“But by the race of the airplane I have known a more extraordinary experience than this, and have been made to ponder with even more bewilderment the fact this earth that is our home is yet in truth a wandering star.” from Wind, Sand, and Stars by Antoine de Saint Exupery
These words reflect so eloquently how Colonel Gerard J. Mialaret felt about flying. Qualified to fly over 25 kinds of aircraft, Gerry Mialaret had an absolutely unblemished flying career in the Army and the Army National Guard, and received the coveted silver wings of a Master Aviator in 1980. He was also the recipient of many other awards and honors, including the National Guard Bronze Minuteman Award, and the Army Meritorious Service Award. In addition to serving as the state aviation officer of Louisiana for seven years, in his civilian career he spent 26 years with the FAA as an air traffic controller and supervisor, and wrote and published many articles on aviation safety. He is also the author of Dancing with DRAGONs, a book on living and working with persons with developmental disabilities, which received the Outstanding Book of the Year award from the Autism Society of America.