Monthly Programs

Map published by Paolo Forlani, 1565

Most months a member will give a presentation, discussing a current work in progress, the research and writing process, or an area of personal interest and expertise. A collegial Q&A ensues, and the speaker can, if they wish, ask for suggestions for improvement in case they will be giving the talk at other venues. These programs are usually held at 2:00 PM on the third Sunday of the month, except for December; exceptions can be made as necessary. A digital projector and screen are available. Another member volunteers to take notes and write a report for the newsletter, or the speaker may provide a synopsis instead.

We try to have a speaker each month, though this is not always possible. Ideally, we schedule the programs as far in advance as possible. Members who are interested in giving a talk or other program (such as a film or exhibit tour) should email president@tihs.org.

Videos of some presentations can be viewed on our YouTube Channel.

Next Monthly Program

Saturday, January 17, 10:00 am, Monthly Program via Zoom.
Getting NPS Approval for the Willows-Glen Country Airport
A presentation by Ted Atlas
The Mendocino Aerial Tanker Squad (MATS), the brainchild of Joe Ely in 1956, was the first air tanker squad in the U.S.  Consisting of eight agricultural pilots flying their own biplanes, MATS was based at the Willows-Glenn County Airport, 80 miles north of Sacramento. Ted Atlas published an article about MATS in Aviation History magazine in 2022.  He then had the idea that the airport should be a California State Landmark, as all aerial firefighting efforts, including the ubiquitous TV news shots of tankers dropping pink retardant, are the progeny of Joe Ely and those eight original pilots.  A State Historian suggested that because the events at the airport had a profound effect on the nation, it should be on the National Register of Historic Places. Ted began detailed research into the history of the airport and events that happened there or were related to MATS. He got a lot of help from professionals at the California Office of Historic Preservation. An application to the State Historic Resources Commission was approved om April 21, 2023, and sent to the National Park Service, which later placed Willows-Glen airport on the National Register of Historic Places as a Historic District.  It is one of only twenty-eight airports in the country which are in the Register. Ted’s talk will include.
  • The 95-year-old historic structure that he “found” hiding in plain sight.
  • The role of the airport in the evolution of rice growing as a major crop in the Sacramento Valley
  • How Jimmy Doolittle and his pilots came to conduct final short-field takeoff practice at the airport before leaving on their raid on Japan.
  • The importance of the airport in the establishment and growth of the use of aircraft to fight wildlands fires
  • The process involved in listing a place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ted Atlas, a native of San Jose and 4th-generation Californian, is a member of the Institute who researches aviation history. He was originally contacted by Frank Ely, whose father had started MATS, after Ted wrote a small Facebook article on the airport. Frank encouraged him to do more research, which led to his project to get the airport registered as a national historical landmark.
You are welcome to invite friends and colleagues to attend.
The presentation will be recorded, and posted on YouTube. If you don’t want to be on the recording, just make sure your video is off. And please remember to mute your microphone!
You are welcome to invite friends and colleagues to attend.
The presentation will be recorded, and posted on YouTube. If you don’t want to be on the recording, just make sure your video is off. And please remember to mute your microphone!
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