Former B-52 Superfortress Pilot to Address Aero Club

Gary Vacin

A retired U.S. Air Force officer who logged 4,000 hours at the controls of B-52 Superfortress bombers will be guest speaker at the Sun Lakes Aero Club (SLAC) gathering Monday, Feb. 17, at the Sun Lakes Country Club Navajo Room. The event begins with coffee and camaraderie at 6:30 p.m., followed by the presentation at 7 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

Maj. David Vangsnes will relate his experiences in the following roles: chief instructor pilot, combat crew training school instructor pilot, evaluator pilot, and aircraft commander of a B-52G/H. As aircraft commander, he was captain of a six-man crew with worldwide deployment capabilities/responsibilities.

He retired after 20 years of service at March AFB and Castle AFB in California and Grand Forks AFB in North Dakota. He currently serves as an FAA designated flight examiner.

Maj. Vangsnes is the fourth speaker to appear at SLAC monthly gatherings. March 16 speaker will be airshow and test pilot Bob Bishop who has built and flown a version of the world’s smallest jet aircraft, the BD-5J. April speaker will be announced in future Splash issues. The public is invited to attend all presentations.

For additional information on SLAC, contact Cannon Hill at 509-539-7857 or Gary Vacin at 480-298-7017 or visit the club’s website, sunlakesaeroclub.org.