From The Durango Hearld;
A lifetime in flight
‘Hoot’ Gibson earns FAA award for 50 years
February 6, 2006
By Alex Ritzenberg | Herald Staff Writer
For Harold "Hoot" Gibson of Pagosa Springs, the best part of the day is around 10 a.m. Once a week, he dons a headset and a microphone, climbs aboard his 27-year-old Piper Turbo Arrow and, with wife Lynn by his side, makes the 14,000- to 16,000-foot ascent over the San Juans.
In December, the Federal Aviation Administration's Denver Flight Safety Division Office honored the man who has logged more than 10,000 flight hours, piloted more than 110 different types of aircraft, and served in the Air Force for two major wars - the Korean War and World War II.
The Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, presented to the 87-year-old Gibson on Dec. 8, recognizes individuals who have observed industry safety precautions for 50 or more consecutive years. In addition, recipients of the nationwide award have to meet FAA standards of physical capability and flawless accident records, said William W. Berkman, editor of the flight newsletter Falcon Flier.
"He's an active flier," says Berkman of Gibson, "and a very good one."
Gibson attributes his admirable record to his attention to balance - a practiced combination of steadiness and caution.
"People say, 'How come you didn't have an accident?' Well, you fly carefully and prudently but not timidly or overcautiously. You fly boldly, but carefully."
No pilot, however, has been without a few close calls, says Gibson. He's had several equipment failures, including a particularly memorable no-power emergency landing in a South Carolina wheat field. He made another emergency landing in Stockton, Calif., when an AT-7 ran into him at 15,000 feet, chewing up the back of his aircraft.
The FAA award was the most recent accolade in a lifetime of recognized achievement. His battle with a MiG-15 in the Korean War earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross and other military awards. He has received two air medals, served as a top flight instructor in WWII, and worked in air defense for the U.S. Air Force headquarters in Germany.
Throughout his life, Gibson has been at the controls of everything from a two-person, 37 horsepower engine aircraft to a Mach 2 fighter jet with speeds of 1,520 mph. He's been in the cockpit for flights to Africa, Spain, Holland, Sweden and Japan, among other places.
"Hoot" Gibson, nicknamed after the 1930s-era cowboy persona, began his long career at 19 in Newhall, Calif., working at a grass airfield for 25 cents an hour.
In college, he says, another student had an instructor's license - and the ability to change the trajectory of Gibson's life. It was then, he said, that he started flying at a local airport, and was later to switch from a major in agriculture to bring in a degree in aeronautical engineering.
In 1940, he entered the Air Force, where he served until he retired in 1970. These days, he says, he controls the flight plan, at liberty to pursue his passion for nationwide travel.
"It's safer than driving a car," noted his wife, Lynn, who earned her pilot's license 18 years ago. "I would encourage anyone to get a license if they're interested in flying."
The Gibsons, in Pagosa Spring continuously since moving from Monument in 2001, keep their plane a short drive away at Stevens Field. And, not surprisingly, nearly seven decades in the business hasn't dampened Hoot's spirit.
"I enjoy every minute of being with the airplane," he says. It's exhilarating just plain fun."
aritzenberg@durangoherald.com
Wow what a career!
Robbie
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