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The Scuttlebutt

July/August 2012

Air Group OneCommemorative Air Force

Official Publication of

1905 N. Marshall Ave. Hangar 6 * El Cajon, CA 92020 * 619.259.5541 * www.ag1caf.org * [email protected]

Notes from the Cockpit ............................................ 2Maintenance Officer Report..................................... 2I Didn’t Know That ................................................... 3Obituary ................................................................... 3The Machine ............................................................ 3Wings Over Gillespie: AG1 Does It Again!............... 4

Commissioning the “Best In the West” .....................6American Aces of WWII ...........................................8Monitor Guard!..........................................................9A “Lucky” Find ........................................................10Normandie, Before and After ..................................11Laff Trak: Why I Want To Be a Pilot ........................13

Contents

“Race 57” Super Corsair in 2012 Wings Over Gillespie Owned by Ron Pratte, Flown by Larry Perkins

2 The Scuttlebutt July/August 2012

Air Group One Staff Members

Wing Leader Bob [email protected] 858.254.3036 Executive Officer Jim [email protected] 619.890.7340

Finance Officer D’Marie [email protected] 858.829.4736

Adjutant Linda [email protected] 951.966.4090

Operations Officer John [email protected] 760.458.4230

Maintenance Officer Howard [email protected] 619.820.5359

Safety Officer Warren [email protected] 858.382.9919

Marketing and Webmaster Rich [email protected] 858.837.2068

Scuttlebutt Editor Jim [email protected] 619.890.7340

Assistant Scuttlebutt Editor Bob [email protected] 619.546.7080

Survived another Wings Over Gillespie airshow! Hope you did also.

Our resolve to complete Betsy’s wing is still intact and work continues. The last shipment of wood and epoxy arrived and we have cut the rest of the strips needed to complete the rib assemblies. The next step will be to plane the spars to thickness and then the plywood side sheets will be installed. Come on down and join the fun.

We are still working to put away the last of the airshow materials on the hangar floor. Rope needs to be put on spools and banners need to be cleaned, rolled and put in the trailer.

Work on Sassy’s annual inspection began the end of June and she can use help taking off panels, getting fingers into tight places, wiping off goo and etc. There will be coffee, friendly banter and camaraderie.

Notes from the Cockpit

Col. Bob Simon, Wing Leader

Maintenance Officer ReportCol. Howard Merritt

Isn’t it great to sit back and not think about Air Show business??!! I know that after working so very hard to make a successful show it is easy to forget it for a while.

Actually, my feeling is this is not the time to do that! Fortunately, or rather unfortunately, I have given myself a slight advantage to think about the air show process by checking into Scripps Hospital immediately after the show for a total knee replacement. In my stupor after the operation, I had plenty of time to go over in my mind the good and the bad of the weekend. The mind works in funny ways and I just couldn’t shake the Air Show thoughts! Anyway, my point is the time couldn’t be more perfect to get our debrief notes organized and to start thinking about next year.

The WOG 2012 business is not completed just yet. Many details are yet to be discussed and the final tally is yet to be taken. Anxiety is high as we await the “numbers.” Bills are still being paid and sponsor money is almost all in. A number could be given today but I guarantee that it will not be the same next week. I can tell you this: as the Air Show grows, additional burdens will be placed on each and every one of us. Your patience with the process and with each other becomes very important. I know this to be true!

3July/August 2012 The Scuttlebutt

I Didn’t Know That

By Robert Bruce

1943... “Pay as you go” income tax deductions au-thorized

1944... Mahatma Gandhi is freed from prison by the British

1947... Pan American Airways is chartered as the first worldwide passenger airline

1948... The first Polaroid camera is sold

1949... Baseball’s Joe DiMaggio of the Yankees be-comes the first player to earn $100,000

1952... George Learner patents “Mr. Potato Head,” the first toy advertised on TV

1955... “Rock Around The Clock” hits #1 in sales

1956... Dick Clark makes his first appearance as host of American Bandstand

1958... Sheb Wooley’s “Purple People Eater” hits #1

1960... Demolition begins on Brooklyn’s Ebbits Field; it opened in 1913

The Machine By Robert Bruce

In the late forties, yours truly worked in a tool and die plant in the Midwest, one of three factories scattered around the U.S. Compared to today’s modern facili-ties, my workplace was a dark and foreboding place, choked with sulfurous fumes and steel chips underfoot.

I was in the heat-treating department. One day a flurry of workmen began erecting a skeletal steel addition enclosed with large plate glass windows that almost reached the plant’s ceiling. A large access door was added containing a heavy lock. Soon, engineers of every kind began assembling a huge cutting and grind-ing machine that rumor said would one day replace four workers. The weeks went by and the awesome mechanical monster grew larger. VIP’s and sales-people showed off the rising steel titan to prospective customers.

After many weeks of testing and adjusting, the big day finally arrived when it was to be demonstrated to a host of customers, managers and corporate big wigs. A ceremonial ribbon was cut and a bright red switch was thrown. What happened next would be spoken of in hushed tones for years. A huge electric flash exploded from an electrical junction box followed by orange flames and billowing black smoke. Visitors and work-ers scrambled for the door. The factory fire department doused the flames and the plant was evacuated until the acrid stinging fumes had dissipated. The machine stood silently now, its once brightly painted surfaces covered with a skin of soot, a forlorn forbidding black statue.

For over three months the room remained locked. No repairs were made, the machine’s fate uncertain, until one day all questions of its future were put to rest. A large gondola truck, with a sign reading “We buy old junk” backed in the plant and workers began disas-sembling the blackened “super machine.” The once proud creation that had consumed so many hours of design, construction and testing was now sold for junk; someone’s dream put to rest forever.

Paul Eugene “Gene” Fisher, longtime CAF Colonel and Air Group One member, recently passed away. Some of you may remember him. He flew a private plane and had several vintage military vehicles that he displayed at airshows and other events. He was a very likable guy. He was an exercise enthusiast and had a public gym. He installed and maintained exercise equipment on many San Diego-based Navy ships.

Services were held at Ft. Rosecrans on Tuesday, 26 June.

R.I.P.

Obituary


Wings Over GillespieAir Group One Does It Again!

During breaks in the flying, spectators took advantage of the large and diverse static display. This gave onlook-ers a chance to wander through actual aviation history, have their pictures taken with different warbirds, and see how aviation has progressed over time. The static display consisted of antique aircraft like a 1920’s Waco airmail plane once owned by Charles Lindberg (now part of Jim Slattery’s collection) and progressed up to present day jet powered trainers and fighters like the Douglas A-4 Fighter.

Yet another new feature of the Wings Over Gillespie Air Show was the Airplane Beauty Contest and Aviation Heritage Awards. This was the first annual event, which gave spectators a chance to cast a ballot for their selec-tion of the best aircraft on static display as the “People’s Choice Award,” and for owners to vie for honors in the Warbird Classic and General Aviation divisions. The winners were Bob Simon’s 1941 Stearman for People’s Choice, Jim Slattery’s 1959 Super Beech 18 in the Classic division, and Slattery’s T-6 “Texan” won top honors in the Warbird division. General Aviation division was won by a Piper Cherokee called “Spirit in the Sky” owned by Glen Cruz and Rick Sullivan. This Cherokee also won top honors at Oshkosh in 2010. Congratula-tions to the owners of these aviation treasures.

As always, kudos go out to the members of Air Group One for planning and hosting such a well run event. In particular, Col. John Telles for his inspiration and leadership, and Howard Merritt and Darrel Cook for always being there, providing logistical support and immediate answers for the most perplexing questions and problems.

See everyone next June at the 2013 Wings Over Gil-lespie Air Show.

Story by Del Bangle

Pictures by Jason Holmes

When the month of June rolls around, Gillespie Field is the “aviation lover’s hot spot.” This year was no exception. Through the leadership of Air Group One’s Operations Officer, Col. John Telles, USMC (Ret.), the show ran smoothly and was bigger and better than ever.

Featured were many warbirds from California and neighboring states, along with local Gillespie-stabled warbirds of private individuals and the Air Group One wing of the Commemorative Air Force.

The Arizona wing of the Commemorative Air Force flew in from Mesa, Arizona, bringing the B-17 “Sentimental Journey” and a B-25 Mitchell. The Southern California wing from Camarillo brought an F8F Bearcat, F6F Hell-cat and Japanese A6M3 Zero, followed by the Riverside wing with their C-53 “D-Day Doll.”

Planes of Fame of Chino, California, brought their F4U Corsair flown by John Hinton and the extra rare (only one in existence) Northrop N9MB Flying Wing flown by Ron Hackworth.

Other warbirds par-ticipating in mock bat t les were Ai r Group One’s SNJ “Sassy” f lown by Jack Draper, a P-51D Mustang, “Lady Alice” out of Chino flown by Dr. Ken Wagner, the rare and

ever popular and beautiful red and white Super Corsair flown by Larry Perkins, Jim Slattery’s TBM Avenger flown by Bob Forbes, and the Gillespie-based Fairey Firefly owned and operated by the pilot everyone knows as “Captain Eddie.”

Many vendors displayed aviation souvenirs for sale on the ramp while John Collver took to the air in his T-6 “War Dog” and amazed onlookers crowding the best areas at the fence line with an aerial display of maneuvers and smoke-on aerobatics.

F4U Corsair flown by John Hinton

Northrop Flying Wing flown by

Ron Hackworth


WINGS OVER GILLESPIEAviation Heritage

andAirplane Beauty Contest 2012

Col. John Telles, Chief of Operations forAirgroup One of the Commemorative AirForce, addressing the audience at the awards.

Mike Slattery accepting the awardfor his father, Jim Slattery, for thetop honors in the Warbird Division ofthe Aviation Heritage Awards.Shown is the 1948 T-6“Texan.”

Col. Robert Simon and his award winning Stearman.

Glen Cruz displayingtop honors in theGeneral Aviation Division of the Aviation HeritageAwards. Shown is thePiper Cherokee restored by ownersGlen Cruz and RickSullivan. This aircraftalso won top honorsat the 2010 EAA AirVenture show atOshkosh.

All winning aircraftwere chosen fromthose on static display.

Mike Slattery accepting the award for his father, JimSlattery, for the top honors in the Classics Division ofthe Aviation Heritage Awards. Shown is the 1959Beechcraft Super 18.

Congratulations Owners Of These Winning Aircraft

Shown is the Piper Cherokee restored by owners GlenCruz and Rick Sullivan. This aircraft also won tophonors at EAA Airventure in 2010 at Oshkosh.

Col. Robert Simon displaying the People’sChoice Award for Most Beautiful Bird in theAirplane Beauty Contest, his gorgeous Stearman.


Commissioning the “Best In the West”

By Tom Valenzia

On Saturday, 16 June, Cathy and I attended the San Diego State University AFROTC Class of 2012 Spring Commissioning ceremony, held at Spreckels Organ Pavilion, San Diego. Also in attendance representing Air Group One were Colonels Jack and Linda King.

Guest speaker for the event was Lt General David S. Fadok, USAF. General Fadok is Commander and

President, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala-bama. General Fadok was a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and also the academy roommate of Col Marty “Woj” Wojtysiak. Adding to his credits, General Fadok is a Rhodes Scholar, a pilot, and holds graduate degrees from Oxford University and the School of Advanced Airpower Studies. He was also a distinguished graduate from Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Staff College, and a National Defense Fellow.

During General Fadok’s presentation to the commis-sioning class—our next generation of leaders—he stressed the importance of placing people first in to-day’s Air Force. To meet the challenges of maintaining mission readiness during an era of declining defense budgets, the General emphasized how vitally important that our future leaders place their people first. If your people are well cared for, your mission objectives will

be accomplished, and the Air Force will continue to maintain its mission readiness and capabilities into the future.

Also in attendance was 2Lt Adam Oehmke, return-ing from Undergraduate Pilot Training to administer the Oath of Office to his graduating sister, 2Lt Evelyn Oehmke. Several of you may have met Evelyn a few months back at one of our pancake breakfasts. Adam was among the first group of pilots that we had worked


with last year. He is presently undergoing T-6 Texan II training and has accumulated a total of 5 hours to date in the aircraft. His checkout is going well.

Seventeen cadets received their Air Force commis-sion today and all are headed into exciting career fields, such as: Cyber Space Officer, Nurse Transition Program, Space Officer, Intelligence Officer, Behavior Science Officer, Gold Bar Recruiter, Developmental Engineer, Force Support Officer, Pilot, and Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) positions.

Now to spend a little time updating you on the status of our Class of 2012 pilots: For the current year, we have only three candidates, two have been awarded pilot slots, and one awarded an RPA slot. 2Lts Bryan Ferrell and Bryan Smith are the pilot candidates and 2Lt Justine Sands holds the RPA slot. By the way, Lt Smith was awarded the Distinguished Graduate award at the commissioning ceremony.

Lts Ferrell and Smith will commence training with us this summer. So instructors get ready for their call. Lt Smith has been notified that he is going to attend Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training (ENJJPT). This training will be conducted at Sheppard AFB, TX. The exciting news is

that he is practically guaranteed a fighter assignment, so receiving aerobatic training is high on his list... I think we can comply! Lt Ferrell will receive his Undergradu-ate Pilot Training (UPT) at Vance AFB, OK. Of course, both of these gentlemen must first complete the Initial Flight Screening (IFS) program at Pueblo, CO. Pres-ently, their IFS report dates have not been assigned. We will continue working with them until then.

Lt Justine Sands has proudly completed her training with us. She has an IFS report date of 22 August. After completing IFS, her RPA training will be conducted at Randolph AFB, TX. Lt Sands entered our program with “zero” flight time. She elected to rise to the challenge, leaving no survivors behind. She attended our ground school conducted by Phil Yoon and contacted Dave Derby to begin training in Dave’s Citabria (tailwheel aircraft). She has hit the ball out of the park. Yesterday, with a huge grin on her face, she informed me that she had soled the Citabria! She is eternally grateful to Dave, to our program, and is absolutely ready to meet the challenges at IFS.

On a closing note, the AFROTC cadets at SDSU are about to lose to retirement an outstanding Commander, their beloved “Woj.” I must add, I have never witnessed a senior officer so dedicated to his staff and to the well being of his cadets. Marty has worked tirelessly in pursuing the best possible outcome for those under his command. He is a “people” first commander and the positive results of his leadership style are undeni-able. When he came aboard “ship” four years ago, he noted that the detachment had the slogan, “Best In the West.” When he inquired of the cadet cadre, “What are we best in?” they responded, “Well sir, I don’t know, the slogan was here before we got here!” Marty retorted, “Well heck, we can’t call ourselves the “Best In the West” if we are the best in nothing! We’re going to fix that.” Today, as Marty prepares to say farewell to a thirty year career, the SDSU, AFROTC, Detachment 75 unit, now have the trophies to prove it, they are the “BEST IN THE WEST.” Marty, we all wish you the very best in retirement, you earned it.

Commissioning the “Best In the West” (cont.)


Submitted by David Hanson

This month: Kenneth Walsh, USMC Ace and Medal of Honor Recipient

The first Corsair-mounted Marine ace was 1st Lieuten-ant Kenneth A. Walsh, a former enlisted pilot.

Some of the first examples of the new F4U aircraft type first went to VMF-124 in October 1942, when the squadron was still stateside. The planes needed a lot of refinements and the pilots needed a lot of training in them. But after a few short flights in the Corsairs they were sent to the Pacific, where they were badly needed to carry out escort missions that the Wildcats couldn’t handle because of their limited range and combat capability. VMF-124’s twenty-four Corsairs ar-rived on Guadalcanal on February 12, 1943 and went immediately into action.

As one of the first Corsair squadrons, the pilots of VMF-124 were anxious to establish a tactical doctrine for the Corsairs that later squadrons could build on. When they asked one of the early, well-known, high-scoring Wildcat pilots about how to approach combat with the Japanese, they were told “you’ve gotta go after ‘em.” Walsh quickly learned the importance of altitude, as this was one of the Corsair’s key advantages over the Zero. He also learned to avoid slow speed dogfights, because of the Zero’s superior maneuverability at speeds below 300 mph.

His first kill came on April 1, 1943, on patrol over the Russells. The Marine F4Us circled their assigned area quietly for two hours, then were relieved by some P-38s, which were promptly jumped. Walsh alerted his flight and turned them back from their homeward course to help the Lightnings. As a wild melee was taking place, the Zeros didn’t notice the Corsairs in time. Walsh

lined one up for a deflection shot and missed, but his wingman scored, burning up the Zero. They came undetected upon a second Zero, and Walsh hit and destroyed him. On May 13 he gained three more kills.

By mid-August he had doubled his score to 10, when VMF-124 moved over to the newly captured airbase at Munda. On the 12th, Walsh’s wingman, Lt. Johnston, saved his life by getting a Zero off Walsh’s tail. Walsh had been badly shot up, his plane was on fire, and the Zero was about to finish him off when Johnston flicked him off. Walsh managed to get back to an emergency strip on New Georgia, but landing without much control, he smashed into another Corsair on the line, for the loss of both Corsairs.

On August 30, Walsh fought an incredible battle against 50 Japanese aircraft, shooting down four enemy fighters before he had to ditch his damaged Corsair. Assigned to escort bombers headed for Jap bases on Bougainville, his plane soon developed engine prob-lems. He landed at an advanced base at Munda, and immediately secured a replacement Corsair. He con-tinued on, now alone, but hoping to catch up with his squadron. From his isolated vantage point, he attacked a gaggle of Zeros that were going after the B-24s, shooting two of them down. On the return he picked up a message from other B-24s, in trouble over Gizo. He flew off to help, and again downed two Zeros. But one of the Japs damaged Walsh’s Corsair, and he was forced to ditch off Vella Lavella. It was his third water landing in six months. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for this mission.

He ultimately scored 21 kills, of which 17 were Zeros. He himself was shot down three times. His first combat tour in the Solomons lasted seven months, from Feb-ruary to September, 1943. He returned for a second tour with VMF-222 later in the war, flying the advanced F4U-4. He scored his last victory on June 22, 1945, downing a kamikaze Zero over northern Okinawa.

Walsh remained in the Marine Corps for a full career, flying transports in Korea and retiring as a lieutenant colonel in February 1962. He died at age 81 from a heart attack and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

American Aces of WWII


Monitor Guard!By Jack Draper, Air Group One SNJ pilot

I have just completed a three-day cross country flight from San Diego to Toms River, NJ with my passenger “Mindy” our Golden Retriever. I fly a Bonanza A-36 with the latest upgrades in avionics.

It was an uneventful crossing, but last year I was on an IFR flight plan and was out of communication with the center for a period of time, mainly because I was not handed off by the controller. It took me quite a while to find a working frequency and that ended up being with a tower along my route. The charted low altitude center frequencies did not work. When I landed, the FAA con-troller called and said he almost launched an intercept and had called me on guard with no response. I don’t normally monitor guard, and did not consider the lost communications an emergency as I had not deviated from my clearance. I was busy trying to get a working frequency the entire time.

The controller said that the latest instructions from the Department of National Security requires they file a report and take action on any loss of communication even for a short period of time (he said 10 minutes). I im-mediately filed a NASA safety report to protect myself.

This year’s trip across the country, I monitored guard all the way with my third VHF radio, and I was shocked at the traffic on guard. All of us that flew with the airlines and military treated guard as an emergency frequency only.

The last few days listening to guard across country, there was constant VHF guard voice traffic from airline

flights, with company flight calling company flight to come up on a working center frequency. Rarely did an hour go by without one or two calls on guard, and many hours it was active all the time with lost communication discussions. Amazing!

I spent 23 years as a Navy pilot and 34 years as an airline pilot. In the Navy, we monitored guard all the time (UHF), and with the airlines we monitored Aero-nautical Radio, Inc. (ARINC) all the time. I only heard a guard call very, very rarely, and only when the pilot was in extreme trouble. Flying with the airlines, we lost communication frequently when a controller forgot to hand us off, and we had to search to find a new working frequency on the IFR chart or ARINC called us with a frequency. Many times, the total time out of communi-cation was a lot longer than five minutes.

So, because of these new security requirements (I have not read anything about this anywhere, just what the controllers are saying and what the airline pilots are doing), I suggest we all pass the word to our fellow aviators to monitor VHF guard at all times, if you have two radios. If you are out of communication, even for 5 minutes, I would go to guard and call the center. The FAA says on an IFR flight or in a controlled environment, you are required to land immediately (FAA Supervisor) if you can’t establish two-way communications in a short period of time.

A word to the wise....

Promoting Wings Over Gillespie, left to right: Daniel Sutton, Carl Silber, Heather Sutton, Deborah Sherman, Torri Mowery and Dave Brothers


A “Lucky” Find Army Captain Had a Special Fondness

for His War-Weary Jeep By Bud Moen • Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

This is my brother Capt. Victor “Lucky” Moen (above) about to climb into the World War II jeep assigned to him in 1943 in the South Pacific, where he served as an aerial photographer in the Army Air Corps for three years.

After Lucky was discharged in 1946, he and wife Verta bought a 12-acre ranch in Vista, California. Lucky needed ranch transportation and went to a junkyard owned by a friend of his father-in-Iaw’s.

Spotting a jeep, Lucky said it looked a lot like the one issued to him during the war. He even noticed bullet holes in the same places and other memorable fea-tures. The Army number, 7311914, painted on the hood was faint, but remarkably it identified the jeep as the same one issued to him in ‘43!

The man graciously offered the jeep to Lucky for the surplus price he’d paid for it.

The war-weary jeep served well on the Moen ranch, and after many years, his friends and neighbors teased him about holding it together with chew-ing gum and bailing wire. Lucky gave the jeep to his daughter

Vicki, and she asked her boyfriend, Mike Dralle, to restore it for her.

A lot of money, time and hard work produced the re-sults seen in the photo of Verta next to the jeep (above right). Vicki and Mike show it at various gatherings for military veterans.

Victor passed away in 2002, but he sure would have be proud to see his old Army jeep being cared for so well and still providing time-tested transportation for his family.

Bud Moen says his brother Victor (left) would be happy to see how sharp his restored jeep looks, as evidenced in the picture with Victor’s wife, Verta

Notes from Vicki Moen:

The article is by Norman ‘Bud’ Moen, 1923 - 2012. Bud joined the Army Air Corps in 1942 and was an instructor in B-17s and B-29s until the end of WWII.

The Army number that is currently on the Jeep, 7311914, is not the original as mentioned in the article. My dad couldn’t remember it when Mike restored the Jeep, so in his honor, Mike used his birth date.

The other item is that, we are so glad to say, Lucky was able to enjoy at least a year’s worth of rides in Jeep. He smiled the whole time and always said he couldn’t believe it still could run.

Thank you Mike.


Normandie...Before and After


Laff Trak

Air Group One—Commemorative Air Force 1905 N. Marshall Ave., Hangar 6 El Cajon, CA 92020

When I grow up I want to be a pilot because it’s a fun job and easy to do. That’s why there are so many pilots flying around these days.

Pilots don’t need much school. They just have to learn to read numbers so they can read their instruments.

I guess they should be able to read a road map, too.

Pilots should be brave so they won’t get scared it it’s foggy and they can’t see, or if a wing or motor falls off.

Pilots have to have good eyes to see through the clouds, and they can’t be afraid of thunder or lightning because they are much closer to them than we are.

The salary pilots make is another thing I like. They make more money than they know what to do with. This is because most people think that flying a plane is dangerous, except pilots don’t because they know how easy it is.

I hope I don’t get airsick because I get carsick and if I get airsick, I couldn’t be a pilot and then I would have to go to work.

— Purported to have been written by a fifth grade student at Jefferson School, Beaufort, SC. It was first published in the South Carolina Aviation News.

Why I Want To Be a Pilot

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