COAST GUARD PATROLS The eyes in the sky

The 82-year-old pilot's experience is a valuable asset.
By JUSTO BAUTISTA
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
HACKENSACK, N.J. -- John "Bart" Barteluce scanned the sky for trouble.
His flight over scenic Orange, Dutchess and Westchester counties in New York had been uneventful. But now, Barteluce, flying the twin-engine Coast Guard Two Victor, entered Manhattan's busy airspace, and the radios in the cramped cockpit screeched with instructions and information from New York and Newark air traffic controllers.
"Bogey at 12 o'clock!" spotter Mike Schiller called out from the right-front seat.
A small civilian plane, miles away, looked like a speck above the city.
"Looks like it's heading south," he said.
In his air-combat days, "Bogey!" might have caused Barteluce to take evasive action.
But on this afternoon, Barteluce, who served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, remained cool, maintaining a steady course: southbound at 135 knots, following the Hudson River at 1,500 feet.
"This is my fourth war," he said, referring to his security patrol duties.
Oldest pilot
The 82-year-old man is the oldest pilot in his squadron, Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 10-01, and the oldest in the Coast Guard Auxiliary's 1st Southern Region, whose patrol area extends from the Canadian border to Manasquan Inlet.
"We look for anything unusual, particularly boats loitering around the stanchions of bridges or anybody in distress," he said, explaining the day's mission.
A grandfather and decorated member of World War II's Greatest Generation, Barteluce could have rested comfortably on his wartime laurels at his beloved "Bart's Acres" home in Mahwah, N.J.
But the retired Navy commander volunteered for duty in March 2001 after reading that the auxiliary was in dire need of spotters for patrol missions. He never mentioned his Air Medals for 50 combat missions or his Philippine Liberation Medal, Korean Service Medal or Vietnam Service Medal.
"Over the next couple of months, we realized this guy was an experienced pilot," said Lou Barone, the auxiliary's assistant district staff officer for planning and scheduling.
Age not an issue
Barteluce's age is not a factor, said Flotilla 10-01 commander Eric Fields. Barteluce must pass a semiannual Federal Aviation Administration physical and flight proficiency tests every two years, Fields said.
"He is one of our [auxiliary's] flight instructors," Fields said. "The man has a lifetime of experience."
Soon after volunteering, Barteluce was handed flying patrol duties.
Barone recalled a visit to Barteluce's house.
"I asked him if he wanted to go flying," Barone said. "He was very humble. We went up to Sullivan County [N.Y.] Airport, shooting instrument approaches for practice. He did a tough approach, and he just nailed it perfectly. The guy is a dead, cold pilot. Everything is second nature to him."
In Barteluce's garage, Barone noticed the framed pictures of fighters the new auxiliary member had flown. One picture over the doorway caught his eye: Barteluce in the cockpit of a Navy S-2F Tracker transport plane, and another man in the co-pilot's seat -- Mercury astronaut Gus Grissom.
"Is that who I think it is?" Barone asked.
How they met
Barteluce had flown Grissom to Grand Bahama after the astronaut's ill-fated splashdown in July 1961, when Grissom's capsule filled with water and sank.
"I offered him [Grissom] an opportunity to fly as co-pilot on a carrier takeoff," Barteluce said. "He really liked that. I put him in the right seat, and we catapulted off."
Fields said Barteluce arrived at the right time.
"After 9/11, the Coast Guard realized it could supplement the regulars -- a lot of the regulars were called to the Middle East -- with the talent at hand," Fields said.
"We have a problem around here. It's very simple. We have a very, very, very busy port. We have container ships coming into here by the gazillions. It's scary."
Before Sept. 11, 2001, the auxiliary flew 500 patrol missions a year, Barone said. This year, 1,500 patrols are scheduled.
The 1st Southern Region has 56 pilots, 32 spotters and 35 planes.
"We're constantly relying more and more on the auxiliary, and he's [Barteluce] a major pilot, a patriot," Fields said.
Barteluce, who has flown 55 patrols this year, downplays any talk of heroics, saying only that he flew a "good smattering" of planes during his 30-year Navy career, including the legendary F-4F Wildcat, F-6F Hellcat, and F-4U Corsair during World War II, and the F-9F Panther and F-2H Banshee jets in Korea.
Recommended for a commendation for his actions at Wonsan Harbor in Korea, where he circled over a downed pilot until a rescue chopper arrived, Barteluce dismissed the incident as "overblown."
In Vietnam, he flew transports, ferrying troops, supplies, Navy brass and U.S. diplomats, such as Ellsworth Bunker, the ambassador to South Vietnam.
Civilian work
After retiring from the Navy in 1973, Barteluce worked for several cargo airlines in Hawaii and California. He then went to work for General Electric, "flying a laboratory that was developing airborne radar."
Barteluce's love of flying dates to his teenage years. Whenever he could, he rode his bicycle to Teterboro Airport, then a grass strip, and marveled at the barnstorming pilots and daredevil wing-walkers.
Sixty-six years later, he's still passionate about flying.
Barteluce's 38-year-old Piper Twin Comanche is Coast Guard Two Victor when it's on auxiliary patrol duty. He uses the plane's civilian ID when flying on his own.
Schiller, an operations officer for Flotilla 12-07, said the use of auxiliary members' "slow and low" planes saved the Coast Guard $20 million last year "just on patrols" in the New York metropolitan area.
Schiller, 43, a Marine Corps veteran, former Porsche race car driver and adjunct professor at Pace University, is a money manager on Wall Street.
His business was almost wiped out on Sept. 11, 2001.
"The big reason I joined [the auxiliary] is to make sure 9/11 doesn't happen again," he said. "I definitely have a vested interest. I love New York and I'll be damned if ..."
His voice trailed off.
On patrol over the Hudson River, Schiller's voice was loud and clear, and an important part of the mission. While Barteluce flew, Schiller stayed in touch with the Coast Guard and helped pick out the multitude of aircraft -- civilian planes, U.S. Customs Service Blackhawk helicopters, police and sightseeing helicopters, jumbo airliners and even airships -- in the sky over Manhattan.
"This is the most stressful part of the run," Schiller said, referring to the flight over Manhattan.
Above Raritan Bay, Barteluce took note of the clear sky.
"How much better a day there is, I don't know," he said. "You can see for 100 miles."
Reaching Manasquan Inlet, Barteluce began a slow, 180-degree turn and headed north, toward the Hudson River.
"The view of New York was fabulous today," he said.