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OOOOOO rrrrrrddddddeeeeeerrrrrr ooooooffffff DDDDDDaaaaaaeeeeeeddddddaaaaaalllllliiiiiiaaaaaannnnnnssssss

New sletter 2015 Flight 18 Est 4 July, 1965 Newsletter Feb

Stalwart pilot Jack Wilhite’s Final Flight

(Left) Oct 2004 - Aug 18, 1928 – Jan 26, 2015 Bea Wilhite pre- sents Jack’s Colo It’s hard to believe Jack is gone. Even at 86, he was like an Aviation Hall of iron man whose plate was always full of things he was either Fame medallion. already involved with or wanted to do. His passion for flying (Far left) Mar and baseball is reflected in the fact that he was a member of 2013 - Jack at his induction into the both the Colorado Historical Society Aviation Hall of Fame Over 60 Baseball and the Over 60 Baseball Hall of Fame. Hall of Fame. His final day was a microcosm of his incredibly full life. (Below) Jack’s That Monday morning, Jack and his cousin Ross got in Mig 17 at Jeffco. two hours of baseball one-on-one batting practice in antici-

pation of their 2015 60+ season with the Denver Rockies. After hitting some shots, Jack drove to the Rocky Moun- tain Metro Airport, broke out his Steen Skybolt and went flying – one last 16-minute venture into the Wild Blue Yon- der. He took off at 1405, departed the pattern to the south- west and returned to make his final landing at 1421. He must have really enjoyed that flight, because he called 2015 Flight Sked Bea at about 5:30 to tell her about it and to say he was going

Flight 18 normally meets on the third Friday of each to work out at the Point Athletic Club. They agreed he’d tell month. Exceptions are announced in the newsletter and her about his flight when he got home, which, sadly, he nev- through the caller phone tree. Your caller should contact you er did. He was found, deceased, in the club’s hot tub. via phone/e-mail 10 days prior to each meeting. If not, please To say that Jack sported a unique resume would be an un- advise Flight Adjutant Walt Wise, [email protected] . derstatement of gigantic proportions: an Army Air Force Date Location Activity/Speaker antiaircraft artilleryman; FBI agent; professional baseball player in the Yankees organization until Korea came along; 16 Jan Aurora Hills* Roy Poole -“Old 666” schooling in criminology and law; Air Force fighter jet 20 Feb Aurora Hills* The Butch O’Hare story combat pilot; a stint with the RAF; career with the Air Na- 20 Mar Aurora Hills* Ger Spaulding-Toss Up tional Guard (270 F-100 combat missions in Vietnam); ca- 17 Apr Aurora Hills* Open reer with United Air Lines; career as a reserve deputy with 15 May Aurora Hills* Andy Parks-PV Update the JeffCo Sheriff’s Department; air show performer in his 28-31 May San Antonio National Convention MIG-17 and Steen Skybolt; President of the Colorado Avia- 19 Jun Aurora Hills* Aviation Humor tion Hall of Fame; ball player and pilot to the end. 17 Jul Buckley AFB Lunch and tour Find Jack’s complete biography by the Centennial Jour- 21 Aug Wings Over Rox TBA nal’s Di Freeze on the Flight 18 web site at this link: 18 Sep Aurora Hills* TBA http://www.ghspaulding.com/JACK%20WILHITE%20BIO%20.PDF 16 Oct Aurora Hills* TBA Jack Wilhite was the personification of those well known 20 Nov Aurora Hills* Bus. Mtg/Elections words about Life’s Journey being one hell of a ride. (See the ?? Dec TBA Christmas Party actual quote on page 7 of this newsletter.) * Aurora Hills Golf Course Tin Cup Bar & Grill What a ride, Jack, what a ride! Blue skies and tailwinds.

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the first aerial combat, to the chal- lenges of worldwide terrorism. Yes, Welcome Aboard Memo from 100 years ago, in 1915, the first Jeffrey A. Roy the Flight aerial combat took place in the COL, USA (Ret) Captain skies over Europe.

The best "sales pitch" for joining Jeff’s thumbnail bio

the Order of Daedalians is not some DOB : 16 Apr 1946, Fellow Daedalians, brochure or video … it's you and Lawrence, MA

it's me. When we begin to share our Education : Undergrad NH College; The other day, I was going own careers and lives with potential MPA U of OK; MAS (Aero Science), through my wallet (not much mon- members, we easily let them know Embry-Riddle; PHD Public Policy & ey in there…) so that I could refill how belonging to such a long tradi- Mgmt, Univ of MO, Kansas City. the business cards I use. tion is something we will cherish Wings : 1966, Warrant Off Rotary One of those cards, I give away forever. Wing Course, Ft. Rucker, AL to friends who need a way to con- Commissioned 2nd Lt : Dec 1967 Finally, if you'd like to influence tact me. Underneath a jet I used to Assignments : Platoon Ldr, Assault future military aviators, you have a fly in days long passed are the Helos RVN; Svc Pltn Ldr, Air Cav, great chance to do so at the Red words, "The older I get, the better a Germany; Fixed wing maint,+ Plans Rock Community College (13300 pilot I used to be." &Training Off, Bat Hq, RVN; Rotary 6th Ave. in Lakewood) Celebration That started me thinking about wing flight instructor, Ft Rucker; of the 70th Anniversary of the end several Reserve transportation/ military flying and youth. Which led of WWII. logistics assignments, including me to think about our Order of Retired Major Stuart Lawrence commander of an Army Transport Daedalians. If Mile High Flight 18 told us about the event at our Janu- Terminal Unit & Dep/Cdr (IMA) is any indication, we must have ary meeting. He's promised a table Corpus Christi Army Depot, TX. been the bestest pilots ever! We to sit at, where you can talk with Aircraft flown :UH-1A/B/C/D,H; UH aren't exactly spring falcons. interested young people about your 23D; OH-13E/G/H/T; OH-6A; OH- Which is fine, as long as we re- personal experiences and your fly- 58A; O-1A; U-6A; T-41B; T-42A; U- member that the young pilots of ing careers. 3A/B; U-8F; C-12. today who serve throughout the Drop by on April 9th, any time Retired: 1994 at Kansas City, MO. military, will one day be ones who between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm to Civilian employment : Retired from tell other Daedalians of skills of FAA in 2002 after 22 years. enjoy military displays from both courage, innovation, and steadiness. Flight time : 8,600 hrs mil; 6,500 hrs Pacific and European theaters; Thanks to the commitment of our civ; 15,100 hours total catch a USO show; and watch the current pilots out at Buckley AFB, Highest pilot rating : Master Aviator military fly-by while standing beside we have the pleasure of meeting Spouse : Angelique 1940's cars. It's free, and mostly Offspring : Two sons, one daughter many of those young pilots - at the indoors. Residence : Longmont, CO airfield - in July. We've been too- Sunny skies, and "cleared direct." Sponsor : Walt Wise long away from the Buckley air- ______field, and there is a lot to learn Volabamus Volamus Go to page 3. Welcome Aboard about how their pilots are fulfilling Meanwhile, we look forward to the mission through airpower. Roy A. Poole, LtCol, USAF (Ret) welcoming prospective members Make sure to mark your calendar Flight Captain Vance Adler and Robert Schmidt. for July and the Flight 18 meeting. ______

After meeting the military pilots A thought about Leadership : of 2015, I'm sure - like me - you'll "No man is a leader until his want them to become members in appointment is ratified in the the Order of Daedalians. The Or- minds and hearts of his men" der sustains a continuing, 100-year, -- Anonymous, The Infantry Journal tradition of military aviation from MMIILLEE HHIIGGHH FFLLIIGGHHTT 1188 NNeewwsslleetttteerr Page 3

Welcome Aboard from page 2 Chris’s thumbnail bio

DOB : 24 Oct, 1948 San Francisco, CA Darrel J. Ankeny Education : BS CSU; MS, MBA Embry-Riddle CAPT, USAF (Sep) Wings : 1977 Williams AFB, AZ Assignments : C-130 navigator at Pope AFB, NC; Pilot Darrel’s thumbnail bio Training, Williams AFB, AZ; 8th MAS McChord AFB, WA; Airlift Control Center, RAF Mildenhall, UK; Headquar- DOB : 7 Sep 1941, Rolla, ND ters, Military Airlift Command, Scott AFB, IL;7th MAS Education : BA, Business – U of WA Travis AFB, CA. Wings : 1965 Vance AFB, OK Military Aircraft flown : C-141. Assignments : Pilot training Vance AFB, OK; Advanced Retired: 1991 Travis AFB, CA Survival Trng; F-4C pilot trng Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ; Civilian employment : United Air Lines 22 years: B-727, Tactical Sea Survival course, Langley, AFB, VA; OPACAF th 737, 757, 767, 777. Jungle Survival School; 4 Tactical Fighter Squadron, Flight time : 18,000 hours total Eglin AFB, FL; 435 th TFS, Ubon Royal Thai AFB, Thai- st (5,000 hrs mil; 13,000 hrs civ) land; 831 Combat Support Group, George AFB, CA. Spouse : Lynn Mil Aircraft flown : T-37, T-38, F-4C/D; C-47; C-54; U6A. Offspring : Two daughters. Separated from Mil Svc: 1969 at George AFB, CA. Residence : Denver, CO Civilian employment : United Air Lines: B-727, 737, 747, Sponsor : N/A - Daedalian Life Member 757, 767 and DC-10. Flight time : 15,200 hours total (1,200 hrs mil; 14,000 hrs civ) Flight 18 Life Membership Dues Spouse : Patricia Effective Jan 2012 Offspring : Two daughters Residence : Highlands Ranch, CO Age Group Sponsor : Jim Adair 30/under….$385 61 – 65….$205 ______31 – 35…….$370 66 – 70.…$170 Chris Bruce 36 – 40…….$350 71 – 75….$140 LT COL, USAF (Ret) 41 – 45…....$325 76 – 80….$115 46 – 50…….$295 81 – 85…....$95 Continued column 3 51 – 55…….$265 86/0ver…...$75 56 – 60…….$235

2015 FLIGHT DUES - $15 (Due 1 Jan, as are National dues paid to HQ in San Antonio)

Please mail this coupon along with a check for your 2015 plus any delinquent Flight dues you owe. Add any amount you desire to donate to the Scholarship Fund. NOTE: Daedalian Life Members (LMs) and Daedalians whose Nation- al dues are current may purchase Flight 18 Life Memberships. If you choose this option, please select the appropri- ate dues amount from the above schedule, enter that amount in the FLM space below and include it in your check.

Name: ______Daedalian # ______Home Phone: (_____)______

Address: ______e-mail:______

Amount enclosed for: [2015 Flight Dues $15.00 or FLM DUES $______] + Flight Dues for prior years + Scholarship Fund $______= Total Enclosed $______

** Make check payable to: DAEDALIAN FLIGHT 18 ** Mail to: Flight 18 Treasurer, 7544 S. Rosemary Circle, Centennial, CO 80112 MMIILLEE HHIIGGHH FFLLIIGGHHTT 1188 NNeewwsslleetttteerr Page 4

star and pilot. Travolta’s estate in Florida has its 707: The aircraft that own runway. Some people like to gaze at the curves changed the way we fly of their prize classic car, or latest Ferrari: Travolta opts for the sight of a four-engine, 600mph jet. Jonathan Glancey The 707 began as a discussion and some sketches 20 October 2014 in 1949 when Boeing engineers Ed Wells, George Schairer and John Alexander began thinking about a Whenever Frank Sinatra sang “Come fly with me, swept-wing jet airliner. Boeing was an innovative let’s fly, let’s fly away,” the image of a Boeing 707, company and its military aircraft were second to all etched-white vapour trails jetting across some none. Ed Wells, for example, appointed Boeing’s deep blue transcontinental stratosphere, could never chief engineer in 1943, had worked on the design of be far from mind. This song was from Sinatra’s al- the famous B-17 Flying Fortress bomber of which bum of the same name. It was released in January 12,731 were built. Boeing’s subsequent B-29 Super- 1958, a month after the epochal, swept-wing jet air- fortress, B-47 Stratojet and B-52 Stratofortress liner made its maiden flight. Before the year was out, bombers were all aviation milestones and commer- the sleek 707 was in service with Pan-Am. It was to cially successful. In the field of civil aviation, how- change the way we fly and see the world. ever, Boeing played a very junior fiddle to its rivals Douglas, of DC-3 or ‘Dakota’ fame, and Lockheed, with its pre-war Electra and post-war Constellation. In fact, Boeing had lost money on virtually all its airliners including its latest, and last, piston-engine design, the 377 Stratocruiser of which just 46 were built for a deficit of $13.5m.

Taking off

The British were first to build a jet airliner, the de Havilland Comet. It went into service with BOAC in 1952, but several fatal accidents caused by airframe Curiously, the graphic designer working for Capi- failure led to its withdrawal. The French and the tol Records appeared to have been behind the times. Russians were pushing ahead with jet designs, but The artwork for Come Fly With Me shows a snap- the tussle for the global market was essentially be- pily dressed Sinatra taking the hand of a girl as he tween Douglas and Boeing. cocks his thumb towards a TWA Lockheed Constel- Boeing was first into the air with its 367-80, or lation, the last of the great American piston-engine ‘Dash 80’, the prototype of the 707 which made its airliners. Constellations were to be pushed aside by maiden flight in July 1954. Powered by a version of the all-conquering 707, an aircraft synonymous with the same Pratt & Whitney turbojets fitted to USAF the new jet age and a design that led, step by rapid F-100 Super-Sabre fighter jets and B-52 Stratofor- step, to the Boeing 747 ‘Jumbo Jet’ and the era of tresses, the Dash 80 was very fast. No passenger mass air-travel. The 707 might have been one of the aircraft had flown at 550mph in level flight before. It most glamorous of all forms of transport when it could handle, too. In August 1955, Tex Johnston, entered service with Pan-Am, yet its very success Boeing’s chief test pilot, barrel-rolled the precious led ultimately to the horrendous and heartbreakingly aircraft over Lake . While this is not banal conditions the majority of us fly in today. something any of us would want our pilots to do As for Sinatra, he so admired the new 707 – the while we toy with cocktails at 35,000ft over the At- aircraft that should have been on the sleeve of Come lantic, potential buyers watching from the ground Fly With Me – that he bought his very own. This that summer day could hardly fail to have been im- was an ex-Qantas 707, built in 1964, that, since pressed. 1998, has belonged to John Travolta, Hollywood Go to Boeing 707 on page 6 MMIILLEE HHIIGGHH FFLLIIGGHHTT 1188 NNeewwsslleetttteerr Page 5

Christmas 2014 at eagle bend

And a Merry Christmas to all. Flight Captain Roy “Snooker- Santa” Poole welcomes everyone before dinner and, after all are sated, introduces guest speaker

Fredric Arnold. The Heritage House served up a fine buffet, featuring a deli- cious salmon and a prime rib carving station. Fredric mes- merized our gathering by re- calling his experiences flying P- 38s during WWII. He also ex- plained his motivation to build a life-size bronze statue of 12 P-38 pilots at a mission briefing. The

finished work is headed to the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. His books were a popu- lar buy after his talk. The club was adorned with more than 20 fully decorated Christmas trees. We enjoyed live music before and after dinner, while, outside, a winter snow was falling (bottom right).

Photos by Mike “Dice” Paradise

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Boeing 707 from page 4

The race was still on, though, between Douglas, which had yet to build its superficially identical DC-8, and Boeing. Pan-Am, the airline forever associated with the 707, ordered 20 707s and, at the very same time, 25 DC-8s. What was holding Boeing back was the fact that the 707 was narrower and slightly smaller than the DC-8. When William Allen, Boeing’s presi- dent offered American Airlines an extra half-inch in width over the DC-8, he won an order for fifty 707s. Pan Am 707 in 1957

From that moment, the sales success of the Boeing Hugely popular in its heyday, and a symbol of a was assured. new, high-flying age powered by forward-looking Boeing built 1,010 707s for commercial airlines be- technology and design, the 707 featured not just in tween 1958 and 1978, and a further 800 for the mili- films and songs, but in fashionable product launches tary up until 1991, while Douglas assembled 556 DC- like Jantzen’s 1957 ‘707’ swimwear. Films like Boe- 8s between 1958 and 1972. Allen had invested, or, as ing, Boeing (1965), starring Jerry Lewis and Tony the media liked to say, gambled, $135m on the 707 Curtis are probably best forgotten – Come Fly With programme, or more than the net worth of Boeing at Me, a British effort from 1963 is far worse – but the the time. Although 707s were not particularly profit- aircraft itself remains a superb achievement, a mag- able – there were many variations and the company nificent commercial gamble and a truly great design. bent over backwards to please customers – the air- “If it ain’t Boeing”, went the cliche, “I’m not going”. craft’s dominance of intercontinental flight in the The 707 was not perfect – by today’s standards it 1960s led to profitable future airliners, including the was a noisy gas guzzler, but for better or worse it Jumbo, and to a point when three-quarters of all civil changed the way we fly. ### airliners were . A lyrical promotional film from 1959, The Wonder- Jonathan Glancey is a journalist and broadcaster who writes ful Jet World of Pan-American, captures the magic of for the Daily Telegraph and works with the BBC on radio and television documentaries. His books include: The Story of Ar- flying by 707 in an era when passengers dressed up to chitecture, Lost Buildings, Spitfire: the biography, Nagaland fly, when aircrews were seen as glamorous and when and Giants of Steam. ______the age of ‘no frills’ budget airlines was all but incon- ceivable. What is fascinating is just how much atten- Adjutant goes from Quick to Wise tion Pan-Am devoted to its beloved airliners. Today, the millions of casually dressed passengers With only one exception all of the Flight Officers squeezed onto lookalike aircraft rarely glance at the elected or appointed for 2014 were returned to their machines that will wing them across continents. Air- respective offices for 2015, the result of our Officer lines, meanwhile, sell themselves through cheap fares, elections last November. That single exception was the in-flight entertainment and destinations rather than crucially important Adjutant position. Walt Wise volun- aircraft themselves. Boeing, though, has persevered, teered and was elected to take over the duties of Adju- promoting its latest 787 as the ‘Dreamliner’, even tant after Ed Quick withdrew from consideration. when most flights are nightmares. Ed plans to commence an extensive travel itinerary to The Boeing 707 had, of course, been designed for a conduct research for his first novel, Adjutant Sniper . less crowded age. Even so, it was stretched over time Sincere thanks to Ed for a job well done and here’s hop- with later models seating up to 189 passengers. The ing your book gets panned by Michael Moore, which airlines it served from the beginning – Pan-Am, TWA would ensure its success. – have long gone, while Saha Air, an airline based in See page 7 of this newsletter for a complete listing of Tehran, ceased active operations last year, and with it your 2015 Flight Officers, superbly led by Flight Captain the world’s last 707s in regular passenger service. Roy “Snooker” Poole. Thank you one and all. MMIILLEE HHIIGGHH FFLLIIGGHHTT 1188 NNeewwsslleetttteerr Page 7 *** Sea Biscuits and Scuttlebutt ***

EMAIL FROM A FRIEND ABOUT EFFECTIVE HOME SECURITY

The older we get the wiser we become. I've dis- connected my home alarm system and de-registered from the Neighborhood Watch. I've got two Pakistani flags raised in the front yard, one at each corner, and the black flag of ISIS in the center. The local police, sheriff, FBI, CIA, NSA, Home- land Security, Secret Service and other agencies are all watching the house 24/7. I've never felt safer. And I’m saving $49.95 a month. ______

Life a ride, not a journey

Dedicated to our departed brother Jack Wilhite

“Honey, look! How cool is this?” Life is not a journey to the grave with the inten- tion of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, a martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, screaming, “Holy Shit, what a ride!”

Mile High Flight 18 – 2015

Flight Captain ……...... Roy Poole, LT COL, USAF (Ret) Vice Flt Capt ….……………Tim Conklin, COL, COANG Adjutant …..………………Walt Wise, MAJ, ARNG (Ret) Treasurer ….…….. Spencer Mamber, CAPT, USAF (Sep) Provost Marshall ……..... Dale Boggie, COL, USAF (Ret) Asst Treasurer.. Hugh Greenwood, CAPT, USAFR (Sep) Scholarships…….. … Bill Greener, LT COL, USAF (Ret) Newsletter …...... Ger Spaulding, CAPT, USN (Ret) COANG Liaison………….. Mitch Neff, LT COL, COANG (Positions in bold elected, those in italics appointed)

January 24, 1935 , was the day cans of Krueger's Finest Beer and Krueger's Cream Ale went on sale ♠ Flight 18 normally meets the third Friday of each month at in Richmond, VA. Produced by the Gottfried the Aurora Hills Tin Cup Bar & Grill, located just north of Alameda and just east of Peoria. Social hour at 11:00, lunch Krueger Brewing Company of Newark, NJ, Krue- at 12:00. Exceptions via newsletter and caller notification. ger’s thus became the first canned beer ever sold ♠ The newsletter is published quarterly. Contact the editor at in America. Note: “Church key” required. (719) 638-5786 or via e-mail at [email protected]. Web: http://www.ghspaulding.com/orderofdaedalianshome.htm

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J-15 Flying Shark Made in China

China’s only aircraft carrier, the Soviet-built Kuznetsov-class Varyag – renamed Lioaning by the Chinese–conducts flight ops of the J-15, a problem- plagued clone of the Russian SU-33. The carrier had been launched but was unfinished when the Soviet Union collapsed. It was transferred to Ukraine, which ultimately auctioned it off for $20 million to a Chinese company to use as a floating casino. The company handed it over to the Chinese Navy, which refurbished and upgraded it for naval use. The original Soviet- designed “ski jump” flight deck remains, however, the ship is expected to be augmented by an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) for launching heavier aircraft. Lioaning (CV-16) carries about 50 aircraft, including helicopters.

Mile High Flight 18 Order of Daedalians P.O. Box 472976 Aurora, CO 80047-2976