 |
| Ralph's License and Medical Certificate |
After earning his private pilot’s license in his early 20s, Ralph then earned his commercial and instructor licenses. Each license was a step up and represented some of the proudest moments of his life. Many of his professions were related to flying in some way, including teaching flying, selling airplanes and helicopters, flying for the forest service, and working as a reservation agent for Continental/United Airlines. Ella would say, “He'd rather be in the air than on the ground!” No doubt about that!
Over the course of his career, he estimated that he logged over 12,000 hours in the air, he's had tens of thousands of take-offs and landings, and he taught hundreds of students, many of whom have also become instructors or commercial airline pilots.
What made him an excellent pilot and a legend of a flight instructor? As Ralph liked to say, “There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots.” He was known for his depth of experience, for his calm teaching style, for his instinctual handling of the aircraft, and for truly loving helping others learn to fly. Many of Ralph’s students have said his influence was so great, they think of him every time they fly.
I had hoped to have a big celebration...Picture a rented-out a hangar as the venue, the Top Gun theme playing, guest speakers, a slide show on a large screen, pilot friends and former students coming to join in the day, and the sharing of some of Ralph's most memorable flying moments. It would have been awesome to arrange to have Ralph's 3 favorite aircraft there: A Bonanza, a Gulfstream, and a Hughes 500 helicopter. And refreshments of course, with the buffet spread including blonde brownies and sugar cookies in the shape of airplanes. And heck, while we're dreaming big, let's add some sky writers, planes pulling banners, and the Blue Angels! And commemorative pins for all attendees - Ralph would add his to his Tilley hat. And a beautifully designed coffee-table-style book showcasing photos, memorabilia, and brag-worthy stories and tributes.
In lieu of all that, we'll extend the celebration throughout this year, and I'll share stories here - from Ralph himself, from his pilot friends, and from his family. Feel free to play the Top Gun theme song and chomp on blonde brownies while you read. (For me, that's still a worthy consolation. :D) And we can still make the coffee-table book.
Cheers to 60 years!
 |
| Ralph's log book recording the day he earned his instructor license: 9-18-61 (see the last line) |
 |
| Passed Flight Instructor (see the last line) |
..........
Read the entire collection of Ralph's flying experiences here.
