Silver Wings Fraternity

Silver Wings Fraternity



Stories

LAWRENCE P. “LARRY” DALE (SW # 5771) Larry Dale was born in 1924 in Island Pond, Vermont. Island Pond is still a small community in northeastern Vermont and one does not have an opportunity to see many airplanes flying overhead. This was especially true in the late 1920s. But it was the overflight of those aircraft that stirred Larry Dale’s heart and eventually led to a love of everything with wings. His education was interrupted by World War II when he was inducted into the U.S. Army in 1942 where he served as a cameraman assigned to duties as a mapmaker. He later served at the Nuremberg Trials reproducing copies of evidence for participants from many countries. He returned to civilian life in 1946, completed his education and accepted a job at the U.S. Naval Ordnance Laoratory where he worked on analyzing ship signatures to be used for identification and targeting purposes. He also worked in the warhead development section. AEROCOUPE Larry had accumulated very little flight time as a youngster, but it was enough to get him firmly entrenched in aviation. In 1949 he bought an Aerocoupe and was soon checked out in it. A year later, Larry and Shirley celebrated the birth of their first child and the Aerocoupe had to go. Working for the Navy until 1960, Larry accepted a better position with NORAD in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Larry's heart was still set on aviation and he joined the Ent Aero Club at Peterson Field, Colorado Springs. He was soon checked out in every type of aircraft that they had and received his Private Pilot's License in 1962. MOONEY MITE Before 1962 had ended, Larry had bought another aircraft--a Mooney Mite. He picked up the aircraft in Maine and while flying the Mooney back to Colorado the engine quit and he dead-sticked it into Mrs. Kelly's backyard in Pennsylvania. He did it "Gear Down," which probably saved his life. The aircraft stalled near the ground and the gear struts were driven up through the wings causing the aircraft to absorb most of the trauma and somewhat sparing the pilot. The aircraft created a path only 17 feet long from impact point to where it came to rest. A week in the hospital did the trick and Larry was back on the road West having sold the remains to an airline pilot. SEAHAWKER AMPHIBIAN (Pikes Peak) He purchased a Seahawker amphibian, a Mooney M-20A, and a Culver V in most recent times and has maintained three aircraft simultaneously. He has loved every minute of his association with aviation-the people and the planes- and has reached the point in life where his health has precluded him from spending as much time as he would like in the cockpit. His 2000 hours plus behind the stick have brought lasting memories as he still yearns to flying for recreational purposes. LARRY DALE STEPS OUT OF HIS CULVER V Lawrence P. “Larry” Dale may be reached at: 2222 Afton Way Colorado Springs, CO 80909 Tel: 719-635-7039 Email: lpdale@adelphia.net