The International Organization of Women Pilots Florida Suncoast Chapter Chairman s Message

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Merilyn Chase
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The International Organization of Women Pilots Florida Suncoast Chapter www.fpcg.net/sc99/ Chapter Officers Chairman Kimberly Elsholz kimthepilot@yahoo.

1 The International Organization of Women Pilots Florida Suncoast Chapter Chapter Officers Chairman Kimberly Elsholz Vice Chairman Kristin Greene Secretary / Newsletter Editor Linda Kaufman lindakaufman528@aol.com Treasurer / Aviation Activities & Safety Education Jeanne Burklund Jeanne.burklund@fpcg.net Membership Chairman Barbara Yeninas jjybmy@verizon.net AE Scholarships Chris Roddey bellecasa@hotmail.com Ways and Means Debbie Palmer Palmer.deborah@verizon.net Aerospace Education Nancy Wright wrightaviation99@gmail.com 99 News Sophia Payton ninety830@aol.com Chairman s Message Greetings Everyone! We had a wonderful October meeting at Albert Whitted Airport. Thanks to Mary Fletcher for setting up a successful Airmarking, to Terry Griner for hosting the 99s and providing lunch and to all the folks who showed up to paint! Nice job! We covered a lot of subjects at our meeting. Barbara Yeninas and I had just returned from the Fall Southeast Section meeting hosted by the Mississippi 99s. What a spectacular event! We each received wonderful goody bags at registration. On Friday the optional tours included a trip to Keesler Air Force Base and a presentation by the Hurricane Hunters that included a tour of a C-130J. After that we watched an air traffic control demonstration at the training school on base. Next we had lunch and did a self-paced tour at the Infinity Space Museum. A tour of a rocket engine facility at Stennis Space Center followed. As if that wasn t enough, we were then transported to the Shadetree Airport which is owned by a Mississippi 99. We were treated to rides in a J3 Cub and a Stearman! To cap it all off, there was an open bar, a fantastic buffet and an outdoor movie with a fire pit and popcorn. The business meeting on Saturday was fun and informative. All in all, it was an unforgettable experience. Ladies, the Mississippi 99s have set the bar high but I am confident we will also have a great program when we host the 2015 Spring Section meeting in St. Petersburg!!! Plans for our fundraiser garage sale are moving right along. One of the Girl Scout moms has offered up her house in Clearwater. She has plenty of garage space and has held many successful garage sales and Girl Scout events there. Jeanne Burklund lives right around the corner and has additional garage space if needed. We still have my house in Apollo Beach as the back-up location. Everyone please start cleaning out your closets, attics, garages, etc.!! Ask friends, relatives and neighbors if they have items to donate for the sale. (Continued page 2..) November 2013 Little Kim with Mississippi 99 Liz at the Infinity Space Museum

If you have too much stuff to transport or any really large items, don t despair. I should be able to pick up items with my trailer the weekend before and deliver to the garage sale site.

2 2 Chairman s Message (con t from pg. 1) If at all possible, box up items according to type (i.e. kitchen items together, household goods, tools, etc.) to make it easier to set up on the first day of the sale. Hang any clothing you have on hangers and then store in a large bag or box. If you have too much stuff to transport or any really large items, don t despair. I should be able to pick up items with my trailer the weekend before and deliver to the garage sale site. The sale is scheduled for Fri & Sat, Feb 28 and March 1. It sounds far off but it s really just right around the corner. Our next meeting is November 9 th at 10am. Connie McConnell is hosting us at Ocala Airport (KOCF.) We will have a Hurricane Hunter pilot as our guest speaker followed by lunch at the Tailwinds Café. We have lots to cover at our business meeting. Jeanne, Nancy and I just worked on the budget and we need to discuss a few topics and vote. We also have to make some decisions regarding scholarships for this year. I recently sent out an asking for ideas for a scholarship to add to the scholarship bank. I have only received a few replies. Please consider this and get back to me with your thoughts. That s all for now. I hope to see as many of you as possible in Ocala! Fly Safe! -Kimberly Elsholz Next Chapter Meeting Saturday, Nov. 9th Ocala Airport - Jim Taylor Field (KOCF) Meeting begins at10:00am in the Executive Room inside the FBO. Followed by presentation at 11:00 by Cathy Martin, a Hurricane Hunter Pilot! Lunch at 12:00 at the Tailwinds Café (located in the FBO.) Florida Suncoast 99s - Meetings & Events Calendar DECEMBER 14: Christmas Party Luncheon at Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City. JANUARY 11: Clearwater Airpark - At this meeting we will be planning our fundraiser garage sale and discussing the events of Sun 'N Fun. Details to come in a later . Tentative date for garage sale is Feb 28 - Mar 1. FEBRUARY 8: Tentatively Fantasy of Flight Tour. MARCH 6-8 : Open. The 25th Annual International Women in Aviation Conference is being held in Orlando. APRIL 5: 99s building at Sun 'N Fun! Sun N' Fun is April 1-6, Tentatively scheduled for MAY: Possible meeting combined with Girl Scout Aviation Day at Clearwater Airpark. JUNE 1030am: The Hangar Restaurant at Albert Whitted Airport in St. Pete. Space Camp scholarships will be awarded at this meeting and there will be presentations from prior winners. Lunch is optional.

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5 5 Blue Skies I was saddened to recently learn of Marguerite Bernhardt s passing earlier this year. This article is a bit late in coming, but I thought it would be appropriate to take some time now to remember and to honor Marguerite. The following is an article published May 17, 2013 on Ocala.com. -Linda Kaufman Pilot in WASP program dies at 93 Marguerite Bernhardt, who was among the 1,102 women pilots who served during World War II, died Wednesday at Hospice of Marion County's Estelle's House. She was 93. Bernhardt was part of the Women Airforce Service Pilot program, which was active from The women pilots trained men to fly, and they also shuttled airplanes across the country in non-combat roles. The program was designed to free up male pilots for combat. Bernhardt, 90, wanted to be a pilot since she was 13- years-old. She signed up for the volunteer pilot program and was one only a few that were accepted. She flew non-combat missions during World War II in all types of military craft including bombers and was also an instructor. Bernhardt said that, with the exception of the birth of her son, being part of the WASPs was the best experience of her life. It was something few people knew about the native of Hartford, Conn., until After more than 65 years, the government got around to honoring the women, who were not officially recognized as veterans until 1977, despite serving under the command of the U.S. Army Air Corps. Though she was not able to travel to Washington, D.C., to personally receive her Congressional Gold Medal, Bernhardt became a celebrity among the local flying community. "We clicked. We talked about flying a lot. I took her up in my plane, she just loved flying. When she came back from the war, women weren't accepted as pilots. She didn't get back into it until the last few years of her life," said Connie McConnell, who befriended Bernhardt. McConnell said Bernhardt would take the controls during recent flights and would "lose herself" while piloting the aircraft. Being a pilot was something Bernhardt dreamed about for most of her early life, but she deferred that dream after her prospects as a pilot dimmed after the war. Instead, she became a mother and a wife and locked away her flying exploits for decades. "I'm so glad she was able to get back behind the controls of an airplane. She went up in a Piper Cub, which is the type of plane she learned on," McConnell said. "She was able to fly in a T-6 (Texan), which had the instruments that she trained the men on." Bernhardt was a favorite at local ceremonies and functions. She even travelled with McConnell to airshows and other aviation-related events. "My husband and I said she was the best of the best of the best. The WASPs got 25,000 applications. Out of that, 2,000 were selected and only half completed the training. She was just one of a kind. She was feisty and strong-willed, but she was the most gentle person that you would ever know, and always gracious about everything," McConnell said. Bernhardt was preceded in death by her son Robin Bernhardt. Survivors include her brother George Tuffin, one granddaughter and two great-granddaughters. Burial will be at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell at a later date.

6 6 Florida Suncoast Chapter of The Ninety-Nines Minutes 12 Oct Meeting at Albert Whitted Airport Preservation Society (KSPG) An airmarking took place at 1000 before the meeting. Thanks to Mary Fletcher for arranging and to the volunteers for their hard work! Meeting was called to order at A correction was made to last month s minutes regarding the upcoming garage sale with the Girl Scouts proceeds with be donated, half to the chapter (exact use TBD) and half to the girl scouts. It was also noted that the garage sale will be a 2-day event (a Friday and a Saturday.) Secretary s Report: April 26, 2014 is the FAA Safety Day at Peter O. Knight airport, held in conjunction with Islands Fest. Linda s contact with FAAST has offered the 99s space for a booth / table in the FAA hangar for the event. We will have literature, applications and shirts available for sale. More details to come. Treasurer s Report was read and approved. Committee Reports: -Membership: Kim has contacted our unlisted members who will now be on the list so they can be made aware of chapter events. -Space Camp: Nancy reported the application process begins Jan 1 st. It was suggested that we notify other chapters by sending a notice to Terry to include in the SE Section newsletter. Unfinished Business: Garage Sale - Looking for a location; need house with a garage / storage so we can have things there prior to start of sale to avoid the 6am early birds from pecking while we re still unloading. Kim has offered her house in Apollo Beach but is considering other options if someone would like to volunteer their home. Kim has many of the supplies needed (big tables, large pop up tents). All donations welcomed whatever is left over will be donated / given away. Will need volunteers the night before to help set up and the weekend before to make signs, etc. Barbara Y. will pick up the 99s banner at SNF building and see if can be salvaged. Start setting your donations aside! Fall 2013 Section Meeting Report Kim and Barbara Y. reported on their trip to Biloxi, MS last month for the SE Section meeting. See Kim s Chairman s Message of this newsletter for her report and you can read a full report on the section s website: Kim brought back 99s charms from the SE meeting for the chapter officers. They are for sale for $15 as our new SE Section fund raiser. Online sales coming soon Spring SE Section Meeting Our chapter s turn to host a section meeting is coming up. St. Pete seems to have the best hotel rates, the most to do and it is very close to the Albert Whitted airport and museums. Barbara S. and Nancy are going to look at dates to make sure no other large events are going on for the dates we are considering (May 2015). Kim showed us the logo from the MS Chapter s logo. Asked for ideas for our own chapter s logo to put on shirts and other items. Any use of a 99s logo, for products that we sell, must be approved by HQ. Our chapter needs to update the certificate for sales of logoed products. We need someone to volunteer to head the Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarship Fund committee. International Conference Chapters are asked to find local businesses to advertise for the International 2014 conference. See Kim s dated 10/25/13 for more info. Scholarship Bank: Discussed donating a chapter scholarship to the scholarship bank. The idea is to get a larger number of scholarships available. Our chapter can set the criteria. Kim is going to the chapter with more info on the scholarship bank. She asked that we think about what parameters we d like to set for our scholarship, if we decide to do one. We will revisit at topic Nov. meeting. Fantasy of Flight Linda is working to schedule our February chapter meeting to be held at Fantasy of Flight. In past years, the Tuskegee Airmen symposium was held in Feb. Still waiting for FOF s Legends & Legacies symposium schedule to be announced. FOF offers discounted group rates & a guided tour. Stay tuned for more details. May meeting suggestion Currently the calendar was open for May Nancy suggested we schedule the Crystal River meeting for May. Depending on the Girl Scout day, the KCGC meeting could be held in March or in May. Nancy will contact Gudi and ask her to host. Meeting was adjourned.

Minutes of The Villages Aviation Club meeting Monday February 9, 2015

Minutes of The Villages Aviation Club meeting Monday February 9, 2015 The meeting was called to order by Pres. Jim Waymire, and opened with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. There were 95 members and