It's time for Positively Kansas.

Coming up, we'll tell you about an historic milestone in the story of Wichita's most decorated aviator.

And we'll get an update on efforts to ensure his heroism will not be forgotten.

Also, check out the blue hairs of the hardwood, bloomers and all.

Granny basketball is pushing March Madness to the max.

And in our Kansas Wild Edge report, we'll help you plan some outdoor getaways in the coming months.

I'm Sierra Scott.

A half hour of information and inspiration is cued up and ready to roll.

Positively Kansas starts right now.

From mild mannered bank teller to war hero Erwin Bleckley answered the call with courage and paid the ultimate price.

He posthumously became Wichita's highest decorated aviator.

100 years ago, 5000 people gathered at Wichita's Downtown Forum as Bleckleys family was presented with his Medal of Honor.

Chris Frank has more on that, as well as efforts to preserve Bleckleys place in history for future generations.

What many now call the Bleckley plane is on the move again.

To many, their first glance at this gray colored structure with a red numeral six on it may not even resemble an airplane.

But to a group of Bleckley Memorial Foundation supporters, this airplane fuselage being moved represents an effort to honor a Wichita son they say is the city's greatest war hero.

But this plane, it's all about the hero, Erwin Bleckley.

We wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for him.

And so everything we do is to honor him.

First off, a little about second Lieutenant Erwin Bleckley.

Bleckley was born and raised in Wichita.

Graduating from the Wichita High School in 1913, he joined the Kansas National Guard in 1917 and became an artillery spotter in World War I.

He was later attached to the Army Air Service, flying in the rear seat of de Havilland, DH.4 airplanes in order to better spot artillery fire from the air.

He also dropped supplies from the air to soldiers below and operated the plane's rear gun.

Now, what thrust Lieutenant Bleckley and pilot Lieutenant Harold Getler into notoriety was the search for what became known as the Lost Battalion.

That battalion successfully pushed well into enemy territory, but in the process it got cut off from support and surrounded by enemy German troops in the Argonne Forest in France.

Those Americans, mostly from New York, were suffering the heavy losses.

They were surrounded by Germans who were kept firing on them, besieging them.

They were close to being wiped out if they didn't get relieved or resupplied.

Lieutenants Getler and Bleckley flew dangerously low over the Argonne Forest to spot and drop supplies to the American soldiers.

In the process, they were fatally struck by enemy German fire, but not before Bleckley recorded, on paper, the coordinates where the location of the lost battalion.

Reportedly, Those coordinates were retrieved from Bleckleys pocket after the plane crashed and directed the rescue efforts to the pinned down battalion.

He lost his life and in a great heroic action, just doing his job and volunteered for an extremely dangerous mission that to nobody's credit, most people would never have gone on.

The fatal heroic mission was October 6, 1918.

The actions of Bleckley and Getler were reviewed five years later, and in 1923, both Bleckley and Getler were posthumously bestowed the Congressional Medal of Honor for their sacrifices.

Wichita named an east side street after Bleckley, along with the neighborhood ball field at Third Street and Bleckley Drive near Robinson Middle School.

VFW Post 112 at Harry in Topeka is named after Bleckley and McConnell Air Force Base has Bleckley Lounge.

Bleckleys name was even considered for another important Wichita location.

He was even considered in 1954 when Wichita Municipal Airport, which later became that when they wanted to... they were trying to figure out a name for it.

His name was bandied about as a possible name for the airport then, but of course it didn't make the cut.

In 2018, the 100 year anniversary of the Getler Bleckley heroic flight sparked the move for greater local Bleckley recognition.

He's Wichita's highest decorated aviator.

And we are the air capital.

And I've come up saying in the last five years.

How can the air capital not honor its greatest aviation hero or highest decorated aviator in its own city at its own airport?

And nobody has come up with a good rebuttal.

But then another Bleckley Centennial occurs on March 4th, 2023.

We have this gathering at the Kansas Aviation Museum is a recreation and largely modeled from a 1923 event when 5000 turned out at the Wichita Forum.

It was that March 4th, 1923 ceremony when Lieutenant Bleckleys parents were presented with their son's Medal of Honor.

I'm Michael Erwin.

Erwin Bleckley Is my great uncle.

To be more specific, he is my mother's uncle.

Michael Erwin, who lives north of Denver, Colorado, represented the Bleckley family at this centennial commemoration.

It's fitting Wichita would be the birthplace of Erwin Bleckley, one of America's first aviation heroes.

My family and I are deeply humbled and honored and overwhelmed by the recognition and respect paid to Erwin in the past.

And today.

Erwin was presented with the print of a painting depicting the Medal of Honor fly airplanes.

Lieutenant Bleckley and Kepler's plane was a de Havilland model before, and then this plane, a DH.4 similar to the plane Bleckley and Getler flew became available presenting a pathway to the Bleckley Foundation's goal.

A Kentucky group had restored the plane, but on its maiden flight, the pilot encountered trouble with the control cable.

The plane suffered severe damage on its landing.

The pilot survived.

The Bleckley Foundation purchased the damaged plane and brought it to Wichita for restoration.

In recent months, volunteers have been working on the plane in this hangar.

Some of the damage is obvious, some not.

We're looking for a curve in the side of the fuselage here, which may have happened on impact.

We're finding that even though this plane is wood, it's it's bent.

It's twisted and it's bent.

It's very fragile.

And before we put too many new parts on and we want to make sure everything is is pretty well in alignment.

Most of these volunteers have worked in Wichita's aviation industry in various capacities, but work on a World War I airplane is new to them.

It's a fragile plane to begin with.

So and its frame is wood.

With my woodworking and my love of airplanes, I don't know.

I just I seen this project and I was like, wow, this is what I need to do.

And I don't know, I just love working with wood.

Kevin Larcom used to help build custom airplane cabinets for a Wichita supplier.

The younger Larcom stands out from the post-retirement age volunteers.

I like working with the older guys and they can, you know, you learn off of, you know, their stories.

Some volunteers bring a career's worth of aviation knowledge to this project.

Well, I've been an aircraft mechanic all my life still working on aircraft.

Everything from helicopters right on through small aircraft.

I've got a degree in aviation technology and management from Washington, Western Michigan University.

Some volunteers came from the front offices of aviation companies.

You really ought to have that hour and a half stuff.

And their work didn't typically require them to get their hands on the planes.

I've always been in management and Office type work, so I never have gotten, so to speak, my hands dirty.

Volunteers like Perkins believe this work is important in educating Wichitans about a war hero many here don't know of.

I really don't think that too many Wichitans know about Bleckley, because I didn't know About him a year ago.

Perkins says he didn't know of Bleckley until hearing of this plane.

He and the others are committed to changing that lack of knowledge about an important Wichita war hero and one awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor at that.

But like a plane grounded by bad weather, so this work will be paused while another workplace can be found.

Well, we had no choice that the hangar it was in was sold to a to another aircraft company at Eisenhower Airport complex and so we had no choice but to move.

Before the historic DH.4 plane flies again.

It travels by truck to other locations where its restoration can be complete.

And then hopefully to a permanent home where it can go on public display.

The de Havilland plane, in bits and pieces is often referred to as the Bleckley plane.

But to clarify, it is similar to the plane.

Harold Getler and Erwin Bleckley were killed in their plane, was shot down and destroyed.

In this plane's move from west Wichita to southeast Wichita, The team purposely drives through the downtown area in hopes more people will see it now, although having to pack up and move is a pain.

The Bleckley Foundation members are looking for the positives from this.

Actually, this could be a blessing in disguise, is forcing us to get the message out farther, wider to people.

And so we found out that the plane has a good... it's well thought of in Wichita.

People call it the Bleckley Plane, not the Bleckley Foundation or not the Bleckley Project, but the Bleckley Plane, which is fine with us.

For now, the plane is stored at the Kansas Aviation Museum until the work of restoration can be revived.

And it'll probably take about four or five years, as Wayne Borman, our project manager, thinks, to restore the aircraft.

So the foundation and its volunteers are looking for a secure place to work and for donations to help fund the project.

This plane is the centerpiece in honoring Bleckley.

Without it, Zuercher says, the project falls on its face.

This is Chris Frank for Positively Kansas.

The foundation's dream is to make the plane flyable again and to get it on permanent public display at the Eisenhower Airport.

All across Kansas, there are some great places to enjoy.

The spring and summer and connect with nature.

In this week's Kansas Wild EdgeReport, Mike Blair gives us the lowdown on some of our best state parks.

Family time is at its best in Kansas State Parks.

You see it in the relaxed smiles of old and young gathered around a picnic table or campfire.

Routines and schedules left behind draw kids and parents back to center together, camp together, laugh together.

It's all good in an outdoor setting, custom made for fun.

And there's nothing like a shared day of play to put everyone back on the same page.

Kansas has 26 state parks, each with unique offerings to help you enjoy the outdoors.

Into water sports?

Most state parks are at reservoirs where big, clean waters allow power, boating and jetskis and all the exciting elements that go along on a hot summer day.

Water is the place to be for swimming or tubing.

Wear your swimsuit all day.

There's no need to change.

Camp is casual and it's just around the corner.

Fishing is a popular pastime and state parks with direct access to water make great locations to catch and clean fish.

Forget the long drive at day's end.

Add family and friends and no place is better for an outdoor fish fry.

Maybe you'd like to explore the outdoors with hundreds of miles of combined trails some nationally recognized.

Hiking, biking and horseback riding off for recreational exercise and endless discoveries in the Kansas landscape.

The clean sound of birdsong and the smell of fresh air are important differences in the getaway world of the Kansas State Park.

For the Nature Enthusiast, state parks offer great viewing for wildlife, birds and native plants.

Natural habitats support a wondrous variety of life.

No need for exhibits or dioramas here.

Take your binoculars or cameras and quietly hike through the landscape.

You'll come away with a better understanding of what Kansas really is.

And then there's all the rest.

Chill out and read a book.

Fly a kite, play a guitar, tell stories around the campfire, play cards or games, try new recipes on the grill, and make new friends with those who came for the same reasons as you.

Catch a concert, demonstration or show, enter a cookoff.

Kansas State Parks constantly add ways to enhance the visits of young and old.

Check it out.

Kansas public lands are waiting and always bring the family for vacation memories that last a lifetime.

I'm Mike Blair for Positively Kansas.

Next week, Mike investigates some of the most interesting creatures you'll find in the wilds of Kansas: prairie dogs.

Well, there's nothing wrong with sitting in a rocking chair and knitting.

But for some grannies, the thrill of competition and cheering fans is too much to resist.

Chris Frank shows us some aging codgers who are strapping on their high tops and hitting the hardwood deck.

It is a Sunday afternoon in late February and the moving high school gymnasium is hosting games for a type of basketball now growing in popularity.

Go Bells!

You will quickly notice the players aren't school age.

These gray, white and silver haired gals affectionately call themselves grannies.

This is Granny Basketball.

And it's amazing because suddenly granny basketball is really a thing.

Perhaps you've never heard of granny basketball.

It's only been around since 2005.

That's when Barb Trammell got some of her lady friends together for an exhibition game in Lansing, Iowa.

They played by some 1920s era girls game rules.

They wore old time, cover up everything type uniforms, including bloomers and knee high stockings.

By the rules, no bare legs or upper arms may be revealed.

That would be a foul.

The game was a hit.

Others wanted to play.

And soon teams and leagues formed.

We're having a great time.

That's a bit of its history.

Now, back to the present.

Three teams are competing in two games here.

Two Wichita teams are playing the Oklahoma City All-Stars.

We are All Stars!

The all stars are getting their money's worth traveling to Kansas by playing two games.

I was just still being able to go play basketball at this age over 50.

Not telling you that.

About the age requirement.

You must be at least 50 years old to play granny basketball.

This is my first game and I just qualified to play at 50 years old.

There's no age limit on the top side.

ICT Aero Bells ages range from 58 to 86, and there have been grannies playing into their nineties.

On some teams granny basketball markets itself as a gentle game for women of a certain age.

It's 52, but however long you want to play.

Game rules favor a slower pace for older players.

For example, by rule, the grannies can't run and jump, but they can hurry.

Here a granny is whistled for running.

Oh.

You know, I swear.

That's a turnover.

You can move quickly.

But you can't.

Can't run.

Okay, that's picking up your feet.

You can shuffle, shuffles okay.

Lynn Schweitzer demonstrates with her feet the difference.

Not that, but not not this.

And during a break between quarters, a ref advises both benches about running.

We're going to tell both teams this, but there is way too much running.

Yeah.

Also, grannies don't have to cover the whole court, like in conventional basketball.

There are three courts front center and back.

Two players per team are in each court where they stay and pass the ball into the other courts.

Guards on offense can shoot and score while forwards defend, centers are in the center court.

Often teams rotate players so they get a chance to play at all positions.

And you'll notice players are allowed two dribbles.

Then they pass or shoot.

Like they call it, a gentle game for women of a certain age.

But even in a gentler game, sometimes a player falls.

It's called Granny Down.

The fallen player has to sit out a play before returning.

The rules are such to try to keep Granny from getting hurt on the court.

Even so, mishaps occur.

I no sooner got my camera rolling when a granny hit the deck hard, resulting in a rare blood letting upper eye cut.

Okay.

It was an innocent enough play.

Nothing intentional, nothing flagrant.

A normal foul was called.

Players were bumped, legs got entangled.

And as the slow motion replay shows, hardwood contact can be hurtful.

What happened here?

They got a little bit aggressive and they tripped and fell and so granny down, you have to stop the game and then they have to be replaced for at least one round.

Players say Granny Downs are common, but injuries like this, they say, are rare.

Once Wichita Aero Bell's player, Janice Irvin, got to the bench, she was surrounded by five of her fellow players who took turns being nurses on the spot.

Dont put it out.

Laughing.

So she's.

Okay.

Nobody has ever bled before in ten years.

This is the first time I've seen it.

It's not that.

It's not you.

It's.

It's just not.

You know.

This cut may leave a battle scar.

Despite the injury, Janice Urban was ready to get back to playing.

Im going back in, put me in, Coach.

So we got to keep some pressure on it.

With so many caring hands, Urban was about to be wrapped up like a mummy.

Well, that's not about to come.

Come on, Gena.

I have groupies here watching me.

It's supposed to be a gentle game.

It doesnt happen very often.

But we do fall when you fall down.

And for the record, Urban did get back in the game a bit later.

That's Urban with the head wrap getting whistled for running.

It was only a couple of minutes earlier.

She convinced the others she was ready to play again.

Oh, so you playing forward?

Yeah.

Im going to give the word.

Granny basketball is designed to allow shorter and inexperienced players an opportunity to play against those who played competitive ball in their youth.

And Granny Ball still opens the door for women who played competitive ball to continue to play, even if it's at a slower, gentler pace.

Some people like to continue playing, and you can't find all women leagues anymore and you can't find three on three.

And I'm too old to play with the 20 year olds.

So here I am, 50.

Kendra Banzet at 50 is a comparative youngster on the Wichita ICT, Sugar and Spice team.

Banzet is from Mulvane.

So this is my wife Kendra in High school.

She actually was a first team, all state basketball star on her Mulvane high school team in 1991.

She went on to college and play and star for the central Missouri Jennies team.

Banzet then came full circle back to Mulvane schools, teaching agriculture and business and coaching.

And now I teach here and coach.

I coach eighth grade now.

She looked forward to qualifying for Granny play so she could get back on the court.

Something happened!

Now it's not every Granny player who has a cheering squad on the sidelines, but Banzet does.

Because this is Mulvane.

Where hometown knows her as a player and teacher.

What do you mean?

She's a bucket?

She's a walking bucket.

She's going to make all of the shots she takes.

Students Former students, fellow teachers and family alike are out rooting for her.

Oh, she's doing pretty good.

She's already got three blocks.

She's got at least eight points so far.

So I think she's doing pretty good out there.

Her husband, Darren, channels what coach Kendra might say to herself about her playing.

You know, she needs to go to the basket more.

Play better defense.

I've known her for 25 years, so I've I've got a whole slew of them.

Her teammates welcome the newcomer Banzet.

She's amazing and she's so patient.

And we're much older than her.

So we're energized by her telling us what we should be doing.

So we know we work.

On it and we love it that she has come to us.

Yeah.

Get that rebound!

The players cheer each other on.

There it is!

These local teams have played exhibition games at some of the half times of the WSU Men's and women's games.

Those appearances...

It is us.

That is.

Yes, that's it.

I didn't know that.

And newsprint stories have increased the attention to granny basketball locally.

The Grannies say playing ball gives them a good physical workout and more activity.

Keeps the person young.

It's yes, it's healthy.

It's fun.

And as long as you can be active, the better off.

And we get to laugh a lot.

Yes, we laugh a lot.

A lot.

Yes, you do.

Yes, you do.

We're having a great time.

Made a lot of new friends, you know, in different towns where we play.

In these games.

The two Wichita teams went through spells where seemingly they couldn't buy a basket, whereas the Oklahoma City team was regularly scoring.

But that doesn't stop the Wichita Grannies from enjoying themselves.

It is fun.

That's what it's all about.

The news about these leagues is spreading.

And as the ladies say, granny basketball is fun.

Now, more than 500 women in ten states play granny league basketball.

And no matter the score, these grannies are winning in the game of life.

Doing more than just sitting at home.

And that's a slam dunk.

This is Chris Frank for Positively Kansas.

The grannies are hoping to attract more Kansas players to form new teams, especially in the Wichita area.

They might not have to travel as far for games if more teams can be organized locally.

Well, that's a wrap for this week.

Send us your story ideas.

We always need them.

Thanks for watching.

I'm Sierra Scott.

See you again soon.