Originally Posted by
hueyracer
I feel kike a youngster again at only just below 8000 now...and will nevwr reach 20k until i retire..but 65k?
Lets assume he started flying at age 20 until he was 70-thats 50 years of flying.
This means he did 1300 hours a year-or 3.5 hours EVERY day in these 50 years....cant believe it...
According to all I've read he flew far more than 50 years, starting at 17 in 1933. He broke the record in 1983 (when he was 68 or so) with 53K-odd, which would be more like 1000 per year, which is about 20 per week.
Apparently it's all the man did or wanted to do.
There are a lot of power lines in Alabama, and he spent his working life looking at 'em out the window at 80 mph or so. Had a number of engine failures along the way, all of which he walked away from.
He was still actively flying at 80. Single pilot, mostly Class G airspace, low level, Cub, no instrument rating, no type ratings. I looked him up on the FAA website, and the date of his last valid medical was a couple months before he died.
I ain't saying he did and I ain't saying he didn't, but that would be one heck of a scam if he didn't. Probably the rural wide open spaces of a place like Alabama are the only way something like this could even be possible.
CNN - Alabama man loves to fly -- and it shows - December 31, 1998
https://news.google.com/newspapers?n...g=5183,6665664
Medical
Medical Class: Third, Medical Date: 6/1999
Certificates
COMMERCIAL PILOT
Date of Issue: 6/22/1962
Certificate: COMMERCIAL PILOT Print
Ratings:
COMMERCIAL PILOT
AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND
AIRPLANE MULTIENGINE LAND
In FAA land, you get a new Date of Issue any time anything is added to your certificate.