President’s Message

Last fall, the Air Force selected the F130 engine made by Rolls-Royce North America for the B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program, or CERP. Under the $2.6 billion contract, Rolls-Royce will equip the B-52 fleet with eight engines each by September 2038, replacing the bomber’s aging Pratt & Whitney-made engines.

You are probably asking yourself why I opened my first letter to you as AAHS President with a fact about the B-52 Stratofortress. Well, I did because it is close metaphor for our organization. Like the B-52, we have been fulfilling our mission since the 1950s, and like the B-52, we need to continually adapt and modify ourselves to meet the demands of the world we operate in. Our members and volunteers are the engines of AAHS, and we need new members and volunteers. Our website and digital systems are our avionics that need to be updated to work with “Next-Gen” systems and people.

Most importantly and very much like the B-52, we need to be able to operate more cost-efficiently. The closest analogy for cost per flight hour for us would be cost per publication. Printing and shipping costs have risen, and while we have tried to absorb as much of that increase as we could, members will see a slight increase with their next renewal. As we all look at our budgets, if the print version of AAHS is something you are thinking about not renewing due to cost increases, please consider an e-membership and remember AAHS is a non-profit ( 501.3.c. ) educational organization that is unique in the aviation community.

I plan on focusing the majority of my efforts as president on attracting new members, increasing our engagement with the community and our members, establishing corporate memberships and collaborations, and enhancing our digital presence. Jerri and I have been working on developing a scholarship program and we hope to be able to share the final details with you all soon.

With the new TopGun movie out, the F-14 Tomcat is back on everyone’s mind, but why is such a beloved and capable aircraft no longer in service with the U.S. Navy but the Air Force still has its slow, ugly bomber? Because its primary mission of fleet defense from Soviet bombers was no longer needed, and it wasn’t adaptable to the needs of the 21st century. I don’t think anyone wants AAHS sent off to the proverbial “boneyard.” Our mission, “the preservation and dissemination of the rich heritage of American aviation,” is still and will always be needed – aviation history is being made every day. We only need to be adaptable to ensure we have the capabilities to fulfill our mission. I implore you all to give whatever you can, be it time or resources to help keep AAHS in the air.

James Logue
AAHS President