I recently came across a video I took with my iPhone a bunch of years ago that is important enough to me that I don't want to loose it. So I thought I'd go ahead and edit it and save it off in a couple of places.

The back story is I was invited to bring my Stearman to an airshow as a static display, which I did. At the conclusion of the airshow, and after the public had gone home and only the airshow participants remained, a gentleman in his 90's appeared, sat down and told a story. Having no idea who he was or what he was going to say I was not prepared to video him. A few minutes passed before I realized how important what he had to say was- and that's when I took out my iPhone.

A number of years prior to this I was fortunate enough to meet and talk briefly with Tex Hill. Even got him to sign my pilot's license which I then laminated and retired. To then get a chance to meet and hear this man's story- well I feel very honored for both opportunities. I don't recall his name but believe he was a University Professor in his later years, perhaps in Colorado.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy listening to him as much as I did.

Nice one barnstormer!

This thread got me fired up enough to run out to the hangar and scan this signed picture Dallas gave me. I've told this story here before, so deal with it and move on if you've heard it already. It's right up there with finding my out my girlfriend's step father was Charles Lindbergh's brother in law, you can't make this shit up.

I had just landed on the side of the road (no traffic coming either way) in Alpine Wyoming, early '80's, and then, because of the cross wind coming out of the canyon leading to Hoback Junction, conflicting with the wind sock at the gravel airstrip (now paved, with a residential airpark) about 1/4 mile away, catching me unawares, I ran off off the road into the borrow pit. A typical ultralight aircraft event, no damage or injury involved, just an uncommanded diversion off the intended taxi path.

As I was getting out/off the Pterodactyl, this old fart on a Vespa scooter, with a unlit cigar stuck in his mug, rode up and asked if I was OK. I told him "hell yeah, I just got off to the side to get out of the way in case any traffic came along." He responded with,"bullshit, you ground looped it, get on," indicating the rear seat of the Vespa. Thinking I may have been in trouble maybe, and cowed by his command presence, I got the hell on. We rode a 1/4 mile to this little cafe, that had outdoor seating, with a killer view. And he asked me if I wanted any coffee, and then, what about breakfast?

Long story shorter, the old fart was Dallas Clinger, certified bad ass and Wyoming's only ACE from WW2, and more to the point, an early Flying Tiger. He was all you could ask for in a war hero, crusty, profane, and still, though in his 70's, looking like he could kick your ass no problemo. I never paid for a breakfast for the next several years, and once we decided on the best LZ, got the prime parking spot, directly in front of the cafe. I asked him once, before the first time I landed on the road (again, no traffic in sight either way...) directly in front of the cafe, "can I do this?" His response was something along the lines of "hell yeah, we are in America." Pretty profound. On a side note, one of the local funeral parlors in town is run by a Clinger, and I always wondered if they were related. At a friend's service, I had occasion to meet the Clinger in question, and once I mentioned Dallas, his demeanor instantly changed from sober funeral director to a giggly teller of Dallas family stories, (something about riding snow machines across the Palisades Res at extremely high rates of speed) he, the mortuary owner, was a nephew I believe. It was pretty cool to see his reaction when I told him what high regard myself and others hold Dallas in, to this day. Gone, but not forgotten.

Fantastic video thanks for posting...Got to hang out with Tex Hill some, sharp and funny and humble till the end.

Thanks Barnstormer and friend. Oral history is the best. Too soon oral history from that era will be gone, except for that recorded.