Forty-eight Wednesdays a year, aviators and flying enthusiasts meet for lunch at Petite Auberge in the Toco Hill Shopping Center and chat all things aircraft. And forty-eight guest speakers address the gathering of the Georgia chapter of the Silver Wings Fraternity, an international organization dating to the 1950s. But the greatest speakers, said chapter president Bill Bell, are the ones sitting around the tables swapping adventures, "Regardless of background, when hands start flying, I know stories are being told — and many of them are actually true," Bell said. "Sometimes, I hate to bring the meeting to order." Though their numbers are dwindling, World War II airmen can spin a good yarn. As can pilots who have logged tens of thousands of miles — including those flying sick children, burn victims, even pets, on mercy trips. There's even a retired crop duster or two. Given the high number of pilots living in the metro area, the Silver Wings' Georgia chapter, with its 130 or so members, is among the country's most collegial. (The chapter will host the annual convention of the Silver Wings Fraternity in Atlanta Oct. 11-13.) "We have no common agenda other than aviation," Bell explained. "We have no common interest other than aviation." For more on the organization, visit silverwings.org.
Q: When did you learn to fly?
A: My own flying began early as my dad was trained to fly by the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943 and was flying the P-38 fighter at the end of World War II. Dad is 88 and still has a Cessna and a current pilot's license. My first ride was in a J-3 Cub with him when I was two years old. I learned to fly in 1975 and have flown for business and pleasure since then. My son Billy grew up around flying and is now a first officer flying a Boeing 777.
Q: You call yourself the most boring guy in the Silver Wings Fraternity. Why?
A: We have members who were in World War II who've flown four-engine bombers. We have fighter aces. There's Mack Secord who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for flying under fire hauling refugees out of the Congo during the rebellion in 1964. We also have Delta pilots who've flown 35,000 hours and crop dusters who spent their whole lives flying two feet above the ground. There are so many stories I couldn't even begin to do justice.
Q: What does your chapter do?
A: We support young aviators with a scholarship donation each year. The purpose of Silver Wings Fraternity is purely social. We have members who are over 90 years old. We all enjoy our midweek fellowship.
Q: To be a member, you had to have soloed an aircraft over 25 years ago. Now you can join as an associate member if you are just an aviation enthusiast. Why the relaxed standard?
A: The original folks who started this group were very experienced aviators and almost every pilot in the club in the early years in Atlanta was a veteran of World War II. We now have pilots from several generations with an interesting mix of experiences.
Q: Do you have women members?
A: Sure. Pauline Mallary, who died recently, was one of the Ninety-Nines (International Organization of Women Pilots) and raced in the Powder Puff Derby for years. Probably 10 percent of our members are women — many are married to pilots.
Q: What is so great about flying airplanes?
A: It is an awful lot of fun. I find it rewarding and relaxing. I always enjoy watching the sunset from the airplane — seeing the lights of Atlanta. You just have to do it to understand.
Q: If you had one superpower, would it be the ability to fly?
A: I think a lot of people would say that. I would probably want to have answers to the unanswerable questions. But flying is very cool.
The Sunday conversation is edited for length and clarity. Writer Ann Hardie can be reached by email at ann.hardie@ymail.com.
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