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The engineless Skymaster (SM3) rescued in California ready for the long drive to Green Bay, WI. [Anderas]
Adozen years later (at age 18), Per’s father gave him $80 and bought him a one-way ticket to the U.S.A., rationalizing that Per had attend- ed an American boarding school and that the U.S. was closer than Sweden. Through hard work and no small amount of luck, he found his way into college in Chicago without having ever officially graduated high school. From there, he got a medical degree from Northwestern and completed his residency in Milwaukee, WI. Soon, he moved to Green Bay, where he spent his career as a vascular surgeon. He was part of a group of doctors who formed the BayCare Clinic, acting as its vice president for a time and retiring in 2013. He says the highlight of his career was “Signing a $100 Million loan to build a new hospital.” Today, that hospital remains the largest physician-owner specialty- care clinic in the northern Wisconsin and Michigan Upper Peninsula region.
The damaged right wing of the Texas Skymaster (SM2). Anderas and Keenan saw rescue potential in the aircraft that the seller did not. [Anderas]
Flying on the Side
As one might imagine, a career as a surgeon can be quite time-consuming. However, it does afford the personal re- sources to pursue one’s passions. For Pepe, that passion became aviation as soon as he could find a way to get started.
He did his initial training and first solo in a C-172 in Texas in 1972. After moving to Chicago, he completed his Private Pilot Certificate in 1975 out of Midway Airport (KMDW). Once he got settled in Green Bay, his passion began to really blossom. He added an Instrument Rating, then a Commercial Certificate with Multi-Engine and Sea-Plane Ratings. He trav- eled to Florida and added a DC-3 Type Rating on a whim. In February 2024, he was awarded the Wright Bros. Master Pilot Award (WBMPA) by the FAA for 50 years of flying post-solo. To date, he’s logged time in 50 aircraft types. His passion became
The Texas Skymaster with the right wing’s temporary repair completed and ready to ferry. [Anderas]
22 • TWIN & TURBINE / August 2024