Recently we have been going through some of our book and video collections. I ran across a book that was given to me back in 2004 by the author. “I’m No Hero” by Charlie Plumb. I want everyone to know that I believe Charlie Plumb IS a hero! Wow! You need to read this book.
In the summer of 2004, we were witnessing the exciting and historical flights of Scaled Composites and Paul Allen’s SpaceShipOne. During that time, we had the opportunity and pleasure of meeting some of the world’s most interesting people.
The night before each flight we had various people from all over the country staying at our hangar. On June 20, 2004, there was a young couple from Pax River Naval Test Pilot School who slept in one of our Huey’s. They had visited Mojave Airport during one of the trips out west to exchange flights with the Air Force Test Pilot School. We usually try to have the Navy Test Pilot School class over for a steak barbecue just to say, “Welcome to Mojave Airport.” Some of the Air Force students joined in the party, too.
Friends from JPL in Pasadena brought a pop up trailer and parked on the area in front of our hangar. They laid awake all night wondering if the wind was going to carry them to Barstow! For the flight in September, they pulled the pop up inside the hangar, just in case.
I felt it was important to make sure everyone had a good evening meal and breakfast in the morning, so we had barbecues the night before each flight that seemed to get larger with each flight. Dick and Kris Rutan were there one night and Kris came up to me and said, “I want you to meet a friend of mine, you have to hear his story!” She introduced me to Charlie Plumb, Navy fighter pilot from the Vietnam War, who suffered as a POW (prisoner of war) for six grueling years.
