“I was just a little guy when Art Samson took me for a ride in a little ‘jenny’ or something. I sat on his lap, if you can believe that…and it was all flying after that.” In 1936, Harold left his home town of Renville, MN to go to an accredited flight school in Wahpeton, ND. When word reached his father, who thought he was at school to become a mechanic, Harold was summoned home. A few years later, he bought a plane that was shipped to him on a train. The people who sold the plane were to have sent someone to teach Harold. However, no one ever came; so Harold, with flight manual in hand, jumped into the plane and taught himself. In the early 1940’s, Harold was a part of the Civilian Pilot Training (CPT) Program, in Marshall, MN as an instructor. He later taught two classes of Navy cadets in Alexandria, MN. Then, in Fort Worth, Texas, he taught future combat pilots for the Air Force and Army during World War II. Near the end of WW II, Harold went to Fargo, ND and taught pilots, and ferried military aircraft. After the War, he was a pilot for Northern, a feeder line, and taught flight school in Fargo. In 1963, Harold joined the Wilmar Air Service as a flight instructor. Over the years, he taught in single and multi-engine planes for private and commercial instructor levels; and he was a safety consultant. In 1977, he received his most prized award as a pilot and instructor: “Instructor of the Year”, a Distinguished Service Award for Excellence in the field of general aviation. Harold estimates he logged a total of 20,000 hours in the air.