HOBBS TO HEAD FESTIVAL PARADE ALMOND BLOSSOM EVENT IS MARCH 8-9.Byline: Daily NewsQUARTZ HILL - World War II Royal Air Force pilot Len Hobbs will be grand marshal Grand Marshal is a ceremonial, military, or political office of very high rank. The term has its origins with the word "Marshal" with the first usage of the term "Grand Marshal" as a ceremonial title for certain religious orders. March 8 for the Almond Blossom almond blossom of Israel. [Flower Symbolism: WB, 7: 264] See : Flower Or Plant, National Parade. Hobbs, 81, a Quartz Hill community volunteer, is one of the dwindling dwin·dle v. dwin·dled, dwin·dling, dwin·dles v.intr. To become gradually less until little remains. v.tr. To cause to dwindle. See Synonyms at decrease. number of RAF pilots of whom British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said, ``Never have so many owed so much to so few.'' The parade, part of the annual Almond Blossom Festival The Almond Blossom Festival is an annual arts, social, and entertainment festival held every year on the first weekend of August at Willunga, South Australia, Australia. hosted by the Quartz Hill Chamber of Commerce, will start at 10 a.m. March 8 and run along 50th Street West through downtown Quartz Hill. The weekend festival will run March 8 and 9 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at George Lane George Lane (born 1940 ) is a British "mental calculator" and author. He is a three-times world champion and one of only three Grandmasters of Mental Calculation, as recognised by the Mind Sports Organisation. Park, at 55th Street West and Avenue L-8 in Quartz Hill. The parade's grand marshal became a flight instructor A flight instructor is a person who teaches others to fly aircraft. Specific privileges granted to holders of a flight instructor certificate vary from country to country, but very generally, a flight instructor serves to enhance or evaluate the knowledge and skill level of an at age 19, completed a tour flying bombers in Asia, and ended the war as a flight lieutenant. Hobbs was one of the witnesses to the Japanese surrender aboard the battleship battleship, large, armored warship equipped with the heaviest naval guns. The evolution of the battleship, from the ironclad warship of the mid-19th cent., received great impetus from the Civil War. Missouri in Tokyo Bay in September 1945. After the war, he was a bomber squadron commanding officer, before retiring from the RAF in 1956 to become an engineering test pilot with Avro in Canada. Among other accomplishments there, he flew the only seven-engine jet bomber in the world. When the firm went out of business after the Canadian government canceled the Avro Arrow (CF-104) program, Hobbs moved to Boeing, where he was an instructor pilot for 10 years, flying Boeing jets and training airline captains worldwide. In 1970, he transferred to Lockheed as a test pilot for the L-1011 airliner program and was one of the first four pilots to be rated on that aircraft. After moving to Quartz Hill, he met and married his wife, Clara. Hobbs later went overseas to fly for Egyptair, Iranair under the shah, and finally spent 10 years as a commercial airline captain, check pilot and instructor pilot with Royal Jordanian Airlines. He and his family lived in Amman, Jordan, and two of his daughters became hostesses for Jordanian Airlines. Upon retiring, Len and Clara Hobbs lived aboard a 40-foot yacht, based in Cyprus, and cruised the Adriatic and adjacent areas for several years. They then moved back to Quartz Hill, at first seasonally, and then full time after the Persian Gulf War Persian Gulf War or Gulf War (1990–91) International conflict triggered by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. Though justified by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein on grounds that Kuwait was historically part of Iraq, the invasion was presumed to be . Hobbs has been a mainstay of the Quartz Hill area ever since, founding the Quartz Hill Chamber's Ambassador Corps, of which he is now chief ambassador, heading the Friends of the Library, belonging to the Rotary Club and other civic organizations. He has also served two terms as chamber president. He has been a Sheriff's Department volunteer for 10 years. Hobbs' fit, trim physique as well as his continuing physical and mental energy belie be·lie tr.v. be·lied, be·ly·ing, be·lies 1. To picture falsely; misrepresent: "He spoke roughly in order to belie his air of gentility" James Joyce. his 80-plus years. ``Len is an inspiration to us and a gift to our community.'' said Robert L. Plunkett, Quartz Hill Chamber vice president and Almond Blossom chairman. ``This tribute is long overdue.'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Len Hobbs, a dashing Royal Air Force pilot in 1943, will be grand marshal of this year's Almond Blossom Festival parade. |
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