Category : Wonderful Wyoming

As a “younker,” I was raised in an aviation family albeit in the small mountain community of Saratoga, Wyoming.  My folks ranched and built a resort, The Saratoga Inn.  Every summer the Conquistadores del Cielo, a very secret group of high-level aviation leaders would fly into Saratoga’s “Shively Field” (named for Jack.

Pic’s Airmaster story In the 1930’s, my father, and his non-flying brother, operated a fixed-base operation in Cheyenne, Wyoming. They owned a Gulf Oil bulk plant and sold fuel and oil from their FBO. Prior to their aviation enterprises, they settled in Cheyenne selling produce from my grandfather’s farm east.

Writing my family’s story, from my perspective, I realized that I jumped ahead some.  For sure I should have put something about what my grandparents meant to me as well as their influence which was considerable and atavistic.  If you have already read Part One/Two/Three you know that I was.

If you enjoy these stories, you may wonder where my interest in aviation came from.   In the beginning, it was my parents, W. Dillard “Pic” Walker and Frances Emily Walker.   I was literally born into an aviation family.   Moreover, I was almost born in an airplane! Writing.

I have a friend of over a half century that shares my abiding love of aviation.  I’ve known him since he had dark hair and I had hair. His life is more complicated than mine.   My life has been just about airplanes.  His, is as a successful surgeon along.

T’day, March 10th, 2018 I had a delightful phone visit with historian, Bill Horst.  Bill is 84 years young and very active with the museum in Porterville, California.  Horst has an abiding interest in Joe Walker.  Thanks to Bill Horst, I hope to soon have additional information on Joseph Rutherford.

“Fait pour Valour” (Born to Fly) By Billy Walker The Captain Ralph S. Johnson story is an amazing portrait of a great American aviator. From his humble beginnings on an Indiana farm, we look back on his 100 years of remarkable achievements. NOTE:  There are a couple of links at.

Uncle Barnsmell: Uncle Jack, John Henry Walker (1905-1984), was my Dad’s oldest brother.  Look at the ‘featured image.’ To me “Uncle Barnsmell” looked just like Smilin’ Jack, star character of the comics created by Zack Mosly.  Uncle Jack was a true renaissance man having been born on the side of a.

My story about David Edington IS STILL A WORK-IN-PROGRESS!  T’day, September 20th, I’ve made a few corrections with help from David & Rita.  I now await Tom Riley’s input.  Tom was an outstanding Ronan wrestler who achieved more successes at Arizona State University and beyond.    I’m also waiting for.

James Herbert Brockett (14 March 1892 – 24 February 1945), was an American pilot who made the first overnight transcontinental air mail delivery.  Brockett’s adoptive parents, the Knights, gave him his last name that he would take into the annuals of aviation history. Jack Knight was a close friend of.