If you live anywhere near a major airport or military air base, you know it can be a love/hate relationship at times. Some look at it as alot of annoying noise but others, such as my family, view it as their bread and butter or the sound of freedom. Or even dream of escaping to the air or taking a Sunday afternoon drive to watch planes take off and land at the airport. Air shows even became an outing . All of which our families enjoyed, except the annoying noise part!
Both my family and my husband's have aviation present in their lives. On my husband's side, it seems to have started with his dad, Gary Sr, who before WW2 worked at Middletown Air Depot in the engine section doing repairs and engine tests. When it became his turn to join the war, he chose the Army Air Corps and became a nose gunner on a B24 over the Pacific. (There is a detailed history of his experiences on my blog). This led to an interest in aviation and after the war he studied to become an aeronautical engineer at a university in Chicago. He graduated and had positions at several different aircraft manufacturers. First Martin Aircraft, where he worked on the Martin 404 and the Mercury Project, then at Jacobs Aircraft working on the Convertiplane. His final aviation job was with McDonnell Aircraft where he worked on the F4 and F101 projects. His interest in aviation continued tho and was passed down to his sons. Gary's brother also chose the US Air Force as his service during the Korean War. I do not know what he did while there tho.
Gary Sr front and center
His oldest son Gary Jr joined the US Air Force and was stationed in Vietnam as an airplane mechanic. He learned to fly while in the Air Force and held a private pilot's license. He also took on a project of building his own airplane. I remember flying with him once in an old 2 seater Luscom plane. The seat was a wooden plank. A new experience for me as far as the seat was concerned, but I had flown in small airplanes before.
Gary Jr's plane - that's me in the back seat!
His youngest son, Bill's interest was "smaller" because his hobby became flying and building model airplanes and helicopters. He is a member of a local model airplane flying club.
The middle son, my husband Tom, made a career of aviation. He joined the US Air Force and became an Avionics mechanic. He was stationed at Scott AFB in 1975 and primarily worked on the Douglas C9B which were based there. They were an Aeromedical Evac Squadron. But being a mechanic, he would also work on any kind of aircraft that came thru the base. After his initial 4 years were up, he reenlisted but as as active Reservist at Scott AFB and doing the same work that he had done while on active duty. After two years as a reservist, a job opportunity came up that he pursued and won. In 1981, he became a Field Technical Rep for the Douglas Aircraft side of the McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Company. They sent him to be the Field Rep at the Norfolk Naval Air Station who flew the C9As. While there, he finished his college degree in Professional Aeronautics and graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He also attained his A&P license and his FAA Radio Operators license, all of which helped him greatly in his job. A story he liked to tell was that while he was testing for his A & P license, he had to know how to repair the fabric that the older first airplanes were covered with. This required hand sewing and he asked me to teach him some stitches that he would have to use. Another story was that once on a test flight for the Communications system on the plane, they happened to fly over Tom's hometown and the test call on the flight phone was made to his dad as they flew over his house. His dad was thrilled. His years with this Navy squadron, VR-56, would take him all over the world. The squadron was tasked with taking one of their C9s and making it into an executive transport for the Secretary of the Navy and some other high ranking Naval personnel. As the manufacturer's field rep, Tom was part of every step of this transition. The plane was affectionately known as ET (Executive Transport) by it's flight crew. Tom was part of this crew and flew as such, flight suit and all even tho he was not "in" the Navy. He was to fly on any trip that took a VIP passenger, mostly the Secretary, out of the country. Just like in the military, this job could be transient, and the day came when the contract with the Navy was ending and that would mean a cross country move. Tom decided to look for a job with a more permanent location for his family. He ended up getting a job with USAir as a Maintenance Foreman in the airline's Operations Department, a management job. This ended the days of hands on repair of aircraft but Tom still enjoyed his job in aviation. After several mergers and weathering a strike, Tom retired from what had become American Airlines in 2015. One more in this line is our daughter, Amy. Ever since Junior High School, she had wanted to be an aeronautical engineer. She did attain this and graduated from Penn State with her degree. She started a job with the Sikorsky Helicopter company in Bridgeport, Ct. Surrounded by mostly men in this position, she gained respect. Her focus was on mating the engines to the fuselage on the S92 helicopter project. Eventually she left her job, but aviation still shows up in her job now as a preschool teacher. She shows her 4 year olds simplified aerodynamics of how airplanes can fly.
Basic Training, the start of a long career
Scott AFB C9Bs
US Navy's C9A "ET"
On the flight line
A visit to the First Flight location
The S92 chopper
My family's connections also seem to start with my Dad. As a youngster, he was interested in planes and worked to get his private pilot's license at the age of 16. He was able to pay for the lessons by doing odd jobs around the small local airport. One of which involved painting the airport name identifier on the roof of the hanger at that local airport. After high school, he was accepted into the ROTC program at Parks Air College in St Louis. But after one year he decided that that was not for him and transferred to a teacher' college. He was away from aviation for some time and his license expired. Later, in the 1960's sometime, he tested once again and was able to fly once more. He would periodically take us up for rides, which I enjoyed very much. He thought that I would one day fly at 16 also ,but I just liked the rides. Unfortunately, the hobby became quite expensive for a family man and he had to stop flying. My Mom, on the other hand, was afraid of flying. She held her breath each time we went up with Dad. But she finally took her first and only flight when she came to help out after our second child was born. We lived too far away to drive but she survived. Dad had three brothers who all had their private pilot's licenses. Joe was hobbyist like Dad, Jim went to college for an Aeronautical Science degree and worked for Grumman for a time. The third one made a career of aviation as well. After his US Air Force enlistment, Gene became an aeronautical engineer and worked for the US Army in St Louis. He was also an aerobatics pilot. He and his first wife Kit, also an aerobatics pilot, loved flying and owning their own planes. Sadly, Kit passed away when the small plane that she was flying crashed. Dad's nephew, Kevin, is a career US Air Force Officer working as a Flight Surgeon. Another nephew, Rich, has made a career as a corporate pilot. Rich's dad was also a corporate pilot. Rich's sister, Carolyn, even made a skydive jump or two.
Dad's first pilot license
So as you can see, aviation is in our blood. In my own immediate family, we seem to have a noticeable habit as well. Not long after our future son in law came to us, he remarked that every time an airplane flew overhead we all looked up at it. He thought it somewhat peculiar but it is just something we unconsciously do. Every single time to this day. I even go outside to look sometimes. Living near a large commercial airport with a US Air Force Reserve unit attached to it, we see and hear aircraft at all times of day and some fly low over our house. I have come to learn to identify a few by that sound. Yes, it does interrupt conversation at times, but we just wait it out for a few seconds and continue on. No problem with the noise. Aviation has been our bread and butter. Something that you can love forever as well.
Looking up....
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