Re: [Cal_Boats] Re: warning, off-topic (Alfred)

What a geat story, Alfred: I can add a little more......My father in law was Al White and at one time he was the chief test pilot for North American Aviation. He made the transition from Mustangs in WWII to jets and flew the XB 70 Valkyre, the only triple supersonic bomber ever built, as chief test pilot. Al learned to fly in Auburn, Ca. and then in the service. His flight instructor was Najeeb (Jeeb) Halaby, father of Lisa Halaby (now Queen Noor of Jordan) and later became Chairman of Pan Am shortly after Mr. Trippe retired in 1968. What a small world. I always wanted to discuss the issue of sails as wings generating lift (required sailing content), but even after being married to his lovely daughter for 30 years, we just never quite got around to it. Unfortunately, Al passed away in April of this year. He was an extraordinary gentleman. One of the most honorable people I have ever known. Les Hester Bay Breeze 3-29#1005 Swan Creek, Md From: "Alfred Poor" <ap… [at] bellatlantic.net> Jon wrote: >Only problem with cosmolene is that it is tough to get off, or at least it >was by the time I got to it. Maybe not if it is fresh. This reminds me of a great story from my family. My grandfather was enamoured with aviation, but was too young to fly combat in WWI, so he was sent to the Keys to train Navy pilots. (He was also too old for WWII, and spent the war helping build aircraft in Ohio.) He learned to fly while in high school, and I have an article he wrote about how he spent his summer vacation flying. But on to the story� he and his college roommate got word about WWI surplus float planes being sold off, so they chipped in together and bought one. It was delivered to some port in New Jersey, where all they had to do was go and pick it up. They thought that meant pick it up and fly it home. So they arrived in their boaters and white ducks, only to find their aircraft in crates and the engine smothered in cosmoline! To their credit, they rolled up their sleeves and put the two-seater together on the spot. They then flew it out to Shelter Island where my great-grandfather had a home (and where he kept his sailboat and hosted New York Yacht Club rendezvous � obligatory sailing content) (rendezvouses?), and they spent the summer flying the plane. Okay, if you�re still with me this far, here�s the rest of the legend. They were preparing for a flight one late summer morning when a businessman rushed up, asking �How fast can this get me to Manhattan?� He was too late to take a train to get to an urgent meeting, and was prepared to pay if they could get him there in time. It was a two-seater, so the two young partners tossed a coin to see who would get to make the flight. My grandfather lost the toss, and his partner Juan Trippe got the flight� and the fare. And that was the first paying flight for the man who went on to found Pan Am. Alfred Poor 1969 Cal 29 #132, �Pentaquod�