UFO Gathering

 

  On April 20 of this year yours truly turned 80. As with most lives my eighty years has been filled with some sorrow but also with many great adventures and beautiful memories. For the last four or five years, dear friend and fellow pilot, Bart Bratko often informed me that when I turned 80 and was still flying he would make sure I joined an elite group called the UFO. The UFO or United Flying Octogenarians is a unique organization of Ladies and Gentlemen who were still flying as a pilot in command upon reaching the big eight-O. Shortly after reaching the magic number Bart had a package in the mail and I was in with a hat and iron-on emblem. By the way Bart is the past president of the organization and current secretary-treasurer. As the new kid on the block it was expected that I become involved, so I thought that the members in the region might appreciate a gathering at our little airport at Plum Island. With inspirational and motivating help from Bob Barker, the area director for the Northeast region we planned a gathering at 2B2 for September 22. So on a Saturday that began with thick fog on the Island and soon cleared to a sunny afternoon, 2B2 welcomed a small but elite gathering. Attending were Bob and Heilwig Barker, Roland and Helene Toutant, Locke Easton and his companion Sharon Longo, Bob Fortnam, Bart Bratco and myself. Following a tour by Charlie Eaton of our museum we had some lunch and enjoyed some getting to know you conversation. Seated around the table from the left is Bob Fortnam, Heilwig Barker, Richard Copithorne (airport manager), Locke Easton, Sharon, Bob Folsom (airport Regular), Bob Barker and Bart Bratko.

Having the honor of three WWII bomber pilots present we heard the war time experiences of each. Bart spoke of flying B-24's on missions he still doesn't know where. Locke flew B-29's in Tibbet's (Enola Gay) squadron on the A-bomb mission over Japan. Bob Fortnam spoke of flying co-pilot heading to a target over Germany and having to take command when the pilot was incapacitated and finally being shot down on a subsequent mission and taken prisoner. He was finally rescued when Patton's Army rolled over the Germans where he was being held. It wasn't till after the war that he learned that his brother was with the 3rd and in that action probably within shouting distance of each other. I was extremely pleased to have been involved in the total experience of the day.
  Bart and Locke relaxing

Bob sharing his experiences.