An Aviation Icon Makes His Final Flight

"If it had wings, he most likely flew it." That's how friends described Clayton "Scotty" Scott. With a career and involvement in aviation spanning 80 years, that's not surprising.

Scotty's love of aviation grew from a short flight in an OX-5 Jenny. He and a girlfriend paid $10 -- Scotty only had $7 so his girl had to come up with the other $3 -- to fly off a beach near Seaside, OR in 1922.

It took him five years to save the money, but in 1927 he took lessons and got his license -- number 2155. That's right, no zeroes in front or behind that number.

Scotty was the first pilot to land at Boeing Field. In 1928, bad weather forced him down on a runway still under construction at the time. He managed to get out early the next morning before anyone noticed.

Boeing met Scotty in Carter Bay, British Columbia. Boeing was refueling his yacht, Taconite, while Scotty topped off a Keystone-Loening Commuter -- a single-engine flying boat. They spoke, became acquainted, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Boeing arranged for Scotty to fly his personal B-1E Model 204 carrying supplies and mail to the Taconite. When boating season ended, Boeing hired Scotty as a co-pilot with Boeing Air Transport flying between Portland and Salt Lake City.

During WWII, Scotty worked as a flight acceptance pilot for Boeing. He flew more test hours in the B-17 than any other pilot. In all, he flew test flights in B-29s, B-50s, C-97 Stratofreighters and Model 377 Stratocruisers.

From 1947 to 1966, Scotty was Boeing's chief production flight test pilot. During that time he test flew B-47s, 707s, 727s, B-52s and KC-135s -- over 8000 hours total.

In 1966, Scotty built and dedicated a replica B&W, Boeing's first aircraft, for the company's 50th anniversary. It still hangs in Seattle's Museum of Flight today.

Scotty quit flying solo a few years ago, his age finally catching up with his spirit. But he remains an icon of the Seattle aviation scene. Renton's municipal airport south of Seattle was renamed Clayton Scott Field last year in celebration of Scotty's 100th birthday.

Scotty flew his final flight home last Thursday. He was 101.

ANN extends sincere condolences to his friends and family.

FMI: www.boeing.com