Descriptive summary
|
creator:
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Mikesh, Robert
C. (1928- ), collector |
|
title:
|
Iowa Aviation
Collection |
|
dates:
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1877-1964, n.d. |
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extent:
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3.01 linear ft.
(2 document boxes, 1 oversize box, 1 map case folder, and 1 glass
plate negative box) |
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collection number:
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MS
141 |
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repository:
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Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.
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Administrative
information
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access:
|
Materials in
boxes 1-3 are open for research use. Glass plate negatives in box 4
are restricted; permission of the Head, Special Collections is
required for access |
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publication rights:
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Consult Head, Special Collections Department
|
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preferred
citation:
|
Iowa Aviation
Collection, MS 141, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.
|
Biographical
note
|
|
Robert C. Mikesh was born in
Ottumwa, Iowa, on February 24, 1928 and resided there until joining
the U.S. Air Force in 1949. Aviation had always been his avid hobby,
and it was during these early years of his life that he collected
this material on aviation matters in Iowa.
Mr. Mikesh served as a pilot
in the U.S. Air Force for 21 years, during which time he was
assigned for eight years in the Far East and Southeast Asia. In
Vietnam, he served as an Air Liaison Officer with VNAF for part of
that time.
His military experience
included flying night intruder B-26s with the 17th Bombardment Wing
in Korea, and serving as a Forward Air Controller while flying O-2As
with the 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron in Vietnam. With an
accumulation of 9000 flying hours in many types of aircraft, his
high-time aircraft is the Martin B-57 Canberra, flown at various
assignments over a 15 year span.
After retirement from the
Air Force in 1970, Mr. Mikesh fulfilled a near lifetime ambition by
joining the staff of the National Air and Space Museum. His
responsibilities in this capacity included ensuring that the
aircraft being restored for the museum were complete and exact in
every detail ranging from internal accessories and structural
repair, to exterior colors and markings. Adding historical and
technologically significant aircraft to the Museum’s collection was
also one of his duties.
As an author, he
is a frequent contributor to various aviation magazines on diverse
aeronautical subjects. His best known specialty, however, deals
generally with Japanese aviation subjects. He was written twelve
aviation books, including Zero Fighter and The B-57
Canberra at War. |
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Collection description
|
|
This collection
(1877-1964, n.d.) contains material related to aviation in Iowa
collected by Robert C. Mikesh. The material includes printed
matter, photographs (including 11 glass plate negatives),
correspondence, scrapbooks, and newspaper clippings. Much of the
material relates to aviation in Ottumwa, Iowa, including the Naval
Air Station and the Ottumwa airport. |
Container list
| Box
|
Folder |
Title |
Dates |
| 1 |
1 |
Iowings Newsletter (U.S. Navy Pre-Flight School. Naval Air
Station, Ottumwa, Iowa), v. 1 no. 9, 11, 19-20; v. 2 no. 1, 3, 5-21 |
1943-1944 |
| 1 |
2 |
Iowings Newsletter (U.S. Navy Pre-Flight School. Naval Air
Station, Ottumwa, Iowa), v. 3, no. 1-10, 12-13, 15, 18-24 |
1945 |
| 1 |
3 |
Iowings Newsletter (U.S. Navy Pre-Flight School. Naval Air
Station, Ottumwa, Iowa), v. 4, no. 1-20 |
1946 |
| 1 |
4 |
Iowings Newsletter (U.S. Navy Pre-Flight School. Naval Air
Station, Ottumwa, Iowa), v. 5, no. 1-3 |
1947 |
| 1 |
5 |
Naval
Air Station, Ottumwa: Station History |
n.d. |
| 1 |
6 |
Naval
Air Station, Ottumwa: Telephone Directories |
1945,
n.d. |
| 1 |
7 |
Newspaper clippings |
n.d. |
| 1 |
8 |
Photographs: Prints of glass plate negatives and aerial image of
Cedar Rapids Iowa (7- 5x7 and 1- 8x10 b/w photographs) |
n.d. |
| 1 |
9-10 |
Photographs: Airport at Ottumwa (1- 3.75x4.75, 26- 5x7, and 2- 8x10
b/w photographs) |
1928-1943, n.d. |
| 1 |
11-12 |
Photographs: Ottumwa area including airport (1- 3.5x4.5, 3- 3.5x5.5,
1- 3.75x5.5, 1- 2x8.25, 1- 4x6.75, 6- 4.75x6.75, 1- 5.5x7.25, 1-
6.5x7.5, 1- 5.75x9, 1- 6.25x7.75, 1- 7.5x9, 1- 7x10, 1- 7x9, and 2-
8x10 b/w photographs) |
1938-1939, n.d. |
| 2 |
1-4 |
Photographs: From the Frank Wallace Collection (3- 2.75x3.25, 3-
2.5x3.5, 7- 2.75x4.5, 4- 3.25x4.25, 1- 3.25x4, 4- 3.5x4.5, 2-
3x4.75, 1- 3.25x5.25, 1- 4x5, 9- 3.5x5.75, 1- 3.5x5.5, 4- 4.25x6.25,
50- 5x7, and 1- 7x9 b/w photographs) |
1919-1941, n.d. |
| 2 |
5 |
Welfare and Recreation Bulletin (Naval Air Station) |
1919-1941, n.d. |
| 2 |
6 |
Correspondence and list of towns covered by aerial views |
n.d. |
| 3 |
1 |
Scrapbook of newspaper clippings and photographs about aviation in
and around Ottumwa; includes material related to Ottumwa Centennial
Celebration (1946) and "Wings of Wapello" pageant (1- 3.5x5, 1-
6.25x10, 11- 5x7, and 22- 8x10 b/w photographs) |
1928-1950, n.d. |
| 3 |
2 |
Scrapbook of newspaper clippings and photographs about the Naval Air
Station in Ottumwa (17- 8x10 and 1- 11x14 b/w photographs) |
1942-1947, n.d. |
| map case |
C406 D09 |
General
Lay-Out Plan, U.S. Naval Air Station, Ottumwa, Iowa (separated from
scrapbook in folder 3/2) |
1943 |
| 3 |
3 |
Newspaper clippings: Aviation (general) |
1877-1964, n.d. |
| 3 |
4-5 |
Newspaper clippings: Aerial views of Ottumwa and other towns in Iowa |
1946-1956, n.d. |
| 4 |
1 |
C. P.
Oleson glass plate negatives: 3 biplanes |
n.d. |
| 4 |
2 |
C. P.
Oleson glass plate negatives: 2 biplanes |
n.d. |
| 4 |
3 |
C. P.
Oleson glass plate negatives: 1 biplane (see print in 1/8) |
n.d. |
| 4 |
4 |
C. P.
Oleson glass plate negatives: 2 men (see print in 1/8) |
n.d. |
| 4 |
5 |
C. P.
Oleson glass plate negatives: Female pilot next to biplane (see
print in 1/8) |
n.d. |
| 4 |
6 |
C. P.
Oleson glass plate negatives: Male pilot in plane (see print in 1/8) |
n.d. |
| 4 |
7 |
C. P.
Oleson glass plate negatives: Male pilot in plane (see print in 1/8) |
n.d. |
| 4 |
8 |
C. P.
Oleson glass plate negatives: Male pilot in plane (see print in 1/8) |
n.d. |
| 4 |
9 |
C. P.
Oleson glass plate negatives: Biplane flying over a river |
n.d. |
| 4 |
10 |
C. P.
Oleson glass plate negatives: Biplane on ground with pilot |
n.d. |
| 4 |
11 |
C. P.
Oleson glass plate negatives: Biplane on ground with pilot (see
print in 1/8) |
n.d. |
|
