Young Man with Brain Tumor Sees Flight as a One-Time Opportunity

Maria Morrison

Flying into Oshkosh is a memorable experience for all who participate. Some people come from nearby, while others make the trip from all around the world. One young man, Justin Kurtz, came to Oshkosh from Michigan (by all means a simple trip), via Alaska (less simple).

In September of 2017, everything was going well for Kurtz. He had just been hired by Delta to fly a 737. Driving home one night, Kurtz fell asleep at the wheel. The subsequent medical evaluation found that he had a 4.5 cm brain tumor. After a 12-hour brain surgery in October, Kurtz was diagnosed with stage three brain cancer.

On radiation and chemotherapy, Kurtz was placed on disability and was looking for something to do. Out of the blue, he got a call from a stranger that had been directed by a mutual friend. A 74 year old man, formerly a Vietnam helicopter pilot, was looking for a safety pilot to accompany him from Lakeview to Alaska to AirVenture as part of his bucket list. Kurtz, 29, with a previous career in aerial mapping, was considered the perfect candidate. Kurtz wanted to get out and do something. “It was a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

The two met on June 26th, and began their flight two days later. In a PA-22/20, a converted Piper Pacer, they followed roads northwest. They stayed relatively low as they traced the Alcan highway. From 6,500 feet, they took a “self-guided tour” of Mount McKinley and the Denali National Park. As with any adventure, there were many surprises along the way. Justin received an hour of seaplane time after being run over by a weed whacker. Although the two wanted to see a bear, they certainly didn’t expect it to come right next to their tent at night.

As they ended their tour of Alaska and headed towards Wisconsin, the pair took their time and visited wherever they wanted to go. “It was a really cool opportunity to see that flight path from that perspective.”

In total, they two near-strangers spent 22 days flying together and logged over 75 hours. It’s Justin Kurtz’s first year at Oshkosh, and he hopes to return in 2019. He said that the flight really showed him how “tight-knit, trustworthy, and really incredible” the aviation community is.

“I don’t think there’s any other industry like it.”

FMI: www.airventure.org