Author Topic: Bill and Betty Bell (Read 6204 times)

Larry Borden · « **on:** January 22, 2015, 10:52:19 AM »

Back when I had started flying CL in Forest Park in Fort Worth TX, I was greatly influenced by Bill and Betty Bell. They flew several events including free flight. Betty was on one of the FAI teams. She, along with her sons were mentioned in the KOI article in Model Aviation.
I was wondering what happened to them. I know they moved from Fort Worth to Florida and that was the last I knew of them.
Anyone have any info about them?

bob whitney · « **Reply #1 on:** January 22, 2015, 11:38:58 AM »

Bill and Betty got divorced quite a while ago . Betty passed away ; I didn't know the date .Bill was still flying FF with his Son Willie here in Florida . Bill Passed away peacefully about a year or so ,Tommy lives in Texas and comes to the FF KOI each year to fly with Willie

Betty was one of the most fierce competitive people i ever flew against. we had a lot of good times together

Larry Borden · « **Reply #2 on:** January 22, 2015, 11:54:03 AM »

Thanks Bob. One of my memories was of Betty and her 'Mighty Mouse' rat racer.

Ted Fancher · « **Reply #3 on:** January 22, 2015, 02:09:46 PM »

At my first Nats, as a Junior, in 1959 I broke my Ruffy badly when the Fox .35 blew the crankshaft, prop and spinner out the nose in an overhead eight. The grossly tail heavy ship ended up pancaking in, tearing the landing gear out and doing some rib and sheeting damage. Bill and Betty jumped right in and taught me pretty everything I still know about fibreglass to repair the structure. Stayed up with my brother Gary and I 'till very late and left us only when we had nothing left but covering and doping the damage while Duke Fox repaired the engine.

Didn't know any of them (Duke of course i was aware of because he was famous to all us stunt kids) but have always remembered Bill and Betty as great competitors and even better "helper-outers"! Sorry to hear we've lost them both.

Ted

frank williams · « **Reply #4 on:** January 22, 2015, 03:08:07 PM »

Tommy Bell flys freeflight some mornings at Scobee Field in Houston. I first met him one morning years back. He introduced himself, and I had to ask if he was any relation to Betty Bell. Sure 'nuff, his mom. The classic picture of Betty, from an Air Trails, is pregnant with Willie, launching a ROW FF at one of the Dallas Nats.

bob whitney · « **Reply #5 on:** January 22, 2015, 03:40:09 PM »

there are so many great storys about the Bells it would take a book , they were always working with JR's ,we lived in the Miami area about 15 min from Master's field where the KOI was being held. on the eve of one of the early KOI's my folks get a phone call, the Bell's, they had brought a Scout troop down to the KOI from Del Ray Beach , and was going to camp on the field, No Deal says the Navy , they asked if they could camp out in our back yard , my Mom wouldnt have it any other way,so by about 11 pm ,Bill, Betty and about a half a dozen scouts are putting up tents in our back yard ,one of the younger scouts had gotten a cold and mom would have nothing but he slept in the house on the couch .thats the way things were back then.

john e. holliday · « **Reply #6 on:** January 24, 2015, 08:51:15 AM »

My first NATS in 64 Grand Prairie TX I was trying to fly carrier. Here was this couple trying to fly a Consolidated Avenger. The plane had enough power to roll along the deck and drop to the tar mack. At the time I did not know it was Bill and Betty Bell. I was still in awe of being at a NATS I did not get to know them. Another NATS I remember someone telling them they could not use their motor bike to retrieve their free flight models. So many people through the years, should have kept a log/diary.

Larry Borden · « **Reply #7 on:** January 24, 2015, 05:50:06 PM »

I wouldn't have wanted to be the one to tell Betty, she couldn't use the bike to retrieve. lol Seems I remember hearing about that incident.

bob whitney · « **Reply #8 on:** January 24, 2015, 06:11:40 PM »

'

it almost shut down the complete Nats after she almost ran over the Base Big wig that tried to stop her. there is a pictire someplace of him standing in front of her

Norm Faith Jr. · « **Reply #9 on:** January 24, 2015, 10:20:26 PM »

Quote from: bob whitney on January 22, 2015, 03:40:09 PM

there are so many great storys about the Bells it would take a book , they were always working with JR's ,we lived in the Miami area about 15 min from Master's field where the KOI was being held. on the eve of one of the early KOI's my folks get a phone call, the Bell's, they had brought a Scout troop down to the KOI from Del Ray Beach , and was going to camp on the field, No Deal says the Navy , they asked if they could camp out in our back yard , my Mom wouldnt have it any other way,so by about 11 pm ,Bill, Betty and about a half a dozen scouts are putting up tents in our back yard ,one of the younger scouts had gotten a cold and mom would have nothing but he slept in the house on the couch .thats the way things were back then.

Hi Bob, I lived within a bicycle ride (about 6 miles) of Master Field. I was at the KOI as a Junior, flying Rat and 1/2 Free Flight. When I was being pulled, one of my lines broke. I didn't have another set. I was really down; out of pocket; and my dad and I knew that there wasn't time to run to the house to find some. About the time I was ready to throw in the towel, this lady comes up to me and hands me a line spool. "Here" she says, "use these, the're solids, that's what you should be using." I really didn't know what to say, I was sort of taken back that someone would come out of no where and hand me a set of lines. I thanked her; I said that I'd get them back to her when I was done. "Keep them" she said, as she walked away. Wow! Betty Bell had just given me a set of lines.
Norm

BTW Bob, you may be interested in this site, you may have seen it before.

http://www.airfields-freeman.com/FL/Airfields_FL_Miami_N.htm The little plane in the pictures, is a replica of the plane I was flying that day.

bob whitney · « **Reply #10 on:** January 25, 2015, 08:52:39 AM »

Wow too cool, Masters Field was our own private flying field until they put the college on it, i remember when they put barb wire down the middle of the field during the Cuban crises you could see all the rockets and stuff on the other side. had many a hamburgers at the A&W RootBeer stand on 27th ave, one year at the Amelia Earhart KOI we flew our 1/2 A speed ships in the hanger while we waited for the rain to stop

Larry Borden · « **Reply #11 on:** January 25, 2015, 09:00:17 AM »

If anyone has pictures of the Bells, please post.

Norm Faith Jr. · « **Reply #12 on:** January 25, 2015, 10:16:29 AM »

Quote from: bob whitney on January 25, 2015, 08:52:39 AM

"A&W RootBeer stand on 27th ave"

Bob, were you living there when the a Navy PB4Y-2 Privateer (B-24 Liberator) over ran the runway, crashed through the perimeter chain link fence; crossed 27th Ave. and wound up in a vacant field not far from the A&W? My dad took us all there to see it sitting in the field. They towed it back some how and fixed the fence. For many years afterward, you could still distinguish. the new portion of the fence. We flew at Master Field, but later had to move over to a small grass field on the back side of Master, near the Opalocka Field. We also flew with a club in Opaloka, at a baseball field, at night, under the lights. I eventually went to the school you mentioned...Miami Dade Junior (Community) College.
Side Note:
Later on in life, I found out that Les McDonald and I grew up a few blocks from one another and went to the same high school, (He was a year ahead of me) served in the Air Force at the same time, stationed at the same base in Thailand and we were both Aircraft Structural Repairman, but didn't really know each other. (Always a year ahead of me) He didn't fly models at the time. I wonder...what are the odds that you, my dad and I, flew at Master Field at the same time on an occasion or two?

Norm Faith Jr. · « **Reply #13 on:** January 25, 2015, 10:22:13 AM »

I don't what I did to cause my post to appear like that. Try this.

Bob, were you living there when the a Navy PB4Y-2 Privateer (B-24 Liberator) over ran the runway, crashed through the perimeter chain link fence; crossed 27th Ave. and wound up in a vacant field not far from the A&W? My dad took us all there to see it sitting in the field. They towed it back some how and fixed the fence. For many years afterward, you could still distinguish. the new portion of the fence. We flew at Master Field, but later had to move over to a small grass field on the back side of Master, near the Opalocka Field. We also flew with a club in Opaloka, at a baseball field, at night, under the lights. I eventually went to the school you mentioned...Miami Dade Junior (Community) College.
Side Note:
Later on in life, I found out that Les McDonald and I grew up a few blocks from one another and went to the same high school, (He was a year ahead of me) served in the Air Force at the same time, stationed at the same base in Thailand and we were both Aircraft Structural Repairman, but didn't really know each other. (Always a year ahead of me) He didn't fly models at the time. I wonder...what are the odds that you, my dad and I, flew at Master Field at the same time on an occasion or two?

bob whitney · « **Reply #14 on:** January 25, 2015, 04:42:02 PM »

Norm, do u remember Brian Mailin ,he used to fly at tha ball field , when i left for the usaf in 64, Les was messing with slot cars when i got back into modeling he was a world champ, i went to DJC in 62
i bet i wouldnt even recognize masters field now

bob whitney · « **Reply #15 on:** January 25, 2015, 04:43:32 PM »

i think we are hijacking this discussion

Norm Faith Jr. · « **Reply #16 on:** January 25, 2015, 09:22:37 PM »

I don't remember Brian. I bet My dad knew him. Dad was in the Tropic Aeros. Hi-jack??? You mean like D. B. Cooper?

...Let's turn it back over to the subject of Mr. and Mrs. Bell.
Norm

Dan Berry · « **Reply #17 on:** January 26, 2015, 06:31:48 PM »

Quote from: Larry Borden on January 24, 2015, 05:50:06 PM

I wouldn't have wanted to be the one to tell Betty, she couldn't use the bike to retrieve. lol Seems I remember hearing about that incident.

It is my understanding that the head of AMA straddled the front wheel and told her she couldn't use the bike and that she coldcocked him and went after her plane.

I know Tom pretty well. He is one of the few guys who have flown Free Flight planes from a US Navy aircraft carrier.

Mel Gray · « **Reply #18 on:** January 27, 2015, 11:03:17 AM »

Hi Larry Borden,

Attached is the only picture I've seen of the Bells. From Outerzone.

Mel Gray

Curt D Contrata · « **Reply #19 on:** January 27, 2015, 05:06:00 PM »

Quote from: Norm Faith Jr. on January 25, 2015, 10:16:29 AM

Quote from: bob whitney on January 25, 2015, 08:52:39 AM

"A&W RootBeer stand on 27th ave"

Bob, were you living there when the a Navy PB4Y-2 Privateer (B-24 Liberator) over ran the runway, crashed through the perimeter chain link fence; crossed 27th Ave. and wound up in a vacant field not far from the A&W? My dad took us all there to see it sitting in the field. They towed it back some how and fixed the fence. For many years afterward, you could still distinguish. the new portion of the fence. We flew at Master Field, but later had to move over to a small grass field on the back side of Master, near the Opalocka Field. We also flew with a club in Opaloka, at a baseball field, at night, under the lights. I eventually went to the school you mentioned...Miami Dade Junior (Community) College.
Side Note:
Later on in life, I found out that Les McDonald and I grew up a few blocks from one another and went to the same high school, (He was a year ahead of me) served in the Air Force at the same time, stationed at the same base in Thailand and we were both Aircraft Structural Repairman, but didn't really know each other. (Always a year ahead of me) He didn't fly models at the time. I wonder...what are the odds that you, my dad and I, flew at Master Field at the same time on an occasion or two?

Ah yes, the A&W on 27 Ave...

We flew at Miami Dade Community College for a few years, sometimes in the grass by the baseball field and sometimes on a paved area that later became a Police Driving Training site.

Saw Les there once, on the other end of the runway. He brought a broom and swept the circle before flying.

At one point, we switched to Davie's Nova University, and flew for a while with George Huson, his son, and his daughter Sandy Ann. There were others there too, but the Huson's were the stars at that field. It was sometime after John Gimbel held a contest there and we met everyone, maybe 1972?

Wow, that seems like such a long time ago!

Curt

bob whitney · « **Reply #20 on:** January 27, 2015, 06:51:45 PM »

ahh ,names from the past

Dan McEntee · « **Reply #21 on:** January 27, 2015, 08:45:32 PM »

  You know, I never knew them or met them, but I love this kind of stuff! keep the stories coming! That is one of the things the site is for. Someone mentioned a picture in Air Trails. Any idea what year, or maybe even the month? I would like to check it out. Especially if it's the picture of Betty on the motorcycle!
   Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

Larry Borden · « **Reply #22 on:** February 05, 2015, 09:11:09 AM »

I would like to see the picture of her on that bike also.

bob whitney · « **Reply #23 on:** February 05, 2015, 03:25:07 PM »

not the picture i was looking for but 1965 American modeler annual page 29 ,2 pictures of Betty and bill talking to earl Witt about the bike . send an email and i will scan and send,

when the Bell's were on the way back to Fla from Tex we met up in Pensacola for the fiesta of 5 flags contest ,someone told us about a camp grounds not too far away ( not ) when we got there we had only enough gas to get back to civilization the only food we had was what the bell's had in their travel trailer ,i think we used every can of soup and veggies they had . they had been fishing so we fried up all these little fishies ,the 3 bell's slept in the trailer and the 3 in my car traded between the front seat,rear seat ( bench seats back then ) and The picnic table

looking back ,we never thought twice about it all great fun.

Larry Borden · « **Reply #24 on:** February 05, 2015, 03:31:36 PM »

Bob, thanks for the info. My email is bbird@msn.com.
I remember Bill flying the Mackey ME 109 stunter. Impressed me so much that I started building one, but never finished. I'm in the process of building one now from the Hobby Helpers plans, using a rib set from Eric Rule(RSM). Hopefully, I'll finally finish and get to fly one. lol

frank williams · « **Reply #25 on:** February 05, 2015, 10:07:39 PM »

Here is a picture from the Nov. 1961 Model Airplane News.

dennis calcaterra · « **Reply #26 on:** May 16, 2016, 03:00:18 PM »

Good post. I knew Bill and Betty well as I was a regular CL flyer at Forest Park, Ft Worth TX [1960s]. I know Mighty Mouse first hand. A big rat race event was scheduled at a local school. Betty was ill and unable to fly. She and Bill asked me to pilot the plane. I will attest that Might Mouse was FAST [green-head Torp 35] and Bill rigged a motor shut-off activated by giving the control handle a quick elevator down-jerk. Worked perfect. I walked away winning first place in the contest. Bill and Betty took me on a trip to Tulsa OK to compete in a Tulsa Glue Dobbers contest. Brought home several trophies. Bill was an aeronautical engineer working at General Dynamics Ft Worth at the time. He and another General Dynamics engineer and modeler got me interested in FF. Set a class A AMA record at Haskell TX 1960/1961 [can't recall exact year]. Knew Ed Alexander of Ed Alexander's Hobby Shop Ft Worth well. Used to mix 3 and 1 fuel for him. Thanks to stunthanger for the many good memories.