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: [email protected]
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: [email protected]
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
[email protected]
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: [email protected]
UFO
Bill Webber
11910 N. Country Club Dr.
Spokane, WA 99218
Visit the Web Site—www.UFOPILOTS.org