BOAF History
BIRDS OF A FEATHER
1972- 1995
In November 1972 Ward B spoke at the ALPA Board of Directors meeting about the need to keep pilots' jobs after they are in recovery. Aeromedical Advisor Dr. Richard L. Masters addressed in closed door session the need for establishing a health program to address the disease of alcoholism. In May 1974 the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism approved a grant to ALPA to fund a project known as Human Intervention and Motivation Study, HIMS for short, offering assistance to pilots who needed help as a result of excessive drinking. The first target airlines were Continental, Frontier and Braniff, chosen for their comparable size and diversity of medical programs. A liaison was established with the FAA to develop return to work procedures after diagnosis and successful treatment. The first of HIMS training sessions began in March 1975, originally planned as a 5-year study of the three airlines. In actuality the program lasted 8 years and eventually had 23 airline participants.
Coincidentally, in the Spring of 1975 after an airline pilot and an astronaut went public with their alcohol problems and subsequent treatment, Mike M, an airline dispatcher, sought treatment for people from his airline who suffered from alcoholism. Early that summer Mike went to Larry H., then director of the Alcohol Center at Puget Sound Hospital in Tacoma. Later that summer those two men met with Ward B to discuss the need for an AA meeting for airmen only. Later Rudy D was included, and he vigorously approved the notion since his airline had announced they had no alcoholic pilots and would fire him if they found one. Al J joined the other four and the first meeting was held on December 5 of that year. Ward let the FAA know he was a recovering alcoholic, and their response was that it was self-diagnosis, so they had nothing to do with it.
These Birds pioneers had quite a battle ahead of them because at that time FAA regulations declared that alcoholism was grounds for mandatory denial of an airline pilot's medical certificate. The airlines, ALPA and the Military Services had only developed a perfunctory awareness of the problems of alcoholism and of the importance of AA in helping recovery. Also, their early meetings were criticized by other AA groups, accusing the Birds of violating the 3rd tradition by apparent discrimination against non-flight individuals. Al J contacted the General Service Board in February of 1976, and they responded that "many special interest groups do meet together, and one of the ways this has been solved is by referring to it as a "meeting" rather than as a "group".
By February 1976 when the San Francisco nest was born, these guys weren't sitting on their hands - Birds were writing letters and making contacts and doing everything they could not only to carry the message to other alcoholics, but get the aviation world aware that lives could be saved. Not only that, to add a little honey to the pot, they assured the airlines they'd save lots of money by not firing the alcoholic pilots, but getting help for them. They were in full force at the HIMS seminars, pushing their points with the FAA, airline executives, medical people, union officials, anyone who would listen. They got a great deal of help from Dr. Joe Pursch, now an honorary Bird, and Dr. Bart Pakull, chief psychiatrist of the FAA was listening to them. It seemed the FAA was beginning to change its position. By September of that year United's MEC, Medical, and Flight Operations offices issued a joint statement establishing an Employee Assistance Program designed to assist pilot employees with difficulties that may ensue from alcohol dependency. It was a landmark and United was first, soon followed by the other carriers.
In May Chuck G, an early Bird who then had 12 years of sobriety, appeared as one of a 53-member panel of recovering alcoholic professionals on behalf of the National Council on Alcoholism in Washington, On November 10 the FAA issued their exemption letter based on the United/ALPA agreement. In December of that year, as Seattle Birds celebrated their first birthday, there were nests there, in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York City. Also in December Chuck G volunteered as the first exemption test case to Dr Pursch, Dr. Homer Reighard, Federal Air Surgeon, and Dr Frank Schwartz of United Airlines. The good doctors figured they could get it together in 30 days with all this recovery talk going on, but because of Carter's inauguration it took 33. January 15,1977 Chuck got his exemption.
That same month Pan Am, with gentle prodding from Ward B, issued a supplement to their Flight Ops Magazine titled "The Alcoholic - You Can Help." Also in January, Mike M. edited the first mimeographed issue of "Birds Eye View," a newsletter for the rapidly growing nest population. He announced there were now 6 nests in the US, plus unofficial nests in Germany, Barbados, and some Ag pilots in Saudi Arabia. At the Seattle Birds second birthday party in December of 1977, the principal speaker was Dr. H.L. Reighard, the Federal Air Surgeon. It was great progress in a short time to have a speaker of his federal authority, discussing the disease and exemption process before a group of recovering alcoholic pilots. At San Francisco's 2nd party the following February Doctors Pursch and Pakull were the principal speakers. In December of that year (1978) the first National Birds meeting was held to serve as a central body, coordinate communication, and assist new nest formations. John R. was elected secretary. For some time John had been bidding Washington schedules out of San Francisco so he could do some not-always-so-gentle prodding of FAA officialdom.
In October of 1979 Al J and Ward B explained the BOAF program at the Drug & Alcohol Abuse Committee meeting at McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma. The McChord newspaper did a story on the presentation and listed Al and Ward as contacts. Subsequently the Commanding Officer issued a pamphlet called "Bottle to Throttle" to all pilots, navigators and flight surgeons - the pamphlet had been given to him, of course, by our own Ward and Al, and included their phone numbers again. Chuck G became the 2nd Big Bird of National BOAF in December.
The following April 1980 the Air Force Surgeon General authorized major commands to okay the return of rehabilitated problem drinkers to flying status. The Birds were forging ahead full throttle. In May there were nine nests. December of 1980 marked the first International meeting in Renton, WA. Al J was elected secretary and served for two years.
April 3, 1981, Cindy Rucker, one of the first female commercial airline pilots, put out the first issue of the "Bird Word," a publication to be sent out to the Birds four times a year, to replace the random issues of "Birds Eye View." The mascot was Orville C. Gull, a bird seeking to stay sober through the fellowship of AA. Sadly the second issue was edited by Pat W. and carried Cindy's obituary. She was tragically killed when she crashed during an air show performance, but her legacy still lives on in her lasting memorial, The Bird Word. Buzz A spoke at her service and messages were received from Mrs. Betty F. and Dr. Reighard, Federal Air Surgeon. By December of 1981 there were 14 nests, including Vancouver, officially making Birds International, with a membership of 335.
It was decided to move the annual meeting to May and Dean T. was elected to follow Al in 1982. Federal funds for the HIMS seminars were withdrawn during that year - some of the Birds tried to keep it going on their own, but the task was too formidable.
Up to now there had been annual meetings of Birds of a Feather usually held in conjunction with the Pearl Harbor (December 7) group in Washington DC. At the official BOAF convention in Atlanta in May of 1983 the Vancouver Birds announced that the Canadian Department of Transportation had accepted BOAF as a more than viable organization, just as the FAA had done in the United States. Grant B became the editor of the Bird Word, now publishing 500 copies at a clip.
Here we are in San Diego again, as we were in April of 1984, where a great time was had by all. In 1985 we convened in Chicago, and shortly thereafter Birds were well represented at the 50th AA birthday party in Montreal. Ron D, secretary at that time, explained Birds of a Feather to 1500 people at the Airline Coordinators meeting along with Dr. Bart Pakull who shared insights on prevailing FAA involvement in recognition, treatment and control of alcoholism within the airline industry. He reported a 90% success rate in first time exemptions and special issuances since 1979.
At the 1986 convention in Washington Federal Air Surgeon Dr. Frank Austin reported that 700 pilots had been recertified. Linn J took over as Editor of the Bird Word, now done with a word processor and lookin' good! A Southern California consortium of nests put on the 1987 convention in Orange County, and 1988 found us with our first International Nest in Vancouver BC, where Bill P. was elected Big Bird. Mike M, one of the original Birds, passed away in August of that year.
1989 found us in Miami where we learned that over 1000 commercial pilots had returned to work, a monumental achievement and very different from previous automatic dismissal not too many years earlier. In that year an editorial appeared in Western Flyer, a widely distributed and respected newspaper aimed primarily at general aviation. The author heaped praise on the past and continuing efforts of Birds of a Feather to help their fellow alcoholic airmen back to productive lives. He concluded the editorial with telephone contact numbers for 25 nests in the United States, Canada, Germany and Iceland.
In 1990 the Birds convention was held in Las Vegas, where we were honored with a private performance by the Air Force Thunderbirds. A couple of months later Birds hosted a hospitality suite at the Big 55th AA Birthday Bash in Seattle. That year more than 600 issues of the Bird Word were being published, with Frank G. as the newest editor.
The BOAF lapel buttons got in motion at the 1991 convention in Atlanta. Sadly, Al J, one of the original Birds, passed away in March of that year. It was Al who had acted as the Birds liaison with the General Service Office in New York. He and Ward B. made quite a team in the early years, blazing the trail for recovering pilots in whatever ways seemed appropriate, sometimes with a gentle nudge, but more often than not, with in-your-face behavior!
The theme of the 1992 convention in Portland was "Amazing Grace" - their hostess was a mannequin named Grace who appeared in various costumes at every event, and the appropriate response to any comment about her was "That Grace - she's amazing! Fritz G. was installed as Big Bird, and many of us bought the new BOAF lapel pins, a circle and triangle with a seagull in flight at the center, originated by Mac M. (SAN) in 1980-81. When the convention closed with all of us singing "Amazing Grace" together, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. By now, nests were sponsoring personal messages in professional publications offering contact numbers for pilots who might need or want help.
Our Higher Powers cooled the weather off only during the days of our convention of warmth and fellowship in Palm Springs, 1993. We were issued a rare invitation to tour and have lunch at the Betty Ford Center there. Jack B. was the new Editor of the Bird Word which had graduated from word processor to professional looking computer printing and now listed 56 nests or contact points. During this time (1992-1996) HIMS II financed by the Air Line Pilots Association focused on alcoholism at the level of regional Airlines.
The Portsmouth New Hampshire convention in 1994 had us buying golf hats with the lapel pin logo, and there began the planning that leads us to today. The Bird Word came onto the information super-highway, so that any member with a modem could e-mail notices, letters, or articles. In the fall Betsy D. started coordinating Birds on the Internet, and a new nest was born. As of this writing the NetNest, as it's called, has 38 extraordinarily active members, sharing experience, strength and hope on a daily basis worldwide. That makes 65 nests or contact points to date, and the beat goes on.
Sadly, during 1994, we mourned the loss of John R. who played a significant role in the recertification process. We also lost Ward B., co-founder and prime mover in the recognition by officialdom that recovering pilots could, in fact, be restored to lives of productivity. When asked how he wanted to be remembered Ward responded, "As an airman and co-founder of Birds of a Feather." Now in the 20th year of our existence, we are convinced to a man that Ward, Al J., John R. and all the other Birds who have Flown West are sitting with Dr. Bob and Bill W. where they can watch the growth, the fellowship, and the recovery in Birds of a Feather - and they smile.
Glen B. accepted the Big Bird's hat at our annual convention in 1995 with Mac M. heading the SAN nest. The gathering coincided with the International Convention celebrating the 60th birthday of AA, Birds of a Feather was listed in the official program guide showing the scheduled workshop where several of our members explained our purpose. We've come a long way!
Respectfully submitted,
Richey G., SFO
1996-2013
In May 1996 a truly international Birds group, including those from Iceland and Germany, convened at Pensacola Beach, FL. Sunrise meetings were held daily on the beach and experience, strength and hope flowed freely in a magnificent setting. Father Martin was the guest speaker at the banquet, held beneath a formation of Blue Angels at the Naval Aviation Museum.
June 1997 found a warm and loving group of Birds flocking to warm and hospitable Tempe AZ for the annual convention hosted by the PHX nest. Birds were all over the place, playing in the golf tournament, touring air museums, attending AA meetings, and gathering for fellowship in the hospitality suite. Big Bird's hat was passed to George S. The honored guest throughout the convention was Dodie Buckingham, widow of founder Ward B. from Seattle. At the banquet Dodie was given a pendant, crafted from a BOAF lapel pin - a touching moment. She tells this historian that she never takes it off.
Bob H. of Charleston S.C. single-handedly took on the job as host of the 1998 convention held in March. Birds from all over found the area an interesting and historic place for touring and enjoying southern hospitality. The banquet was held on the impressive hangar deck of the USS Yorktown, moored permanently in Charleston. Our own Lyle P. was the equally impressive speaker. The Birds were especially grateful to Bob H. for taking on the monumental task of hosting the convention. According to authorities, "to date about 3000 airline pilots with the diagnosis of alcoholism have been returned to the cockpit, but that would not include the thousands with DUI's/DWI's, the private pilots etc., who were certified as an appendage of the Airline Pilot Program." Additionally, much of the very successful HIMS (both HIMS I and HIMS II) program methodology had fallen by the wayside, in the belief that "drug testing" would supplant the need for the HIMS program. That did not happen. Now, HIMS is back again. And Dr. Audie Davis, the FAA official who was so instrumental in bringing change to the agency's medical certification policy, will manage this alcohol intervention and recovery program for airline pilots. Jerry N. started the BirdWord editor's job, and there's a new format - quite a change from the early mimeographs of "Birds Eye View."
During 1999 Mighty Big Bird George S. and his capable sidekick Tom B. worked diligently to find our convention a home for 1999. They arranged for us to meet in Colorado Springs and though we had a relatively small gathering it was productive. Tom B moved into the Big Bird seat, and the first woman was elected to fill the alternate secretary/treasurer's position, Dotty W. from FLL. The professional panel (O'Connor, Masters, Marinelli, Pursch, O'Flaherty, Talley) talked of both past and present developments in their fields, but expressed concern at an increased relapse rate. Walt D. (MSP) agreed to arrange for the next convention in Minneapolis, immediately prior to AA's Big 65th birthday party.
BOAF Convention 2000 (MSP)
Walt D did a yeoman job, and a grand time was had by all. The strike at several hotels in Minneapolis did nothing at all to dampen the enthusiasm of the Birds who attended the MSP 2000 BOAF convention. Walt even arranged a tour to see Buffalo House, a halfway home for about 30 men, that he and some other AA members put together. In spite of the strike the hotel managed to put on a fabulous banquet for us Tuesday night, and a lovely breakfast for our final meal together.
The business meeting produced news. BOAF will have an official website, and the NetNest added some new members. Also Jerry N will be stepping down as our very capable editor after the next issue of the BirdWord, and Patrick W has volunteered to take over the job. Mike B showed up with lapel pins and assorted tourist information to get us thinking about May of 2001, when once again the BOAF International will convene, in Irving (Dallas) TX. The Birds didn't slow down after their convention. Dotty W got them organized for participation in manning a hospitality suite and moderated a panel of four Birds speaking at the professional forum at the world convention of Alcoholics Anonymous. The BOAF meeting played to a full house and there was lively discussion after the presentation, with several subscribing to The Bird Word and at least two being added to the NetNest.
BOAF Convention 2001 (DFW)
Mike B, Michael S and many others of the Dallas nest put together a memorable 25th anniversary convention where Birds of many lands flocked to share their experience, strength and hope. A full schedule of AA and Al-anon meetings were available throughout the four days including a Gratitude meeting chaired by Hal M of the DCA nest. The business meeting resulted in the appointment of our first lady Big Bird as Dotty W (FLL) accepted the Big Bird hat from Tom B (PNS). Scott H (PHX) assumes the service position as alternate secretary and treasurer. Richey G (SFO) found a volunteer in Rick B (PSM) as historian. We heard that BOAF is now listed in GSO's international and professional editions, and that there are potential new nests in Richmond, VA and Anchorage, AK. The NetNesters were delighted to learn that the website is very successful, and a hearty discussion ensued about adding HIMS and ALPA Aeromedical numbers. Representatives from TWA and American Airlines provided insight into dealing with pilots identified with alcoholism in a professional panel discussion. The Saturday banquet and dinner was delightful. Held in the C.R. Smith Museum we dined beneath the wing of a DC-3, watched a beautiful film which began with Michael Bolton crooning "Standing on the shoulders of those who've gone before".. and heard an inspiring message from Don P of Wichita. Michael S (DFW) sent us home reminding us that we do this together.
BOAF Convention 2002 (PDX)
Sober Birds of a Feather from around the globe were found in PDX in the spring of 2002. Highlights of this convention include a spiritual workshop with Johanna O providing tips for being open to the Divine Spirit and Garrett O's meaningful musical message of exile and survival, a bus tour to the museum housing the Spruce Goose then to an upscale treatment facility for a relapse prevention seminar.
Regularly scheduled morning and evening AA meetings, as well as a comfortable hospitality suite enabled us to renew old friendships and begin new ones. The Professional forum provided discussion for current concerns in the Aviation Industry. The Business meeting, led by Big Bird Dotty W (FLL), dealt with the costs and process of registering the name of our group "Birds of A Feather", and protecting the use of "The Bird Word" and "BOAF International".
A decision was made to carry the message by increasing the number of aviation publications that would publish a statement about BOAF. Lyle P (ATL) told his story of being "Grounded" at the Saturday banquet held in the Pearson Air Museum. Neil S (SFO) shared his gratitude Sunday. The incredible service of Beth C, Amazing Grace and all of the PDX birds produced a Convention that brought a healthy dose of Unity, Recovery and Service (and greeting tote bags that helped us to find our way around.)
BOAF Convention 2003 (ORD)
Many Birds have watched Ann and Tom W go through the dating and marriage process and their sons Thomas and Colin became BOAF nestlings from day one. The entire family has shown us what love and true commitment are about...in all areas of their lives...and this years gathering was no exception. They volunteered to host ORD 2003 and were joined in their BOAF dedication by Ann's sister Mary, her mother Rose and friend Kelly, all of whom were eager participants from the time the first Bird checked in. And they checked in from coast to coast as well as Iceland, Scotland and the UK.
The business meeting was lively as usual. There seems to be positive response to our notices in various aviation publications, and that process will continue. During the Nest reports, we were disappointed to learn the DEN nest is no longer active, though there will still be contacts listed in the BirdWord. After two years of diligent service, Dotty W turned over the Big Bird hat to Scott H, and the new guy on the team is Ricky K, a Bird from Scotland who becomes second-in-command. Dotty is hardly retiring from service:she and Jerry volunteered the FLL nest as hosts for 2004.
We golfed and shopped and toured, but the highlight was renewal of old friendships and making of new ones. There were AA/Alanon meetings morning and night, Dr. Pursch gave a wonderful presentation, speakers Grant B and Earl H were OUTSTANDING and there was a fabulous banquet on Saturday night and the annual spiritual breakfast to close the convention Sunday morning.
2004 found all of us in sunny Florida at the Ft. Lauderdale Convention in late April, early May. It was held in conjunction with the Ft. Lauderdale Air & Sea Show and all week the Blue Angels were either practicing or doing their show for us and the folks on the beaches. We went deep sea fishing plus other activities and our guest speaker at the banquet was Capt. Creighton Pendarvis. Dr. Pursch was again in attendence at the forum and gave another interesting presentation. Dotty, et. al. did a bang up job for us. The Toronto nest gave us a taste of what they had in store at their convention next year in conjunction with AA's 70th Anniversary International Convention.
Toronto, Canada, sight of the 70th AA International Convention June, 2005. The Toronto Nest under the leadership of Dick, Rick and Tom did a great job dove-tailing our convention just in front of the International. Our hotel was in a perfect location and many of us stayed after our own convention to participate in either our first or for some their second or third International AA Convention. The town of Toronto was awash in laughter and fellowship as tens of thousands of AA's from all over the world convened for their 5-year event. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police loved us: no violence, no crime, no problems. It was truly a great event. Our own convention saw Scott H. hand over the Big Bird hat and Big Bird Mug to Ricky K, our first "International" Big Bird. Rusty N. of the DFW nest has been "inducted" to take over Ricky's treasurer duties. One of the highlights of the convention was a large bus tour to Niagara Falls. Our banquet speaker Dale A. inspired us with his story.
Birds of a Feather continues to grow as we enter 2006. Not even a hurricane a few months before their event could have prevented the Pensacola Nest from hosting our convention this year. Tom B. and the gang were able to put on a fine visit for us to the sunny beaches of Florida to include boat rides, a little golf, some shopping and a wonderful banquet at the Naval Museum sitting under a formation of A-4 Blue Angels in the large reception hall. At the business meeting Scott H. was pressed into service as the new webmaster of the BOAF website. We had AA sunrise meetings on the beach and once again interesting seminars and guest speakers. We left sunburned and rested.
In 2007 it was a return to Phoenx, Arizona where once again we held our convention in Tempe at the same hotel we were at 10 years earlier. This time, however, there was the new Tempe Town Lake available for our enjoyment. Some interesting new things we did this year was an AA meeting on the lake on a chartered cruise boat, a large golf tournament, a night on the town at the Tempe Improv Comedy Club, movies in the hospitality suite every night with popcorn, activities for kids and numerous other events. Dr. Kevin McCauley gave an outstanding seminar on addictions and was followed up by Nancy Hay with her talk on Couples in Recovery. Jack B., a retired SR-71 pilot, was our banquet speaker. Last but not least, Rusty N. of DFW took over Big Bird duties from Ricky K. and Beth C. from Portland will be our new treasurer and Big Bird in waiting. We all have Ken and Anita H. plus their helpful PHX nest minions to thank for a great convention. It's off to Atlanta for next year.
In April of 2008 the Atlanta Nest put on a "peach" of a convention at the Westin-Atlanta North. Bill M, Bill B, Lyle P., Kathleen and Scott did a wonderful job. Ann B. made us exceptional and valuable souvenir bags embroidered with the BOAF logo and "Atlanta 2008" on them. Highlights of the business meeting were the treasurer's report indicating how our donations help future conventions, support the BirdWord and money we send to New York GSO; how the Scholarship Committee oversees a scholarship to Father Martin Ashley's Recovery Center for pilots who wish treatment but are unable to afford it. The BirdWord has been running a deficit over the last two years and we voted for future subscriptions would cost $10 per year. Email issues will continue to be free. The position of BirdWord Editor was announced as open. A decision was made to keep the format of the BOAF meeting at the annual HIMS conference the same as previous years, so it will be up to individuals to choose whether or not to participate since it will continue to be open to all conferees. Tom B. invited BOAF members to meet him at the Reno Air Race T-6 "Race 50" pit in September. The Professional Forum included Toni Curry and Dr. Pursch. Lynn H. and Sandy B. shared their stories of recovery. There were our own AA and Alanon meetings in addition to other activities. This year the meeting was taped and many convention goers purchased a CD to be shared back home. Several new nests came to fruition in 2008 to include Miami, Charlotte and Islip, New York. Our 2009 convention will be held in Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas.
2009 saw further growth in Birds of a Feather. Sarasota, Florida added its nest to our fold along with Nanaimo on beautiful Vancouver Island in British Columbia. The annual convention was held in Dallas-Ft. Worth this year and it was filled with activities and fellowship. Birds took advantage of a golf tournament, museums, tours of the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium and the Texas Motor Speedway. Speakers and professional forums were held over the course of the event. Our annual banquet was held at the C.R. Smith Museum which highlights the history of American Airlines. At the banquet, Rusty N. handed the Big Bird hat and mug to Beth C. and Canadian Richard B. was named the new Treasurer/Big Bird in waiting. Our special speaker was Beverly R., widow of Buddy Ross, a founding member of the DFW nest. As the year comes to an end, we are all busy planning and thinking about next years convention in San Antonio which will be held just prior to the AA International Convention to celebrate 75 years of Alcoholics Anonymous.
2010 starts our 5th decade of experience, strength and hope for pilots and cockpit crewmembers in need of help from alcohol and drug addiction. We have come a long way from our humble beginnings in the 1970's and throughout the 80's, 90's, into the 21st century and now beginning with 2010 we have grown and prospered because of the need for our organization. We added Pittsburgh and two nests in Los Angeles this year and the highlight has to be our convention and subsequent participation in the 75th Anniversary Worldwide Convention of Alcoholics Anonymous in San Antonio, Texas. Our hospitality suite at one of the host hotels was heavily visited and attended during the convention week. Our volunteers met dozens and dozens of pilots, may of whom pledged that they would like to start a nest in their city. We once again hosted several hundred people at the Birds of a Feather Forum at the Convention Center where three pilots shared their stories with humor, grace and heartfelt honesty. Big Bird Beth C. and her co-anchor Richard B. guided us through the year. As we look forward to our next convention gathering in Calgary, Canada in September of 2011 we see new nests coming on line in January 2011 in Detroit, Las Vegas and San Francisco. 2010 is history, tomorrow is a mystery, so we have to live in today. It is truly a gift. That is why they call it the "present".
2011 turned out to be the beginning of an expansion year. We welcomed new nests in Detroit and Las Vegas, along with re-activation of our nest in San Francisco and plans to re-activate Memphis in January 2012. Our first nest in the Middle East (Dubai, UAE) will begin in January of 2012, plus we have those interested in starting nests in St. Louis, Palm Springs and Winnipeg, Canada. Speaking of Canada, the Calgary Canadians did a fantastic job at the BOAF Annual Convention held there this year. At the annual banquet, Big Bird Beth handed over the gavel for the next two years to Dick B. of the Nanaimo Nest. He will preside until the Birds convention in his home town in 2013 at which time Bill B. of Atlanta will be "crowned". Meanwhile, Bill has the task of taking care of our finances and alternate Big Bird duties. Of particular note were the outstanding comments made about their presentation speakers and the many side trips made to the local Calgary area. Congrats to Ian and his Calgary Convention Crew. The Nanaimo, British Colombia Birds will have to step it up for their convention in 2013 to show their Calgary brothers that they can do the same. As of now, plans are now being made in Denver to host the convention in May of 2012. There has never been a bad convention. Each one seems to get better than the last and we encourage all worldwide Birds to make the pilgrimage at least once to one of our conventions. They are too good to miss for fellowship, fun and for experience, strength and hope for all of us in recovery. On a sad note, BOAF lost Dr. Audie Davis, who flew west in October. We will miss his dedication, knowledge and support that he has given our organization for many, many years.
2012 saw the addition of an additional nest in the Seattle area. The South Puget Sound Nest started up to serve those birds in that part of the state. We also added a couple of more international nests to our organization. A few birds in the Amsterdam area have begun a nest in the Netherlands, thus adding to our European footprint. On the other side of the globe several pilots in recovery have introduced Birds of a Feather to the Korean Peninsula, starting a nest in Inchon. We are very excited with our growth globally and hopefully this will continue going forward. Denver held our yearly convention in May at the beautiful downtown Marriott City Center Hotel and all participants once again took part in fellowship and friendship. Everyone is looking forward to the convention on Vancouver Island next year when Big Bird Dick B. hands over the hat to Bill B.
2013 Big Bird Bill B. now has the helm as our new Secretary with Steve L. on his wing. The transition occurred in a beautiful setting in British Colombia as the small but energetic Nanaimo, Vancouver Island nest set a nice stage for us at our annual convention there. We enjoyed a salmon and shrimp BBQ, fishing, relaxing, many meetings and a wonderful banquet. The hospitality room was well stocked with refreshments and was a nice place to catch up on old friendships. At the business meeting some changes were proposed to the definition of our group and we will be deciding next year at the San Diego Convention what those changes will be, if any. Until then BOAF has added a meeting at the Betty Ford Center in Palm Springs, we have expanded in Asia with a nest in Kowloon, Hong Kong and other nests are being considered in Milwaukee, Winnipeg and St. Louis. Lastly, a long term goal has been reached when an updated Archive was created of BOAF to include binders on our history to include all of our conventions and BirdWord issues. It has been a busy year.
2014-2019
2014 continued the growing tradition of Birds of a Feather. Two new nests were added this year: Gig Harbor, Washington and Riverside County, California. Welcome and best of luck spreading our experience, strength and hope. This year we celebrated our yearly convention with a visit to San Diego, California, site of many previous Bird's conventions. Michelle and her crack team gathered us at a beautiful hotel near Downtown and we celebrated with a banquet and speaker, regular AA meetings, Significant Others meetings, a fantastic tour of an Aircraft Carrier in San Diego Harbor plus many other activities. Atlanta will be hosting next years event which will be immediately followed by the 80th International AA Convention at the Georgia Convention Center and Georgia Dome. So if you wanted to attend a Birds Convention and an AA Anniversary Convention at the same time please make an attempt to come to Atlanta in 2015.
2015 was a big year for BOAF, as we provided a very large hospitality suite at the 80th AA International Convention in Atlanta, Georgia to spread our experience, strength and hope to aviators worldwide. Over the time of the convention hundreds of visitors came by to say hello. There was standing room only during our BOAF seminar on Friday of the Convention. Three pilots presented their stories to a crowd of upwards of 300 people and many folks were unable to come in the room due to the overflow crowd. We will definately have to have a larger room at the 2020 International in Detroit. Of a sad note Dr. Garrett O'Conner, a big supporter of BOAF flew West in September. He will be remembered as one of several individuals that provided the opportunity for dozens of pilots to continue their careers in recovery. We added Palm Beach, Florida as a new nest this year and it looks like Indianapolis may be adding a new nest soon. Lastly, everyone is looking forward to sunny Florida in May when the Ft. Lauderdale nest will host next year's convention.
2016 saw Birds of a Feather gathering in Ft. Lauderdale for our annual convention. Jim and his team welcomed us with open arms and a wonderful time was had by all in sunny Florida. Boston, Reno and Indianapolis are three new cities that have established regular meetings this year. As always, we encourage everyone to support our new 2016 nests as the months go by if you are in town. We also added numerous "solo birds" to our NESTS AND CONTACTS page. Our history shows that many of these solo birds go on to establish regular nests of their own. All eyes are looking towards Phoenix, Arizona next year as they will host at the same resort where they welcomed us in 1997 and 2007. Jim E. will take over as our Big Bird at that time. We hope to continue to add more nests as we grow our experience, strength and hope to all pilots out there in need.
2017 was another year of expansion for Birds of a Feather. We welcomed Nashville, Palm Springs, Lake Tahoe, Tampa, Dayton and a resurgent Salt Lake City. Plus, we were delighted to be joined by New Zealand as we welcomed yet another international nest. Phoenix, Arizona hosted our convention again, the third time in 20 years. They gave us a warm, and we do mean "WARM", welcome at the same hotel where we celebrated our conventions in 1997 and 2007. Archie, Joe and their team provided us with tours to include the F-35 fighter jet operation at Luke AFB and we shared other activities such as a meeting on a boat in the middle of Tempe town Lake, a banquet, raffle prizes and most important of all, AA meetings and professional speakers. Looking forward to next years convention in Calgary, Alberta, Canada plus adding more cities as we grow into 2018 and beyond.
2018 The nests kept coming in 2018. Frankly we had never heard of Lake Conroe, Texas but a new nest was formed there nevertheless. There are pilots in recovery everywhere. Especially outside of the U.S. We now have two nests in New Zealand: Christchurch and Auckland. There is a new nest in South Puget Sound. Our Canadian friends in Calgary invited all Birds to congregate in their fine city for our annual convention. Wonderful tours were set up and fabulous meals were the talk of the event. As usual the professional forums, meetings and banquet were the highlight of the weekend. Looks like Dallas in 2019 is already gearing up for their event next year. They have had several over the last years and have always put together a great show for us. Let's see what 2019 holds for our organization.
2019 This was the year that the DFW East and West nests got together to put on a well attended annual convention that brought Birds from all over the U.S., Canada and Europe. Very nice tours, events, meals and speakers. Next year we plan on putting on the BOAF convention in Toledo, in conjunction with the 85th International AA Convention in Detroit so that those who want to attend Detroit can do so right after our local Toledo event. We continued to add nests and solo birds throughout the year. We continue to grow!
2020- 2023
2020 Well, as you know this year did not turn out the way we wanted due to a certain health crisis that gripped the nation and the world. Our convention in Toledo did occur, but it was a ZOOM format and was quite successful. We can't say the same for the 85th International AA Convention that was to be held in Detroit, Michigan. It was cancelled. The good news is that the next International will be held in 2025 in Vancouver and we plan to have our annual Birds convention there as well, just before the big event. We made it through the year however stronger than ever and new nests continue to be born. Let's hope 2021 brings more structure and orderliness to our lives.
2021 It has been an interesting year for all of us. However, we seem to be weathering the storm for the most part since nests continue to be born and zoom meetings are still in full swing. BOAF had planned to hold their annual Convention in the United Kingdom but due to Covid it had to be cancelled. In its place we held another "on-line" Zoom convention based out of Las Vegas. It worked out as well as last year's based out of Toledo. This year's main speaker was Dick B. out of Nainamo, British Columbia, a past Big Bird. Also at this years convention Tami H. took over Secretary (Big Bird) duties from outgoing Marty B. For future planning, it was decided to delay the England Convention to 2022. Let's hope the world situation will have improved significantly that we can all attend without worry or difficulties. For the future, we now have yearly conventions booked all the way out to 2029 ! We aren't going away any time soon. The need for the experience, strength and hope we provide all aviators in recovery continues.
2022 With the complications and cancellations due to COVID now fading into the recent past, BOAF is starting to come back to normal. We finally had our Convention in the United Kingdom that was to have happened last year. As usual, a great success due to the hard work of the folks across the pond. One trend of the two previous years is that ZOOM meetings have not gone away. They are firmly established and contribute to the opportunity for everyone to continue many more meetings than just in-person. Some nests are now back to both in-person and ZOOM meetings in their respective city. Next year our convention will be in-person in Las Vegas, Nevada where Tami will turn over the Big Bird hat to incoming Secretary Phil V. Let's all hope for a large turnout to celebrate the continuing success of our organization. We do make a difference and continue to help those pilots out there in recovery and those that we will be seeing in the years ahead.
2023 The Las Vegas Convention dominated the year with the usual large gathering just off the "Strip" in Las Vegas, Nevada. There were tours to the Mob and Atomic Museum, the Shelby Facility and for the golfers, there was a visit to Top Golf to hone their skills. We had our usual excellent speakers to include a very well received banquet speaker Dave N. who provided us with an outstanding story of experience, strength and hope. A highlight of the evening occurred when we honored an individual with 50 years of sobriety during our Sobriety Countdown. Many thanks go to Dan and his team for putting on our annual event. Now we all wait to see what Houston has in store for us in 2024
2024….. Coming Soon
Updated 11-7-24