On 6/8/2020 1:48 PM, wrote:
William C Holbrook passed away peacefully last night at the age of 98. He
was a long time family friend, professional pilot and holder of many
soaring records. Also a member of the SSA hall of fame. He and my father,
Ed Byars, had a long friendship and contributed much to the art of soaring
with their Soaring Symposiums.

RIP Bill. Sincere condolences to his family and friends.

Bill's autograph is in my first logbook; he gave me my flight test. As a fresh
college graduate less than a year into my first post-college job and knowing
only a very few people outside work (all soaring club members, natch!), Bill
was one of those club members who from my perspective obviously could walk on
water: chief pilot for Kelly-Springfield Tire Company, an examiner (as I'd
learned only a few days before; who knew?!?), world O&R record holder (from
the Cumberland, MD, glider-end of the airfield, I saw him heading back north
on his record flight - BIG thrill!), and (to my relief) "just an average
person" when it came to his examiner duties. Before flight test day, we'd had
no reason or opportunity to personally interact. Feeling prepared - if
somewhat wound-up - I must have performed Bill's commanded maneuvers
satisfactorily, because when he asked if I was prepared to show him a spin
entry (2-33), I replied I was, but it wouldn't be much of one because my
instructor and I had never been able to get it to imitate a halfway decent
wing drop. He replied, "Would you like me to try? I weigh less than
(instructor) Tom."

"Sure!" (If necessary, proof I wasn't a complete idiot back then, hyuk hyuk.)

Bill had no better luck than Tom and I, despite trying all the usual
entry-technique suspects, in both directions. He tried all the way down to
pattern altitude...and didn't even bother to try and snooker me into "an
awkward location" for the entry. I think he was disappointed he hadn't "been
able to make it do better." I landed where he told me to...and to my surprise,
that was it! No second tow.

Bill's handwriting fills 3 lines of the "Remarks" portion in my logbook,
quoted verbatim below, schoolboy-imperfect capitalization and punctuation and
all...

Private Glider Flight test Completed and temporary Certificate issued. 8/4/73
William C Holbrook 21EA2

Godspeed, Bill.

Bob W.

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