Tim Brown – C.O. GPS
I want to thank Captain Jim Fournier, USCG (Ret), for arranging for Captain Jon Spaner, USCG, to brief us on Coast Guard activities in Southern California plus the Arctic regions. After looking at Captain Spaner’s official biography I was not surprised by the quality of the brief. The man knows his business and was very eloquent in his delivery. Thanks to both Jim and Captain Spaner. If you were not in attendance, you missed a very informative session.
On the weekend of May 2nd and 3rd, Planes of Fame Air Museum will be sponsoring their annual air show. After many years of not attending, we are hoping to have a membership recruiting booth at the air show. If we are able to sign up, we will notify our membership through an email or posting on our website. Please keep an eye peeled for the notice and, if we make it, we hope that you will attend too. Stop by the booth for a chat!
Speaking of membership…we need you to bring friends, neighbors and anybody else who might be a potential member to our meetings. We have good speakers and our group is a bunch of good guys with lots of varied experiences that they love to share with the others at their respective luncheon tables. Membership is not all that expensive. Only $40 per year! Remember, Grampaw Pettibone Squadron does not have membership dues, only ANA national headquarters does, but membership entitles you to a copy of our fine magazine, Wings of Gold, and the continuing right to attend our luncheons.
Our speaker this month has a wealth of information about flying helicopters and landing those things on the pitching decks of small and large ships. He will also be talking to us about introducing unmanned rotary wing aircraft into the fleet and how they have performed in real life scenarios. See his bio, and that of his OIC, that should be published somewhere in this issue of the OP-Plan. Next month our scheduled speaker is Mike Malak, a notable photographer who has chosen to produce two books of photography that feature vintage aircraft with pinup artistry. If you like nose art, you will enjoy Mike’s presentation. On 12 June, our luncheon speaker will be Colonel Mike Naylor, USMC (Ret) who will talk to us on his experiences at VMX-1 and the discussion about using the V-22 as a Presidential aircraft (Marine One), among other subjects.
Please do not forget to attend the meeting on 14 May when we conduct our program to honor the Sailors of the Quarter from Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach. Come and meet and greet the best that the Navy has to offer and to congratulate them on a job well done. See you all soon.
