SEGMENT: FIRST PLAN I FLEW ARONCA CHAMP 14 YEARS OLD
One day at 14 I rode my bicycle out on the country road and saw a plane land in a field. It was orange in color and had one propeller. I walked over to the fence and a pilot just got out and asked if I would do him a favor. I said yes. He said if I kept the cows from licking the fabric off his plane when he returned he would take me for a plane ride. I took about 1.2 seconds to say "YES".
He returned shortly and introduced himself as Captain George Justman. He just bought the land and was going to build the first airport in the area. The plane was an Aeronca Champ two seater. I climbed in the back seat and George got in the front and we took off over the cows and bales of hay and flew over Petaluma.
I spent many weekends at George's airport and he taught me how to fly an airplane. I was only 14 years old. I took off and landed kind of bumpy at first then was able to land smooth. I watched his plane many times before the cows and hay bales went away. I did not know at that time, but keeping the cows from licking the fabric off George Justman's Aeronca Champ eventually saved my life for more than once many years later. "Thank you George Justman".
PIPER ARONCA CHAMPION
GEORGE JUSTMAN'S SKY RANCH AIRPORT AT THIS LOCATION IN PETALUMA
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