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The old and the new: Air centennial
draws thousands to NAS Whidbey
Aug 03 2011
By KATHY REED
Whidbey Crosswind
It was a celebration 100 years in the
making.
Beautiful weather and a chance to see
aviation history in action brought more than 15,000 people to
Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Saturday for the Centennial
of Naval Aviation event.
From vintage World War II aircraft to
today’s modern aviation marvels, people had a chance to
get up close and personal with the planes and the people who
fly them. The opportunity brought a steady flow of folks of all
ages to the Ault Field base, where the bulk of the centennial
events took place.
Navy officials were very pleased with
the turnout.
“Saturday was a great day to reflect
on the proud heritage of 100 years of naval aviation — Navy,
Marine Corps and Coast Guard — and experience firsthand
the community’s interest in and steadfast support of NAS
Whidbey Island,” said public affairs spokeswoman Kimberly
Martin.
Those attending ranged from active duty
military members to veterans to people who just love planes.
“I’m not a pilot, but I built
models of every one of these when I was a kid,” said Albert
Carreras of Gig Harbor. “My favorite was the PBY Catalina.”
The Latta family of Oak Harbor had a
simple reason for their visit.
“Are you kidding? Look around —
it’s a chance to look at American history,” said L.D.
Latta, who was there with his wife, Lisa, and their two children,
Lindsey, 6, and Lucas, 14. “For them to do this, it’s
really neat.”
“It’s amazing to see all the
different vintages of airplanes all in one spot,” said Nancy
Atkinson of Maple Valley. “It’s a wonderful opportunity
to view them and be up so close.”
And people did get close. They were climbing
on wings, sitting in cockpits, climbing into the belly of a C-130
and just about anything else they were given an opportunity to
explore.
“I got to put on a parachute, which
was kind of scary,” said Lucas Latta of his experience on
the P-3C Orion. “It’s scary because they actually jump
out of these things. I was surprised at how heavy the parachute
was, too.”
But it wasn’t just visitors to the
base who were having fun. Personnel on duty at both the aircraft
and at the displays in Hangar 1 said it was interesting listening
to some of the stories shared by aviation old-timers.
“It’s been interesting hearing
all the old war stories and seeing how rough it was then,”
said Aviation Structural Mechanic Chief Petty Officer Jason Sjodin,
with Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 137. “It’s a
whole different world these days.”
While the centennial event wasn’t
supposed to be an air show, there were a few takeoffs and landings
with some fly-bys in between. “Grumpy,” as the B-25D
Mitchell bomber is affectionately known, made a couple of low
passes over the field, much to the delight of spectators. The
aircraft is part of the collection at Historic Flight Foundation
at Paine Field in Everett.
A legacy flight later in the afternoon
was also a crowd-pleaser. The old — an AD-1 Skyraider from
the Heritage Flight Museum in Bellingham — and the new —
(a F/A 18 Super Hornet from VFA-122, NAS Lemoore — took
to the sky together over Ault Field, providing a fitting demonstration
of what the celebration was about.
While the aircraft took center stage,
there were plenty of other activities. Many gathered to hear
speakers present their Tales of Naval Aviation and to look at
the squadron displays and the specialty quilts created for the
centennial.
NASWI Search and Rescue did demonstrations
on both Ault Field and Seaplane Base, there were classic cars
to look at and members of Whidbey Island Radio Control Society
gave demonstrations with miniature versions of the planes on
display.
There was also plenty for children to
do — Predators of the Heart brought shivers and grins with
its display of animals and reptiles, and the Seattle Museum of
Flight’s Flying Gizmo show captured children’s imagination.
No matter what the age, there was something of interest to just
about everyone.
Perhaps 87-year-old World War II Seige
of Bastogne veteran, Roy McWilliams, summed the day up the best:
“I think this was an exceptional
day for the Navy.”
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Whidbey Crosswind
Pure Skill Needed to Operate the PBY
By: Melanie Hammons
August 7, 2011
Experience and training were the key factors to learning how
to handle the PBY Catalina aircraft. Navy File photo |
Modern
aviation relies greatly upon computers and other time and labor
saving applications, such as the auto-pilot function. But that
was not always the case.
In the days before specialized computers,
successful aviators depended purely upon skill, and the teamwork
of all crewmembers, to accomplish the mission.
Such was the case of the storied PBY
Catalina aircraft and its crew, said former Aviation Machinist
Mate and World War II veteran Win Stites.
 Stites
served from 1943 to 1946. The last two years of his Navy career
were spent as a flight engineer on PBYs.
“The job of the flight engineer
was engine control operations,” said Stites. “That
and the control of the floats, wheels and props.”
Stites said some other duties he remembers
are now done in the Navy by the plane’s captain — duties
such as safety checks and flight clearance.
“The flight engineer took a load
off the pilot and co-pilot, so that they could concentrate on
the flight itself,” said Stites.
Not that the pilots had it that easy,
either.
“The PBY aircraft we flew during
the war had very few hydraulic controls,” said Stites. “What
that meant was that the pilot had to move the ailerons and other
controls manually, all of which requires training and experience.
And sometimes, training could be just as hazardous as war.”
PBY pilots and co-pilots assisted one
another during the flight, Stites said. The airplane could fly
12 to 18 hours nonstop on patrols.
According to Stites, the crew’s navigation aids included
slide rules and a sextant — quite a difference from what
is used in modern naval aircraft.
The unique mission of the PBY aircraft,
a seaplane initially used for patrol but used for rescue operations
as well, required even more expertise. Weather conditions always
factored into flight decisions, as they do now, but successful
operation of seaplanes also depended greatly upon sea conditions.
Stites explained what that meant for
the crew of their PBY, typically 7 to 9 members.
“When coming down for a landing,
you couldn’t see the water surface — we did not have
the sophisticated instruments then that would have allowed that.
“And the weather itself could be
absolutely unforgiving — heavy seas and rough water were
not the sort of things we wanted to take off or land in, obviously.
“On the other hand, you didn’t
want to land on water that was smooth as glass either,”
said Stites. He explained that water surfaces that are entirely
smooth create suction to the plane hull during landing.
The ideal water landing took place on
surfaces that “had a few white-caps” on them, he said.
“If there weren’t any, we would
sometimes create our own waves and an ideal landing surface by
circling low over the water,” said Stites.
One of the most dramatic and tragic events
in which the PBY aircraft figured was during the closing days
of World War II. The occasion was the sinking of the USS Indianapolis
by a Japanese submarine. Though hundreds of sailors died, a PBY
Catalina, piloted by Navy Lt. Adrian Marks, managed to land in
heavy seas and rescue more than 50.
Although Stites did not participate in
that rescue, he remembers the incident well.
“These planes were able to pick
up many survivors during wartime,” he said. “They did
a valiant job.”
And in spite of what may seem to some
to be limitations of the PBY, Stites’ own affection for
the airplane remains undiminished. Even as he downplays his own
wartime experiences, he saw his share of close calls as well.
“I loved the PBYs — they were
slow, noisy but they always got us home — even on one engine,”
said Stites.
“I don’t have a real colorful
history,” he continued. “But we patrolled and did our
duty.”
Today, Stites and his wife, Donna, are
active volunteers in their community. Win especially enjoys being
a docent at the PBY Memorial Foundation’s Aviation History
Center on the Seaplane Base. There, he sees visitors from all
over.
“I met someone visiting from England
the other day,” he said.
And it is not surprising to learn that
he doesn’t think of age as being a limitation.
“We had an 88-year-old visitor come
by last weekend. She wanted to see what it was like to be in
the pilot’s seat of the static PBY aircraft we have parked
outside our building. Guess what — she was able to crawl
up in there by herself, no problem,” said Stites. “That
was a thrill for us to see that.”
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By: Melanie Hammons
July 29, 2011
Oak Harbor resident Mike Dilley
views Navy artifacts at the PBY Memorial Foundation Aviation
History Center on Seaplane Base. Melanie Hammons/Whidbey Crosswind |
If you’re looking to get a jump
start on commemorating the Centennial of Naval Aviation this
weekend, there’s no better place to begin than with a journey
into naval aviation history at Oak Harbor’s very own Naval
History Center at the PBY Memorial Foundation, located on the
Seaplane Base at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.
Start your tour of aviation history with
some local background information. View a hallway lined with
framed, color photos of all the planes flown on NAS Whidbey Island,
including the famous PBY Catalina. There are also models of each
aircraft.
Volunteer Richard Rezabek said the Memorial
not only honors the PBY Catalina, its pilots and crew, but is
also an authorized Naval History Center as well.
 “That
is one reason the Navy is sending us three dioramas that will
help illustrate the unique history of the Seaplane Base,”
said Rezabek, who also serves as chairman of the PBY board of
directors.
One diorama will show the Seaplane base
as it was originally constructed back in 1942. The other two
will depict mock-ups of Hangar One and the navigation trainer
for the PBY.
PBY Memorial volunteer docents Win Stites,
left, and Will Stein display a watertight door used on the PBY
aircraft. Melanie Hammons/Whidbey Crosswind
Continue your journey from 1940’s-era Oak Harbor on through
history. There are rooms of artifacts dedicated to each of this
country’s major conflicts, beginning with World War II.
This year marks the 70th anniversary
of the day that President Roosevelt declared would live in infamy
— Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor.
Visitors can view a special replica of
the USS Arizona Memorial donated by the Pearl Harbor Survivors’
Association.
“Historical context is important
for all major events,” said Rezabek. “We need to always
keep in mind that what happened once, could happen again —
and we should prepare accordingly.”
It is a lesson he feels is important
for young visitors especially to keep in mind.
One local visitor, Mike Dilley, of Oak
Harbor, agreed.
“I had some time today, and wanted
to come out and see what they were organizing here,” said
Dilley. “I’d like to bring my young nieces for a visit.”
History is certainly the driving inspiration
for Rezabek and the other volunteers who staff the PBY Memorial
Foundation exhibit building.
William Stein, vice chairman of the foundation’s
board of directors, said his love for history probably stems
from his grandfather, who owned a publishing house in Seattle.
“My grandfather never passed by
a roadside historical marker but what he didn’t stop and
read it,” remembered Stein. An Air Force veteran himself,
Stein’s father is a former PBY pilot who will celebrate
his 90th birthday on Saturday.
The center is always interested in related
memorabilia, both new and old, said Stein. Even more valuable
are the history lessons found in the stories of those who lived
the conflict.
 Memorabilia
from the WWII Normandy Beach landing is one of many historic
displays at the PBY Memorial Foundation. Melanie Hammons/Whidbey
Crosswind
Some of those stories are closer than one might think. Oak Harbor
resident Ray Guna brought in some items from the USS Arizona
(BB-39), donated by his father, Andrew, who took annual leave
from the ship on Dec. 5, 1941.
“His battle station was the Number
1 Turret Gunner,” said Guna. “Had he not gone on leave
that day, he likely would not be here, and I certainly would
not be here.”
One of Guna’s donated artifacts
is an especially sobering memento. It is a cast of characters
listing for a shipboard Neptune Party, known as “Crossing
the Line.” The ship’s Neptune Party celebration took
place on Sunday, July 21, 1940, exactly 72 weeks to the day that
the USS Arizona came under attack at Pearl Harbor.
 PBY
Memorial volunteer docent Richard Rezabek, second from right,
listens as a visitor asks a question in the World War II room
of the Naval Aviation History Center. Melanie Hammons/Whidbey
Crosswind
Moving beyond the World War II era, the innovation and accomplishments
of naval aviation continue to impress. Next stop on the history
tour is the Korean War. The displays and artifacts for that room
are being coordinated by a Korean War veteran, said Rezabek.
Wartime accomplishments of the Vietnam
War era, and conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq are not overlooked,
either.
The Vietnam room showcases aviation-related
uniforms, models, and even a full-size co-pilot’s seat from
a P2V-7 Neptune patrol aircraft.
There’s still more to see and learn
from the on-site library, for example, or by taking the controls
in the center’s flight simulator.
While the vintage warbirds and modern
aircraft will be on display Saturday at NAS Whidbey’s Ault
Field Base, there will be classic cars to see on the Seaplane
Base and NAS Whidbey’s Search and Rescue will demonstrate
an over-water rescue at noon. The PBY Memorial Foundation will
be open through it all.
Rezabek, Stein and the other PBY Memorial
Foundation volunteers could not be more excited.
“That’s what this is all about,”
said Stein.
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In early June, 2011, the Whidbey Island
Sketchers visited the PBY Memorial Foundation Navy Aviation History
Center. What follows are sketches done by these incredibly talented
artists, along with their comments about the experience. [View more of their sketches]
Art
& Editorial by Judi Nyerges-Beaudoin
June 1, 2011
The PBY on the hill
This is the PBY plane that greeted us
at the top of the (cold, windy!) hill at NAS Oak Harbor at the
Memorial. It, and all the other memorabilia in the building,
is quite stirring. We were given a WARM, friendly royal welcome
by the Docent volunteers and it was an altogether enjoyable experience.
You can see more of Judi Nyerges-Beaudoin's work here...
The PBY Memorial Foundation sincerely
thanks Judi for her generous donation of a framed print of this
beautiful sketch!
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Art & Editorial By Sue Van Etten
June 4, 2011
WW2 Flight Suit at the
PBY Memorial Historical Display
This is an electrically heated WW2 era flight suit. There are
attaching points for electrically heated gloves, boots and, on
the chest, for an oxygen mask heater. These suits were developed
for patrol and bomber crews who routinely operated at high altitudes
above 30,000 feet, where air temperatures could get so cold that
flesh could freeze instantly to any metal it touched.
This spiffy little museum really is the
best kept secret on Whidbey Island. Housed on the Seaplane Base
in Oak Harbor, there are beautifully displayed Navy uniforms
and artifacts, a gorgeous old Wurlitzer jukebox playing tunes
from the big band era on 45's, a PBY flight simulator that you
can try out, and of course, the magnificent PBY plane itself
-- sitting on the hill outside.
The enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteer
docents are ready, willing and able to tell you about it all.
You may be asking yourself at this point,
"What the heck is a PBY?" Here's a teaser from their
website:
Throughout the history of aviation, only
a few aircraft have excelled to become legend . . .
In keeping with the Naval aviation theme,
we stopped off at Flyers' Restaurant and Brewery for one last
sketch.
You can see more of Sue Van Etten's work here...
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Art & Editorial by Lisbeth Cort
June 1, 2011
Whidbey's Best Kept
Secret - On a Seaplane Base
Oh my gosh! What a great afternoon we
Whidbey Island Sketchers had at the PBY Memorial Foundation Historical
Museum on the Seaplane Base in Oak Harbor. This is an amazing
museum and I think few on the island know about it. Trust me
- it's worth a trip... NOW! Thanks to the great team of curators
who filled us with knowledge about the PBY as well as the info
in exhibits. Really - you must go see this place!!!
Command Display at PBY Memorial Museum
Left - Vietnam Room (Jet Jock); Right - 1930s Navy Uniform
WW II flight helmet
After sketching - appropriately we went to Flyers for a glass
of wine.
We had a ball visiting the history center
in June. Learned so much. The curator and guides were so knowledgable
and just great guys!
You can see more of Lisbeth Cort's work here...
 |
The Whidbey Island Sketchers are a talented
group of artists. The PBY Memorial Foundation is honored and
proud to have been visited by them. A special thanks to Judi,
Sue, Lisbeth and Gene for allowing us to share their art on this
website. |
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PBY Memorial Foundation welcomes Sheriff
Mark Brown
By: Melanie
Hammons
August 7, 2011
 Island
County Sheriff Mark Brown spoke to the PBY Memorial Foundation
for the group’s meeting July 26 at the CPO Club in Oak Harbor.
Island County Sheriff Mark Brown, featured
guest speaker for the PBY Memorial Foundation’s meeting,
speaks to the group at the Chief Petty Officers’ club on
July 26.
Former PBY flight engineer and World
War II veteran Win Stites introduced the guest speaker, following
the meeting’s opening pledge of allegiance and invocation.
Brown began his remarks by paying tribute
to the members in attendance, nearly all of whom are veterans.
“When I first ran for the office of sheriff several years
ago, I was inspired by the faces of many of those seated around
this room today,” said Brown.
The sheriff talked about the responsibilities
and challenges of upholding public safety while still using public
dollars wisely.
“I’m all for saving money,
and using tax dollars wisely,” said Brown. “At the
same time, I believe that public safety is the number one responsibility
of government,” he said.
Brown pointed out that Island County
encompasses the 10th most populated unincorporated county in
the state of Washington. Its unique geographic features can be
a potential problem for law enforcement responding to a crisis
in a timely way.
“From my agency’s standpoint,
the biggest challenge is a hypothetical situation where we have
two emergencies occurring simultaneously on North Whidbey and
Possession Point in the south,” said Brown.
Another factor to consider is the responsibility
of law enforcement to use necessary force in appropriate ways,
said Brown.
“Nationwide, the use of force is
under great scrutiny,” he said. “Police departments
in Seattle and many other areas are experiencing this reality
right now.
“If you’re going to use force,
you’d better know what you’re doing,” he said.
Brown said this reality only underscores
the need to have well-trained personnel in law enforcement.
“My desire is to uphold public safety
in Island County — the best way I can see to accomplish
that is to have officers with the right training, and enough
of them to call on when there’s a need for a two-officer
call,” said Brown.
For more information on the PBY Memorial
Foundation, go to www.pbyma.org
The foundation’s Naval Aviation
History Center is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m.
to 5 p.m. The center is located in Simard Hall (Building 12)
at the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Seaplane Base. Call 240-9500
for information.
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Haze gray and underway
By Dennis Connolly / Whidbey Crosswind
May 13, 2011
From 1963 to 1967, Naval Air Station Whidbey
Island’s Seaplane Base was the home port of the seaplane
tender USS Salisbury Sound (AV-13). Photo courtesy of Wes Westlund
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Wes Westlund is a Navy chaplain who
had an unusual working environment at Naval Air Station Whidbey
Island.
Retired Cmdr. Wes Westlund recalls his
time on the USS Salisbury Sound, the only ship ever to call NAS
Whidbey Island home. Dennis Connolly /Whidbey Crosswind
He tended to his flock aboard a Navy ship – a seaplane tender
moored to the finger pier behind the commissary on the Seaplane
Base. From 1965 to 1967 Westlund served aboard the USS Salisbury
Sound (AV-13), or “Sally,” as her men called her, as
she made one of her 19 deployments to the Western Pacific from
1946 through 1966.
Nuts and bolts
Sally was a Currituck-class seaplane tender, 540-feet long, 69-feet
wide and drew 22 feet. She had room for 684 men with a huge hangar
bay on the stern and two huge cranes that picked up seaplanes,
or parts of them, easily.
She was capable of supporting two, 15-plane
squadrons of Mariner type seaplanes both in material, upkeep,
repair and personnel. Her shops included engine repair, hydraulic
repair, carburetor repair, metal, parachute and photogenic shop.
In addition to her own officers and crew, Sally was capable of
billeting over 120 squadron officers and 200 crew members.
When Westlund was aboard the USS Salisbury
Sound, she tended to P5M Marlin, one of the largest seaplanes
in the Navy with a length of 100 feet and a wingspan of 117 feet.
The P5M Marlin only landed on the water as she did not have landing
gear.
Westlund recalls when he was stationed
in Oak Harbor, the community had one traffic light and the population
was under 5,000 as opposed to more than 20,000 today. When Sally
came back to Oak Harbor after deployment, you couldn’t go
anywhere without seeing someone from the ship. Westlund added
that is was nice to see that the brown shoe contingent on Ault
Field had 500 or so black shoe brethren on the Seaplane Base.
Time on the water
Sally went to sea often and for long periods of time, according
to Westlund.
Once the captain asked Westlund and Lt. Procetti, the electrical
engineering officer, to find out how much time Sally spent at
sea.
“We went through the log books and
when we were done I said, ‘I think we should go over these
books again’ and (Procetti) agreed, ‘cause we both
thought we had made a mistake,” Westlund said. “But
we went over them again and we found out that we were right.
We had spent 80 percent of our time at sea and 20 percent in
Oak Harbor. When we showed the results to the captain he thought
we were right immediately.”
Westlund said his ship was older but
clean as a whistle. The food was good and the motion at sea was
comfortable, when the weather was good. But it could get hot
at anchor or in port.
“There was only air conditioning
in the officers’ ward room, so when we got under way we
put canvas scoops on the portholes and they forced fresh air
down into the ship. It made it a little more tolerable for the
crew,” said Westlund.
Retired Cmdr. Wes Westlund recalls
his time on the USS Salisbury Sound, the only ship
ever to call NAS Whidbey Island home. ---Dennis Connolly /Whidbey
Crosswind
Interesting service
Most of the time Westlund spent at anchor, Sally’s men tended
to seaplanes in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam, from which many surveillance
and anti-submarine patrol flights were made.
“We pumped our millionth gallon
of aviation fuel in Cam Ranh Bay, which is a lot for a seaplane
tender,” Westlund said.
The USS Salisbury Sound went to many
Pacific ports in her day, including Yokosuka, Japan; Buckner
Bay, Okinawa; Sangley Point in Manila Bay, Philippines; DaNang,
South Vietnam; and Bangkok, Thailand, among others.
Westlund liked Thailand and Japan but said one of his most interesting
stops was Taiwan, where the Nationalist party leader of China,
Chiang Kai-shek, had fled in 1949 to avoid the communists and
newly formed People’s Republic of China.
There were posters and banners of Kai-shek’s
picture stretching 30 and 40 feet high, he said.
One day the chaplain came down to the
pier and took Westlund to dinner at the Inland Christian Mission.
The talk turned to the aborigines on the island who had been
headhunters. The lived on a mountain with treacherous, but passable
roads. Westlund and several other sailors found themselves on
a bus going up the mountain.
Once at top among the aborigines, Westlund
heard about the headhunters’ conversion.
“The headhunters told a missionary
who was trying to explain Christianity to them that they could
not believe in his God,” Westlund said. “(They said)
‘I won’t believe what you (missionaries) are saying
unless you go to a hut and live for a time without dying.’”
Westlund explained that everyone who
had stayed in the hut and spent the night had never come out
alive. The headhunters told them if they survived, they would
believe them.
The missionaries accepted the offer and
came out alive. All the aboriginals converted to Christianity
and stopped headhunting.
Westlund was offered a headhunters’
sword, but thought it might prove difficult to explain why the
chaplain was crossing the quarter deck with it.
A long career
Westlund was a protestant chaplain. He did the morning and evening
prayers over the 1MC, the intercom system on the ship, luncheon
prayer in the ward room and held services in the library or the
mess decks.
On October 27, 1966 the ship left Cam
Ran Bay, Vietnam for the last time and pulled into Oak Harbor
Nov. 21, 1967.
That cruise was 11 months long and Westlund
smiles when he remembers it. He served 22 years and retired in
Oak Harbor as a commander.
The Navy was a life he chose and he’s
glad he chose it. As for seaplane tenders, he sailed on one of
the last. Seaplanes and seaplane tenders came to an end with
the Navy in 1967.
The USS Salisbury Sound left Oak Harbor
and anchored at Pier Delta in Bremerton. “We took her to
Bremerton in January, 1967 and she ended a 21-year career,”
Westlund said.
On July 8, 1968 an SP-5B Marlin of VP-40
at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego made the last
seaplane flight for the U.S. Navy. It closed the book on seaplane
patrol operations and ended more than 50 years of seaplane service.
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PBY luncheon offers Growler education
By: dennisconnoly /Whidbey Crosswind
May, 2011
The PBY Memorial Foundation met May 24
at the CPO Club, for a luncheon, announcements and a speech by
Bob Papadakis, Boeing’s Naval Air Station Whidbey Island
Integration Lead for the EA-18G Growler.
President Win Stites introduced the day’s
speaker, Bob Papadakis, Naval Academy graduate and Navy veteran
of 23 years. Papadakis was a bombardier/navigator in the A-6
Intruder and an electronic countermeasures officer in the EA-6B
and commanded VAQ-133. He completed his career as requirements
officer for the EA-6B and the EA-18G on the Chief of Operations
staff in the Pentagon.
Bob Papadakis, right, Boeing’s Naval Air Station Whidbey
Island Integration Lead for the EA-18G Growler, sits next to
Major Svend Raun CD, the secretary-treasurer of the Military
Ball Committee before Papadakis speaks about the Growler, or
Grizzly, as it is known on aircraft carriers. The men attended
the PBY Memorial Foundation luncheon at the Chief’s Club
on Ault Field Road in Oak Harbor May 24. Dennis Connolly/Whidbey
Crosswind
Papadakis was engaged in the EA-18G program
in St. Louis, then transferred to Washington to establish the
Growler Support Center at NAS Whidbey. He said the delivery of
Growlers, or Grizzly, as the plane is called on aircraft carriers,
is critical to the Navy’s transition plan.
“They are transitioning two to three
squadrons a year and we have delivered every EA-18G early, or
on time,” Papadakis said, “Reducing their risk in transition
and providing them operational flexibility.”
Derived from the combat proven F/A-18F,
the Growler has more than 90 percent in common with the standard
Super Hornet. It is an electronic attack version with flight
performance similar to that of the F/A-18E/F. This allows the
Growler to perform escort jamming as well as the traditional
standoff jamming mission. The Growler will be able to accompany
F/A-18s during all phases of an attack mission.
Papadakis said the plane can continually
do updates on a target, have a data link capability and can pass
information between aircraft for tactical updates. He also said
the unrefueled combat radius with two fuel tanks and a pod load
is approximately 500 miles but the EA-18G is capable of air-to-air
refueling as well.
PBY Memorial Foundation member Will Stein
said later that it was a good education. “It was very informative,
very high-tech but he made it understandable visually through
his slides,” Stein said. “It’s more capable, newer
systems — more capable than the Prowler.
If the Navy’s current plan stays
in place, the Growler will eventually replace the Prowler. “The
Prowler was a good airplane and brought us home safe,” Papadakis
said. “But it was time for a new aircraft.”
More than 30 people were in attendance
and enjoyed lunch, laughter and memories of past shipmates like
Russ Jacabson. He ferried troops to distant island beaches during
World War II and retired as a full commander after 28 years.
In regular PBY Memorial Foundation business,
Stites said the table and tent the organization had at Holland
Happening was more profitable this year than last, dirt streets
and all.
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Coupeville History Day students show
video projects to benefactors
May 15 2011
Coupeville’s Middle School and High
School students presented video documentaries for the National
History Day program to members of the PBY Memorial Foundation
at the foundation’s April luncheon meeting at the CPO Club
in Oak Harbor.
The research and documentation for these
projects by the students is under the direction of Wilbur Purdue,
History Day advisor of the national program at the Coupeville
schools.
Purdue said that seven students have
already competed at the regional level in March and are preparing
for the state contest Saturday, May 7, at Bellevue College.
Each year, the PBY Memorial Foundation
awards a scholarship to the program and it is used toward transportation
of those students who will compete in the National History Day
finals.
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Wes Westlund, PBY Memorial Foundation Board
member, presents a $500 check to Wilbur Purdue, advisor, to assist
with students’ History Day transportation costs. Most all
financial support is derived from community supporters, Purdue
said. Next to Purdue is Zane Bundy, 13, who presented his documentary
on “Cloning Policy,” and Heni Barnes with her presentation
on “The Gadsen Purchase.” PBY Memorial Foundation photo
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Whidbey
News Times
‘Gerral’s Girl’ gets her wings back
Adolph Meisch, a former PBY
flight engineer, sits before 'Gerral's Girl' on the day work
crews reconnected the planes wings.
By
JUSTIN BURNETT
Whidbey News Times Staff reporter
Nov 07 2010
The
feathers of one of Oak Harbor’s most beloved birds were
significantly brightened this week.
“Gerral’s
Girl,” the affectionately named PBY-5A Catalina flying boat
that returned to the Sea Plane base this summer after a 67-year
absence to serve as an educational display, has been sitting
with her wings clipped since her arrival.
On
Thursday, Nov. 4, she got them back when work crews from the
PBY Memorial Foundation and Whidbey Island Naval Air Station’s
Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadron 9 gingerly eased them
back into place.
For
many there, the chance to see the historic warbird with its wings
spread in all their glory was a special occasion.
“It’s
actually going to look like an airplane again,” George Rose,
an excited foundation member, said just before work began at
about 8:30 a.m.
“This
is 10 years in the making,” Richard Rezabek, chairman of
the foundation’s board of directors, said about the plane’s
return and the restoration of the aircraft’s wings. “To
me this is history.”
The
flying boat’s wings were removed before its journey from
a location near Skagit County Airport to Whidbey Island this
past June. While its arrival marked the end of the foundation’s
12-year search for one of the famous planes, it was just the
beginning of a lengthy and expensive planned restoration.
Over
the past four months, association members have been able to complete
several big projects, from preparing the wings for reattachment
– that includes
reassembling
pieces such as the ailerons and gap fillers – to making
the aircraft watertight for the coming winter. But most of their
time has been spent assessing the old PBY, said Will Stein, the
foundation’s restoration team chief.
“The
aircraft’s in great shape,” he said. “It could
easily be made airworthy.”
Stein,
a retired Air Force flight engineer who has spent countless hours
working on C-130s, has a personal connection to the World War
II era plane. His father was a PBY pilot, which makes the chance
to wrench on one extra special. It’s also historically fascinating.
“You
step inside and it’s the 1940s,” Stein said. “You
start humming Glenn Miller songs.”
For
others, looking at the plane is a trip down memory lane. Adolph
Meisch, 83, is a retired Navy chief petty officer who spent more
than 2,000 hours flying around in a PBY between 1944 and 1957.
The former flight engineer served with VP-91 on Whidbey Island
before flying two tours in Adak and Kodiak, Alaska with VP 62
during World War II.
Meisch
never saw combat, but seeing the plane begin to take shape brings
about mixed emotions. It may have been over 50 years since he
worked on a PBY, but it seems like just yesterday that he was
losing tools over the side to a watery grave.
“It’s
a good airplane but it’s not easy to work on,” he laughed.
It
brings out a few funny memories too. While he was stationed on
Whidbey Island, he went on a flight with two pilots over the
Christmas holidays that he would never forget. Apparently, the
two men “were still celebrating” when they took the
controls. Subsequently, their landing was a little rough.
“They
took us through some trees, and I mean through some trees,”
he said.
By
the time the crew was back safely on the ground, someone was
there waiting for them and Meisch said he never saw the two pilots
again.
All
in all, Meisch said the flying boat has earned a special place
in his heart. Knowing that one is being preserved on a base that
was specifically created for the historic aircraft is a satisfying
feeling, he said.
“It’s
good to see it’s finally happening,” he said. “And
it’s good to see Oak Harbor recognizing it.”
According
to Rezabek, the foundation’s restoration efforts will likely
continue for several years. There is talk about returning the
aircraft to flight-ready status, as well as discussions of housing
it permanently in a new hangar. Either option will be expensive,
however, and will depend greatly on community support.
While
companies such as Diamond Rental, which provided scaffolding
for this week’s wing mounting for free, have been invaluable
to the foundation’s efforts, Rezabek said monetary donations
are always appreciated. They can be mailed to P.O. Box 941, Oak
Harbor, or people can call 240-9500 to learn more about the foundation
or to volunteer.
Whidbey
News Times Staff reporter Justin Burnett can be reached at jburnett@whidbeynewsgroup.com
or 360-675-6611 ext. 5054.
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