I was born September 27, 1944 with a birth defect called Spina Bifida.

If it wasn't for penicillin I most likely wouldn't be writing this history.

My father was in the Army and in Germany at the time of my birth. He was a Tech Sgt in the Infantry and was in the Battle of the Buldge.

I was operated on my 9^th day after my birth. The Doctor took my spine and folded it up like an accordion and placed it in my body and sewed me up.

My Mom & Dad were told that I never would walk but I started crawling about two and started to stand around three years old.

I had an operation every summer till I was 17 and the last operation was in 1962 after I had graduated High School. All these operations were to correct problems from Spina Bifida.

I attended Junior College for about a year and a half until I got a job in 1964 with North Pittsburgh Telephone Company in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, as a Plant Clerk and finally ended up as a Testmen with the company.

In 1968 I met my wife Linda who was a Service Rep at North Pittsburgh and we have been married now for over 38 years. (April 6, 1968) (Almost 39 years)

In 1979 I was elected as a Union Rep for the Federation of Telephone Workers Union and then in 1984 the FTWP voted to join the Communication Workers of America and I spent 25 year as a full time Union Rep bargaining contracts and handling grievances for the Union.

I retired on April 1, 2002, after 38 years in the Telephone Industry.

My flying started with a ride in New Alexandria, Pennsylvania. My Aunt arranged a ride in a Piper Colt. The Airport was only a mile from her home and during our family picnics the Airport Pattern was right over the picnic.

Once I had that ride and the pilot gave me the controls I was in love with flying.

I spent over a year from 1964 to 1965 trying to get a doctor to give me a physical and he kept refusing. I finally called the FAA and asked why I couldn't get a physical and they promptly mailed me the forms and told me to make my appointment with the doctor and tell him that they would make the decision on my medical. All he had to do was give me the physical.

I was given a Third Class Medical and then I was on my way taking lessons.

I first started in a Piper Cub but I had trouble on the ground first with seeing over the Instructor and second with the heal brakes. I had no trouble in the air.

I finally went to Butler County Airport and took lessons in a Piper Colt and I soloed in the Colt but I still wasn't comfortable in the Colt. I then joined the Condor Aero Club for $100.00 and flew Cessna 150's for $8.00 an hour wet.

At that time Instructors were paid $5.00 per hour.

I got my Private License in the Cessna 150 in 1966 and took my test at Alleghany County Airport with an FAA examiner. I had a Demonstration of Ability Test with the FAA. A lot of the test was taxing to demonstrate my ability to control the aircraft on the ground.

I did have an interesting experience during the flight test the Examiner ask me "IF the engine quits should you stop the prop for better gliding?" I wasn't sure sooo he reached over and turned off the engine and pulled up the plane till the prop stopped turning and then said "where are we going to land" I picked out a field south of Alleghany County Airport and proceeded to set up a landing in a field that had been an old coal strip mine. The FAA Examiner reached over and pulled out the starter and the little Cessna 150's engine came alive and we climbed back up and went back to the airport and signed my student license. I was a Private Pilot. "WOW"

In 1993, after reading about the IWA's airplane rides for special needs children at the John Wayne airport, I decided to call a Spina Bifida Chapter and ask them if they were interesting in having me give their Spina Bifida kids airplane rides with me a Spina Bifida person.

There were 5 families that showed up for their rides and I flew over 50 family members that day. Five were Spina Bifida Children and the others were their able bodied brothers and sisters and Mom & Dads.

The next year I realized that the EAA had a Young Eagle Program and that we could take Special Needs Kids for rides under the Young Eagle Program.

In 1994 we had 5 airplanes at the Capital City Airport (CXY) in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, and we flew over 100 Special Needs Kids.

We have continued to fly Special Needs Kids and some adults since 1993 at Capital City Airport and this year we had 25 airplanes and two helicopters, fire trucks, over 40 Classic Cars which give the kids rides in any and all cars if they sooo desire. We ate over 1000 Hot Dogs, & 5 gallons of Chilli. We flew over 400 this year and have flown near 2000 since 1993.

We also fly Special Needs Kids and their family members at Butler County Airport (BTP). This year we flew over 175.

I have been checked out in the following aircraft:

Piper Archer, Piper Warrior, Piper Cherokee, Piper Vagabond, Cessna 150, Cessna 172, Aero Commander 100 Dart & Lark, & Erocoupe. I have had the privilege of flying right seat in EAA's Ford Tri-Motor three times, and have flown on the B-17 Fuddy Duddy and EAA's B-17 Aluminum OVercast..

In 1996 Rick Amber of Challenge Air and myself were given the EAA's Young Eagle Humanitarian Award in the Theater in the Woods at Oshkosh and General Chuck Yeager presented us with the award.

In 1999 I was given Phillips 66's Aviation Leadership Award and last year 2002, my wife Linda and I were given an award from EAA for volunteering in the AirVenture Museum at the Young Eagle Display provided by Phillips 66 near Hanger-X.

This year 2006, at Air Venture 06 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Linda and I received the EAA President's Award, WOW!!!! There are over 170,000 EAA members world wide. That award is the highest award presented by the EAA.

I owned a Piper Vagabond in 1966, bought it for $1600.00 and sold it for $1200.00 when Linda and I got married. It's now worth about $15,000. I have also owned a 1968 Piper Cherokee, a 1974 Cessna 150, and a 1967 Beechcraft Musketeer. I sold the Musketeer in January 2001, when I knew I was going to retire the following year. I thought I didn't need those hidden and unexpected expense after retirement.

The past year and a half I have been flying a friends PA-28-161 Piper Warrior and paying him $35.00 per hour and buying the gas. I also pay his tie-down at Capital City. I retired at age 57 and will be 63 this September sooo IIf my health is OK there might be a nice two place in my future to be flown off a grass strip.

I am volunteering with Spina Bifida, Easter Seals, Make-A-Wish, Therapeutic Riding Association of Cumberland County(Horse back riding for Special Needs Kids & Adults) and a program at our Church, Circle of Friends, a ministry to Mentally Challenged Adults. Boy I'm glad I retired there is no time for work.

I now have over 1200 hours logged. Flying has opened up many doors for me and introduced Linda and I to sooo many nice people.

I surely have been blessed, GOD must have had a mission in mind for me as there were only 5% of Spina Bifida babies who lived when born before the late 1960s.

I always say "I wish those Doctors that told my Mom & Dad that I would never walk could see me fly".