The speaker at the Sun Lakes Aero Club’s gathering on March 17 will be USAF Brigadier General (Ret.) Thomas Webster who will discuss the role of close air support missions in aircraft such as the A-10 Thunderbolt II (like the one pictured here) and F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft.
Gary Vacin
A retired U.S. Air Force brigadier general will be the guest speaker at the Sun Lakes Aero Club gathering on Monday, March 17, in the Cottonwood Country Club Lecture Room. Camaraderie starts at 6:30 p.m. followed by the presentation at 7 p.m. The public is invited to attend.
The speaker will be Thomas Webster who spent 30 years in the Air Force and Air National Guard where he specialized in close air support missions flying A-10 Thunderbolt II and F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. He currently serves as a docent at the Commemorative Air Force Museum at Falcon Field in Mesa.
Webster’s presentation will cover the history of the close air support mission and why it was controversial with the Army. It will include two short videos on the A-10 and F-16 and conclude with the status of this important mission in 2025.
The Aero Club first became acquainted with Webster when he served as a guide for the group’s field trip to the museum in 2024.
The organization is open to persons interested in any aspect of aviation. Membership is not limited to Sun Lakes residents. For more information, contact Cannon Hill at 509-539-7857 or Gary Vacin at 480-298-7017.