Throttle Up: A letter from the President
I sincerely hope everyone has enjoyed a pleasant, flight-filled summer. A heart-felt thank you to all of our new members, as well as our faithful renewing members.
Over the past few months, it has been my pleasure to be able to visit all of our chapters and many members I only knew by name. July took me to Topping, Virginia to do a presentation on the early history of Virginia aviation for the Northern Neck/Middle Peninsula Chapter at The Pilot House Inn in Topping, Virginia. It was a great visit and my thanks go out to Nancy Miller and George Galo for their hospitality. Also in July, I attended a presentation at the Fredericksburg Chapter conducted by Warrenton Chapter member Phil Hornung on the highlights of early aviation in the Widewater area of Stafford County. Thanks to Luke Curtas for the use of Shannon Air Museum.
August found me at the Richmond Executive Airport (FCI) for the second meeting of the newly forming Richmond Chapter. Our presenter was our own chairman, Dave Young discussing his experiences as a B-52 pilot in Vietnam. Appreciation is due Joe Hoyle of the Wingnuts Flying Club for assisting us in organizing this well-attended event. Due to the generosity of Luke Curtas of Shannon Airport (EZF) I attended the Virginia Aviation Conference in Roanoke, representing both the VAHS and Shannon Air Museum. We had lots of visitors and enjoyed networking with all of the great vendors. Member Larry Waltrip of Williamsburg-Jamestown Airport (KJGG) visited our booth, as did member Alvin Lynn. Alvin ended up winning a great vendor door prize while there.
A visit to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum for a little research in the Pioneers of Exhibit kicked off September. Lots of new construction will bring new exhibits and more space later in 2019. I am most grateful to Williamsburg Chapter members Terry Riley and David Eberly for inviting me to speak at the Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning at William and Mary on September 11 and September 18. There is no better audience than aviation enthusiasts!
The balance of September will see the headquarters’ team busy conducting meetings and preparing for the 41st Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame Banquet to be held on October 19 in Fredericksburg. If you haven’t made your reservations, please do so before October 7th. We need your support to continue our important preservation efforts!
Safe travels! See you at the Hall of Fame Dinner!
Ray Gill
President, Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society