Gary Vacin A retired U.S. Navy pilot reviewed his 30-year career as a carrier-based fighter pilot during a presentation to the Sun Lakes Aero Club gathering April 18. Capt. Lonny McClung told his audience that prior to his first combat mission over North Vietnam, he was absolutely terrified. “Many of my contemporaries didn’t come…
Gary Vacin A retired Navy fighter pilot who logged over 7,000 flying hours during the Vietnam conflict will be guest speaker at the Sun Lakes Aero Club gathering Monday, April 19, 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…
Gary Vacin Sun Lakes Aero Club members and guests heard how a Sun Lakes woman’s life story progressed from wife and mother to radio talk show host to flight attendant flying on the world stage. Karen Fischer was guest speaker at the club’s January 15 gathering at the Sun Lakes Country Club Navajo Room.…
Gary Vacin The Sun Lakes Aero Club completed its first fly-in breakfast of the year on January 18 when eight members and guests flew to Ryan Field. Pilots and their passengers included Eldon Smith in Ken Carpenter’s Grumman AA-1B, Jack Hite in Mark Weiss’ Piper Archer, Paul Beeks in his Bellanca Cruismaster, Hank Beliema…
Gary Vacin “The F-105 Thunderbird was a triple threat. It could bomb you, strafe you or fall on you.” That’s how an aircraft historian described the tactical fighter during a presentation to the Sun Lakes Aero Club gathering November 20. Larry Turner, a long-time volunteer at the Pima Air & Space Museum, described the…
Gary Vacin A Phoenix woman who survived the “Miracle on the Hudson” flight in 2009 will be guest speaker at the Sun Lakes Aero Club gathering on Monday, November 20, at the Sun Lakes Country Club. The session starts with coffee and fellowship at 6:30 p.m., followed by the presentation at 7:00 p.m. The public…
Twenty-one Sun Lakes Aero Club members and guests turned out for the club’s annual year-end potluck gathering April 21 at Sisk Park. The group enjoyed brats and hamburgers cooked by Bob Walch and Steve Perkins, plus a delicious assortment of salads, desserts and other extras contributed by members. Those attending were Gary and Dorothy Vacin,…
Gary Vacin Sun Lakes Aero Club members and guests witnessed a PowerPoint presentation by an aviation enthusiast who built a ¾-scale P-51 fighter plane. The talk took place at the club’s monthly gathering on March 20 at the Sun Lakes Country Club Mirror Room. Mike Still said he devoted six years to the project, beginning…
Twenty Sun Lakes Aero Club members and guests participated in a field trip to the MD Helicopers facility at Falcon Field on March 23. Ten members of the group then convened for an enjoyable lunch at nearby Monestery Restaurant. MD Helicopters is often called “The House that Hughes built,” referring to legendary aviator Howard Hughes,…
Gary Vacin Twenty-four Sun Lakes Aero Club members and guests attended a field trip to the Arizona State University Aviation Program at the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport on January 27. The group visited specialized classrooms and saw first-hand the flight simulators and aircraft used in pilot training. The aviation program has three parts: air traffic control,…