Jay Carpenter
President
Texas Aviation Association
On the last weekend of April 2006, the Texas Aviation Association (TXAA) hosted its 4th Annual Safety Seminar at the Galveston Convention Center. It is called the Gulf Coast Wings Weekend. The two-day conference is designed to promote air safety through the presentation of Wings seminars while also providing entertaining venues for pilots and aviation enthusiasts. The event was deemed a success by the hundreds that attended.
Attendees for the event came from several states to participate in over 80 hours of Wings safety seminars taught by air safety experts, including safety directors from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
There was a Q&A session hosted by the FAA for attendees, where frank and open questions were addressed about the future of air regulations, user fees and airport security.
On Saturday night, there was a social hour followed by a banquet with great food. At that banquet, TXAA held their annual membership meeting where board members were approved. The banquet’s special guest speaker was Bill Gunn, Aviation Safety Director for the Texas Department of Transportation Aviation Division. Gunn told the audience a moving story about prisoners of war that were airlifted out of Rumania at the end of World War II. One prisoner was smuggled into Italy in the belly of a German ME-109 fighter aircraft. The individual was Lieutenant Colonel James Alexander Gunn Ill, Gunn’s dad. There has been talk of making a movie of this story; the characters are fascinating, and the plot is intriguing.
Every two years flight instructors are required to attend a 16-hour refresher course to maintain their eligibility to teach students to fly or obtain additional ratings such as instrument, commercial and multi-engine. Bill Gunn taught the Flight Instructor Refresher Course (FIRC) at Gulf Wings this year.
The annual safety awards breakfast began on Sunday morning, April 30. The Wright Brothers Master Pilot and Master Mechanic plaques were awarded by FAA Program Safety Manager Paul Downs of the Houston Flight Standards District Office.
THE WRIGHT BROTHERS MASTER PILOT AWARD recognizes the efforts of pilots who have followed and continue to follow the precaution and awareness of safe operations. Most of all, FAA recognizes pilots who have contributed and maintained safe flight operations for 50 or more consecutive years of piloting aircraft.
CHARLES TAYLOR MASTER MECHANIC AWARD, named in honor of Charles Taylor, the first aviation mechanic in powered flights, recognizes the lifetime accomplishments of senior mechanics. Charles Taylor served as the Wright brothers’ mechanic and is credited with designing and building the engine for their first successful aircraft.
The recipients of these awards were:
- Elmer Blum was born in 1923 and soloed in October of 1943 in a J3 Cub. Blum served in the Navy during WWII and received his civil license in 1952. He is instrument and multi-rated; owns and flies a Piper PA-30 Comanche. Blum is also a founding member of the International Piper Comanche Society.
- Dwight Phillips Jr. began working for Georgetown Flying Service while in high school. He began his flight training in June 1951, and soloed on July 11, 1951, in an Aeronica Champ. Phillips received his private certificate in 1953; earned his commercial rating in 1957, and spent four years in the U.S. Army as an Aviation Maintenance Instructor. In 1961, he began to work for Donald Hull, owner of Hull Field in Sugar Land and eventually became manager of the maintenance shop, flight school and airport operations. Then, Phillips worked 28 years for Trans-Texas Airways as an Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic (A&P). He has flown many types of aircraft including Barons, B- l 7’s, B-24 and King Airs. He was awarded the Charles Taylor Master Pilot Award in 2001.
- Clifford Hyde Jr. was born in Houston in 1935 and graduated from the University of Houston. He first soloed on April 27, 1953, private in 1954, commercial in 1956, Instrument and Multi-Engine in 1957, Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) in 1961 and became a Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) in 1973. Hyde has held all positions of the Cliff Hyde Flying Service which his parents established in 1936. He has flown over 12,825 hours and flown more than 150 aircraft makes and models.
- Johnson M. Taylor was born in Philadelphia and graduated from Parks Air College of the University of St. Louis; commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant, United States Air Force, and retired in 1975 as a Lieutenant Colonel. He has worked for Glenn Martin Co., Radio Corp. of America, Atlantic Aviation, Hawker Siddley, Garrett Aviation, Rockwell, Intl., and JB&A Aviation Sales where he founded Jet Aircraft Brokerage Business. Taylor is the founder of the National Aircraft Resale Association.
Lifetime Achievement Award
In addition to these presentations, a special Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Larry and Maybelle Fletcher.
- Maybelle Fletcher comes from Speegleville, Texas. She began her aviation career at Richland Airfield, near Fort Worth, Texas in exchange for flying time during high school. Fletcher began her first flight school in Parksley, Virginia in 1945 and then returned to Texas in 1950. She has flown more than 175 different types of aircraft, accumulated over 30,000 flight hours; and has been an active CF/ since 1947.
Fletcher has instructed children, military veterans and astronauts. She has certified thousands of pilots and hundreds of instructors. She was one of the first female FM Flight Examiners and has given over l 0,000 check rides. She was also the founder of the Southwest Flying Club in 1962 at Hull Field in Sugar Land, Texas. Maybelle Fletcher is the recipient of numerous awards, honors, decorations and certificates that are appropriate in recognizing the contributions she has made to aviation and her major impact in fostering the role of women in aviation.
The Pinch Hitter Course
Another big hit at the convention was the Pinch Hitter Course taught by TXAA board member Paul Chapmon. Pinch-Hitters are pilot companions who want to know more about flying and learn how to control and land on airplane should the pilot in command become incapacitated. The course was attended by over 25 persons interested in gaining knowledge in flight operations and navigation should an emergency occur. Chapman said, “It was a great class. One lady is the flying partner in a Cessna 414! That’s a lot of airplanes to take over, but she hod a great attitude!” The next morning Chapman also taught a popular class on Navigation.
I cannot omit thanking the great sponsors and vendors that helped support Gulf Coast Wings. Our leading sponsor was Chevron Corporation and AIM Aviation. Our exhibitors included The Texas Aviation Association, Success Aviation, Inc., Houston EM Chapter/Collings Foundation, Premier Aircraft Services, FM Runway Safety, Texas Dow Employee Credit Union, Aeronautical Formation Association, Leading Edge Insurance Company, Franklin Engines, San Jacinto College, Enterprise-Rent-A Car, Houston Chapter of Women in Aviation, Transportation Security Administration, Aircraft Belts, Inc., Leather Specialties, DTC Dual Service, JP. Instruments, Inc., Embry Riddle University, and Stale Bonk of Tomball, Texas.
Plans are already being made for next year’s TXAA convention. You can log online to www.txao.org to stay informed on all general aviation issues in the great State of Texas.
