Two individuals were inducted into the EAA Warbirds Hall of Fame in 1996. Dr. Richard “Dick Dieter and Charlie Nogle.
Dick Dieter
Dr. Richard “Dick” Dieter (EAA 56531) was born on April 8, 1930 in Kentland, IN, the second of four children. His father’s military responsibilities led to childhood travels throughout the east and south but the Dieters eventually settled in South Bend, Indiana. Francis and E.J. Dieter had an obvious sense of humor, for after naming their first two children Mary Jane and Dick, they follow with a Tom and Harry.
Dick’s interest in flying began after high school when he was given flying lessons as a graduation present from his parents. He enlisted in the Navy in 1949 and spent four years as hospital corpsman. Due to colorblindness he was not eligible for flight training, so, he jokes today, he spent the Korean War period in Trinidad fighting off snakes.
After attending Indiana University, Dick married Flora Jean Solzan in 1955. Following podiatry school in Cleveland, the Dieters returned to South Bend and raised a three-D family of children: Derek David, Daria Denise and Damian Drew Dieter.
Eventually Dick was able to resume flying and flew an Aero Commander to his first EAA Convention at Rockford in 1969. That year he and his partner, John Worley, purchased an SNJ-5 and the following year at Oshkosh, Jerry Walbrun asked him to participate in the Warbird Air Show. Dick says he was so excited he forgot to retract his gear, but overcame his embarrassment and has appeared at every subsequent EAA Convention with a Warbird of one type or another.
The SNJ was traded for a T-28A “before owning one became fashionable.” In 1975 Dick bought out his partner and restored the airplane with its familiar red, white and blue paint scheme and the name “Jeannie” emblazoned on the nose. He would fly the T-28 until 1990, logging some 2,000 hours along the way.
In 1978, Len Tanner, a past Warbird director, loaned Dick his P-51 to play with over the winter. Dick always dreamed of flying a Mustang, so Tanner said, “Here, get it out of your system!”
In 1979 Dick found a stock TBM in Nevada and along with Ray Stutsman, flew the seven-seated Turkey until 1983. In 1990 Dick purchased his present Twin Bonanza and restored it to its present red, white and blue “Dragon Lady” Configuration.
Over the years, Dick has been an active participant in EAA Warbirds of America affairs. He was instrumental in instituting the Warbird’s merchandising effort and was involved in the decision-making process that produced the Warbird uniform. He has also served the organization as the vice president, recording secretary and Convention Chairman.
Charlie Nogle
Charlie Nogle (EAA 13494) was born in February of 1931 in Champaign, IL. He was introduced to flying at the age of six by a local owner/pilot of a Stinson SM-8A, and when he was 16, his uncle bought an Ercoupe in which both learned to fly. Charlie earned his Private license the following year and obtained his Commercial license when he was 20.He spent three years at Miami University, Oxford, OH studying business administration and while there he was enrolled in the Air Force ROTC. He was unable to pass the Air Force physical for orthopedic reasons, however, so was not able to pursue Air Force flight training. He transferred to the University of Illinois for his senior year and graduated with honors and a B. S. degree in the spring of 1953.
Charlie’s professional career began with employment with Illinois Bell Telephone. He spent two and a half years with the company in the Chicago area, but returned to Champaign to start a mechanical contracting business and raise a family. He and his wife Diana would have four children: Jim, Jud, John, Ellen and stepson Josh. Jim, Jud and Ellen are active pilots and EAA Warbird members today.
In 1959 Charlie began collecting wrecks and parts for his first T-34 project. This first of many basket cases resurrected from military salvage first flew again in 1962. Since then, 26 or more Mentor derelicts have been brought back to flying condition by Nogle & Black Aviation, Inc. (Nogle & Black is a family business name that dates back to the late 1800s, even though there has not been a person named Black involved since 1936.) Over 110 T-34s have had powerplant STC conversions to 285/300 h.p. at his facility. His aviation and property investment business were demanding more time, so Charlie sold his mechanical contracting company in 1975. At the time, he called it an early retirement, but his subsequent activity tells a different story.
In 1975 Charlie placed an ad in Trade-A-Plane that led directly to the formation of the T-34 Association and the first T-34 Fly-In. This group has grown to about 350 current members and Mentors are now welcome contributors to all warbird events nationwide. The formation patch system and the Formation Flight Manual were Charlie’s brainchildren and products of the T-34 Association.
Over his aviation career, Charlie has been a fixed base operator, Warbird director, owner of over 25 different airplanes, not including the dozens of T-34s he has owned. In addition to his aviation interests, he is also a World War II history buff, especially as it relates to the air war. He assisted the Ernie Pyle Museum in Dana, Indiana with many contributions, including his first Jeep restoration. He has subsequently collected a fleet of military Jeeps, which he trucks to Oshkosh for use on the flight line each year.
In 1994 Charlie built a private hangar at the Willard Airport in Champaign to store in an appropriate environment his family’s aircraft collection and to serve as a meeting place for his aviation friends. The collection of aircraft now includes a T-34A, T-34B, AT-34 Allison, E Model Baron, E-33A Bonanza, V-35 Bonanza, Cessna 150 and Pilatus PC-7. Charlie welcomes visitors, but you may have a hard time finding him at home. At any given moment he is probably on the road to Wichita or transporting parts to one of his three aircraft shops.
Currently, Charlie is working on another T-34 basketcase. This one, however, is his first T-34C model. He is lacking only a rebuildable nose section to make it a complete project.