Dear Allan,
A good friend of yours sent me a copy of your book, Altimeter Rising, a while back. I read it over the summer. When I told your friend how much I loved your book, wondering how I might contact you, he gave me your contact info. My plan was to look over your book again and then write you. Summer turned to fall and fall turned to winter. Two days ago, I got an e-mail from our mutual friend saying that you had passed away.
I lost my chance to write and tell you how much I loved your book. So, I write now. You do not know that I am do not have a pilot's certificate, and it is unlikely that I will get one. Yet, I love aviation and I love flying. I go on scenic airplane rides as I can so I can experience flight. Over the last three years I have learned that there are other ways that I can fly. One of the ways that I fly is through reading the words of pilots such as yourself.
But your book was special. It was as if I was in the plane with you through out your 50 year career in the air. Almost as if I was flying the plane too. For indeed through your words, I was flying.
A couple things stand out to me from your book without having to go in and reread the book. One is the picture of your wife, Irene and your Aeronca Champ in 1947, with the caption "writers only two assets in 1947." I loved the stories from the early period of your marriage which you called the flying school era.
Fast forward to when you were flying P-38's and Mosquitoes doing aerial photographic surveys. Having seen a few photos from similar aerial surveys over the past few years, I can say that I had no idea at that time how precise that type of flying is.
Finally, you flew firebombers for twenty years, is that right? You can be sure that I'll be re-reading what you wrote about your experience flying tankers.
I am skipping over much of your career in this short letter. As I write this, I understand that
Altimeter Rising is available on
Amazon and elsewhere. I hope that others will read your book and enjoy it as I have. I have a couple of projects that I have on the burner at the moment that will eventually end up on this blog. Writing about Ag-Cats and the A-26 (which you flew as a firebomber) are but two projects. I'll be adding a third project, rereading your book.
In closing, you given me the gift of flying through your words. Thank-you. It is my loss that I never got to say this to you before now. I hope that doesn't matter. I know you are flying in favorable tail winds. And be assured of my thoughts and prayers for your family, friends, colleagues, and all those who love you.
