ARIA January 2009 Newsletter

Thank You

I want to thank everyone who has donated to the ARIA 328 Memorial Foundation for the construction of the ARIA 328 Memorial in Walkersville, Maryland. By sponsoring memorial bricks, and memorial challenge coins, you are building on the funds required to realize our goals in Walkersville. Your continued support of the memorial flower drive has allowed the foundation to provide annual flowers at the ARIA 328 Memorial, National Museum of the Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.

The ARIA 328 Memorial Walkersville, Maryland fund is currently at 18% of our goal. You can donate any amount to fund the construction of the ARIA 328 Memorial in Walkersville, Maryland. If you want to sponsor a memorial brick, but cannot afford a single one time donation, contact Randy.Losey@ARIAMemorial.com to set up payment plans that are easy on your budget. We want everyone who desires to sponsor a memorial brick the opportunity to do so.

When you donate to a specific campaign, your donation will be applied to that campaign only. It is important to realize that donations for the ARIA flower drive will only be applied to the flower drive, memorial brick donations will only be applied to memorial bricks, etc. To donate go to: http://www.ariamemorial.com/Cart/home.php

We Need You!

Funding is not our only need for the success of the construction of the ARIA 328 Memorial. We need volunteers. What can you do to help? It is as easy as contacting and following up with ARIA Alumni to spread the news of the memorial. We need experienced grant writers to allow us the opportunity to tap all resources available for funding. We need leaders to create and coordinate teams to contact ARIA Alumni and to head a “Think Tank” to generate ideas and methods to raise funds. Don’t think you can help? Contact us; I am confident that we can use you. http://www.ariamemorial.com/contact.html

ARIA 2011 Memorial Service and Reunion

2011 will mark the 30th anniversary of the loss of ARIA 328 and we are planning a memorial service and reunion at this time. Those of us that attended the previous events know that it was an experience that we want to be a part of again. We don't want you to miss out, give us your input. http://www.ariamemorial.com/reunion.html

Your Prayers

David Denn is a board member of the ARIA 328 Memorial Foundation and a former Walkersville, Maryland, resident. David has made it possible for the ARIA 328 Memorial Foundation to have a good working relationship with the Town of Walkersville, we are indebted to him. David has been diagnosed with a rapid growth cancer. He has completed months of chemo therapy, and has recovered well from surgery. He will be starting radiation therapy in the coming days. I ask you to keep him and his family in your prayers.

David was present at the crash site of ARIA 328 minutes after the crash; David was 12 years old. Over the next couple of years, he recovered personally identifiable items from the fields surrounding the crash site. He endeavored to return these objects to the families with no success. That was until the fall of 2004 when he discovered the flyARIA.com web site. David made contact with me, and over the following weeks, I contacted the families involved, and arrangements were made to return the items to the families. David made a positive impact on these ARIA families.

Silent Flyer

The silent flyer section on the ARIAMemorial.com web site started years ago on flyARIA.com, long before there was a foundation. Initially, the names contained were of the crew and passengers of ARIA 328. As time has gone by, I find myself updating the silent flyers with an increased feeling of immense loss. I feel the loss of those I knew, and for those I didn’t. Time is our enemy. I feel an intense need to have the ARIA 328 Memorial built in Walkersville before we lose any more of those who knew and loved the ARIA 328 crew and passengers.

Personnel that worked with the Apollo/Advanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft program, in any capacity, is eligible to be listed in the Silent Flyer Memorial. http://www.ariamemorial.com/silentflyer-0.html

flyARIA.com Update

For those of you who frequent the flyARIA.com web site, you have been waiting and waiting for the new updated site. It has taken some time to replace the software that I used for the flyARIA.com site; it is not being supported by Microsoft. With this update in software, I also had to source replacement software for a number of features that was needed for the new site. 2009 is dedicated to place all content that I have in the new formatted site. You will see the site grow from scratch over 2009. Want to preview the new format? That’s easy, just go to http://www.ARIAMemorial.com.

ARIA Alumni

There have been changes on ARIAMemorial.com as to the location of the ARIA Roster Form. You can update your ARIA roster information at http://www.ariamemorial.com/roster.html.

Contact Finder

I have the opportunity to receive emails from a lot of people because they are searching for Apollo/Advanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft information of one kind or another. I received an email that led to a wonderful opportunity to talk to a gentleman what worked at Douglas Aircraft in Tulsa, OK. He worked on the ARIA conversions in the early 60’s. I am looking for someone that would be willing to share their experiences with Douglas Aircraft, Connies, or just to talk shop with this gentleman. Please contact me at Randy.Losey@ARIAMemorial.com for more information.

40th Anniversary Celebration of the Apollo 11th Moonwalk

I have been informed by Stan Anderson that on July 20/21, 2009, there will be a 40th anniversary celebration of the Apollo 11 moonwalk in or around Canberra, Australia. Apparently, it is shaping up to be quite a party. The Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station was heavily involved in the Apollo Mission. If you are interested in attending, contact me at Randy.Losey@ARIAMemorial.com. I will forward information as it becomes available.

Request from Down Under

I received an email from John Preece that was in Carnvarvon, Australia during the Apollo years. The following is an excerpt of that email:

I was in Carnarvon from 1968 - 1970, working at the Apollo Tracking Station at Carnvarvon, Western Australia , in the wire room. I know I remember hearing the ARIA call signs and the Spacecraft being handed on or off to an ARIA aircraft. After leaving CRO, and joining the Airport Fire Service at Perth International Airport, I saw them flying missions out of Perth. (Remember them sitting on runway threshold waiting for the launch message from Houston then requesting a takeoff clearance from Perth air traffic control)

As the 40th anniversary of Apollo 8 draws close I am seeking any information you may have on what missions especially Apollo's they flew out of Perth.
Any assistance you may be able to provide would be appreciated.

If you have any information that you would like to share with John, you can contact him by email at John.Preece@wac.com.au or by phone at +61-8-9478-8501.

Newsletter

I hope you found the ARIA Newsletter informative. If you have suggestions, or want to include information in the next newsletter, email me at Randy.Losey@ARIAMemorial.com. Included with this email is an unsubscribe link if you want your email address removed from the newsletter circulation. We hope you stay with us.

I wish everyone a healthy and prosperous new year.

Randy Losey