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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Ms. Pamela George Ratti

Born February 17, 1928, raised on a dairy farm in upstate New York. Moved to Maine in the early 1940's. He developed a passion for flying at a very young age and saved his money for flight lessons where he made his solo flight at the age of 17yrs. from a grassy field on a Piper J-3 Cub. Upon High School graduation he enlisted in the Army Air Force and completed Officer Aviation Cadet training, class of 49-B in San Angelo, TX. He flew 62 missions in the Korean conflict. Aircraft included the AT-6, B-25, and B-26. He was handpicked to fly several special operations one of which was flying in formation with a group of B-26's from Hickam Field, Hawaii to Indo-China with no navigational equipment! Upon returning to the States he flew Air Evac for passengers and cargo out of Mobile, Alabama. Mostly, flew C-47's and C-54's. He flew all over South America, Central America and the Caribbean. He later flew for Aramco Oil Co. in Saudi Arabia. Again, passengers and cargo all over the Middle East. The aircraft included Dehavilland Beavers, DH-18 Beeches, and the Convair-340. The Rub Al Khali Desert was unlike any terrain he had ever taken off and landed on. The "empty quarter" was nothing but endless rolling sand dunes. He then decided to go with a commercial airliner (TWA) and flew the Martin 202 and 404, Lockheed Constellations, DC-9, Boeing 707, Boeing 727, and the Boeing 747. He was also a check pilot for TWA. Several highlights during his TWA career (which expanded close to 30 years) were marrying a former TWA Hostess in 1958