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In Memory
Wally
Shilts,
Thoughts
by Mark Tolle Below, Click Here. Final
Flight pictures Below, click here.
1950 to 2003
by Jeff Goin
A
friend, a flier, and a man with a great heart went on his final flight
Sunday, Aug 10th near Toledo, OH. His warm, easy demeanor made him a
pure joy to be around during the rare times he was on the ground. And oh
did he love to fly! Always ready to go on a cruise, compete, thermal or
get some corn tassles between his tows, he flew more than most.
This photo to the right was taken Aug 9 during
a cross country from Bruce Brown's Fly-In to near Lake Erie. He was a
very skilled pilot who lived life on the edge; the same edge that
eventually claimed him. Gail McKenzie tearfully commented on their time
together "I've lived an entire lifetime in the four years I've been
with Wally".
We'll miss you buddy!
  Left,
Wally cruises the clouds on his last flight.
Right,
Wally stands next to Bruce Brown with a copy of the Toledo Blade newspaper
article that prominently featured Wally's yellow Silex.
Memorial
It
was his wish. According to longtime girlfriend Gail, Wally wanted his ashes
scattered over the farmland of his youth. At the request of Gail and his family,
several of us were honored to join together and do just that.
On
Saturday October 11, after a brief Ceremony, Danny K with Gail, Bruce Brown,
Rick Grimm and myself Jeff Goin set out make good on Wally's request. Danny gave
Gail the requisite tandem briefing and, with assistance from Bruce and Rick
launched into a bright blue sky. The pictures below tell the rest of the story.
Click
on the image to enlarge.
   
1. A small memorial service was held before the
flight.
2. Danny Kriseler next to his solo FB 122.
3. Gail, her brother and sister and Wally's brother Rick walk the
container of ashes out to the launch area.
4. Gail, flanked by her brother and sister, with Danny Kriseler in the
instructor's seat just before launch.
   
   
The weather was perfect with barely any wind present and smooth air
with unlimited visibility. Thank you Gail and Wally's family for allowing these
pictures to be published.
  
 
In Memory
by Mark Tolle
Photos by Jeff Goin
  Once there was a man who became a boy…when he
flew. As a man, he took care of all the responsibilities that Society expects of
a man; he worked a job, he provided for those around him. He
treated others fairly. He fixed things around the house, on the autos, in other
peoples’ lives. The man earned, and maintained, a good, solid reputation. I
suppose that is the best any man can hope to achieve.
When he flew his small, simple little craft, all those
responsibilities and expectations just fell away. He became that wide-eyed
little boy; moment by moment he was just amazed by the wonder and the joy of
flying. For that hour or so in the air, phones, bills, mowing the grass, fixing
this and that, did not exist. He didn’t take all that up in the sky with him.
He left it on the Earth below.
I found out recently that one of his greatest fascinations was
trying to figure out how to stay up even longer than his machine was designed
for. Adding auxiliary tanks of fuel (one in place, another soon coming) would
extend his range and “flying time”. That’s where he truly felt at peace…free…in
the air.
He liked
talking about flying, watching videos of flying, tinkering with his equipment,
planning, and preparing for flying. But mostly, it was flying that
brought him to life, that brought out the little boy just having fun.
And he did have fun! There really was a “sparkle”
in his eyes that lit up when he prepared for a flight. He could fly long, and
high, and steady, heading cross-country and seeing new territory. Or he could
fly with abandon, like an acrobat. Up, down, spiraling and skimming. He was
quite good at precision flying, spot landings, etc. He was forever challenging
himself to be better at the sport he loved.
He “pushed the envelope” because, you know, that’s what
boys do. He grew into a good man. But when he soared with the clouds, and
flitted with the birds, he was a boy once again. Wally Shilts helped us all see
the little boy inside each of us. |
