You don’t have to be a pilot or an aeronautical engineer to enjoy aviation. In my case, I believe God had aviation in my plans before I was born. I always wanted to take people flying to let them see this great planet from another point of view. Our website www.whirlwindstogether.com”, tells that a “first flight” led to marriage to my wife. After getting her secured in the seat, the first thing I told her was I always prayed before I started the engine. Some people might want to get out of the airplane at that point. I explained it was not because I was afraid, but to thank God I have the opportunity and ability to fly the Cessna 172 and other types of airplanes. After a short tour to the North Georgia Mountains, we made a perfect landing at the Cobb County airport, and within 3 months we were married. Now, we have been writing our memoirs and living in the world of aviation for 27 years.
Our books will tell you how our faith helped us through the whirlwinds of life prior to our marriage and since that time. However, there are many interesting events we did not include in our books. The book did not indicate how difficult a decision I would have to make after two years of college education. Ever since I watched the squadrons of military airplanes flying overhead during World II, I had dreams of becoming a military pilot. I had that chance when I learned my military experience and two years of college qualified me to get flight training experience in the Air National Guard. As noted in my book, my college professor talked me out of it. Now, I realize that was God’s plan in action. Becoming an aeronautical engineer was more valuable to God, my family, and country. My civilian flight experience has also been valuable to others and my aeronautical engineering career.
When I consider my part in flying “Young Eagles,” I see happy children. I got so involved, I was made Young Eagles’ coordinator for Experimental Aviation Association, EAA, Chapter 268. This and my receiving an award from the president of EAA is discussed in chapter 49 of my book. What is not noted, I was also given a free flight in EAAs’ World War II B-17 (Flying Fortress). This occurred when Chapter 268 was coordinating the sale of B-17 flights at Cobb County Airport in Kennesaw Georgia. Seats were being sold for a price around $300. After having seen many B-17s fly over our house during World II and learning what they went through while being a part of the Eighth Air Force Command, I was extremely humbled to sit in the radio operators’ seat. A picture of the B-17 is attached. Maybe this was an example of a reward for “doing for others as you would have them do unto you.”
Atlantic Baptist Aviation Mission (ABAM) is another aviation organization where I made a difference with my flying and aeronautical engineering experience. I discussed my shared time with JAARS Mission Aviation in my book, but I didn’t write anything about ABAM. As with JAARS, I shared my experience with ABAM after retiring from Lockheed. At the time, I was doing business under an Airforce contract with my own Consulting Aviation Services Company and Georgia Tech. Employed again, I could afford to rejoin the Lockheed Flying club. I flew to the ABAM location in Zebulon, GA south of Atlanta. ABAM had some very good mechanics and pilots. They wanted a major design change to reduce the drag of their Helio Courier. (Picture attached) As noted in the title of the picture, this is a JAARs’ airplane. It is not the same one I worked on at JAARS nor is the one I worked on at ABAM, but it is similar. The airplane I worked on had a bigger engine, which caused its front end to be much less aerodynamic or flat. The management at ABAM wanted me to design a new streamline cowling. This was a huge task and the only pay I was going to get was to fly the airplane before the work began. Flying a Helio Courier was not something that many pilots get to do. Being an aerodynamicist who had specialized in High Lift wing design for airplanes I was challenged to create a low drag fuselage design. I told the leader at ABAM I would enjoy giving some of my time to help do God’s missionary work. That kind of work was not work. For me, it was fun.
I made a few trips to ABAM to collect data needed for my design work. Finally, the day came when the Helio and instructor were available for me to get a lesson. Being a designer of high lift airplane wings, I knew what full-span leading edge slats and full-span trailing edge flaps could do. I knew it was going to be very different from the airplanes I was flying. Furthermore, the airport at ABAM was short and narrow, and had Pine trees on all sides. I learned from flying my airplane, I had to be skillful. It wasn’t long before I knew why I was designing a streamline engine cowling. When landing, I was doing what I usually do; that is cut back on power. I cut back too much, and we started to drop like a rock. The instructor quickly caught it. This really encouraged me to get busy with the design work and I did as much design work as I knew how. I delivered my results to the organization, but I never learned if it worked for them. They moved from Zebulon, and I never heard from them again. However, the greatest joy I had was working with a dedicated group of people who had given their life to serve Jesus Christ in difficult and sometimes dangerous places.
Frieda and I have worked together now in our second chance of life for 27 years and gone through many whirlwinds of life, both good and bad. Our books tell you about much of what we have done, but there is more we hope to share with you. To really understand the miracles we have experienced, please read both books: Born Three Times and Chasing A Whirlwind. In subsequent posts we will share more about how faith, aviation, and other scientific matters have affected our lives. #Whirlwindstogether
