[FirstName] -

Ron Johns leads the flag pledge.

Thought for the Day:
Rickie: Happy New Year! 
Maureen: “The difference of what we do and what we are capable of doing would solve most of the world problems.”- Gandhi.

PVR guests:
Lee Fishman, PE Sunrise Club, janitorial supply.
Mike Furuli, Jims youngest son.
Karen Johnson, Daves wife.
Richard Zimmerman, Diane’s husband.
Gardner Bride, Sheila’s husband.


Announcements:
Jan 6 That’s Amore- Cinnabar review this Sunday. Benefits Lend A Hand to Education grants.
Jan 11 Day at the Races
Jan 12 Foundation Dinner, Friedman Center. Help Dawn- buy raffle tickets and attend!

Diane Zimmerman: Thanks to all who helped with the Dictionary Project. The kids loved them!

Tricia: Ring a Bell contest vs Kiwanis results: we beat the Kiwanis with a total of $648! Rickie: while ringing, someone commended us on the Ugandan project!

Kevin: obtained new very durable camera for the Uganda project to replace broken one. Thanks to Kevin, Russ, Todd, and all who contributed for its purchase and to Sheila paying for shipping it to Uganda.

Bob and Libby: Lend A Hand to Education grants. Of close to 100 requests, we were able to fund about 60 grants for a record total of $10,680! Sally gave them 110% Rotary pins to each of them for all their efforts! Good job guys!

Sunshine and Showers
Unfortunately, Chuck Hartley’s condition has taken a turn for the worse and he is having kidney failure. He is now at home and on hospice. Now is the time to visit him- he still loves cigars and chocolates.

Fines
Joanne’s husband and puppy have the same birthday on Christmas Day. Their present was a new chair but got the wrong chair delivered so they will have to wait. Who gets to sit in it first, Joanne?

Sue and Walt celebrate daughter’s birthday on Christmas Eve.

Also Sally’s son also turned 32 years on Christmas Eve.

Shadi’s dad had surgery and is recovering nicely. Best wishes there Shadi.

Raffle: For $119 pot, Liz draws, but alas no luck. 

Speaker:
Garner Bride, pilot and aviation enthusiast.

Garner began flying at 16 years old starting as an hanger boy, ferrying aircraft, crop dusting, US Navy jet fighter pilot, and airline pilot. As a young boy, Garner’s family enjoyed traveling to new places regularly by car (his dad was a principal at a junior high school and was always looking for new places and jobs). His father taught Garner to drive at early age and one day arranged for Garner to ride in the backseat of an airplane. Garner then took flying lessons from an ex-WASP flight instructor (WASP stand for Women Auxillary Service Pilots who served during World War 2 mainly providing valuable service ferrying aircraft from factory to overseas embarkation points within the US before such aircraft went off to the war.)

Garner enjoys the three dimensionality of flight as well as the excitement of oftimes being the first to see pristine terrain. While in the US Navy fighter carrier squadron, he would fly in two plane sections, often in close formation, protecting one another, or enjoyed soaring freely thru the clouds. He was stationed on the USS Hornet (where he is now a docent on it in Oakland) as well as on the USS Oriskany. He also flew airliners- which had its own different challenges with the main goal of making the ride for passengers as comfortable as possible.

Garner flew to the last two Oshkosh, Ohio fly-ins. He described the annual event where thousands of aviators come and enjoy each others company. Last trip out he first flew to Eugene, OR and got rained in for 3 days, standed at a Experimental Aircraft Association facility there. Then he flew to Tellurite, and then to Rocky Mt National Park, where he enjoyed riding the thermals over the mountain taking a shortcut to beat his two other caravaning pilot friends.

Garner then answered questions such as the difference between jets and prop aircraft, learning to land on carriers, his first jet catapult experience (he was scared shaken up by the takeoff that he doesn’t remember his first landing which is supposed to be the hard part). Last Sheila, who soloed 35yrs ago, got a tie in the traditional UAL colors for the airline she flew with. In ceremony and as per tradition for soloist, Garner cut it to pieces! Congrats Sheila, and thank you Garner for the great presentation. Happy landings always.

Ciao!

More pictures can be seen by clicking here.