Signal Charlie CAPT Dick Catone, USN (Ret.) following a memorial service for a fellow helicopter pilot, is credited with the following statement: “I guess we are all in the starboard delta waiting for Signal Charlie.” Starboard Delta is the holding pattern for the airborne Search and Rescue helicopters on the starboard (right) side of the aircraft carrier. They fly at a low altitude so as not to interfere with the fixed-wing aircraft recovery pattern, and only land when the last fixed-wing aircraft is safe on board. When tower calls the helicopter to pass “Charlie” to a landing spot, the crew knows the fixed-wing recovery is complete, all is well, and it is time to come back. Hence, the statement appears appropriate that someday we will receive our own “Signal Charlie” and will be called home for a final landing. Signal Charlie has been created to inform our membership and honor the passing of fellow unrestricted aviators. It is only as good as the information we receive. If you have an obituary or other information that you would like to provide concerning the passing of a shipmate, co-worker, or friend of the community, please contact the NHA National Office at signalcharlie@navalhelicopterassn.org and we will get the word out.
e e
CDR John Charles “Jack” Macidull, USNR (Ret.)
L
TJG Macidull became a Naval Aviator on September 16, 1968 at HT-8, NAS Ellyson Field, Pensacola, Florida. LTJG Macidull is Navy Helicopter Pilot Designation Number # R-10059. Commander John C. Macidull USNR (Ret.) passed away peacefully in the night on August 12, 2023 at his home in Hayes, VA. He was 79 years old. “Jack” was born into a military family on February 17, 1944 in Philadelphia, PA; his father Joseph Macidull was a Colonel in the U.S. Army. Jack graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1967 where he excelled as an aero engineering scholar taking many elective courses, and also as a 2nd tenor in the USNA Glee Club. After completing flight training in Pensacola, Jack was designated a naval aviator and a helicopter pilot in 1968. His first tour of duty was with HC-1 during the Vietnam conflict flying SAR in H-2s and H-3s. Jack made two WestPac deployments on aircraft carriers in 1969 and 1971 and performed combat rescues under challenging conditions. For these rescues he was awarded four Navy Commendation Medals with Combat V and also the Air Medal with Bronze Star for a night rescue in the Tonkin Gulf in poor weather and an inoperative doppler system. From HC-1 he served at NWC China Lake, CA, from 1971-74 as a weapons test pilot in fixed-wing and helicopter aircraft. He also performed a number of challenging rescues during this tour of duty including one high altitude rescue of a stranded injured hiker on Mount Whitney at 13,000 feet altitude for which he received an Air Medal. In civilian life, Jack worked as an aerospace engineer with several companies beginning in 1974 with Teledyne-Ryan Aeronautical Company in San Diego, CA where he helped develop drone aircraft and other aircraft types. In 1979 he began work as an accident investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board. He became a senior aircraft engineer/investigator for NTSB investigating many accidents, perhaps most notably working on the team that investigated the Space Shuttle Challenger accident. One of nine books he published was about that disaster and it was entitled, “Challenger’s Shadow.” In 1990, Jack retired from the Naval Reserve with 20 years service. After his retirement from Civil Service in 1994 as a GS15, Jack’s main pursuits were travel, music, Annapolis reunions and authoring books on a variety of subjects. Six of his books are available on Kindle. Jack eventually retired to Hayes, Virginia with his wife Eva, where they have enjoyed the past 20 years in their home on Chesapeake Bay. Jack was predeceased by his parents Joseph and Mary Macidull and his brother Boyd Macidull. He is survived by his wife Eva Marie; sisters Joan and Madeline Leigh, step-daughter Sierra, and step-granddaughter Eliana. Fair Winds and Following Seas Commander Rotor Review #162 Fall '23
90
