GHAFI

July 2011
President's Message

June Annual Meeting – The Annual Meeting, held at Carl’s BBQ, located on Hwy 290 next to Weiser Airport, on Saturday 25 June 2011, following lunch. The main item on the agenda was the election of officers and directors for the coming year. Officers elected: Mark Scott, President; Greg White, Vice President; Carol Brackley, Secretary; and Harry Johnson, Treasurer. Directors elected: Brian Arnott Ted Miller, Rick Rawlings, Al Smith, John Van Paasschen and Dick Wilson. Appointments are Rick Rawlings Training Director and John Paasschen Clinic Director. Following a brief discussion regarding the need to update the By-laws, the Board agreed to address it ASAP. All plans are in place for the upcoming FIRC at San Jacinto College. Discussions included tentative plans and issues for both the October FIRC and a proposed Stall/Spin Safety Course (more below about that). After the meeting, Ted Miller demonstrated the optimum starting procedure for an Aztec. It was quite impressive and proved rather successful: Ted was last seen winging his way homeward (both engines running). It is much easier to start my old single engine. My old Mustang fired up and roared to life without incident and I took off at 16:30 local Ford time.

July FIRC – The Stage 3 FIRC is Saturday, 16 July 2011 at San Jacinto Community College in Pasadena. Breakfast snacks and hangar flying at 08:00 with the first session at 9 (see the detail breakout). All are welcome and those who want credit for their CFI renewal need to stay over at 4 to take the test. There will also be a brief meeting immediately after the FIRC to resolve details of the October FIRC and Rich Stowell flight instruction. All are welcome to stay who wish. Looking forward to seeing you.

October FIRC – The October FIRC is Saturday, 15 October 2011 at West Houston Airport. The current plans are for Rick Rawlings to handle the morning sessions and Rich Stowell to present the afternoon sessions.

Final Flight for Doug Scott – Several GHAFI members, attired in blue GHAFI shirts, were among the many who attended Doug’s funeral service at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, June 24, 2011, with Rev. Bill Cole officiating. Graveside Service with Military Honors followed in Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery. After the service, several of us gathered at TGIF for lunch, told some stories (all true), and toasted our friend. In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations be made "In Memory of Douglas E. Scott" to: National Vietnam War Museum, P.O. Box 146, Mineral Wells, TX 76068-0146.(nationalvnwarmuseum) It was voted to make a donation from GHAFI as group. Individual donations can also be made.

Doug was born in Houston and was proud of his family's Texas heritage, which extends back prior to the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836. His Mother thought it important that her children be exposed to music in some form. For Doug, that meant piano and then organ lessons. As a teen, he played for Sunday services at the Almeda United Methodist Church. After graduating from Westbury High School, where he was active in ROTC, Doug followed his father’s example and began working for AT&T; however, a draft notice from Uncle Sam put that career on hold. Doug enlisted and served in the U.S. Army from 1967-1971. He had always wanted to be a pilot, but he was thinking planes. The Army's testing, however, showed him to be a better candidate to fly helicopters. Sent to Fort Wolters, Texas for his initial training, Doug rose to the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 2. He served in Vietnam in 1968-1969. After recovering from a knee injury, he became a military instructor pilot at the Primary Helicopter School at Fort Wolters. Doug earned the National Defense Service Medal, Army Aviator Badge, Good Conduct Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal with 60 Device, Purple Heart, and Air Medal with (5) Oak Leaf Clusters.

Returning home to Houston, Doug resumed his work as a cable splicer for AT&T (later South-western Bell), and in 1973 transitioned into management in the engineering department. In 1986, he moved into corporate security. He retired from Southwestern Bell in 1993. After his retirement, Doug went on to work in several different fields: private investigator, aircraft mechanic, Gulf helicopter pilot, and security coordinator for the Katy ISD Police Department. In 2002, Durwood Greene Construction offered him the position of corporate helicopter pilot, and he went back to flying helicopters, which he loved. He attended the Bell Schools for annual training, and was very proud to have completed their Professional Pilot Program (P3). In the first quarter of 2008, the company decided to sell the helicopter, and he retired for good.

Doug was the proud owner of a 1977 Grumman American Tiger, and was instrument rated and a CFI in both helicopters and airplanes. He was a member of the Aerial Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) until it disbanded. This organization flew Huey helicopters to aid law enforcement in search and rescue missions. They also flew at ceremonies when the Moving Wall was displayed and participated in Wings Over Houston. Doug received a Meritorious Life Saving Award and Medal from US Congressman Kevin Brady in 2001 for piloting a Huey that rescued (91) people during Tropical Storm Allison.

In addition to being an active GHAFI member, serving as Vice President and board member, Doug was also a member of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association.
One’s life is defined by the life one lives: Doug will be long remembered and missed by his family and friends.

―To fly west, my friend, is a flight we all must take for a final check.—Author unknown.

Mark Scott,
President

July 2011 President's Message

July 2011
President's Message