Jersey Shore Magazine

J e r s e y s h o r e • F A L L / H O L I D A Y 2 0 2 0 46 has been supplemented by public and corporate donations, including United Airlines, Maino noted. Informally, the OASS is referred to as the Black Sheep Squadron, perhaps due to their independent, trained, tested, and coordinated volunteers. As of June 2020, the OASS has thirty-five members. With some serving in more than one capacity, included among them are thirteen trained mission pilots, eighteen trained mission observers, six trained ground control officers, and eighteen trained ground radio operators. Leadership in the OASS includes a commander, a deputy commander, administration/training staff, aircraft owners, pilots, and observers. The OASS is led by commander James Candeletti of Forked River. Candeletti is a heavy equipment operator, FAA certified aviation mechanic/safety inspector, and pilot/plane owner. He meets regu- larly with county and other officials to listen to their needs, coordinate responsibilities, and try to customize what they do. Debbie Hamilton of Brick Town- ship also plays a key role in the vol- unteer organization, keeping staff schedules and assignments current. Gene Bunt of Toms River, an OASS pilot, started flying after his kids began college. His background includes working with HVAC, electri- cal systems, and air chambers. Bunt has been flying for more than fifteen years and estimates he has flown about seventy missions for the squad- ron. He now flies a two-seat Model 414C 1946 Ercoupe. Bunt said to be a member involves having FEMA training to learn how incidents can happen and how to develop responses with government agencies. Another OASS pilot who has deep roots in aviation is John Hermack of Toms River. The son of a WWII bombardier, Hermack was a com- mercial/airline transport pilot. He began his career in the U.S. Air Force flying F-106 and F-16 fighter jets. Hermack then became a commercial pilot for People Express, Continental, and United airlines, flying 727, 757, and 767 aircraft for thirty-four years. He now flies his six-seat Model A36 Beechcraft Bonanza for the squadron as well as for his own personal trips to Ohio State football games. All members of the OASS receive training in the specialties of running missions as well as reporting and maintaining data. For each mission, the ground support crew includes a control officer and a radio operator. In the aircraft, the pilot concentrates on the demands of flying and has an observer as an extra pair of eyes to take photos of anomalies and pro- vide an historic record. Information of immediate operational value is relayed by radio to the control station at the airport, and these, in turn, JERSEY SHORE PROFILE BLACK SHEEP, continued from page 44 are relayed to Ocean County agen- cies or other government officials by telephone. The OASS maintains detailed information about each of its missions, including staff, results, and costs. County officials and other agencies receive weekly mission reports. This historical information is retained by the OASS and is available to government officials upon request. OASS aircraft are privately owned by individuals or partnerships who share the cost of ownership. All squadron meetings and missions originate from a shared hanger at Ocean County Airport. OASS maintains robust relation- ships with the Experimental Aircraft Association and its Free Young Eagles Flights youth aviation program as well as the Ocean County Airpark Advisory Committee. Despite the seriousness of their mission, it is not all work for the volunteers of the OASS. They sponsor several social activities each year, and dinners and picnics are not unusual. For more information about the Ocean Air Support Squadron, visit www.oassi.org. Gordon Hesse is the author of "Island Beach – A Sonnet In The Sands," "All Summer Long – Tales & Lore of Lifeguarding on the Atlantic," "Cuban Blues – A Memoir," and "Children Of The Sky – The Odyssey Of Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca." Please refer to pages 6 - 9 as well as www.jerseyshorebooks.com for more infor- mation about his books and appearances. Gordon Hesse courtesy of OASS Gene Bunt of Toms River does a pre-flight checklist of his 1946 Ercoupe. He estimates he has flown seventy missions for the Squadron. Once a life-saving structure for ships navigating along the coast, Barnegat Light is a welcoming sight for modern aircraft using hi-tech guidance capabilities during overcast conditions.

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