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From: julian@riacs.edu (Julian E Gomez)
Newsgroups: rec.aviation
Subject: A Love Story
Message-ID: <1991Feb25.083302.1968@riacs.edu>
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 91 00:33:02 PST
Sender: news@riacs.edu
Organization: RIACS, NASA Ames Research Center
Lines: 54

This story was written by Barry Schiff for the Santa Monica Airport
Association Newsletter.  It is reposted here with permission.


"The typical general aviation airport represents a unique slice of
society. This is because small airports seemingly are immune to the
ailments found beyond their boundaries; rape, murder and other violent
crimes rarely intrude upon airport life.  General aviation airports are
among the few places where race, religion, sex and economic status have
little bearing on belonging.  Admission to our international
brotherhood requires only a sincere interest in aviation and a passion
for flight.

"The general aviation airport obviously benefits commerce and makes a
community more accessible to the rest of the world, but it is more than
this.  An airport is open space to be preserved, an area devoid of
structural congestion and the accompanying crush of humanity.  It is a
place from which man can see and enter the sky, a sanctuary of
camaraderie where pilots orchestrate music with whirling propellers.

"Small airports also are educational and inspirational.  In 1952, a
tall, lanky 14-year old boy from a low-income family had begun a life
of delinquincy until he happened upon Santa Monica Municipal Airport
(nee Clover Field).  There he became enthralled witht he dancing
windsock, the aroma of avgas, the mysterious, infectious lure of
flight.

"Desperate to become part of this fascinating world and obviously not
having the money to buy lessons in a $7-per-hour Aeronca "Champ," he
pressed for and obtained an after-school job at the airport.  Cleaning
rest rooms and sweeping out cavernous hangars, however, were not quite
what he had in mind. But he perservered.

"Fortunately for this teenager, he found the compassion and
understanding at Clover Field that he failed to find elsewhere, and his
life became inexorably linked to the sky.  He ultimately learned to fly
there, earned his ratings and instructed most of his way through
college.  Today he is an airline captain, enjoys teaching others who
share his passion for flight and has learned enough about writing to at
least pen these words of love and gratitude.

"Santa Monica and other general aviation airports have inspired
countless other youngsters to pursue aerospace careers by giving them
the opportunity to wash their wings in the wind.  Without such
motivation, their destinies, and perhaps the destiny of a nation, might
have been otherwise.

"Please, do not take your airport for granted."

-- 

"Common sense isn't"

	Julian "a tribble took it" Gomez     julian@riacs.edu