1st Place: Penny Ann Jones-Garcia, Oshkosh, WI

Title: ON THIS, THE FINAL FLIGHT, GODSPEED

Story: My Dad passed away four years ago. With each successive year, more and more markers surround his in the National Cemetery and, with each passing year, fewer of the great warbirds arrive at EAA. This block is dedicated to their memory. To these valiant men and their mighty machines, on this, the final flight, Godspeed.

2nd Place: Carolyn Gibson, Westover, WV

Title: RED BARON FLIES AGAIN

Story: Let me introduce you to Jabin Nichols, my two year old grandson, who lives in Cleveland, TN. He is absolutely fascinated and crazy about airplanes. Several times a week he and his father fly a remote control plane. Unfortunately the plane has flown through turbulent skies and has suffered mishaps, thus bearing many battle scars. Once back at home in the "hangar" and a quick repair with duct tape the plane is ready for yet another flight sporting more duct tape than original body parts. While on a trip to Florida with his parents in December 2006 they visited Fantasy of Flight at a park outside Orlando. Jabin got to fly in an open cockpit Stearman. To commemorate that first flight I made this airplane block to represent our "Red Baron" in a Stearman.

3rd Place: Arlene Smith, Auckland, New Zealand

Title: HAT IN THE RING

Story: Eddie Rickenbacker's WWI Nieuport 28 plane with famous 'Hat in the Ring' insignia of the US 94th Aero Squadron. Rickenbacker was the highest scoring American pilot of W.W.I. Block inspired by visit to Heritage Centre Air Museum in Marlborough, New Zealand.

4th Place: Julia Broomfield, Elgin, IL

Title: LEARNING TO FLY OVER THE ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE

Story: My husband, Donald, worked at Folland Aircraft Ltd. in 1954 as an aeronautical engineer trainee. Mr. W. Petter, Chief Designer and Managing Director wanted as many as possible of his engineering staff to learn to fly and the company reimbursed all costs associated with the program. Donald learned to fly in a DH Tiger Moth at the Eastleigh Airport in Hampshire, U.K. He spent many happy hours flying in England and continues to this day in the U.S.A.

Honorable Mention: Maribeth Schmit, Cedarburg, WI

Title: 1918 CURTISS JN-4 INVERTED JENNY "POSTAGE STAMP"

Story: This quilt is my 4th in a series of commemorative "postage stamp" quilts. It celebrates the 89th anniversary of perhaps the most famous error in American philately. Designed in 1918 to inaugurate regular air mail service, the red and blue stamp was accidentally misfed in the printing press resulting in an upside-down image, making it the most prized in ALL stamp collecting! At the time, the rate of 24 cents was controversial, significantly higher than the 3 cents for regular first-class. As postal rates continue to increase, it's fun to look back at where we've been.

Honorable Mention: Kathy Eshelman, Waukesha, WI

Title: KALEIDOSCOPE IN THE SKY

Story: Webster defines a kaleidoscope as "a variegated changing pattern or scene." To me flying in my husband's Piper Tri-Pacer is similar to a kaleidoscope: the changing patterns always amaze me every time we fly! It's a kaleidoscope of fun.

Honorable Mention: Kathryn French, Wellington, OH

Title: GLORY

Story: My friend and two of his fellow EAA enthusiasts built this Rans S-7, finishing it in 1992. I have flown with him many times and have several vivid memories. One I most clearly remember was an evening we flew up among the cumulus clouds and saw our silhouette surrounded by a rainbow, or "glory." I cannot do justice here, either in words or in the sewing, but the memory is very special.

Honorable Mention: Peggy Jane Riemer, Ogdensburg, WI

Title: DAZZLE AND GRACE

Story: Here's a toast to the tiny planes taking graceful flights into the dazzling sky. Here's to the work of the decades past; to the labor of those with whom we stand; and to the planes of the future. May our little plane be ready for EAA's AirVenture next year.

Special Aircraft Fabric Award: Jeanie Collins, Portola Valley, CA

Title: BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Story: The "starry sky" fabric is the last small piece from a purchase I made in Sitka Alaska in 1995. (As usual I should have bought more of it!) The REAL treasured fabric though, is the beautiful off-white, "Grade A Cotton" which has been so carefully kept for 57 years. It is approved for aircraft use and left over from a recovering job my husband and I did on our first airplane in 1952. The selvedge officially states "FLIGHTEX FABRICS CAA- TSO C15". We now fly a 60-year-old Globe Swift that we rebuilt in 1964, and since then we have put more than 3100 hours on it. Once again, Flying Geese and flying Swifts are off over the horizon together.

Title: B-1B - BREAKING BARRIERS

Story: The free-motion machine embroidered camo-painted B-1B represents breaking through the sound barrier and barriers for freedom around the world honoring the United States, its flag, and the freedoms that we so often take for granted.

This block honors the men and women of Ellsworth Air Force Base, 28th Bomb Wing, 37th Maintenance Squadron who have been flying missions in the middle east with the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron. This block honors Aircraft
86-116 and the crew that fly it daily in search of freedom for people around the world who cannot take flight for freedom themselves.

The B-1B celebrates its 20th anniversary at EAFB the summer of 2007. EAFB honors the B-1B at a special open house on June 23, 2007.

My block also honors a very special serviceman - my son-in-law, TSgt Kevin Palumbo, whose job as an Electro-Environmental Technician helps keep the B-1B flying and breaking barriers. He has successfully broken many barriers himself and is not only an exemplary serviceman, but a special husband to my daughter and stepfather to my three grandchildren. With this block, I honor all of the B-1B crews who balance their dedication to our country and freedom worldwide with the love of their families and homes. If you know a serviceman, please say "Thank You!"