FROM THE PRESIDENT S DESK

HURRICANE HUNTERS NEWSLETTER Publisher E.R. Eaton Volume No. 7 Issue No. 2 Summer 2012 FROM THE PRESIDENT S DESK It is really hard for me to believe and realize how so many years have passed since being elected President. I used to think the old adage "time flies when you are having fun" was little more than a comment. Being a part of this great organization and group holds a very special place in my life. I am sure that the same hold true for you, otherwise, why would so many come so far so often to renew friendships that were made so long ago? Our reunion this year will be held in Myrtle Beach, SC, from October 01 thru October 04, 2012. There is so much to see and do in the Myrtle Beach area that the planning committee has decided that Tuesday October 02 will be an "At Will" day all day and night. We have decided, however, that if enough interest can be generated in the attendees that we will have a sign-up sheet in the ready room to attend the "Carolina Opry" as a group. We would get a group discount if we can get enough together- 15 or more couples. Myself, my wife Brenda and five other couples attended this show last May, and all decided this would be a great experience and opportunity for the membership to attend as a group. One thing to remember, so a word of caution. October is still within the hurricane season, so check before you leave home and be comfortable with what you find in the long range forecast for the Myrtle Beach area. At this time I don't foresee any problems based on the area's history. For the members not attending this year's reunion in Myrtle Beach, SC, I will be the bearer of bad news again. At the annual "All Hands" meeting on Wednesday October 03 at 10:00 AM, I am going to discuss the reason behind raising the Registration Fee to $25.00 per person. Also, we have held the line on the Formal Banquet fee to $25.00 for the past five years or more. If any of you have done any traveling in the last year or so, you are aware that State legislatures are increasing fees that are passed on to the traveling public. This is done so that "tourist" are making up shortfalls in state budgets. Hotels/Motels everywhere have "standard service fees" charges of 19% or more. Also, state and local charges add an additional 11% or more to the bill. We, as a organization, cannot absorb these fees and taxes. Therefore, in the future there will be a sliding scale for the Formal Banquet Dinner. It will increase the fee another $5.00 to $10.00 per person per choice. I know this is harsh because many, if not most, of the membership is living on a fixed income. I am very well aware of this fact. The increased fees will have to be put into place if we are to continue the function of the organization in the future. About Dues::: I know a lot of the members send in their annual dues included in their reunion registration signup. Some even include the next year's dues. We are a cash only organization, and as such, we have to record all cash income in the year for which it is intended and for what purpose. We cannot legally separate out dues from registration if it is included in one check for two separate functions. This is going to be an absolute must for now and in the future. So please, make your dues payable in a separate check, and in the memo section specify for which year the dues are for. If you are paying for a future year, we will hold that check until the January and deposit it in the year for which it is due. Because of the interest expressed by several members in holding the 2013 reunion the northern area of Florida, I would like to put forward to the membership that we hold it in the metro Jacksonville area. I would really appreciate it if a handful of the members that live in the area get together and form a See "From The President's Desk" on Page Two

PAGE TWO SUMMER 2012 NEWSLETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT S DESK Continued from Page One committee. The committee would scout out the hotels that are suitable to hold our reunion and accomplish this goal. If anyone is interested in getting on board, please call me at 770-251-9088 or e-mail at ereaton77@aol.coom. I am going to need a lot of help on this one as I haven't been in the JAX area in a least 15 years, and a lot has changed there. We started this year, 2012, with the "new" electronic version of the Newsletter. The organization is still having a few growing pains with the switch. As often as was stated in the past two years, please, please make sure we have your correct address and phone number, and especially your current e-mail address. We are still having problems with the membership keeping us informed of any, and I repeat, any changes to your status. We are getting numerous e- mail returned with the notation "e-mail undeliverable" due to faulty addresses. So please I beg you to get your personal information updated. If you are in any doubt at all, or would like to check to see if yours is correct, please e-mail our Treasurer at LBiddle@digitalexp.com or call 850 535 4933. On that note, as many of you know we have an official web-site www.navyhurricanehunters.com maintained by Rod Howell. The server that holds our site was damaged in a storm and a section of the web-site was totally lost to us. It was the Guest Sign in section that held all guest that have logged into our webpage for the last three years or so. That is not recoverable at this time. It is a very tragic lost to us. We will make every effort to restart this section. Please be a little patient as we get this section functioning again. I am looking forward to seeing and meeting everyone at this year's reunion in Myrtle Beach, SC. Until that time, may GOD Bless and hold you in His Grace. Ennis R. Eaton President US Navy Hurricane Hunters. Reunion Schedule Of Events Sunday, September 30 th, 2012 1400 Open Ready Room for Registration All Day Meet and greet Monday, October 1 st, 2912 1800 Wine and Cheese party Tuesday, October 2 nd, 2012 All Day At will: explore Myrtle Beach's attractions Wednesday, October 3 rd, 2012 1000 General Membership Meeting, All Hands 1730 Cocktail Reception, Cash Bar 1830 Annual Banquet Thursday, October 4 th, 2012 0900 Ready Room open 1100 Check-out and goodbyes 1105 Launch the Primary (MH-3 and Crew 1) HURRICANE HUNTERS, INC. A non-profit Florida corporation 501.c.19 PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT SECRETARY TREASURER OFFICERS NEWSLETTER EDITOR E.R. Eaton Juan Blanco James Evans Byron Biddle Wayne Ledbetter Paul Siverly Paul Tilson Paul Tilson Newsletter is published three times annually. Association dues are $25.00 annually payable on January 1 st or thereafter. Association address: Hurricane Hunters, Inc. P.O. Box 506 Vernon, FL 32462

PAGE THREE SUMMER 2012 NEWSLETTER TAPS It is with a heavy heart that we report the passing of the following member: The Landmark Resort Hotel, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, site of the 2012 Hurricane Hunters' Reunion. Make Your Reservations Now For Our 2012 Reunion This year's Hurricane Hunters Reunion is being held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, at the Landmark Resort Hotel, October 1-4, 2012. A block of 75 rooms have been reserved for us at very attractive rates. The room rates range from $43.00 per night for an interior view room up through seven levels of upgrades to deluxe oceanfront suites for only $65.00 per night. These rates include a $7.00 per night resort fee, but state and local taxes are extra. Each Hunter is responsible for making his own reservation, and that can be done by calling (800) 845-0658 and asking for "Advanced Reservations." Be sure to identify yourself as a Hurricane Hunter and request our special rate. Your room reservation is separate from your reunion registration which you will make by filling out the "Registration Form" on the last page of this Newsletter and mailing it in along with your check. The deadline for getting rooms at these rates is September 1, 2012 or when all 75 rooms have been taken, whichever comes first. The room reservations are on a "first-come-first-served" basis, so be sure to make your reservation early. The specific room types and rates per night are: Interior view room, $43.00; Oceanview room, $47.00; Oceanfront room, $52.00; Oceanfront efficiencies, $54.00; King angle oceanview suites, $52.00; Double angle oceanview suites, $54.00; Oceanfront suites, $63.00; and Deluxe oceanfront suites, $65.00. Kathryn (Katie) Fowler on April 27, 2012. Wife of CAPT Alfred Fowler US Navy (Retired). Then LT Fowler was serving as the Weather Officer when we lost the only plane in our history on Sept. 27, 1955. Katie was the rock that all the wives clung to at that tragic time. They were married for 66+ years. If anyone knows of the passing of any of our members or spouses, please contact our President E.R. Eaton at (770) 251-9088, ereaton77@aol.com, or our Newsletter Editor Paul Tilson at (321) 259-4811, paultilson@aol.com so that we recognize them in the Newsletter. Fellow 'Hunter' Played Key Role In Development Of US Manned Space Flight HMCS Arthur "Doc" Guntner, second from left with Senator John Glenn at the 50th anniversary celebration of Glenn's first space flight around the earth. Early in his Navy career, HMCS Art Guntner, better known to his fellow Hurricane Hunter friends as "Doc" played a key roll in the development of manned space flight for the United States. As a young sailor, "Doc" was assigned to the Aerospace Medical Research Department of the U.S. Naval Air Development Center, Warminster, Pennsylvania. There, he worked with the nation's See "Fellow 'Hunter' Played Key Role..." on Page Four

PAGE FOUR SUMMER 2012 NEWSLETTER Fellow 'Hunter' Played Key Role In Development Of US Manned Space Flight Continued from Page Three original seven Mercury astronauts to determine the limits of man's endurance to the rigors of space. "Doc" worked both as a technician, preparing the astronauts for the various physical experiments and also as a test subject, or as some may call it, a "guinea pig." combat. Since man had not yet ridden on a rocket nor experienced the extreme transition from the high "Gs" of rocket boost to the weightlessness of space, many experiments were performed to ensure man could survive and perform in such an environment. To help prove that man could safely go into space and return, "Doc" Guntner survived more than 350 rides in the gondola of the NADC centrifuge and endured up to 16 "Gs" on several of those rides. These tests were instrumental in NASA's development of space suits, procedures, and equipment within the spacecraft itself to ensure that man could safely go into space and safely return. By the time "Doc" arrived at VW-4, he must have thought that riding in a hurricane was a piece of cake. Art Guntner emerging from the centrifuge gondola after participating in a flash blindness test. One of the primary research tools at Naval Air Development Center, Warminster, (NADC) was the centrifuge, the world's lagrest, in which test subjects (people) were subjected to varying "G" loads and their many physical responses, including consciousness, were measured. The centrifuge was originally built for the Navy to test pilot's flight physiology under the stresses of flight and develop ways to counter those stresses so that the pilots of high performance aircraft could withstand the high "G" forces encountered in aerial Art Guntner in a Mercury space suit exits the gondola after a Mercury simulation high "G" test. In his retirement, "Doc" Guntner has become active with the Johnsville (Warminster) Centrifuge and Science Museum, where he was recently re-united with astronaut John Glenn and others he worked with in the early days of the Space Program. More information and a video featuring "Doc" can be found at www.nadcmuseum.org.

PAGE FIVE SUMMER 2012 NEWSLETTER U.S. NAVY HURRICANE HUNTERS Myrtle Beach, S.C. October 1 st - 4t h, 2012 Registration Form Last Name First Name Address Phone Number City State Zip Code E-Mail Address Spouse/Guest (s) Name Squadron (s) served in and years Price Number Total Registration Fee per attendee $25.00 $ Wine & Cheese Party (Oct 1) $15.00 $ Banquet Dinner Selection (Oct 3): Sliced Top Round of Beef $25.00 $ Breast of Chicken Cordon Bleu $25.00 $ Check Total for all Reunion costs $ ***************************************************************************************** Dues $25.00/year (Please enclose a separate check) $ Make all checks payable to: Hurricane Hunters, Inc. Mail this form and checks by August 25, 2012 to: Hurricane Hunters, Inc. P.O. Box 506 Vernon, FL32462