Making Contact With Ex-DAC/Boeing Aircrafters

Of the few replies I've had to this blog, one of my fellow ex-aircraft workers has mentioned that he'd like to contact and/or find out where some of his "old" working companions are now. I'm wondering if any of you are also interested in finding others who you've worked with in the past.

It's really a kick in the butt to make contact and see what they've been doing, i.e., if they have another area they are working in, got remarried (or in my case, married for the 1st time), have new additions to the family (grand kids...hopefully), have take on new hobbies, or maybe even taken a exciting trip/vacation.

Many of us have relocated. The gentleman above is presently living in AZ, but prior to that had moved from CA, went back to school, became a minister, moved to KS and ended up in IA for several years before going to OK. So, in a period of 30 years since he left MDAC back in the 70's, he's changed careers, got married, had grand children, and moved to no less than 4 other states. I'm still in CA, where I was born, but soon hope to leave. Hey, I just heard that Orange County has over 7 million phone numbers....that's why they need to come up with another area code!

We could put together a listing of people who have relocated and show where they are today. Another suggestion would be for you to make a request for a "lost contact", i.e., Ron Fern (MDAC/Boeing 1967-2002) is looking for or would like to contact Geo. B. What do you think? Is there any interest?

There are several ways you can find people for free. One of the better places to combine several search engines and resources to look up an individual, both white pages and email is the ultimates. This is like a giant phonebook where you can get name address & current phone numbers for free. He is the link:

http://www.theultimates.com/

There are also several sites that allow you to search their databases once you've joined. Be selective if you choose this method, and think about your privacy before joining and providing them too much information. Here is one of the links:

http://www.friendster.com/

Well, this is a start. I'd like you to reply if there is any interest in developing this as a regular feature of this blog.

Making Cents When Buying Gas

It always amazes me as I travel about through the southern California area how the price for a gallon of gas varies by such a wide margin. It makes sense to try and save some cents as you plan better on where to buy your fuel.

I've noticed that prices are cheaper a few blocks from the freeway off ramps. Why not see for yourself....the next time you're on the freeway, and exit, look at the prices for gas at the stations that are directly off the freeway exit. Prices are usually about 3 to 5 cents a gallon more, but can go up to at least 10 cents a gallon higher.

It makes no sense to me why prices within an area change so drastically. My wife works in Ontario, CA (San Bernardino County). The approximate location is where the 15 and 60 freeways meet. Usually, gas is about 5 cents a gallon higher there compared to Placentia, CA (Orange County), where we live. Placentia is close to Anaheim, Disneyland, and the newly named Honda Center....it used to be called The Pond.

Go to southern Orange County, i.e., along the coast, down the I-5 freeway, towards San Juan Capistrano, and you'll find the cost of gas rockets to more than 50 cents a gallon more for stations right off the freeway.

If you listen to the radio while your on the road, you often hear local stations talking of calling in and giving them the location and station where you can buy "cheap" fuel. I'm not sure why they do that, because if you are Internet active, there are several websites where you can visit to find the cheapest (or highest if you choose) fuel in the area.

Here is one of the website links for finding the cost of fuel in this area.

http://www.orangecountygasprices.com/

If you live out of the Orange County, CA area, fear not. The below site allows you to put in a city, state, or zip, so you can find out what the current price for fuel is all over the country. People who don't live in CA are more often than not afforded the luxury of cheaper gas. The exceptions would likely be Alaska and Hawaii.

For areas outside Orange County, check out the following links:

http://www.fuelmeup.com/

or

http://www.gasbuddy.com/

Gas has been coming down for the last four weeks, according to the TV news this AM. The reason they state is that there is an over abundance of "winter fuel". Apparently this special blend will not be able to be sold after the next month or so, so they need to get rid of it....remember the law of supply and demand? If there's too much of a supply, simply reduce the price and increase the demand....as fuel becomes cheaper, a segment of the population who didn't buy as much can now buy more. They said the price for gas in the LA area was $2.51 a gallon, and in the OC, $2.52 per gallon. If you check the website, I find gas as cheap as $2.19 a gallon in my area.....it pays to look. At the low end, 20 gallons of gas would cost about $44.00. On the high end of $2.79 a gallon, 20 gallons of gas would cost $56.00, or $12.00 more!

Southern Californians are a unique breed. Most of us still seem to have a love affair with our automobile, and choose to be independent. I'm amazed at the number of cars with one person...the driver! Not too long ago a driver was pulled over by the CHP for driving in the carpool lane with a manikin as the passenger in the front seat next to the driver...how inventive, but costly!

Let's see the importance of planning where you buy gas on a trip to Las Vegas from the OC. If you filled up here in the Placentia area, the cost is about $2.35 a gallon. About half way to Vegas, a Barstow stop would cost $2.39 a gallon. Further up the hill, headed to "sin city", is Baker....the place with the tallest thermometer and higher gas prices. They are anywhere from 25 to 50 cents a gallon higher than Barstow....so fill up before you get back on the road. In N. Las Vegas you can presently get a gallon of gas for $2.35 at the ARCO. Head west to Pahrump, and a gallon will cost you 10 to 15 cents more. It pays to watch your gas gauge and fill up before the price peaks!

If you were to choose going to the "Vegas Alternative", Laughlin, NV, you head up the I-15 Fwy to Barstow (again, fill up here), and head east on I-40 towards Needles, CA. Be sure and NOT stop in Ludlow, CA for gas. You'll presently pay $2.85 a gallon for unleaded! Not any better is Needles, CA. There you will get hit for about $3.00 a gallon for unleaded. Just across the border, in Ft. Mojave, AZ, a trip of only a mile or so, you'd be able to get unleaded gas for $2.20 a gallon....it pays to know where to stop for fuel!

Remember when you purchase gas that some stations charge more if you use a credit or debit card. Some stations also charge a transaction fee for using a card, like ARCO. Also consider that some debit cards charge a transaction fee as well, so you get double charged. You may want to check and see if your bank or credit union will allow you to use your debit card as a credit card to eliminate that charge. I recently received a notice from my credit union to do that to avoid the debit charge.

Is Ethanol An Answer?

Well, the President says we can reduce the use of oil by developing alternate fuels, and Ethanol is one that is talked of. I've been told that transportation is a problem with this fuel source. It cannot be sent through pipes, like oil, but must be trucked to it's destination. The actual end cost of a gallon of Ethanol will be more than a gallon of unleaded gas.

Much of the cost can be attributed to the law of supply and demand. The cost of corn will go up as the demand rises. Right now, corn is primarily a food product in the US. With the use of corn/corn by-products as an alternate fuel source, the demand will rise, and so will the cost.

I've heard of a potential rebellion from the low income worker's who have corn (tortillas) as a staple in their diets. The cost of tortillas in Mexico is up 33% in the last week. For a laborer in Mexico, who makes $4.00 a day, the cost of a $3.00 tortilla will force more across the border to the U.S. If you think popcorn at the theater costs a lot now, wait for it to peak as more and more corn and corn products go into the development of Ethanol!

President Bush Delivers State of the Union Address

Last night President Bush gave his 6th State of the Union Address. He was a class act, in my opinion, in honoring Nancy Pelosi as "Madam Speaker", as well as the "Democratic Majority". He could have bypassed either or both comments, but chose to recognize the changes that have taken place in our government.

His speech writer's did a good job in the manner in which he presented the points he wanted to hit on. Buried well into the body of his close to an hour presentation was the Iraq war and what he planned on doing.

I hope he will be able to accomplish many of the things he set out as opportunities for the next two years. We do not need this President to become a "lame duck".

His approach was most likely cautious, but noteworthy....a quote from the opening of his speech so indicates...."We are not the first to come here with government divided and uncertainty in the air. Like many before us, we can work through our differences, and achieve big things for the American people. "

He wants to concentrate on balancing the budget(without increasing taxes), fix Medicare and Medicaid and save Social Security, establish a legal and orderly path for foreign workers to enter our country to work on a temporary basis, fuel reduction and alternate fuel development, and to continue to protect the people of this country from danger.

So, how did he do? I think he did well, considering what he had to work with, but to hear the news media, well, you'd have to say he failed, has no support, and will go down as one of the most unfavorable Presidents, being linked with Jimmy Carter and Dick Nixon.

Many of the areas he wants to concentrate on here, locally, are areas that I'm sure he hopes the Democrats will embrace. While they are important, they mean nothing if we are not safe. I'll not dwell on them now. The war in Iraq is the prime point. How the nation (congress and senate) react and choose to follow or attempt to derail what the President proposed will, in effect, determine our futures.

The President stated...."This is not the fight we entered in Iraq, but it is the fight we are in. Every one of us wishes that this war were over and won. Yet it would not be like us to leave our promises unkempt, our friends abandoned, and our own security at risk. "

He has offered his plan on building up the troop level both in Iraq and for the nation to add 90K+ to the armed forces over the next few years. All he asks is for a chance.....will he get it?

The news media this morning said No! I listened to the Democratic reply last night. They stated that both the majority of the Nation and the Military are against the war. If the President did not go along with that vision, that they'd show him the way! One local TV channel interviewed college students. One said the President needed to follow the will of the people. Another said he only spoke to satisfy the Democrats and what they wanted to hear. Another said how the President should have been more forceful in his presentation, seeing the position he holds. Only one of the people interviewed sided with the President, a marine, who said he believed we needed to finish the job in Iraq. The President's approval rating is about 28%....was what I saw on TV this AM planned to show that approval rating?

So, what do you think about the President's speech? Did he do a good job? Is he being honest? Will he get support from the crongress and/or the senate? Give me your feedback here....let's hear from you!

Update-DAC/Boeing 2007 Gathering at the Belle

I’ve just received updated information on the DAC/MDAC/Boeing annual gathering. As you recall from my earlier posting, the dates for this year’s event are April 13th and 14th.

If you plan on staying at the Colorado Belle, you can reserve a room for $46.00 per night by dialing (877) 460-0777 and mention the Boeing/McDonnell Group. The price has gone up $6.00 a night from last year. 105 rooms have been blocked out for the event.

For those of you who want to try staying somewhere else, I’ve listed a web site you can visit for additional information on other Laughlin casinos. My earlier post of January 9th will provide you with a map of the area and an additional link for travel by air.

http://casinogambling.about.com/od/casinoslaughlin/Casinos_Laughlin_NV.htm

The Banquet is Saturday evening the 14th at 5:00 PM, and is $28.00 a person. (No Door Prize Drawing This year).

There were 247 folks who attended the banquet in 2006. Lets plan on increasing that number in 2007!

Please send your checks for the banquet to:

Tom Mulligan
9371 Mokihana Dr
Huntington Beach Ca
92646

If you need to contact Tom via his land phone line and/or email, I'll get him your request.

More information will follow this post with an announcement on the golf event. Tom says we need more lady golfers this year.

Iraq - Troop Build Up In Question

It's all over the news....blogs, newspapers, the Internet, TV....President Bush has gone against what the public (and the majority of the Democratic Party) seemingly want....a troop reduction and ultimate pullout of the U.S. Military.

So, who is right? Is the President best equipped with the correct information to make the decision on what to do in Iraq, or is the news media, who is "supposedly" quoting the public, got the "right stuff" to make the call?

What do you think? You've got the opportunity to be heard. Just reply to the blog. Let everyone else see what you feel about one of the most important events of our present day.

I personally think that we need to fight radical Islam in the middle east. If we get out now, or too soon, withdraw our troops, then they've won. They'll bring it here, believe me. This particular sect of Islam maybe the minority, but many of the majority are afraid to speak out for fear of retaliation....the result is likely disastrous.

The side that wants withdrawal offer no plan to win. They've chosen to lose. This will be worse than Vietnam. When a time comes again (and it will), when American needs assistance from other "free" nations, they'll think twice about helping, if we pull out before the job is done.

I've heard on at least one radio station that most Americans have forgot, or put to the back of our minds, what happened on 9/11/01. The radio host went on to say that it'll take another attack on America for us to "wake up". The next event will more likely than not be larger than the last. Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago....who's going to be the target?

Now, the Democratic Party (and a few Republicans) want to withold funding for the military. They want to tie the President's hands and force the issue of withdrawal of our troops from Iraq. I feel for the families of those who have members service in our armed forces, but what if our founding father's were to face the same events then as we are today....is withdrawal before victory the way to go?

Senior Discounts

This is follow on to the earlier article on how to save money. I spoke earlier about the "99 Cents Only" stores and how you could save money by shopping there. Several other areas come to mind where you can save on both goods and services.

I've searched the web and found several links that I'm listing for your use. One offers discounts to anyone over 55. Senior discounts start as early as 50, but in some cases, depending on what you want and the demand for the product or service, may be delayed up to 70!

I'll add to this article as additional information becomes available.

For largest Senior Discounts database, go to:

http://www.seniordiscounts.com/

You can win prizes, get a senior discount card, sign up for a newsletter, as well as receiving a 500+ page reference guide book on the discounts offered on the website.

Senior Discount Mall

Many companies recognize the immense buying power of the over 50 age group, and offer senior discounts.

All of the websites on the senior Discount Mall have special discounts or offers for seniors. Visit the website for specifics.

http://www.wiredseniors.com/mall/


AARP- (American Assoc. of Retired People)

With over 38 million members, this association offers discounts to anyone 50+ years old who joins. From auto insurance to travel, drugs, entertainment, legal and financial, home security, and discounts on computers, AARP has it all. Check them out on the website at:

http://www.aarp.org/

Department Stores

Many department sores offer discounts to seniors. Some have special days of the week where seniors get 10% to 15% off the marked prices.

Gottschalks
Gottschalks credit card customers 55 and over receive 10% off on purchases every Tuesday. Also receive free customer gift wraps on items purchased on Tuesdays.
Khol's
Seniors 62 and older can receive 10-15% off on select days at participating Kohl's locations. To locate the specific days and discounts available, check your local paper for the Kohl's advertisement or ask a Kohl's associate.
Ross Dress For Less
Ross stores offer a discount of 10% to seniors 55 and older every Tuesday. They request seniors ask a store associate for details.
Sally Beauty Supply
Some Sally Beauty Supply locations offer discounts for seniors, but be sure to ask about the specific location's participation, age requirement and discount as they can and will vary. Most Sally Beauty Supply locations that offer a senior discount will provide between 5% and 25%off non-sale items to seniors 55 and older.
Stein Mart
Many of their locations have a senior day, usually available one or two times a month, most often on Tuesdays. Seniors 55 and over can receive 15% of the total purchase. Contact your local store for details.

Eyeglasses

You can save up to 30% on complete pairs (frame and Rx lens) at Lenscrafters by showing your AAA membership card.

Financial Services

Many banks waive or reduce fees for senior citizens. Hartford Financial Services Group offers a 15% discount on homeowner policies for those 50 or older and not working.

Hotels

• Marriott International Inc. has recently announced that they would triple the number of their hotels that offer airline miles and more than double the number of miles patrons can earn. This was done as a competitive measure to match similar increases from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. Marriott's Chairman J.W. "Bill" Marriott Jr. stated that further enhancements to the program might be forthcoming this spring. Effective Oct.4 there will be 34 airlines participating in the Marriott Rewards Program. In the participating hotels all items charged at the hotel will be included in the program. Not all of the Marriott hotels will participate in the program so check with your individual hotel beforehand.
  
  
• Hilton, Sheraton, Red Roof Inns, Howard Johnson and Ramada all offer discounts, although some of the above require membership.

http://www.redroof.com/promotions/seniors.asp

Miscellaneous

National Park Service Golden Age Passport: (10/8/05)- Seventeen sites in the National Park Service's inter mountain region will raise entrance fees in 2006. Under the new rate schedule, a week long vehicle pass at Yellowstone would rise to $25 from $20. Other increases range from as little as $1 for week long passes in places like Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico, to as much as $50 for annual passes in other areas.

Seniors 62 or older can buy a $10 lifetime pass entitling them to free admission to all National Parks, monuments, forests and recreational areas. Anyone in the vehicle gets in free also. The passport can be purchased at any national park. The pass also entitles holders to a 50% discount on use fees charged in park areas.


Restaurants

Many restaurants offer senior discounts. Below are listed some of my favorites. If you happen to be lucky to have grand children, and they are with you when you eat, some places offer a "kid's eat for free" special. That's sure to save you some hard earned cash!

McDonald's (55 and over)
Small drink is 42 cents.

Arby's (55 and over)
Small drink (16 oz.) is 25 cents.

Burger King (55 and over)
Small drink is 27 cents.

Carl's Jr. (55 and over)
10 percent off your order.

Jack in the Box (55 and over)
50 cents off any size drink price.

Wendy's (55 and over)
10 percent off your order.

Travel

Amtrak: 15% discount if 62 or older.

http://www.amtrak.com/

Here's a search for 100 different top travel sites (offering senior discounts) at a time. You can check for airline flights, hotels, cars and vacation packages, with one click.

http://www.sidestep.com/

Don't forget to ask about a senior discount. Often times it's available, and you don't know it. Yesterday, I went through "Del Taco" and placed an order. I wasn't thinking, but I guess I look my age, because the person taking my order asked me if I was a senior and wanted the senior discount. I said yes, and was given 10% off my order! If any of you have other areas where you know of that seniors are offered discounts, let me know.

2007 Laughlin Event April 13th & 14th

I've just been given some preliminarry information on the upcoming 2007 event planned for April 13th and 14th in Laughlin, NV at the Colorado Belle Casino/Hotel. As in the past, there will be a golf match (planned for Needles, CA course I think), and a banquet. Tom Mulligan will be in charge of the banquet, and Harry Butts will be the focal point for the golf match.

This will be the 6th year for the banquet and the 11th year that employees (many retired and/or working for other companies now) have met at the Colorado Belle. When the event 1st started, a small amount gathered in one of the restaurants at the Colorado Belle for dinner. Afterwards, some of the folk tried their luck at several of the games in the casino...my favorite is the nickel slots. Over the years, the number of people attending has grown. Last year there was over 200 in attendance. Tom told me in an email that the banquet tickets will be $27 per person this year.

Anyone wanting to attend the event can plan to stay at the Colorado Belle, or any one of the other 8 or 9 casinos in town. Tom usually get a block of rooms at the Belle at a reduced rate. When the information becomes available, I'll get it published here. Recently, the Flamingo shut down. It's reopened under a new name and management. It is now called the Aquarius. Here's a link with the Laughlin casinos and their addresses and phone numbers if you want to check room rates and availabilities:

http://casinogambling.about.com/od/casinoslaughlin/Casinos_Laughlin_NV.htm

Laughlin has changed. You can now fly in from many airports to Bullhead, AZ. The Bullhead airport is just across the river from Laughlin, on the Arizona side. The trip takes about an hour from Long Beach or Ontario. Some of the casino will fly (high rollers) for free. It's worth checking out. Here's a link on the airlines flying into Laughlin:

http://www.laughlinchamber.com/FlyToLaughlin.asp

I'm going to offer a challenge to those of you reading this blog on the upcoming event. That challenge is to add to the list of things to do while attending the get-together. I challenge anyone to take one the following:

(1) A Scavenger Hunt at the Laughlin Mall. It's conveniently located across the street (within walking distance) from the Colorado Belle. While the guys are playing golf, the gals can do a trek through the mall looking for goodies on a list. Prizes could be given for the team who got the most items, or the one who found a specific item on the list the quickest, or finished the list first...any number of ways a prize could be awarded. A suggestion would be for anyone interested to put $5 in the pot for prizes. You could give cash or gift certificates from the Mall. The Mall may even put something into the pot, if you asked. Hey, if 20 gals put $5 each in, you've got a cool $100 to spend at the Mall for the winners.

(2) One of the casinos has a bowling alley. I think it's the Riverside. Someone could plan an event during the golf match, where non-golfers went bowling. Again, we could go for fun or if you put some money into a pot, give awards similar to the Scavenger Hunt.

(3) How about a mini-Poker Tournament? I'd bet the Colorado Belle would be willing to provide a dealer and a table for an hour or two. With a half a dozen or more who bought in, for say $20 each, you'd have a pot of $120 to win. More players, more money.

Well, that's some of the ideas I have. Not everyone plays golf, and the above events would provide something for the rest of us to do while the guys are golfing. Any takers? Any interest?

As the information becomes available, I'll continue to update the event here.

I'll Remember Bill

'

Bellomo, William Paul
Bellomo William Paul Bellomo age 75 of Upland passed away December 12th, 2006 at home. He was born April 13th, 1931 in Chicago, IL and was an Upland resident 42 years. William was a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, Korean War; a graduate of Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, IL and an engineer with McDonnell-Douglass for 25 years. He is survived by his wife - Ellen, Upland; 2 daughters- Patricia (Tere) Worsham, Upland; Sheila (Neil) Myers, Laguna Niguel; 5 Grandchildren - Brendan, Katherine, Paige, Liam and Patrick. Bill was the supervisor who promoted me to my 1st supervisory position in DAC (actually it was McDonnell Douglas at the time) in 1976. I didn't even know that I had been submitted for pro- motion at that time. We had gone to a meeting in the "Wine Room"....called so because of the color of the room, not that wine was served. Ken Derryberry was our then manager of Industrial Engineering. I remember one time when I was working in Bldg. 89, the place where the Ejection Seats were being made for fighter jets. The above photo is an ACES II Seat. This was the primary seat we manufactured, and the one we developed work packages for during the 6 month strike, where we "management" personnel were fortunate enough to keep working, building the product. Bill was working the final line with Bob Boulette, and was putting the finishing touches on one of the seats. When he put the paper up for final inspection, it was determined that the firing pin on one side was riding. The inspector told Bill to "kiss the hole" with a reamer to fix the problem. Bill immediately went to his tool box, got out an item, and proceeded to clean up the hole. I was working down the line. All of a sudden, I heard a horrible grind- ing sound.....over and over for what seemed to be a minute or more. Bill had unknowingly picked out a rotary file rather than a reamer, and turned the small riding condition into a large oblong hole! What would've been a minor fix, became major...the whole side of the seat had to be removed and replaced and the part with the oblong hole scrapped, back drilled, and reinstalled on the seat. From then on, Bill knew what a reamer was and never again got it mixed up with a rotary file! That was but one event that I recall about Bill. He was always in a good mood, and I'd have to say he was my favorite supervisor at DAC. He taught IE classes at LBCC, and you could be sure (so I was told) that class was let out early on Monday night, so Bill could catch part of the game. I'll remember Bill!

Former DAC Employee/CSCLB Grad Passes

Vincent J. Stagnaro (1968, B.S., engineering and industrial technology) died June 11 in Reno, Nev., at age 66.

I recently picked up a copy of "The Beach Review", the CSULB Alumni Association Magazine, from my PO Box in Crestline. In Obituary Section of the magazine, I came across the above listing.

I remember Vince from my early DAC days. He was quite a character in our Industrial Engineering (Methods) Department C1-318, in the late 60's/early 70's. At that time, I did not recall that he went to the same college I had.

I did a little research on the web and came across his obituary and a photo album. I've listed the link for anyone who wants to view the obituary. You can also view the guestbook and album by clicking the area designated on the obituary page. It was posted on Jan. 6th, and can be viewed for a year. Vince and his wife of over 40 years appear to have enjoyed Reno, NV on many ocassions, and it looks like they had a home there.

www.legacy.com/SGVTribune/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=85863265

So long, Vince ol' buddy! Rest in Peace.

Who Am I Trying To Reach With This Blog?

Well, I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but I've yet to get a reply on this blog. I'm not sure if anyone has ever read it. I'm a Capricorn, so I guess I'm a bit stubborn, and I'm going to keep on trying.

Originally, I was interested in folk who worked at Douglas Aircraft Company, MCDonnell Douglas Corporation (Douglas merged with McDonnell in 1967), and Boeing (McDonnell Douglas merged with Boeing in 1997).

Since then, I've re-thought the objective, and believe any and all aircraft/aerospace folk should be included. This can go the complete range from the people who make the parts that go into the airplanes/spacecraft to the people who build them as well as the folk who actually fly and make the end product function in the field.

Now starts the process by which to get any and all of these groups of people involved. I'm not sure I have the answers, but I'll sure try and tackle it in the upcoming weeks.

So, if anyone from the above companies as well as ex Hughes, Northrup, North American, Rockwell personnel read this blog, I'd appreciate hearing from you on how to get others involved. The same goes for any airline employees who fly the planes....American, Northwest Air, Alaska, Delta, let's hear from you too!