Gary Vacin
A wide variety of aviation-related speakers, including an F-35 pilot from Luke AFB and a passenger on the “Miracle on the Hudson” flight in 2009 will highlight the slate of speakers for the Sun Lakes Aero Club’s gatherings for 2017-18.
The November 20 speaker will be Phoenix resident Tracey Wolske, a passenger on the “Miracle on the Hudson” flight that successfully landed in the Hudson River after both engines failed after encountering a flock of birds.
On December 18, an F-35 pilot from Luke AFB will address the club regarding his experiences flying the supersonic fighter. The January 15 speaker will be Sun Lakes resident Karen Fischer, who was a flight attendant for several major airlines.
February 19 speaker will be World War II historian Herb Zinn, who will describe the secret mission where American P-38 pilots shot down Japanese Admiral Yamamoto, who was the mastermind of the Pearl Harbor attack and Japanese success during the early days of World War II.
On March 19, Oro Valley resident John Sharp and his wife Patricia will talk about his 20-year air racing career which included several world records in 2016.
The April 16 speaker will be Lonnie McClung, a retired U.S. Navy officer who logged more than 7,000 flying hours and had more than 1,000 carrier landings and flew 250 combat missions in Vietnam.
Articles in the Splash will provide additional information on each future program.
Now in its 22nd year, the Sun Lakes Aero Club sponsors programs the third Monday of each month, November through April, at the Sun Lakes Country Club. The programs are open to all Sun Lakes residents and others interested in aviation. More information on the club is available from Cannon Hill, 509-539-7857, or Gary Vacin, 298-7017, or at the club’s website, www.sunlakesaeroclub.org.