PedroRescueHelicopterAssociation
Notes
PRHA
Standing LtoR:
Granville Goza, Larry Mercer, Jerry
Vangrunsven, Larry Schmidt, Louis Evans, John Flournoy, Ray Dunn, Vance Need, GEORGE HALICHAK (CHIEF TEST PILOT KAMAN), Nathan Green, Neil McCutchan, Dennis Woods, Jim Travis,
Fred Bergold, Donald Eudy, John Blei, John Christianson, Bob Stuart
Front Row LtoR: Sharon Walcutt, John Reese, Louis Mason, Jim Taylor,
Chris Taylor, Jeff Baily, John Gibeau, Doug Vanderpool, Floyd “LUCKY” Lockhart,
Bob Gardner, Clyde “RED” Lemke, Johan Ragay, Ed Cartwright
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POST
Another great reunion!!! Several of the attendees mentioned that this
was one of the best reunions that they have attended. The reunion was held in the
John McGonagle, a PRHA member and former
Kaman test pilot, did much of the initial reunion legwork, research and
coordination. He has since moved on to
another position with Lockheed, again testing helicopters. George Haliscak and Frank Gallagher, also
Kaman test pilots, picked up where John left off.
Our central location was the Marriott
Hartford/Windsor Airport hotel in
The large hospitality room was well
stocked with all the necessities needed to facilitate a welcoming atmosphere
for the PRHA members, their spouses, and guests. Many of the members brought their Pedro or
other military mementos for display. We
all spent time looking though the photograph albums, watching video
presentations on laptops or just sat around discussing the past, present and
future. We came up with solutions to solve all the world’s problems, but no one
was asking for our input. It was a
low-key reunion and by all accounts, a very successful one.
While some of us arrived a couple days
early to make sure that everything was taken care of, registration began in the
hospitality room on Thursday, 3 Aug, and continued late into the evening. It was great to greet and meet old and new
friends as they came into the room.
Friday was the day for our visit at
Kaman—and what a visit it was, even though the temperature was in the high 90’s
and a humidity to match. While George
Haliscak conducted the group on a tour of the KAC facilities, its aircraft, and
hangars, Frank Gallagher gave a flight demonstration in the Huskie. When Frank hit the starter button and we
heard the igniters snap and the T-53 turbine wind up, the group had a myriad of
emotions. Most had not heard those
sounds for nearly 35 years or more. Sure
brought back a lot of memories. Almost
everyone had their camera out taking pictures of a hovering, flying, or
autorotating H-43. Many of us mentally
graded Frank on his performance, and he did pass.
Frank and George also gave briefings on
the K-Max and the Sea Sprite. After this
portion of the tour was completed, Kaman treated us to a lunch in their
cafeteria. It was during this lunch that
one of our members and former pilot, Nathan Greene, introduced a friend of his
from back in their
Nathan was on Pedro alert and was
scrambled for the mission. Pedro arrived
on scene some time later as Bruce was floating in his LPU awaiting rescue. As Pedro went in and made the hoist pickup,
this rescue was photographed by another rescue bird also on scene. It isn’t too often that we have a
photographic record of any rescue. Bruce
and Nathan went their separate ways other over the ensuing years but were able
to make contact earlier this spring—some 35 + years since they last saw each
other. Bruce and his wife Sharon were
Nathan’s guests and the reunion and we all appreciated their story.
On Saturday, the majority of the attendees
made their way to the New England Air Museum (NEAM),
While the museum tour was taking place,
about 10 wives made their way into
Saturday evening culminated in the banquet
which included, once again, the POW/MIA ceremony. PRHA’s former president and his wife, Bob and
Vicki Gerstenberg, made a POW/MIA banner on a white background, which was used
during the ceremony. As in previous
reunions, this ceremony was very moving to many of the members. Frank Gallagher was our evening’s speaker and
he gave us the complete rundown on Kaman’s current posture and what it plans to
accomplish in the future. Not only was
he informative, he was also articulate and humorous.
It was during our KAC tour that two of the
Kaman employees, Alice Leong and Scott Zeno, took many photographs of the group
as it toured. Scott and Alice put
together a great photographic CD of those pictures and also several large
photographs of the group in front of the KAC H-43 Huskie. These large photographs were given out as
door prizes to the winning ticket holders.
During the Saturday PRHA business meeting,
the group decided to hold an official reunion every two years and an unofficial
one jointly with the Air Rescue Association during the off-years. Len Shults has offered to host our next
official reunion in 2008 in
All in all, this reunion was a resounding
success and we look forward to those in the future.
Sincerely,
John
Christianson
President, PRHA