In Memoriam

December 22, 1939 - March 31, 2020

We're sorry to report that Captain Angelo J. "Angie" Regina (FTL, FDX, ret.) passed away on Tuesday, March 31, 2020 at the age of 80.  Angie was hired at the Flying Tiger Line on August 28, 1967 and retired as a FedEx DC10 Captain near his 60th birthday.  The following comes from his close friend, Don Burrows, pending a more formal obituary.  Below his words are wonderful tributes from Wayne Koide and Ernie Belanger, followed by pictures submitted by Bob Stickler.

He passed/ flew west  on March 31st @ 0305 hrs @ St. Alphonsus Hospital here in Baker City, Or. I/we ( my wife, Patti) have known him & Tina  for 30+ yrs. He was a one off & a real original & a real personality. I'd fly wing on him anytime, anywhere. A good & trusted friendship ensued as we both bantered back & forth over some decent red wine or JW Blk Label.Especially IF it he pouring HIS stock! Regrettably, he was battling some dementia & was progressively getting a lil' worse as time passed. At  the hospital ER,.A work up showed he was suffering renal/kidney failure & was disoriented. As time passed & my RN wife Patti joined Tina for a vigil. He slipped into a coma like state .The inevitable showed up & his kidneys finally shut down, so no the COVID-19 didn't take him. Patti & Tina were there when he passed/flew west peacefully & left this very troubled world. He was a dandy & lots of people will miss his "EYETALIAN Charm". Patti & I are flying wing on Tina to be of any assistance she needs or requires. To all of you who read this post, be safe & well, blue side up unless you're a-doing an airshow. In time/downrange.  His ashes will be scattered over the Santa Ynez Mtns near Santa Barbara (Calif)  from a vintage PT-22 like his in US Army livery flown by his former hangar mate @ Camarillo ( Calif.) & good friend Chris when the appropriate time comes after ALL this virus situation has passed, hopefully sooner rather later. Respectfully submitted, US Airways, Ret, & former CAL  B-727 Capt.& US Army Aviator.  on the 31st Don Burrows, Baker City, Or.

The following is from Captain Ernie Belanger (FTL, FDX, Ret.)

Angie was hired 28 days before I was. We met shortly after that and needless to say, we were best friends for the rest of our careers, 34 years. We had lots of good times and great laughs. One that especially comes to my mind is when Angie was giving me a check ride on the flight engineer's panel on the DC 8. He gave me an engine fire on the number 3 engine and as soon as I reached up and shut down the engine he said "Ok fire's out". I looked at him and simply said "Bullshit! The fire's not out". He replied "What do you mean the fire's not out?". I told him I studied for a fire on the battery bus and that's the only place I would accept the fire. The battery bus was the most complicated fire to put out. Angie looked at me and said"Ok. Put out the fire on the battery bus". So I went through a long and complicated procedure to do just that. Angie looked at me and said "OK. Fire's out. Can we get out of here now?" Angie brought that up every time he saw me for the next 30 years and we always had a good hearty laugh like Angie was so famous for. 
Godspeed Angie. I'll see you sooner than later. Have the scotch ready.
Your friend, Ernie

The following pictures were submitted by Angie's close friend, Bob Stickler.

After the merger Angie made just as much of an impression on the FedEx crews as he did at Tigers.  Here is a submission from Wayne Koide, F/O on the DC10 at the time.

I am very saddened to hear about this news. The universe works in mysterious ways – my uncle, a man who I looked up to especially while growing up, also died yesterday. He was highly influential in me becoming a pilot. Now I hear the news about Angie who was also a positive influence on my aviation career and it feels like a double whammy.

I have attached an excerpt from “A Pilot’s Cookbook,” an unpublished compilation of short stories (and recipes) that I wrote over 20 years ago. One of my short stories is about Angie

Angie Regina’s Secret Spaghetti Sauce 

As a professional pilot you have, every once and a while, the privilege of flying with someone with whom you truly enjoy being with. Most professional airline pilots are good people, fun loving yet focused, but only a few inhabit your logbook on your “most fun to fly with” list. A big smile comes over your face when next month’s bids come out and you learn that your next trip will be flown with one of these people. Angie Regina is one such man. 
Angie, now a retired DC-10 Captain, started out as a mechanic for American Airlines. I first met Angie when I was flying as First Officer (co-pilot) on the DC-10. He was a consummate professional but always knew how to have a great time. Angie taught me a lot about what it means to be a Captain. In his words, “As Captain, your primary responsibility is to your crew. If you get stuck in Pago Pago with no company arranged hotels to stay at, it falls on your shoulders as Captain to make sure that your crew is taken care of.....YOU buy the rooms, YOU get the cabs and YOU buy the beers!” I never forgot that. Flying with guys like Angie was “ icing on the cake” as far as I was concerned. 
Angie was from an “old fashioned” Italian family in New York. He would constantly boast of the incredible feasts that his Mom would prepare. Had he not gotten into the flying business, he would have done well to make food commercials. I was convinced that his Mom’s super secret spaghetti recipe had to be the end all of it all! Angie was initially very apprehensive about giving away “family secrets.” At first, he only gave out little tidbits....”a dash of thyme, a pinch of basil,” but over the course of our 12 day Pacific trip, I managed to get it all out of him. I think it was ultimately the Bombay Sapphire martinis in Seoul that did the trick. Geez, were they ever expensive, but I assure you, it was worth every penny!

Preparation 

I know what you're thinking. So what is it with all of this MEAT? The beauty of this dish is the THICK, RICH flavor of the spaghetti sauce... the only way to get this is in the old world tradition of simmering meats in a tomato- based sauce for hours until much of the meat falls off and thickens the sauce. You’ll NEVER use Ragu after tasting this! 
You really need a BIG thick pot for this dish. I recommend at least a 6 quart with a preference toward 8 quarts. Slice the onion and garlic and saute in heated pot with olive oil until translucent (note: do not burn garlic). Add ribs (which have been sliced into individual pieces), sausages and (optional, but recommended) ox tails. Let the meat brown. After pink color disappears from the meat, add tomato paste, tomato sauce and approx 3.5 to 4 cans of water. Turn up heat and add thyme, oregano, basil, sugar, bayleaves, pepper and salt. 
Angie says, simmer for 3.5 hours, but I like to simmer for at least 2 hours the first day, then let it stand overnight at room temperature and then re-simmer for another 2 hours the next day. With increased simmer time your sauce will only get better. Occasionally taste the sauce and make any spice additions you feel are necessary....(i.e., do that “cook” thing). Add meatballs or chicken (optional) in the last hour of simmer- ing. Before serving, remove all meats (except meatballs) from sauce and place on separate serving dish. Serve with spaghetti cooked “al dente” (traditionally, ADD sauce to noodles in a big serving dish and leave remaining sauce for “dipping”) along with parmigiano-reggiano (the real stuff, NOT KRAFT!!) You may get marriage proposals with this one. 

The following pictures of Angie and his good friend, Howard Harder, were sent by Angie's wife, Tina.

Anyone wishing to contribute to this page with archived pictures or testimonials about Angie is encouraged to contact us at email@flyingtigerline.org

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