By LAUREN L. DILLARD
Of The News-Register

They walked across the broad expanse of blue and white paint clinging to the surface of the tarmac at the McMinnville Municipal Airport and wondered.

Would it be feasible to repaint the airport's so-called "compass rose" navigational aid at its present massive size, designed to be readily visible from the air? More to the point, would it be possible Saturday morning with only two helpers on hand?

The answer came with the arrival of additional volunteers. They would give it a go.

Before long, they found they had more volunteers than tape rolls and paint rollers. They still weren't able to complete the project, but plan to be back soon to apply the finishing touches.

The idea took root in this year's McMinnville Area Chamber of Commerce leadership class. It began to blossom through the nurturing of chamber assistant Edwina Castle, Evergreen Aviation Museum volunteer Bob Peterman and managing Express Personnel partner Stevie Whited.

"We're just here because it needs to be done," Whited said. "This is a huge part of the community."

A compass rose depicts 12, 16 or 32 compass points. In more elaborate versions, geographic points are delineated on an outer ring and magnetic points on an inner ring.

As typically rendered, the points resemble the petals of a rose. Hence the name.

The Columbia Cascades chapter of The Ninety-Nines, an association of women pilots, produced the original. It's located just northwest of the big, white "McMinnville" designator, also large enough to be visible from the air and repainted by the same volunteers the previous Saturday.

The Ninety-Nines was founded on Nov. 2, 1929. It counted 99 charter members, including famed aviatrix Amelia Earhart, explaining the origins of the name.

Local members Gwen, Renee, Madelyn, Leslie, Chris and Elly painted McMinnville's airport compass on the tarmac. They signed their handiwork with their names and The Ninety-Nines logo.

The volunteers decided to leave the credit on the work. They painted a frame around it in white to help set it off.

Roger Heller, president of the McMinnville-based Northwest Antique Airplane Club, was happy to lend a hand. "It's a community airport and it's tough to keep it up," he said.

During Saturday's work party, one set of volunteers taped lines while others rolled paint. At the peak, there were eight helpers on hand in all.

They got the white parts done, but the blue parts still need some work. They are determined to wrap up work before the city-owned airport hosts the annual Northwest Antique Aircraft Fly-In the weekend of Aug. 17-19.

They have also set their sights on a vastly more ambitious project that will require a lot more money and manpower - new facilities for the airport's fixed-base operation.

"What I'd like to see is a new flight office," Whited said.

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