The featured speaker at the Sun Lakes Aero Club gathering on Monday, April 22, will be a recently retired airline transport pilot who has logged thousands of hours in aircraft like the Airbus A320 pictured here. The public is invited to attend.
Gary Vacin
An airline pilot who retired March 30 will be the featured speaker at the Sun Lakes Aero Club gathering on Monday, April 22, at the Cottonwood Country Club Lecture Hall. The session begins with fellowship at 6:30 p.m. followed by the presentation at 7 p.m. The public is invited to attend.
The speaker will be Sun Lakes resident and Aero Club member John Philp who will discuss his more than 23,000 hours of flying time, including flying Captain at four commercial airlines: JetBlue Airways (2005-2024), major domestic and international, flying Airbus A320 aircraft, First Officer and Captain, based in Los Angeles; Mesa Airlines (2003-2005), regional domestic and international, flying Bombardier CRJ aircraft, First Officer and Captain, based in Philadelphia; US Airways Inc. (1989-2003), major domestic and international, flying Fokker 28-DC aircraft, based in Greensboro and Charlotte, N.C., Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, Pa., and Baltimore, Md.; Simmons Airlines Inc. (1987-1989), regional domestic, flying Short SD-360 aircraft, First Officer and Captain, based in Chicago, Ill.
A graduate of Orange Coast College and San Jose State Universities, Philp holds ATP ME, COMM SE, and CFI-AIM licenses and CE-500, SD-360, B-737, CL-65, A320, and Fixed Wing Single Engine and Multi-Engine and COMM Glider type ratings.
The Sun Lakes Aero Club is an official Sun Lakes organization open to any person interested in any aspect of aviation. The organization sponsors gatherings the fourth Monday of each month from November through April, featuring speakers on aviation-related topics and field trips to nearby airport facilities.
This gathering concludes the organization’s 2023-24 season. For additional information, contact Cannon Hill at 509-539-7857 or Gary Vacin at 480-298-7018.