Post by mdeval on Feb 13, 2023 20:10:26 GMT -5
Last Nov my dad, Lee DeValliere passed away at the age of 93.
Some of you may remember my mentioning him in previous posts. He started taking flying lesson in 1945 at the age of 16. Soloed an Aeronca Champ at 17. After high school joined the Air Force, taking instruction in the AT-6. After basic flight training, qualified in C-47, B-25, and Douglas A-26 in which he flew recon in the Korean war. When the war ended, to finish out his enlistment he flew SAM missions in a decked out C-47 flying high ranking officers and dignitaries. When he was discharged, Dad applied to several US airlines and landed a job with TWA in 1955. With TWA, he started in Martin 404's, all the models of Connies, flying both domestic and international including the polar flights in the 1649. He went to Boeing 707s and Convair 880s early in their service, ans was one of the first pilots TWA trained in the 747 which he flew til retirement on a medical pension in 1975. He was good friends with Bob Buck the famous pilot and author of several wonderful books on flying. Also flew with both Harold Nieumann and George Gay. Dad also did a stint working with NASA at Langley AFB studying the impact of supersonic transports integrating into the approach patterns at high speeds. His first wife Betty, also soled the Aeronca the same day as Dad on her 16th birthday.
Anyway, sad to see him go. I'll certainly miss his almost endless flying stories.
Mike
Some of you may remember my mentioning him in previous posts. He started taking flying lesson in 1945 at the age of 16. Soloed an Aeronca Champ at 17. After high school joined the Air Force, taking instruction in the AT-6. After basic flight training, qualified in C-47, B-25, and Douglas A-26 in which he flew recon in the Korean war. When the war ended, to finish out his enlistment he flew SAM missions in a decked out C-47 flying high ranking officers and dignitaries. When he was discharged, Dad applied to several US airlines and landed a job with TWA in 1955. With TWA, he started in Martin 404's, all the models of Connies, flying both domestic and international including the polar flights in the 1649. He went to Boeing 707s and Convair 880s early in their service, ans was one of the first pilots TWA trained in the 747 which he flew til retirement on a medical pension in 1975. He was good friends with Bob Buck the famous pilot and author of several wonderful books on flying. Also flew with both Harold Nieumann and George Gay. Dad also did a stint working with NASA at Langley AFB studying the impact of supersonic transports integrating into the approach patterns at high speeds. His first wife Betty, also soled the Aeronca the same day as Dad on her 16th birthday.
Anyway, sad to see him go. I'll certainly miss his almost endless flying stories.
Mike
