Tue, Feb 07, 2012
But The Person Responsible For Its Restoration Will Never Fly
The Plane
When a freshly-restored Piper Cub (similar airplane
depicted) took off for the first time since the 1950s from
Clearwater Air Park in Florida, the person largely responsible for
its restoration could only sit and watch from his bedroom
window.
Walter Crosby, 74, has terminal cancer. His doctors say he has
very little time left. But following the Friday the 13th flight of
the airplane that was his passion, he managed to tell his friends
and family "Enjoyed it immensely."
The story is told in the Clearwater Bay Times. Crosby's
interest in aviation began in the 1962, when he and his wife took
their children on a $10 sightseeing flight. Shortly thereafter, the
Crosbys bought the cub for $650. It was not in flyable
condition.
But the airplane seemed to be low on the family's priority list.
It was stored in parts around their home. Crosby's wife Geri told
the paper that the fuselage was stored in the dining room. "I put
up with a lot with that plane," she said.
Walter went on to earn both pilot and A&P certificates. They
moved to a home overlooking the Clearwater Air Park runway, where
they were strong advocates against the area's NIMBYs.
Restoration finally began in earnest on the plane in 2005.
Crosby received his cancer diagnosis in 2006.
As Crosby's health failed, his friends and neighbors at the
airpark concentrated their efforts to finish the project so that he
could see the airplane fly before he passed. Friday the 13th became
that day, as Gino DeNucci, who lives nearby at the airpark, and
Geri flew the Cub for the first time since the 1950s. Geri wore
Walter's name tag. "It was a beautiful ride," she said.
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