A Look Back At Those We Lost In 2005

By ANN Correspondent Aleta Vinas

Another year has passed and far too many of our aviation friends and family have passed with it. Some have known the departed personally; others have, perhaps, only read or witnessed their deeds.

We at ANN can only hope that time will heal the wounds and sweeten the memories of those who have gone before us. We know they were met with green fields and clear skies.

18 Feb 2005 Uli Derickson – A Flight Attendant aboard a hijacked TWA flight in 1985. Derickson was the impromptu mediator between the hijackers and Lebanese authorities. Dickerson remained cool and calm during the standoff. She is credited with helping protect the 152 passengers and crew. ANN report 28 Feb 2005.

18 Mar 2005 Robert Dale Reed – A longtime NASA aeronautics researcher, Reed (right) is most known for his work on the Lifting Body and Remotely Piloted Research Vehicle programs. He holds several patents through his research. ANN report 21 Mar 2005.

22 Mar 2005 Steven Ray Elledge – Elledge an Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Alumni had served for three years on the Housing staff. After graduating from ERAU with an aeronautical degree he entered the Navy’s Officer Candidate school and graduated in 2003. He flew a T-45C Goshawk jet trainer for the VT-7 Navy training squadron in Meridian (MS). ANN report 26 Mar 2005.

31 Mar 2005 Josan G Shepherd – For nearly 15 years, Josan was an aviation dog. She flew with ANN Editor In Chief, Jim Campbell and probably helped him get out of some trouble occasionally. Josan displayed her dislike of Feds and her like for the rest of us, showing remarkable good taste. ANN report 02 Apr 2005

21 Apr 2005 Takahiro “Rock” Iwasaki – Rock (left), called the best professional aerobatic pilot in Japan, headed AiRock, the nation’s only civilian flight demonstration team. He flew a brightly painted Pitts Special. ANN report 27 Nov 2005

02 May 2005 Capt. Kelly C. Hinz – Hinz joined the Marines in July 1996. He was assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323 and based in Miramar (CA). Hinz was aboard the carrier Carl Vinson and flew F/A18 aircraft. Hinz came from a flying family, unfortunately, flying had claimed Hinz’s father last year. ANN Report 06 May 2005

02 May 2005 Major John Charles Spahr – The New Jersey native flew the F/A-18 Hornet from the USS Carl Vinson. Based out of Miramar (CA) with the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323 Spahr was an 18 year veteran of the Marines. ANN report 06 May 2005.

10 Jun 2005 Curtis Pitts – The name Pitts is synonymous with aerobatic flying. The little plane with the big engine has been an influence in the aerobatic world for more than 50 years. Pitts, a prolific aircraft designer has over a dozen designs to his credit. He continued to design aircraft right to the end. ANN report 10 Jun 2005

10 Jun 2005 Robert F. Maguire, Jr. – Nicknamed the “Irish Moses”. Maguire headed up “operation Magic Carpet” which helped fly 40,000 Jews from Yemen to Israel. Maguire worked for Alaska Airlines, one airline contracted for the airlift of the Jews. ANN report 20 Jun 2005

11 Jun 2005 Gordon Baxter – Baxter’s hometown newspaper, The Beaumont Enterprise describes him as a “Beaumont institution, he was a writer, radio broadcaster, pilot, husband, father, grandpa and friend. He was an independent spirit whose passion for life has touched our community in extraordinary ways. Most of us will remember him for his column Bax Seat (right). ANN report 15 Jun 2005

14 Jun 2005 Malcom Stamper – Stamper oversaw the construction of the Boeing factory in Everett (WA) needed to build the Boeing 747. Stamper then led the development of the 747. One of Stamper’s great loves was for children’s books and along with his wife, Mari, they formed a publishing company, Storytellers, Inc. ANN report 17 Jun 2005

21 Jun 2005 Bill Ricketts – If you have attended EAA Air Venture anytime during the passed 25 years you may have heard Ricketts “yodeling”. He would end his overnight volunteer shift at the Comm Center at 0700 with his unique style of yodeling. Ricketts was a former high school teacher in Baltimore County (MD).

05 Jul 2005 Retired Vice-Admiral James B. Stockdale – Stockdale was a graduate of the US Naval Academy, Class of 1947. He was a Vietnamese POW for more than seven years after his plane was shot down. In defiance of his captors “rules” forbidding prisoner communication, Stockdale improvised a cohesive set of rules governing prisoner behavior. These rules gave many prisoners a sense of hope. After his naval retirement the secretary of the Navy established the Vice Admiral Stockdale Award for Inspirational Leadership. The award is presented annually in the Pacific and Atlantic Fleets. Stockdale was one of the most highly decorated officers in the history of the Navy. ANN report 6 Jul 2005..

06 Jul 2005 Clarence R. ‘Sig” Ugrin – Ugrin served as a Navy flight engineer during World War II. He later started Billings Aero Repair with a partner. Ugrin opened another repair business in Miles City (MT). He also served as airport manager for 35 years. Ugrin held an Airframe & Powerplant license with Inspector’s endorsement. He had a commercial – Instrument rating, multi-engine, in addition to a multi-engine instrument instructor rating. ANN report 11 Jul 2005.

10 Jul 2005 Jimmy Franklin – Franklin (left) started flying from his father’s lap. He soloed himself, at age 12, while he was home alone. By age 19, Franklin was an airshow performer in his Waco biplane. In 1999, Franklin debuted his jet Waco. The combined horsepower is over 2000 HP. This allowed the jet Waco to perform like no other plane. You can also see Franklin’s aerial talent in movies such as, Forever Young and The Rocketeer. ANN report 11 Jul 2005

10 Jul 2005 Bobby Younkin – Younkin started his flying career at age 16. He flew US Air Mail for a short time in the 1970’s. He also ran a successful air charter service. One of his aerobatic acts was in a Lear 23, an aircraft decidedly not meant for aerobatics but rather to take the rich and famous to their destination upright and far from the ground. ANN report 11 Jul 2005

10 Jul 2005 Jay Blume – Blume was a member of the formation flying team known as The Vultures. He flew a Long EZ. The eight-man Vultures team had been flying together for four years. The members hail from the Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland and Pennsylvania area. They use primarily Van “RV” aircraft, recently they’ve allowed Rutan’s “EZ” aircraft in. The Vultures routine consists of non-aerobatic, formation flight set to music. ANN report 11 Jul 2005

10 Jul 2005 Ralph D. Morgan – Blume was also a member of the formation flying team known as The Vultures. He flew a Van RV-8. The eight-man Vultures team had been flying together for four years. The members hail from the Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland and Pennsylvania area. They use primarily Van “RV” aircraft, recently they’ve allowed Rutan’s “EZ” aircraft in. The Vultures routine consists of non-aerobatic, formation flight set to music. ANN report 11 Jul 2005

20 Jul 2005 James Doohan – Doohan (right) is now in the final frontier; he has been "beamed up." Doohan will be forever remembered for his portrayal of Montgomery Scott in Star Trek. At 19, Doohan joined the Canadian army; he became a lieutenant in the artillery. He was among the Canadian forces that landed on Juno Beach on D-Day.

06 Aug 2005 Retired USAF Colonel Joseph Rogers -- Has been called a military aviation legend. Rogers was just 17 when he joined the Army Air Corp. He flew more than 270 combat missions during WWII, Vietnam and Korea. His world speed record in a single engine jet aircraft still stands. Rogers flew an F-106 at 1,525 mph. ANN report 10 Aug 2005.

10 Aug 2005 Retired Navy Captain Roy M. “Butch” Voris – Voris was the original leader of the US Navy Blue Angels demonstration team, hand picked by Admiral Chester Nimitz. This was back in 1946 when they flew Grumman F-6F Hellcats. Voris was an ace during WWII in the Pacific Theater. After his Navy retirement he worked at Grumman and was instrumental in the development of the F-14 Tomcat. He also spent time as a spokesperson for NASA. ANN report 14 Oct 2005.

06 Sep 2005 Jack Real – Real was an engineer, test pilot and aviation pioneer. His work at Lockheed included the B-14 Hudson Bomber, the XH-51, the Lockheed model 286 and 475 and the Cheyenne Helicopter. In 1964 he worked on the SR-71 project at the Skunk Works. While at Lockheed, Real met and became friends with Howard Hughes, for over 20 years he was Hughes’s personal advisor and confidant. ANN report 11 Sep 2005.

18 Sep 2005 Marta Bohn-Meyer – Fresh out of college, Bohn-Meyer (left) started a career as an aeronautical research and operations engineer for NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center. Some of the projects she worked on included the F-16 XL Super Laminar Flow Control, rotorcraft research and wind tunnel experiments. She was the second woman to fly the triple sonic SR-71. She was a member of the US Unlimited Team for the past two years. ANN report 19 Sep 2005.

18 Sep 2005 Retired Navy Captain George C. Watkins – A pilot by luck, Watkins was a battery turret operator and only volunteered for pilot training when the Navy faced a pilot shortage. He went through test pilot school and served as a fighter pilot during Korea. He later served in the Pentagon and as an aide at the White House during the Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon eras. He also flew gliders and had opened a gliding operation in California. He flew aerobatics in the gliders and even competed until 2003. ANN report 10 Oct 2005.

24 Sep 2005 J Roy Shoffner – Recovery expedition for P-38 Lightning, Glacier Girl and her subsequent restoration was made possible through Shoffner’s generous sponsorship. Shoffner was dedicated to complete the rebirth of this piece of history. Shoffner was an avid pilot and retired military pilot. He flew the F-19 Scorpion.

29 Sep 2005 Retired Marine Lt. Col Robert B. Robinson, Jr. – In 1961, Robinson became the fastest human by setting a new absolute speed record averaging 1,606.505 mph. His ride was a McDonnell F4H-1. He served in WWII and Korea. After retiring from the Marines, Robinson served as a test pilot for McDonnell Aircraft. ANN report 3 Oct 2005.

02 Oct 2005 Graham Lee – Lee (right) was called the “Bob Vila of the homebuilt world” by his son. One of Lee’s most notable designs was the Nieuport 11, a WWI replica. Lee was quick to help and answer builder’s questions free of charge. The company Lee started, Circa Reproductions, will continue. ANN report 21 Oct 2005.

06 Oct 2005 Ray Siegfried II – Siegfried started his aviation career in 1969. He left his family’s insurance business and took over a bankrupt NORDAM. Siegfried and eight employees rebuilt the company into a leading manufacturer of thrust reversers, engine nacelles, cabin interiors and other aviation products. He joined GAMA’s (General Aviation Manufacturers Association) Board of Directors in 1994. ANN report 8 Oct 2005.

08 Oct 2005 Art Vance – An air race pilot since 1984, Vance also held the position of Safety Check pilot at Reno. He flew many Warbirds including the P-51 Mustang and F6F Hellcat. Vance was a retired airline pilot with over 11,000 hours. ANN report 13 Oct 2005.

20 Oct 2005 Chalmers “Slick” Goodlin – Goodlin would have been a household name if the Air Force had not taken over the Bell X-1 project. Bell refused to pay Goodlin a promised bonus and Chuck Yeager flew to supersonic glory instead. Goodlin had joined the Royal Canadian Air Force on his 18th birthday, hoping to get some fighter combat since the US was not yet involved in the war. He’d already been flying for a couple of years. In December 1942 he started Navy test pilot training. ANN report 28 Oct 2005.

12 Nov 2005 Dick Lawyer – Lawyer (left) was a test pilot, astronaut and Retired Air Force Colonel. Lawyer taught at the National Test Pilot Center at the Civilian Flight Test Center in Mojave (CA). Lawyer was still an active pilot with a Class 1 medical.  Some of the aircraft he’s flown include the T-33, T-39 F-86, F-80, F-100, F-102, F-104, U-2 and B-57 to name a few. ANN report 21 Nov 2005.

30 Nov 2005 John Stewart Detlie – Aircraft don’t get off the ground without work behind the scenes. Detlie was a behind the scenes man. He wasn’t a designer, builder or flyer of aircraft but as an architect he protected those that did. Detlie left a promising career in Hollywood (CA) to work for the Army Corp of Engineers during WWII. Detlie designed the very effective camouflage used to disguise the Boeing Aircraft Factory in Seattle (WA). The B-17 Flying Fortress and B-29 Super Fortress were build in the Seattle plant. ANN report 6 Dec 2005

02 Dec 2005 Retired Navy Chief Petty Officer John Iannaccone – Enlisting in the Navy right out of high school, Iannaccone (right) became an aviation mechanic and was based at the Naval Air Station in Lakehurst (NJ). He was in the Lighter Than Air program and was part of the ground crew at Lakehurst the day of the Hindenberg disaster. Iannaccone helped rescue some of the surprised and injured passengers. ANN report 7 Dec 2005.

08 Dec 2005 USAF Staff Sergeant Carlos Brad Coker – The 29 year old was a crew chief for the elite USAF Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team.

15 December 2005 Retired US Army Lieutenant Walter Haut – With one memo, Haut put Roswell (NM) on the map. Haut issued a press release dictated by the base commander Col. William Blanchard stating the Army had recovered a flying saucer outside of town. The army later retracted its statement but the word was out.

As a final memorial, let’s not forget the men and women who have died serving our country --whether it be by air, sea or land.