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Chouest in 1980
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Chouest in 1978
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Chouest
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On July 18, 1980, at approximately 12:30pm, Sheriff’s patrol deputies responded to a call of a dead body found in a parking lot of Westlake High School, 100 N Lakeview Canyon Road, in Westlake Village. The murdered woman was at the foot of a dirt hillside in the rear parking lot of the school, accessible from N. Via Merida. It was determined the unidentified woman was sexually assaulted, stabbed and strangled to death elsewhere before being dumped in the school’s parking lot. Her autopsy determined she was approximately five months pregnant with a son. Thirty-five years later, the murdered woman remains unidentified.

As a result of major advances in DNA, in 2012, DNA that was collected from Jane Doe’s clothing and fingernails was submitted to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). Wilson Chouest was identified as the person associated with this DNA. At that time, Chouest was serving a life sentence in state prison for the kidnap, robbery, and rape of one woman, and kidnap and robbery of another that occurred in Tulare County in August and September of 1980. Chouest is eligible for parole for these crimes in 2017.

This new DNA information gave the investigation forward momentum, especially when investigators learned Chouest had been linked through DNA to another Jane Doe homicide in Kern County. The body of Kern County’s Jane Doe was found in an almond orchard near Delano on July 15, 1980, three days prior to the Ventura County Jane Doe being found. While detectives from both agencies worked to develop evidence in the case against Chouest, they continued in their efforts to identify the two Jane Doe’s. The women have been featured on bulletins shared on our social media platforms and on numerous Jane Doe websites. Despite not being able to identify the women, the investigation did develop evidence that showed Chouest was responsible for the deaths of the two women and the unborn child.

The Ventura County Cold Case Unit detectives submitted evidence to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office for review. On September 23, 2015, Chouest was brought back to Ventura County on a court order. He was arrested on September 30, 2015 for murder. Chouest is due to appear in court on October 1, 2015.

These victims have been unidentified for 35 years. Both women had live births prior to their death. Somewhere, there are two families whose mothers disappeared in July of 1980, never to be heard from or seen again. We’d like nothing more than to bring the families answers and return their loved ones to them.

Chouest traveled throughout several counties during his four months of freedom in 1980. Investigators believe these women’s kidnapping and murders could have occurred in Tulare, Kern, Ventura or Los Angeles Counties.

If you have information about Wilson Chouest’s activity between June and September 1980 or you have information about the victims’ identities, please email your tips to the Cold Case Unit at coldcase.187@ventura.org.

Nature of Incident: Arrest Made in 1980 Jane Doe Murders
Report Number: 80-12246
Location: Westlake Village, CA and Bakersfield, CA
Date & Time: July 15, 1980 to July 18, 1980
Unit(s) Responsible: Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes, Ventura County District Attorney Investigators, Kern County Sheriff’s Office
(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent City of Residence Age
(S) Wilson Chouest Lemoore, CA 63
(V) Kern County Jane Doe Unknown 25-35
(V) Ventura County Jane Doe Unknown 20-30
Prepared by: Sergeant Denise Sliva
News Release Date: September 30, 2015
Media Follow-Up Contact: Sgt. Denise Sliva (805) 947-9258
denise.sliva@ventura.org
Approved by: Captain Melissa Smith

Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

On September 11th, 2015 The 13th Annual Firefighters & Heroes Gala to honor Ventura County’s outstanding firefighters and civilian heroes was held. Fillmore’s Firefighter of the Year 2014 Chad Panke was honored with a plaque and award presented by Fillmore Fire Chief Rigo Landeros. The event was hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Ventura. The evening included dinner, awards, and dancing with music provided by DJ Bruce Barrios.

Firefighter/Medic Panke was born and raised in Arlington Texas and graduated from Randolph High School in New Jersey. He graduated from the Middlesex fire academy in New Jersey in 1997. In 1999 he moved to California and began his carrier in EMS.

Chad is presently employed by AMR American Medical Response where he serves as a Clinical Education Manager. He has also held the positions of Field training officer and Field supervisor.

Chad joined the Fillmore Fire Department in 2007, right at the time Fillmore Fire was starting their Paramedic program. He has attended the Oxnard Truck Academy, MCI drills, and multiple burn events throughout Ventura County.

Chad has been instrumental in starting the county’s first Cardiac Arrest Management program and has trained every EMS and Fire agency in Ventura County on this program that is responsible for saving many lives. This program was designed to choreograph the way first responders provide aid to someone who is in cardiac arrest. To help put this into perspective, Seattle Washington has some of the highest recorded cardiac arrest survival rates in the United States, and since the Cardiac Arrest Management program was put into place, Ventura County survival rates are rapidly approaching those of Seattle, and in certain categories of cardiac arrest patients, Ventura County has a higher documented survival rate.

In addition to Cardiac Arrest Management, Firefighter/Medic Panke has been instrumental in the development and improvement of numerous other programs within the Ventura County EMS system, including multi-casualty incident training and response, prehospital sepsis recognition and care, and ongoing EMS education.

Firefighter/Medic Panke is well respected by his fellow firefighters and our EMS partners. His strong work ethic, can-do attitude, and willingness to learn have made him a valuable part of the Fillmore Fire Department team.

There were three items of new business on the Fillmore City Council Meeting and one old one, which was the establishment of a Pre-sale/Human Living Standards Inspection Program. Just as at the last council meeting on September 8th, many Ventura Country Realtors came to voice their opposition to the program.

Dennis Goldstein past president of Ventura County Coastal Association of Realtors (VCCAR) addressed the Council stating, "Realtors are dedicated to peoples private property rights" and said he opposed the program "It places an unfair burden on property owners....reduces the privacy of the property."

Dale King with Santa Paula Troop Realty stated he was also opposed to the program for many of the same reasons that Goldstein spoke of. "It's not the newer homes that are the problem, it is the smaller older properties that will be burdened with the added expense King told the Council..... Some were built before there was a code enforcement and some of the conversions were done because there was no need to park a car in the garage. It is expensive to return some properties back to their original condition, and often these are the people who can least afford it..... A first time buyer can't afford it."

King encouraged a County Record check and a copy of the permit file, which cost about $40-$80. He said they are helpful disclosures between a buyer and seller.

Realtor Mark Chacon CONTINUED »

FUSD Board Member John Garnica

The September 15, 2015 Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD) Board Meeting began with recognizing the Future Farmers of America (FFA) students who participated in the 2015 Ventura County Fair and ended with Board Member John Garnica resigning as a board member.

Garnica, who has served on the board for 16 years, told the other members his wife is a candidate for a principal position and there would be a conflict of interest if he stayed on. Garnica spoke of the confidence he had with the present board along with the new superintendent and felt it was the right time to resign. All board members thanked him for his dedicated service to FUSD and his sharp mind would be missed. Board Member Lucy Rangel mentioned what a pleasure it was having Garnica as a student and them working with him on the board. Garnica responded, "It's been a pleasure for me."

Assistant Superintendent Martha Hernandez gave a presentation on the Smarter Balance Assessment (SBA) test results for 3rd through 8th grade and 11th grade students taken last April and May. This is the first test results being considered. There was a preliminary test run the year before to make sure the computer systems were working properly. SBA is the testing California uses in connection with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the student testing is done on a computer. A total of 12 million students in 29 states took part in the new CCSS testing. The results are not good for both the State and FUSD. A majority of students statewide failed to meet the standards including FUSD students

California has more than 3.1 million public school students that were tested in English with only 44% meeting or exceeded requirements and about equal that amount, 45%, that did not. In Math 33% of students met the standards and 67% did not. In Los Angeles which is the second largest school district in the country, only 33% of students met targets in English and only 25% met them in Math.

What the testing CONTINUED »

Relay For Life participants welcome each other. At Relay For Life events, communities across the globe come together to honor cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against a disease that has already taken too much. Because cancer never sleeps, each team is asked to have at least one participant on the track at all times.
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On Saturday, September 12, 2015 the communities of Fillmore and Piru joined forces for the 10th annual American Cancer Society Relay For Life. The 24 hour walk started at 9AM on Saturday and concluded on Sunday at 9AM. It was a hot and muggy day but the 22 teams stuck together to support each other and all Cancer Survivors and to remember those that are no longer here with us. We would like to thank all our Team Captains, Participants and Sponsors, without you we would not be able to raise much needed funds to help find a cure and to support cancer patients. As of Sunday, September 13th we raised approximately $38,000 dollars. If you would like to donate please visit our website at www.relayforlife.org/fillmoreca

We would like to acknowledge our wonderful sponsors for their generosity and Community support: Kenton Stafford Memorial, Fillmore Rentals, California Resource Corporation, Seneca, B & R Farm Labor Contractor, Bennett’s Honey Farm, Chevron, City of Fillmore, Granite Construction, Union Bank Villa Park Orchards, William L Morris Chevrolet, Lion’s Club of Fillmore, EJ Harrison Rubbish, Fro-Yo Yogurt, Fillmore Dram Club, Fillmore Fire Department, Otto & Sons Nursery, Wings of Grace, Fillmore High School, El Pescador, FUSD, Gil Zamora, Vallarta Restaurant, McLain Construction, After Hours Production, State Ready Mix, Bank of the Sierra, Grimes Rock, Tony’s Body Shop, Annette Cardona, Barry Thompson, Burger King, Cactus Mart, California Watercress Inc., Christine Ortiz, David Smallwood, Diamond Reality, Elkins Ranch Golf Course, Fillmore Building Supply, Fillmore Citizens Patrol, Manuel Minjares, Francisco’s Fruit Stand, Gama Aguilar, George Thompson Diamond Company, Island View Enterprises Inc., La Michoacana Bakery, McDonalds-Fillmore, National Charity League, ParRey Construction, Sespe 4H, Piru 4H, Richard Carrillo, Rocket 68, Santa Clara Valley Explorers, Starbucks-Fillmore, Super A Foods, Juano & Friends, The Fillmore Gazette, Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, Vons, Yanni’s Best Restaurant, Diana Araiza, Sam Araiza, Madai Bernal, Noemi Bernal, Chad Schommer, Ventura County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue and our wonderful ACS Reps Lorissa, Angi, Kristin, Alex and Eric. You all are one in a million!!!

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Jesse Cushman, 43 of Fillmore, was killed on Saturday, September 12th in Moorpark city limits while driving northbound on Moorpark Road on his Suzuki motorcycle when he was struck head-on by an automobile. The accident took place around 5:20pm.

A Saturn Ion was heading southbound on Moorpark Road at about 55 mph when the driver swerved into Maciek Malish, 53 of Simi Valley, while he rode is bicycle southbound on the shoulder of the road. Malish was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver then appeared to over-correct, crossing into the northbound lane where she struck Cushman. He was also pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital.

The driving actions of the driver are under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.

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Fillmore High School presents the F.H.S. Homecoming Parade 2015 next Thursday evening at 6:30pm. The F.H.S. Alumni Association also invites all the communities of Fillmore Bardsdale, and Piru to come celebrate our Hometown, and Fillmore High School as we celebrate Homecoming 2015. The game is Friday evening September 25th, and our Flashes host the Santa Ynez Pirates. The Parade will be the night before on the 24th, starting at 6:30 pm from Central and 2nd street, right through downtown, where all the floats will be parked between Sespe and Main for viewing that evening. Our downtown is open for business, so bring out that folding chair and come look at the floats, and the beautiful Fillmore Classic cars. All will be parked on Central. it's Homecoming Parade 2015. Don't miss it! GO FLASHES!!

VENTURA, California – District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that Daniel Nuno (DOB 06/07/82), of Fillmore, was sentenced by Judge Ryan Wright to 50 years to life in prison after being convicted by a jury of first-degree murder for killing Ricardo Gonzalez, a chiropractor from Oxnard. The jury returned their verdict on August 7, 2015, after two hours of deliberation.

On August 9, 2012, Nuno armed himself with a loaded handgun and traveled to the home of Mr. Gonzalez’s mother in Fillmore. There, Nuno confronted Mr. Gonzalez as he stood in the driveway of the home beside his elderly mother and four-year-old son. After a brief conversation, Nuno quickly drew his firearm, pressed it to Mr. Gonzalez’s head and fired a single shot, killing Mr. Gonzalez. Nuno then fled the scene and disposed of evidence, including the murder weapon which was never found. Nuno was apprehended two hours after the murder by deputies from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. In addition to eye-witness testimony identifying Nuno as the shooter, Mr. Gonzalez’s blood and DNA were located on Nuno’s clothing at the time of his arrest.

Nuno will not be eligible for parole until he is 80 years old.

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Classic Cars, great food, old time music, and lot's of fun in downtown Fillmore This Friday, from 5:00pm to 9:00pm. It's our next to last Flashback Friday event, so make sure you make plans to come join in all the fun everyone's been having this summer with our Classic cars parked on Central. The Fillmore High Alumni will also be out in front of Central Station with all their Flashes gear available for this Fall Season. And speaking of Fall season, that means HOMECOMING. Next week is Homecoming week, and the Homecoming Parade is Thursday evening, September 24th at 6:30pm. On that night the Floats will be parked on Central along with the Classic old time cars from Fillmore. So it's two great events left for you to enjoy before our long wet raining season begins. (positive thinking) This Friday evening at Flashback Friday/Alumni Nights, and next Thursday for the Homecoming Parade along with the Classic Cars from Fillmore. Bring your folding Chairs, and we look forward to seeing you DOWNTOWN!!

California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Director and State Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith is reminding everyone to protect themselves when temperatures are very high as is expected the rest of this week in most of the state.

The excessive heat warning is in place through Friday, and Dr. Smith would like everyone to stay cool and hydrated.

“It’s going to be a hot week, and we would like everyone to protect themselves from the dangers of excessive heat,” Dr. Smith said. “It is important that everyone stay cool, stay hydrated, stay inside and take other precautions to prevent heat-related illness.”

Extreme heat poses a substantial health risk, especially for vulnerable populations including young children, the elderly, those with chronic diseases or disabilities, pregnant women and people who are socially isolated. Heat-related illness includes cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke and death. Warning signs of heat-related illnesses may include heavy sweating, muscle cramps, weakness, headache and nausea. Vomiting, paleness, tiredness and dizziness can also be indicators of heat-related illness.

“Taking a moment to check on someone who lives alone can make a big difference in these extreme conditions,” says Will Lightbourne, director of the California Department of Social Services. “Care providers, relatives, friends or neighbors, we all share the responsibility of making our communities safe.”

In areas where air quality is poor, people with heart disease, asthma or other respiratory diseases should reduce or eliminate their outdoor activities. Schools and programs with children who have sensitive conditions, including heart disease, asthma and other respiratory diseases, should conduct activities indoors as much as possible.

Smith offers the following tips to stay safe during this period of excessive heat:
• Drink plenty of water or juice, even if you are not thirsty. Avoid alcohol.
• If you don’t have air conditioning, visit a cooling center or a public place with air conditioning (such as a shopping mall or library) to cool off for a few hours each day.
• Avoid outdoor physical exertion during the hottest parts of the day. Reduce exposure to the sun from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. when UV rays are strongest, and keep physical activities to a minimum during that time.
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat to cover the face and neck, wear loose-fitting clothing to keep cool and to protect your skin from the sun.
• Regularly check on any elderly relatives or friends who live alone. Many may be on medications which increase likelihood of dehydration.
• To prevent overheating, use cool compresses, misting, showers and baths. Get medical attention if you experience a rapid, strong pulse, you feel delirious or have a body temperature above 102 degrees.
• Never leave infants, children, elderly or pets in a parked car. It can take as little as 10 minutes for the temperature inside a car to rise to levels that can kill.
• Wear sunglasses that provide 100 percent UVA and UVB protection. Chronic exposure to the sun can cause cataracts.
• Liberally apply sunscreen (at least SPF 15) 15 minutes before venturing outdoors and re-apply at least every two hours – sunscreen may reduce the risk of skin cancer, the number one cancer affecting Californians.
Get more hot weather tips on CDPH’s Preventing Summer Heat Injuries Web page and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services’ Summer Heat Resources website.

Watch CDPH’s video message from Dr. Smith on extreme heat warning signs and tips.

www.cdph.ca.gov

Back in May, the Fillmore High Alumni Association awarded out $36,000.00 in Scholarships to the Class of 2015 Scholarship winners. This August, they are awarding an additional $19,000.00 to Fillmore High Grads who are continuing their Upper Education in Colleges, Universities, and Trade Schools. The Alumni Association Thanks all their loyal donors, and Alumni Members for their Contributions to our Association. If you’re an Alumni member you can be the first to see a complete list of all this year’s recipients by logging in here http://www.fillmorehighalumni.com/login/

Kevin McSweeney, Planning and Community Development Director

The Fillmore Planning Commission held a joint meeting with the Fillmore City Council on September 8, 2015. There has been a flurry of activity and development in Fillmore over the past year. Planning Department's Kevin McSweeney introduced Maura Macauso who has been working as a consultant for the past six months and is now an employee with the Planning Department. McSweeney then gave a presentation on Fillmore's 2014-2015 progress in residential, commercial and infrastructure.

He began with the light signal planned for the intersection of Mountain View and Highway 126. Cal Trans is now requiring a 3rd plan check. "It's turning into a large project" McSweeney told both the Commission and Council. Cal Trans is now requiring a large 140 ft. retaining wall on the north side of the highway on both east and west sides of Mountain View. All corners will be handicapped accessible, walkways will be heavily marked and wide. "It will be very visible" McSweeney stated. There will be a dedicated turn arrow for traffic in all directions and will have the positive effect of slowing traffic down as it enters town from the east.

Hearthstone Development is paying for half of the cost of the signal which was originally priced at $660,000 but the cost was brought down to half and is now running $330,000.

The second project discussed was the Business Park Master Plan Amendment. Fillmore has in the past asked the original developer of a project to pay much of the Common Area Infrastructure Fees up front before the rest of the project is completed. Then as new developers come on board a portion of the fees they then pay are reimbursed to the original developer.

Due to the CONTINUED »

Lt. Bob Friend
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Lt. Bob Friend was in attendance at the recent Wings Over Camarillo air show. At 95 years of age, Lt. Friend is one of few remaining Tuskegee-trained airmen.

Tuskegeeairmen.org explains: “Tuskegee Airmen" refers to the men and women, mostly African-Americans, who were involved in the so-called "Tuskegee Experience", the Army Air Corps program to train African Americans to fly and maintain combat aircraft. The Tuskegee Airmen included pilots, navigators, bombardiers, maintenance and support staff, instructors, and all the personnel who kept the planes in the air.”

The Tuskegee Airmen were initially equipped with P-40 Warhawks briefly with P-39 Aircobras (March 1944), later with P-47 Thunderbolts (June-July 1944), and finally with the airplane that they would become most identified with, the P-51 Mustang (July 1944).

During the war, the Tuskegee airmen painted their airplanes identifying colors to identify the four fighter squadrons of the segregated 332nd fighter group.

The colors representing the four fighter squadrons...

Red and yellow cowling represents the 302nd Fighter Squadron.

The A on the side represents the 99th Fighter Squadron.

Yellow banding on the wings represents the 301st Fighter Squadron.

Red fins on the wings represents the 100th Fighter Squadron.

The restored Red Tail P-51C Mustang is the most recognized of the Mustangs. The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Red Tail Squadron’s rare P-51C Mustang represents all of the personnel that are now known as Tuskegee Airmen: pilots, bombardiers, navigators, ground crews, mechanics, cooks, ambulance drivers, medical staff, administrative personnel, etc.

Chuck Aaron

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In any given aeronautical period, there's a pilot that performs extraordinary feats with his flying machine. Chuck Aaron is such a pilot. An aerobatic helicopter daredevil. As such, he's thrilled crowds with his incredible aeronautical maneuvers in the one-of-a-kind Red Bull chopper. No one else does backflips and 360 degree barrel rolls in a chopper. His signature 'Chuckcilvak' free fall is breath stopping.

Aaron is the first and only civilian pilot licensed to do what he does with a helicopter. He's also the first helicopter pilot to achieve the Art Scholl Showmanship award for outstanding air show performances. In 2011 Aaron was inducted to the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and in 2013 officially honored as a Living Legend in Aviation.

After 10 strenuous years of performing at air shows, Captain Chuck Aaron is retiring.

I had the opportunity to chat briefly with Aaron at the Camarillo airport prior to his recent Wings Over Camarillo air show performance.

Chuck, you're retiring, why?

Aaron began: “I've started doing this actually at this very air show back in 2005. I've done air shows all across the United States from Los Angeles, to Key West, New York, Chicago, Seattle, Hawaii twice and back to here. I usually do about 35 air shows a year which means I'm gone from home. So it's really about family. I love to fly, and I'll still always fly but I'm just going to stop the air show routine because it takes me away from home so much. Ten years of it is plenty... I think I've set a standard and set the bar up so the kids that see me will recognize, look he's thought outside the box and do what he does at air shows and I want them to at least also think outside of the box in anything they're doing. I don't care what it is. I don't care if they're cutting grass, or if they're engineers. I want them to think what can I do to change this world to make it a better environment to make it better for everyone else. And what I really want the kids to do is to change aviation and particularly change helicopters and make them so they're faster and more effective and more useful. So I just want to be an inspiration to kids to dream up ideas... they're the ones with the computer brains. I almost missed that whole part of life... I'm right in the middle of it at my age and I just hang onto what little computer work I know. My grandkids are here and they can whip through computers 10 times faster than me. I was born a little too early for the computer age but early enough to where I can do what I'm doing in aviation. But there's still a lot more to do and that's what I want. I want these smart kids to come up and do well and think outside of the box like I did and dream up new aviation opportunities.”

Do you know of anyone following in your footsteps, close to doing what you're doing, I asked?

No, but Sikorsky has a program where any child can come up with a better idea... an annual program where a kid can submit an idea... a drawing or an idea of some kind... of a new type of design. If they like your idea, they'll award a scholarship. After college, maybe bring them aboard the Sikorsky team. There are programs out there... we just need thinkers, we need doers, people thinking outside of the box.”

Who made the Red Bull helicopter that you fly, I asked?

“This aircraft was made by Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm.* I took it here to my hanger and did some secret modifications to it that I can't tell you about. All we did was make it a little more beefy, a little stronger, changed the center of gravity on it and some other little tricks so we could do air shows with it.
Has the industry learned anything from your work with this helicopter?

“I'm sure they have, of course,” Aaron said “Quadcopters have come out since then and I think that's where technology is going to go. I think, for an idea, is go with quadcopters. Try to make that scenario
of four blades inside a protective shroud like the drones. They could hover stable and fly really fast, super fast. That's where aviation is going... a mix of something between a helicopter which can only do 150 miles/hour maximum and a jet that can go 500-600 miles/hour. At some point, some time, a helicopter is going to get up to 500-600 miles/hour. It's going to get there. It's a matter of someone thinking about how am I going to get there, how can I make this happen. What do I have to engineer to make it work... to make it function. That's where the world is going. So the first person that does that is going to set the world on fire.”

Is Sikorsky the premier helicopter company? I asked.

“Them and Bell. I like both companies. Both companies are great... great American companies. Sikorsky is super innovative. They came out with the Sikorsky X2 which is a one of a kind prototype which has my rotor system on it, two of them, stacked on top of each other and counter-rotate. And they added a propeller that we call a pusher prop on the tail that pushes the aircraft. They don't have a tail rotor blade like I have to counter torque. The main rotor blades are used for liftoff and fly away like a helicopter and they add power to the pusher prop to push it faster. That type of idea, or something like it in the future is going to be the quadcopter type of effect. But they have that one (X2) doing 270 knots... almost 300 miles/hour. So we can go faster now by taking the next step. And that's how we have to do everything... step by step by step.”

Have they been analyzing your helicopter?

“Oh yeah they have,” was the immediate response, adding, “I've taken their test pilots up and showed them how it works.”

They must have gained a good deal of knowledge from your experience, I said.

“I'm sure they have but of course they won't be telling me about it”, said Aaron.

I have heard that it took an over abundance of courage to pull off the first back flip with the Red Bull chopper. So I asked.

“It's a long story but the short story of that is, after I got the aircraft certified by the FAA... at that time no one in the FAA has ever certified a helicopter to do aerobatics but I got it done. Then it came time for ME to get certified. Now that I've gone this far down the road, I had to teach myself to do a loop. I went out in the middle of nowhere and tried doing loops and couldn't do it. I'd chicken out. I tried it 50 times and every time I'd go up and maybe do one degree more and chicken out. You can't mess it up because if you do you die. Finally one day... it was the perfect clear day like today... I felt good so I went out and took it up and I was pulling up to go to my chicken point... it's been three months of doing this... and I said I'm finally going for it. I pulled it over and did the loop. I was so excited I did ten more in a row, right then, ten in a row because I didn't want to forget what I did and I wanted to remember how I did it. For me, it felt like I'd gone through the speed of sound.

That all happened in 2005 and Aaron has been thrilling air show crowds since.

His parting comments for future pilots: “Be careful. Practice. Think about what you're doing. Think about how to get out of something if you do something dumb. Make sure you have an escape plan. Always think things out... always talk it out with others, talk with your mentors, figure it all out before you jump off and do something. Don't do it on your own. Don't do it in a wild flash second, you have to plan it. That's what I did and I'm still alive to be here to tell you about it.”

If you missed the Wings Over Camarillo air show, the Miramar air show is the last best chance to see Chuck Aaron perform in the Red Bull helicopter. His rolls, flips, and 'Chuckcilvak' free fall are helicopter aerobatics to behold. You too will wonder... did I just see a helicopter do a back flip??? I often resort to pinching myself to be sure I really saw what I think I saw.

Aaron's remaining schedule is the Red Bull air race in Dallas, TX September 26-27. Then to the Miramar, CA air show October 2-4, and the last show is his half time performance at the Red Bull air race in Las Vegas NV on October 17-18.

Miramar air show info is at http://miramarair show.com/

*Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) was a German aerospace manufacturer formed as the result of several mergers in the late 1960s. Among its best-known products was the MBB Bo 105 light twin helicopter. The company was bought by Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG in 1989, now part of EADS.

A Fillmore horse has tested positive for the West Nile virus. It has been six years since a horse has tested positive in Ventura County. The non-vaccinated horser tested positive on August 20, 2015. Birds continue to test positive for the virus, the latest in Ojai.

West Nile is spread by mosquitos and can infect humans. No human infections have been reported in Ventura
County. YTD: 108 Counties: 22 There were 25 new WNV human cases reported in California last week from the following counties: Butte (2), Colusa (1), Glenn (5), Los Angeles (2), Orange (3), Riverside (5), San Bernardino (2), San Diego (1), Santa Clara (1), Solano (1), and Yolo (2). These are the first WNV human cases from Colusa, San Diego, and Solano counties this year.

Two WNV-related fatalities have been reported in to CDPH from San Bernardino (1) and Nevada (1). 108 human cases from 22 counties have tested positive for WNV in 2015.