2016 Meetings
October 29, 2016
Marty Fleisher - WW II B-26 Pilot
by Marty Fleisher B-26 Pilot
Marty Fleisher, of Long Valley, NJ, grew up in Newark, NJ, the oldest of eight siblings and enlisted in Feb, 1942, in the AAF as a Mechanic and became a Crew Chief on the B-26. He signed up for flight training in April, 1943, and graduated on Oct 3rd and was commissioned a 2nd Lt. He flew the B-26 to the European Theater over the southern route to Africa and Italy. He flew 65 B-26 combat missions from Italy and SE England including on D-Day. He was discharged as a 1st Lt in June 1945.
See the video of his talk on our You Tube site: Marty Fleisher
September 24, 2016
Spies in the Sky: The Air Force and Reconnaissance from Outer Space
by Toby Terranova, Chapter 195 Chaplain, VP of Membership and former Secretary
On 16 March 1955, the United States Air Force officially ordered the development of an advanced reconnaissance satellite to provide continuous surveillance of 'preselected areas of the earth' in order 'to determine the status of a potential enemy’s war-making capability'. Ever since the Air Force has been involved in reconnaissance from Outer Space. The Discoverer program was really a secret spy satellite program that was presented to the public as experimentation in space research. Its true mission was declassified in 1995.
See the video of his talk on our You Tube site: Toby Terranova
May 28, 2016
2016 Teacher of the Year (TOY) Awards Presentation
The Air Force Association believes that recognizing those who educate America's youth is an important aspect of what AFA is all about. The purpose of the program is to recognize classroom teachers for their accomplishments and achievements in exciting K-12 students about science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) and preparing them to use and contribute to tomorrow’s technologies. Our chapter has chosen two Teachers of the Year (TOY). Congratulations to our TOY recipients:
The first is Frank Cappuccio (right), pictured with Chapter president Bill Fosina. Frank teaches 9-12 year Physics, Astronomy, Chemistry & Environmental Science at Morris Hills High School, Rockaway, NJ.
See the video of his talk on our You Tube site: Frank Cappuccio
The second is James McCarron (left), pictured with Chapter president Bill Fosina. James teaches Art K-4 at the Bedwell Elementary School, Bernardsville, NJ.
See the video of his talk on our You Tube site: James McCarron
Also visiting were Cadet Matthew Spielman (left) and Cadet Max Escate (right) from the Arnold Air Society at Rutgers University, Darby Squadron. Thank you for attending our presentation luncheon!
April 30, 2016
Art Snyder and his Encounter with "Earthquake McGoon"
by Art Snyder, Korean War B-29 Pilot, CIA Pilot, Chapter 195 Member
On May 6, 1954, legendary pilot James B. “Earthquake McGoon” McGovern met his fate. An aircraft belonging to Civil Air Transport, a CIA proprietary airline, flown by McGovern was shot down by Communist anti-aircraft fire. McGovern and his flight officer, Wallace “Wally” Buford, were flying supplies to French forces at Dien Bien Phu in northern Indochina. McGovern, Buford, and four others aboard were killed in the crash. They were among the first American fatalities in the conflict in Indochina that would last until 1975.
See Art's presentation at our You Tube page: AFA Chapter 195 You Tube
See the CIA story: Earthquake McGoon
Art Snyder (left) with daughter and grandson Mathew. Toby Terranova (Secretary) right.
March 26, 2016
War in the Air 1914-1918 / Part II - The Airships
by John Andrews, Engineer, Bell Labs and Integrated Photonics, Inc.
In the years before WWI, hydrogen filled German airships were routinely used for safe scheduled civilian air service. Traditional aircraft lacked payload, range and reliability. So it was an easy decision for Germany to enlist airships into the military once war broke out. John Andrews from the New Jersey Astronomical Association will share the story about the men who conducted their battle beneath huge bags of explosive hydrogen.
See John's presentation at our You Tube page: AFA Chapter 195 You Tube
February 27, 2016
War in the Air 1914-1918 / Part I - Fixed Wing Aircraft
by John Andrews, Engineer, Bell Labs and Integrated Photonics, Inc.
At the start of World War I many military leaders were convinced that aircraft would be of little value in battle, at most offering limited use in reconnaissance and scouting missions. A mere eleven years after the Wright brothers first flight, aircraft designated as fighters and bombers rolled out from the factories. John Andrews from the New Jersey Astronomical Association will share this story about the men who took the battle to the air in World War I.
See John's presentation at our You Tube page: AFA Chapter 195 You Tube
January 30, 2016
Experience with the B-29
by Lt. Col. Thomas R. 'Bob' Vaucher, WWII B-29 pilot, Chapter 195 member
Our speaker, Lt. Col. Thomas R. 'Bob' Vaucher, was intimately involved with the development of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress during the early years of World War II. It was one of the largest aircraft operational during the war and very advanced for its time. The aircraft's highly advanced design, challenging requirements, and immense pressure for production, hurried development and caused setbacks. One of the B-29's final roles was carrying out the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As the lead B-29 pilot, Bob led the 525 plane B-29 Show of Force fly-over during the Japanese surrender aboard the battleship Missouri on 2 Sep 1945.
See Bob's presentation at our You Tube page: AFA Chapter 195 You Tube
Chapter President Bill Fosina (left) and Lt. Col. Thomas R. 'Bob' Vaucher.