HILL AIR FORCE BASE — The “Plane Talk” series at Hill Air Force Base continues this weekend.
Most Saturdays each month speakers come to the Hill Aerospace Museum to speak on subjects related to the heritage of Hill Air Force Base, the United States Air Force, other military branches, aerospace and the defense industry. The series is open to everyone and is free.
Presentations begin at 1 p.m. The schedule for January “Plane Talk” series is:
• Jan. 5 — O.C. Hope
Hope is a retired U.S. Air Force fighter pilot. During his time as a fighter pilot, he flew the F-4, F-105, and F-16. After his military career, he was an airline pilot, flying more than 16,000 hours in a Boeing 737. He has also worked as a flight instructor for 14 years. He will be discussing the evolution of fighter aircraft throughout the history of the Air Force.
• Jan. 12 — Kevin Ireland
Ireland is a successful executive with 30 years of experience in leading organizations for multi-million dollar companies across diverse industries. He’s raised money for large charities in the community, supporting projects that span 25 years, including Warriors Over the Wasatch and Space Show. Ireland continues to be involved in community boards and support groups for local military, and he is a recipient of the Wingman Award for his support of HAFB.
• Jan. 19 — Erik Gross
Gross is the senior program manager on the GEM 63 production program, which is currently developing and producing strap-on rocket motors. He has 20 years of experience in propulsion and the space industry. Gross started his career engineering at Thiokol Corporation in which he analyzed the vibrations of the space shuttle reusable solid rocket motors. He has held a variety of positions in engineering, businesses development, operations, and program management.
• Jan. 26 — Don Sellers
Sellers served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1964 to 1968. He retired from the Marines with the rank of sergeant. He will discuss the battle of Cam Lo during the Tet Offensive, which took place in 1968. During this battle, Sellers took his platoon of 44 Marines and held off 900 North Vietnamese Army forces for more than six hours.
