Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute Group Wraps It Up At The Airliners International 2009 Last Night Gala Event

Sown left to right at the Airliners International 2009 banquet are: Patty McQuigg (Surviving Flight Attendant) Eastern Airlines Flight 401 with Phil Brooks of United Airlines and his Wife Pam Brooks with Beverly Raposa (Surviving Flight Attendant) Eastern Airlines Flight 401
Shown with Beverly Raposa and Patty McQuigg both surviving Flight 401 Flight Attendants is aviation photographer Jerry Stanick ,who effort back in 1972 while photographing at Atlanta Hartfield International Airport, gave us two of the greatest shots ever so far of N310EA. Jerry is credited for the photo on our banner header of N310EA and the one displayed on the right hand side of our blog credited to him
Beverly Raposa speaks with Jon Proctor well known author of various commercial aviation books and former Editor-In-Chief for AIRLINERS Magazine. Jon was instrumental in the group having the pleasure of learning of Jerry Stanick and getting the group in touch with him concerning his photographs of N310EA
Shown with Patty McQuigg and Beverly Raposa, both surviving Eastern Airlines Flight 401 is Carlos Gomez, the quest speaker at the Airliners International 2009 Banquet Dinner. Carlos brief the entire audience on his group tremendous effort to fully restore to flight condition an ex-Eastern Airlines DC-7B
Flanked by Beverly Raposa and Patty McQuigg is Roger Jarman of Atlantic Models, the industry known manufacture of quality aircraft models from Miami, Florida and accompanying quest speaker with Carlos Gomez at the Airliners International 2009 Banquet Dinner The Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute Group with Mr. Danilo A.Vrolijk Sr. Air Traffic Controller of the Department of Aviation Aruba

Orlando, Florida 25th July 2009: After two full days of tremendous appreciation and great interest shown from the attending crowds toward the Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute Group who were present at this years Airliners International, which was held in Orlando, Florida, the members of the Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute group took in an enjoyable banquet dinner during the last night of the event.

In an odd twist of events, the survivors luck held strong at the banquet / dinner, as not only them but all others present who sat at their table that night all scored with winning raffle tickets for a host of great give aways ranging from aviation and aircraft's DVD's, books and die cast models.

It was truly a time for the 401 group to savor the night and enjoy the appreciation shown and rendered onto them, as all of them have given their all for many weekends this years to take their story, their memories and their message to all of us to understand, reflect and appreciate.

Add to that with being in the company with many great industry friends and colleagues it was truly a memorable night for all to remember.

Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute Group & The National Museum Of Commercial Aviation Link Up At Airliners International 2009

Shown left to right: Ron Infantino (surviving passenger flight 401), Beverly Raposa (surviving flight attendant flight 401), Captain Chuck Maire, Chairman of the Board for the National Museum of Commercial Aviation in Atlanta, Georgia and Patty McQuigg (surviving flight attendant flight 401).

Assuming the "I am in Charge" Captain posed, Captain Chuck Marie is shown at the National Museum of Commercial Aviation table accompanied by Grant Wainscott, Executive Director

Orlando, Florida 23rd-25th 2009: Also in attendance at Airliners International 2009 were members from the National Museum of Commercial Aviation (NMCA). Captain Chuck Marie, Chairman of the board and Grant Wainscott, Executive Director met with the members of the Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute Group and discussed a few possibilities.

One issued discussed was for both organizations to support each other within their respective cities of which Atlanta was an Eastern base and Miami a treasure trove of commercial aviation.

The Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute welcomed the idea of being a possible guess speaker at the (NMCA) scheduled event in September to celebrate the opening of their new and expanded facility in Atlanta to showcase their collection.

Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute Conducts its First Industry Lecture at Airliners International 2009 in Orlando, Florida

Surviving Flight Attendant Patty McQuigg speaks about her experience before and after the crash of Flight 401. Patty's descriptive approach in telling her story made the audience feel a sense of being there as she explained as to who she was entangled within the many wire bundles and hung there within the wreckage like a scare crow whistle being injured and awaiting for rescue
Shea Oakley approaches Beverly after the two hour lecture given about specific queries concerning the other cabin crew members and their conditions after the crash. Shown here is Shea giving Beverly a few names he jotted down to question about concerning the other cabin crew memebers
"Commander" Ron Infantino opens the lecture / presentation about Eastern Flight 401 at Airliners International 2009, with the statement of "the 1 to 10 scale factor" of life in as 10, being the worst an aircraft crash to 1 being the least in as breaking a finger nail and as to how in life we all should appreciate every single second and worry about the things that matters

Honorary group member Catherine Smallwood a qualified FAA Flight Instructor and ERJ-170 First Officer for Republic Airways speaks about the flight condition and attitude of aircraft (N310EA) during the final moments of flight and as to how the crew operated within the cockpit unknowing the situation at hand concerning the aircraft slow decent into the ground

Orlando, Florida 23rd-25th 2009: The Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute Group launched their first formal and structured lecture covering the experience of the survivors, the technical aspects of the crash and the advent of Crew Resource Management (CRM) at Airliners International 2009. An audience of about 60 attendees enjoyed an informative and well presented two hour lecture. The audience participation was tremendous, as many within the audience clamored for answers to the many myths and stories in which they all have heard through out the thirty-eight years since the crash. One former Eastern Line Captain who spoke stated that he heard that the First Officer fell asleep and that was the result of the crash, which amazed the group and proved the point of the many misconception still out there concerning the crash.

The feedback from the audience was one of thanks and appreciation, as many within the audience were layman concerning the issues of Crew Resource Management (CRM) and the technical aspects of the L-1011 of which they commented as to how easy it was to understand the overall presentation. The group all took their turns to present their expertise and experience to the audience each bringing a different and informative view point to the audience.

Ron, Beverly and Patty all shared their personal experience from the crash which captivated the entire audience. The Group have been asked to speak at various other professional aviation gathering through the year of which their scheduled could be seen on the right hand / upper section of the blogsite with the upcoming dates.

Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute Group Mix It Up At the Airliners International 2009 in Orlando, Florida

Mike McComb an aviation writer for AIRWAYS Magazine review a series folders containing the historical technical data which was harvested from the Eastern archives and presented for public display. Many of these pages were meant for internal Eastern Airlines Company review only and never for public viewing
Even the much younger generation whose parents may have just been born at the time of the crash back in 1972, took amazement to the history of Flight 401. Kids ranging from grade school to high school all took a keen interest in meeting the group and learning about the crash

Surviving Flight Attendant Beverly Raposa explains to a young boy about the aircraft the Lockheed L-1011 in which she flew in as an Eastern Airlines Flight Attendant. The younger audiance express many inquizative question to all of the surviving memebers during the show

In a joint group effort this visitor get a great prospective about the crash from all three surviving member who were in attendance at the 2009 Airliners International. Visitors enjoyed the various views about the crashed expressed from both a passenger and flight cabin crew point of view

Beverly Raposa and Ron Infantino display a series of arranged post crash photo to on lookers who where all captivated by the information prepared and presented by the actual survivors, as well as the established and well research technical and operation data presented by the two honorary members Benny Benitez and Catherine Smallwood who also answered many questions during the three day event

Shown in the white ball cap is Shea Oakley, Executive Director of the Aviation Hall of Fame & Museum of New Jersey. Shea and Beverly discuss the myths and facts surrounding the crash, as they exchange names of former crew members

Orlando, Florida July 23rd-25th 2009:

Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute Group Attends the Airliners International 2009 in Orlando, Florida

Honorary Eastern Flight 401 Tribute Group Member Benny Benitez speaks with a former Eastern Airline First Officer who flew with Captain Loft, they discuss Crew Resource Management (CRM)

Honorary Eastern Flight 401 Tribute Group member Catherine Smallwood speaks with a former Pan American Airways Flight Attendant. Catherine explains the piece of aircraft wreckage being displayed, as the visitor closely inspects the recovered panel cover
Surviving Eastern Flight 401 Flight Attendant explains here post crash experience and her location with one of many interested visitors to the display table who had many questions about surviving an aircraft crash
Surviving passenger Ron Infantino explains his seating position within the cabin of Flight 401 just prior to impact as a visitor closely listens in shear amazement to learn that the aircraft was totally destroyed

A passing visitor poses for a group photo showing from left to right Ron Infantino (Surviving Passenger), Patty McQuigg (Surviving Flight Attendant) Honorary Support Members Benny Benitez and Catherine Smallwood next to Beverly Raposa (Surviving Flight Attendant)

Orlando, Florida July 23rd-25th 2009:

Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute Group Visits The Rolls Royce Engine Manufacturing Facilities in The U.K.

Our guy "Nick" Nick Bavington shown next to a Rolls Royce RB211 engine during his visit to Rolls Royce in Derby, England

Pending Story / Posting Soon to Published:

Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute Group Communicates With Various Die-Cast Molder Maker to Re-Create N310EA

With a slight modification, the Gemini Jets 1/400 shown representing fleet aircraft N303EA could be easily changed to represent N310EA by changing the tail and nose numbers and removal of the forward fuselage circular logo shown

Shown above is a Gemini Jets 1/400 scale die-cast model of Eastern Airlines N303EA shown in the same Eastern Airlines fleet paint scheme in which Flight 401 aircraft N310EA was painted in on the night of the crash 29th December 1972

Miami, Florida 8th June 2009: Utilizing established business contacts within Hong Kong, Honorary Tribute Group member Benny F. Benitez contacted Hong Kong based Hobby-Master a manufacture of fine quality die-cast model aircraft / airliners. Hobby-Master advised that they would not be able to produce the Lockheed L-1011 / N310EA, as they lacked the proper "tooling" and it would prove to be an expensive acquisition to commit to. In their wiliness to help the group, Hobby-Master suggested to contact "Inflight 200" another quality producer of die cast model aircraft / airliners who are in possession of the required tooling. With the help of Mr. Wally Wilson from Washington D.C., Benny was provide with the name and email of Mr. Bob Cass at Inflight 200.

During the same time, Wally Wilson also provided Benny with the name of Mr. Elliot Epstein at Gemini Jets, the manufacture of the L-1011 in 1/400 scale shown above in the photograph. Benny launched a correspondence and was contacted by Gemini Jet who advised that unfortunately, their tooling for L-1011 production was damage, which caused them to produced only a limited run of Lockheed L-1011's. The hope would be for Inflight 200 to assist, which they expressed that normally, they do not produce "accident related" tail numbers, but would make special exception to support the group. Continued dialog shall continued and hopefully soon the Eastern Airline Flight 401 Tribute Group will be able to sell commemorative "Inflight 200" 1/200 scale copies of N310EA.