SpiritofFlight:AYear-In-ReviewEdition ByDeniseDeGregoire

SPIRIT OF FLIGHT: A YEAR-IN-REVIEW EDITION, WITHA CLOSER LOOKATA LOCAL HISTORICAL GEM

By Denise DeGregoire

A Year-In-Review filled with inspiration, history, and education:

This past year proved to be a very exciting and informative year which was filled with fabulous aviation destinations including wonderful museums, lessons in STEM, STEAM, and STREAM, along with my having a chance to watch history-in-themaking as 19-year-old World Record Holder, Zara Rutherford became the youngest female pilot to circumnavigate our globe solo in a microlight. Last year Zara departed out of Belgium on a mission to inspire young women and girls to follow their dreams – even if those dreams may seem far off. Through her solo trip around the world, Zara set out to encourage girls to learn to fly which will help to narrow the gender gap in aviation, while continuing to advocate for the study of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) which has since evolved to STEAM and STREAM with the addition of arts and reading that helps balance the hard sciences with creativity and the ability to read, give, and understand the importance of precise and varied instructions.

I had the opportunity to meet Zara on the tarmac after witnessing one of her historic landings at the Palo Alto Airport (PAO), which sits in the heart of Silicon Valley. Last year I predicted Zara would be choosing Stanford, which she did, after she flew over this magnificent campus in her decent to PAO, located eight miles north of Moffett Federal Airfield; also known as Moffett Field and is part of NASA research center. Moffett Field is part military and part airfield for private use. Moffett Field also is home to the Moffett Field Historical Society Museum, MFHS, which sits at the south end of the iconic Hangar One –built to house the USS Macon airship.

Some of the other highlights of this past year included: • Girls In Aviation Day at the San Carlos, Calif., Airport (SQL) organized by amazing female pilots such as Ana Uribe Ruiz who is also a Jefferson Award Winner for Public Service, mentor, and author. Ana expressed that, “The aviation industry needs to have more women professionals.” Female and Latina pilots like Ana are often talking and presenting in schools about aviation, its relationship to STREAM and being able to inspire the future generation of pilots. Mentorship is key so the next generation will take us further into the aviation and aerospace industry.” I once asked Ana why she loves to fly. Her response was simple, “Why? The view and the space you are in. Nothing better than looking outside and being able to fly, a bird’s eye view. That’s what I see!” • A fun and informative mentoring event at San Carlos Airport, which hosted an educational program with the help of champions like pilot Ana Uribe Ruiz, Ames Samelu “Sam,” a Women in Aviation, International (WAI) member, and Co-founder of Captain of Lives Foundation, along with Co-Founder Sandra Clifford, which mentors a diverse group of girls. These three women, along with the help of retired Captains Richard “Butch” Pfeifer and Carl Mauck, graciously opened the San Mateo Air Squadron hangar to the group for a tour and lessons in navigation. It was a wonderful day of education, experience, and opportunity for these curious girls to talk about the importance of leading by example as they worked with compasses, maps, and enjoyed a lesson in “How A Compass Works,” by Pilot, Daniel Ruiz. • On any given day you can hop in your car or plane and make your way south from the mid-peninsula following the mountain ranges and coastline while discovering the many treasures and little towns dotted along the way… As you make your way between the San Francisco and Monterey bays you will find an array of art, agriculture, microclimates, math, science, history, great food and wine, remarkable stories, and museums.

Along with mentorship and fun destinations, aviation and other museums were the highlight of this past year. I love getting lost within the history, knowledge, and stories that museums hold –especially chatting with long-timers who have a wealth of knowledge and experiences to share. • Wings of History Museum at the San Martin Airport is where you may get a glimpse of a Skydiver parachuting in for a landing while looking at the museum’s vintage planes, tanks, and other military vehicles courtesy of Eagle Field Foundation that are parked outside the museum hangars. As you are warmly welcomed by a docent, like Lia Peterson who offered her time and extensive knowledge, you can meander through the different hangers that house artifacts and historical treasures in aviation. My museum tour began in the Ole Fahlin Memorial Propeller Shop as Lia walked me through the process of wooden propeller manufacturing, which is actively in use at the Prop Shop today. • Domini Hoskins Black History Museum & Learning Center was a discovery to say the least. Inspiring! “Hand Down The History” and other influential statements were among the first things I noticed as I read the welcome sign and walked into the building. I was awe struck by the beauty that had been transformed within the walls of this 22,000square-foot grand space that popped-up in Redwood City. • A few miles from the Watsonville Airport is the Pajaro Valley Art (PVA) gallery. PVA is a non-profit visual arts gallery founded to promote and foster home grown cultural arts. PVA has a beautiful mission, “Bringing the community together through arts.” • I recently re-discovered what Hiller Aviation Museum at the San Carlos Airport has to offer and look forward to continuing to enjoy all that this spectacular museum houses for kids of all ages, from 40-plus unique aircrafts, to enjoying hands-on activities such as Invention Lab, Drone Plex and Flight Sim Zone. Another highlight is seeing Zara Rutherford’s new display within “Women in Aviation!” As President and CEO, Jeffrey Bass stated, “At Hiller Aviation Museum, one of our highest priorities is to nurture the aviation dreams in our young visitors allowing them to explore STEM subjects and deepen their understanding of how the physical world works and how the dream of flight is made into reality.”

A Closer Look…

My most recent museum discovery is the Moffett Field Historical Society Museum, MFHS, that is situated on Moffett Federal Airfield along the San Francisco Bay. In 1991, I watched the Blue Angels fly over Hangar One during an amazing airshow. Hangar One is one of the world’s largest freestanding structures, covering eight acres. In 2011, I watched as the external skin was removed, and now, after a detoxifying cleaning, the outer skin is being placed back on!

Early in November, I visited the Moffett Field Historical Society Museum on three different occasions – the last

Continued on Page 18

Moffett Museum (Denise DeGregoire)

Chris DeGregoire and retired veteran at Moffett Field. (Denise DeGregoire)

Dog tag machine. (Denise DeGregoire)

Vintage Army and nurse uniform. (Denise DeGregoire)

Spirit of Flight

Continued from Page 17

being on Veterans Day while my husband, who is an Army veteran, and I had the pleasure of touring not only the magnificent indoor facility but the gated and partially camouflaged outdoor area as well, as we stood near the iconic Hangar One.

As I walked into the museum, I was struck by the vintage Army and nursing uniforms, and pictorial displays that provide a broad overview of Moffett Field’s earliest days with history dating back to 1939. Here you can read how America lead the way with advanced technology such as electronic warfare that pronounced America’s role in defense that extended into the modern era. I enjoyed seeing the large “typewriterlike” Dog Tag machine, which is still used today in the museum to make Dog Tags for guests of the museum and I was thrilled to see the portraits of Brigadier General, James “Jimmy” Stewart, as well as seeing the impressive display room for Hangar One and the USS Macon.

The museum sits at the south end of the massive and iconic Hangar One, which was originally built to house the USS Macon. Eighty years ago, the U.S. Navy’s last great airship crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared off the coast until it was later discovered 1,500 feet below the surface of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary at Big Sur in 1990.

Through its Ames Research Center, NASA is the custodian of Moffett Field. Its history dates to 1939, when the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) acquired 62 acres from the Army. Items from NASA’s experimental flight-

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Order direct or from your favorite pilot supply Hangar One at Moffett. (Denise DeGregoire)

USS Macon display. (Denise DeGregoire) testing, wind tunnel experiments, and space flight simulation are on display. The airfield is now being leased to Google, which has begun making ‘blimps’ as well as their many other endeavors.

The museums mission is three-fold: 1.First let’s DISCOVER. The MFHS is currently rebuilding one of six gondolas in the world that once operated a World War II K-type blimp (K-ship). 2.Now let’s PRESERVE. Artifacts and relics from the 1930s to today are on display to help tell stories of wartime, peace, and innovation. 3.It’s up to us to EDUCATE. The museum has everything from artifacts to books to flight simulators. Learn about the dozens of Army, Navy, and NASA aerial vehicles that took to the skies from Moffett Field, and more!

If you are interested in history –especially the history of the San Francisco Bay Area and its important role in aviation history and national defense –the Moffett Field Historical Society Museum, located in the heart of Silicon Valley, will fascinate, educate, and capture your imagination. Exhibits are organized by significant eras of history, starting with the early 1930s.

“From Lighter than air, to faster than sound, to outer space… Visiting the Moffett Field Museum is an educational and fun activity for the entire family!”

Take Care & Fly well.

Denise

Stay tuned…

Editor’s Note: In last month’s Spirit of Flight column, a photo caption on page 39 identified Mr. Jeffery Bass as Jess Bass. Our apology to Mr. Bass. We regret the error.