Page 13 - Volume 18 Number 9

tieswas directly involved with the first Falcon 20 jets that I fly today.Howard Hughes, in addition to personally setting many speed and distance records, was the moving force behind TWA. His H-1 racer, currently in the Smithsonian, was the first airplane to be fitted with flush rivets. And his famous H-4 Hercules (Spruce Goose) is still the largest aircraft ever built.Chuck Yeager, surpassing Mach 1 in October, 1947; the crews of the four Douglas World Cruisers in 1924; Wiley Post, credited with discovering the jet stream and making his record setting around- the-world trip in 1931, a pioneer of the high altitude flight and development of the pressure suit; John Tower, who commanded the NC flying boats on the first Atlantic crossing in 1919; and the first non- stop Atlantic crossing by John Alcock and Arthur Brown later that year. There are too many others to mention here.Aviation progress over the last 111 years has been truly amazing. I feel privileged to have been a part of it, although I personally have not made any great contributions. But, I’m also glad I’m not any younger. There are real challenges evolving that the next generation of pilots, engineers, regulators and air traffic controllers are going to have to deal with. One significant issue is over-reliance on automation and computers, to the point of skill degradation. While automation and computers are vital tools, they are just tools. I’m concerned that we see more and more accidents related to the mishandling of automation and loss of control after an automation failure, in all sectors of aviation.As I near retirement, I wanted to acknowledge the contributions of those before us, those who have made all our aviation careers possible. I include the greats like the Wrights, Glenn Curtiss, Jimmy Doolittle, Clyde Cessna, Bill Piper, Walter Beech, Lloyd Stearman, Clarence Taylor, Jack Northrop, Frank Whittle, Bill Lear, Glenn Martin, Dutch Kindelberger, Donald Douglas, William Boeing, Paul Allen, James McDonnell, Allen and Malcolm Loughead (Lockheed), R.J. Mitchell,Billy Mitchell, Larry Bell, Eddie Rickenbacker, Juan Tripp, Charles Lindbergh, Chuck Yeager, Wiley Post, Amelia Earhart, Jackie Cochran, Bessie Coleman, Howard Hughes and many others. T&T•Russell Smith has flown profes- sionally for more than 40 years, holds an ATP with eight jet type ratings, and has accumulated 25,000 hours.SEPTEMBER 2014TWIN & TURBINE • 11i