Midsummer greetings to all of you! Several members have requested a
current address list so I have decided to make the summer edition the 'directory'
issue. Let me start with a report of the membership. The IAMFSP has 88
members on the books including a number of new members. Of the 88 members,
44 are current in their dues, 41 are delinquent and 3 have just joined
and the 'checks are in the mail.' This does not include those members who
I just deleted from the roster for nonpayment of dues since 1991. I figure
5 years is long enough for people to decide whether or not they really
want to be members and pay up their dues. I also took the liberty of hand
writing dues status on the last newsletter and that produced fairly good
results since just over half the membership is now current with their dues.
The members who are delinquent represent $950.00 in delinquent dues. For
the time being, I will carry them and continue to send newsletters with
appropriate annotations. It is perfectly possible for me to make errors
too so I want to make sure we don't drop anyone who is really interested.
Dues become due at AsMA each year so those of you who paid for '95 are
only 3 months out. The following list contains the names of those members
who are delinquent in dues and the last year they paid:
Note: See your printed newsletter for your current standing.
Dues are $10.00 U.S. Funds per year. For those members who are delinquent
for more than one year, just multiply the number of years by $10.00 and
remit to the address on the front of the newsletter payable to IAMFSP.
Now that I've done the unpleasant job of dunning the membership, here is
the address list. I have a request. If anyone has a current address for
Dr. Sam Puma, please let me know because I only get returned mail from
the address bequeathed to me.
The meeting was called to order by IAMFSP President CDR Dave Brown, USN at 1533.
The minutes of the 1995 IAMFSP Business Meeting were accepted as published in the Winter 1996 IAMFSP Newsletter by the members present.
CDR Dave Brown reported that the internet page he has created has had more than 50 hits which included a news request from Europe. He asks members to please make the task of filling out the internet questionnaire found in each newsletter a priority, it just needs to be completed, folded so the address shows, attached to a stamp and mailed. This is great publicity for IAMFSP and furthers our mission of providing service to the flying community.
The following financial report was submitted by LtCol Pete Mapes:
IAMFSP 1995 Financial Report
Item - Date - Amount
Dues from 95 Meeting $ 240.00
Savings Balance 1 Jan 96 $ 250.81
Savings Dividend 1 Jan 96 $ 1.30
Savings Balance 31 Jan 96 $ 252.11
Dues 21 Feb 96 $ 120.00
Savings Balance 29 Feb 96 $ 372.11
Dues 29 Apr 96 $ 100.00
Dues 2 May 96 $ 20.00
Savings Balance 6 May 96 $ 492.11
Checking Balance 1 Jan 96 $1,823.48
Postage (Newsletter) 24 Jan 96 $ 31.63
Reproduction (Newsletter) 9 Feb 96 $ 34.46
Dividend 1 Jan 96 $ 9.19
Checking Balance 29 Feb 96 $1,766.58
Reproduction (Newsletter) 2 May 96 $ 34.91
Checking Balance 6 May 96 $1,731.67
Organizational Accounts 6 May 96 $2,223.78
Two newsletters were sent to the membership in the preceding year and the
goal is to provide quarterly newsletters in the future. Delinquent dues
are a problem and the next newsletter will address this. The spring 96
newsletter will be mailed from the convention site for those who do not
pick up a copy at the Atlanta meeting. Copies of newsletters will be sent
to the AsMA Council.
Col (Sel) Roger Vanderbeek reported that the USAF Pilot-Physician Program
just completed a strategic planning summit. A summary of the results were
included in the Spring '96 edition of the newsletter. The program has eleven
participants:
LG Edgar Anderson - C-21 Bolling AFB
LtCol Lex Brown - F-117 Holloman AFB
Maj Delos Carrier - inactive Ft. Bliss
LtCol Pete Demitry - A-10 Brooks AFB
Major Corky Dillon - F-15E Seymour-Johnson AFB
LtCol Byron Hepburn - C-17 Charleston AFB
LtCol Pete Mapes - inactive Brooks AFB
Col Geoff McCarthy - inactive Wright-Patterson AFB
LtCol Bob Munson - Hawk RAF Farnborough (Moving From)
LtCol Tom Travis - Hawk RAF Farnborough (Moving to)
Col (Sel) Roger Vanderbeek - F-16 Bolling AFB
'Beek' also noted that there are lots of future pilot and navigator-physicians
in medical school to meet the future needs of the USAF.
LtCol Bob Munson reported that he is leaving the position he has held for
the last three years at RAF Farnborough. He and LtCol Tom Travis are exchanging
jobs. In fact, they are even exchanging addresses since Bob will be moving
into Tom's house in San Antonio. Bob reports that the RAF's Institute of
Aviation Medicine has recently broken up and divested itself of it's research
function. He reports that he has recently completed a 20 year review of
RAF mishaps and found that 17% of them involved spatial disorientation.
He further discovered that over half of the spatial disorientation mishaps
occurred during a change in phase of flight. Other researchers may want
to look for this in their data.
Bob further reports that the Medical Officer Pilot position has now taken
over the centrifuge training at Farnborough so Tom Travis can look forward
to that duty. Bob has been involved in the 'Eurofighter' and had the unpleasant
duty of pointing out incompatibilities between the 'Gentex' helmet and
the 'Eurofighter.'
LtCol Lex Brown followed up on his experience last year when he was called
out of the AsMA meeting at Anaheim to investigate a fatal F-117 mishap
in New Mexico. He is still assigned to Holloman AFB but is deeply involved
with spatial disorientation research and is currently working with spatial
disorientation and physiology researchers at Brooks AFB.
Captain Dave Hiland reported for the USN. They have had one dual-designator,
CDR Dave Brown (Our IAMFSP President), accepted by NASA as a mission specialist
this year. The USN is currently working on an official 'instruction', i.e.
regulation to govern their program. They have one physician in pilot training,
LCDR Kris Belland, who is sponsored by Admiral Bennett. The Navy is watching
3 helicopter pilots and one F-18 pilot who are now in medical school and
have expressed an interest in the dual-designator program. Besides CAPT
Hiland and CDR Brown, the Dual-Designator Program has 4 other pilots and
2 Naval Flight Officers. The pilots are CAPT Jim Baker, CAPT Jack Shield,
CAPT Bill Miller and LCDR Eric Schindler. The NFO's are LCDR Greg Paine
and LT Pat Boyle. Navy dual-designators are involved in training both RAMS
and Flight Surgeons for the Navy. Bill MIller is flying with the Operational
Test Squadron, VX-9, at both Point Magu NAS and China Lake. He is working
on an instrumentation project for the T-45.
LtCol Dave Salisbury reports that he is now posted to the Defense and
Civil Institute of Environmental Medicine (DCIEM). Dave expects to be deployed
to IFOR in Yugoslavia momentarily. LtCol Bob Banks is currently working
for the Life Support System
Project Office and is studying both the 'Push-Pull' effect on GZ
tolerance and Canada's 'Sting Suit' which is roughly the equivalent of
Combat Edge in the States. Dave Broderick has left active duty and Pat
Ceresia is assigned to DCIEM. The Canadian Military Medical Service is
currently under fire to reduce the active duty component to about 600 people
with all support and many operational billets moved to the reserves. All
military medical centers would be closed or converted to civil use and
the watchword has become
'not deployable equals not employable.'
Col Jan Linder from Sweden continues to fly fighters. The Swedish program has Major Matts Aldman in Swedish Army light helicopters and LtCol Eric Linden is a flight surgeon in jet trainers. Two applicants are now in the pipeline but three others have been turned down as the Swedish Air Force downsizes 25% and closes two of their eight bases. Col Linder knows of three former pilots studying psychology, one with more than 4,000 fighter hours. The SAF may try to utilize one or more of these individuals in advanced cockpit design.
Dr. Benjamin Kallner reports that the IAF has one active duty dual designated
pilot flying the F-16 who was the top graduate of his training class about
18 months ago. The other IAF active duty dual designator is a helicopter
pilot who is about to retire. The IAF has three reserve pilots who are
physicians but who fly as line pilots and have no military medical duties.
The active duty force does have two navigator physicians. One is an ophthalmologist
who studies laser eye injuries and flies in the F-16D, the other is a navigator
in the Boeing 707. The IAF has no dual designators in
the pipeline, the line recently turned down two applicants to the program.
IAMFSP members are encouraged to attend the International Congress of Aviation
& Space Medicine which will be held in Jerusalem from 8 to 13 September
1996.
LtCol Malcolm Braithwaite of the Royal Army Medical Corps introduced
Col Simon J. Durnford, RAMC who gave the following report. The Royal Army
Medical Corps requires all of its flight
surgeons to qualify as pilots in the helicopter training course given to
Royal Army pilots before they can be attached to the Royal Army Air Corps.
Currently twelve flight surgeons serve in the RAMC and all are both flight
surgeons and pilots! Among their many duties, they are responsible for
conducting in flight spatial disorientation training for the RAAC pilots
on a recurring basis. One of the RAMC flight surgeon-pilots is a woman.
(Ed. note: to my knowledge, this is the world's first woman pilot physician
- and I always thought Maj Allison Eke was a male - Sorry Allison). Col
Durnford promises an abbreviated history and detailed report of the RAMC
flight surgeons for an upcoming issue. The RAMC flight surgeon-pilots are:
Maj M. Adams Spec. Aviation Medicine* Bosnia
Col M.J. Von Bertele Commander, Medical York
LtCol M. Braithwaite USAARL, Exchange Officer Alabama
Maj P. Cain Masters Candidate Birmingham
Maj I. Curry 1st Regiment, RAAC*
Col S.J. Durnford HQ DAAVN* Hants
Maj A.J. Eke Sen. Spec. Av. Med.*
Maj M. Harrigan 3rd Regiment, RAAC*
Maj P. Johnson Sen. Spec. Av. Med. Farnborough
Maj A. Manton Flying Training (PTO)*
LtCol R. Thornton Commander, Field Ambul. Fry
Maj G. Streeter Spec. Av. Med.* Germany
* Denotes operationally flying.
(Ed. Note: Perhaps this is old news for some of our members but I was completely
enthralled by the RAMC use of flight surgeon-pilots. I really look forward
to Col Durnford's upcoming report.)
Dr. Joseph C. 'Chuck' Antonio reported that he remains current in T-33's and recently made a trip to France to conduct Night Vision Goggle (NVG) training in helicopters. He is working issues with handheld lasers in the cockpit and participated in recent FA-18 mishap investigations involving NVGs. He was also hired by the USAF to participate in a A-10 NVG related mishap at Eielson AFB in Alaska. This was particularly interesting since the pilot survived. This may be the first fixed wing USAF NVG related mishap.
Col Geoff McCarthy reported that the panel on cockpit human
factors which contribute to mishaps was extremely well received despite
the fact that it ran 30 minutes overtime. The audience of 95+ stayed for
the entire presentation. He noted that coordination could be improved.
No old business was brought before the meeting.
The organization was asked to lobby AsMA to make provisions for video
presentations during the annual scientific meeting. CDR Dave Brown and
Col Geoff McCarthy said that they would bring this before the AsMA Scientific
Program Committee.
Col. Geoff McCarthy volunteered to serve as chairperson of the IAMFSP Scientific
Program Committee and Dr. 'Chuck' Antonio volunteered to serve as his assistant.
Both were acclaimed unanimously by the assembled membership.
A motion was suggested to provide a tutorial on Night Vision Goggle Operations
for the 1997 Scientific Program. Suggested subtitles include the physics
of NVGs, cockpit lighting, mishap histories, operational applications and
presentations from various using organizations. This concept was accepted.
[See the related concept from Dr. 'Chuck' Antonio in this newsletter.]
CDR [President of IAMFSP] Dave Brown briefed the web page he has established
and noted that it is/will be compatible with upcoming improvements to the
AsMA web page currently being operated in Australia which will be moving
to Washington D.C. Dave noted the investment of $100 in software management
programs and a cost of $10/month to keep the web page operating. A motion
was made and unanimously passed to provide full financial support for this
endeavor. Dave asked all members to submit home page information updates
and to provide bibliographies of works published and presented. He also
cautioned members not to send in any data which was not for wide dissemination.
Photos are solicited as these may be scanned into the web page. Dr. Harry
Hoffman volunteered to assist Dave with the Web page since Dave's new NASA
duties will be very time consuming.
Dr. Benjamin Kallner proposed full membership for navigator-physicians
and other 'min-crew'-physician positions essential to the operational employment
of the aircraft type. This was not a
motion but will be submitted next year in motion form as an amendment to
the IAMFSP constitution. CAPT Bill Miller will work on this, CAPT Dave
Hiland volunteered LCDR Eric Schindler to serve as the USN representative
and LtCol Bob Munson was asked to be the USAF representative staffing this
issue.
The meeting was adjourned at 1725 hours.
Every year at Brooks AFB, in San Antonio, Texas, the USAF runs a month
long course for sponsored Health Professions Scholarship Program recipients
(US Medical Students sponsored by the Air Force who are not attending the
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences). The course is designed
to give students an orientation to the U.S. Air Force and expose them to
the range of activities undertaken by the U.S. Air Force Medical Service.
The program is currently run by a '95 graduate of the RAM program, Major
Matthew Krebbs, and by the reports of the participants he is doing a great
job.
During the first iteration of this course for 1996 (it is taught twice
each summer), four USAF pilots who are now in medical school were in attendance.
Three of them expressed interest in the IAMFSP so I'll take a moment and
provide some biographical material they provided to me:
2LT William C. Hook
A former B-52 instructor pilot, he is starting his second year of medical
school at the University of Michigan. A graduate of the Stanford University,
Bill has bachelor of science degrees in both Mechanical Engineering (1984)
and Biological Science (1985). He completed Undergraduate Pilot Training
in 1986 and was assigned to the 410th Bomb Wing at K.I. Sawyer AFB in the
upper peninsula of Michigan where he served until 1995 when the base closed
and he matriculated to medical school. Bill has 2,870 flight hours including
some combat time. He is married to the former Deborah Boucher of Escanaba,
Michigan and has three young children. He has expressed an interest in
the USAF Aircrew(Pilot)-Physician Program.
2LT Katheryn C. Hughes
A former T-38 instructor pilot(FAIP), she is starting her second year of
medical school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center where she is
her class president and a member of the Aerospace Medicine Student &
Resident Organization (AMSRO). A graduate of the United States Air Force
Academy class of 1988, Kathy has a bachelor of science degree in Biology
with a minor in Arabic Language Studies. She completed Undergraduate Pilot
Training in 1990 at Laughlin AFB, Texas and was selected as a First Assignment
Instructor Pilot. She stayed at Laughlin AFB until 1992 when she took an
assignment to Offutt AFB to instruct in the T-38 Companion Trainers (T-38's)
for the Accelerated Copilot Enrichment Program until 1993 when she became
a pilot in the RC-135 squadron at Offutt AFB. In 1995 she matriculated
to medical school at the University of Nebraska after declining an acceptance
to USUHS for fear of the administration closing it. She is married to Paul
Hughes and their current family consists of a 1963 Beechcraft Debonair
which has been upgraded with a fuel injected IO-540 and flies great. While
at Brooks, Kathy was instrumental in organizing private aircraft flights
for her classmates since the USAF no longer is providing incentive flights
for the HPSP students. She is extremely interested in applying for an Aircrew(Pilot)-Physician
position after meeting the program requirements.
2LT Gary N. Toups
Another former B-52 instructor pilot, Gary is starting his second year
of medical school at Louisiana State School of Medicine in New Orleans.
Commissioned via ROTC, Gary attended Undergraduate Navigator Training at
Mather AFB in California and Fighter Lead-In Training at Holloman AFB in
1982 before being assigned as a Weapon System Officer in F-111D's. He served
in F-111D's until April of 1986, acquiring 600 hours, before being selected
to attend Undergraduate Pilot Training at Columbus AFB, Mississippi where
he earned his pilot's wings in 1987. Remaining in the deep south, Gary
moved to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana where he was selected for instructor
status and served as a flying safety officer. Gary has 2,500 hours which
includes some combat experience. He is married and has three children.
He has expressed an interest in the USAF Aircrew(Pilot)-Physician Program.
Another course run at Brooks AFB is the Aerospace Medicine Primary Course
which provides the entry level training for all USAF flight surgeons. During
the spring course, 2LT Lee Harvis, who was completing his senior year at
the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, was in attendance. Lee
completed Undergraduate Pilot Training at Fort Rucker, Alabama and flew
over 1,200 hours in HH-53 'Jolly Green Giants' at Patrick AFB, Florida,
Keflavik, Iceland and Korea. He completed a Master of Arts Degree in Management
in 1987. He is currently serving his internship at Botsford General Hospital
in Michigan. He is very interested in the Aircrew(Pilot)-Physician Program,
the Residency in Aerospace Medicine and Emergency Medicine. Lee joined
IAMFSP this year and attended the AsMA Annual Scientific Meeting in Atlanta.
The following reports have been received since the last newsletter:
CDR William T. Busch reports from Camp LeJeune, NC that he serves as
the Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology and recently published
two works. One is titled 'The Essentials of Brow Lift Surgery' and the
other is titled 'Anterior Orbital Vaux: A Two Step Therapeutic Approach.'
He successfully completed Board Certification in Ophthalmology. He currently
has two aircraft in his personal stable: a 1943 N2S-5 Stearman and a 1952
DH100 Mk 6 Vampire.
LCDR Ed Feeks reports that he is beginning the U.S. Navy Residency in Aerospace
Medicine in July of 96.
CDR David B. Gillis has been selected to begin the U.S. Navy Residency
in Aerospace Medicine and will be recalled to active duty from the reserves
on 1 Jul 96 to commence that training. His first year will be at Johns
Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland where he will study for a Master
of Public Health Degree. He leaves his reserve position as a flight surgeon
with COMRESPATWINGPAT 0187 and his private anesthesiology practice in Berkley,
California.
CDR John R. Heil, USN reports that he now serves as Senior Flight Surgeon,
Naval Air Station, Mayport, Florida. He reports that he has an interest
in the history of the U.S. Navy's dual-designator program.
Maj Phil Lavallee has begun the USAF Residency in Aerospace Medicine and
will be studying for his Master of Public Health Degree in San Antonio,
Texas.
LtCol James L. Laub is the commander of the 60th Aeromedical Squadron at
Travis AFB, California. A USAF Navigator, Dr. Laub has recently joined
the IAMFSP.
Col Paul Lilly is leaving his position as the commander of the 95th Medical
Group at Edwards AFB for Wright-Patterson AFB and is in the market for
a good
used complex aircraft if anyone has any leads.
LtCol Pete Mapes reports that he just completed the Aerospace Medicine
Year of the USAF Residency in Aerospace Medicine and has just begun the
Occupational Medicine Year. He was awarded the USAF rating of Command Pilot
on 1 July 96.
Dr. Peter R. Nash retired from the USAF in 1992 and currently serves as
the Medical Director of Concentra West in Phoenix, Arizona and practices
occupational medicine.
Dr. David J. Snell was named as regional finalist for the 1996-97 White
House Fellowship. Maj. Gen. Michael Adams, USAFR(ret), also a IAMFSP member,
assisted with the application.
Major Allison Eke reports that she has recently moved to a new posting as Senior Specialist in Aviation Medicine, Aviation Branch, Headquarters LAND Command at Netheravon in Wiltshire. She writes that she will encourage her colleagues to join IAMFSP. Her colleagues include 2 Linx pilots and 7 Gazelle pilots who are all physicians. She wonders if she is the only female member of IAMFSP. (Ed. Note. - The USAF is grooming one who just joined IAMFSP, see the biographical note on 2LT Kathryn Hughes. Allison, however has the distinction of being the worlds first female flight surgeon-pilot unless someone else wants to submit a prior claim and she is definitely the first woman member of IAMFSP.)
During the business meeting it was decided to make NVGs the subject
for next year's panel and to format the session as a tutorial. In order
to do justice to the subject matter (as some
of it is fairly complicated), I believe we should request two sessions.
The first session should be tutorials and the second should be standard
presentations on current NVG problems/issues (e.g., F/A-18 pre-block 12
lighting modification, A-10 CAS TD&E,
NVG efforts in Sweden, etc.). The tutorials should be slightly longer than
the standard briefings (20 mins?) in order to adequately cover the subject
matter. A potential example of the
panel is given as food for thought:
Session I: A Tutorial on Night Vision Goggles
1. Design and Function
2. Compatible Lighting (internal and external)
3. Training
4. Mishap Investigation
Session II: NVGs: Operational Perspectives (these could be general
discussions on the status of NVG use in your country, a specific design
or operational problem, a research project, etc., but should be more than
a rehash of what is covered in the tutorial)
1. USN/USMC
2. USAF
3. Great Britain
4. Sweden
5. France
6. Israel
I have traveled to several countries giving NVG briefings (GB, Spain, the
Netherlands, France and Sweden) so I know a lot is going on outside as
well as inside the US. NVGs have been a hit
and miss subject at the conference over the years and most papers have
been presented by the Army. However, there is an increase in civilian interest
and the FAA is currently establishing rules
for NVG use (right now there is no rule that says a pilot cannot use them
- except for Part 135 operations). Therefore, I believe we will be presenting
this at a time when there will be interest
from civilian as well as military aeromedical types.
Another consideration is whether we should invite 'guest experts' to give
most of the tutorials. For example, I believe Col Bill Berkley would be
great for the cockpit lighting tutorial and Cdr Rick Mason would be great
for training (he was one of the original NITE Lab training guys). I know
of a couple experts who could handle NVG function and design and I could
handle mishap investigations (I have been on several boards and will soon
be helping the Air Force and Navy Safety Centers revise their NVG mishap
investigation guidelines). I believe the use of experts would add credibility
to the tutorials and demonstrate how we help bridge the gap between the
scientific and operational communities, which is a large part of what we
do.
Unless there are objections or recommended changes, we will proceed with
this approach. If you want to present, please let us know as soon as possible
so we can start planning. We may want to submit abstracts as a group and
October will be here before you know it. We can make this a very professional
and useful event by planning ahead and sharing ideas well before next May.
The goal is to have a reasonable plan put together by the time abstracts
are due and spend the time until May fine tuning the program and determining
the audiovisual and other support requirements.
I can be reached via the following E-mail: antonio@hrlban1.aircrew.asu.edu
Col (Sel) Rodger Vanderbeek, USAF is leaving his position as Chief,
Aerospace Medicine in the Air Force Medical Operating Agency (Office of
the Surgeon General) at Bolling AFB in Washington, D.C. to serve as Command
Surgeon of the USAF Special Operations Command at Hurlburt AFB in Niceville,
Florida.
Lt Col Tom Travis, USAF has moved from Brooks AFB, Texas to Farnbourough
on exchange with the Royal Air Force.
Lt Col Bob Munson, USAF has moved to Brooks AFB, Texas from the RAF exchange
position at Farnborough.
Lt Col Phil Lavallee, USAF has moved to San Antonio Texas to begin a Master
of Public Health Degree.
Maj Allison J. Eke, RAMC has moved to Headquarters, LAND Command at Netheravon
in Wiltshire, United Kingdom where she will serve as the Senior Specialist
in Aviation Medicine.
LCDR Edmond Feeks, USN and CDR David Gillis, USNR are beginning the USN
Residency in Aerospace Medicine.
Capt Lee H. Harvis, USAFR is beginning an internship at Botsford General
Hospital in Michigan, USA.
Major Bill Tarver, USAF is moving to Kunsan, Korea from Brooks AFB, Texas.