Saturday, February 9, 2008
Mike was what I call "good people". His word was his bond, a handshake as good as a contract. A supreme aircraft commander, he was also fun to fly with. While at Chaparral Airlines in Abilene, Texas during the mid eighties, we would always say hi to the crews of other company planes by keying the mike and saying, "beep-beep" like the road runner chaparral. Mike always made a trip together interesting. If he weren't pointing out the way the airline management was wasting valuable resources and making life hard on the pilots, he would be engaged in a spirited discussion about anything from politics to space travel. Many a flight I would discuss some mechanical malady on my old truck with Mike. He would always offer a suggestion to check this or that. And often his suggestion would be the answer to my problem. Mike and his wonderful family have shared many evenings with my wife and I as we enjoyed a game of Monopoly with burgers and beer. Mike your flight is over, the passengers thank you. Set the brakes the chocks are in. Don't forget your flight bag and enjoy your time off. Beep-Beep, Mike!
