Foil: 9 Panel: 2 Column: 3 Line: 63

Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Ms. Irene Ziebarth

Neal Strange, Portland, Maine, 1924-2011, was the son of aviation pioneer, Dr. Clifford Stange. He grew up on the Stroudwater Flying Field, which was established and operated by his father, and later became the Portland International Jetport. Neal was born to fly. His father gave him his first airplane, a Heath Parasol, when he was nine years old. He taxied it back and forth on the runway. He took his first solo flight at age 15 in an Aeronca 50 and went on to fly B-17s in the Army Air Corps in WWII as a Second Lieutenant.

After the service, Neal returned to Maine, where he married Eppie Jordan and raised six children. A gifted mechanic, he ran several garages and service stations and taught general trades and auto-body repair. Neal was the founding memeber of the Maine Aviation Historical Society and contributed many particles sharing his knowledge and experiences in its publication, The Dirigo Flyer. Living on Crescent Lake in Raymond, Maine where he kept his prized 1946 Aeronca Champion seaplane in the summer, he loved to take everyone up 'for a spin.'

Neal Strange was an aviation giant.