USAF Helicopter Pilot
Association
P.O.BOX 966
MEDICAL LAKE, WA 99022-0966
www.usafhpa.org

22-25 June 2011
Snow King Resort Lodge
400 E. Snow King Ave.
(6 blocks from Jackson Town Sq.)
www.snowkingresort.com
1-800-522-5464

CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE—RON ALLRED

It's spring time in the Rockies, even though Jackson Hole is still adding snow to the ski slopes, and the skiers are still enjoying great powder. By June, the snow should be all gone, and the spring wild flowers will be showing.

Even though June 2011 is more than a year away it's not too soon to circle your calendar for 22-25 June for our next reunion. As previously announced in Newsletter #1, Snow King Resort (SKR) lodge will be our headquarters. The daily schedule is starting to come together. There may be some changes. This is what it looks like now:

In addition to the above schedule you might like to surf the many website links under "Jackson Hole": Specifically, check out these two sites:

trianglex.com (this guest ranch will do the river float for us)
barjchuckwagon.com (this is the Thursday Dinner/Show website)

TREASURER’S CORNER---BOB STROUT

I am encouraging everyone to check the date on the last Membership Roster they were given. Then check the year listed in the Dues Exp column. Unless you have made a recent dues payment, that date is when your dues expire. Can’t find your roster, then email, call, or drop me a note at the organization’s mail box. I’ll let you know your dues date and send you a new roster. Members whose dues expired in 2006, 2007, or 2008 may be entitled to a decal and a challenge coin once their dues are current. Over the next few weeks, I also plan to email members who have expired memberships. I’ll send postcards to non-computer folks. If you don’t hear from me, you are probably current!

I have extra copies (15) of the Colorado Springs Reunion memory book, should anyone who didn’t sign up for a copy in Colorado and now think they would like to have one. Copies are $20 each, which includes mailing.

I have a limited number of the coaster sets. Coasters are $15.50 per set, and they are heavy. I have absolutely no idea what the postage will cost. Decals and Challenge coins are still available. Cost is $1 and $5 respectively.

SECRETARY’S COMMENTS---BOB BRUBAKER

We’ve been notified of the last flights of the following members and/or family since our Newsletter #1:
Mrs. Ken Blurton, Joe Henjum, Angie Hodgson*, Fred Yonteck, Hal Moore.
Our thoughts and prayers and sincere condolences go out to their families.
* Dau: Ms. Marie Hodgson, 7400 ¼ Arizona Ave., LA, CA 90045

GOLF GURU---BILL WATERS

For all you golfers, a tournament is in the works; we’re looking at various venues (can sometimes be pricey in the Jackson Hole area). Probably on Thursday the 23^rd. Details will follow in the next newsletter.

WEBMASTERS---DON DAMOTH AND KV HALL

We are adding and changing material periodically. Check “What's New” on the web site homepage to see the latest changes

Making a Difference:

Air Force rescue personnel sprang into action March 31st to help the Afghan victims of a massive blast caused by an improvised explosive device detonating at a local market in Nahr-e Saraj in Helmand Province. These members of the 41st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter unit assigned to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, treated and triaged 30 patients upon arriving at the scene, including five who required immediate life-saving measures. The Pave Hawks then evacuated 16 of the patients, including some of the seriously injured, to local medical facilities for further care, "This was a phenomenal combined effort to accomplish this mission," said Lt. Col. Thomas Kunkel, 41st ERQS commander. He praised the coordination amongst the coalition members that made quickly aiding the Afghans civilians possible. (Kandahar report by Capt. Kristen Duncan)

CV-22 Crash:

Three U.S. military personnel and a civilian have died in the first crash of a U.S. Air Force Special Operations CV-22 tiltrotor. The cause of the accident has not been determined yet according to a statement issued by NATO’s International Security Assistance Force, which runs much of the military campaign in Afghanistan. Several others were injured in the crash that took place during the night of April 8/April 9 around seven miles west of Qalat City, in Zabul Province in southern Afghanistan. The injured have been taken to hospital for treatment. The CV-22 belonged to the Air Force’s 8th Special Operations Squadron based at Hurlburt Field, Fla. Marine Corps MV-22s also are operational in Afghanistan.This is the first operational loss of a Bell-Boeing V-22 after the program was plagued by accidents during development that pushed the project to the brink of cancellation. However, after a difficult recovery period, the V-22 was starting to show progress. The U.S. Marine Corps — the buyer of the MV-22 and biggest backer of the program — last year was still struggling with mission reliability rates, but more recently Marine Corps officials said those figures had improved; reliability numbers have been slightly better for Air Force Special Operations Command’s CV-22.

This is the fifth crash of a V-22 tiltrotor. Two prototypes crashed in the early days of flight testing in the early 1990s, after which the program was reset the first time. Then two more V-22s crashed in 2000, causing another pause for a re-engineering of the system. The first combat deployment of the MV-22 took place in 2007. The Air Force is planning to buy 50 CV-22s for its special operations community. The CV-22 has enhanced electronic self-protection equipment and other features, including terrain-following radar and in-flight refueling capability not resident on the standard MV-22. (Aviation Week)

Gone West

We are sad to announce that Associate Member Jim Moore passed away recently. He was instrumental in establishing the Rotorheadsrus website and helpful in swapping information for our own website. Jim was confined to a wheelchair for a number of years until his death but still worked diligently on expanding the information of helicopter history on his website. He will be missed by all of his many friends.

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