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World War II Bomber Pilot Flies the Kiwi
Today a family arrived at the inn for mid-term university graduation.
This is a much smaller affair than the more traditional spring graduation, but it's a happy event nonetheless, with lots of extended family joining in the graduation celebration. This family brought Grandpa along, a fine old gentleman of 84 years. While checking in, his son told me that he had been in instructor pilot in Martin B-26 Marauders -- the infamous "widow-maker" -- back in World War II, but had not flown in 63 years. You see, he was an only son, of an only son -- and they had a family farm to run. Duty called after the war, and, while his colleagues went on to illustrious careers at Pan Am and TWA, Grandpa went home to help his folks run the farm. He got married, kids came along, and soon decades had passed, and he never got the chance to fly again... Until today. His son spotted the Kiwi (which was "idling" in the theater, after the last guy had flown it), and inquired about it. This, of course, was all I needed to abandon all thought of doing any real work, and I was soon showing them the ins and outs of our new toy. Mounting the "Kiwi" (our full-sized flight simulator -- see it he http://alexisparkinn.com/the_kiwi_is_born.htm ) wasn't going to be easy for Grandpa, and I knew getting out was going to be even harder -- but after seeing the images of flight projected so realistically on the big screen while I demonstrated a quick trip around the patch -- he was as eager as a school boy. Setting him up in a Maule (on tundra tires, of course) in a back-country Idaho strip, I let him go. He had a helluva time keeping things straight, at first, but soon got the hang of the controls again. After buzzing around the mountains for a while, I transferred him to his home strip in a Mooney -- and he took to the air like he'd never left. His family watched in awe as Grandpa -- who had apparently talked about flying all of his life -- tranformed back into that 21-year old hot-shot instructor pilot. They snapped pictures, and whooped and hollered as his plane rocked and rolled through the skies -- and you could tell that Grandpa didn't ever want it to end. At last he crashed, with a great big laugh, and his son and I hoisted him out of the chair so they could head off to dinner with their new graduate. Having received more than I could ever hope to give, I shook his hand and thanked him for coming to our little hotel. With a smile, Grandpa said "This thing sure beats hell out of those damned Link trainers we had to fly back in the war.", and he toddled off with his wife on his arm, a few inches taller. -- Jay Honeck Iowa City, IA Pathfinder N56993 www.AlexisParkInn.com "Your Aviation Destination" |
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