Dec 2015 - United Flying Octogenarians
Transcription
Dec 2015 - United Flying Octogenarians
United Flying Octogenarians The Slip Stream V o l u m e Decemb e r 3 4 2015 From The Flight Deck Special Poi nt s of Interest: Please send in you dues Inside This Issue Message From the President and Executive Vice President 1 Upcoming Meetings and Tribute to Charlie Lopez 2 UFO Get Togethers 3-6 New UFO Members, 7 The High Flyers 811 Area Reps 12 The Left Seat As you are probably aware by now, we have sent our membership renewal requests to all of you in November and I am pleased to report that a large number have responded. We thank you for your continued interest and we welcome all of you as members for 2016. You will be receiving your 2016 Friendship Directory early next year. For those of you who have not yet responded, we urge you to do so to ensure your inclusion in the directory. We will be sending it to the printer shortly, and we do not want to exclude you from it. In addition to the dues we have received, I am particularly gratified to note that a large number of members also included donations to the UFO. Rest assured that we will put those donations to good use in furthering the cause of flying, particularly for Octogenarians. Please note that we are registered with the IRS as a tax exempt organization under 501(c)3 rules, and all donations are tax deductible. As always, we encourage you to review the list of meetings organized by our Area Managers, and listed on our website at www.ufopilots.org and our monthly newsletter Leading Edge. Please plan to attend any meeting in your area and spend quality time with other UFO members. Warren Wood • President Email: wgwood99@comcast.net The Right Seat Each month as I read the latest group of membership applications and bios, I am reminded anew of all that the UFO organization represents. We are not only old pilots; we are a collection of experiences and knowledge that contribute immensely to the world of aviation and its history. Throughout the bios are amazing stories of courage, determination, and creativity that reflect love for our aircraft and the freedom and joy of flight. Every time we gather in fellowship to share our stories, we are continuing a celebration begun in 1982 by a small group of senior pilots who believed in a unique and special aviation organization for older pilots. They named it the United Flying Octogenarians. Nancy Warren • Executive Vice President Email: nancyw99@comcast.net Page 2 UFO ANNOUNCEMENTS and INFORMATION UFO List of Up and Coming UFO Meetings Texas Roundup X Jan 27—11:00 “Mixed Up Burgers” Grand Prairie Airport, TX (KGPM) San Diego Gaggle Jan 30—11:15 Brown Field (SDM) EAA Hangar #14 San Diego, CA SFO Regional Meeting Feb 3—11:30 Hiller Aviation Museum (SQL) San Carlos, CA Ohio Meeting Apr 21—11:00 Wright Brothers Museum, Dayton Wright Brothers Airport (MGY) Indiana Spring Meeting May 27—11:00 MCL West Lafayette, IN Check the ufopilots.org web page for more details. Charlie Lopez Flies West—Miami, FL Charlie Lopez flew West on Friday, September 18, 2015, at 6:00 am. He was at home with his daughter Lisa and Hospice nurses in attendance. Lisa described a gentle passing for Charlie, with soft lights and classical music as he flew to new realms. CHARLIE LOPEZ 1927—2015 Now and then we find ourselves in a place and time of opportunity to bear witness to the nobility and the everyday goodness within our fellow man; to observe God’s extraordinary grace at work in ordinary ways. That was my experience in knowing Charlie Lopez and what I feel honored to share with you. Charlie and I, like other UFO Board members, had many conversations over the years about the frustrations experienced in trying to get our members to respond to the information sent to them; to communicate in a timely manner with a meeting host regarding attendance, names, number of guests, etc. And then, just as we began to think it wasn’t worth all the effort, something would happen to change our mind and our attitude. It is all in this email sent on May 6, 2015 from Charlie to the Board: “I love roasted red bell peppers. I love the aroma while they are roasting and I love eating them when they are fresh off the grille. So, in the idle moments when I was not talking to Tampa Approach and Miami Center Controllers this afternoon as I threaded my way back to Miami between rising cumulus clouds, my thoughts turned to roasted red bell peppers…..along with a juicy rib-eye steak and salad. Also, I reminisced about our EAA-hosted UFO BBQ get-together this afternoon, the camaraderie and all of the work that Hugo and Anita put into the planning and execution of a successful meeting. Not surprisingly, I asked myself why do we do it? After all, I just do the rah, rah, rah, and planning at the regional level. And, I also like to write. The answer came as tables and chairs were being whisked away and Sophia Payton came to thank me. To my embarrassment, I hadn’t recognized Sophia. Although she is a long time UFO member, I only recall meeting her once at one of our annual meetings in Lakeland. Sophia is a slightly built woman, soft spoken and demure, like a breath of fresh air among our louder and bolder winged brethren. The answer came when Sophia said to me, ‘Charlie, you are the glue that holds this group together.’ And those are the two things that made my day today. The roasted red bell peppers and Sophia’s words.” Charlie Lopez United Flying Octogenarians, Florida Regional Manager & Vice President of Public Relations Submitted by Nancy Warren United Flying Octogenarians Page 3 UFO 3 Months of Get-Togethers and Meetings Reports On UFO Members That Had Local Meetings!! Oct 15, 2015 Bolton Field (TZR) Columbus, OH There was a well attended and very enjoyable meeting at JP’s BBQ at Bolton Field, Columbus, OH on 10/15/15. UFOs flew in eight airplanes. Fifteen people from OH, four from IN and two from PA attended. A very nice lunch was served by JPs. An informative briefing about the history and operation of Bolton Field was provided by Capital Jet. We discussed the number and location of future meetings. We decided that two a year at various locations was best for us. Members committed to arranging future meetings. The next meeting will be at the Wright Brothers Flyer Museum, Dayton Wright Brothers Airport (MGY) on 4/21/16. Texas Roundup IX Oct 21, 2015 (GPM) Grand Prairie, TX Six of our regulars and one visitor, Larry Tippit, gathered at our regular stomping grounds (KGPM) on October 21st for the ninth edition of ROUNDUP. Aircraft maintenance issues prevented the appearance of our scheduled speaker, Ken Korenk, so we gave him a rain-check. We made up for it though by viewing a documentary about GA--One Six Right (see the photo). For those who may be interested in the history of Van Nuys airport and the problems concerning the future of GA airports everywhere, this is an excellent resource. Next up, ROUNDUP X on January 27th. Gaggle Oct 30, 2015 Brown Field (SDM) San Diego, CA There really isn’t much to write about our “almost gaggle” last week. Several of our UFOs were out of town, and Halloween must have scared the rest away. There were only seven of us, including Bert Bade who brought new member Don Griffith. However, about 30 nonUFOs enjoyed the late Oktoberfest Brats, Kraut and Bush Beans at EAA 14 before the meeting. Please note: Our next meeting will be on Saturday January 30th, 2016 at EAA 14 Hangars, Brown Field, San Diego (SDM). $3 lunch at 11:15, meeting to follow. United Flying Octogenarians Page 4 UFO 3 Months of Get-Togethers and Meetings Reports On UFO Members That Had Local Meetings!! Sept 16, 2015 Burien (SEA) and Friday Harbor (FHR) ,WA Pictures of the UFO get together at Burien, WA and Friday Harbor, WA on September 16, 2015. This is a first for meetings. We had one meeting in two locations. Nobody has ever done this before. Both meetings started at 11 A.M with Lemonade. Friday Harbor had 17 attending and Burien (Sea-Tac) had 12. Why do you ask that we came up with this idea? Answer: The damn weather. They announced there would be heavy rain before the end of the day. All of the members had to fly to Friday Harbor. We were very afraid that no one would be Burien (Sea-Tac) able to get home, so just two days before the meeting, we discovered that one of our members was an Elk in Burien where we could hold our meeting. We had two new members, The Postmas, and one who will be 80 in a year (Gary Hill). John Geyman took over at Friday Harbor and did a great job. Friday Harbor (FHR) NOV 12, 2015 Ryan Field (RYN) Tucson, AZ If today's sky was in a Crayola box of 64, it would be called Arizona Azure--gorgeous, cloudless and blue. Fifteen flyers turned out for another great lunch at Todd's Restaurant at Ryan Field, Tucson. Conversation and camaraderie were both continuous. Our thanks to Todd, Shari, and Gailee for wonderful food and great service. We'll meet again in April at DVT in the Phoenix area. United Flying Octogenarians Page 5 UFO 3 Months of Get-Togethers and Meetings Reports On UFO Members That Had Local Meetings!! Dec 5, 2015 Austin, TX On December 5, four out of the six UFO members in the Austin/Georgetown area got together at The Frisco in Austin for what our dear friend Bob Barker refers to as a "Serendipitous Short Notice Ad Hoc Informal Lunch" The other two, Don Joos and Ike Weathers, would have joined us but they were out of town! How's that for participation? Those who were able to make it with less than 24 hours notice were (left to right) Paul Lasen, Paul Leeke, Bob Luce, Wayne Smith and Jim Cavender (an out-of-towner from Fort Worth). There was no agenda, no speeches, no name-tags....just good food, great hangar flying and wonderful companionship. This is the wave of the future, folks! Go thou and do likewise! OCT 6, 2015 Freeman Field (SER) Seymour, IN It was a beautiful autumn day for our last UFO meeting of 2015 and it brought everyone together in a spirit of fellowship and joy! UFO George Robbins and his daughter Karen were our hosts for the meeting and, as always, did a fantastic job! Members attending were Gene and wife Barbara McCauley, Frank La Greca, Jim Campbell, Charlie Holleman, new member Harry Harden who flew in, Dale Etherington, Jim Wright and wife Ginger, and Bob Plattner. We were joined at lunch by Pat Bothe, wife of Larry, the Museum Curator. New/recent members were introduced. Nancy Warren was surprised to be presented with a birthday cake from Karen with every one singing Happy Birthday! Following lunch, Pat led a tour through the Air Museum, pointing out all the changes and new exhibits which have added tremendously to the museum! The day and the camaraderie could not have been better!! United Flying Octogenarians Page 6 UFO 3 Months of Get-Togethers and Meetings Reports On UFO Members That Had Local Meetings!! Veterans Day Fly-In Nov 16, 2015 Danbury, CT (DXR) The Northeast Region closed the season with a UFO Veterans Day Fly-In to Danbury, CT (DXR) organized by Bob Barker. However, the weather gods did not favor us on Veterans Day so the event was postponed to Nov 16th. Thankfully, you could not have asked for a better day. Carl Carlson was the first to arrive. Carl said his is one of the first Cardinals to come off the Cessna production line but it is so well preserved it looks like it must have been delivered yesterday. A total of ten planes made the trip. Others came by car including Sid Ellner proudly driving his new Fiskar and Tom Osborne in his Glastar. After greetings were exchanged on the ramp, some rode, others walked the short distance to the restaurant for more camaraderie, lunch and a talk by Alexandre de Toulouse Lutrec. Alex recounted the origins of the Lafayette Escadrille and the American civilian pilots who flew with them. A good time was had by all. Branson Fall Color Meet OCT 14, 2015 Branson, MO Mark Trimble hosted and led a wonderful program showing and explaining the history of the Outboard Motor industry, their innovations and the effect on the auto and aircraft engines of today. Mark’s collection of outboards is 1200 plus. The afternoon program was at the airfield (PLK) to look over a collection of some 22 older aircraft--a Grumman Widgeon used in the Fantasy Island TV show was one of them. Clint Allen showed portions of a DVD he is editing showing the construction and flying of a ¾ scale Jenny he made and flew. He was looking for suggestions to finalize the DVD. We had pizza and soda for lunch. Overall it was an unusual, educational, interesting and fun program with lots of camaraderie. In attendance from Missouri: Mark Trimble and Lea, Clint Allen, Ron Anderson, Allan and Dot Brennecke, Bill and Janet Newton, Sam Swihart, and Eugene Engledow. Eugene was 102 years of age on October 7. WOW!! Bill and Camelia Smith joined us from Arkansas, from Kansas came Bill Morris, and Don Miller and Peggy DuSheny arrived from Illinois. United Flying Octogenarians Look At All The New UFO Members!! Name St. Phone Name St. Phone Donald Griffith CA (619)225-0350 Arthur Winterling Ricky Davidson CA CO (831)722-9851 (719)495-6705 Jack Gibson John Betts MS NC (601)765-7954 (252)241-0416 Phillip Oppedahl NM (505)822-1788 Harold Naiman CO (303)832-1909 Patricia Friedman FL NM OK (505)707-1091 (580)225-6513 John O'Reilly FL Herbert Ludgewait GA Harv Segrest (954) 527-0006 Bill Spurlock (352)277-4788 Richard Anderson Hal O'Bryon IA (319)234-7379 John Ellis ID (208)733-7004 Wade Palmer Bill Fuchs Earl Weiser IN KS LA (316)789-1925 (504)837-6740 Thomas Cline MD (301)974-1891 Lee Hepner MI (231)947-1655 OR (503)635-2560 Ray Sheffield SC (803)640-2026 Billy Cox Wayne Smith TN TX (615)907-0182 (512)868-2699 Billy Toy TX (214)287-8218 Daniel Barry WA (360)698-0602 Wilbur Young John Lydon WA (360)385-2504 UK 01226790798 Page 7 We have 7 Members that are over 100 George Levis Doris Lockness Gordon Ebbert Eugene Engledow Helen Kuhn Ike Leighty George Mitchel (106) (105) (102) (102) (102) (100) (100) Baltimore, MD Folsom, CA Moses Lake, WA Bolivar, MO Orlando, FL Waterloo, IA Pacific Palisades, CA We now have 1481 members. Since August 21, 2015 we added 27 new members. A Note From The Editor NEW MEMBER BIOS And Photos We are very excited to receive new members into the UFO organization and would like to introduce them to our membership. When you signed up, you were asked to provide a short BIO and Picture of yourself with an airplane. Please send in both items. We will try hard to include as many new members as possible. If you did not send these in to President Warren Wood when you sent in your application, please email your write-up and photo to the Editor: Rick Webber rick.eileenw@comcast.net Page 8 THE HIGH FLYERS Harv Segrest (80) Albuquerque, NM Harv first soloed in July 1957. He also joined the United States Air Force in 1957 and served for 20 years until 1977. He flew combat missions in the F-10, F-4, and also flew the F-104. He now flies in this ultralight Esqual VM-1. Wayne Smith (80) Georgetown, TX Wayne flew the T-33 for 1700 hours as a flight instructor in the Air Force. He regularly flies this Piper L-4 and does instructing and towing in Gliders. At right, Wayne is pictured on his 80th birthday getting an hour of flight time in this T-33, flying just like when he was teaching in it. He says that 4.5 Gs is not as much fun at 80 as it was at 20!! John Ellis (80) Twin Falls, ID John has logged over 3500 hours, all in General Aviation aircraft. He has ratings as a private pilot, instrument, commercial, CFI and CFII. He is still doing flight instruction and is a Mission Pilot, Orientation Ride Pilot and Instructor with the Civil Air Patrol and also serves as a Squadron Chaplain with CAP. He most often flies in PA-28 Cherokee, Cessna 172 and 182, and also has time in a Cessna 177, 210, and an A-36 Bonanza. Ricky Davidson (80) Colorado Springs, CO Ricky graduated from the Naval Academy in 1958 and entered Air Force Flight Training that same year flying in the T-34, T-37 and T-33. He flew around Europe in C-119s and C-130s, dropping paratroopers & equipment. After 6 1/2 years in the military, he then flew for United Airlines for 30 years and also spent 20 years in the Air Force Reserve, retiring in 1995 as a Colonel. He has owned a Cessna 185, a Mooney 252 and now this Cirrus SR22, which he enjoys flying all around. Wilbur Young (80) Port Townsend, WA This picture shows Wilbur several years ago when he first bought this OMF Symphony 160 airplane. Wilbur first got his license in 1997 and enjoys flying this plane locally around Northern Washington State. United Flying Octogenarians Page 9 THE HIGH FLYERS Daniel Barry (80) Silverdale, WA After getting his private license in 1955, Daniel entered the Air Force Aviation Cadet Program and spent over 30 years and 4600 hours flying in the Air Force flying T-34, T-33, T28, F86D & L, F102, F-105, F-4C-D & E, and others, doing many combat missions . He flew gliders and a Cessna 150 before buying this Aeronca L-3, which he flies regularly in the Northwest. Billy Toy (80) Dallas, TX Billy first soloed in 1962 in a J-3. He is pictured here with his 1962 Cessna 172, which he has owned and flown since 1980. He is a ‘hobby pilot’ and just flies for pleasure and personal use. Bill Spurlock (82) Elk City, OK Bill got his private license in 1962 and is rated in commercial, single engine, land & sea and has flown in over 20 different airplanes. When Bill turned 60, he celebrated the event by making 60 consecutive takeoffs and landings in a Piper Tri-Pacer. He was recently awarded the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award. He owns and flies both a Piper PA-22 and an Ercoupe. Herb Ludgewait (80) Thomasville, GA Herb started flying in 1971, and for over 44 years he has worked as a CFI and/or charter pilot. He flies in this Cherokee 140 and has been to 45 of the 48 contiguous states. Thomas Lytton Cline (83) Silver Springs, MD Thomas has been flying for the last 41 years, owning both a Cessna 172 and this Grumman AA-1. Thomas was very lucky in February 2015 when he was involved in a near fatal plane crash in the plane pictured here when the engine failed near the end of the runway. United Flying Octogenarians Page 10 THE HIGH FLYERS John Betts (80) Williston, NC John started flying in 1961 and got his private license in 1963, followed by commercial in 1968 and instrument rating in 1972. He has owned an Aeronca 7AC, a Cessna 140, a Piper PA20, a Piper PA15, and completed building this biplane in 2003. He has been very involved as airport manager with the airfield in Beaufort, NC and with the vintage aircraft movement, as well as many other flying organizations. Billy Cox (80) Christiana, TN While an Army ROTC student, Billy started flying and was commissioned in the Army in 1960, serving for 20 years and flying 5000 hours in H-23D, OH-13, CH-21, CH-34, CH-47, L-19 Bird Dog, DHC–2 Beaver and Cessna T-41. Then he taught in the Aerospace Dept. at a Tennessee college and continued flying as a private pilot with over 2800 hours in Piper J-3, PA-11, PA-18, PA-28, Cessna 150, 152, 172, 177, 337G, Mooney, Grumman, and this Stinson shown here. Ray Sheffield (80) Saluda, SC As a young boy, Ray became interested in flying when he was building model airplanes. He got his pilot license in 1956 and has been an owner/builder ever since. He has owned an Aeronca 7AC, Chief and L3, a Cessna 140, a Skyranger, a Globe Swift and a Cessna 172. He has built a Stits Playmate, a VANS RV-6A, RV-7 RV8A, and is now flying this RANS-S19. Robert Schmidt (84) Reno, NV Robert starting flying in 1945 and has purchased six airplanes and is rated in Single engine Land and Sea, Multiengine, Sailplane and is instrument rated. His first plane was a Taylorcraft L-2. He then moved up to a Fairchild KR 34 biplane followed by a B-model Debonair and an S-model Bonanza. Robert started soaring in 1976 and it became his most joyful way to fly. Then in 1978, he bought a MU-2 which was still in its shipping crate. He assembled it and after completion he flew his family all over Europe. Robert also distinguished himself by serving as a co-pilot for the Flying Doctors delivering free health care to the needy in Mexico. On the 70th anniversary of his first flight, he got checked out in a 450hp Stearman. United Flying Octogenarians Page 11 THE HIGH FLYERS Jim Kellett (80) Harrisonburg, VA Jim took his first flight in a Stinson Detroiter in 1940, barnstorming through Spartanburg, SC. He finished his first rating in a glider at Godfrey Field (now Leesburg Muni) in Virginia in 1966. He bought the first of six gliders, an SGS 126. He is now flying a Schleicher ASW-20C. Jim has earned his FAI Gold Badge with Diamond altitude and the FAI Diamond Goal leg. Jim is a founding member of the Skyline Soaring Club (see http:// skylinesoaring.org) where he currently provides flight instruction in gliders at its base at KFRR in Virginia.. In real life, Jim is a pharmacist and professor at two universities (in chemistry and, of all things, political science), and a science advisor to the State legislature. Jim retired in 1996. George Conover (80) Oklahoma City, OK Congratulations to aviator and UFO member George Conover for successfully completing his Instrument Rating. November 11, 2015 was a great day for him! Conover showed tenacity and perseverance in continuing with his aviation training to obtain an Instrument Rating at 80 years old. Conover’s success could not have happened without the dedication of Bret Wyatt, Chief Instructor at Oklahoma Aviation. George gives Oklahoma Aviation a five star review for their professionalism in aviation training. Ed Waterhouse (80) San Diego, CA Ed loves to take his grand children (Lexie and Sadie) up in his 1946 Luscombe 8A and he has written a book “Chincoteague Summer of 1948” in which he tells a great story of his Sadie first solo at the age of 12. You see he helped out his Lexie Uncle Walt who ran a seaplane base with an Aeronca, Taylorcraft and a Cub, all on floats. Ed’s job was to taxi the planes up onto the greased tie-down ramp and hose off the salt water. One day his Uncle asked him if he thought he could fly the Taylorcraft on his own and Ed replied with a definite YES. Ed had received lots of training from his uncle and was very ready to solo at the age of 12. He taxied it out, took off, flew around the pond once and landed, smooth as silk. He of course never told anyone so his Uncle would not get in trouble with the CAA. United Flying Octogenarians UFO Area Representatives AL AK AR AZ (North) AZ (South) CA Northwest CA, Palm Springs CA, San Francisco CA, San Diego CO CT, MA, RI, VT DE, MD GA, SC HI ID IL IN KS MI MN, WI MO Skeet Vaughan (256) 881-2566 Buck Stewart (907) 495-6527 Jim Stamps (479) 293-4147 Harry Amster (602) 954-0998 Kayl Craig (520) 881-0988 Richard Dennis (707) 538-1976 Tony Terrigno (760) 772-8480 Warren Wood (831) 659-7523 Robert Johnson (619) 475-4732 Jack Cronin (303) 333-3000 Bob Barker (203) 321-1073 Wayne Peters (301) 299-1775 Ray Bell (404) 634-4531 Willy Schauer (808) 732-3644 John Harns (208) 777-8389 Red Bainbridge (815) 282-5083 Nancy Warren (812) 372-2769 Alfred Shippy (785) 200-3059 Al Ranger (484) 467-2702 Bob Ward (608) 274-0849 Al Brennecke (314) 845-8771 MT NC NM NV North NV South NY, Rhinebeck NY, South OH OK OR PA TX North Central TX North East UT VA WA WY Argentina Europe Ed Gonsalves (406) 381-2975 Tom Van Petten (752) 620-7846 Vern Dudley (505) 266-2491 Charles Kettering (775) 826-5161 Marvin D. Rogge (702) 655-9005 Bill King (845) 268-7077 Harold Levy (631) 329-0425 Charlie DeBerry (937) 435-9229 Frank Lowry (918) 640-6619 Bert Zimmerly (503) 708-5703 Lloyd Babcock (484) 467-2702 Jim Cavender (817) 292-1044 Wayne Collins (903) 850-2611 Russ Roberts (435) 590-7610 Sara Parmenter (804) 492-4474 William Webber (509) 466-2026 Bernie Peterson (307) 673-8414 Hugo Casadella (5411) 4815-8779 Charles Strasser 44-1534-851681 UFO Regional Managers Northeast Bob Barker (203) 321-1073 Southwest Southeast Midwest West William Webber (509) 466-2026 Jim Cavender (817) 292-1044 Red Bainbridge (815) 282-5083 The Slip Stream United Flying Octogenarians United Flying Octogenarians P.O. Box 1765 Carmel Valley, CA 93924 Tel. 831-659-7523 E-mail: wgwood99@comcast.net UFO Bill Webber 11910 N. Country Club Dr. Spokane, WA 99218 Visit the Web Site—www.UFOPILOTS.org