August NAA Record Newsletter

NAA Record August 2010

Haitian Relief Volunteers and Others to be
Honored with Public Benefit Flying Awards

Haitian relief workers unload supplies from a Dassault Falcon aircraft.
(Photo provided by Dassault Falcon)

Volunteer pilots were among the many essential relief workers to help Haiti in the aftermath of its recent devastating earthquake.

They are among those to be honored with 2010 National Public Benefit Flying Awards by NAA in partnership with the Air Care Alliance, a nationwide league of humanitarian flying organizations.

This year's recipients are:

Distinguished Volunteer Pilot - Gene Schmidt, Bahamas Habitat
Distinguished Volunteer - Justin Ogden, Captain, Civil Air Patrol, Southwest Region, Arizona Wing
Outstanding Achievement in Public Benefit Flying - Bahamas Habitat
Teamwork Award - All Volunteer Pilots and other Volunteers Conducting Flights in Support of the Haitian Relief Efforts

"Just as in years past, this year's Public Benefit Flying Honorees symbolize the very best of the people, organizations, and equipment which make up the aviation community in America," said NAA President Jonathan Gaffney and Chairman of the Selection Committee. "These awards reflect the selflessness of our industry and the benefit it provides to people throughout our continent. We are very proud to be part of this program."

Air Care Alliance Chairman Rol Murrow notes, "Our organizations worked together to make sure that these quiet but hard working and dedicated volunteers and their groups receive the recognition and honors they so richly deserve. People in need and the nation at large are deeply indebted to them for their outstanding service."

The Public Benefit Flying Awards were created to honor volunteer pilots, other volunteers, and their organizations engaged in flying to help others, and those supporting such work. Since 2003 dozens of awards have been presented at the celebratory Above and Beyond Awards Ceremony, held each fall in the United States Capitol Building.

These prestigious awards will be presented at the special invitational "Above and Beyond" Awards Ceremony Thursday, September 16, 2010 at 4:30 p.m. in the Lyndon B. Johnson Room of the U.S. Senate. Invitations will be emailed soon.

Celebrate National Aerospace
Week September 12-18, 2010
   Every industry needs its own day, week, or month to be recognized.
   So it's fitting that National Aerospace Week will be celebrated September 12-18, 2010.
   President Obama and Congress have formally recognized the week for the many contributions of the American aerospace industry, which supports two million Americans.
   The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) also notes the industry posted record sales of $214 billion in 2009 despite the tough economy and registered the largest positive trade balance of any manufacturing sector.
   "National Aerospace Week is a great opportunity to highlight the value of our industry and say 'job well done' to all the men and women of the aerospace workforce," says NAA President Jonathan Gaffney. "It's also a time to encourage our young men and women to consider a rewarding career in aerospace."
   AIA is encouraging organizations to celebrate National Aerospace Week with special events, community briefings, outreach to schools, facility tours, promotions to employees, and similar activities.
   Many resources to support National Aerospace Week and these types of activities can be found at www.nationalaerospaceweek.org. For more information, contact AIA Assistant Vice President of Communications at [email protected].

NAA/NAC Luncheon 2010 - 2011
Series to Kick Off in September
   The 2010-2011 Season will kick off in September. Watch for an e-mail invitation from NAA or visit www.naa.aero for speakers and dates.
   The luncheon series is strongly supported by several Luncheon Series Season Table Holders, including The Boeing Company, Cobham, DRS Technologies, EADS North America, GE Aviation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, UTC/Pratt & Whitney, Aurora Flight Sciences, and Curtiss-Wright Corporation.
   Season Table reservations can be secured by completing the Season Table Purchase Form or by e-mailing [email protected].

Brian Utley

Brian Utley Named to Minnesota Aviation
Hall of Fame
   Brian Utley, a member of the NAA Contest and Records Board since 2003, has been selected for induction into the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame.
   A native of the United Kingdom, Utley moved to the United States at age 16 and has lived what he calls "an international life," traveling and living in nations such as Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, France, and Japan during his long career with IBM and in aviation.
   Utley has also been extremely active nationally in the Soaring Society of America (SSA), including serving as SSA president and president of the Soaring Foundation. Much of his time has been spent in Minnesota, where he was president of the Minnesota Soaring Club, the largest organization of soaring pilots in Minnesota.
   Utley is also known for his expertise in developing the application of a secure, high-speed GPS flight recording device to verify world records.
"The GPS device is changing the way we look at and measure records," he says. "Some that were difficult and costly to measure in the past are now more practical." For example, 3 kilometer speeds were very difficult to measure accurately using stopwatches and high-speed cameras. To solve the problem, NAA invested in very advanced GPS devices and with Utley's guidance they have made accurate measurements of records much more practical.
In recent years he has also taken groups of soaring pilots from Minnesota to southern Utah so they can experience the strong lift and higher speeds possible in the western mountains. "It allows them to significantly expand the range of their abilities," he says.
   Utley has set numerous state soaring records, including several from the 1970s that still stand. He calls them "targets for the next generation of pilots to shoot for."
   One record set in 1975 is the current distance soaring record from Sleepy Eye, Minnesota to St. Louis, Missouri. Utley explains that he had just won the regional soaring championships that were held in Sleepy Eye, and a friend of his from St. Louis suggested that they try soaring back to St. Louis. His friend didn't make it the whole way, but Utley did.
   Utley will be officially inducted in the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame in April 2011.

Spann Watson
August 14, 1916 - April 15, 2010

Spann Watson Dies at 93
   Spann Watson, 93, one of the original Tuskegee Airmen and an advocate for civil rights, died this past April and was recently interred at Arlington Cemetery.
   Watson, who spent his boyhood in Lodi, NJ and was inspired to become a pilot when he saw Charles Lindbergh land the Spirit of St. Louis at Teterboro Airport, was a member of the 1,000-strong corps of World War II African American fighter pilots known as the Tuskegee Airmen, who helped break the U.S. military's color barrier.
   He retired from the military in the 1960s and worked as an affirmative-action specialist for the Federal Aviation Administration. He lectured into his 90s about his experiences as a military and civil rights pioneer.
   Mr. Watson served as a member of the NAA Board of Directors for many years and was named an Elder Statesman of Aviation by NAA in 1990.
   A note to NAA from his son Weyman stated, "My father had many friends and colleagues at NAA, an organization he was extremely proud and honored to be a part of."

Frank Brewer Jr.
at NAA 2008 Fall Awards

Frank G. Brewer Jr. Dies
Frank G. Brewer Jr., a U.S. Air Force veteran who served as a lead radio operator on Martin B-26 Marauder bombers during World War II, died on July 7, 2010. In his 50-plus years in Civil Air Patrol he reached the rank of Colonel and served for a time as its Alabama Wing Commander.
In 1943, Frank's father, Frank Grover Brewer Sr., established The Frank G. Brewer Trophy in honor of his sons Frank Jr. and Robert who were both in combat in Europe. Frank Jr. continued to support this distinguished award, which is given annually by the National Aeronautic Association and is on permanent display at the Smithsonian Institution's Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

President's Message

What You Can See At Oshkosh

I wrote this message last year, and I will write a variation on it again.

Just once, anybody who has a career, love, or avid interest in aviation has to make the trip to the EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh.

Three days were not enough for me, but while I was there I joined tens of thousands of our colleagues (and many NAA partners and supporters) in the world's biggest aviation event.

Of the million things I saw and experienced, a few stand out:

I watched a Ford Tri-Motor take off on tour flights on the half-hour (and seemingly never use more than 750 feet of runway to do so).
I watched a celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the DC-3.
I felt an F-4 Phantom and two A-4 Skyhawks do numerous low-level passes in formation (which still takes your breath away).
I felt a much-improved mood from throughout the manufacturers that things may (slowly) be getting better.