But The Person Responsible For Its Restoration Will Never Fly The Plane

When a freshly-restored Piper Cub (similar airplane depicted) took off for the first time since the 1950s from Clearwater Air Park in Florida, the person largely responsible for its restoration could only sit and watch from his bedroom window.

Walter Crosby, 74, has terminal cancer. His doctors say he has very little time left. But following the Friday the 13th flight of the airplane that was his passion, he managed to tell his friends and family "Enjoyed it immensely."

The story is told in the Clearwater Bay Times. Crosby's interest in aviation began in the 1962, when he and his wife took their children on a $10 sightseeing flight. Shortly thereafter, the Crosbys bought the cub for $650. It was not in flyable condition.

But the airplane seemed to be low on the family's priority list. It was stored in parts around their home. Crosby's wife Geri told the paper that the fuselage was stored in the dining room. "I put up with a lot with that plane," she said.

Walter went on to earn both pilot and A&P certificates. They moved to a home overlooking the Clearwater Air Park runway, where they were strong advocates against the area's NIMBYs.

Restoration finally began in earnest on the plane in 2005. Crosby received his cancer diagnosis in 2006.

As Crosby's health failed, his friends and neighbors at the airpark concentrated their efforts to finish the project so that he could see the airplane fly before he passed. Friday the 13th became that day, as Gino DeNucci, who lives nearby at the airpark, and Geri flew the Cub for the first time since the 1950s. Geri wore Walter's name tag. "It was a beautiful ride," she said.

FMI: www.cubclub.org