I got my wings in summer of 72, through the Helo pipeline. No fleet seats available so stashed at Naval Air Station Cecil Field flying the station C1, S2, and T 28. Went to VRC 40 at NAS Norfolk to get qualified in the C1. Cecil Field ops officer assign me as the arresting gear officer with a crusty old E9 to take care of everything, so he said go fly those three airplanes as much as you want. I loved the T 28 and flew from Cecil down to NAS Key West for lunch almost 3 times a week. You guys in Jacksonville heard about me and so  every once in a while you would fly your H-1 over to Cecil and give me some helo flight time. After a year and a half fleet seats opened up in helos so I was sent to the RAG at HS-10 and then to HS-8. My primary flight training in 1971 was at VT-1 Saufley Field, with plenty of bounces at Summerdale. I'm pretty sure I did my solo there with the instructor standing under the trees. As you said good memories.

CDR Lindsay Blanton, JR USN (RET)


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On Friday, November 14th, 2025 at 4:03 PM, randall abshier <abshierr@cox.net> wrote:
‘71, was logging almost 100 hrs per month at SAR Jacksonville; H-34, H-1, T-28, S-2, C-47, C-131, and the HU-16 Seaplane. Great two years, almost 2000 hrs,  before going HS-15 pre-com and the first SH-3Hs. Did VT-1 Saufley in ‘68 as a AOCS cadet before commissioning. First reverse flow class. Our solo flights were out of Saufley down to  Summerdale for t/g bounces-sometimes bounces were harder than others. That Fri gathered in BOQ courtyard for tie cutting. Not allowed into O’club as cadets like the Ens/JGs ceremony. Great memories! Nothing beats “fly Navy”.
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On Nov 14, 2025, at 12:22, mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com wrote:



Wow Don, that is a great bit of Inside Baseball. Watched all the BBC drama on this topic over the years but never really new anything about her first husband.  Thanks for that addition….mgb

 

From: Donald Steuer <steuerfamily@aol.com>
Sent: Friday, November 14, 2025 12:10 PM
To: mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com
Cc: HeloBubbas <helobubbas@helobubbas.com>
Subject: [Helobubbas] Re: VT-1 Solo Instructors-Summerdale, AL

 

Earl Spencer went on to be the first CO at NASNI (then called NAS San Diego). He was the first husband (1916-1927) of Wallis Simpson. He and Simpson divorced and she later she went on to marry King Edward the VIII after he had abdicated the throne of England.



On Nov 14, 2025, at 10:48 AM, <mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com> <mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com> wrote:

 

This picture reminds me of Summerdale in Fall of 1971 where you did your solo flights in the “Tiny Winny.”   The instructor would get out and sit in the shade adjacent to a small building like this in the center of the old airfield and keep track of their students in the pattern……..I suspect the picture if someplace more central to Pensacola, but the same principal…..waiting to fly or keeping track of your students…mgb

 

 

CDR Mike Brattland, USN (Ret.) mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com

Admin/Moderator SanDiegoCarGuys List & Calendar of Events

619 454-0496  ’38 Willys 2 Dr Sedan

 

 

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