Northwest Readers SHARE A STORY
Unsurprisingly, he inspired me, but how could he encourage me to pursue aviation even after his passing?
With the moves, we only had a few things tied to my dad. We had some of his art, some pictures, and some of his books. I craved a connection to him in any way I could. I’ d stand in front of his charcoal drawings of Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald and study the sweat on Louis’ brow as he wails on his trumpet. I would also look through his books, even the German cookbooks.
But there was one coffee table book,“ Aircraft Aircraft,” that captured my imagination. It described the progression of aviation from the first balloon to the present day’ s space exploration. I loved reading the book and looking at the pictures repeatedly, even in my teens.
I remember riding my bike 30 miles( 48km) to and from home to Lester B. Pearson( YYZ-Toronto) airport at age twelve. Not just once but multiple times. Usually, it was to go to the end of the runways to watch the planes take off and land, feeling the thrill of the roar and size of those huge ships in the air. Other times, I’ d ride to the business fixed base operator( FBO), to look at the private aircraft and dream about private jets.
JUNE | JULY 2025 ISSUE NO. 45 51