On Tuesday, September 20, 2016 at 3:45:07 AM UTC-4, David Salmon wrote:
At 19:35 19 September 2016, Casey wrote:
Just saw this on the news. Oldest power pilot.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) -- It's a classic saying: There are old pilots
and bold pilots, but there are no "old, bold pilots."

Last week, the Guinness Book of World Records named 98-year-old Ernie
Smith, of Red Oak, Iowa, the oldest active pilot in the world.

"(They said) you need to come out here. I got something important to talk
about. So I stepped in the door and, 'I know what, they found somebody
older,' and he said there is nobody older," Smith said.

Back in January, the Red Oak airport manager and some of his friends
nominated Smith for the title.

In April, witnesses watched Smith fly the airplane solo, recorded his
effort on video, all to document that he is still an active pilot.

Smith beat the previous record by five years. He says he plans to keep
flying a rented plane a couple of times each week, weather permitting.

http://www.witn.com/content/news?article=393908181


A long, long time ago I saw a TV program here in the UK, that included a
man who wrote, edited, printed, and distributed a "local" newspaper,
somewhere in the prairie states I thiink. The distibution method was to
load them into his small plane and fly around, throwing the copies out at
all the farmsteads etc. He was 90 at the time, and said he hoped to be
still doing it when he reached 100. I've often wondered if he made it.
There was also a story about a pilot from the first world war, his name I
remember was Chabot, again 90 at the time and still flying. He told a
wonderful story, of being caught behind enemy lines, lost, and it went dark
and couldn't see a thing. So he kept practicing approaches and flare outs,
until there was a rumble, and he landed. When it started to get light, he
found he was in the only place clear of shell holes in the area, and took
off again to fly home.
Dave

I love hearing the everyday pilot stories. The feats of staying in the seat for a long period to get a goal is a feat in itself, but the everyday pilots and their feats are truly awesome.