February, 2014

Flight Line
The Official Publication of the CAF
Southern California Wing
455 Aviation Drive, Camarillo, CA 93010
(805) 482-0064
February, 2014
Vol. XXXIV No. 2
© Photo by Avery Willis
Visit us online at www.cafsocal.com
Sundown ride in the Albatross – see pages 8 / 9
© Aviation Art by Ron Cole
Cmdr David McCampbell landing his Grumman F6F Hellcat, “Minsi III,” on the deck of the
USS Essex, during WWII
Wing Staff Meeting, Saturday, February 15, 2014 at 9:30 a.m. at the
CAF Museum Hangar, 455 Aviation Drive, Camarillo Airport
Our CAF Mission: To Honor American Military Aviation Through Flight, Exhibition and Remembrance.
February 2014
Sunday
2
Monday
3
Tuesday
Wednesday
Museum Open
10am to 4pm Every Day
Except Monday
and major holidays
4
5
Thursday
Saturday
1
Work Day
6
Work Day
Museum Closed
Friday
7
6 Work Day
Work Day
Mem Serv, Dave
& Alan, San Diego
Ventura Cty Hist
Teacher's Meeting
9
10
11
12
13
Work Day
Museum Closed
14
Work Day
15
Docent
Meeting 3:30
Valentine's Day
Wing Staff
Meeting 9:30
Work Day
Rides
16
17
18
19
20
Work Day
Museum Closed
21
Work Day
22
Work Day
Cape Elementary
School Dance
23
Modelfest,
Sponsored by
Ventura
Hobbies
24
Museum Closed
25
26
27
Work Day
28
Work Day
STAFF AND APPOINTED POSITIONS
Wing Leader
* Steve Barber
(805) 302-8517
f8f2cat@gmail.com
Executive Officer
* Ron Missildine
(805) 404-1837
missing@pacbell.net
Adjutant
* Janet Rizzoli
(805) 441-7529
Janet@cafsocal.com
Finance Officer
* Paul Willett
(818) 469-8480
pwillet@ix.netcom.com
Operations Officer
* Jason Somes
(818) 292-4646
nbnh@aol.com
Maintenance Officer * Ken Gottschall
(818) 439-5885
kgts@netzero.com
Safety Officer
* (Vacant)
Museum Manager
John Knopp
(408) 806-1840
jrknopp@hotmail.com
Deputy Finance Officer Casey de Bree
(805) 205-0494
scdebree@aol.com
Gift Shop Manager
Janet Rizzoli
(805) 522-7067
janet@cafsocal.com
Public Info Officer
Pat Brown
(805) 479-2221 pio.cafsocal@gmail.com
Public Info Officer
Michael Greywitt (805) 908-1548 mpgconsult@roadrunner.com
Hangar Event Mgr
La Tanya Barber (805) 302-8136 barber.latanya@gmail.com
Chief Docent
(Vacant)
Friends Coordinator
Ceci Stratford
(805) 630-3696 cecipilot@sbcglobal.nety
Air Show Officer
Jason Somes
(818) 292-4646
nbnh@aol.com
Air Show Coordinator
(Vacant)
Facility Officer
Al Kepler
(818) 352-4318
kepler53@yahoo.com
Personnel Officer
Shirley Murphy (805) 504-6744
sdmurphy@verizon.net
Historian
Ron Fleishman (805) 384-4426
oldplanec46@aol.com
Training Officer
Joe Peppito
(805) 498-4187
jocafpeppo@msn.com
Collections Manager
(Vacant)
Grant Writer.
Daniel Calderon (530) 864-3174socaldan1955@yahoo.com
Newsletter Editor
Dave Flood
macantuile@yahoo.com
Newsletter Production
Casey de Bree
(805) 205-0494
scdebree@aol.com
Webmaster
Craig Bennett
(818)425-9474
cwbennet@yahoo.com
Librarian
Jim Hinkelman
(805) 581-5520
(no e-mail)
Displays/Artifacts Mgr. Charlie Carr (415) 812-3317 charlescorycarrjr@yahoo.com
HANGAR PHONE
(805) 482-0064
HANGAR FAX
(805) 482-0348
WEBSITE
www.cafsocal.com
* Denotes Staff Position
This issue of Flight Line is copyrighted 2014 by the CAF, Southern California Wing. All rights reserved
2
IN THIS ISSUE
Wing Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Staff and Appointed Positions. . . . . . . . . . 2
Sea Claims 2 Wing Members . . . . . . . . . . 3
Clay Lacey Memoirs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Grumman HU-16 Albatross . . . . . . . . . . . 8
History of the Helicopter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Pelican’s Perch #39 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Great Lakes Carriers in WWII . . . . . . . . 16
Aviation Art Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Museum Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Wing Photo Page I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Advertisement Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Submittal Deadline - 15th of the month
Southern California Wing
455 Aviation Drive
Camarillo, CA 93010-9501
However, authorities cannot be certain of both identities
because no bodies had been discovered as of
Wednesday afternoon (Jan. 22). The search-andrecovery operation by the Sheriff’s Dive Team and
Marine Enforcement Unit was suspended Friday
because of large swells that have created a dangerous
situation for divers in the waters about 70 feet deep.
The Sea Has Claimed Two of Our Own
By Dave Flood
On Tuesday, January 14, 2014, at approximately 2:00 pm,
a plane was seen by several people going into the ocean
about a mile off of Oceano Beach, CA.
Since that time, the San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Dept., the
Coast Guard, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the
State Parks Dept. have all conducted a coordinated search
in the area where the plane was seen to go down – with,
as yet, no finding of either the bodies of the pilot and
passenger, or of the aircraft itself.
The Sheriff’s Office is in contact with the families of
both the pilot and passenger, and our deepest
concerns remain with them. It is the Sheriff’s desire to
do whatever is reasonable to continue recovery efforts
based on the mission’s probability of success as well as
the safety of the divers.”
Here is what we know as of the time of publication of this,
our February issue of “Flight Line:”
David Brian Casey (63) had been a captain with American
Airlines for thirty-four years. He currently lived in Avila
Beach, CA – and also had a house in Friday Harbor, WA.
David Casey and Alan Gaynor, both active members of
our CAF So Cal Wing – took off from Santa Maria Airport
at 1:30 pm on January 14, 2014, in Dave’s MorrisseyShinn 2150 vintage aircraft (1958).
His son, Tim, has announced that a memorial service for
Dave will be held by Dave’s family on Saturday, February
8, 2014 within Liberty Station at Ingram Plaza – 2826
Dewey Road, San Diego, CA 92106 – from 2:00 to 4:00
pm. The Casey family have invited all who would like to
attend to come. Our Wing is in the process of planning a
memorial fly-by for Dave and Alan at the memorial service
in San Diego.
After the crash off Oceano Beach (at about 2:00 pm),
Dave’s wallet and several small pieces of an airplane were
found at the crash site. Later, Alan’s flight bag was found
in Dave’s car, which was parked at the Santa Maria
Airport.
Alan George Gaynor (52) was a captain with Sky West
Airlines. He lived in Los Angeles. Alan had been our
Safety Officer on the Wing Staff.
Numerous calls to the phones of both Dave and Alan have
gone unanswered. It is now our belief, and the belief of the
families of the two men, that they have perished as a result
of the crash.
The two pilots had been close friends for years, and had
taken many trips together.
On Wednesday, January 22, 2014, eight days after the
crash, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff suspended the
efforts of the department’s divers due to dangerous
conditions at the crash site. It was stated by the Sheriff’s
office that there would be a re-evaluation of the situation at
the end of the week – to determine if additional searches
would be made. During the time the divers were unable to
search the bottom, there have been efforts to locate the
plane and the occupants using sonar equipment.
We plan to dedicate our March issue of “Flight Line” to the
memories of Dave and Alan. Should any member of our
Wing, or friend or relative of Dave and/or Allan care to
send us a remembrance of either or both – please send it
to: dmpflood31@gmail.com. Our March issue will be
published on or about February 20.
Our hearts are heavy, and we send our condolences to the
families of Alan and Dave.
State Park’s personnel have been conducting ground
searches of the beaches from Grover Beach to Guadalupe
Beach to check for debris of bodies that may have washed
ashore.
A statement coming from the SLO Sheriff is as follows:
“Authorities have identified the second person aboard
an aircraft that crashed off the coast of Oceano on Jan.
14. The San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Office has reason to
believe the passenger of the single-engine, two-seat
Morrissey 2150 that crashed about a mile from the Pier
Avenue ramp to be Alan George Gaynor, 52, of Los
Angeles. The Sheriff’s Office previously named the pilot
as David Brian Casey, 63, of Friday Harbor, Wash.
(Editor’s Note: Dave Casey actually lived in Avila
Beach, CA. The house in Friday Harbor was a vacation
home.).
Divers of the SLO Sheriff’s Dive Team during
their search off the coast of Oceano Beach
3
Clay Lacy: The Planes I’ve Flown and
The People I’ve Known – Part I, contd.
Clay Lacy (born August 14, 1932) is the founder and chief
executive officer of Clay Lacy Aviation, established in 1968
as the first executive jet charter company in the Western
United States.
His professional career includes serving as airline captain,
military aviator, experimental test pilot, air race champion,
world record-setter, aerial cinematographer and business
aviation entrepreneur.
Lacy has flown more than 300 aircraft types, logged more
than 50,000 flight hours and accumulated more hours
flying turbine aircraft than any other pilot.
The North American F-86 Sabre jet fighter – which
Clay flew during his stint with the Air National Guard
"The Guard was under a lot of pressure," Lacy said. "Most
of these fighter pilots weren't very current on instrument
training. Fighter pilots don't fly much instrument time. Plus,
when you get to jets, you go a lot faster, further and
higher. They were having quite a few accidents, especially
on cross-countries, where weather was involved. I think
we'd lost seven airplanes in one year.
We at CAF-SoCAWing are proud to have Clay as a fellow
member. He has been a generous donor to our Wing, and
we appreciate all he has done to help us attain our present
status as a CAF Air Base.
We continue (from the January issue of “Flight Line”)
excerpts of a comprehensive biography written by Di
Freeze and published in “Airport Journals” several years
ago. These excerpts on Clay’s life will continue over
several more “Flight Lines.”
___________________________________________
"The Air Force was on us. Smokey Caldera came over and
gave us a big talk, and said he was giving us an award.
Everybody thought, 'An award for what?' He said they'd
researched the entire free world and we were directly
ahead of the Chinese Nationalists, in Taiwan, on the
number of accidents per flight hours flown."
Diversification courtesy of the Korean War
Lacy was enjoying his position with United, when, due to
the Korean War, the draft board began sending him
messages.
With this in mind, the wing was facing a random
operational readiness inspection.
"I was afraid I would get drafted in the infantry or
something," he said. "I went through all my options and I
found out about the Air National Guard, right here at Van
Nuys. They had a program where they could send you to
Air Force pilot training. I got in that program, and took
military leave from United, starting January 1 of 1954."
"They evaluated different classes of readiness, from
instrument training, to gunnery to formation," Lacy said.
"The military advisor worked it out where I would be the
'random' guy who was going to do the instrument flying.
He always acted like he didn't like airline pilots, but he
figured I knew how to fly."
At that time, the California wing was flying the North
American P-51 "Mustang," but they were soon to transition
to the North America F-86 "Sabre," a swept-wing jet
fighter. Because of that, Lacy headed to Nellis Air Force
Base for training in that aircraft. He returned to the
California ANG in August 1955, where he would fly the F86, and later, the T-33 and C-97.
Lacy went up with a major whom he succeeded in
completely befuddling.
"We flew cross country and shot an approach, I think at
Fresno," Lacy said. "Then, we came back here. Van Nuys
didn't have any instrument approach in those days, but I
had all these approaches figured out off of the Burbank
localizer. I decided that's how I was going to receive.
Upon his return, Lacy would be very active with the Guard,
as well as flying a full schedule for United.
"This guy had never heard of that. When we made an
approach on Burbank ILS, for Van Nuys, he heard me
transmit, but he never heard anything on the radio, any
feedback, when I would talk. I should have been explaining
to him what I was doing, but I wasn't. When we landed, he
said, 'How in the hell were you receiving?'"
His experience in the area of instrument flying would help
his wing in a definite area of weakness for Guard pilots,
and eventually put him in charge of instrument training. In
early 1956, the Air Force was scrutinizing the Guard in that
area.
4
Later, during debriefing, in which Gen. Clarence A. Shoop,
wing commander, and Col. Bob Campbell, group
commander, were present, the major explained his
system, in which he rated formation flying, instrument
flying, etc., from one through 10.
"This major gets up and he says, 'I never have seen a 10
on one of those reports, but I have to give you a 10 on this
instrument training section. He said, 'I only flew with Lt.
Lacy, but he was so good, I didn't know what was going on
half the time!'" Lacy chuckles.
The major added that if Shoop or Campbell got a chance
to, it would be worthwhile to fly with Lacy. Later, Shoop
took Lacy aside, and told him anytime his United schedule
permitted him to get away on Saturdays, he'd love to fly
with him.
Tony LeVier’s G-ARUL “Cosmic Wind” racer at the
2009 Cosford Air Show. It was built in 1957 at the
Lockheed plant.
"I couldn't believe my eyes," he said. "On the trailers are
these airplanes with the wings off; Cosmic Wind was the
one Tony flew. I would have loved to have just seen those
guys!"
"He said, 'I'm real weak, rusty on instruments. When you
kind of get me in shape, start on Bob here,'" Lacy said.
"They really wanted to get up to speed. I flew with Shoop
some, but I really flew a lot with Campbell. He worked
religiously at it. I got him to where he was very proficient,
and then he could instruct it."
Lacy chuckles and says, "It turns out they were in a bar.
They were getting tired of driving. I found out all that later,
when I told them about it. LeVier says, 'Why the hell didn't
you come in? I said, 'Number one, I was under age to go in
a bar. And, I wouldn't have had the nerve to go up and talk
to you.' We all got to be great friends later."
Lacy also began developing training syllabuses.
"When we went to summer camp, Bob Campbell started
giving check rides to the group operations officer, then the
squadron commanders, and then the squadron operations
officers," Lacy said. "He was failing all of them. They were
all mad at me. He really got behind the program, and we
really did get our instrument proficiency. We went from the
worst accident record in the whole Air Force practically, to
an award by 1957 or 1958—most improvement, best
instrument training program, and all that."
Executive aircraft sales and the Pregnant Guppy
Conroy also introduced Lacy to Allen Paulson, who would
become another good friend and play an integral part in
another facet of Lacy's career.
In 1952, Paulson, a TWA flight engineer who had served in
the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, formed
California Airmotive at Burbank Airport. After meeting
Paulson, Lacy would spend quite a bit of time flying with
the pilot.
Lacy says going through Air Force pilot training and being
a member of the Guard was instrumental in many ways for
different roles he would play in aviation later.
"He had a private pilot's license, but he didn't have an
instrument rating," he said.
"It was a great place," he said. "There were so many great
people there that I got to know."
Lacy said that at first, California Airmotive was mainly a
parts business, but once surplus aircraft began flooding
the market in the late fifties, Paulson began buying and
selling various aircraft.
One person Lacy would meet during that period was Jack
Conroy, who would become one of his best friends.
"Immediately when we met we got to be great buddies," he
said. "He was an airline pilot. No one in the Guard in those
days was an airline pilot except Conroy and me. He was
flying all the different airplanes. He checked me out on the
B-25, C-47, all these airplanes that other people weren't
flying. Of course, I was flying DC-3s on the airline.
Through Conroy, Lacy met two of his childhood idols,
Herman "Fish" Salmon and Tony LeVier. Lacy says he
knew all about the Lockheed test pilots/midget airplane
racers through magazines he read when he was a
teenager. He remembers walking down the road one night,
in either 1947 or 1948, and spotting two cars pulling
trailers.
"They were beginning to surplus quite a few by 1958,"
Lacy said. "The first airplanes he bought were three
Convair 240s; Western had turned to Lockheed Electras.
Later, he bought all of TWA's Martin 404s. We sold those,
240s and Convair 340s for corporate airplanes."
In the process, said Lacy, there were a lot of trade-ins.
"DC-3s and that sort of thing," he said. "I was flying
everything—Lockheed Lodestars, Learstars, you name it."
In 1959, Lacy was juggling three aviation careers. He still
had a full schedule for United. Besides ferrying aircraft for
5
Paulson, he would also usually train pilots for the aircraft
that were sold. And, he was still active in the Guard. In
fact, his connections through the Guard continued to
supply him with opportunities. For example, General
Shoop was vice president of operations for Hughes
Aircraft.
and decided to visit him about leasing or buying a couple.
When he did, he found out that Mansdorf was working on
another idea. He wanted to modify an aircraft to transport
the Saturn launch vehicle.
"Mansdorf had planned to open the top of it like a
clamshell, and lower the booster in there with a big crane,"
Lacy said. "Well, Jack had a better idea. He thought they
could take the tail off, slide the booster in, and put the tail
back on. Jack got into that program, and was successful in
building the Guppy in a period of about a year."
"Through him, I got a lot of connections and even business
from Hughes, with the airplanes that Al Paulson and I were
selling," he said.
At that time, he estimates he flew 120 hours a month, but
sometimes up to 140.
With financial backing from Lloyd Dorsett, the two men
formed Aero Spaceline, and work began on the
conversion, including lengthening and enlarging. Wernher
von Braun, NASA's rocketry chief, made a couple of
interested trips to Van Nuys.
"If I had to relive my life and just drive the speed limit, I'd
be two years behind," he chuckles. "I'd get out of an
airplane in LA, run and get in my car, go tearing over to
Burbank, and take off and go do something else. I was
crazy; I really went way overboard, but I had a lot of fun!"
"Jack really needed some kind of letter saying that NASA
would use it, because he was running out of money; von
Braun couldn't give him the letter because they didn't have
money appropriated for it," Lacy said.
To make all of the pieces fit together, Lacy sometimes
traded trips with other United pilots, and the airline
graciously let him drop others. Then, in 1960, Lacy went to
Denver for a year to work in United's flight training center.
"I would work about four days a week, then come back,"
he said.
In September 1961, he was recalled to active duty with the
Guard, due to the Berlin Crisis.
"We stayed at Van Nuys, so I could continue with my other
activities," he said. "By that time, we'd switched to the C97, which was a transport plane. We never did go to
Berlin. We flew primarily to Japan, with some trips to
Vietnam."
Lacy remained on active duty until Aug. 30, 1962.
Following his release, he would begin flying as captain on
the Convair 340, after which he would quickly move to the
DC-4, DC-6 and DC-7.
The “Pregnant Guppy” – a converted C-97 designed to
transport the Saturn launch vehicle for NASA
The Lear Jet
In September 1962, Lacy and Conroy test flew the
Pregnant Guppy.
By early 1964, Lacy had resigned from the Guard.
"I just didn't have time for it," he said.
Conroy, said Lacy, had left the Guard, but returned when
they began flying the C-97. Later, he decided he wanted to
start an airline in Hawaii, and began thinking of doing so
with Boeing 377 Stratocruisers.
One of the reasons was his recent involvement with the
Lear Jet. The jet and its inventor are popular subjects
during a rowdy storytelling session at Barron Hilton's
Flying M Ranch on one recent evening.
"The Stratocruiser wasn't successful from an economic
standpoint, but, they were wonderful for passengers—
probably the epitome of comfort," said Lacy. "It had a
lounge downstairs. With United, for instance, if you were
flying to Hawaii, you'd go down a circular stairway, and
there would be a Hawaiian guy down there fixing drinks.
And they had sleeper versions, like Pan Am; probably 30
people could have full sleeping accommodations."
"Bill had several one-liners," says Lacy. "If someone said,
'You can't stand up in it!' he'd say, 'Can you stand up in a
Rolls Royce?' If they said, 'It doesn't have a galley—for
food!' He'd say, 'If you want to get a meal, go to Club 21 or
home; I built a little plane to get there in a hurry.' If they
said, 'It doesn't have an enclosed lav?'—because he had a
little emergency lav, and if you really had to go, you could
pull a curtain—he'd say, "I don't know how many of my
friends just want to fly around taking a shit!"
Conroy had heard that Lee Mansdorf in Burbank had
acquired several surplus aircraft, including Stratocruisers,
6
Also, Lear dismissed the size of his cabin, as opposed to
more spacious cabins you could easily walk around in, by
saying, "If you want to take a walk, go to Central Park."
"Bill had asked Elton and Justin Dart, who was chairman of
the board of Rexall, to come out and talk to them about the
jet," Lacy said. "He told them he was taking off to
Switzerland, but before he went, he wanted some orders.'
Bill was taking orders for $275,000 apiece; he wanted
$10,000 to get a delivery position. Justin gave him two
orders and Elton gave him one."
When Bill Lear decided he wanted to develop an executive
airplane, he first studied the Marvel, a molded fiberglass
turboprop designed and built for the U.S. Army by an
engineering team headed by Dr. August Raspet. Lear liked
the design because it was a pusher. He called Raspet
several times in early 1959, with specifications for a
pressurized five-place corporate airplane, and asked for
his recommendations. He had his artist Ted Grobs draw
the twin-engine turbo pusher, which metamorphosed on
paper into the Lear Model 59-3, or, more specifically, the
Eight Place Executive Airplane Twin Turbofan.
In 1962, with most of his attention focused on his jet, and
needing the funds to develop it, Lear would agree to sell
his stock in Lear, Inc., when the Siegler Corporation
expressed an interest in merging with the company. His
470,000 shares, at $22 each, put $10.3 million in his
pocket. Another 100,000 shares, in trust funds, gave him
$2.2 million more.
Then, in the summer of 1959, Lear asked Mitsubishi to bid
on developing the prototype with him for what he would
call the Lear-Mitsubishi Executive Transport Aircraft.
Mitsubishi was interested, but wanted a small production
contract to support the cost of developing the prototype.
With things still up in the air, a year later, Bill Lear Jr.
introduced his father to the P-16, a Swiss fighter-bomber
he had test-flown, designed by Dr. Hans Studer, which
didn't make it as far as production.
He was also now able to call his jet whatever he liked, and
chose the name Lear Jet. However, various problems in
Switzerland soon compelled Lear to bring his project back
to the States. Lacy laughs and says one was that he
couldn't talk to anyone there.
"Bill always wanted to go out in the factory," Lacy said.
"He'd ask every guy, 'What are you doing?' Then he'd say,
'Well, why don't you do it this way?' But in Switzerland,
they all spoke French, Italian or German. It drove him
crazy."
Lear would consider Wichita, Grand Rapids, Mich., and
Dayton, Ohio, before moving the operation to Wichita. The
City of Wichita had helped the decision by offering to raise
$1.2 million in industrial revenue bonds for Lear Aero
Spaceway, to be built on a 64-acre cornfield on the
northern edge of the airport.
"At first, he bought a lot of the bonds himself," Lacy said.
Swiss fighter-bomber FFAp16 – designed by Dr. Hans
Studer
Ground was broken in August 1962. In January 1963, Lear
and 75 employees moved into their new building.
Equally impressed, Lear Sr. hired Studer to help him
convert it into a fast corporate jet. However, he didn't have
the blessing of his board at Lear Inc., in Santa Monica, and
was advised to keep the Lear name out of the project, so
he created the Swiss American Aviation Corporation. Work
soon began on the SAAC-23. By mid-1961, the basic
design of the aircraft was completed. On paper, it would
cruise at 500 mph, with a max speed of 600, and have a
range of 2,000 miles.
One way Lear could stretch his money was by skipping the
prototype step in the process. In October 1963, serial
number 23-001, N801L, made its first flight from Wichita's
Mid-Continent Airport, nine months after initial assembly
began.
Lear was a little behind other American small jet
designers. Lockheed's JetStar and North American's
Sabreliner were already on the market, sporting a milliondollar price tag. But Lear considered his strictest
competition the Jet Commander, which, like his jet, was
still on the drawing boards.
In 1961, Elton McDonald, the owner of Sales Incentive
Company and one of California Airmotive's customers,
who had recently acquired a Martin 404, called Lacy. He
wanted the pilot to fly him from LA to Lear's home in Palm
Desert the following morning.
Lear Jet 23 – N801L
To be continued…
7
The Grumman HU-16 Albatross is a large twin-radial
engine amphibious flying boat that was used by the U.S.
Air Force, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard,
primarily as a search and rescue and combat search and
rescue aircraft. Originally designated as the SA-16 for the
USAF and the JR2F-1 and UF-1 for the USN and USCG, it
was redesignated as the HU-16 in 1962.
Grumman HU-16 Albatross
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
HU-16 Albatross
Design and development
An improvement of the design of the Grumman Mallard,
the Albatross was developed to land in open ocean
situations to rescue downed pilots and other flight crew
members. Its deep-V hull cross-section and substantial
length enable it to land in the open sea. The Albatross was
designed for optimal 4-foot (1.2 m) seas, and could land in
more severe conditions, but required JATO (jet-fuel
assisted take off, or simply booster rockets) for takeoff in
8–10-foot (2.4–3.0 m) seas or greater.
Operational history
Restored US Navy HU-16C BuNo 131906, built June
1953
Role
Manufacturer
First flight
Introduction
Retired
Status
Primary users
Produced
Number built
The majority of Albatrosses were used by the U.S. Air
Force, primarily by the former Air Rescue Service, and
initially designated as SA-16. The USAF used the SA-16
extensively in Korea for combat rescue, where it gained a
reputation as a rugged and seaworthy craft. Later, the
redesignated HU-16B (long-wing variant) Albatross was
used by the U.S. Air Force's Aerospace Rescue and
Recovery Service and saw extensive combat service
during the Vietnam War. In addition a small number of Air
National Guard air commando groups were equipped with
HU-16s for covert infiltration and extraction of special
forces from 1956 to 1971.
Air-sea rescue flying boat
Grumman
October 24, 1947
1949
1995 (Hellenic Navy)
Limited Civilian Service
United States Air Force
United States Coast Guard
United States Navy
Hellenic Navy
1949–1961
466
The U.S. Navy also employed the HU-16C/D Albatross as
a search and rescue (SAR) aircraft from coastal naval air
stations, both stateside and overseas. It was also
employed as an operational support aircraft worldwide and
for "skunk runs" from the former NAS Agana, Guam during
the Vietnam War. Goodwill flights were also common to
the surrounding Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands in the
early 1970s. Open water landings and water takeoff
training using JATO was also conducted frequently by U.S.
Navy HU-16s from locations such as NAS Agana, Guam;
Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; NAS Barbers
Point, Hawaii; NAS North Island, California, NAS Key
West, Florida; NAS Jacksonville, Florida and NAS
Pensacola, Florida, among other locations.
The HU-16 was also operated by the U.S. Coast Guard as
both a coastal and long-range open ocean SAR aircraft for
many years until it was supplanted by the HU-25 Guardian
and HC-130 Hercules.
The final USAF HU-16 flight was the delivery of AF Serial
No. 51-5282 to the National Museum of the United States
Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio in July 1973 after
setting an altitude record of 32,883 ft earlier in the month.
USAF SA-16A during the Korean War.
8
The final US Navy HU-16 flight was made 13 August 1976
when an Albatross was delivered to the National Museum
of Naval Aviation at NAS Pensacola, Florida.
The final USCG HU-16 flight was at CGAS Cape Cod in
March 1983, when the aircraft type was retired by the
USCG. The Albatross continued to be used in the military
service of other countries, the last being retired by the
Hellenic Navy (Greece) in 1995.
The Royal Canadian Air Force operated Grumman
Albatross's with the designation "CSR-110" rather than the
US (post 1962) standard of "HU-16".
© Photo by Dave Flood
Specifications (HU-16B)
Grumman Albatross N10019 – now parked on our
ramp – and a welcome sight for our visitors.
Data from Albatross: Amphibious Airborne Angels.
General characteristics











Crew: 4-6
Capacity: 10 passengers
Length: 62 ft 10 in (19.16 m)
Wingspan: 96 ft 8 in (29.47 m)
Height: 25 ft 10 in (7.88 m)
Wing area: 1035 ft] (96.2 m²)
Empty weight: 22,883 lb (10,401 kg)
Loaded weight: 30,353 lb (13,797 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 37,500 lb (17,045 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × Wright R-1820-76 Cyclone 9
nine-cylinder single-row air-cooled radial engine,
1,425 hp (1,063 kW) each
Fuel Capacity: 675 US Gallons (2,550 L)
internally, plus 400 US Gal (1,512 L) in wingtip
floats plus two 300 US Gallon (1,135 L) drop tanks
© Photo by Avery Willis
Albatross N10019 flying low over the Pacific – notice
Anacapa Island through the windscreen.
Performance






Maximum speed: 205 knots (236 mph, 380 km/h)
Cruise speed: 108 knots (124 mph, 200 km/h)
Stall speed: 64 knots (74 mph, 119 km/h)
Range: 2,478 nmi (2,850 mi, 4,589 km)
Service ceiling: 21,500 ft (6,550 m)
Rate of climb: 1,450 ft/min (7.4 m/s)
Armament

None
© Photo by Dave Flood
CAF-So CAL Wing members board Albatross N10019
for a “sundown” flight out over the Pacific and back to
CMA. We are pleased to have this historic plane as a
visiting vintage military aircraft.
9
History of the Helicopter
Igor Sikorsky and Other Early Pioneers
CH-53 Sea Stallion, CH-53E Super
Stallion, and Sea Dragon
By Mary Bellis
By Mary Bellis
During the mid 1500's, Italian inventor Leonardo Da Vinci
made drawings of an ornithopter flying machine that some
experts say inspired the modern day helicopter. In 1784,
French inventor, Launoy and Bienvenue created a toy with
a rotary-wing that could lift and fly and proved the principle
of helicopter flight.
Origins of the Name
In 1863, the French writer Ponton D'Amecourt was the first
person to coin the term "helicopter" from the two words
"helico" for spiral and "pter" for wings.
The very first piloted helicopter was invented by Paul
Cornu in 1907, however, this design was not successful.
French inventor, Etienne Oehmichen built and flew a
helicopter one kilometer in 1924. Another early helicopter
that flew for a decent distance was the German FockeWulf Fw 61, invented by an unknown inventor.
Igor Sikorsky
Igor Sikorsky is considered to be the "father" of helicopters
not because he invented the first. He is called that
because he invented the first successful helicopter, upon
which further designs were based.
One of aviation's greatest designers, Russian born Igor
Sikorsky began work on helicopters as early as 1910. By
1940, Igor Sikorsky's successful VS-300 had become the
model for all modern single-rotor helicopters. He also
designed and built the first military helicopter, XR-4, which
he delivered to Colonel Franklin Gregory of the U.S. Army.
CH-53E Super Stallion
photos provided by the United States Navy
The Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion is the largest
helicopter in the western world. It is capable of lifting up to
36000 pounds and the CH-53E Super Stallion can hold 55
combat loaded troops, 24 litters, or 6 pallets of stores and
ammunition in its cargo bay. As one of the few helicopters
in the world configured with 3 gas turbine engines and inflight refueling capability. This aircraft originally entered
service in the early 1960’s during the Vietnam War as the
CH-53A Sea Stallion, and is primarily used for logistics.
With external cargo hooks and a large cargo bay, this
helicopter is used to move artillery, armored personnel
carriers, light tanks, and troops, both externally and
internally, around the battlefield.
Igor Sikorsky's helicopters had the control to fly safely
forwards and backwards, up and down, and sideways. In
1958, Igor Sikorsky's rotorcraft company made the world's
first helicopter that had a boat hull and could land and
takeoff from water. It could also float on the water.
Stanley Hiller
In 1944, American inventor Stanley Hiller, Jr. made the
first helicopter with all metal rotorblades that were very
stiff. They allowed helicopter to fly at speeds much faster
than before. In 1949, Stanley Hiller piloted the first
helicopter flight across the United States, flying a
helicopter that he invented called the Hiller 360.
MH-53E Sea Dragon
The Navy variant of the aircraft is the MH-53E Sea
Dragon. The Sea Dragon uses towed sensors and
sophisticated avionics to locate and destroy anti-ship
mines, keeping waterways clear for U. S. Navy and
commercial ships.
In 1946, Arthur Young of the Bell Aircraft company,
designed the Bell Model 47 helicopter, the first helicopter
to have a full bubble canopy.
10
The Marine Corps placed its initial order for the CH-53A
Sea Stallion in August 1962. At that time, it was the
largest helicopter design available in the U.S.
Other versions are the UH-60 Black Hawk (Army); HH-60H
(Navy); MH-60G Pave Hawk (Air Force); HH-60J Jay hawk
(Coast Guard).
Sea Hawk Background
The UH-60 Black Hawk was fielded by the Army in 1979.
The Navy received the SH- 60B Seahawk in 1983 and the
SH-60F in 1988. The Air Force received the MH-60G Pave
Hawk in 1982 while the Coast Guard received the HH-60J
Jay hawk in 1992. The unit cost varies with the version.
For example, the unit cost of the Army's UH-60L Black
Hawk is $5.9 million while the unit cost of the Air Force
MH-60G Pave Hawk is $10.2 million.
Used in: Navy, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard
The CH-53E Super Stallion's primary mission is to move
cargo and equipment. It has a secondary role of
transferring troops ashore in an amphibious assault. CH53Ds, with improved engines and increased power, are
also used to recover downed aircraft, sweep mined areas
and, if necessary, tow distressed ships.
The Sea Stallion's cargo/troop compartment measures 30
feet long by 7'/2 feet wide and 6'/2 feet high and has a rear
door and loading ramp. To facilitate cargo handling, a
remotely controlled winch is located at the forward end of
the compartment. There is space for a jeep with trailer, a
105mm howitzer or a Hawk missile system. If passengers
are carried, 38 combat-equipped troops or 24 litter patients
can be accommodated.
Sea Hawk Description
A twin-engine, medium lift, utility or assault helicopter.
Sea Hawk Features
The Sea Hawk is a twin-engine helicopter. It is used for
anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, drug
interdiction, anti-ship warfare, cargo lift, and special
operations. The Navy's SH-60B Sea hawk is an airborne
platform based aboard cruisers, destroyers, and frigates
and deploys sonobouys (sonic detectors) and torpedoes in
an anti-submarine role. They also extend the range of the
ship's radar capabilities. The Navy's SH-60F is carrierbased. Some versions, such as the Air Force's MH-60 G
Pave Hawk and the Coast Guard's HH-60J Jay hawk, are
equipped with a rescue hoist with a 250 foot (75 meter)
cable that has a 600 pound (270 kg) lift capability, and a
retractable in-flight refueling probe. The Army's UH-60L
Black Hawk can carry 11 soldiers or 2,600 pounds (1,170
kg) of cargo or sling load 9,000 pounds (4,050 kg) of
cargo.
Twin-turbine engines turn a single, six-bladed main rotor
which has an automatic bladefolding system. Engine air
separators have been incorporated on many models to
reduce power loss in a sand/dust environment. An
automatic flight control system lessens pilot fatigue on long
missions. The CH-53 Super Stallion is capable of
emergency water landing and takeoff.
SH-60 Sea Hawk Helicopter
Sea Hawk General Characteristics
Primary Function: Varies with the particular military
service
Contractor: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (airframe);
General Electric Company (engines); IBM Corporation
(avionics components)
Power plant: Two General Electric T700-GE-700 or T700GE-701C engines
Thrust: Up to 1,940 shaft horsepower
Length: 64 feet 10 inches (19.6 meters)
Height: Varies with the version; from 13 to 17 feet (3.9 to
5.1 meters)
Rotor diameter: 53 feet 8 inches (16.4 meters)
Weight: Varies; 21,000 to 23,000 pounds (9,450 to 10,350
kg)
Speed: 180 knots maximum
Range: Generally about 380 nautical miles (600 km);
range becomes unlimited with air refueling capability.
Armament: Usually two 7.62mm machine guns mounted
in the windows; can also be equipped with AGM-114
Hellfire or AGM-119 Penguin missiles, three Mk46 or Mk
50 torpedoes or additional .50-caliber machine guns
Crew: Three to four.
HH-60G Pave Hawk Military Helicopter
HH-60G Pave Hawk Background
The Pave Hawk is a twin-engine medium-lift military
helicopter operated by Air Combat Command, Pacific Air
Forces, Air Education and Training Command, Air National
Guard and Air Force Reserve Command.
During Operation Desert Storm Pave Hawks provided
combat search and rescue coverage for coalition Air
Forces in western Iraq, Saudi Arabia, coastal Kuwait and
the Persian Gulf. They also provided emergency
evacuation coverage for U.S. Navy sea, air and land
(SEAL) teams penetrating the Kuwaiti coast before the
invasion.
11
Only about 1,200 Bearcats were built, and only about half
a dozen of them remain in flying condition today.
Pelican’s Perch #39 (Part I)
Regular readers know that AVweb’s John Deakin is
active in the warbird commumity – a master at flying
the big radial-engine transports like the Lockheed
Constellation and C-46 Commando. Recently,
however, john had the opportunity to fly a very
different breed of warbird: the Grumman F8F Bearcat.
Deak explains that when you take an 8,000-pound
airframe and add a 2,300-hp radial engine, what you
get is an elevated pulse rate.
Unfortunately,
they came
along too late
for WW II,
and by the
time the
Korean
hostilities
broke out, jets
made the F8F
obsolete.
By John Deakin February 11, 2001
Bearcat
prices today
Gary Barber in Bearcat, Steve Barber in
start at about
Hellcat.
two million
dollars, if you
can find one for sale at all. They don't change hands often.
About the Author ...
John Deakin is a 35,000-hour pilot who worked his way up
the aviation food chain via charter, corporate, and cargo
flying; spent five years in Southeast Asia with Air America;
33 years with Japan Airlines, mostly as a 747 captain; and
recently flew the Gulfstream IV for a West Coast operator.
By modern standards, where the kerosene burning
screechers have a better than 1:1 thrust-to-weight ratio
and can accelerate in the vertical, the Bearcat may seem a
little tame by comparison. But a modified Bearcat still
holds the piston-powered world record for its class for time
to climb. That record is 96 seconds, from brake release at
sea level to 10,000'. The Bear that I have the honor of
flying is fairly "stock," but it's still a pretty impressive
airplane when you lay the whip to it.
He also has flown his own V35 Bonanza (N1BE) and has
been very active in the warbird and vintage aircraft scene,
flying the C-46, M-404, DC-3, F8F Bearcat, Constellation,
B-29, and others. He was also a National Designated Pilot
Examiner (NDPER), able to give type ratings and check
rides
on
43
different aircraft
types.
Déja Vu All
Over Again
Oddly
enough,
I
had
flown
the Bearcat
before, long
ago. A local
pilot named
Sal Martino
owned one
briefly at the
SarasotaBradenton
Deakin with Bearcat in 1961.
(Florida)
airport
where I grew
up. For reasons I never fully understood, he let me fly it
one day in 1961, in return for simply filling the tank (I
remember that I had to borrow the money to do that). I had
been flying Mustangs, and perhaps he had grown tired of
hearing how much fun they were, and wanted to give me a
taste of a real airplane. Of course, Bearcats were both
more plentiful and much cheaper then, probably selling for
well under $10,000 in flyable condition.
Talk about a
muscle machine!
It looks the part,
and it flies like it
looks.
I really hate to
brag (you do believe that, right?), but I'm having so much
fun with this beast, I just have to tell you about it.
The Grumman (aka "Grumman Iron Works") F8F Bearcat
was first delivered in 1944, and was built to meet the
Navy's desire for aircraft carrier protection. The idea was
to launch, get up high quickly, and pounce upon the
enemy at short range. It's essentially the superb Pratt &
Whitney R-2800 engine, with just enough "stuff" hooked to
it to make it fly. This 2200 HP version of the engine weighs
about 3,000 pounds, and the whole airplane without
armament, empty, is about 7,000 pounds. Max gross is
10,400, but since the only "load" we can carry is fuel and
one pilot, we never see more than 8,000 pounds, max.
12
For years, there have been arguments over the
performance of the Mustang vs. the Bearcat, with both
competing in the Reno races. I can't answer the question
on the highly modified airplanes, but a stock Bearcat will
easily beat a stock Mustang, without even breathing hard.
Mustang pilots grit their teeth when trying to fly formation
with the Bear, they have to constantly whine, "Hey, gimme
a couple inches, willya?" (Meaning, "Reduce your manifold
pressure a bit, you're leaving me behind!")
models replaced those with the 20 mm cannons. (20 mm
is about 0.79 inches, a much larger projectile!) No
missiles, no radar, just a nasty, mean little street fighter
with an attitude and awesome performance. All the
armament and most of the protective armor has been
removed from 25C, of course, leaving large bays in the
wing for spare oil, cleaning supplies, and luggage.
With a capacity of only 169.7 gallons, it is a very shortrange bird, indeed. (Standard fuel on the F8F was not
much better at 185 gallons, and 25C is even shorter
legged.) If all possible fuel-saving measures are taken
(250 knots IAS at very low power), you had better be on
final approach
with landing
assured
within
two
hours!
I've been active in the Southern California Wing of the
Confederate Air Force for some time, but never dreamed
I'd be invited or allowed to the fly the Bear, which is owned
by the CAF, and assigned to the "SoCal" Wing. By CAF
rules, only five pilots are assigned at any one time. When
a vacancy occurred, and I was invited to join that group, I
asked only, "Whom do I have to kill?"
Nuts and Bolts
N7825C is an F8F-2 airplane with an engine from an F8F1, the R-2800-34W engine. The airplane and the engine
are in superb condition. It is flown often, attending
airshows almost every weekend during the season, and
even staying busy in the off-season with photo shoots,
flybys, etc. Any of us can go fly it anytime for proficiency,
just paying for the gas and oil (at about $150 per hour).
One member of the group, Mike O'Hearn, does a very nice
aerobatic show routine in it, and that's very popular at
shows, too.
All the fuel is
in one big
tank in the
fuselage, right
behind
the
pilot. None at
all
in
the
wings, there
simply
isn't
room. It is
possible
to Bearcat fuel system diagram.
mount a 150gallon drop tank on the fuselage centerline, and 100-gallon
tanks on the hardpoint on each wing.
Stock
Bearcats
have the fairly
unusual
AeroProducts
hydraulic
prop, with its
own reservoir
of hydraulic
fluid
in
a
small
drum
that
is
attached
to
the rear of the Bearcat propeller hub.
prop
hub,
rotating with
the prop. All the prop control mechanism (governor) is in
that assembly, also turning with the prop. Parts for it are
getting very scarce, and we may be forced to someday
convert to something else.
We actually have one of the centerline tanks that we could
use, but the FAA takes a dim view of mounting anything on
any civilian airplane that can be dropped. If we do ever use
it, it must be installed so that it cannot be dropped. Most of
us are just a little bit squeamish about having 150 gallons
of fuel hangin' down there, hard-mounted. Why? Well,
think about an engine failure on takeoff, right after gear
retraction. The immediate belly landing would destroy that
tank, fuel would go all over the place, and there would be
plenty of sparks to ignite it. No thanks, I'll take the extra
fuel stops. Besides, I fit the cockpit like the cork in a wine
bottle, the parachute is fairly hard, and about two hours is
my max limit in the little fighter, anyway. Funny, I don't
remember that cockpit being so small when I was 21, and
165 pounds!
The engine is rated for the old 100/130 octane fuel, no
longer available, but 100LL is fully equivalent, and we
operate the engine at full rated power as recommended for
the civilian version of this engine. 50 inches of manifold
pressure, 2800 RPM. Much higher power settings were
approved for military flying, but they didn't care much
about TBO in the middle of a dogfight. (By very wise CAF
regulation, all takeoffs are made at full rated HP in all CAF
aircraft, all engines. Some foolish operators persist in
"babying" their engines by using lesser power settings,
(Most of the big radials use engine oil for prop control.
There is usually a prop governor mounted on the engine to
boost normal oil pressure and to port oil to and from the
prop dome for control. The AeroProducts prop is fine when
it works, but the Hamilton Standard installations are much
more reliable, in my opinion, and parts are still easy to
find.)
Early Bearcats had four .50-caliber machine guns (halfinch diameter bullets), two in each wing, and the later
13
which are often actually harmful to the engine, and far less
safe from a flying standpoint.)
that little hatch cover cannot be closed unless the wing is
fully locked.
The airplane is a little short on oil, too, holding only 18
gallons. Most R-2800 engines in other airplanes have 30
to 50-gallon tanks, but once again, weight ruled the
design. That's not as bad as it sounds, the ratio of oil to
fuel is within the normal range. In the Bear, 15 gallons are
required for takeoff, with an ominous warning in the
manual about carrier launches with less than 13 gallons
unporting the oil pickup. We service the airplane after all
flights, no matter how short. You never know when there
will be some problem that might take some time to sort
out, and I'd feel very foolish being "up here, wishing I was
down there," short on fuel after foregoing a fill up from the
previous flight.
Some racing Bearcats (e.g., "RareBear") have had their
wings clipped, making them "really interesting" to fly, or so
I hear. (I'd still love to fly RareBear, though.)
Gear and
Flaps
The gear and
flaps
are
hydraulically
actuated, and
have
some
interesting
features. The
15-foot prop
is so big, and
the airplane
so short, the
gear had to
be made in
size
"extralong."
This Main gear.
presented an
interesting
design
challenge, in
that the gear
must
be
mounted far
enough
out
on the wing to
allow the gear
to
swing
inwards. The
further out on
the wing the
gear
is
mounted, the Oil cooler doors.
more
structure is required, and more structure means more
weight. Grumman came up with an interesting design
where the gear leg pivots about a foot down from the wing,
with the top moving outwards, and the wheel swinging up
and in.
Look, Ma —
Folding
Wings!
The wings are
short
and
stubby, with
just enough
room for the
guns,
the
landing gear,
flaps,
and
some control
cables. The
outermost six
feet
fold Wing fold latch.
manually,
reducing the
wingspan from 35.5 feet to 23 feet for ease of
maneuvering on a carrier.
At one time, Grumman experimented with a rather novel
concept. The tips were intentionally weakened at the
folding point so as to fail under high loads, acting as a
protective device, leaving much shorter, stronger wings.
But in solving a non-existent problem, Grumman created
another. They found through experience that just one tip
might come off under load, leaving the other intact, thereby
rendering the airplane unflyable. (Guess how they found
that out?) Piling one poor solution on top of another, they
then experimented with explosive bolts, so that the pilot
could, in theory, blow the remaining tip off.
The gear has a very low speed limit of 140 knots,
operating or extended, and the prop is so large that it
would contact the runway when the airplane is somewhere
around the level attitude. These two factors force a threepoint (or at least a very tail-low) takeoff and immediate
gear retraction, or the limit speed will be exceeded. All
landings are three-point by policy, or very tail-low to
provide more distance between the prop tips and the
concrete.
For some reason, this was not a popular feature with the
test pilots, and the structure was returned to full strength,
without the explosives. Good move, Grumman. To fold the
tips, a small hatch is opened underneath the wing at the
joint, and a mechanical latch is manually unlocked.
Then a round steel pry bar is inserted in a hole, and the tip
is simply levered up by hand. The process is reversed to
extend them again. Simple, and effective. It's also a very
good item to check on the preflight walkaround! Mercifully,
The flaps have an automatic blowback feature, so the
lever can be placed in the full-down position at any speed
14
without harm, as a normal operation. As the airplane
slows, more and more flaps come out. Nice.
totally unaware of my incredible good fortune. It seemed
perfectly normal, at the time. In 1961, the historical
significance of the WW II aircraft had not become obvious.
A couple of minor systems are hydraulic. There are two oil
shutter doors, open for oil cooling on the ground, usually
closed in flight, with a speed limit of 240 knots.
Boy, have things changed! The FAA decided long ago that
there would be a LOT more formality involved, and a
system of "LOAs" (Letters of Authority) was put in place, to
cover all experimental aircraft with 800 HP or more and a
Vne (never-exceed speed) of more than 250 knots. In the
early days of this program, I think there was some
language on "grandfather rights," for those who had been
flying them, but now LOAs are required for everyone.
There are also "Dive Recovery Flaps," very small flaps on
the belly. Apparently at very high speeds, the elevators get
very stiff and heavy, and Mach effects prevent recovery
from the dive. Extending these little flaps will give just
enough pitch up, and add just enough control to break the
dive. We don't go there, of course, remaining below 350
knots at all times. 300 is even better, as a limit.
Brakes are also hydraulic, but they are the same type so
common in cars and general aviation airplanes, just
individual master cylinders driving phenolic pucks against
a steel disk. Bearcat pilots must be very familiar with the
procedure to bleed the brakes.
Getting
Checked Out
No
dual
control,
or
even two-seat
Bearcat was
ever
made,
meaning the
first flight is
always solo.
The contrast
between the
checkout
"then" and the
checkout
Dive recovery flap.
"now" is quite
amusing. In
years gone by, all military pilots started out in basic flight
training in the North American AT-6 (the Navy called it the
"SNJ") and many of those pilots had instructed in it from
the back seat. All had flown more airplanes with tailwheels
than those with those cute little training wheels on the front
end, and all this was excellent preparation for the fighters
of the day. Quite often, the "checkout" was "There's a
Bearcat, go fly it." My own early experience was along
those same lines, but in the civilian world. The Sarasota
Bradenton airport was an interesting one, with many old
warbirds, and it was also the home of Trans-Florida
Aviation, manufacturer of the "Cavalier 2000." This was a
highly modified P-51, converted for "executive" use, with
two seats, leather interiors, autopilots, and high-end airline
radio equipment. Trans-Florida also built a number of dual
control Mustangs, some of which are still flying today. At
one time or another, I had managed to get my hands on
most of the oddball airplanes around that airport, so I
wasn't entirely unprepared for a Bearcat flight. The owner
gave me a 10-minute cockpit briefing, and away I went,
blissfully unaware of some of the pitfalls and risks, and
Left to right: Deakin, Gary Barber, Ken Kramer (our crew
chief, easily the most important man in the picture!), Steve
Barber — Camarillo, Calif., 2001.
The Confederate Air Force is also understandably
concerned about who gets into these priceless old aircraft,
and have even more stringent requirements. Once
Headquarters approves a pilot in principle, a CAFapproved training program must be submitted to the FAA.
The FAA then reviews the program, and issues a
"Temporary Training LOA," authorizing specific flights, at a
specific location, with very strict guidelines.
To be continued…
15
Great Lakes Carriers in WWII
Most of us who are U.S. Navy fans can certainly recall the
Navy’s efforts to train their pilots on the Great Lakes (Lake
Michigan) in the early 1940s during the war.
The USS Sable (IX-81) was a training ship of the US Navy
during WWII. Originally built as the “Greater Buffalo,” a
side-wheel excursion steamer, she was converted in 1942
to a fresh-water aircraft carrier to be used on the Great
Lakes. She was used for advanced training for naval
aviators in carrier takeoffs and landings. One aviator who
trained upon the Sable was future president George H. W.
Bush. The other carrier was the USS Wolverine (IX-64),
converted from the side-wheeler “SeeandBee.”
SS SeeandBee
USS Wolverine (IX-64) – converted carrier
SS Greater Buffalo
USS Sable (IX-81) – the converted aircraft carrier that
trained Naval aviators on Lake Michigan in WWII
Hellcat landing on USS Sable
SNJ Texan getting takeoff signal from USS Sable
Corsair coming in to USS Wolverine
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Aviation Art Page
© Aviation Art by Ron Cole
“P-47 Thunderbolt in action”
© Aviation Art by Ron Cole
“Channel Intercept – World War I”
© Aviation Art by Ron Cole
“Clipper Ship at berth”
© Aviation Art by Ron Cole
“Macchi MC 72
© Aviation Art by Ron Cole
“Avro Lancaster and crew after a Mission”
© Aviation Art by Michael Turner
“No Place To Land”
© Aviation Art by Ron Cole
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Museum Notes
© Photo by Dave Flood
Col. John Knopp, our new Museum Manager,
conducting a class for visitors in our Aviation Museum
Hangar.
© Photo by Dave Flood
The new Grumman “Iron Works” display in our
Aviation Museum – created by Charlie Carr and crew.
Models representing Grumman (now NorthropGrumman) are the TBF “Avenger” torpedo bomber
and the F6F “Hellcat” fighter.
Note: if anyone knows where the vintage sign from the
“Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corp. Office” came
from – please let us know.
Notable military aircraft made by Grumman include:
Fighters:
F4F Wildcat
F6F Hellcat
F7F Tigercat
F8F Bearcat
F9F Panther
F9F Cougar
XF10F Jaguar
F11 Tiger
F14 Tomcat
FF1
F2F
F3F
XF5F Skyrocket
X-P-50
Torpedo Bomber:
TBF Avenger
Attack:
Other:
A6 Intruder
AF Guardian
C-1 Trader
E-1 Tracer
S-2 Tracker
E-2 Hawkeye
C-2 Greyhound
OV-1 Mohawk
EA-6B Prowler
X-29
Amphibious:
JF Duck
G-21 Goose
G-44 Widgeon
HU-16 Albatross
G-73 Mallard
© Photo by Dave Flood
New Col. Michael Kindgren, an Intern from CA State
University, Channel Islands. Michael will be helping us
to schedule and carry out major events.
© Photo by Dave Flood
Randy Cruz, with his wife Kim and his son Julian on a
recent trip to our Aviation Museum. Randy is with
VAW-117 Hawkeye Squadron at NAS-Point Mugu. Jim
Hinkelman was their Docent for the tour of our
facilities.
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Wing Photo Page I
Col. Ken Gottschall, our Maintenance Officer, and his
lovely wife Rosie, doing what they love – flying.
© Photos by Dave Flood
Col. Roland Fogel ready to take to the air in our “Little
Prince,” the Aircoupe. His passenger will be the editor,
who has been a fan of this airplane for many years.
The little plane flew like a dream, with superior
piloting, of course, from Roland. Here we are, cruising
over the Camarillo landscape.
© Photo by Dave Flood
Col. Lloyd McAfee, back to his healthy self, showing
us his custom-made hanger for uniform storing.
Here we are on the way “home” – lining up with the
CMA runway – the engine purring like a satisfied kitty.
Roland will be piloting the Aircoupe in the future, and
it is expected that he will have lots more passengers
to accompany him in this fabulous little craft. Thanks
to Roland for making this editor a very happy flier!
© Photo by Dave Flood
Ken Nishimura and Alex Ferrasci machining new guns
for our PBJ Mitchell “Semper Fi” (Joe Peppito is
supervising).
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Wing Advertisements Page
© Photo by David Crane/LA Daily News
Former Women’s Army Service Pilot (WASP) Jean
McCreedy (90) of Oklahoma, after receiving a ride in a
Condor Squadron AT-6 vintage trainer at Van Nuys
Airport on Dec. 30, 2013. She was one of a group of
WASPs riding on a float in the Rose Parade on Jan. 1.
Robert P. Blair, Real Estate Broker
Robert’s current ‘phone no.: 805-407-3366
Rosie Gottschall
Realtor
Prudential California Realty
License No. 01317213
(805) 804-7527
Rosie will donate
$500 to our Wing
for every lead that
results in a sale.
You Can Advertise in “Flight Line”
If you would like to participate in our Advertising
Program, please send us your calling card and a
check covering the advertising:
© Photo by Dave Flood
Steve Barber, Jr. with his two little guys,
Jake and Luke, both itching to fly one of our planes.
Won’t be long, guys!
One month =
$15.00
Twelve months = $150.00 (savings of $30.00)
Make your check payable to: CAF – So CA Wing
Notate it: Advertising – “Flight Line”
Send to: CAF – SoCAWing
455 Aviation Drive
Camarillo, CA 93010
Thank you for helping us to “Keep ‘Em Flying
“O.K., so, it’s not your standard dental chair. Just sit
still and keep your mouth open.”
Paul Kleinbaum’s winning caption of a Dec. photo.
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