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 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. CAPT Roger William Lloyd, USN (Ret.)
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APT Bill Lloyd was buried at Miramar National Cemetery on December 3rde followed by a Celebration of Life at the Elks Lodge in El Cajon (
CDR David V. Stoddard, USN (Ret.)
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DR David V. Stoddard, USN (Ret.), 73, died peacefully in the company of his children on March 30, 2021, after battling a long illness. David was born in 1948 in San Francisco to Gordon and Katherine Stoddard. He attended college and was commissioned as an officer at The United States Naval Academy in 1970. David went on to serve his country as a tactical helicopter pilot, retiring in 1990. He and his family settled in Ponte Vedra Beach where he and his wife, Donna, raised their children, Jeffrey and Jennifer, while running a successful computer software development company. David is preceded in death by his loving parents and his wife, Donna. He is survived by his brother, Michael; son, Jeffrey (Elizabeth); daughter, Jennifer (Brian); and six grandsons, Easton, Jack, Asher, Hayden, Evan, and Blake. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to be made to the veterans support group of your choice. Services were held on Saturday, April 17, 2021, 10:00 am at Ponte Vedra Valley Cemetery. CAPT William “Bill” Roop, USN (Ret.)
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APT Bill Roop, USN (Ret.), former CO of HS-12, passed away Thursday evening, October 21, 2021 in San Diego from complications suffered in a fall at home during the previous week. Fair Winds and Following Seas. A Memorial Service will be held on USS Midway on December 11, 2021 at 11:30.
Rotor Review #154 Fall '21
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