NEWSLETTER FOR OUR MEMBERS

March 1, 2010.
By: Gary Vacin, Publicity Director

The next monthly meeting of SLAC

Monday, March 15, 2010

REFRESHMENTS 6:30 PM – MEETING STARTS AT 7:00 PM

IN THE MIRROS ROOM AT THE SUN LAKES COUNTRY CLUB PHASE I

Programs
For information on Programs, contact Gary Vacin, Programs Director
Tel 480-802-2225 or email gvacin@hotmail.com.

Monday, March 15

Member Dan Lance will report on constructing and flying his Challenger aircraft on floats

Monday, April 19

Mike England, a professional balloon pilot from Hot Air Expeditions

Monday, May 17

Still seeking possible speaker. Any tips would be appreciated.

Activities Schedule
For information on Activities, contact Earl Cuyler, Activities Director
Tel 480-895-5525 or email EarlSLAC@wbhsi.net

Since many members can only participate on Saturdays, we

have made most of the proposed activities on a Saturday.

Fly-Ins

Fly-ins are generally the third Saturday of each month

Date	Event
^Sat. March 20	Prescott Airport for breakfast, tour Emery-Riddle Aviation Academy. Rescheduled from Feb. 20.
Sat. April 24	San Carlos Apache airport at Globe for breakfast and gaming at Apache Gold Casino

Field Trips

Generally the fourth Saturday of each month -

DATE	EVENT
Sat. March 27	Field trip to Hawker Beechcraft facility at Mesa Gateway Airport Hawker Beechcraft

Other Activities

Fri Apr 23

Tentative – Going away WESTERN cook-out (for those of you who leave our great State during the summer months).  Will be held at Sisk Park in Palo Verde.  The club will pay for this event.  We hope all of you will participate and partake of the great Ribs, and the Corn Bread cooked by our Activities Director, Earl Cuyler.  The last Ribs cook-out was a great success. WEAR YOUR WESTERN DUDS

PUBLICITY

For information on Publicity, contact Gary Vacin, Publicity Director
Tel 480-802-2225 or email gvacin@hotmail.com.

The following article will appear in the April 1st Splash:

Veteran of Viet Nam conflict talks at Aero Club Meeting

Sun Lakes resident Rich Hippner gave Sun Lakes Aero Club members a first-hand account of
the war in Viet Nam during a presentation at the club’s February meeting.

“I survived, but a lot of people I knew didn’t”, Hippner said as he pulled a piece of paper out
of his billfold that contained a list of all his friends who died in Viet Nam. “I carry this list with me all
the time to remind me how lucky I am.”

Hippner survived 315 combat missions during a year-long tour flying H-34 helicopters during 1965 in Viet Nam, which he described as a lousy place to spend your time. “My first recollection of the country came while our aircraft was descending for a landing there,” he recalled. “I started smelling a foul odor, and the lower we got, the worse and hotter it became. We were anxious to land and get some fresh air, but when we touched down and opened the door, the smell was all around us and it was hotter than ever. Life there was no bowl of cherries. It was hot and dirty, the food was lousy, and people were shooting at you. I thought Guadalcanal was bad, but this had to be worse,”

Hippner said he flew most of his missions from ground bases. "There were no front lines in Viet Nam", he said. "As soon as we took off, it wouldn’t be long before people were shooting at us."

He told of his experience flying off the aircraft carrier Valley Forge for a couple months. “I loved being on the ship”, he said. "It was pure glory, getting away from the heat and filth. I was in no hurry to get back to the miserable conditions back on the ground.” Hippner described four types
of missions he participated in:

· Re-supplying ground forces in the field. “There were no front lines in Viet Nam. As soon
as we left the base, we were subject to being shot at”.

· Attacking the enemy. “We would bring in a battalion of 1,000 troops or so. Forward air controllers went in first, directing artillery strikes at the area where we were going to land. Then came the air strikes, then we’d go in with our choppers, land and offload our troops, taking fire all the way in and out”.

· Medical evacuation flights. “We’d pick up injured troops who would be relieved that we rescued them, but then we’d land and pick up more injured troops, and we’d still be taking fire.

· Rescue missions where we’d pick up pilots who were shot down in hostile territory”.

The veteran pilot said the bureaucracy was a big hindrance to fighting the war there. “When we spotted the enemy and wanted to send in a B-52 strike, it had to go all the way to President Johnson for approval. I understand the rules of engagement in Afghanistan are even worse now”.

The ve

SLAC FIELD TRIP TO GATEWAY AIRPORT – FEBRUARY 12, 2010

Thirteen Sun Lakes Aero Club members and guests participated in a field trip to Phoenix-Mesa

Gateway Airport Feb. 27: (l-r) Bill Johnson, Al Galvi, Guy Parker, Patrick Oakley tour director, Ray Malgradi, Harold Thomas, Bob Walch, Gary Vacin, Bob DeLong, Earl Cuyler, Jim Space, Richard Simmons, Ray Winenger.

For more information on the Sun Lakes Aero Club, check the club’s web site, www.sunlakesaeroclub.org. The group meets the third Monday of each month
beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Sun Lakes Country Club Mirror Room.
The public is invited to attend.

Famous People

Following is a video-tape featuring Jessica Cox, our November speaker.

Jessica Cox (Video 4,925 kb) Jessica has had no arms since birth yet she fly’s a plane in
addition to her other incredible accomplishments.  She was the featured speaker at the
Sun Lakes Aero Club monthly meeting on November 16, 2009

BOARD MEETINGS ARE HELD ON THE
SECOND TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH, October thru May

The next SLAC Board meeting is on Tuesday, March. 9 at the SLAC Country Club in Phase 1 at 9:30 a.m. in the Card Room in the Recreation Center. You are cordially invited to attend these meetings.

For information on the Sun Lakes Aero Club go to the website: http://www.sunlakesaeroclub.org/

Bob Walch, Webmaster

BobWalch@msn.com Home:480-895-8869 Cell: 920-737-1195