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A MEMORIAL DEDICATED TO THE PRESERVATION OF NAVAL AVIATION HISTORY

 


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Whidbey News-Times

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.”


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.”


Whidbey Crosswind
Aviation history comes to life

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.



Whidbey Island Sketchers

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!



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...



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...


PBY 5A By Gene Berg
June, 2011


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.

Whidbey Crosswind

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.


Whidbey Crosswind

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 

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.



Whidbey Crosswind

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.


Whidbey News Times

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.

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




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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