Vice President of Membership Report

Whiting Field: the Past and the Present

By LCDR Bill "WYLD Bill" Teal, USN Whiting Field: the Past and the Present

When thinking about how the past informs the present, there is no better place to go then back to the beginning. The beginning where you first strapped on a helicopter, where you first broke free of gravity’s bonds and where you hovered for the first time (mostly inside the box). Of course I’m talking about Whiting Field, and for many of us, we wouldn’t have gotten to the present without our past in those little orange and white helicopters, the mighty TH-57 Sea Ranger.

The past provides perspective, context and sometimes wisdom (even in Naval Aviators). You have that perspective, some a little more than others, but as an NHA Member you have committed to share that perspective with the next generation. You share that through sea stories at the I-Bar or in the ready room, maybe through an article in Rotor Review, or maybe you have a chance to share it on the back-porch at Whiting Field.

But, as we look to the present and the Fleet Fly-In at Whiting Field, a new orange and white helicopter is ready to mold future Rotory Wing Aviators. The TH-73 Thrashers are starting to fill up the lines on the tarmac, and the first class of students have already started. The future is now, and it comes with different experiences, different procedures, and a different future for those who learn to fly in it. But no matter what platform we fly, our connections to each other, and the past, makes us stronger today and will make us stronger in the future.

So join us for the next NHA event, whether it is the Gulf Coast Fleet Fly-in at Whiting Field or your next regional event. But make sure you find that nugget and impart some of your wisdom, or at least a good bar recommendation for their next cross country event.

Keep your turns up, WYLD Bill