National Buccaneers NewsletterMarch, 2019

Prez Captain Stan Sez

We are coming up to less than three months before our May 17–18 NAL Buccaneer Con-vention in Boca Raton, Florida. I’m quite cer-tain there were some disappointments in the

group, but this was discussed in the Prez Sez in February.

“We listened to your input, searched far and wide, but continually hit a brick wall regarding a price with all of the amenities that would work for most of us. However, more important than location is the chance to once again come together and enjoy each other’s company and share memories with long-time friends.”

Without sounding like a stuck record, a carnival barker, or an overbearing parent, try to make an effort to join us in Boca for our first two day Convention. As you read through our news-letter look for the Convention Registration form and a letter to all from J. P. Moorhouse. Click on the data link below from Roy Berube and view a story about “PAN AM’S FLIGHT 103.”

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8q7yz51b9ydh73v/PA103Lockerbie4.mp4?dl=0

Thanks Roy, well done….

Officers are:President: Capt. Stan Barfield

VP/Convention Chair: Bob Pierson

Bob Pierson

Past President:Capt. John Wentworth and

Linda Wentworth

Past Treasurer:Sharron and Bob Thrasher

Production by Beth Mauldin

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Central Florida Buccaneers Luncheon February 13

The February 13th Central Florida Buccaneer luncheon attendance was adversely affected by inclement weather in Ocala and the sur-rounding area. We still had nine individuals to-gether (Don and Doris Morgan, Frank Savino, Stan Barfield, John Barry, John Bowling, Dave Blessing, Bill West, and Bill Stelecko).

The upcoming May 17–18 convention was discussed and the meeting was adjourned.

old last September—may not make it to 94. My blood work is all good except for high rheumatoid factor. I went to Chat. Hospital January 2, 2018 for 3 days with pneumonia, temperature 102. I had the shot too. My immune system is shot. I have a lady cook for me so I can avoid people with flu and whatever. It’s too cold to get outside. The B-24 came to Athens a few years ago. Art wasn’t there at the airport. A B-17 and P-51 were also there.

Pass the word to everyone that I am still among the living. I miss the picnic and seeing everyone!

Best wishes. Take care,J. P. Moorhouse

Message from a Member

I was a B-17 waist gunner with the 92nd Bomb Group on 21 missions in 1945. I graduated from USAF pilot school on July 1, 1949, class 49B, and was assigned to SAC as RB-50 copilot for 3 years. I was hired as copilot on DC-3s with Chi-cago and Southern Airlines at Memphis in 1953. Delta bought them 3 months later, and 43 pilots were furloughed in 1954. I got hired at NAL. I did not go back with Delta as they said I would go to Chicago.

I’m not able to get around much anymore. I’m very weak, can’t walk very far or climb hills. I have two bad discs, COPD problems, and two leaking heart valves. I drive in the local area, but I don’t make any long trips. I can’t make the Franklin picnic these days. I reached 93 years

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Today’s fearless aviators, besides not knowing what an ADF is, or how to push the head, pull the tail to fly an approach, what GCA stands for, or what METO power was, also miss out on one of the truly iconic staples of the bygone days of commercial aviation. The Crew Meal —those plastic wrapped, flatulence producing, eruption causing, gastrointestinal delicacies, bursting with a chemically produced aroma that would attract any carrion loving tur-key vulture from 50 miles away. It was rumored these irresistible pre-packaged culinary delecta-bles were loaded with low doses of embalming fluid to save on future life expenses. Hopefully just a rumor?

To insure freshness and to protect against the possibility of spoilage, crew meals were in-geniously placed in large un-air-conditioned alu-minum trucks, affectionately known as “roach coaches,” and left to sit on the ramp in the cool of the Miami summer, until they were eventu-ally delivered to the aircraft. Once aboard and placed in the sometimes operating chillers, they were allowed to ferment for several more hours until the internal temperature of the ptomaine causing bacteria reached their peak. To further

enhance the onboard dining experience, prior to serving, the meals were unwrapped and placed in the galley ovens for reheating. The ovens, marvels of technology that they were, contin-uously under or overperformed. The already delicious and mouthwatering creations arrived to the cockpit looking either like a chicken un-fortunate enough to have been in Nagasaki, or still suffering the effects of four hours sleeping next to a five pound piece of dry ice. Sleeping? Well, sometimes people did swear they saw things move....

Most times the meals were easily identifi-able, but not always. Though you would think it difficult to camouflage scrambled eggs, think again. The folks who invented Mossy Oak and Realtree camouflage certainly owe their origins to the airline catering kitchens. Eggs were not alone in the onboard game of, “What is It?” “Guess the Mystery Meat” was high on the list of crew games of chance. Not only did you have to first figure out fish, foul, or beef, who-ever determined the genus and species would eventually be crowned the winner. You laugh now, but with the purchasing biodiversity em-ployed by the catering companies and question-

For Your Dining Enjoyment by Hart Kelley

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able means of procurement, this was no easy task.

In closing, it would be remiss not to mention the disparity between the crew meals of Interna-tional versus Domestic flights. As with the dis-parate lifestyles enjoyed in the airline seniority caste system, the same held true when it came to dining enjoyment. The abovementioned menu entrées were unknown to the lofty palates of the elite international and long-haul domestic upper class pilots. Instead of a pack of peanuts as an appetizer, (when peanuts were allowed), pilots were offered sushi, smoked salmon, and cheeses. Freshly mixed salad was accompa-nied by their choice of hand spooned dressing, not film wrapped, wilted, yellow and brown tinted greenery. Instead of “chicken squirt” they dined on hand carved Chateaubriand, with an occasional lobster thrown in. The final insult to the unknowing slug on the 9 stop from Miami to Boston, was the choice of the leftover dessert, cookies and cheese.

The Prez knows the truth….

Airplane and Airport Mystery Winners

Well guys, you did pretty good for February. The Mystery Airport was one of my favorites and also a one-time home for a good many of the NAL pilots. That of course was Charles-ton, KCHS. Though the C-141 guys would have you believe it was most famous for their presence, it was much more well known for its most illustrious resident,“The Mongoose,” the character that single-handedly scared more flight attendants than all their other landings combined. Charleston was correctly identified by:Dusty Rhodes, Steve Mills, Bob Massey, Stan Barfield, Jim Gannon, Jim Gettys, Bob Pierson, Rusty Heard, John Wentworth, Alan Gee, Gary Snodgrass, Curt Briggs, and Jerome Kline.

The Mystery Airplane brought back childhood memories of many Saturday mornings in frontof the black and white TV. “Sky” King in his original Cessna T-50 Bobcat Songbird, (military nickname, Bamboo Bomber), always got the bad guy and found a way to use the plane. The T-50 was replaced by the Cessna 310.

The following got the plane and all the other questions too: Jim Gannon, Jim Gettys, Stan Barfield, Rusty Heard, John Wentworth, Alan Gee, Curt Briggs, Jerome Kline, Bob Thrasher and Bob Pierson.

Remembering St. Patrick’s Day on March 17th, it is only fitting to give thanks to him for running all the snakes out of Ireland, or in some translations, “Toads,” but either way, without him sending them to the U.S., we would have been woefully short of airline pilots.

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March’s Mystery Airplane and Airport

OK guys, for this month’s Mystery Airplane you need to tell me the manufacturer, model, and why it was special?

Going forward with the Mystery Section we need to have all the “guesses” submittedby the 25th of each month. If we receive a guess after the 25th, I’ll give a shout out

the following month.

Email me with your answers! Hart Kelley islandhartjune@aol.com

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KENNETH W. POTEET SR.NAL/PAA/AIA Flight Engineer

DOB Dec 8, 1931 DOH Sep 3, 1969 DOD Sep 3, 2018

Kenneth Wayne Poteet Sr., 86, of Acworth, Georgia, passed away surrounded by family. Ken was born in Springfield, Mis-souri in 1931. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps and retired following twenty years of military service.

In addition, Ken was employed as a pilot for National Airlines, Pan Am, Kalitta Air, and the Air Force Reserve. He started Ken’s Flying Service in Homestead, Florida, where he pursued his passion for flying. Ken also participated in several mission trips to the Caribbean with Christian Pilots Association.

He lived all over the country but resided in Homestead for almost fifty years. Recently, Ken moved to the Atlanta area to be near his family.

CAPT W. PAT LEDFORDUSAF Korean War Veteran

NAL/PAA Captain DOB Jan 3, 1930 DOH Feb 19, 1964

DOD Feb 22, 2019

While serving in Korea, Pat was awarded the Bronze Star for his USAF combat service. Following an Honorable Discharge, Pat joined National Airlines as a pilot, then Captain. Lat-er, he was merged into Pan American where he also served as Chief Pilot.

Pat enjoyed fishing and had a devoted in-terest in building and flying Pitts Special Aero- batic airplanes. He resided in Homestead, Florida to remain close to his family members. Pat was 89 years old at the time of his death.

Last Flight West into the Setting Sun

Gone but not forgotten

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