COWL FLAPS

Volume IX

Issue I

January 2015 From the editors of Cowl Flaps, the news

Magazine for the Gulf Coast Wing - CAF

WING MEETING SATURDAY February, 14, 2015 11:30 AM

Saturday, February 14, is our next wing meeting. The Staff meetings will start

at 9:00 AM. The General Membership meeting afterward will start approxi-

mately 11:30 AM. Maintenance Colonels wishing to work on Texas Raiders

should show up around 9:00 AM. All members are encouraged to come out

and contribute time, expertise and camaraderie to the occasion. After the gen-

eral meeting, we will have the standard potluck lunch. Please bring something

with you: drinks, an entrée, fruit or vegetable tray, desserts, or any thing you

want. While monetary contributions to the lunch are appreciated, we need

more people to bring food, otherwise we will not have enough food for every-

one.

Coming Soon…..

February 14: Monthly Wing Meeting

February 28: 2015 Ground School

March 11- 30: Florida Tour

March 14: Monthly Wing Meeting

Photo by Kevin Hong

Wing Leader Report 2

WOH Representa-

tive Report

3

Operation Officer’s

Report

4

Executive Officer’s

Report

5

Safety Officer’s

Report

6

Maintenance Of-

ficer’s Report

7

Touring Committee

Report

7

A Veterans’ Thanks-

giving Reunion

8

Loadmaster 10

Fire Safety Training 10

Accident Statistics 11

SWA Flights to join

March Mission

12

GCW Ground

School Information

13

Awards Recipients 15

Photos 20

GCW Ground

School Application

25

Staff Information 26

Inside this issue:

WINTER MAINTENANCEWINTER MAINTENANCEWINTER MAINTENANCE

COWL FLAPS PAGE 2

GCW - CAF February 2015 Wing Leader’s Report

It is fun hearing people's perspectives on "how the world works ," and recently I got to hear a col-

lege student 's perspective. She was talking about a Professor who teaches a class on Sales for

the College of Technology. One of his axioms is: NOBODY EATS if Sales does not do its job. How

this applies to the Gulf Coast Wing is simple: NOBODY FLIES without EVERYBODY doing their job

s. It takes maintenance keep ing the plane in shape and the paperwork up to date. The best main-

tained plane in the world does not fly unless the Pilots stay current, legal and competent. But a well

-flown, well -maintained plane does not pay the rent unless Tour Planning get s the stops ready ,

and Marketing gets the public to come out , and Rides Coordination handle s the administrative

side of filling those seats to the satisfaction of the FAA and CAF-HQ. And if the Finances are not

meticulously tracked , and relations with HQ and other units maintained, it doesn't really matter how

stellar we are with maintenance , marketing, piloting , PX, Ride Coordination , member retention,

our safety record and our Social Media. So while we may ALL feel like we are the MOST important

part of the operation, or even the ONLY important part of the operation , we ALL need to stop, think

and show a little respect and appreciation for those people doing ALL that OTHER unimportant

stuff.

Your Staff has decided we need ANOTHER airplane. So we have asked CAF-HQ for the next X-15

that they should have to come up for assignment. Obviously I am still Jazzed by the presentation

Ge n. Joe Engle gave at the Awards Banquet. I didn't want to embarrass him, but he was famous

for one other FIRST in the X-15. On his first flight he did an unauthorized roll in the space craft,

much to the amazement of management. They must not have been TOO mad, because the y let

him fly it 15 more times, including 3 flights that qualified as Space Flights at over 200,000 ft. alti-

tude!

Failing getting an X-15, some of us might settle for a C-45, AKA Twin Beech. There are many rea-

sons that is the favoured aircraft du jour. Now if we could get a twin seat X-15 , I think we would be

on the better track. But alas, they only made three X-15s and nary a one of 'em was a 2-seater.

So those more practical types on your Staff are extolling the virtues of a C-45 to train new B-17 pi-

lots. It would save wear and tear on TEXAS RAIDERS and it would certainly be a mite cheaper to

fly, for honing our pilot's multi-engine tail-dragger skills. And there is certainly an argument that the

C-45 would fill a gap in selling rides for cheaper than most seats in a B-17.

I guess it is up to Pat and Jed to explain it better than I can in the Wing Leader's letter.

The Maintenance Team is doing amazing things to the bomber... I am amazed at how many pro-

jects are going simultaneously in so many areas. Kudos to ALL the Cols. turning wrenches and

sawing wood and getting her ready for the 2015 flying season.

Winter Staff Conference is Feb. 20-22nd in scenic Midland, Texas. I know I am going and I believe

Walt and Sandy Thompson and Chris Ebdon will also be there gleaning what we can from the vari-

ous workshops and meetings. Continued on page 3

COWL FLAPS PAGE 3

GCW - CAF Wings Over Houston Representative Report

Kathleen Hanna Wayne Kennedy

Kathleen Hanna Kathleen Hanna Kathleen Hanna

Kathleen Hanna Kathleen Hanna

Fellow Colonels,

Today (2/7/2015) I had the distinct pleasure of representing our Wing and the Houston Wing in pro-moting an ambassadorship outreach to our community. We were asked by the Boy Scout Council to set up a display at their University of Scouting that was held at the General Benjamin O. Davis High School, to promote what we do and our Cadet Program. Attending this activity was a real treat. As you may know, General Benjamin O. Davis was the head of the Tuskegee Airmen. I took several pictures of the facility as well as our display. We were in some great company. Our booth was stationed half way down on the center aisle of the midway. To our left was a display from USS Texas - to our right was a a display from USS Lexington. The next aisle over had displays from the 1940s Air Terminal and the Buffalo Soldiers. The midway was set up to provide resources to the Scout Troops and Packs for training and tours, to advance the Scouting experience.

Naturally, I covered our Cadet Program with the scouting leaders and the availability of tours as our schedules permit. I am happy to say that this experience showed the appearance of adults in being interested to coming out and joining.

Going forward, we will be asked to attend some scouting activities and give some audio-visual presentations and I am happy to oblige... They youth are the future of scouting AND the future of the CAF. I hope that many will take advantage of learning what we represent. The Houston Wing has recently started a Cadet Program. I hope that are as suc-cessful as we are with our talented Cadets.

Have a great February.

Semper Fi

Wayne F. Kennedy

Wings Over Houston Representative

Gulf Coast Wing - CAF

Continued from page 2 Ground School is the very next weekend on the 28th . There will be new presentations, so don't think of skipping it if you want to come fly missions.

In the meanwhile , we are girding our loins for 2015 and it looks like they need girding. After Win-ter Maintenance we are off to Florida . This year we are adding stops in Georgia and Alabama. Later , in May , there will be the Arsenal of Democracy flyover , \TR will play its part in a massive fly-over of the WWII monument in Washington, DC. From there we continue up to New Jersey for an airshow at Millville. So join the CAF and see the world!

Col Don Price

Wing Leader

Gulf Costs Wing - CAF

COWL FLAPS PAGE 4

GCW - CAF February 2015 Operation Officer’s Report

Hello, All:

My CAF contact email is ops@gulfcoastwing.org. I can be best reached when in town at

979/830-0077 (home), usually in the AM, and my cell number is 979/830-3530, if I can’t be

reached on the first number.

Ground school is being finalized and Bruce Guest has been very instrumental in organizing our

schedule and has done a very good job. I want to emphasize that, subject to staff approval, there

will be a systems ground school on the C-45 Twin Beech ‘Expeditor’ about 45 minutes after the

GS at the church is over, and at the TJC hangar either under the wing or in the office, depending

on noise and WX (weather.) It will be about 40 minutes with Jed Doggett instructing with a short

test that will give us the certifications to operate under 6802L. It is required for pilots, and other

members may sit in.

Speaking of the Twin Beech, it’s in the works, and at this point, its donation to the CAF rests

on the April 15th deadline for filing taxes as the current owner wants to write it off on his taxes.

Therefore, I don’t expect anything on it until at least that period of time. This is a very good A/C

and I certainly hope all comes to a successful conclusion. They are a money maker and have

been called ‘gold mines,’ and we certainly want gold.

If this falls through, there are others out there to be had, but I really want this one as it has low

time engines, has 1,000 hrs. to go on spar X-ray, and Jed Doggett is familiar with it and vouches

for it being a good A/C, and it can burn car gas when available.

It will also be used as a pilot trainer and pilots who need time to bring up their skills to get into

our B-17 will be required to pay for fuel and some on ANAUC, and it is reasonable. We simply

cannot afford to train in ‘TR’ at about $1,300 - $1,400/hr on fuel alone and each main tire at

$4,000.00 each plus engine time and general wear and tear. This will also help with tours and

MX (Maintenance.) We really need a training multi-engine tail-wheel A/C if we are to put on more

pilots to make the 150-200 hr. tour schedule and pilots must be well skilled to fly a large multi-

engine A/C safely.

Hopefully I will know more on pilots and training and the Twin Beech at the ground school;

meanwhile, let’s all keep plugging and try to help with MX in getting ‘TR’

back in the air.

Pat Elliott, Sr.

Operations Officer

Gulf Coast Wing, CAF

COWL FLAPS PAGE 5

GCW - CAF February 2015 Executive Officer’s Report

GCW Members,

GROUND SCHOOL! Yes, Ground School is at the end of the month, February 28th. Now, more

than ever before, Ground School attendance is needed to help provide crewmembers for Texas

Raiders! With a very active flight schedule forming up for this coming flight season, we MUST

increase our numbers in all of the crewmember positions. Be it Loadmasters or PX, Flight Engi-

neers or Ride Coordinators, etc., we will have an increased need.

You might say, "Hey, what is in it for me"? Well, besides the excellent pay, sometime down the road you will be flying on TR as a crewmember and be overcome by an acute case of pride, im-portance and a warm fuzzy feeling of happiness! You might say to yourself, "Wow, who else in the whole world is flying as a crewmember on a B-17G Flying Fortress right now"? Plus, let us not forget, we are also fulfilling the CAF mandate of education and honoring those who have served in the Military!

If you are already an active crewmember on TR, that is great. If not, and you wish to be a crew-member, a decision on which area prior to and during Ground School will be needed. Listed be-low are the various crewmember Leads who can give you all the info you will need to make a de-cision. You might say "Hey, I don't have the skills to do any of this stuff". Sorry, you don't get off that easy! We have excellent training in all areas! You can also fly as an ACM (Additional Crew Member) and work Aircraft tours (as do all crewmembers), set ups and take downs, etc.

One last point, please: Crewmembers need to be ACTIVE crewmembers! It takes a real commit-ment to staff TR during it's flying season! Please, plan ahead and block in times when you can be available for flights and tours (check the website Tour Calendar).

Crewmember Leads:

Loadmasters, Flight Engineers, Ride Coordinators,

Col Kevin Garton Col Bud Bearce Col Jane Turk

klg321@hotmail.com k5jgu@att.net janecope@msn.com

Pilots, Mission Tour Directors Maintenance Colonels,

and ACM/s, Col Jed Doggett

Col Pat Elliott doggett.jack@gmail.com

ops@gulfcoastwing.org

Thank you,

Col Bud Bearce,

Executive Officer

Gulf Coast Wing - CAF

COWL FLAPS PAGE 6

GCW - CAF February 2015 Safety Officer’s Report

Nancy Kwiecien

You may never have another chance!

I want to share with you one of my experiences from ICAS last December. Nancy Kwiecien has writ-ten about many of the aspects of the event, including the trade show hall and marketing seminars. I want to share with you my experience from another one of those seminars.

I went to an afternoon session one day about Safety – Air Show Performer Safety to be precise. I didn’t really know what to expect. There were probably 60-70 people in the room, mostly performers. There was a forum of experienced performers on stage, many long time experts, and highly recog-nized as being the best of their ilk.

The crux of this session was to review the three fatal accidents that occurred at airshows in 2014. Each accident was discussed by an airshow performer. In each case, the person talking about the accident was a close personal friend of the pilot that was killed.

Watching these long term airshow professionals talking about how and why their friend died goes beyond moving. It was heroic. And as difficult as it was to talk about the accident, they somehow mustered the wherewithal to do it so others could learn.

There was the video. Not shown to the bitter end. And a technical discussion about what happened. He was too low, he pulled out of the maneuver too severely and probably passed out due to pulling too many G’s, he started the maneuver with not enough airspeed, etc.

What I want to tell you about is something much more important than the technical details. In each and every instance, the person telling the story had one clear message. “I was not comfortable with that maneuver my friend was doing”. “I was afraid he was taking an undue risk”, and so forth. And what was the most moving was that they – to a person – said “I should have gotten involved”, “I should have made my friend aware of my concerns”. They did not.

Airshow acrobatic performers are a close knit community. Much like NASCAR and other types of race drivers are. The guy that takes the most chances and puts on the best show is the winner. These guys are all competing and the best man wins. I get it. I understand how competitive this busi-ness is. I understand that there are huge egos involved in some cases.

So what? We’re not a bunch of guys in red biplanes that do twisty-turney stuff in front of a crowd. What’s this got to do with me?

There are some parallels between these guys and us that you might want to think about. We are a close knit bunch. We have some pretty good sized egos and sometimes when we see something that we think is dangerous, we don’t get involved. There are a variety of reasons. I get it.

Each of those men wishes he had the chance to do this over; to get involved; to warn his friend about the danger. He does not have that chance. His friend and brother performer is dead.

Don’t let this happen to you. If you see one of your friends or a wing member doing something that gives you concern for their safety or the safety of TR, get involved. Speak up. You may never have another chance.

Col John Alkire

Safety Officer

Gulf Coast Wing - CAF

COWL FLAPS PAGE 7

GCW - CAF February 2014 Maintenance Officer’s Report

Hello GCW! Maintenance has been very busy in the past couple of months. We have had very good help this winter and we have had some new and welcome faces. We have also had our more well know and dependable crew. I wish to welcome Tim Searls and Carl Capers on board, plus I understand Jeff Foltz returned Thursday, welcome back We have missed you!

During our downtime we have installed new floors, rebuilt the landing gear, replaced 2 genera-tors, made a bunch of repairs, complied with Airworthiness Directives, completed four 30-hour inspections and more things that escape my memory. It is a lot of effort and each time we think we are getting ahead we find something else that needs attention.

Please consider coming out to work on the airplane. I can't stress enough how much each person can make a difference. We have made great pro-gress in getting new people acclimated to working on a 70 year old airplane. It will not fly without maintenance and you can be a great part of our team. We work each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Col Jed Doggett

Maintenance Officer

Gulf Coast Wing - CAF

We are in a much better place with planning than we were at this time last year. We have most of the summer planned and are working to get some fill-in out and back missions lined up. The team is doing a great job. We have had way more requests for appearances than we can do. That is a good place to be. TR is getting much better known and a lot of respect from the airshow community.

The great thing about this year is that we are focusing a lot more on airshows than last year. We are doing 7 shows with the Thunderbirds and one with the Blue Angles. We are even doing one in California with the T-birds and the Canadian Snowbirds. Appearing with the jet teams is good for us because they attract larger crowds. That increases our revenue potential.

As you know the Florida trip is coming up. We just put out the final crew request. Things are shap-ing up for the crew, but as I write this, we are still short on FE’s, so if you can make one leg of the tour, we would really appreciate it.

The DC trip is coming together and you will see a crew request for that mission sometime the week of Feb 7th. We want to take care of Florida first. The reason we are starting DC early is that there are some requirements for information for flight crew with early deadlines for that must be sent to the TSA, etc. We will break this trip into two segments with a change out in Philly after the DC flyover.

I’ll fill you in on more events next month.

Col John Alkire

Touring Committee Lead

Gulf Coast Wing - CAF See Available Flights on Page 12

GCW - CAF February 2015 Touring Committee Report

COWL FLAPS PAGE 8

A Veterans’ Thanksgiving Reunion

Kathleen Hanna

Yielding to the inevitable, the number of living WWII veterans declines by 550 every day, according

to the Veterans Administration. Time is erasing the personal histories and experiences of the big-

gest conflict the world has ever known, thus making more important the mission of the CAF.

During this past Thanksgiving week the Gulf Coast Wing had the privilege of supporting the mission

in a very real way, by hosting two WWII aviators and their families. This visit was exceptional, since

the B-17 Texas Raiders took aboard two men who not only flew the big bombers, but were pilot and

co-pilot of the same crew, serving in combat over Europe.

Reuniting in Spring, Texas were Mr. John Lindholm

and Mr. George E. Parker, formerly of the 8th Air

Force, 457th Bomber Group, 748th Squadron. Pilot

Lindholm and Co-Pilot Parker trained and served

together as B-17 air crew, deploying to Glatton, Eng-

land at the beginning of 1945. Together John and

George completed 17 successful combat missions

over Europe prior to the close of the war on the con-

tinent.

Born and raised in Kansas, John enlisted after high

school. Desiring to serve in the Air Corps, John

Lindholm knew he would be considered too tall to

be an aviator. He fudged his height a bit upon en-

listing, slouched when measured, and successfully earned his wings and an assignment to fly the B-

17. It wasn’t until his final physical that John drew himself up to his full height – and all six feet five

inches of him represented a major investment in time and training that was not about to be directed

elsewhere.

Likewise born and raised in the Heartland, George grew up in Oklahoma and Kansas, the son of an

army chaplain. George registered for the military prior to his 18th birthday in order to be considered

a candidate for the Air Cadet Program. Eventually, George, his father, and his three brothers were

all serving in some branch of the military and his mother held the distinction of displaying five stars

in her window for the men in her family – all of whom came home safely.

John and George were successful in air combat, their crew sustaining only one casualty in the air

over the course of their missions. That isn’t to say they didn’t have their share of near misses. John

still owns the helmet with the crease in it where he was struck by a piece of flak, but luckily unin-

jured. And on that same mission, their eleventh, the oil line on the right side of their bomber was

shot open. They had to feather both engines on the right, and fly the whole way home on two en-

gines.

Continued on page 9

John Lindholm George E. Parker

Photo - Kevin Garton

COWL FLAPS PAGE 9

Continued from page 8

“What a struggle it was to fly that way,” remembers George. “We had to wrestle the plane the

whole way.” A Lancaster bomber followed them all the way across the Channel, circling them to

keep watch. As they approached home base, John asked his co-pilot George, “Do you want to

land it?” George exclaimed, “No! If we ever needed your experience, it’s now!” and John safely

put the plane back down at Glatton.

After the war, John became an engineer, ultimately earning a PhD in Engineering and finishing his

career as an educator at his alma mater, Kansas State University. George likewise pursued a

technical career, graduating from Southern Methodist University and becoming a geophysics seis-

mic contractor, working in Texas and Louisiana.

The former aviators were pleased to be reunited with a Flying Fortress. Although they’ve toured

other B-17’s separately at various times, this was the first time since the war that John and George

sat in left and right seats together again. George recalled that he liked flying the aircraft, saying

the big bomber was “a good sturdy airplane, one that would bring you back.”

What goes through their minds as they gaze on the iconic aircraft?

“I’d like to be flying!” exclaimed John.

“John Lindholm, that’s what goes through my mind,” said George. “If you could pick someone to

be a leader, he is who you would pick. He was always there, always studying, always learning and

the only one in our hut who read his bible at night, too.”

When asked about the impact that combat had on their subsequent lives, both men noted that they

had to grow up quickly. “It matured us real fast” said John, “although my wife says I had night-

mares for about two years afterwards.” George went on to say “It bothered us – doing the bomb-

ing. But later I was in occupied Germany. I went to Dachau. The things I saw there, I could hard-

ly….” George swallowed hard. “Why couldn’t we have got there sooner?” he wishes out loud.

Today both John and George reflect

back thoughtfully on their time in the US

Army Air Corps. When asked what they

would like today’s children to know

about the war, John replied “We were in

the war to win it – everybody. Civilians

and service men, everybody was uni-

fied.”

George added, “I want them to under-

stand why we fought: in order to avoid a

repeat of terrible things like Dachau.”

Continued on Page 10

John Lindholm George E Parker

Photo - Keven Garton

COWL FLAPS PAGE 10

Continued from page 9

George explained that it was when he saw first-hand the horror that was Dachau that he was able

to truly understand the terrible injustices that the Nazis had perpetrated.

Both men credit their wives and families for the support they have received and continue to receive

today, and they extended their thanks to the CAF Gulf Coast Wing for the visit as well. “We appre-

ciate the CAF making this happen – to allow a couple of old guys, pilot and co-

pilot, to experience the airplane and get together again.”

Mr. Lindholm and Mr. Parker, it was our great privilege.

Col Nancy Kwiecien

Marketing Team Lead

Gulf Coast Wing - CAF

Loadmaster Training At Ground School

Upcoming Ground School Message

Well folks, it’s that time again “Ground School”. I am looking forward to conducting the ground

school for Load Masters. Since this next flying season for 2015 will be busy, I would like for all of

the existing qualified Load Masters to help mentor the new folks that want to be in our brother-

hood of load mastering. There will be a few changes for 2015 and they will be presented in the

upcoming Ground School. Once again, I will treat everyone fairly in responding to mission re-

quests, so that everyone gets a shot at flying on missions this year. I know that I have a few new

folks that want to become fully qualified load masters, so please help get these folks up to speed

on the duties of being a Load Master.

See y’all at Ground School……..

Col Kevin Garton

Chief Loadmaster,

Gulf Coast Wing - CAF

Reminder, we will have hands on fire training Saturday Feb 14th after the wing meeting and

lunch. Please let John Alkire, jdalkire1@gmail.com, know if you plan to attend so that we can

make sure we have adequate supplies on hand.

John Alkire

Houston

281-467-7691

COWL FLAPS PAGE 11

BY THE NUMBERS – ACCIDENTS STATS FOR 2014

One of the most compelling ways to judge aviation safety is to look at accidents statistics, espe-

cially when they are looked at longitudinally, such as over a ten year period. The National Trans-

portation Safety Board (NTSB) set a the General Aviation (GA) target for the reduction of the fatal

accident rate per 100,000 flight hours by 10 percent for the period of 2009-2018. The fiscal year

(FY14) fatal accident number target for 2014 was set at 251, and the actual preliminary figure was

reported in September of this year at 250 / 100,000 flight hours – one less than the not-to-exceed

target for 2014. Although the goal appears to have been met, we should be doing better at this.

The good news is that the number of civil aviation accidents fell approximately 16 percent from

1,539 in 2012 to 1,297 in 2013. As far as statistics for GA went, there was a decrease in all meas-

urable parameters with the total number of GA accidents decreased by 249 in 2013, but GA was

still tagged with 1,222 of the reported 1,297 total accidents – an unfortunate but still high 94 per-

cent. As a hopeful measure of continued decline in the accident rate, the number of fatal acci-

dents was 221 with 387 total fatalities in 2013. The accident rate of 5.85 / 100,000 flight hours

was also a small decline from the previous year.

As this information has been heavily borrowed from published sources, you are encouraged to re-

view the 2013 statistical tables showing accidents, fatalities and accident rates for the major sec-

tors of U.S. Civil Aviation at: http://go.usa.gov/paX5.

Another way to measure aviation safety is through medical programs. The Federal Air Surgeon

(FAS) was tasked by Congress to run the FAA drug testing program for FAA employees and many

aviation professions working under the rules of 14 CFR parts 121 and 135. It is interesting to note

that the FAS reported that on average, an astonishing ~ 2,000 airman per year failed a random

(DOT drug test) substance screening examination. Since GA pilots operating under 14 CFR part

91 are not required to undergo DOT drug test screening, we do not have hard statistics for them,

but as such, this program acts as a loose surrogate for monitoring alcohol and drug usage

amongst the aviation community as a whole.

As a corollary, the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) division of the FAA conducts forensic

toxicology screening after fatal accidents that show a similar use pattern of alcohol and drug us-

age amongst pilots. Per the FAS November/December 2014 Aeromedical Advisory, the CAMI

reported on 3,756 GA fatal accidents during the period of 2000 and 2013 and found that 976 (26

percent) were positive for either disqualifying medications, drugs of abuse, alcohol or some combi-

nation of the above. Specifically, drug abuse was noted in 202 accidents and the presence of al-

cohol was noted in 115 accidents. Data provided to the NTSB by the CAMI for the period 1990-

2012 that focused on over-the-counter (OTC), prescription and illicit drugs found that of the 6,677

pilot who died in aircraft accidents, the percentage of those testing positive for potentially impair-

ing medications had doubled from 11 percent to 23 percent. It is obvious that flying while using

alcohol, medications or illicit substances remains a real problem for the GA community.

Continued on page 12

COWL FLAPS PAGE 12

Continued from page 11

So…how do we stay safe, especially with minor illness or recent social alcohol activities? If we

are under a physician’s care with medications, we should either not fly or consult with our AME

for advice. Many prescribed or OTC medications are potentially sedating, or may have uncom-

mon but real side effects that may impair our ability to safely operate aircraft. The concept of half

-life of these medications should be reviewed. The half-life of a drug is the time it takes for a

medication to have 50% of its activity removed by the body. It is commonly held that 5 half-lives

is a safe time period as only 3 percent of the drug should remain. Of course, waiting 7 half-lives

would ideal as less than 1 percent of the drug would remain. All of us have been taught that

“bottle-to-throttle” should be at least 8 hours. Any vestige of a “Hang Over” should be recog-

nized as alcohol impairment. In my opinion, it would be far better to wait 24 hours to be sure.

Safety is our individual responsibility. Medical education is our shared responsibility. Your AME

is there to assist you with aeromedical questions and advice. I much prefer a telephone call or e-

mail conversation to reading about another statistic. Besides, I always en-

joy speaking with another pilot!

Just remember the 4“P”s for a safe landing– Pitch, Power, Patience and

Prayer!

RB “Doc” Hecker

FAA Senior HIMS/IMS AME

Gulf Coast Wing—CAF

Cheap Flights out of Bush International to Atlanta

Atlanata Flights Out of IAH - United

I checked the United flights to Atlanta on 21 March. They are as follows at this time:

$97 one way, leaves at 8:45 AM arrives 11:48 AM, at this time has 36 available seats in economy

$97 one way, leaves at 10:43 AM arrives 1:43 PM, at this time has 40 available

seats in economy

I would do something with second flight, but as a probable, will have to wait.

Col Mike Fitzgibbons

Gulf Coast Wing Ground School To Be Held Saturday February 28

We are in the final planning stages and countdown for Ground School! Attendance is required for all

essential flight crew members (pilots, flight engineers and load masters) who wish to fly during the

2105 season and highly, highly recommended for all others. If this is your first opportunity to attend

the Gulf Coast Wing / Texas Raiders Ground School you will find it most informative and I guarantee

interesting.

The particulars are:

When: Saturday, 28-February, 2015

Where: Klein United Methodist Church, Great Hall

5920 FM 2920, Spring, Texas 77388

Time: Registration 0700 – 0800 hours

Ground School 0800 – 1545

$35. with advance registration, $40. at the door

Lunch: Is included in the registration fee

2015 GCW dues must be paid to attend

As somebody once said “Now more than ever” if you have not been an active flight crew member

this is the year to start. The BEST way to start is to attend Ground School! 2015 is scheduled to be

our most ambitious flying season in many years. We already have two extended missions planned to

the east coast and are developing plans for a west coast mission also. There won’t be many down

weekends (except for maintenance) which means we need more crew members. The camaraderie

that develops on the missions is amazing and the only way to experience it is to participate.

We will spend the first portion listening to 5 minute presentations by the various “Leads” describing

their specific areas of responsibility and what the qualifications to participate are. Immediately follow-

ing that, the CAF Chief Pilot, Buddy Cooksey who is also a GCW member and Texas Raiders pilot

will present a session centered on the FAA Exemption No. 6802L. This mundane sounding docu-

ment is the life blood for our Living History Flight Experience rides program aboard Texas Raiders.

In it, the FAA lays out the rules under which we must comply. If we violate these rules, we loose the

ability continue our rides program. One violation could jeopardize the whole CAF rides program so it

is absolutely critical that all crew members of any mission be familiar with all facets of this Exemp-

tion.

The cost of registration also includes lunch which will again be sandwiches provided through McAl-

lister’s Deli.

COWL FLAPS

PAGE 13

Gulf Coast Wing Ground School - Saturday February 28

COWL FLAPS PAGE 14

The afternoon Break-out Sessions will be dedicated to the mission specific subjects to include:

Pilots

Flight Engineers

Loadmasters

PX

Marketing

Rides

Tour Planning

Pilots are by invitation only (YES, they are SPECIAL), Flight Engineers are also by invitation, but

the break-out session is open to all desiring to attend, or aspiring to become Flight Engineers.

Maintenance COL’s are included with the Flight Engineers. The Loadmaster break-out session is

open to all interested individuals. PX and Marketing will be held concurrently during the first half

of the break-out session and Rides and Tour Planning will also be held concurrently during the

second half of the break-out session. This will allow any individuals desiring to become familiar

with procedures and responsibilities of multiple functions (PX, Marketing, Rides and Tour Plan-

ning) to do so.

Cadets may attend the session of their choice.

We have to be out of the Church facility by 4:00 PM as there is another function following ours.

There is however one additional subject matter that is optional for members except pilots and

maintenance COL’s. That is a session to cover the systems of the Beech D-18 aircraft which we

are hopefully going to acquire by late spring, or early summer. This session will be held back at

the Tomball Jet Center hanger. It will start at roughly 4:45 PM and complete about an hour later.

For those members not familiar with the Beech D-18 (most commonly designated as a C-45 by

the military) it is a twin engine, tail wheel utility aircraft. It was most definitely used during WW II

including a variant arranged for bombardier training. It will be configured with 8 passenger seats

and two pilot seats. It will serve multiple roles with the Gulf Coast Wing including pilot training,

selling rides and when it follows TR on missions it can carry some of the crew and extra cargo

such as PX items. Because this is a civilian registered aircraft it does not fall under the 6802L Ex-

emption program. There will be more information to follow in the months ahead as we get closer

to actually securing it.

Don’t think about it anymore…Fill out your Ground School Pre-Registration Form NOW and return

it with a check for $35.00 to: COL Rex McLain, Adjutant

17638 Seven Pines

Spring, Texas 77379

Commemorative Air Force / Gulf Coast Wing

2015 Ground School

B-17G Texas Raiders

Pre-REGISTRATION FORM

Saturday, 28-February-2015

Klein United Methodist Church, Great Hall,

5920 FM 2920

Spring, Texas 77388

Registration: 0700 – 0800

Ground School: 0800 - 1530

Please Reserve B-17G Texas Raiders Ground School Space for the Following Gulf Coast Wing

Member:

Name:______________________________________ COL No._______________

My Contact:_________________________________ (E-mail or Phone #)

Ground School Pre-Registration Fee Is $35.00 In Advance and $40.00 At The Door

Lunch is Included In The Fee

Registration and Payment Must be received by Monday, 23-February-2015

____I have included my Pre-Registration payment in the amount of $35.00

____I wish to Pre-Register but will pay $40.00 at the door on 28-February-2015

I Plan To Attend The Following Break-out Session:

____Pilot

____Flight Engineer (Includes Maintenance COL’s)

____Load Master

____Rides

____PX

____Marketing

____Tour Planning

Return This Form With Payment To: COL Rex McLain, Adjutant

17638 Seven Pines Drive

Spring, Texas 77379

NOTE: Both National Commemorative Air Force and Gulf Coast Wing dues must be current and paid to attend.

COWL FLAPS PAGE 18

GULF COAST WING AWARDS BANQUET - JANUARY 31, 2015

The Gulf Coast Wing Celebrates an Outstanding Year!

The Gulf Coast Wing celebrated a year of success on January 31 with their annual Awards Banquet at the Holiday

Inn near Intercontinental Airport, where a total of 115 members convened for social time and recognition of their

peers. A highlight of the evening was an excellent presentation by Major General Joe Engle (USAF Ret) who talked

about his experiences as a test pilot, and most particularly his experience flying the X-15. It was a fascinating look

into the birth of space exploration, and a dramatic display of the linkages from those early days to the Space Shuttle

program.

Of course the night wouldn’t have been complete without the famous Silent and Live Auctions. The bidding was

fierce for the popular items and a few gentlemen went home with Valentine’s gifts securely in hand. A notable item

in the Live Auction were three leather bomber jackets with the Texas Raiders nose art on the back. Look for the

lucky bidders to be wearing them on their next mission!

The centerpiece of the evening was the awards program. As Wing Leader Don Price pointed out, there were many,

many deserving members who worked hard during the course of the year. It was the responsibility of the Awards

Committee (Bruce Guest, Paul Bienvenu, Kathleen Hanna and Nancy Kwiecien) to sort through the many worthy

nominations and call out the stars.

The Ky Putnam Leadership Award goes to the member who has demonstrated high leadership

qualities in the area of decision making, negotiation, communications and teamwork; who

shows consistent participation while carrying out the mission. Ole Nygren was honored for his

dedication to the Operations function, as he accepted a new role and an expanded work load

and new processes early in the year with an aggressive touring schedule; then added the suc-

cessful launch of the Flying Circus model, all while maintaining good humor, good leadership

and good mentorship.

Safety Award: this award is presented to the member who exemplifies the highest level of obser-

vation of safety and who takes initiative to improve overall safety in the Wing. Jake Doggett re-

ceived the award. On his own initiative Jake identified a fuel contamination issue that could have

had disastrous consequences for Texas Raiders.

The H. Platt Thompson Maintenance Award is

given to the member or members who have demonstrated ex-

ceptionally high maintenance service to the GCW. Ben Doggett,

Jeff Foltz, Jake Doggett and Bruce Guest were all recognized for

their exceptional dedication to maintenance and support of TR in

the form of long hours, late hours, exceptionally hard work, tak-

ing initiative, attention to detail and quality work; often working

behind the scenes.

COWL FLAPS PAGE 17

Awards Banquet, continued from page ?????

The Special Award recognizes individuals who have contributed in an outstanding way to CAF and GCW and may cov-

er a variety of areas of contribution. It was awarded to three people who have in common their work to train others

and expand the capabilities of the Wing, in addition to their personal commitment and high performance.

Marty Huvar was recognized for dedication to the Marshalling detachment, support and development of the Cadet

Marshalling Program, and his support of veterans. Vicki Thomas was awarded for her dedication over a long period

of time to the Wing and personal commitment to the PX function, improvement of the PX processes and the PX team.

Kathleen Brown-Hanna was recognized as one who seems to have a boundless amount of energy and even more

smiles. Not only is she a mainstay with many GCW activities, but if she isn’t with us, she is marshalling at an air show,

and working with the CGW Cadet Marshallers on the flight line. And when she gets home what is she doing? Usually

working on the next issue of Cowl Flaps.

Photo—S. Thompson

The HM & Frances Hancock Service Award is given to the mem-

ber or members who have demonstrated exceptionally high ser-

vice as well as volunteering efforts to the CAF and the GCW.

John Alkire, Craig Langnes and Nancy Kwiecien all received this

award. An important commonality for all three of these winners

is their willingness to step into new roles during a turbulent time

in the Wing, and showing good leadership and teamwork while

doing so.

John took on a new role leading Tour Planning during a time

when the Wing was challenged to perform better; established a

team and processes, launched the Flying Circus model, taught

others to do tour planning, all while modeling good team work.

Craig devoted an incredible number of hours to execute a full

recast of Wing financials, passed an aggressive audit and estab-

lished a high level of credibility with headquarters.

Honorable mention went to Ken Carpenter for his support and

assistance to Craig.

Nancy took a lead role in developing the 2014

Wing Business Plan and marketed all missions.

She has become the recording secretary for all

meetings and conference calls she attends and

when that isn’t enough there is always one

more activity she has planned.

COWL FLAPS PAGE 18

Awards Banquet, continued from page ????

Newcomer of the Year: This award is given to the newcomer(s) who demonstrated

exceptionally high service and volunteering and were high producers as soon as they

came on board. They take on tasks eagerly; they are self-motivated and are diligent in

tasks that are challenging. John “JP” Smith joined the Wing and immediately engaged,

taking initiative to do any task at hand and by the end of the year he was a qualified

Loadmaster. Gary Herzog participated in a large number of missions as a newcomer,

consistently worked on any task, and supported TR both at home and away.

The Gray Eagle Award is given to a pilot who has concurrently flown in the CAF for twenty or

more years. Len Root has safely piloted TR and other CAF aircraft for over twenty years. His

early experience came with American Airlines as a pilot of course. While also flying European

manufactured planes for American Airlines, he has certainly been very good to TR and has a

stellar record in an American manufactured 70 year old Boeing aircraft! Thanks Len!

Cadet of the Year is given to the Cadet who has best exemplified dedication and volunteering to

the Wing as well as to the mission of the Cadets. Winner Aubrey Herzog has engaged in all fac-

ets of the Wing as a Cadet, whether marshalling, giving tours, PX, or maintenance at home and

on the road.

The Above and Beyond award is given to the member or members

who demonstrated great commitment, dedication and a high level of

contribution to the Wing consistently throughout the course of the year. Nancy Smith,

Kevin Hong, Jeff Brown, Dennis “Kiwi” Kwiecien and Paul Bienvenu were recognized as

having gone “Above and Beyond.” Nancy worked tireless selling rides on TR. In a year in

which we were required to raise revenue, Nancy participated in nearly all of TR’s missions

and drove sales not only for TR but for other Wings. She also personally obtained a large

number of auction donations, too. Way to go “Nancinator”! Kevin, working almost exclu-

sively behind the scenes, produced a tremendous amount of design materials for the Wing: new logo, new (best-

selling) hats and shirts, newspaper ads, online ads, and posters, (all of them customized for each event) plus new

Tour Handouts, and photos, all on short deadlines. Jeff was recognized for his long-standing commitment to Wing

communications including producing CowlFlaps and email messaging. He produces the newsletter cheerfully and on

time every month, while putting up with staff members who miss deadlines and struggle

with technology challenges. Dennis contributes consistently to both Maintenance and

Loadmaster functions for missions and training flights. He always volunteers no matter

the task, and is always available even at last-minute, and does so always with a smile and

his (somewhat unique) sense of humor.

Paul: where others have failed, Paul quietly shows results. New to Tour Planning in 2014,

Paul planned several Missions. He is a consistent contributor for TR’s maintenance as

well as many other Wing activities.

COWL FLAPS PAGE 19

The Bent Tow Bar Award is given to the individual who executes the most

“memorable” action or activity during the year and is named for a Colonel

who actually bent the aircraft tow bar while moving Texas Raiders in the

hangar. “Laser” Dave McConkey AKA “Muffin Man” supervised the disap-

pearance of the fabric “muffins” that protect the exhaust intakes. (In fair-

ness, there was a newly installed door mechanism; it could have happened

to anybody.) Honorable Mention goes to Vicki Thomas for her demonstra-

tion of the physics of the slipstream effect at the window of TR with her iPad

at about 1500 feet over South Texas.

Time Man of the Year is given by photographer and marketing team member Kevin Hong,

memorializing a colonel on his customized magazine cover – creating a portrait that captures

the essence of the person and their engagement with the Wing. This year, congratulate Kev-

in Garton – who Kevin Hong insists landed the lead role in the film “Airplane” but who had to

let Robert Stack have it, since Garton had to fly on TR instead!

The PX award is given by PX Leader Vicki Thomas to the PX volunteer who contributed the

most during the year. Sandy Lee was recognized for participating in numerous weekend-

long missions and working hard to ensure the PX operated smoothly at all times.

Don Price presented national awards that had been announced earlier by President Steve Brown and his headquar-

ters staff. Receiving the Individual Maintenance Award was Jake Doggett, and receiving formal Letters of Commen-

dation were Howard Quoyser, Joe Duncan, and Paul Bienvenue. Recipients of the nationally recognized Silver Mag-

nolia Award were Nancy Smith and Nancy Kwiecien.

The Wing thanks the Banquet Committee who worked so hard to put on an excellent evening: Paul Bienvenu, An-

nette Doggett, Chris Ebdon, John Elliott, Kevin Garton, Bruce Guest, Kathleen Hanna, Sandy Lee, Dayna Salter, Nancy

Smith, Vicki Thomas, Wayne Kennedy, and Catherine Young. Well done!

COWL FLAPS PAGE 20

GCW - CAF 2015 Awards Banquet

Charles and Sharon Hutchins Dayna Salter Everett and Morgan Gibson

Curtis and Debra Hall Sandra Muns and Dale Morningstar

Ken Hyman - Everett Gibson - Walt Thompson Wayne Kennedy and Al Maxwell

Catherine Young

Photo - S. Thompson Photo - S. Thompson Photo - S. Thompson

Photo - Sandy Thompson Photo - Sandy Thompson

Photo - K. Garton

Photo - Sandy Thompson Photo - Sandy Thompson

COWL FLAPS PAGE 21

Bud Bearce and Ky Putnam Len and Angela Root

Terry Senger and Joe Engles Vicki Thomas and John Alkire Kath- leen

Kathryn Shockley - Sandy Lee Chevy Bixel - Howard Quoyeser Beverley Brown - Bill Parrish

Photo - S. Thompson Photo - S. Thompson Photo—Kevin Garton

Photo—K. Garton

Photo - Sandy Thompson Photo - S. Thompson

Photo - S.Thompson Photo—K. Garton Photo - Sandy Thompson

Left: Ky Putnam

Nancy Kwiecien

Sandy Thompson

Right: Donna, Paul

and

Carolyn Bienvenu

Photo’s - Kevin Garton

John and Kim Elliott

Photo K. Garton

COWL FLAPS PAGE 22

GCW - CAF Winter Maintenance

Jim Wittkamp Larry Doucette Howard Wall

Carolyn Bienvenu Paul Bienvenu Dennis Cantrell

Dennis Kwiecien Ken Carpenter Joe Duncan

All photos on this page by Jeff Brown

COWL FLAPS PAGE 23

Kevin Motley Lee Brown Ben Doggett

Rick Baker Tom Heidorf Carl Capers

Tim Searls Jake Doggett Bud Bearce - Mike Fitzgibbons

All photo on this page by Jeff T. Brown

Kevin Garton - Person Of The Year by Kevin Hong

COWL FLAPS PAGE 26

STAFF:

Elections are held each winter (usually in November at the general meeting). Staff members are elected for a two-year

term and elections are held in compliance with CAF Unit Manual Sections 3-8 through 3-23. The current Elected Staff

members for 2015 are:

Wing Leader Col Don Price 713-988-2765 don_price56@hotmail.com

Executive Officer Col Bud Bearce 713-864-7435 k5ju@att.net

Adjutant Officer Col Rex McLain 281-251-0138 breitlingsteeler@hotmail.com.

Operations Officer Col Pat Elliott Sr. 979-830-0077 ops@gulfcoastwing.org

Finance Officer Col Craig Langnes 281-288-1505 craig.langnes@sbcglobal.net

Maintenance Officer Col Jed Doggett 281-773-4045 Doggett.jack@gmail.com

Safety Officer Col John Alkire 281-467-7691 jdalkire1@gmail.com

Appointed Staff Members serve at the appointment and discretion of the elected staff:

PX Officer Col Vicki Thomas 281-620-5639 vthomas4@comcast.net

Wings Over Houston Rep. Col Wayne Kennedy 281-855-2520 wfkennedy@swbell.net

Supply Officer Col Lee Brown 832-541-8349 lebro29@yahoo.com

Rides Coordinator Col Jane Turk 936-588-2415 janecope@msn.com

Marketing Team Lead Col Nancy Kwiecien 936-273-4182 nkwiecien@suddenlink.net

Recruiting Officer Col Rick Thomas 281-620-5632 rethret@comcast.net

Web Master

Wing Historian Col Chris Ebdon 281-914-2819 ebdon@av8pix.com

Public Information Officer ________________ ____________ _________________

Development Officer ________________ ____________ _________________

Special Events Coordinator ________________ ____________ _________________

MEMBERSHIP DUES:

Wing dues for CAF Adult members are $50/person and are due the last day of February each year.

Wing dues for CAF Cadet members (ages 12-23) are $35/person and are due on the last day of February each year.

Adult wing members are eligible to vote on committees. Cadets are not eligible to vote or serve on committees..

We welcome any comments, suggestions, and contributions to the newsletter. If you have something to show or tell,

don't be shy...send it in! No article is too short or too long. When sending in photos, please be sure to identify the peo-

ple in them. Also, let us know who the photographer is. We would like to give them proper credit.

Let us honor your veteran. If you have a story about a family member who is or was a veteran, we encourage you to sub-

mit it for a future issue of Cowl Flaps. Send pictures with it. (We can "ghost write" it for you; Col "Doc" Hecker has

also volunteered to "ghost write" for you.)

Send your contributions to: trcowlflaps@aol.com

THE COWLFLAPS STAFF:

Colonels Jeff Brown, Kathleen Brown-Hanna,

Beverley Brown, and Cadet Catherine Young