Posted on 12/31/2024 12:56:44 AM PST by FrozenAssets
To the guys in the back.seat
To Captain Dale R Garrels To Dale R Garrels II To Donald Sparks To Thomas Yukio Kushida To Frances D Ross To Jim Oneill To Alfred Wright
Having flown since 1978 These are the guys that I can remember who had an effect on my flying life and are flying in heaven now. I always hope that when I am making that final approach between the trees on a bad day that at least one of these fellows is sitting there in the back seat of the taildragger keeping me from doing something stupid.
On FR I am frozenassets. In real life I am Greg Garrels I don't mind saying that. I'm 72 and have nothing to be ashamed of. I hope that all of you have a wonderful new year and always have a tailwind and a smooth landing.
God bless you all,
Greg
Stay frosty at the controls, Frozen.
Safe flying.
You've been here a year so I 'm sure you've noticed a lot of us are either pilots or maintainers, (or both).
Once aviation gets in your blood....
My brother is 88 and still dreams of being healthy enough to build a small plane and learn to fly. He’s never been a storyteller but one of the few stories he’s willing to share is of mother taking him to the airport and letting him have a flight lesson. It seems flying can get into the blood even when you never really fly.
When I searched for genealogy information on my grandfather, I learned that, besides being a rare earths prospector, he wrote newspaper articles and I found a series of his stories from 1923 of the WW I pilots who became the early airmail flyers doing the Reno/Verdi NV to Oakland CA route that became official in 1918. Among my favorites:
https://iment.com/maida/family/father/jackbell/Jack-Bell-Prospector-and-Naturalist-39.htm#shipstoodstill
When Winslow’s Ship Stood Still in the Heavens
https://iment.com/maida/family/father/jackbell/Jack-Bell-Prospector-and-Naturalist-39.htm#whirlpool
Ships Caught in a Whirlpool
https://iment.com/maida/family/father/jackbell/Jack-Bell-Prospector-and-Naturalist-39.htm#songsters
The Songsters of the Altitudes
Glad to have you here, Greg!
Tailwind, smooth landing??
May God bless you and may you glorify Him.
Thank you for the work you’ve done.
Pilots are the only people who we typically entrust for hours to handle our lives in a foreign environment—the air. We are comfortable driving our cars and feel safe, yet, we feel safe with pilots and their supporting staff, too.
It will always be amazing to know people can float through the air.
Nice stories at the link!
Great post, Greg. Retired Air Force guy here.
Honoring those who have gone before puts me in mind of a saying from Viking times, “Cattle die, kinsmen die, but a man is never dead so long as tales of his deeds are still told.”
Have a healthy and prosperous New Year!
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