When Brad Larson learned to fly, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was president and “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” was at the top of the jukebox hit parade. The year was 1932. If you do the math that’s 78 years of aviating. The 94-year-old is still flying. During Sun ‘n Fun 2010 he could be found in the vintage aircraft display area basking beneath the wing of his 1938 Ryan SCW. “I came to the first show,” he said from his lawn chair. “There were only six airplanes then. Look at it now.”
Larson’s gleaming silver airplane drew a lot of looks. The admiration was doubled when people learned that Larson is the original owner of the Ryan. “I’ve had it some 55 years. I like it. People are glad I brought it to the show so they could see it,” he said. Larson is soft-spoken about his long career in aviation. “I flew in the Air Transport Command in the Aleutians during World War II and then went on to fly for Northwest Airlines. I flew in China and Hong Kong,” he recalled, then reflecting on his long career added, “Once you get bitten by the flying bug, that’s it.”
AWESOME! 🙂 Keep flying! Such an inspiration