| 1998 Speakers |
1999
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2000 Speakers |
Monday, December 6 HAAC’s Speaker for Monday, December 6, 1999, was Brigadier General Steve Ritchie. (See our new pictures page.)
Steve Ritchie is the only Air Force pilot ace since the Korean War. 1997 marks the 25th Anniversary of this unique achievement. During Southeast Asia combat in 1972, then Captain Ritchie became the only American pilot in history to down five MiG-21s, a record that has yet to be equaled. His decorations include the Air Force Cross (our nation's second highest award), 4 Silver Stars, 10 Distinguished Flying Crosses and 25 Air Medals. He has more than 3,000 hours of fighter time, including 800 combat hours in the F-4 Phantom during 339 missions. Originally from Reidsville, North Carolina, General Ritchie began his Air Force career as a cadet at the Air Force Academy in the class of 1964 and was a starting halfback for the Falcons in the 1963 Gator Bowl. In 1965, he graduated first in undergraduate pilot training at Laredo, Texas. He has flown the T-37, T-33, T-38, F-104, F-100, F-4, F-15, F-16, and was one of the youngest instructors ever at the Air Force "Top Gun" Fighter Weapons School, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. General Ritchie left the active-duty Air Force in 1974 to run for the U.S. Congress, but continued to serve in the Air Force Reserves. He held important positions in the Colorado Air National Guard and Air Force Headquarters. The general currently serves as a mobilization assistant at Air Education and Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. General Ritchie has also utilized the educational and other opportunities he received in the Air Force to build a successful civilian career. He ran for the U. S. Congress from the state of North Carolina, and he has held various executive positions with civilian corporations. He was Director of the Office of Child Support Enforcement at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington D.C., and currently is president of his own company.
General Ritchie operates the only flying civilian F4 Phantom in the world, which is owned and maintained by the Collings Foundation. Steve and the Phantom wowed the crowd at the Power of Houston, and they were also a featured attraction at HobbyFest '99. The Phantom is based at Ellington Field, and we hope to see more of both the Phantom and Steve as they and the Collings Foundation preserve this important page of our history.
General Ritchie shared many of his experiences with HAAC, and put on a truly magnificent presentation that was thoroughly enjoyed by all who were present. Steve had a great message that could be of great benefit to everyone. In fact, HAAC is looking forward to having General Ritchie as a guest speaker again in 2000, perhaps close to HobbyFest 2000.
MONDAY, November 1, 1999
HAAC's speaker for Monday, November 1, 1999 was Mr. Jack Olcott, President of the National Business Aviation Association, and other representatives of the NBAA. The meeting was a REACHBAC event underwritten by NBAA and designed to address any questions that HAAC members may have had for NBAA, including fractional ownership issues. REACHBAC stands for NBAA's Regional Effort to Advise, Communicate with and Help the Business Aviation Community, which was created to heighten two-way communications between NBAA and its Members in various parts of the country. Mr. Olcott and his staff gave the 150 plus HAAC members in attendance an update on many important issues affecting the aviation community, and answered many questions from the audience. Plus, Texas Air Aces gave away as a raffle prize an Advanced Maneuvering Program valued at almost $1700, which was won by HAAC member Ava Sumpter! This was a great event for HAAC sponsored by a great NBAA organization.
MONDAY, October 4, 1999
HAAC's speaker for Monday, October 4, 1999, was Mr. Ed Bolen, President of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA). Mr. Bolen joined GAMA in 1995 as Senior Vice President and General Counsel, and was elected President of GAMA in November 1996. Mr. Bolen is also a recreational pilot and enjoys flying various types of general aviation aircraft. GAMA is a national trade association, headquartered in Washington D.C., representing over 52 manufacturers of fixed-wing aircraft, engines, avionics, and components. In addition to building nearly all of the general aviation aircraft flying in the United States today, GAMA member companies also operate aircraft fleets, airport fixed-based operations, pilot schools, and training facilities across the nation. General Aviation aircraft range from two-seat training aircraft to intercontinental business jets and regional airliners. Mr. Bolen treated the HAAC membership to a great discussion about the status of the general aviation industry.
MONDAY, September 13, 1999
The speaker for the HAAC luncheon meeting on Monday, September 13, 1999 was aviation artist
Jonathan Frank.
Jon is the proprietor of Ceilings Unlimited Aviation Art Studio and a member of the prestigious American Society of Aviation Artists. Jon has also been commissioned by the 1940 Air Terminal Project to create a painting depicting the Houston Municipal Airport Terminal during the late 1940s. Once completed, the painting will form the basis for 1000 numbered limited edition prints which will be signed by both Jon and Captain A. J. High, Trans Texas Airways' seniority number one pilot. Jon provided HAAC with an overview of aviation art and shared with us some of the finest examples of aviation art from a variety of artists. In addition to his painting, Jon is a Continental Airlines 737 pilot and owns and flies a Piper J- 3 Cub. September's HAAC meeting was a fun and exciting opportunity to learn about aviation art!
MONDAY, AUGUST 2, 1999
AVIATION PHILANTHROPY FAIR
HAAC hosted an Aviation Philanthropy Fair during the regularly scheduled meeting on August 2, 1999 to showcase and give a forum to aviation specific charitable organizations. Organizations such as the Experimental Aircraft Association's Young Eagles Program, Challenge Air, the Civil Air Patrol, Angel Flight, the Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society, and the Confederate Air Force were invited to have tables at the regular HAAC meeting from which they distributed information and answered questions about their respective missions. In addition, several speakers from the various organizations spoke about their various endeavors. Also See our new pictures page.
MONDAY, JULY 12, 1999 HAAC SPEAKER
Don Golden, Greater Houston Soaring Association.
HAAC's guest speaker at the July meeting was Don Golden of the Greater Houston Soaring Association. Don is the director at large for the GHSA. He is a glider instructor and owns a Jantar II Standard Sailplane. He has soared throughout the United States, Europe in Australia. The GHSA is a non-profit chapter of the Soaring Society of America. It operates a full service gliderport southwest of Houston near Wallis. Don shared with HAAC members a great introductory video, and offered a discovery sailplane experience as a raffle prize as well. Please visit the Greater Houston Soaring Association's website at: http://web.wt.net/ghsa/. Also See our new pictures page.
MONDAY, JUNE 7, 1999 HAAC SPEAKER 1940 AIR TERMINAL PROJECT TO BE LAUNCHED AT JUNE HAAC MEETING See our new pictures page. The HAAC is a key participant in the Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society's efforts to restore the original Houston Municipal Airport Terminal Building located on the west side of William P. Hobby Airport and outfit and operate the building as a museum showcasing the civil aviation history of Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast Region. The official launch of publicity and fund raising efforts for the 1940 Air Terminal Project took place during the HAAC meeting on Monday, June 7, 1999. The program showcased the 1940 Air Terminal Project. HAAC members and visitors were treated to an in depth look at the project, the history of the building and the plans in store for its restoration, along with a multimedia presentation that took HAAC members on a virtual tour of the building, both in the past and as it is today. HAAC members had an opportunity to see some initial clips from the 1940 Air Terminal project's oral history bank. Speakers included Prof. Roger Bilstein, aviation history expert from the University of Houston - Clear Lake, Jay Tribble, principal of Tribble & Stephens General Contractors (restorers of the Rice Hotel), and Drew Coats, president of the Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society. HAAC members and visitors at the June meeting then drove to the terminal building immediately following the HAAC meeting for the 1940 Air Terminal Project launch ceremony. With an assortment of vintage aircraft parked around the building, the 1940 Air Terminal Project hosted a press conference for local media and aviation and historical press to announce the project to the public. See our new pictures page.
HAAC SPEAKER for MONDAY, MAY 3, 1999 The speaker at the HAAC meeting on Monday, May 3, 1999, was Lieutenant Commander Ed Hansen, who was currently stationed with U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Houston. Pictures During the luncheon presentation, we heard about Air Station Houston's mission and the Coast Guard's air/sea search and rescue capabilities and experience. Air Station Houston, commissioned in 1963, is strategically located at Ellington Field. This allows rapid response to missions in Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The Air Station has a complement of four HH-65A Dolphin helicopters and the voluntary services of six Coast Guard Auxiliary aircraft, which conduct search and rescue, law enforcement, marine safety and national security missions. The unit's area of responsibility extends from the Colorado River to the Southwest to Lake Calcasieu, Louisiana, to the East. The Air Station includes 72 active duty Coast Guard personnel and contributes a payroll of $2.8 million annually to the Houston area economy. See our new pictures page.
MONDAY, APRIL 5, 1999 HAAC SPEAKER The speaker at HAAC's April meeting was Mr. Jerry Hooper, Southwest Regional Representative for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Pictures With a membership of over 340,000, over half of all pilots in the United States, AOPA is the largest and one of the most influential aviation associations in the world. AOPA promotes the interests of its membership and general aviation through advocacy, leadership, technical expertise and hard work. Providing member services that range from representation at the federal, state and local levels to legal services, advice, and other assistance, AOPA has built a service organization that plays a key role in general aviation and the aviation infrastructure. As Southwest Regional Representative, Jerry Hooper represents the AOPA in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. With an avid interest in politics, Hooper worked in the Senate and the White House. Hooper is a former Air Force fighter pilot and served two terms as a County Tax Assessor in Indiana. Hooper was employed by two property tax firms before establishing his own property tax consulting firm. Hooper is a 2,500 hour instrument rated private pilot and former aircraft owner. He holds a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Indiana and lives in Texas with his wife and three children. With his background and enthusiasm for politics and aviation, Jerry Hooper reported to the HAAC how AOPA represents its members in the political arena, keeping pilot needs in the forefront while keeping legislatures and his AOPA member/constituents involved and informed on current aviation issues. Mr.Hooper also discussed upcoming legislative efforts that may significantly impact aviation in Texas. See our new pictures page.
Monday, March 1, 1999, is Mr. George Fox. The HAAC speaker for March was Mr. George Fox. Mr. Fox has a BAS in Finance from Ohio State University, and an MBA in Management from Pepperdine University. A 28 year Marine Air Corps aviator, Mr. Fox flew F-4, A-4, and F-18 aircraft, graduated from Topgun school, and was an F-18 Squadron Commander. Mr. Fox joined Continental Airlines in 1978, and has flown the Boeing 727, 737, 757, and 777, and the DC-9 and 10. Mr. Fox is currently the Chief Pilot for Continental Airlines' Boeing 777 program. Mr. Fox told HAAC about Houston's hometown airline, and about the certification and testing of the Boeing 777. Continental Airlines also very graciously provided two pairs of round trip tickets that could be used to travel anywhere in the Continental domestic system!
Monday, February 1, 1999, 11:30 A.M.
HAAC's speaker was Mr. Thomas L. Moser.
HAAC's speaker for January 1999 was Mr. Ralph Royce. Mr. Royce is Director of the Lone Star Flight Museum, is involved with the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame, and is a former Director of the Confederate Air Force. An instrument and multi-engine rated pilot, Mr. Royce frequently serves as an "Air Boss" and narrator for air shows. Mr. Royce provided a thoroughly entertaining discussion of his experiences and perspective on aviation, provided insight into Texas aviation and the activities he participates in to help preserve Texas' aviation heritage, and helped HAAC with a great start for 1999's activities!
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