The Pol
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2007
- Messages
- 11,390
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- 118
No, it is nothing brewing related at all.
My grandfather passed away when about 23 years ago, and he had a pretty hard hitting impact on my life. Through the years I spent with him as a kid, and the stories I have heard about him, I have adopted the type of man he was in essence.
He was the one that gave me the bug to fly... he was a dairy farmer from Michigan, saved for years to buy his first plane with cash back in 1948. Over the years he upgraded twice to larger and faster planes, all paid with cash he earned from the sweat of his brow and in the dust of the fields of Shepherd, MI.
As I said, he passed away 23 years ago, his wife, my grandmother, passed in November after living years and years with stroke related disabilities. So my grandmothers home is being cleaned out, items divided up, and in my package today I found:
Cast iron WWI aircraft plaques that adorned the walls of my grandfathers office from the 1940s in immaculate condition.
Wall plaques from his presidency and member of the year awards in the International Flying Farmers Assoc.
His pilot log book that encompassed his entire piloting career. From private to commercially rated pilot. From 1948-1986 just prior to his death.
He learned to fly in 1948 in a C-120... they actually did spin training in his 8th hour of flight time (not even required today unless you are a CFI candidate). He soloed with 9 hours in a C-120... at the same airfiled where I soloed. When he passed on he had accumulated nearly 2,000 hours flying off a grass strip at his farm in Shepherd, MI. The name of the strip was Bonanza Lane... after his dream aircraft, the last he owned, the V35-A Beechcraft. He logged thier family Xmas trips to Florida... even the flight where he went to pick up my uncle after he returned from Vietnam. Logbooks are not just cities and dates, they encompass a families history in this case.
I have three logbooks detailing the 7,000 hours that I have accumulated... many seemingly empty hours criss crossing the US. Maybe someday my grandkids will recieve a package like this and look back with some nostalgia at what grandpa accomplished in his lifetime and what sort of family man he was, and how he lived.
I am going to try to search records and find out where his aircraft is... who owns it, via the registration #. I want that plane back... maybe not today, but the next time it is sold, I want to bring it home. Anyone have experience with this?
I have had one hell of a great week at home.
My grandfather passed away when about 23 years ago, and he had a pretty hard hitting impact on my life. Through the years I spent with him as a kid, and the stories I have heard about him, I have adopted the type of man he was in essence.
He was the one that gave me the bug to fly... he was a dairy farmer from Michigan, saved for years to buy his first plane with cash back in 1948. Over the years he upgraded twice to larger and faster planes, all paid with cash he earned from the sweat of his brow and in the dust of the fields of Shepherd, MI.
As I said, he passed away 23 years ago, his wife, my grandmother, passed in November after living years and years with stroke related disabilities. So my grandmothers home is being cleaned out, items divided up, and in my package today I found:
Cast iron WWI aircraft plaques that adorned the walls of my grandfathers office from the 1940s in immaculate condition.
Wall plaques from his presidency and member of the year awards in the International Flying Farmers Assoc.
His pilot log book that encompassed his entire piloting career. From private to commercially rated pilot. From 1948-1986 just prior to his death.
He learned to fly in 1948 in a C-120... they actually did spin training in his 8th hour of flight time (not even required today unless you are a CFI candidate). He soloed with 9 hours in a C-120... at the same airfiled where I soloed. When he passed on he had accumulated nearly 2,000 hours flying off a grass strip at his farm in Shepherd, MI. The name of the strip was Bonanza Lane... after his dream aircraft, the last he owned, the V35-A Beechcraft. He logged thier family Xmas trips to Florida... even the flight where he went to pick up my uncle after he returned from Vietnam. Logbooks are not just cities and dates, they encompass a families history in this case.
I have three logbooks detailing the 7,000 hours that I have accumulated... many seemingly empty hours criss crossing the US. Maybe someday my grandkids will recieve a package like this and look back with some nostalgia at what grandpa accomplished in his lifetime and what sort of family man he was, and how he lived.
I am going to try to search records and find out where his aircraft is... who owns it, via the registration #. I want that plane back... maybe not today, but the next time it is sold, I want to bring it home. Anyone have experience with this?
I have had one hell of a great week at home.