier and expensive parts. Instead of costing $50 or so, the control unit alone had a price tag of $300 to $500. No way could I dig up that much money. Luckily, I found a fellow in Aiken who had a control unit, one he was willing to part with for $75. He planned to buy a new and very fancy one."
   
   A big fly-in
   
   Kittrell said he checked the control out and found it was in good condition.
   
   "Then I bought a radio control kit and assembled it. Calvin helped me a lot. A month later, we had it ready to go. I met him at the Bamberg Airport for a full afternoon of instruction, and by the end of the day, I could make the plane take off, fly and land safely. Of course, he supervised every minute," he said.
   
   Every Sunday, the two men met to pilot their wireless model planes.
   
   "This proved far more exciting than the wire-controlled model because it could make all kinds of loops and go just as high up in the sky as you wished, so long as you never took your eyes away," Kittrell said.
   
   Four years later, he was still spending every Sunday afternoon in Bamberg with Deaton and four other local men who also enjoyed the hobby, Kittrell said.
   
   "Calvin organized a fly-in, which drew a big response from other model plane flyers from Aiken, Sumter, Columbia and many more towns," he said. "Two hundred or 300 spectators showed up to every one of the fly-ins we held."
   
   Kittrell continued to fly model planes into the early 1970s when he developed a detached retina and could no longer see with his left eye.
   
   "This ended most of the excitement for me, but I kept on visiting my great friend Calvin, who never lost his interest in the sport," Kittrell said.
   
   Today, flying model planes remains a popular pastime for many around the state, he said.
   
   "Unfortunately, the very high price of the planes has kept a lot of would-be model plane pilots from regular participation," Kittrell said.
   
   He noted that an inventor had developed a plane made of Styrofoam with wings made of durable plastic that costs only $50 to $75, which is gaining in popularity.
   
   Says Kittrell, "Looking back, I conclude that of all the fun my 86 years allowed me, flying these model planes was far and away the best hobby I ever had."
   
   Contact the writer: 803-534-2097.
   
   
   
   Read more: http://www.thetandd.com/news/local/article_ba9036a4-cbae-11e0-a3c8-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1VgzuBebS

3. US Search, Records, U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 <http://www.ancestry.com/search/db.asp, 14. November 2010

   U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 <http://www.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=8939&enc=1> about Oscar V Kittrell
   Name:Oscar V Kittrell
   Birth Year:1925
   Race:White, Citizen (White)
   Nativity State or Country:South Carolina
   State of Residence:South Carolina
   County or City:Orangeburg
   
   Enlistment Date:31 Jul 1943
   Enlistment State:South Carolina
   Enlistment City:Fort Jackson Columbia
   Branch:No branch assignment
   Branch Code:No branch assignment
   Grade:Private
   Grade Code:Private
   Term of Enlistment:Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law
   Component:Selectees (Enlisted Men)
   Source:Civil Life
   
   Education:1 year of high school
   Civil Occupation:Stock clerks
   Marital Status:Married
   Height:06
   Weight:000
   
   
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   Source Information:
   National Archives and Records Administration. U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.
   Original data: Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, 1938-1946 [Archival Database]; World War II Army Enlistment Records; Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 64; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD.
   Description:This database contains information on about 8.3 million men and women who enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II. Information contained in this database usually includes: name of enlistee, army serial number, residence (county and state), place of enlistment, enlistment date, grade, army branch, component, term of enlistment, birthplace, year of birth, race and citizenship, height and weight, education, and marital status.

4. 1930 Federal Census, Orangeburg Co, SC, Orangeburg, ED 38-9, sheet 2A, HH #25, age 4 years, ?~~months

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• Geburtstag 10. April 1925

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