Seems like we hear a lot of bad news lately. Everything is full of gloom, doom, and dire predictions of an ominous world to come. Global warming is gonna wipe us all out; we’re running out of fuel; a tsunami will drown the rest of us; and, the heartbreak of psoriasis is a constant threat. Woe is we. Ah, but every now and then a ray of sunshine does shine through.
I took part in and thoroughly enjoyed two heartwarming events in May, both in aviation and both of which left warm feelings in the cockles of mine heart. (I’ve never seen a cockle, and don’t know what one looks like, but I can tell when mine have been warmed.)
The first was the 60th — yes, 60th — anniversary of Showalter Flying Service, Orlando, FL. I was the emcee for the event (as I was for Showalter’s 50th anniversary) and it was the easiest job I ever had. The new, huge, Showalter hangar had been converted into a showplace, including buffet line (great BBQ and absolutely the best collard greens I have ever tasted) and full of hundreds of people, all of whom had come to do honors to the Showalter business and family.
And, Lord, did they come. Although nobody was keeping score, the distance record probably came from Bill Cutter (he knows a bit about longevity in the FBO business himself) who came all the way from Phoenix. One retired corporate pilot, Frank Lawson, drove down from Montgomery, AL “The Showalters supported me for decades,” Frank said, “so I came to support them.”
After awards were given, videos shown, champagne sipped, and food consumed, a host of people came forward to congratulate the Showalters and relate stories of good times from the past. Some of it was enough to bring tears to the eyes of a used car salesman.
Just as moving was the second event, the retirement banquet for Jake West, Jr., longtime and much beloved manager of Martin State Airport in Maryland. Again, the main part of the program was folks coming forward to pay tribute to Jake with plaques and presents.
Jake sat right beside the lectern in a tower controller’s chair, and how he kept from bawling out loud I will never know. It was nothing short of a true love-in, and Jake must still be glowing from all of those tributes.
That banquet was put together by one J. Leonard “Len” Wood of ADT, and he did a bang-up job. It was a momentous event, and a good time was had by all.
We do have good things happening in aviation, and we should celebrate all of them. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to participate in more’n my share of them, and I sincerely appreciate it.
Thanks to the Showalters (Bob, Kim, Jenny, and Sandy), Len Wood, Jake West and all of the folks who made both events special.
