Crop Duster: I began my flying career at a dirt patch airport SW of San Antonio, Tex. in the early '40s. I obtaining my private pilot certificate shortly after and then moved over to Stinson Field where I flew until I went to work for the USAF at Hondo, Tex. in 1950. Prior to going to work for the USAF, I flew one season in air show aerobatics, followed by three seasons in crop dusting and spraying. I have previously mentioned that I flew 10 years as a Civilian USAF Contract Flight Instructor. I moved to Fla. in 1957 when the USAF closed the base in Hondo, and continued instructing for the USAF at Bartow, Fla.. I continued flying Primary training of AF Students until they closed all Civilian Contract bases in 1960. After the Air Force resumed the primary flight training programs for their students, I went back to agricultural flying, mosquito control work, etc. for the next 30 years, while operating my own aviation FBO at Gilbert Field in Winter Haven. Fla.

About the time I left Stinson Field, a pilot named Duke Bledsoe moved to San Antonio and began flying there. He knew all the people at Stinson Field that I had known. Duke was also an agricultural pilot. In the intervening years, Duke had also moved to Fla. We never met until possibly 30 years later while I was operating my FBO at Gilbert Field. I had done my agricultural flying in Texas, La., Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado. Duke did most of his "south of the border" and in the eastern part of the U. S. After we finally met, we got to "shootin' the breeze" about the people we both knew in San Antonio and about things that happened in our crop dusting operations and decided to write a book on the funny stuff that we had experienced and or had seen in that type of flying - including the time I "killed" myself in a crash - at least that is what the doctor said would result from that crash - many years ago! Lots of funny stories!

I am currently writing two or three more: How to obtain Supplemental Type Certificates: (I have developed and own five STCs) How to build a plane that is no longer manufactured and have it certificated under the original Type Certificate! (I currently own the production rights to two antique bi-planes) How to assemble a plane from parts and get it Certificated by the FAA. There is all kinds of information out there if one knows where to find it, and how to use it!