As part of the Spirit of St. Louis Victory Tour, Charles Lindbergh stopped at Moline, Illinois. There he bent down to shake the hand of a nine year-old boy still in knickers. "What do you want to do when you get older, son?" "Be a mail pilot, sir!" came the answer. That brief encounter on August 19, 1927, changed forever the life of Carl Garlough, Sr.

After his meeting with Charles Lindbergh, Carl decided then and there that aviation would be his life's work. Desperate to take flying lessons, Carl entered a model airplane contest. The grand prize? Free flying lessons. He designed a new gear mechanism for his model allowing it to fly the highest, fastest, and farthest of all other models of that time period. Young Carl's dream was beginning to come true, but he couldn't have imagined what was to come.

When Carl found he would have to make money to pursue his aeronautical goals, he looked for a job. Still young and impetuous, he decided the easiest job to do would be that of a stuntman. He thought to himself, "Just how difficult can it be to stand on the wings of a plane?" He didn't know then that his body would react squeamishly each time the planes would swoop right, then left, then upside down while he was standing out on the wing.... His career as an aerial stuntman grounded to a halt.

Carl realized that the key to his dream would be to get an education. Working hard he received his Aeronautical Engineering degree in 1938. He was immediately hired by the Wright Aeronautical Company located near Cincinnati, Ohio, at Evandale. The Wright Aeronautical Company was founded by Orville and Wilbur Wright in 1909. After Wilbur's death in 1912, Orville lost interest in the company and sold it. The company later became GE Aircraft Engines' world headquarters in 1949.

Like many young men his age, Carl was drafted for military service during World War II. Because of his unique aviation skills and talents, Wright Aeronautical believed that Carl was invaluable. The company petitioned the government to allow him to continue his work with them rather than fight abroad. The government agreed. Perhaps one of Carl's greatest contributions to the war effort was his solution for the inverted fuel problems on the P51 [mustang] bombers.

Carl finally realized his dream of becoming a certified pilot on April 19,1945. Like many pilots he logged in hundreds of hours of flying time. He flew anything he could get his hands on: zephers, mono preps, porterfields, arrow sports, aeronca chiefs, just to name a few.

After the war ended, Carl went to work at Lunken Airport in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he opened his own business. There he gained the reputation of'getting things done and getting things done right.' Later Carl moved his family to Florida where he and his friend, Bill Hudson, opened the B & C Aero Shop in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.