Gloria (HappyToBe) and Dreams of High Flight...

A little while back I discovered Gloria (HappyToBe on RMS) has led a most fascinating life. We all know from visiting her RMS site, she has collected some of the most gorgeous antiques you have ever seen! But, there's another part to the story...you'll never guess how Gloria got so many of those beautiful antiques home from the places where they were found. I asked Gloria if she would share this facet of her amazing life and she graciously agreed.

Gloria told me, "My late Husband and I had a Manufacturing Company in Hayward, California. We were right across the street from the Air National Guard and the Hayward Airport. (shown below)

"I was the Girl Friday at our shop, which means I did everything at the shop from typing invoices, doing pay roll, running lathes and mills in the shop, making coffee, and cleaning the men's room, (boy it was great being the owner). When I did spend time at my desk, I would watch the big planes (Air National Guard) and the small planes take off and land all day. Ooooh, how I wanted to be able to fly just watching them.

"Well, after watching these planes for 4 years out my office window and telling my husband about my desire all the time, one day he surprised me and gave me an hour of flying time at Hayward Aviation. Boy, I tell you I could hardly get across the street fast enough to take my first hour in a small plane. Now remember this was only for an hour, I think my husband did this to shut me up about flying...he just knew I would be afraid and then he would not have to listen to me any more. Well, bet me!!!

"I met the instructor named Mark and he took me out to a Cessna 150. I tell you, I was so excited my hands were wet and my heart was beating out of my chest !!!

"I was checking out the instrument panel looking at all the controls, listening to him on the ground radio and then we taxied out for take off, held at 28 Right like ground told us and then tower control came on and told us we were clear for take off. (below, cockpit of a Cessna 150)

"When that plane took off, the thrill I felt was so amazing. We flew all over the Bay area for the hour and flew over the top of our shop. (below, San Francisco bay area)" He gave me the controls after half an hour, so I could fly and I felt so much freedom! I knew this is what I want to learn to do. OH, THE THRILL !!! When we got back to the airport he gave me my log book with one hour in it and I knew then I would be adding many hours in that book.
"I started going to the Airport twice a week and after only seven hours of flight time, my instructor Mark and I were doing Touch-and-Gos. (A touch-and-go landing is an aviation term, meaning a maneuver that is common when learning to fly an airplane, involving landing on a runway and then taking off again without coming to a complete stop. Repetitions of this maneuver by circling the airport allow many landings to be practiced in a relatively short time. )

"And after only 4 of these he said, "pull over," which I did. He got out and told me, "Ok girl, you're on your own now!" He was going to solo me, but failed to mention this to me until that time! Well, I had been doing radio for 5 hours with both ground and tower, so knew I could do that part. I had been doing take offs and landings but he was always in the seat right beside me.

"So now he offered me my freedom to fly, YAHOO !!! And the most amazing thing...when I took off, I remembered all the instructions of seven hours. I did my go around and landed it all by myself! He signed my log book showing I had soloed. I was 30 years old at the time."I did my ground school with 32 guys...I was the only girl in the class. Every Tuesday night, the guys at ground school started calling me Amelia. I passed my FAA Exams and passed my flight course.
"Then my husband bought me my first plane, a 195 Cessna...BIG PLANE!!! (below, Gloria's plane...isn't it beautiful?!)

"It seated five passengers...God, how I loved that plane!

"Both my husband and I loved to go on the hunt for antiques (another passion) so we would take off every weekend and fly to different towns to go antiquing.
"There were times when I know the weight and balance was off for take offs and landings. But oh, the fun I had was unbelievable...being able to fly.

"We had our plane for 14 years and I hated to sell it...but with my husband's health getting increasingly worse, we didn't get to take it out as much. So my husband's one hour that he gave me, turned into 310 in my log book!"

Gloria, thanks so much for taking us along for the ride! What a blast! I got goosebumps just hearing about the day you soloed! :-) Be sure to visit Gloria's RMS site to see some of her wonderful antiques: http://ratemyspace.hgtv.com/snc/GroupSearch.aspx?pguid=6db6be3f-1720-4ba3-a081-999042c09b6b&username=Happytobe

High Flight
by
John Gillespie Magee, Jr.

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of—wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air....
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark nor even eagle flew—
And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.