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The Leadership of SWFEXECUTIVE
COMMITEE OFFICERS:
Lester W. Long serves Silver Wings as Vice-President, and will serve on the board thru 2010. Lester soloed an Aeronca 7AC Champion in April 1958 at Cleveland Hopkins Airport. Courted my late wife in a ragwing Cessna 170 then raised a daughter and son in the back seat of a Cessna Skylark and later a Cessna 210. Holding a Commercial Pilot Certificate wilt SEL and MEL with Instrument satisfies the training effort. My flying has been limited to personal and business travel. AOPA has issued me a Fifty-Year Membership lapel pin wings and I possess a Silver Wings Fraternity Gold membership card, fifty-year lapel pin and two Life Memberships. I served as Secretary to the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter from 1998 thry 2004 and currently serve as Secretary to the Lake Erie Chapter, belonging to both chapters. Owning and operating the family fifty year old retail amateur photographic supply business was followed by Life Insurance sales and service but retirement came in Florida in 2003 from a ten year Independent Contractor courier/delivery business. I also have current memberships in Antique Airplane Association, EAA and Society of Air Racing Historians, both national and Cleveland chapter.
ADDITIONAL BOARD MEMBERS: Pat Fairbanks
Vicki Lynn Sherman holds an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate and a Commercail Pilot Certificate for single engine seaplane. Vicki is a Gold Seal Master Flight Instructor and has her CFII, Seaplane Instructor, Glider Instructor, as well as advanced and instrument ground instructor ratings. She has participated in the Wings Program since it's inception and has earned the FAA Phase XX Wings. She has also ahieved the Advanced level in the current Wings program. She has been an active FAA Safety Conselor since 1991 with the Orlando FSDO-15 and presently with the FAA National Resource Center in Lakeland, Florida. Along with her conselor's duties she also serves on the Production Crew at the FAA Production Studio in Lakeland, serves on the Board of Directors of the National Aviation Safety Foundation as well as being on the board of Directors of the Florida Flight Instructor Association. She presently serves on the Board of Visitors of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, serves on the Board of Directors for the National Silver Wings Fraternity and receipient of the "Russ Brinkley Innovation" Award and permanent Ninety-Nines Southeast Trustee for the Bonnie & Archie Gann "CFI" Scholarship Fund. She served as the International President of the Ninety-Nines and honoree of the Forest of Friendship, NIFA National Associate Chief Judge, and served as Squadron Commander of Civil Air Patrol, Check Pilot, Legal Officer and reciepent of the Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager Aerospace Education Achievement Award. She served on the Board of Directors for the National Aeronautics Association in Washington, D.C., a past President of the Great Southern Air Race Association and flew the Air Race Classic in 2003 and 2004. Vicki is a member of the Ninety-Nines, Women in Aviation, CAP, AOPA, EAA, Soaring Society of America and Seaplane Pilots Association. She is Owner and President of Aero Supplies & Express, Inc. located in Daytona Beach, Florida and Owner and President of Vicki Sherman Realty, Inc. located in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Any corrections or suggested changes for improving this SWF Web site may be sent to Bill Berkman, bill@silverwings.org | ||
Walter
"Walt" Baker serves Silver Wings as President of the
National Silver Wings Fraternity. He served our nation in the U.S. Navy
during three wars; World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, retiring from the Navy
in 1969. His flying experiences stem from his first solo in an Aeronca
Champion in 1947 at Ravenwood, WV. Other aircraft flown are the Aeronca
Chief, Aerocoupe, J3 Piper Cub, Cessna 172, and the PT-19. Walt was awarded
his Private Pilot's Certificate #613955 on 11 August 1947. Walt is
proud to weart his 50 Year Silver Wings Lapel Emblem. When asked to describe
his proudest moment in aviation, his responce wll be; "When I took my
75 year old grandfather on his first venture into the atmosphere".
Chuck Yeager is Walt's idol as he is from Walt's home state, West Virginia,
and has accomplished so much for aviation. 
Raymond W. Hicks serves Silver Wings as Past President,
and will serve on the Board thru Dec. 2010. Ray
soloed a Taylorcraft BC-12D in 1950 and has 50 Years Silver Wings. He has
flown many general aviation aircraft including the J3 Cub, Ercoupe, Cessna
140 through 172, Hawk-XP, Stearman and T-6. While serving in the Air
National Guard during the Korean War, Ray was recalled to active duty in
the U.S. Air Force. Ray is Past President of the Bell Aero Club and active
in many of the aviation organizations in the Atlanta area. He retired in
1991 from BellSouth with 46 years of serviceBellSouth and now owns and
flies a Mooney M20F Executive. Ray and his wife, Betty, live in Stone
Mountain, Georgia. 
Don Fairbanks is Secretary,
and will serve on
the Board thru Dec. '12. Don was a WW II 30-mission B-24 tail gunner who
soloed an Aeronca at Lunken Airport, Cincinnati, Ohio in 1944 while on
leave and today wears 50 Year Silver Wings. In 1957 he started a flight
training company and later a long career as a biplane race pilot. He has
logged over 32,000 hours, 15,000 of them as an instructor. He has flown
215 different makes and models of aircraft, fixed -wing and helicopters.
Don holds ATP and Gold Seal Flight Instructor in Single-Engine Land and
Sea, Multi-Engine Land and Helicopter. He raced his own airplane in 87
biplane races from 1971-1988. Don has served on the Silver Wings Board of
Directors as Vice-President and has a long record of service to aviation
and Silver Wings. Don is also an author. ONCE AROUND THE PATCH is a great
title for a flier's story. Today Don and his wife, Pat, operate Cardinal
Helicopter Training in Batavia, Ohio. 
Jerome M. Riesz is Treasurer of Silver Wings and
will serve on the Board thru Dec. 2010. Jerry first soloed a Cessna 150 at
Cincinnati's Luken Airfield on 17 March 1966. He has a Commercial CFI and
serves as Treasurer for the Silver Wings Ohio Chapter. Jerry is a salesman
for Bearing Distributors, Inc. selling bearings and power transmission
products. He and his wife Nancy live in North Bend, Ohio.
William L. James serves on the Executive Committee
as an Appointee and is our Honors and Awards Chairman. Bill
will serve on the Board thru Dec. 2010. He holds a commercial Pilot's
license-Single and Multi-engine Land and also a Commercial Pilot's license
for gliders. He is Instrument rated and possesses a Ground Instructor
license---Basic, Advanced, and Instrument. He is a Registered Professional
Engineer and Retired President of the Fennell Corporation (Manufacturer of
metallurgical furnaces and heat processing equipment). Bill also is
Retired President of Hi Hard Rolls, Inc., (Manufacturers of rolling mills
components) and holds several patents related to the metallurgical
industry. Bill is a retired USN officer, aircraft maintenance &
engineering and also ordnance. He is an active member of several aviation
and aeronautical societies. Bill and his wife Dolores live in San Diego,
California.