national buccaneers newsletter · other time in the history of buccaneer luncheons. what does this...

National Buccaneers NewsletterNational Buccaneers NewsletterMarch, 2021

Prez Captain Stan Sez

Once again, as your President and Vice-President, we remain committed to the continued safety of our members and are taking precautions to protect those same members from the spread of Covid-19.

This includes changing the “THE LAST BASH IN BOCA” one last time to October 15, 16, and 17, 2021 in Boca. Coincidentally, that weekend is the date NATIONAL AIRLINES flew their first scheduled flight out of St. Petersburg, Florida.

Bob and I cherish the opportunities to connect with all of you at “THE LAST NAL BASH IN BOCA.” However, we do not want to put anyone’s health at risk as circumstances around Covid-19 evolve.

See the next page for a note from our vice-president with additional information.

Any questions, please contact:Stan Barfield, Pres.: 352-362-0454Bob Pierson, Vice Pres.: 770-328-6351

Looking forward to seeing you

OCTOBER 15–17, 2021

Officers are:President / Treasurer: Capt. Stan Barfield

VP/Convention Chair: Bob Pierson

Bob PiersonStan Barfield

Past President:Capt. John Wentworth and

Linda Wentworth

Return of the Ocala Luncheon, February 10th, 2021

The 2020 summer hiatus morphed into a yearlong, + or –, event culminating in a regrouping in February at our normal Ocala location. I leave it to you to do the mental gymnastics required to come to a reason-able conclusion as to the reasons for this happening. I take my hat off to, and thank Stan Barfield for, staying with this program and bringing us back together.

We were met with a somewhat refur-bished restaurant and many new faces on staff. I felt that the “welcome back” [cont.]

Convention Updateby Bob Pierson, Convention Chairman

was our Buccaneer President and CFO, Stan Barfield. F/E Peter Davison joined us. It was good to see him again after so many years! And our own Chuck Oliveros came with a friend from FedEx, Don Thompson. Our group was rounded out by Frank Savino and Enrique (Henry) Lanz.

It was great seeing everyone again and I/we thank you for coming out and being with us! Our next get together will be on March 10th.

Until then, be well everyone!!!—John and Linda

was given with sincerity and a desire to please. The Covid precautions seem rea-sonably well thought out and executed, thus giving a comfortable ambiance for our event. Total security is elusive, but I am satisfied with the venue’s protective efforts.

As an historical aside, Linda and I were the first to arrive. If recollection is accurate this has only happened one other time in the history of Buccaneer Luncheons. What does this mean? Abso-lutely nothing, I just wanted Dan Pierce, who was another earlier arrival to know that we could do it. Steve Mills and Kay Strauss were among the first arrivals, as

Due to the mask enforcement an-nounced in January, it appears this man-date will run till the end of April. Since our Convention was slated to begin on May 14, my thinking is to move the dates one last time. Having just spoken with the Embassy Suites in Boca we have elected to resched-ule the Convention for October15-16-17. I am hopeful that by then all Covid restric-tions will have been terminated.

I am deeply sorry for this change, but as Stan and I have stated all along, we want everyone attending to feel comfortable be-ing there. As before, the hotel has advised me that all of your previous reservations will be moved over to the new dates, so there is nothing you need to do if you already have made them.

Our go-to gal, Carolyn, has still not been recalled. When she is, I will advise you all. If you are planning to attend and have not yet made your reservations, I would hold off until after June 1 when, hopefully, she will be back to work.

If you have any questions please feel free to call either me or Stan.

Bob Pierson / Convention Chairman: 770-328-6351Stan Barfield / President: 352-362-0454

Scenes from the Ocala Luncheon, February 10th, 2021

Former NAL flight attendant, Beth Schwalbert, wife of deceased Capt. Greg Schwalbert, has hit some rough times recently and could use our prayers and thoughts. She fell ill in September with what she thought was pneumonia, but tests revealed it was lung cancer. They also found she had a small tumor on her brain. The tumor was removed but caused blood clots and blockage in her left leg.

Treatment was unsuccessful and the left leg was removed below the knee. She is currently back at home on the Keys and is undergoing chemo and waiting for the leg to heal enough to get a prothesis. She has an excellent support team and a great attitude to get her over the rough spots. Our thoughts, prayers, and words of encouragement are welcome.

Beth Schwalbert: [email protected]

If you are interested in a Franklin Picnic this year please read this, it’s important!

The last weekend of August is being looked at as a time to hold the picnic. However, in order to proceed, we need your input! We need to know how many people are seriously interested. The venue remains the same as does the basic program. The hotel cost however has gone to $140/night but that is all taxes included. In order to solidify plans, we need you to contact Dick Walker by phone or email and let him know that you are, in fact, interested in attending. It only takes a few moments to let him know so he can plan. If no responses come forth then the picnic will most likely not happen. We need your response ASAP!!!

I, for one, would love to see you all again, and I know that sentiment is shared far and wide. Please folks, step up to the plate and act now !!!

Dick Walker: 850-566-8370, [email protected]

The Franklin Picnic, 2021by John Wentworth

Thoughts for a Friendby Hart Kelley

Going forward with the Mystery Section we need to have all the

“guesses” submitted by the 25th of each month. If we receive a guess after the 25th, I’ll give a shout out the following month.

Email me with your answers! Hart Kelley

[email protected]

For March, you get an easy one and one a little more difficult. The airport should be a snap

for all, but you might have to dig a bit for the little tail dragger.

Hint: It’s an old homebuilt.

March’s Mystery Airport and Airplane

The normal, motley group was ready to go after a few months’ layoff and jumped right back in where we left off. February was pretty easy and all who sent in guesses got it right on the first try. Vince Wynne, John Wentworth, Linda and Bob Spencer, Curt Briggs, Jim Gannon, Jerome Kline, and Alan Gee correctly identified both the Kansas City airport and the Avro 691 Lancastrian.

Bob Massey, Dusty Rhodes, Bill Bateman, and Jim Gettys all scored a single point identifying KMCI airport.

Gone but not forgotten

Lona Frame NAL/PAA Crew SchedulerDOB Sep. 16, 1929 • DOD Jan. 22, 2021

Longtime employee of National Airlines, Lona Frame, worked for several years in the Payroll Department before moving to Crew Scheduling. Lona died in an as-sisted living facility where she was under care of hospice. She was 91.

Our thanks to Mary Cahill-Daniel for notification of Lona’s passing, as well as her photo. Lona was

always pleasant and helpful dealing with Pilots and Flight Engineers and a good friend to us all.

Renda Joyce Mengle Mackey NAL/PAA Flight Attendant, wife of NAL/PAA Captain Keith MackeyDOB July 4, 1947 • DOH Mar. 2, 1979 • DOD Jan. 31, 2021

Renda Joyce Mengle Mackey, 73, passed away on January 31, 2021 in Ocala, Florida, after a long battle with leukemia. Born in Winter Haven, she spent her early years in Georgia and Alabama near various military bases where her father worked as a Supervisor of Flight Instructors. She graduated from Oak Ridge High School in Orlando and obtained her Airplane Private Pilot Certification while working in her father’s flight school.

Renda was employed as an Executive Assistant for Massey Ferguson when she met her future husband, Keith Mackey. She became a Flight Attendant for National Airlines and Pan Am where she had the opportunity for worldwide travel. She retired from the airlines in 1985.

Renda and Keith then ran Heliflight, a helicopter business in Fort Lauderdale. She obtained her Helicopter Pilot Certification and became a member of the “Whirly Girls,” a women’s helicopter pilot association. She helped grow the capabilities of the business and served as president for many years.

After selling the business in 2003, Renda and Keith moved to Ocala. They spent summers traveling in an RV to all the contiguous states and also traveled extensively in Europe and Asia. Her hobbies included gourmet cooking, design-ing and creating unique gardens, as well as interior design. She was a member of the Open Bible Lutheran Church in Oxford, Florida.

If anyone learns of the loss of one of our NAL family, please let Steve know at: [email protected]

Obits from Steve Mills

May their final flights West be fair of wind and free from turbulence.

Jim Many NAL/PAA Flight EngineerDOB 1937 • DOH Dec. 4, 1978 • DOD Feb. 16, 2021

Jim Many’s kind and courageous heart gave out on February 16th at 83. He had been disabled after a fall that may have been related to a stroke. Jim had made good recovery progress, regardless of compounded health difficulties. He was discharged from PB VA and transported to Martin Restorative Nursing to have physical therapy, life skills, and speech therapy. Jim was still fragile and was working to regain strength and mobility when he was diagnosed with Covid-19. By the next evening, Jim was in severe condition and was transferred to Martin Health, Cleve-

land Clinic to the Covid-19 E/R and ICU. He improved after 29 days of hospitalization and was returning to a physical therapy facility when he suffered complete heart failure. Jim had been enjoying his retirement years and leaves his friends and loved ones with many great memories.

Curt Mindel Orr NAL/PAA/UAL Pilot, US Navy VeteranDOB May 10, 1941 • DOH Sep. 8, 1969 • DOD Jan. 31, 2021

Curt touched the hearts and souls of many throughout all the chapters of his life that began on May 10, 1941, in St. Louis, Missouri. He attended the University of Missouri, and after graduation, while a forest firefighter in Idaho with the U.S. Forest Service, he met the love of his life, Robbie Blondeau. Curt then joined the U.S. Navy in 1964 to become a Naval Aviator and Leader with Robbie performing the honor of pinning Curt’s wings following completion of flight school. Curt and Robbie married soon thereafter.

Curt and Robbie created a home in South Florida beginning in 1969 and then a second home in Kalispell, Mon-tana, in 1981. Shortly after leaving the US Navy in 1969, Curt began his second aviation career as a commercial airline pilot first with National Airlines, then Pan Am, and United Airlines. Curt devoted all his heart and soul to his fam-ily. He was passionately committed to the art of flying, extraordinarily modest, perpetually selfless, fiercely protective, deeply caring, compassionate, and unwaveringly dependable.

LaVon Dean Wall NAL Early StewardessDOB June 12, 1924 • DOD Aug. 28, 2020

Born in Shelton, Nebraska, Lonnie grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. At the age of 22, Lonnie was a flight stewardess with National Airlines. She married her husband, Charlie Wall, in Miami on October 26, 1947. She was a resident of Blackhawk, California, and loved tennis, gardening, travel, and her pets, but most of all, she loved her wonderful neigh-bors and friends. She will be remembered for her smile, sense of humor, thoughtfulness, and happy spirit.

Our thanks to Mary Cahill-Daniel for notification of LaVon’s passing.

Our thanks to Steve Mills for this last NAL flight engineer list from 1980.

Last NAL Flight Engineer Seniority List

BUCCANEER MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL, 2021

Dues are $15

Name(s): ___________________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________

City, State, Zip: ______________________________________________

Phone Contact: _______________________________

E-mail Contact: _______________________________

Checks should be made to: National Buccaneers

Mail to: NAL Buccaneers Club c/o Stanley Barfield 8850 SE 7th Avenue Road Ocala, FL 34480-7277

The Buccaneers Need a Little Help by Stan Barfield

Over many years the NAL Buccaneers club has held our dues down to an absolute minimum. For the last couple of reunions, fees were set to barely cover costs and on occasion, there have been additional unexpected costs we paid for from the treasury. Keeping dues down and reunion costs low was a conscious effort to prevent residual funds when the Club closes. This being said, with the final reunion only a few months away, and our desire to put on a memorable bash, we are low on cash and need a lit-tle help. We don’t want to raise fees for the reunion which could adversely affect turnout, so we are asking any of you who are able, to send in a donation. We are not going to set any specific amount. Any amount will be appreciated from $5 to whatever you feel comfortable sending. Thanks in advance. Please make dona-tions to the NAL Buccaneers and mail to my address below.

national buccaneers newsletter · other time in the history of buccaneer luncheons. what does this...

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