March - Gulf Coast Wing

BUSINESS NAME
COWL FLAPS
B-17
GROUND
SCHOOL
SATURDAY
MARCH 9,
2013
See Page 6
Inside this issue:
Adjutant’s Report 2
Important Dates 2
Volume VI, Issue III
SAY IT AIN’T SO!
THE SEQUESTRATION AFFECTS AIR SHOWS!
The Daily Report eNewsletter (www.airforcemagazine.com)
reported on Monday, March 4,
2013, that due to the budget sequester, the Air Force
has cancelled all aviation support to public events
for at least the remainder of Fiscal 2013 (September
30, 2013). Effective March 1, Active Duty, Air
National Guard, and Air Force Reserve units ceased
all aviation support at air shows, tradeshows, and open houses, unless the
event includes only local static assets. Effective April 1, the Thunderbirds
aerial demonstration team will stand down to preserve flying hours for
readiness needs.
It is anticipated that the Blue Angels will endure a similar stand down.
March 3, 2013
Operations
Officer’s Report
PX Officer’s
Report
3
3
More information will be provided as it becomes official.
AIRSHO 2013 & HOTELS IN MIDLAND / ODESSA
Maintenance
Officer’s Report
Charles Hutchins
inducted into
CAF Hall of Fame
Letter from a
Renewing
Member
4
5
5
Web Mistress 6
Cadet Corner 7
New Members
Mentoring
Program
7
If attending AIRSHO
2013 this fall, be aware
that hotels can be very
expensive and are filling
up fast!
Current price-sampling is:
Baymont Inn (on the airport
property) $133/night,
$149/night (AAA rate),
and $219/night, no discount;
La Quinta-Wall Street
($125/night AAA Rate);
Residence Inn, $127/night
(AAA );
Super-8 on Wall Street for
$90/night plus tax;
Travelodge for $76.50/
night plus tax.
It is a good idea to look
for accommodations early.
Waiting too long to reserve
space in Midland or
Odessa, is not recommended.
Although new hotels are
being built at record
speed, many of them are
blocked out by Halliburton
and other petroleumengineering
firms before
construction is even complete.
BOOK EARLY!

Page 2
COWL FLAPS
IMPORTANT DATES:
Air Fiesta Airshow
Brownsville, Texas
March 8-10
Ground School,
Klein Methodist Church
Spring, Texas
Saturday, March 9
1940 Air Terminal Museum
Hobby Airport
Telephone Rd
Tours and Rides
Saturday, March 16
Gulf Coast Wing
Open House
Tomball Jet Center
March 30
Gulf Coast Wing
Meeting & Open House
Tours and Rides
Saturday, April 6
Houston Wing Open House
West Houston Airport
April 20 & 21
Check out the Calendar on
our Website for updates
and more details:
www.gulfcoastwing.org
GCW CAF March 2013 Adjutant Report
Greetings to ALL Members and Friends of the Gulf Coast Wing! Our current roster indicates
we have 241 members and 5 Cadets. Thanks for your great support and recruiting efforts!
VERY LAST CHANCE TO RENEW
GCW MEMBERSHIP
As of today, only 66% of our membership (159/241) has renewed their 2013 GCW dues.
Your 2013 Wing dues are DUE NOW! As a reminder, GCW membership dues are $50.00,
and were payable no later than February 28, 2013. Please note that GCW members will not
be eligible for the 2013 touring season Ground School if they are not current with Gulf
Coast Wing dues.
I ask that you send me your 2013 dues payment NOW so that I can keep the roster current.
Renewal and new member forms are on our website. Your early renewal saves the GCW
funds. My thanks to those who have renewed early! I have flagged non-paid members for
reporting to Midland per CAF regulations / policy.
GROUND SCHOOL FEES DUE NOW
As of today we have 87 registrants for Ground School – this represents 36% of our membership!
Cadets are doing better with 80% registration (4/5). Preparation for our March 9, 2013,
Ground School has been finalized under the care of Colonels Bruce Guest, Ole Nygren, myself
and others. The Ground School advance reservation fee is $25.00.
Please forward your GS reservation and $25.00 fee payable to GCW-CAF to me ASAP.
Lunch will be provided. Late registering attendees will be charged a fee of $35.00. Late
payment may delay your entering the GS classroom as administrative work will be needed to
confirm your CAF and GCW membership. The Staff looks forward to assisting all GCW
members in being qualified for our 2013 touring season!
I wish to especially acknowledge Bruce Guest for taking on the responsibility to administratively
coordinate this project. I wish to thank our +/- 241 members and 5 cadet members for
showing their continued confidence in our wonderful organization.
COMMO CHECK – CAN YOU HEAR ME?
The Riley Radio Stack initiative is almost complete as we are at 94% of our adjusted goal!
The new radio suite has been installed and is undergoing flight condition testing. This financial
campaign and installation progressed under the care of COLs Purnell, Stofer, S. Thompson,
G. Hueni and I. Many, many thanks to all who have donated, and to those who will be
donating (I know you have written the check…and are just waiting for postage)! Our intrepid
Operations Officer, Col Nygren, will update the databases so we can truly answer… “Where
are we now?”…
Please thank everyone involved on this GREAT project!
COL RB “Doc” Hecker
GCW Adjutant Officer
March 2, 2013

Check out the Members Only Section
on our website.
www.gulfcoastwing.org
Page 3
COWL FLAPS
Col Ole Nygren, Operations Officer
Col. Ole Nygren
Operations Officer
Texas Raiders has flown the
required flight after winter
maintenance, which included
the installation of a new
#3 engine. Also, Texas
Raiders has new radios and
navigation equipment.
Pilots have begun the recurrent
training so we can participate
in the missions
planned. With the Annual
Ground School on Saturday
March 9 th, , all the pieces that
it takes to put this together
are falling into place. Special
thanks to all who contributed
in getting the
Ground School ready.
The same weekend as the
Annual Ground School, Texas
Raiders will participate in
the “Air Fiesta” airshow in
Brownsville, Texas. TR will
leave Friday afternoon and
Sunday late afternoon.
On Saturday, March 16 th
Texas Raiders will be at the
“1940 Air Terminal Museum”
at Hobby for their
monthly event. The Texas
Legend Museum will bring
their B-25 and P-51.
Saturday April 6 th is Family
Day/Open House at the
Tomball Jet Center hangar,
and we will be doing cooking
and some flying.
For other missions, see the
growing 2013 Texas Raiders
schedule on the website:
www.gulfcoastwing.com
Missions will be posted once
they are approved by the
staff.
Col Vicki Thomas, PX Officer
The PX On-line Store is up
and running! Hoorah! You
can now place orders on-line
using your credit card… no
more printing a form, filling
it out, and mailing it!
Other services include:
Shopping Cart, Address
Book, Order History, and
Product Reviews. With your
Address Book, you can now
have your order delivered to
an address other than your
own. This is perfect for
sending birthday gifts directly
to the birthday-person.
You can also share your
opinions through the Product
Review section.
A special thank-you goes
out to COL JUDY BELL for
getting this set up. It was a
major project; I am so grateful
for her dedication to the
Wing. She is to be commended
for continuing to
devote so much time to us,
while dealing with her serious
health issues. THANK-
YOU, JUDY, AND GET
WELL SOON!
Please try our new On-line
Store and let me know what
you think.
I hope to see you at the PX
break-out session at Ground
school. I really appreciate
having well-trained PX
workers to work with and to
fill in for me when I am unable
to attend an event. Let’s
get you trained so you can
be the Acting PX Officer!!”
Col Vicki Thomas
CAF Gulf Coast Wing
PX Officer
Tour Planner
(281) 620 5639 (c)
(281) 303 8008 (h)
Col. Vicki Thomas
PX Officer
For Aviation merchandise and B-17 collectibles,
visit our Online Store:
www.gulfcoastwing.org/onlinepx/catalog/

Volume VI, Issue III
Page 4
Col Chuck Conway, Maintenance Officer
Well, it's been a slippery
slope this Winter maintenance,
but because the Gulf
Coast Wing is made up of
the Mission Impossible
Maintenance Team we
pulled it off AGAIN !!!!
We changed number # 3
engine, completed a 30-hr
inspection on engine # 1,
pulled up the entire floor
and cleaned, treated, painted
underneath and put back.
Dozens of fasteners were
replaced, control cables
were checked for tension
and adjusted, the airbox
on engine # 3 was completely
rebuilt and reinstalled, all
the other airboxes were
checked and found to be just
fine.
Several instruments were
removed and sent in for
bench check and calibration,
front seats in the nose were
recovered, new backrest
netting was made for the
double seat in the waist gun
area, both waist gun windows
were repaired with
new handles and weather
stripping installed and painted.
Altimeter and Pitot static
checks were done.
All of this was done working
around the new radio
installation.
Now I want to tell you a
story of how fate can sometimes
work in a good way as
well as a bad way. Due to
a decision to carry engine
covers with us on trips, I had
to come up with somewhere
to put them in TR. I finally
decided to open the Starboard
side of the life raft
compartment and make it
useful. Once opened it was
obvious that we could put all
of the covers, intake plugs
and exhaust plugs, as well as
the tow straps, in there. I
tried to make it clear that we
would NOT open both
sides..only the right side
since the opening went all
the way from one side to the
other, we could reach everything
from the right side
and only had to worry about
SECURING the one side.
So, we ran all engines on a
test run all went well.
Next came the Maintenance
Flight to check everything in
the air as well as the new
radios etc. So, here is
where FATE stepped in.....at
some point in flight the
LEFT raft door came open
and flopped down against
the fuselage and proceeded
to just bang around in # 2's
prop wash.
At some point after that a
hot spot was confirmed at
the top of # 2 eng. due to an
exhaust pipe developing a
crack sending hot exhaust
gas underneath the top cowling
causing the paint to blister.
Number two engine was
shut down in flight, prop
feathered, and TR came
home.
With the prop feathered
on number 2 there wasn't
any prop wash to possibly
cause the life-raft panel to
come off the hinge and leave
the aircraft. Had we lost that
panel we wouldn't be going
to Brownsville, maybe not
even to ATM at Hobby.
Someone, without approval
took it upon themselves to
open the Left raft door and
didn't get it secure back. The
LEFT panel has been secured
and is NOT TO BE
OPENED. No one is to
work on TR without prior
approval from me, or Gary
Barber, Bruce Guest, Doc.
Hecker or Bud Bearce.
Good intentions can have
catastrophic results. All
work needs to be looked
over by fresh eyes...as
the saying goes...Can't
see the forest for
the trees.
We will NOT get in any
hurry and jeopardize the
safety of the crew, passengers
and TR.
...the Gulf Coast
Wing is made up
of the Mission
Impossible
Maintenance
Team...
--Col. Conway
Have a story about Texas Raiders? Write a guest column for Cowl Flaps.
Send your stories to jtbrownbtx@aol.com.
Send your pictures, too! And tell us who is in your photos.

Volume VI, Issue III
Page 5
Charles Hutchins Awarded the Sword of Excellence
This past weekend, March 2-3, at the CAF Headquarters Wing Staff Conference,
Charles Hutchins was inducted into the CAF Hall of Fame and was awarded the Sword
of Excellence. Curt Rowe, Buddy Cooksey, and Walt and Sandy Thompson were on
hand to honor Charles. For those of us who haven't met Charles, here’s a short biography
courtesy of Sandy Thompson.
Charles Hutchins and his wife, Sharon, live in Seabrook, Texas. Charles has three children
and more importantly, seven grandchildren. Charles and his partner are the Managing
Partners of A&A Machine & Fabrication, LLC. in La Marque, Texas. The company
started Aug. 10, 1957, the same year the CAF started.
Charles joined the CAF in 1974, and started flying with "TORA TORA TORA" in 1976.
Sharon & Charles Hutchins
He was Tora Lead for 24 years and became "Just a Tora Pilot" at the end of 2006. Charles
Photo by Sandy Thompson
has over 525 actual performances and many more appearances with Tora promoting the
Commemorative Air Force -- presenting the live history lesson of our men and women of World War II.
...
Charles has served on many CAF committees, Wing Staff positions (Fighter Ops Officer for the Gulf Coast Wing), and was a
board member of the International Council of Airshows for six years, serving as Board Chairman for the last two years of the
six-year term. Charles is very excited by the changes taking place in the Commemorative Air Force and believes strongly in
the ability of the Commemorative Air Force to accomplish continued growth, strength, and visibility.
Sharon & Charles Hutchins, center,, with
family members. Photo by Sandy Thompson
GCW members Curt Rowe, Buddy
Cooksey, Sandy & Walt
Thompson, Photo by Sandy
Thompson
Charles & Sharon Hutchins and family, with
GCW members. Photo by Sandy Thompson.
Adjutant Message: A Letter from One of our Renewing Members
I was a B-17G Navigator in the latter part of WWII (2/45 - 7/45) and navigated single ship over the Atlantic and back. I was
commissioned at age 19 (Selma, AL) and at age 20 was in 8 th AF combat (447 th BG (Square K), Rattlesden, UK). I was active
in the GCW until March 2003 when my wife had 2 strokes. I found I could be a care giver so she could stay home and I have
been here every night for 10 years. Our kids (and grandkids) come to see us. I’ve made the West Houston fly-in since I could
do out and back. I do not know many, but Van Skiles, Pat Elliot, Mike Burke the Thompsons and John Hess were some who
knew me. I later went to jet pilot school plus engineering school at A&M and was at the NASA-JSC for 15 years – the old joke:
Are you a rocket scientist? I can say YES!
If you live as long as I have (88) you find most of your friends are gone! Wish I could be more active but you do what you have
to do. Thanks for what you do!
Ed Higgins, PE (CAF 4725)
February, 2013

Volume VI, Issue III
Page 6
2013 B-17 GROUND SCHOOL
Commemorative Air Force - Gulf Coast Wing
Saturday, March 9th, 2013
Klein United Methodist Church
Christian Life Center
5920 FM 2920
Spring, TX 77388
Registration: 0700 - 0800
Ground School: 0800 - 1500 (includes lunch)
For More Information, Please Contact
Col Bruce Guest—bdguest@att.net; Col R.B. “Doc” Hecker tcflyingdoc@yahoo.com; Col Ole Nygren onygren@comcast.net
WEB MISTRESS CORNER
First, I'd like to thank everyone for your wonderful support,
cards & flowers, thoughts and prayers during my 28-day hospitalization
and journey to beat cancer. Knowing that so many
awesome friends and B-17 family are behind me has been a
great inspiration and source of comfort. I know with your
support and friendship I can beat this. Thank you all so much!
Your Web Mistress has been furtively typing and coding her
fingers to the bone and has added a couple of new, exciting
features to Gulf Coast Wing's web site:
www.gulfcoastwing.org
I have opened the Members-Only area, where you will find
information specific to GCW members only, such as Unit Calendar,
Mission Crew Assignments, Unit Organization Chart,
Wing Manual, information about upcoming events, and more.
To access the Members only area:
1. Click on Members Log-In from www.gulfcoastwing.org
home page or from the “About GCW” menu (This will take
you to an instruction page)
2. On the new page, click on the “Click For Member Log-In”
link toward the bottom of the page
3. Put in your Username (your CAF Colonel Number)
4. Put in your Password (your last name in lower-case letters
with no spaces and no punctuation)
5. Click on OK
I have opened the Online PX and turned it over to our
lovely PX Officer, Vicki Thomas. If you want to purchase
Crew Shirts, T-Shirts, caps, or anything else, order them
when you want them. No need to wait for a monthly
meeting or mission assignment.
Simply go to www.gulfcoastwing.org and point to
"Texas Raiders Gear," then click "Online PX Store" to
place your secure online order. Your products will be
shipped to you promptly. If you have any questions or
need assistance with your online ordering, contact Vicki
Thomas at vthomas4@comcast.net
If you have any questions or suggestions for new items to
add to the web site, please contact Col. Judy Bell, your
hard-working web mistress, at binarydoctor@gmail.com
--
Judy Bell
CAF / GCW
Web Mistress

WINGS OVER HOUSTON
AIRSHOW
www.wingsoverhouston.com
Col Jeff T. Brown
5100 Inverness
Baytown, Texas 77521
Phone: 281-424-7852
E-mail: jtbrownbtx@aol.com
COWL FLAPS — March 3, 2013
STAFF
Elections are held each winter (usually in November at the general meeting). Staff members are elected for a two year
term and elections are held in compliance with regulations of the CAF Unit Manual Section 3-8 through 3-23. The current
Elected Staff members for 2013 are:
Wing Leader Col John Stofer Adjutant Col Doc Hecker
Executive Officer Col Wayne Kennedy Safety Officer Col John Alkire
Finance Officer Col Kara Hueni Operations Ofcr Col Ole Nygren
Maintenance Officer
Col Chuck Conway
Appointed Staff Members serve at the appointment and discretion of the Elected Staff:
Webmaster Col Judy Bell PX Officer Col Vicki Thomas
Public Information Officer Col __________ Development Officer Col Don Price
Spec. Events Officer Col Marilynn Hueni Cadet Coordinator Col Donna Kuski
Recruiting Officer
Col Rick Thomas
MEMBERSHIP DUES
Wing Dues for CAF Adult members are $50/person and due on the last day of February each year. Wing Dues for CAF
CADET (12 – 17 years of age) members are $25/person and due on the last day of February each year. Adult wing members
are eligible to vote and serve on committees. Cadets are not eligible to vote or serve on committees.
We’re on the Web !
www.gulfcoastwing.org
GCW NEW-MEMBER MENTORING PROGRAM
Dear New GCW Members:
Do you sometimes wish you had someone to
help you get more involved with the Gulf Coast
Wing? Or maybe a Mentor who could just answer
your questions? GCW members of more
experience look forward to serving as Mentor
to you.
What can you expect of a GCW mentor?
· Be a point contact within the organization
· Show you the “ropes” - what goes on
and how
· Help you find those areas of the GCW
where you know you will be most
valuable
· Assist you with proper training and connect
you with people involved in your
areas of interest
Let’s get you matched with a Mentor, and help
you bring your talents to the GCW.
John Alkire
Gulf Coast Wing
Cadet Corner
Col Ole Nygren and
Col David Carr in the
Stinson. Photo by
Kathleen Hanna
“Triple SWEET Sixteen”
Catherine Young, Hana Kuski, and Randy Wahlberg
Join us Saturday, March 16th @ The Hobby 1940 Air Terminal Museum to
celebrate!
GULF COAST WING
OF THE
COMMEMORATIVE
AIR FORCE
Donna Kuski
Cadet Coordinator
CAF/GCW