January 11th 2006

January 11, 2006
Reporter – Mickey Epting
President Carey Hite called the meeting to order.
Three visitors were welcomed to the club meeting. Lyman Whitehead got us off with a laugh with some humorous jokes. Patty Cavanaugh welcomed and introduced our newest member – Summer Gaither.
Molly Cousins introduced our speaker, Captain Delphin Gantt, a F16 Fighter Pilot with the SC National Guard at McEntire. Captain Gantt pointed out that McEntire had changed and benefited from the recent base closures. McEntire’s name has changed to the McEntire Joint National Guard Station, with Army units and Helicopter units, as well as the Air Force F16 Fighter Squadron.
Captain Gantt gave an interesting talk about the F16’s, complete with a large model to demonstrate. He stated that McEntire now has eighteen F16’s and will pick up an additional nine because of other base closures. They have 10 full time pilots and twenty-six part time. Over 90% of the pilots have combat experience. He said the F16 Fighter is sometimes referred to a "single seater, single engine, 9G killing machine." The fighter can fly at over 1500 mph, or two times the speed of sound. Captain Gantt’s flight time from Columbia to Myrtle Beach is around ten minutes. When he turns on his afterburner the plane is burning fuel at the rate of five gallons a second. The South Carolina F16’s have been on duty in both Afghanistan and Iraq knocking out air defenses and proving air support for the ground troops. Captain Gantt ended by saying that McEntire welcomed visitors to the base to tour the facilities.
Prior to concluding the meeting everyone was reminded that Adopt a Highway Day for the club would be on February 4.