Earl J. Howard was born on June 15, 1916, in Dumont, Iowa. As a young boy, long before Charles Lindbergh's historic flight in 1927, Earl dreamed of flying. Quoting from Earl's unpublished autobiography, "... but after Lindy's accomplishment, there was no doubt, I was going to fly. On April 13, 1935, at age 18, it was happening: I was airborne on the first of many thousands of flights I would make over the next 50 years. I soloed on my 19th birthday, setting the course for my aviation career that followed.
"I purchased my first aircraft in the spring of 1935, in partnership with a classmate: NC7126 was a Waco "10". I had earned money for my half of the purchase as an employee of John Deere Tractor plant in Waterloo, Iowa - the staggering sum of $225.
"The Waco model 10 was powered with a W.W.I surplus OX5 engine, a 90 h.p. water-cooled V8 engine. The OX5 engine subsequently became the first U.S. engine to be mass produced; production continued through W.W.I, ending in 1919. Surplus OX5's were used commercially to build aircraft throughout the '20's, including my Waco 10 NC7126."
1937 marked the beginning of Earl's business career in aviation, starting with flight instruction and aerial photographic flights from an airfield in Ames, Iowa. He soon founded Howard Flying Service and became manager of the Ames Municipal Airport, continuing through 1964 as owner/operator, flight instructor, commercial and charter pilot, aircraft salesman, and airframe and engine mechanic.
In 1940, Earl received a contract to provide flight instruction to the Civilian Pilot Training Program, initiated by our government in anticipation of the U.S. entry into W.W. II. Following December 7, 1941, this program became the War Training Service, for which Earl and his instructors provided flight training to Navy cadets until 1944.
After selling his private business in 1964, Earl established the Flight Service Department for Iowa State University, where he served as director of flight operations and one of its pilots until his retirement in 1972.
Earl's lifelong passion for aviation also led him to two rewarding personal projects. First, in 1967 he adapted a twin-engine Piper Aztec and flew himself and his wife Charlotte to Europe to attend the Rotary International Convention in France.
Then in 1985 he built Q-2 N85EH, a lightweight experimental aircraft, which he flew for the first time on the 50th anniversary of his aviation journey. Later Earl donated this beautiful plane to the Iowa State Historical Museum in Des Moines, Iowa.
Earl was an early member of the OX5 Aviation Pioneers and remained active until his death.
In declining health, one of the last things Earl still enjoyed was listening, alert and engaged, as his daughter read aloud from the Smithsonian Air & Space magazine. We've always been grateful for that interesting, mind-nurturing publication.
Earl and Charlotte (Nibel) Howard were married for 64 years, had two daughters and eventually 5 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.
Earl J. Howard died on December 30, 2010, at age 94 and is buried in the Roland, Iowa Cemetery.