During World War II, Frode was a bomber pilot in Asia. After retirement he wrote a sixteen page document about his flight training and flying experiences. Originally from Westhope, ND, which was about thirty miles from where I lived in Mohall, he returned there after the war. He supported himself giving flying lessons, for which he received $2.00 an hour. From there he joined Federal Aviation Administration, where he worked until he retired in1987. He served the United States for 34 years.
In his story about his military flying experiences he wrote "The first aircraft I checked out in was the PT-17, an open cockpit biplane. The last aircraft I became qualified in was the Boeing 747 jumbo jet. I remained in the Reserves until about 1956 during which time I flew F-80 fighter jets and the C-119 cargo carrier. During my time in the military, I flew about 11 different airplanes. In civilian life I became qualified in 6 more, plus several small civilian planes."
To my question "What was it like to fly a 747?" he replied "It was like sitting on your porch and flying your house."
He concluded his report "I met a lot of people and made a lot of friends during my time on active duty. Even though it was an invaluable experience, I don't think I would want to go through it all again. Most of the time it was a grind. The training was hard, sometimes the flying part was frightening, sometimes the living conditions were substandard. But one thing, it was never boring."
So fortunate to have known him!
Takk for alt,
Al
Frode and I, with members of St. James Lutheran, when they celebrated his 100th birthday.
No comments:
Post a Comment