Born to Fly

By Kitt Foxx

SINCE THE FIRST FLIGHT BY THE WRIGHT BROTHERS AT KITTY HAWK, MEN AND WOMEN HAVE ENVISIONED THEMSELVES FLYING IN MANY FORMES OF VEHICLES DESIGNED FOR THAT PURPOSE, MANY HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL, AND MANY HAVE FAILED. AND NOW ANYONE CAN WITH THE PROPER TRAINING AND SCHOOLING CAN SOAR INTO THE SKY IN MANY DIFFERENT VEHICLES DESIGNED FOR THAT PURPOSE, SAFELY AND WITH CONFIDENCE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL.AT LEARNING TO FLY, NOW AS COMMERICAL FLIGHTS CIRCLE THE PLANET . THAT LITTLE BOY WITH A MODEL AIRPLANE OUT IN THE PARKING LOT IS FLYING AND DREAMING OF HIS DAY TO BE UP THERE WITH HIS OWN FLYING MACHINE. AND WITH THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF EFFORT HE WILL BE...ABLE TO FULFILL THAT DREAM. IN MANY FASHIONS, AND FOR MANY REASONS. . IF HE WAS BORN TO FLY......

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Oct 16, 2019
• ISBN: 9781728332086

Kitt Foxx

RETIRED FORMER TRADE SCHOOL TEACHER AND HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING TECH. FOR 30 YEARS, ORIGINALLY FROM ROSWELL GEORGIA. NOW. RESIDING IN THE BEAUTIFUL VILLAGE OF PINE ARIZONA. IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE NORTHERN ARIZONA MOUNTAINS. GOD’S SPECIAL PLACE FOR WEARY WARRIORS.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

J immy Lee Harris was almost six years old the first time he had his first airplane ride, It was with his Dad in his Crop Duster an old Stinson bi-wing airplane, and the wind and noise were awfully loud and he cried to go back down, but he had watched his Dad in his Crop Duster land and take off again so many times and had also cried to go up with him in that big old noisy thing for years since he was two or three years old, and now he was sitting on his dad’s lap with an old dirty faded seatbelt across his legs and he was scared and screaming wanting out… His dad had been in the Crop-Dusting business for almost ten years and owned the Harris Crop Dusting Co. The business and was well known and respected throughout the east Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana for his thorough understanding of the Crop Dusting business, and was known for his prompt response over the farming areas of three or four states and as Jimmy Lee grew up he began flying a second duster plane that his Dad bought for him when he was about sixteen years old, he had learned to fly the old Stinson sitting on his father’s lap since he was nine and was now at sixteen, a great pilot of this new Piper that he was flying, his mom was also involved as a spotter on the ground driving her little Red pickup truck at times, to line the two guys up flying almost side by side on the dusting runs, and they were in great demand, an sometimes he and his Dad even flew and dusted some crops at night. That’s not easy flying four feet off the ground at sixty miles per hour at night, that takes a lot of nerve, skill and getting use to. No matter how good your nerves are, it’s a weird feeling sometimes. Your imagination is always haunting you. Telling you over, and over You are going to DIE tonight You are going to DIE!!! sarcastically you tell it where it can go, .and just keep on dusting, .there’s no way you can permit this to break your concentration if you continue to be in the crop dusting business.

Jimmy had become a fantastic pilot by16 and by 18 had lots of air time in many types of terrain and long and short field’s, and had flown the old Stinson many times for his Dad while he was off in another state, they now had acquired two more duster aircraft to use if others were being reconditioned or serviced, they were serviced regularly, these airplanes were their living and must be kept in service ready condition at all times. Jimmy just couldn’t get enough flying, he bought himself a very nice Red and White Cessna one seventy two from a local Bank, one that had been repossessed and was almost like new even though it was three years old, he and his mom Helen would sometimes fly it out to some remote little airport in another state to meet up with his dad sometimes just to be together for a while, share a sandwich and a Pepsi together in the middle of nowhere Texas. It was great to be together with mom and Dad even for just a little while.

Dad was out on a dusting job and I’m spending the weekend there with him, dusting also We often split up and flew dusting jobs in separate areas of Texas or Oklahoma, my mom Helen could also fly the Cessna 172 and did the collection and banking for the company while us guys flew the dusters in many different locations in the states they covered, it was a great family business now, but as he grew older Jimmy was always looking to the sky at the different aircraft flew overhead and tried to identify each of them as they passed overhead as to whether they were Military or Commercial, the thought of flying one of them fascinated him and his imagination, he wanted to go higher, up there with them.. the idea of joining the U.S.Air Force was growing stronger by the time he was Twenty years old, the sky was the limit, so he and his mom discussed this plan of his to fly those big jets up at fifty thousand feet, not five feet off the ground in a duster. He asks his mom to see how his dad felt about this dream of his, he was sure that there were other pilots that his dad could hire to fly the dusters with him. He wanted to go fly bigger and higher.

Mom said that there were some very good men available to help dad with the dusting, and if that was his dream it was ok, go for it…… so, after three long talks with the Air Force recruiter in San Antonio, he was guaranteed to be sent to Air Force Flight Training School, and he enlisted for a four-year term and was sent to Kansas for his new home. After Basic, he went into the flight training school, at Wichita Kansas, and twelve weeks later finally got his first ride in a large Airplane, much, much different from a duster. He was assigned to the ground school and wound up in a co—pilot seat for some real experience in a twin engine cargo aircraft for even more air time, and after eight months got a familiarization check ride in a big turboprop C130 aircraft over at Ft. Hood Texas. Wow now this was what he really wanted to fly, one of these big monsters, and for the next two years the C130 was his second home. He logged many hours in this airplane, and after reenlisting for four more years was assigned his very own C130 cargo aircraft as pilot in command, now he was sitting on top of the world at twenty-five years old he was flying his dream. However his first overseas flight to north Africa was more exciting and in-flight refueling was another new experience for him, but not to Burt his co Pilot and everything went smoothly, with Burt’s help and advice, and after landing and unloading and reloading some equipment going back to the states for repairs, three days later they were out on runway two two heading home and his first long overseas mission was over and his nervousness on his maiden voyage was over, and after his fifth flight back there, he was a pro, and the nervous system was under control. Piece a cake and he got a new Copilot after his sixth straight flight to north Africa and now after six years of flying was considered to be a pro.

CHAPTER TWO

H e had two weeks’ vacation coming after his sixth straight flight to north Africa so he decided to go home and see mom and dad in TEXAS, it was quite a reunion he was last here six years ago, and everyone was in tears it was a great time for all, and he had to go shopping with mom in his little Cessna 172 that he now referred to as a puddle jumper after the Big C130 that he now flew, mom had to laugh he said it’s too small for me now mom, she laughed some more, and ask him if he had forgotten how to fly a bug now, and they both laughed some more, it was great to be home and hear his moms voice.. And get out of uniform into some street clothes again. The two weeks went by too fast, dad was dusting about forty miles east for three days, but Jimmy was always nervous flying his old Stinson now, it was unnatural to him now and he begged off to his dad, he didn’t want to wreck the little thing he told his dad, it’s just a toy.to me now and if you don’t mind I would rather not attempt to fly it I’m out of practice in these little bugs. They all laughed and agreed that it was a good idea, they do handle much different, I bet I couldn’t fly one of those big ole C130s either Jimmy, I been flying almost twenty five years and I know I could never get it off the ground would I ?? NO dad it took me almost three years to get comfortable flying one, it’s very different. Less responsive and very heavy, much more runway taking off and landing but once in the Air its really nice and smooth with four big turboprop engines, I love it dad… Almost time to go back mom and dad, my bird is being reconditioned and serviced by the pros. And ready for a test flight by the time I get back and I will be off to the wild blue again. I’ll be back as soon as I can. The next morning was sad, but I had to go. My leave was up much too soon….

My big ole girl Nancy Sue the C130. was on the tarmac waiting for me, lots of upgrades and new Turboprop engines, Ready to roll I couldn’t wait to roll out and take off, it’s like a disease, flying is and I couldn’t wait to sit back in that pilot seat again, it was even new, WOW! This is really neat, and much more comfortable than the old one, are they sure this is my old bird?, and boy O boy these new turbos and props are not waiting around I’m off the runway already, and I can’t believe this is the same old lazy bird I flew in here, this is remarkable, of course we are empty but, this is like a new gal. I love it………….two days later my orders come thru…Germany? I hope I can find it with a new Co-pilot Ted Wilson and 130 troops and 2 new jeeps, I met with my navigator and this is his ninth trip there, no problem he says, just relax…. we will get there sir. You got to have a lot of trust in your crew to do these things, and I got to trust him, and he’s got to trust me, I’m no navigator and he’s no pilot, and I just flew with them both for about an hour today on the check ride.

No problems found, tonight it will be fueled up and the jeeps loaded, and at six AM. We should be screaming down the runway headed for Germany. I hope my navigator speaks the language… hours later…when the navigator said Sir can you put us on auto pilot, the refueling tanker is approaching from the North and will hook us up and fill us up Sir just hold our heading…. ten or twenty minutes later we are on our own again and most of the guys in the back are singing loudly and we are on course and moving along rapidly….now full of fuel again and nothing but water down there. England coast should be coming up in an hour or so Sir the co- pilot said to me and we will have to change heading then to go to Lakenheath RAF base Sir, OK Ted let me ask our Navigator. I’m sure the guys in back need a latrine break and some food let’s call a one-hour rest period and refuel before heading out for Belgium. OK Sir good idea. I will make sure no one gets lost here on base also Sir. Ok thanks Ted. Back and loaded for takeoff in one hour. Look Sir, !!!! the lights it’s the coast, yes go back and tell our passengers to buckle up for landing at Lakenheath in a few minutes. Yes, Sir I’m on my way. Lakenheath is one of the two combinations of RAF and American Air Bases in England today.

You go with the men Ted and I will stay with the Nancy Sue while it’s refueling wait out on the tarmac for the head count before, we roll out for takeoff OK, Yes Sir good idea. About ten minutes later we were in the landing pattern and quickly down and rolling. The group was really ready for some grub and coffee this early in the morning. 1 hour later the head count was over and good, and we were rolling out to the runway for takeoff . Up, Up, and headed for the English Channel and the Belgian coast line, it’s beautiful and dark blue below us and Millions of lights and their glow where we are headed into Belgium, and our Navigator has got us cleared for our pass thru Belgium air space into Germany Sir, at the US Air Force base at Ramstein. where we can unload and get some sleep hopefully, we will be here for three days before we are loaded for the return flight to Marietta Georgia The return to the states was without incident and only one refueling at Lakenheath and another refueling before reaching the US coast line we were good all the way to the Dobbins AF Base in Georgia there we unloaded all these used and wrecked jeeps and other vehicles and spend a week there while the nose landing gear is replaced by a recall and redesigned nose gear that is stronger.by the manufacturer, hopefully we can then catch up on our sleep. Then back home in a week or so to Our home base at Fort Hood Texas, and hopefully another trip home to see mom and dad again, my enlistment is up in about six months, and I want to think about what I want to do, I’m thinking about trying to make it in the commercial airlines, they are trying to hire some military pilots for overseas flights, and their pay is much, much better than military pilots receive, I have been thinking about this for some time now and, I would like to talk it over with mom and dad before making a decision that important.

CHAPTER THREE

M Y only problem is that I have never flown jet aircraft, and that could become a problem with the commercial Airlines, most all of their fleets are jet powered, and I would have to go back thru flight training and then possibly qualify for a co-pilot program for a year or so while learning the jets. It’s going to be a long hard experience to become a jet pilot I’m sure, but they do have some fantastic flight schools that I’m sure I can qualify for, what do you think mom and Dad? Jimmy, son if that’s what you want to be, and are willing to peruse, then you have our blessing, and we have no doubt that you will excel at it, you are a great pilot son. Never doubt your capability to be what you want to be Son, you can be anything you want to be if you are willing to put forth the effort to achieve that desire, Achievement of dreams in life are not for the timid or faint of heart Jimmy, and we wish you the best…. OK. Mom and Dad, I’m going for it

Six months later after the discharge from the Air Force he is interviewing for flying jobs with the major airlines, and as he has assumed they were looking for long tern military jet pilots in the age group of thirty five to forty five with heavy jet aircraft experience, and the younger ones as co-pilots. It was looking bleaker than he had assumed, and was a little disappointed that not one of the big five had not offered him something…… So it’s the smaller carriers next, after his fourth interview he was excited by the interest shown by the Blue Sky Airlines they were desperate for pilots and co-pilots to fly in Central and South America, they had Jet and Turbo prop aircraft and were willing to train him, But he would have to move to Columbia, and learn some new languages also…..This gave him pause, this was a completely new idea, flying South America in American built aircraft, but it came with twin jet aircraft schooling and actual flying them as a Co-pilot for six months, then if he had mastered the art of perfection necessary to pilot a twin engine jet, he would be assigned a route in South and Central America, and after two years, moved up to a larger four engine Boeing 747 jet and some international flights……. He asks for a week to consider this offer, and then the salary was disclosed to him, and that was just over twice his salary in the Air Force, that brought a big smile to his face, WOW!!! He went back to Mom and Dads.in Texas. And had the discussion, he was hesitant to say yes because both his parents were