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*** Hot Topics and Announcements ***
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March 25th 2025 - Tuesday 7:00 PM
March Chapter Meeting
Where: CAP Polaris Squadron @ Merrill Field, 1910 E 5th Ave
President Chris has coordinated with Carl Siebe of the CAP Polaris Composite Squadron at Merrill Field for Chapter 42 to attend the Squadron's weekly meeting at the same time as our normal monthly meeting, Tues, 25 Mar at 7:00 pm. The Squadron meeting will be followed by Maj. Lance Gruner (Sqn Cmdr) and Caleb Newville (Deputy Sqn Cmdr & FAA ATCT Supervisor) briefing our Chapter 42 on CAP mission, activities, aircraft, etc. Ref https://polaris.cap.gov/
Address is 1910 E 5th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501.
ACCESS & PARKING: Turn off 5th into Ardaiz Circle. Enter thru gate N4 (code to be provided). Carl says, "Park either on CAP ramp if there is space, or between the ATCT fence and the yellow line for Taxiway A. MOST importantly please remind your members to not cross the yellow active area line. The ATCT will call the Anchorage Police if a vehicle crosses the line."
The CAP Polaris Composite Squadron is "a volunteer organization, specializing in aviation missions throughout Alaska, including: Search & Rescue, Cadet Programs, and Aerospace Education. We have the resources and personnel to carry out a variety of aerial and land-based missions for a variety of customers, including aerial photography, aerial surveys, and transport of personnel, equipment and supplies."
April 9th 2025 - Wednesday 7:00 PM
Board Meeting
Where: Las Margaritas
April Board meeting moved from Apr 2 to Apr 9.
Join us at Las Margaritas Mexican & Italian Restaurant at 541 W Dimond Blvd (on the north side of Dimond between Arctic and C Streets). When you walk in, turn left into the front room that is separated from the main dining area and we'll be on the right. So come, get your margarita and nachos and we will talk about aviation and maybe do some Chapter business. As always, all Chapter 42 members are invited and encouraged to attend.
April 12th 2025 - Saturday 9:30 AM
Chapter Breakfast Get-Together
Where: Kava’s Pancake House
Our monthly Saturday breakfast get-together is at Kava’s Pancake House at 100 Muldoon Rd. Great food and great conversation. See you there!
April 22nd 2025 - Tuesday 7:00 PM
Chapter Meeting
Where: TBD
TBD
Feb 25th, 2025 - February Meeting to see Tom's Glastar on skis
Tom Lawhorn hosted our February meeting at his hangar to show us his ski installation on his Glastar and treated us to chili. Tom is planning his first flight this Spring after he gets some transition training. All 20 of us greatly appreciated the craftmanship of both aircraft and chilli!
Jan 28th, 2025 - January Meeting
We had a great meeting last night with about 20 attendees to see Greg Miller's nearly completed Glasair III.
Jan 11th, 2025 - January Breakfast
First breakfast meeting of 2025. It was a good one.
Jan 9th, 2025 - DOT proposal affecting Merrill Field
We encourage our members to send comments to DOT about how two of their proposed routes would negatively affect Merrill Field and the gravel strip in particular. You can comment via the "Contact Us" or "Comments" links near the upper right. DOT proposal
Dec 7th, 2024 - Airmen's Scholarship Fund donation
On Saturday, December 7th, Ed White, Chapter Treasurer, presented the Alaska Airmen’s Association a check for $1600 to be put towards the Airmen’s 2025 scholarship fund. The Alaska Airmen’s Association will match this donation for a total scholarship of $3200 dollars! This will go a long ways to helping future aviators fulfill their dreams. Thanks to all who helped make this happen.
Nov 26th, 2024 - November Chapter meeting at the Alaska Aviation Museum
We had a great November Chapter meeting at the Alaska Aviation Museum.
Chuck Hosack graciously hosted the event and gave an interesting presentation on the museum's Norseman and Fairchild restoration projects.
Nov 9th, 2024 - Saturday Breakfast
The chapter had a great breakfast at Kava’s. Lot’s of good airplane talk, and a few tall tales! We’d love to see you next month if you missed this one.
Oct 24th, 2024 - Academy Charter School
On October 24th in a response to an earlier request from someone in the group to go visit the Academy. After much back and forth coordination between the teacher, Mark and myself, we finally were able to make it happen. The kids were kinda overwhelmed and full of great questions. A number of them expressed interest in becoming pilots. They were quite knowledgeable in the basic flight principles as well as aircraft components. I did have to take some extra time to explain why my airplane was so different. A few of them had actually heard of the Rutan brothers already. We talked about the EAA and about the Young Eagles program. I left their Teacher with a DVD for them to watch called "Living in the age of airplanes" narrated by Harrison Ford. Anyway it was a great day. We arrived in a pretty tight two-ship formation and were met with nothing but wide eyes and smiles. Always glad to represent our Chapter in a positive light. Ciao,
Bob Lee
Oct 22nd, 2024 - October Meeting
25 of us enjoyed "Carrier Night," featuring Allen Thornhill and Dave McKay.
Allen served in the Navy from 1960-1964. He was a fireman (and later, boiler tech) in the Boiler Division on the aircraft carrier, USS Antietam II (CV-36), a Naval Aviation Training carrier based at the Naval Air Station (NAS) in Pensacola. Allen highlighted several experiences aboard the Antietam:
- Spring 1961: Strato-Lab manned test flights, followed by the Prather/Ross flight on 4 May, setting world-wide record of absolute altitude for a manned flight of 113,740 ft (21.5 miles) via balloon.
- Fall 1961: Providing humanitarian aid (medical supplies & personnel) to the Texas coast in the wake of hurricane Carla and to British Honduras after hurricane Hattie.
- Oct 16-28, 1962: Cuban Missile Crisis/Blockade, when the US stopped the deployment of Soviet nuclear-armed medium and intermediate range ballistic missiles--capable of destroying US cities and military bases in most of the continental US.
- 1963: became a star heavy weight boxer, affording him the leave he needed to marry his wife, Judy.
Allen also explained the process of generating steam via the ship's 8 Babcock & Wilcox boilers to drive the 4 Westinghouse turbine and reduction gear powerplants, typical of Essex-class carriers. These could power the 27K-ton-displacement ship at 34 knots for aircraft launch and recovery.
Later in life (1983), Allen and wife, Judy, founded and operated CWM Industries, providing welding & metal fabrication all over Alaska and noted for their specialty in repairing large cranes. They sold the business this year, after 41 years of excellent service.
Dave served in the Navy from 1961-1974, first as an enlisted man; he was a Douglas A4 plane captain on the aircraft carrier, USS Ticonderoga (CV-14), during the Gulf of Tonkin Incident (Aug 2, 1964). Upon reaching 21 years of age, he transitioned to a commissioned officer, trained, and became a Douglas A4 Skyhawk pilot. Assigned to the 7th Fleet, VA-55 ("Warhorses"), he returned to the South China Sea aboard the USS Constellation (CVA-64) flying the A4D-2N and, later, the A4E. He elaborated on numerous experiences flying combat missions in the very capable Skyhawk, and one gut-wrenching return to the Constellation in a shot-up, crippled A4. Dave shared insights about how the Vietnam war might have turned out quite differently in the days following the Gulf of Tonkin Incident.
Dave is a 36,000-hour pilot, having flown a multitude of aircraft types. He was with Northwestern Arctic Air Inc for over a decade, becoming President.
In addition to being being in close proximity in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Dave and Allen talked about other history-making events when their paths crossed (unknowingly to either of them at the time), including work during the initial months of the Exxon Valdez oil spill cleanup (1989) and more recent work in Turnagain Arm.
Members Wally & Sarah Parks brought Leo Holler (& son) to the evening's meeting. It was a bonus for Leo to share his A4 combat experiences as well, as a land-based pilot in Vietnam.
Thus, we had a fascinating and marvelous evening, celebrating our veterans. And Allen, Dave, Leo, Chuck, and others ... thank you for keeping us safe and free on your watch!
Oct 12th, 2024 - October Breakfast
Today we had Bob E, Vickie, Cliff, Ed, Chris, Tim, Chuck, Trice & Scott. And I forgot to take a pic ... rats! --Scott
Sep 24th, 2024 - Tom Buttenob's Just Highlander
Tom Buttenob and John Nealon hosted Chapter 42’s September meeting in Meadow Lakes. Tom displayed his beautiful Highlander covered in Oratex. The plane is in the 40 hour test flight period and John reports all is going well with the flight testing. Thanks to all who attended last night, and thanks to Tom and John for hosting the meeting!
Tom's Highlander has the 3-cyl 2007 Yamaha Apex 998 non turbo engine (3 cyl, 10K RPM) with Skytrax 3.41:1 reduction gearbox (must be the Nytro). He has added wing fences, 7-gal header tank, highly modified windows of the Steve Henry variety.
Tom says John recently mounted a Yamaha Apex on his Highlander, as well.
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| Tue Mar 25 7 PM |
March Chapter Meeting CAP Polaris Squadron @ Merrill Field, 1910 E 5th Ave |
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| Wed Apr 9 7 PM |
Board Meeting Las Margaritas |
| Sat Apr 12 9:30 AM |
Chapter Breakfast Get-Together Kava’s Pancake House |
| Tue Apr 22 7 PM |
Chapter Meeting TBD |
| Anchorage, Alaska | |||
| 2025-03-23 | |||
| Nautical Twilight Begin: | 06:09 | ||
| Civil Twilight Begin: | 07:02 | ||
| Sunrise: | 07:46 | ||
| Transit: | 14:05 | ||
| Sunset: | 20:25 | ||
| Civil Twilight End: | 21:08 | ||
| Nautical Twilight End: | 22:02 | ||
| Total Daylight: | 12:39 | ||
