I remember the first time I rode in an airplane was in the nineteen sixties on the only airstrip in Maynardville that I’ve had any experience with. It was a little grass airstrip that was located just beyond Cooke’s Mortuary. Clifford Stiner kept his airplane in a small hanger and used the grass strip for a runway. Of course, most of the time, he used the strip for his own pleasure. However, on one occasion a barn stormer pilot, by the name of Jones, had apparently made an arrangement with Stiner allowing him to offer rides for a small fee. Now being too young to be afraid of what could happen, I took my first airplane ride, along with the girl who is now my wife. When I think back, the little airplane which was made of wood and fabric, was probably only intended to be a two-passenger plane. It had one seat in the front and one seat in the back. The seat in the back was just large enough for both of us to squeeze into. After takeoff, Jones, the barn storming pilot, circled the field. The ride only lasted for approximately ten minutes. As soon as we landed others were waiting to take their turn.

I’ll admit that no doubt that first ride in an airplane, even though it was very short, left a longing in me to become a pilot. After a few years had passed, I took some flying lessons at the Powell Airport and after about eight hours of flying with my instructor, he said, “I think you’re ready to fly solo.” I was scared and unsure if I was really ready. So, after takeoff, while circling the field, I done some praying and landed safely completing my first solo flight. It was a Cessna 150 which is a two-passenger plane. Later, I got the privilege of flying a Cessna 172 which could easily accommodate three passengers.

In the late sixties, I met Walter Johnson who had flown a fighter bomber during World War II. He told about some of his experiences flying a fighter bomber in the war and of his experience bailing out of his plane after being hit by enemy fire. He also told me he was still flying on weekends for fun at a little grass strip called Sky-Ranch Airport just off Alcoa Highway. I visited the airport and realized they had several airplanes I could rent and some of those airplanes was just like the one I took my first ride in. The instructor that signed off for me to fly their airplanes was also a World War II veteran that had flown during the war, and after the war he was a crop duster pilot.

I’ve had the privilege of flying several different wood and fabric planes but one sticks out in my mind more than any other. It’s called a Citabria. It is capable of sustaining aerobatic stresses from +5g to -2g which makes it strong enough to do loops, rolls, snap rolls, etc. Its name spelled backwards is “airbatic.” Walter’s military training was a valuable asset in teaching me how to do those maneuvers. At Walter’s advising, I joined the Civil Air Patrol where I could fly for free when we were on a mission. Again, the airplane I flew with the Civil Air Patrol was a wood and fabric tail dragger with the stick in the floor and very few instruments. Colonial Andy Abernathy met me at Island Homes Airport to certify that I was capable of flying their planes solo.

Although I haven’t flown as a pilot in many years, I guess that first flight at the little grass strip in Union County, TN sill tempts me to buy a little strip where I could safely take off and land. Although I’m now seventy-five years old, I still think it would be very relaxing to fly in the evening when the weather is calm and enjoy the spectacular view of God’s wonderful creation.