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| Joe Kittinger, "Killer" & Carl Cochran (427x480 48k JPG) |
Joe Kittinger visited
the Washington, Missouri, Town & Country Fair barnstorming on the
weekend of August 7-11, 1996. On Saturday, August 10, I had the
opportunity to visit Washington and the Town and Country Fair. It is
a wonderful event and Washington is a very beautiful and historic town
to go with it.
While there, I
visited the Washington Memorial Airport and got to meet Carl Cochran
who is the long time manager of a very unique aviation operation.
During WWII, the Stearman aircraft was produced in greater numbers
than any other biplane in history and probably was used to teach more
military pilots to fly than any other airplane.
For some years now,
Washington Memorial Airport has been the only place in the country
where solo instruction has been continuously and routinely given in
the Stearman PT-17 airplane. Their records show over 350 men &
women pilots from 4 foreign countries and 30 states have soloed there
in Stearmans. Mr. Cochran has maintained a fleet of vintage Stearman
aircraft for pilot instruction and for rental. The airport has an
asphalt as well as a grass landing strip.
While I was there,
Mr. Cochran was offered a ride in the visiting 1929 New Standard Biplane
by barnstormer Col. Joe Kittinger. Mr. Cochran quickly accepted the
offer.
Mr. Cochran told
everyone he would go for the flight as soon as he put his pet dog
"Killer" in his office. ("Killer" is a chocolate colored loveable
looking little Poodle.) Mr. Cochran later said that he had put
"Killer" on his chair and told him to "stay" which he had always
obediently done in the past. "Killer" obviously had other ideas that
day.
Mr. Cochran boarded
the airplane along with another passenger and was ready for takeoff
when "Killer" came tearing across the field. "Killer" refused to budge
and began circling the airplane. Joe Kittinger's roustabout helper,
Samara, attempted to corral "Killer" with no success. I pitched in and
covered the other side of the airplane and "Killer" changed tactics,
running back and forth under the airplane evading both of us. Two
other bystanders joined in and "Killer" soon had four people at bay
while he very intelligently went to the area under the airplane that
none of the four could reach. Joe Kittinger from the cockpit said he
could tell "Killer"s exact position by seeing exactly where the lines
of vision crossed of four people crawling around on the ground
surrounding his airplane - directly underneath his seat.
Finally, Joe
Kittinger asked Mr. Cochran to call his dog, at which time "Killer"
came out from under the airplane, jumped straight up on the wing, and
boarded the aircraft. Joe Kittinger took off with three passengers
for a flight around the area.
Mr. Cochran and
"Killer" came back to earth. "Killer" apparently enjoyed the flight
but got a little fidgety towards the end. Joe Kittinger asked Mr.
Cochran what he would have done if "Killer" had tried to leave the
airplane in flight. Mr. Cochran said "I probably would have left
trying to stop him."
On the ground, Mr.
Cochran thanked Joe Kittinger for the wonderful flight and told him
that this was his first biplane flight since his declining health had
forced him to give up his flight certificate. As he turned his head
towards me, I could see tears in his eyes. It was rewarding to me to
see some pleasure being returned to someone who obviously had given so
many in his lifetime the joy of flight. Washington has a very special
airport and very special gentleman in Carl Cochran. I hope the people
of Washington appreciate his past efforts to preserve an era of
aviation history there.
And if you ever offer
Mr. Cochran a ride in the future, be sure there is room for "Killer" -
one air-minded dog.
Milton Sandy, Jr. - International Society of Aviation Barnstorming Historians
Washington, Missouri Town & Country Fair
Washington Memorial Airport
Box 610
Washington, MO 63090
314-433-5454