Former Navy aviator to speak at Warbirds Museum dinner
Hal Schmitt.
Hal Schmitt is a local winemaker and former Top Gun Instructor
– Hal Schmitt, a local winemaker and former Top Gun Instructor, will serve as the guest speaker at the Estrella Warbirds Museum’s monthly dinner on April 3.
Schmitt, a former Naval Aviator, flew the F-18 Hornet on two deployments to the Middle East, supporting Operation Southern Watch and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was selected to attend Strike Force Tactics Instructor training at the Navy Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun) and later served as an instructor there.
According to the museum, Schmitt is a graduate of the Notre Dame University ROTC program on a Navy scholarship, serving in the Navy for 15 years. Following his tenure as a Top Gun instructor, he resigned his commission and moved to the Central Coast to focus on winemaking, establishing Volotus Winery.
The monthly dinner event, open to the public, will feature catered food and a no-host bar. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with dinner served at 6:30 p.m. Reservations, priced at $25 per person, are required by 6 p.m. the Monday before the dinner. Reservations can be made by calling (805) 296-1935 or visiting https://www.ewarbirds.org/museum/reservations.shtml.
Estrella Warbirds Museum, located at 4251 Dry Creek Road in Paso Robles, is open Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with adjusted hours for Monday holidays. General admission information is available at www.ewarbirds.org.
