Leroy “Stringer” Perry completed his fini flight on April 30, 1997. Stringer flew F-102 Delta Daggers, F-4D Phantoms and F-15 Eagles with the 199th Fighter Squadron. As usual, there were many Hawaii Air National Guard members and retirees present for post-flight activities.
HIANG members and retirees in the photographs include: Walter Kaneakua, Jeffrey “Spreadmo” Weidner, James “Bat” Drake, Kenneth “Dusty” Sussell, Christopher “Frenchy” Faurot, Michael “Boss” Tice, Daniel “Stoney” Stone, Joseph “Primo Joe” Ah New, James “Gooch” Haruguchi.
Fini Flight – A pilot’s last flight in the aircraft before they leave a squadron, a wing, or retires.
“Fini” flights are the symbolic end of an aviator’s flying career. The final flight usually coincides with a retirement but sometimes the individual is moving to a non-flying position. For the aviator, it is an emotional day shared with family, friends, and squadron mates.
It’s assumed that the tradition of fini flights came from the U.S. Army Air Force days of the World War II era.
They were designed to accompany milestones in the career of the entire aircrew, respected individuals of rank or repute, or a commander’s departure to another command or retirement.
The tradition was first officially noted in Vietnam, when the aircrew commemorated the completion of 100 missions. While the 100th safe last-landing was a reason to celebrate, it is now usually a separate flight altogether marking the final activity before departure.
The celebration has evolved and now includes champagne or similar, a toast and dowsing with water from a fire truck for the aircraft and aircrew. Usually, family or families of the departing aircrew or personnel also meet them on the hardstand and douse them with water.
From the Frolic Hawaii website
The two leaders were never in doubt. Chinatown icons Sing Cheong Yuan Bakery and Royal Kitchen dominated our reader poll from the start—but while the Maunakea Street favorite emerged with a strong lead in early voting, in the end it was the tiny takeout counter at the edge of Chinese Cultural Plaza that won out.
The results of our first survey of Honolulu’s manapua-scape since the closures of Char Hung Sut and Libby Manapua reveal a top echelon that’s very similar to Our Top 5 Manapua ranking of nearly eight years ago. The rest of the scene is a mixed bag, with readers’ fourth- and fifth-ranked choices garnering single-digit percentages of the 1,200 total votes. Write-in choices included a wide assortment of Chinese restaurants, two Vietnamese eateries and a ramen shop. The top write-in pick? U-Choice In outside Don Quijote on Kaheka Street.
So which shops make O‘ahu’s favorite manapua? Read on for the results.
Your kidneys process everything you eat or drink, including anything that’s bad for you, like lots of fat, salt, and sugar. Find out how to keep these important organs in tip-top shape.
The Vietnam War was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist government of North Vietnam against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. The conflict was intensified by the ongoing Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. More than 3 million people (including over 58,000 Americans) were killed in the Vietnam War, and more than half of the dead were Vietnamese civilians.
click on the photographs to enlarge
In 2002, the Hawaii Air National Guard began upgrading their F-15 engines to the newer Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220(E).
The 220 engine eliminated stall-stagnations and augmenter instability as well as doubling time between depot overhauls. Reliability and maintenance costs were also drastically improved, and the engine incorporates a digital electronic engine control (DEEC).
The “E” abbreviation from 220E is for equivalent. The abbreviation is given to engines which have been upgraded from series 100 or 200 to 220, thus becoming equivalent to 220 specifications. (Wikipedia)
John “JC” Chun provided the following photographs:
Photograph #1: several members of the engine conversion team: Richard Castaneda, Harley Kang, Peter Tan and Robert Dekine.
Photograph #2: JC served as the NCOIC of the engine upgrade project.
Photograph #3: the upgraded engine before installation in the F-15 Eagle.
Spring cleaning is a tradition deeply rooted in cultures around the world as a way to transition between seasons and clear away the soot, dust and clutter of a long winter indoors. For people of all ages, this practice comes with health benefits.
A cleaner house is better for the immune system, and can help in the removal of allergens, bacteria and even foodborne pathogens. It can also be a form of stress relief, and a way to stay active after being cooped up inside.
According to Sonya Edwards, the executive director of ESOP Realty, Inc., the nonprofit real estate arm of Cleveland-based Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging, for older adults, spring cleaning is also a great time to start fresh in checking any safety issues that have presented themselves since last spring.
“Spring cleaning and organizing has several benefits that go beyond having a clean, decluttered home, including preventing falls and injuries, avoiding illnesses and reducing your loved one’s stress and anxiety,” says Edwards. “There is no better gift for your loved one than a healthy, happy home.”
Here are just a few ways Edwards recommends getting started:
The Kūkā‘ilimoku is the official e-newsletter of the 154th Wing, Hawaii Air National Guard. The first issue came in September 1957 and continues as an e-newsletter today.
Today we feature the April 1965 Kūkā‘ilimoku issue. This issue includes the following stories:
* Operation Big Switch III underway
* Promotions: include Charles Tasaka, Warren Miura, Donald Beman
* Officer Changes
From the Medical News Today website
Normal blood pressure is vital to life. Without the pressure that forces our blood to flow around the circulatory system, no oxygen or nutrients would be delivered through our arteries to the tissues and organs.
However, blood pressure can become dangerously high, and it can also get too low.
In this article, we will discuss what blood pressure is, how it is measured, and what the measurements mean for our health.
We can’t explain exactly why, but astonishing things tend to happen aboard the 203rd Air Refueling Squadron’s historic aircraft, ‘Hoku 0329.’
While supporting a Central Command mission in 2016, Majors Kelly Church and Carrie Hironaka flew together aboard tail 60-0329. Their boom operator brought up a playful joke, saying “Maj. Church, someday, you’re going to be the next commander of the 203 ARS.”
The pair of friends laughed it off and Church snapped back, “Yeah… but only if Maj. Carrie is my DO.”
Years later, the boom operator’s witty prediction of her squadron’s leadership became a reality, with Lt. Col. Church in command and Lt. Col. Hironaka as director of operations.
Church attributes this story, to something he calls ‘0329 Magic,’ as the aircraft is renowned for pulling off a first-of-its kind maneuver which saved lives during the Vietnam conflict. On May 31, 1967, a skilled aircrew flew aircraft 0329 engaged in a tri-level refueling procedure in support of U.S. Navy aircraft which endured dangerously low levels of fuel.
The Stratotanker has been in service within the Hawai‘i Air National Guard since 1993 and is now slated retire as the first Stratotanker to be displayed by the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force on April 30.
If it ain’t broke, maybe you should fix it anyway.
That’s the message consumer advocates and insurance experts want you to hear about your home’s hidden dangers. Too often, they say, people put off relatively inexpensive repairs or improvements that could prevent significant damage, injuries or even death. While you can’t eliminate every potential hazard, some small moves can have a huge impact on home safety.
The Kūkā‘ilimoku is the official e-newsletter of the 154th Wing, Hawaii Air National Guard. The first issue came in September 1957 and continues as an e-newsletter today.
Today we feature the April 1973 Kūkā‘ilimoku issue. This issue includes the following stories:
* Standards of Conduct
* Awards
* Sports News
* Hawaii National Guard NCO Association announces establishment of awards
For years, doctors recommended people in their 50s start taking baby aspirin every day to protect against heart attacks and stroke. But in recent years, with new evidence of the possible harm of daily aspirin, health experts shifted those recommendations.
In major new guidance, an influential physician task force no longer recommends daily aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke among people 60 and older. Meanwhile, the new guidance said people 40 to 59 should only take it if they have a high risk of cardiovascular disease, and in consultation with a doctor. There is little benefit in continuing aspirin beyond the age of 75 years old, experts concluded.
The new guidance comes from the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), an influential physician group that helps guide medical best practices.
This undated photograph shows Gordon Martin at his retirement ceremony. It was a Sunday afternoon ceremony on the Ewa side of the Building 3400.
As technician, Gordon was a leader on the flightline during the F-102 Delta Dagger and F-4C Phantom eras. He retired early because of cancer challenges and passed on a few years later.
From the Military Times website
After more than two years of a COVID-19 pandemic-induced pause on Space Available travel, Defense officials have brought back the benefit.
Space-A allows eligible travelers to fly on military or military-contracted aircraft at little or no cost — if space allows.
Retiree News 