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Soloed in an hour In 1948 my dad was 28 years old living in Vallejo,
California. He had some friends who operated a small airport there, Knight's
Airport. The field is long gone now. As a sort of publicity stunt they thought
it would a great idea for my dad to learn to fly in the shortest time possible.
So one day, in an Ercoupe, he was taught at least how to take off, do a few
maneuvers, and land....all in just under an hour. Then he soloed. The dependable
and easy-to-fly Ercoupe made it all possible. When he landed, the airport
operator thought they should add a few minutes to the story. He thought no one
would believe the short time to solo. So the official time was an hour and
fifteen minutes, even though
it was more like 50 minutes. I don't know if he ever flew again in a small plane
until I got my license. Maybe my mother didn't think he should be buzzing around
with a 2 year old at home. Anyway, I'll always have a soft spot for the Ercoupe.
I've included a clipping from the local newspaper with the picture from the
story. Take care.
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