Half Fast Flying Adventures
 
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Perspective shift can happen in many ways.  In 1987 I was preparing to be a military pilot.  My best friend and college roommate and I had both been accepted into the Air National Guard and would start pilot training after college.
Paul and I had met at an aviation university and we fashioned ourselves as bush pilots – not airline pilots, bucking the “airline” mentality others had, we flew taildraggers, sail planes and spent most of our time just above the tree tops.  We searched out grass strips and dirt roads to land on for adventure.
The summer before our senior year we found a derelict Luscombe tied down outside at an airport near Kansas City.   We found the lady who owned it; she was an aviatrix from the 60’s.  She saw the same spark in us that she had seen in herself and sold it to us.
After some maintenance and a ferry permit, Paul flew the 8A home.  We completed an annual, recovered the wings and after several large cans of Never Dull we had the Luscombe looking spiffy.  Our goal was to fly it to Oshkosh – then take it back to school.  We made it to EAA – camped out with friends and talked about finishing school and shipping off to the Air Force that next summer.
Two weeks before I was to head back to college, I got a call at 6 AM.  It was Paul’s father telling me that Paul had died in an airplane crash while giving rides in the Luscombe.  An inverted spin was the best way to describe my emotional and mental state - a definite shift in perspective.
For one reason or another, my dream of flying military jets, died that day with Paul in the South Dakota field.  However, this life changing event defined who I am today.  It forced me “change perspective” to get out and meet new people – Diane being one of them.  I took a job in aircraft sales and moved to Florida, got married, and kept flying.  It was a different sight picture and looking back, one that I’m happy to see.
I still spend a lot of time at tree top level and searching out grass strips and dirt roads to land on.  Cheers Paul!
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Comments

Lefty

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 06:02:20

The background of any pilot is always intriguing to me. Dan and Paul’s story is an especially heartfelt aviation analogy of perspective shift as it relates to our evolving perspective on life. Thanks for the story Dan!

 

John Halbrook

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:42:58

This is a very powerfull story. thanks for sharing.

I spent my college years at AMW and I am now outside of DSM. I rember seeing your biplane, and I couldnt help but stopping in to check out your sitre every now and then.

 



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