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Photo of Jim Siggens
Chairman’s Report
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Chairman’s Report

2024-07-02T10:18:58-07:00

The Holiday Season: Christmas, New Year’s, Kwanzaa, et al, are completed and now, onward to a new year, new adventures and responsibilities.

COVID-19 is still with us, which is where the ‘responsibilities’ part comes in. Washington State Gov. Jay Islee is slow/cautious to re-open shuttered businesses. Depending on such variables as vaccines and treatments, small businesses, like our very own Museum, may have a long wait ahead…only time will tell. But: Open we will!

Meanwhile, we are still maintaining the Museum and Ship’s Store, keeping things clean and sanitized for returning visitors; we have leases for our Aircraft Display Area (ADA, […]

Chairman’s Report2024-07-02T10:18:58-07:00
Photo of Onee & Richard
Desk of Onee & Richard
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Desk of Onee & Richard

2024-07-02T10:20:29-07:00

Even though the Museum was closed for much of 2020, the year ended with many new members joining us.

A warm welcome to new members Sally Mulcahy, Richard Tolley, Claudia and Steven Talmadge, Mary I. Ruiz, David P. Ruiz, Daniel Theriault, Susan and Mike Waller, T. Tveil, and John A. Rooke from Oak Harbor, and Cherie Willie Smith and John Thompson from Coupeville. Dolores Meisch has been gifting all her children with Life memberships and she concluded with memberships for Roberta and Craig Phillips and for Jill-ann and Geoff Painter.

Thank you to all of […]

Desk of Onee & Richard2024-07-02T10:20:29-07:00
Clayton Hively working on Nimitz-Class parade aircraft carrier
Working on carrier
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Working on carrier

2024-07-02T10:20:51-07:00

Museum volunteer Clayton Hively catches up on some off-season maintenance on the Museum’s Nimitz-Class parade aircraft carrier. This is quite an undertaking and anyone with wood building skills is invited to join us as a volunteer to help complete the project. Photo by George Love

Working on carrier2024-07-02T10:20:51-07:00
Fred Owen
Obituary
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Obituary

2024-07-02T10:21:08-07:00

We mourn the passing of Fred Owen, another victim of the COVID-19 virus. Owen was the premier PBY pilot in the United States and one of only a few qualified to certify PBY pilots for the FAA. He was a friend and supporter of the PBY Memorial Foundation since its inception.
Owen was deeply involved in plans to develop collaborative efforts among Pacific Flying Boats, the “Soaring by the Sea Foundation” and John Sterling, a museum collaborater with a goal of bringing multiple PBYs to airshows on the West Coast and maybe farther afield. […]

Obituary2024-07-02T10:21:08-07:00
Mid-Year Campaign Graph
Mid Year Campaign
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Mid Year Campaign

2024-07-02T10:21:29-07:00

WOW! What a response from you, our supporters. In just over a week, you delivered nearly $12,000 and propelled the donation plane through $55,000. Most important, we blew by the $15,000 match by nearly $5000.

With the $15,000 match, the total for the appeal will be just over $70,000 – right in the middle of our target range. If your check is in the mail or you did not want to overload the Post Office, your donation will help push the museum toward the top range of our goal; $80,000. Reaching the top will almost restore the hole in our […]

Mid Year Campaign2024-07-02T10:21:29-07:00
Man hosing down a 1946 Ford Sedan
Cleaning Up
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Cleaning Up

2024-07-02T10:21:40-07:00

A group of volunteers gathered recently to help clean up the Museum’s Aircraft Display Area. Wayne Hastriter hoses down the 1946 Ford 4-door sedan to remove debris built up over the summer months. Other volunteers included Scott Hornung, John Hughes, John Love, Bryan Powell, Sonny Starks and Bill Young.

Cleaning Up2024-07-02T10:21:40-07:00
Photo of Wil Shellenberger, Museum president
President’s Corner
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President’s Corner

2024-07-02T10:21:48-07:00

Quoting the title of an old Bee Gees song, your Pacific Northwest Naval Air Museum has been “Stayin’ Alive!” Many of you have stepped up to support the museum through the Mid-year Appeal fundraiser. Our quest to obtain land continues with unexpected twists and turns.

After just over two months, the museum re-opened on 24 June with a “new normal” in place. Volunteers worked diligently to ensure compliance with COVID 19 safety restrictions including floor marking, protective shielding at the cashier’s counter, systematic sanitizing of high touch areas, mask wearing, etc. etc. Visitors come in every day but in smaller […]

President’s Corner2024-07-02T10:21:48-07:00
VP-62 Insignia
Letters – We get letters!
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Letters – We get letters!

2024-07-02T10:21:59-07:00

Editor,

I recently read the Cat Chat Newsletter and enjoyed it as usual, especially the “Quarter in History” concerning VP-62. As a former member of VP-62, I am offering a bit of supplemental information, some of which may be of interest to some members.

I came to NAS Whidbey 2 weeks after the Japanese surrender in September, 1945 and was attached to VP-62 and assigned as second radioman in the crew of the new C.O.,Lt.Cmdr. Withrow. He had been the XO, and had taken command after the previous C.O. crashed into a mountain at Kodiak […]

Letters – We get letters!2024-07-02T10:21:59-07:00