Armed Forces Aero Club - AFAC - San Diego

Congratulations to Lieutenant Quin Anderson on his First Solo! He flew AFAC’s C-172 N216AF as PIC for the first time at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport on April 22, 2025.

Quin is currently serving on active duty as a Submarine Officer in the United States Navy. His AFAC CFI is Bruce Lee. Bravo Zulu!
https://www.instagram.com/p/DIxZArTPCzh/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Hard to believe this was 12 years ago now! Former MCAS El Toro runways were temporarily reopened for a 1 day Airshow at what is now the Irvine Great Park! The annual air shows there when the base was active were like Miramar air shows now, as big or bigger! Ed Christensen and I flew AFAC planes in for static display. I was stationed there in 1982, and I first soloed and got my PPL in the El Toro Flying Club on base. Great memories, and great thrill to go back! BTW… the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum is in the process of relocating there with vast improvements from its former location at MCAS Miramar.

Arrived!

The latest edition of The Brief Sheet (March '24) has been posted at this direct link. http://bit.ly/AFACBrfSht
Archived editions prior to the current month (including this one, if visiting after March '24) going back over 20 years of Club history need to be viewed using the drop down pick list and submit button at the top of that page. Find out the results of Board elections held in February and other important Club news!

AFAC Web Page Information about the Armed Forces Aero Club for active and prospective members.

Suzanne Schierholt Smith (https://www.facebook.com/suzanne.a.smith) have seen you react to some of the recent posts... wondering if you are a relative of Ralph Schierholt, who was a long time member and CFI with AFAC? If so, we would like to be able to message with you if possible?

LTJG Reed Orren successfully completed his first flight in the T-45 Goshawk on Wednesday March 20th, as he progresses to jets in the advanced phase of Navy Flight School at NAS Kingsville, TX. Reed had earned his PPL flying with Armed Forces Aero Club and his AFAC CFI Charles Stoudenmire in February 2021. Well done Reed, and best wishes with attaining your goal of soon flying the F-35C Lightning II!

Congratulations to AFAC's newest Private Pilot! Navy Chief Dino Ramic successfully passed his check-ride in Cessna N216AF on his first attempt on Saturday, February 24, 2024. His DPE was Orion Kingman and his Armed Forces Aero Club - AFAC - San Diego CFI is Bruce Lee, who said that the examiner told him personally that Dino was very well prepared. Bruce added that Dino is an extremely hard worker and a pleasure to teach. At work he is a Chief Electronics Technician assigned to the Special Boat Teams. With this accomplishment he fulfills his life-long dream of becoming a Private Pilot! In this photo Dino displays his certificate and gets a congratulatory handshake from Bruce.

The Club sadly reports that long-time member and former AFAC Board of Directors Secretary Ann Prario Rothwell passed away on December 14, 2023, at the age of 77. Ann was a fixture for decades at Armed Forces Aero Club - AFAC - San Diego, and in the San Diego aviation community in general. Her father had been one of the very early members of the Club, so her affinity for, and loyalty to AFAC was connected to fond memories of him and his involvement while she was young, and in her later life was a way to honor his legacy. Her father appears in one of the historical pictures up on a wall in the Montgomery Airport Operations building. Ann fought back from a battle with cancer to solo again. The story of her resolve published locally, in the San Diego Union-Tribune, and online, received nationwide attention, and inspired many, including her fellow member and pilot Tania Alcala, who helped to spread the story through a GoFundMe page, and continues with efforts to honor her friend by requesting from airport authorities to have Ann's picture and story placed next to her father's picture on the wall in the Airport Operations Building. In the photo here, Ann is with her friend, and former AFAC CFI and Board Member Lee Shigley, at an April 2007 fly-in to Gillespie Field (KSEE), standing in front of (at the time) AFAC's Cessna Cardinal RG N217AF.

Congratulations to a second AFAC student pilot on the same day, who can now log PIC time! Kim "KJ" Reyes completed his First Solo flight in Piper Archer II N119AV at our home field Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport (KMYF) on Saturday afternoon, December 2, 2023. His Armed Forces Aero Club - AFAC - San Diego CFI is Fabain Alva.

Congratulations to the latest AFAC student pilot who can now log PIC time! Peter Ekong completed his First Solo flight in Piper Archer II N119AV at Ramona Airport (KRNM) on Saturday morning, December 2, 2023. His Armed Forces Aero Club CFI is Fabian Alva.

Air Force 2nd LT Hana Jacobs passed her Private Pilot check-ride with DPE Greg Madariaga in Piper N119AV on Monday, August 28, 2023. Her AFAC CFI is Fabian Alva. She had first soloed with Armed Forces Aero Club - AFAC - San Diego this past April in Cessna N216AF under the instruction of her initial CFI Charles Stoudenmire. Recently commissioned through the AFROTC program at SDSU, she will soon be reporting to her first assignment as an Aviation Maintenance Officer, with the advantage and experience of being a certificated pilot! In the photos she is being given a congratulatory handshake from her Examiner, and with her CFI Fabian is giving dual thumbs up and big smiles!

ROTC Midshipman Sydney Brenneman completed her First Solo flight in C-172 N216AF on Tuesday, July 11, 2023 at Brown Field (KSDM)! She is our second 2023 Order of Daedalians Flight 13 DFT scholarship recipient. Her AFAC CFI is Wes Weesner.

ROTC Midshipman Ethan Chebi completed his First Solo flight in C-172 N216AF on Friday, July 7, 2023 at Brown Field (KSDM)! He is one of our two Order of Daedalians Flight 13 DFT scholarship recipients this year, which provides funds for their training through solo. His AFAC CFI is Wes Weesner.