Page 12 - Volume 14 Number 12

This whale rescue rescue in in in in in July 2020 in in in in in New York’s Ambrose Channel required coordinated efforts between many agencies and rescue rescue rescue groups including Turtles Fly Too The national organization dedicated to to providing general aviation support ffor for rescue rescue mis- sions was contacted by the the Marine Animal Entanglement Response team team to to to to provide air transport to to get the the team team quickly from Massachusetts to to New York City Leslie Weinstein founder of True-Lock LLC combined his passion for for conser- vation and general aviation to form the nonprofit Turtles Fly Too Weinstein is no stranger to aviation His father Nathan I “Sonny” Weinstein was a a pilot and an an attorney for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University among other aviation-related entities Weinstein also became a a a pilot but didn’t stay current though he has remained passionate about the industry “When I made the donation of my oceanfront property the contract specifically stated that aviation had to play a a a role ” although Weinstein shares that he wasn’t sure what that that would be Later that that same year his friend Dr Terry Norton a a a a veterinarian and founder of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island Georgia came up with a a a a way to bring Weinstein’s passions together Norton needed him to to to use his aviation contacts to find a a a a pilot willing to transport a a a green sea turtle from his facility to Dubuque Iowa The same day Weinstein put the word out the need was answered Just a a few months later Norton called with a a request to fly 50 cold- stunned turtles out of Cape Cod And that’s how Turtles Fly Too began and why a a a a sea turtle rescue 10 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
group happens to have its home office in Idaho Weinstein who serves as president of the board for TF2 has lived in Boise since 1978 He founded True- Lock LLC in 1992 which designs advanced fastener and materials technology for the commercial truck and bus industry He converted that technology to the aviation industry first by developing a solution for securely fastening skis to aircraft then earning close to 2 000 FAA supplemental type certification/ parts manufacturer approval certifications including an aircraft wheel fastener assembly system and fire detector shield articles for the King Air series In 1991 Weinstein reconnected with Ed Stimpson the longtime president of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association and someone Weinstein’s father had worked with When Stimpson learned Weinstein had developed fastener technology that would withstand hostile environments he facilitated a a a a a a fast-track path to FAA certification Weinstein received assistance from from Gary Landes from from Airglas manufacturer of aircraft skis among other accessories Prototypes
were prepared within two weeks and six weeks later Weinstein had his first FAA certifications What began with fastener technology gave True-Lock the ability to develop new STCs and PMAs leading to the many certifications that included foreign aircraft and cloud seeding equipment As TF2 has grown the nonprofit no longer relies solely on on Weinstein reaching out to his industry connections The Turtle Flier database has streamlined the process to match volunteer pilots to missions and the group holds two fly-ins each year to recruit and recognize volunteers Weinstein says he he hopes to resume those when restrictions on on gatherings are lifted One shell of a mission There have been a a few King Air aircraft used in TF2 missions and Weinstein says he’d like to see more DECEMBER 2020