The Aerodrome Forum - View Single Post - i'm writing a book

AAC Cadet Leader · 21 October 2007, 08:32 AM

thanks all. your comments, questions and encouragement are making me smile.

and barrett's made me laugh.

_____________________________________

Of the over one hundred newspaper and magazine articles written about my journey that people I met along the way sent to my mother, no one had a better grassroots flair for writing than Gordon Baxter. When I was in college at Kent State University, working on the flight line and learning to fly Cessna 150's, I used to buy FLYING Magazine just to flip to the last couple pages to read his monthly column, titled "Bax Seat."

I had the brainstorm nine months before the start of the journey, and I knew I'd need lots of help with publicizing my crazy dream. One of the first things I did was to write a letter to Gordon Baxter to ask him if he would write an article about my wish to find owners of old aeroplanes who would be willing to take me towards the next state needing to be crossed off on my map of the USA. He liked my idea. We had a couple of long phone conversations and he asked me to write him another letter and tell him about my background. His first article was published in the May 1988 issue, just in time for me to pack along with my special logbook I made just for the journey. Having that shiny magazine article handy was proof to the sceptics I met along the way that in fact I wasn't nuts, well, maybe, but anyway, at least Gordon Baxter thought I was alright.

Halfway through my journey, I met up with Gordon at the big EAA week at Oshkosh where he was giving his annual standing room only talk in one of the seminar tents. He introduced me to the crowd, and told them again what I was in the midst of accomplishing. Afterwards we had a sandwich at one of the picnic tables while watching the wingwalker on the Waco with the trailing smoke. Three and a half months later when I finally completed the journey, I wrote again to Gordon at his request and he generously wrote a second follow-up article. It made the May 1989 issue:

I met up briefly with Gordon again at Oshkosh in 1990 and in 1992 and these times I had my own seminar tent to show the slides and tell about my adventure, and I also was given the use of Theater in the Woods to present my show - pretty neat! When my son was born, Gordon sent him a handsome, hand-crafted wooden toy plane with his name on it. He was a dear man.

21 October 2007, 08:32 AM	#10 (permalink)
AAC Cadet Leader Have Goggles Will Travel! Contributor Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: california	thanks all. your comments, questions and encouragement are making me smile. and barrett's made me laugh. _____________________________________ Of the over one hundred newspaper and magazine articles written about my journey that people I met along the way sent to my mother, no one had a better grassroots flair for writing than Gordon Baxter. When I was in college at Kent State University, working on the flight line and learning to fly Cessna 150's, I used to buy FLYING Magazine just to flip to the last couple pages to read his monthly column, titled "Bax Seat." I had the brainstorm nine months before the start of the journey, and I knew I'd need lots of help with publicizing my crazy dream. One of the first things I did was to write a letter to Gordon Baxter to ask him if he would write an article about my wish to find owners of old aeroplanes who would be willing to take me towards the next state needing to be crossed off on my map of the USA. He liked my idea. We had a couple of long phone conversations and he asked me to write him another letter and tell him about my background. His first article was published in the May 1988 issue, just in time for me to pack along with my special logbook I made just for the journey. Having that shiny magazine article handy was proof to the sceptics I met along the way that in fact I wasn't nuts, well, maybe, but anyway, at least Gordon Baxter thought I was alright. Halfway through my journey, I met up with Gordon at the big EAA week at Oshkosh where he was giving his annual standing room only talk in one of the seminar tents. He introduced me to the crowd, and told them again what I was in the midst of accomplishing. Afterwards we had a sandwich at one of the picnic tables while watching the wingwalker on the Waco with the trailing smoke. Three and a half months later when I finally completed the journey, I wrote again to Gordon at his request and he generously wrote a second follow-up article. It made the May 1989 issue: I met up briefly with Gordon again at Oshkosh in 1990 and in 1992 and these times I had my own seminar tent to show the slides and tell about my adventure, and I also was given the use of Theater in the Woods to present my show - pretty neat! When my son was born, Gordon sent him a handsome, hand-crafted wooden toy plane with his name on it. He was a dear man.