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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Mr. Don Bartrip

The world needs ordinary, determined individuals who realize their dreams. Many do not, but Wallace "Tex" Moody was an individual who as a child had an airplane ride that brought forth within him a passion to someday fly his own airplane. He, unlike so many of us who do not chase our dreams, DID pursue his passion. It took many years, serving in the United States Air Force, raising a family, and when finances were available, taking flying lessons, to obtain his pilot's license. Then he started his dream of building his own aircraft. He started small with a Kolb Ultralight and his dream turned into reality when he flew it for the first time over the Salt Flats of Nevada. Of course, the thrill of being in the air called for a bigger and faster plane, so he built a Cygnet for which he designed plans for the wings to fold. After a ride in a homebuilt RV-6, he decided that was his next plane to build and it was his favorite for flying. A crash of the RV-6 didn't dampen his enthusiasm for flying or building. He enjoyed being a member of the EAA and taking his planes to various shows. He was in the process of building his fourth plane, a Bolkow/MF1-9HB when ill health prevented him from finishing its completion. Building and flying airplanes was the thing he missed most before he died. "There is nothing, nothing like being in the air, piloting an airplane" he said, and those who knew him and worked with him know exactly how he felt.