"One Last Flight"

Posted by Ikes Blog at 11/11/2008 8:18 PM
Categories: uncategorized
     You won't find him in church on Sunday morning.  You can catch him polishing his Travel Air or helping another pilot with his aircraft project. He also will not be one of the "I can do it better" talkers who congregate at the airport FBO (in any town across our country).  Not that he can't and won't tell dozens of stories about the original aviators in history.  This 54 year old has studied and read about Steerman and Beech as well as Howard Hughes, who knew his father, and Chuck Yeager of jet fame.  Still this special aviator prefers offering  a "touch of history" and nostalgia to each passenger he flies in his 1928 Travel Air bi-plane at Jack Edwards Airport located in Gulf Shores Alabama.
     Bar Eisenhauer is his name and he may well be remembered for many achievements in aviation including artictically restoring classic and antique aircraft.  To one family, Bar will be especially revered for a flight on October 31, 2008.  Jim Griffin,  a former WW 11 gunnery Captain on B-24's, served his time and his country well.  Upom retirement he became a Chaplain to the aviation community in and around Gulf Shores.  He was a familiar face around Jack Edwards Airport visiting with friends at the airport and helping all comers get acquainted with the rules and the local traditions.  Jim was especially pertial to assisting Bar and his lovely wife Dannie in thier "Bird of Paradise" project of flying passengers on sight seeing flights over the Gulf of Mexico and the beautuful countryside of southern Alabama.
     Jim became ill early last year and eventually needed hospitalization in Spanish Fort, Al. in a nursing home.  Especially distressing was his attempt to make the trip to Gulf Shores recently to attend a special meeting of the Ancient Aviators, of which he was one of the founders.  Jim wanted to hear Bar's father, Captain A.L. Eisenhauer and his presentation.  With the aid of hospital staff and his wife, Jim made it as far as the auto and had to give up.  A visit from Captain Eisenhauer and his wife to the hospital the following day helped to cheer Jim up.  These two ancient aviators swapped stories about yeateryear.
     On October 31st Bar received a telephone call from Jim's wife Dottie that he was fading and the family had been notified.  That is when Bar made a decision to "take Jim on one more ride".  He cranked up the Travel Air and headed north.  He circled the nursing home several times at low altitude.  Jim heard the sound of the radial engine that is unique to a Travel Air and made his family aware that he recognized its special tune.  As his family watched him fade and die, Bar felt "a presence" in the front seat and knew that Jim was enjoying his last flight here on earth.
     The major difference Bar may have noted is how difficult it is to fly any aircraft with misty eyes.

                                                                                                                                                                                Mrs. A.L. Eisenhauer
 

What did you think of this article?




Trackbacks
Trackback specific URL for this post
  • No trackbacks exist for this post.
Comments
Display comments as (Linear | Threaded)

Leave a comment

 Name

 Email (will not be published)

 Website

Your comment is 0 characters limited to 3000 characters.