North Kingstown, RI- The Quonset Air Museum is proud to announce that Navy Lt. Commander Paul J. Gurnon (Ret.) will be its November Aviator Series speaker.

Lt. Commander Gurnon, who was once stationed at Quonset Point Naval Air Station, owns a very unique flying record. His resume includes the piloting of a special C-130 cargo plane configured for flying in Antarctica.

The special C-130 Gurnon piloted was equipped with not only traditional landing gear but skis as well! The aircraft could land on runways coated with snow and ice as well as a traditional landing strip.

Flying conditions in the Antarctic proved to be very challenging for Gurnon and his crew with sub-freezing temperatures, high winds, snow and the occasional penguin or two getting in the way.

Lt. Commander Gurnon retired from the U.S. Navy in May of 1971. His lecture at the Quonset Air Museum next Wednesday at 7pm is free and open to the public.

About The Quonset Air Museum

Founded in 1992 with the assistance of then Governor Bruce Sundlun, the air museum educates the public in the state's rich aviation legacy and displays collections that document the contributions of Rhode Island to the growth and development of aviation and space exploration. QAM is housed on 3 acres in an original Naval Air Station Quonset Point hangar built in 1945.

The museum has a large and valuable collection of aircraft, aircraft parts, and other historical artifacts. The 28 aircraft currently on display or under restoration include civilian, military and prototype aircraft dating from 1944 (Hellcat under restoration) to 1983 (F-14 Tomcat).