All images below are thumbnails only; Full versions may been seen in the SimHQ article linked above.
Q & A:
Ed and Connie Bowlin
by John "Spoons"
Sponauer
Originally
published on June 27, 2002 by
All images below are thumbnails only; Full versions may been seen in the SimHQ
article linked above.
Click
to Visit AviationAutographs.com
Please tell us a
little bit about your new company, AviationAutographs.com.
Ed: Throughout the
years, we have had the privilege of becoming friends with some of the
most accomplished people in aviation. One of our good friends, Lt.
Col. Dave McFarland (USAF, Retired) is the former Chief of the History
Department at the Air Command and Staff College (Maxwell AFB,
Montgomery, AL). Dave
founded the “Gathering of Eagles,” which brought together the most
distinguished aviators from all over the world to be honored annually.
It is through Dave’s personal friendships that he amassed one
of the largest autographed aviation collections.
Last year, we decided that this incredible collection didn’t
belong in a warehouse, but displayed for people to enjoy.
Dave is a historian and a humanitarian, so he needed help in
marketing these items that he has commissioned, or created over the
past twenty years.
How did the business start and where do you hope to go with it in the future?
Connie: We don’t really consider this strictly a business…it is an opportunity to be involved with the people and the history of aviation in a very unique way. To personally know many of the people and help them sell their books or prints is a nice way to give a little something back to them. At the same time, we can promote Aviation to other enthusiast, or “hook” those with a casual interest. Some of the greatest people in the world are involved in Aviation. We are honored to be a part of that community. Ed is retired from the airlines, and I am a Captain on the B757/767. The “business” started during a conversation about what Dave could do with his collection. I don’t believe that Dave was aware of just how much stuff he had collected over 20 years. In fact, I believe it turned out to be the largest collection ever amassed by a single individual (over 20,000 items!) That is when we all decided it would be best to offer the items over the Internet. What started out to be small has grown into a large undertaking! General Chuck Yeager, as well as other aviation heroes have asked us to list items from their personal collections and we continue to offer new items every day. The question where does this go in the future….who knows! However, one thing is sure. Once these items are gone, they are not replaceable. Signatures from World War I Aviators will not be available for too much longer.
What is it about your site that makes it different and sets it apart from your competition?
We really don’t
have any competition. We
do this because of our love of aviation, and this is an opportunity to
give something back. What makes us more “unique” from other sites;
all of our items are new and some, never circulated.
While you can find signed collectibles all over the net, the
items are mostly used, but still valuable all the same.
Additionally, we are the only source where you can purchase the
complete collection of “Gathering of Eagles” Prints.
This is a very unique print because of the layout and the
number of signatures. They
range from 15 to 27 signatures on each print.
Imagine, one print with all those famous signatures such as
Jimmy Doolittle, Curtis Lemay, Chuck Yeager, and others on one print.
Did you use your existing contacts in the aviation community to build your collection of items first and then decide to sell them, or the other way around?
As I mentioned earlier, we can’t take credit for building the collection. Col. Dave McFarland is responsible for traveling around the world in his quest to personally meet air and space legends, men and women who have significantly contributed to the advancement of aviation. What makes it so interesting to us is, we are good friends with many of these living legends.
Part of the library at AviationAutograph.com's
office in Georgia
Browsing through your site, you have a very impressive collection of memorabilia and items for sale. Assuming it’s not something you already have, what would be your “dream” item to offer?
We have several personal items that, while not for sale, would be considered “dream” items to collectors. To us, they are certainly irreplaceable, because they were gifts from very special people. Something special that General Yeager gave us is an X-1 mach meter. On the 50th Anniversary of “Breaking the Sound Barrier”, General Yeager, flew again at Edwards. Same date, same time he flew supersonic over Edwards Air Force Base, where he had flown 50 years earlier. This time he flew an F-15 Eagle. They even painted “Glamorous Glennis” on the F-15 for the occasion. On that flight he carried an exact reproduction of the Mach Meter that was in the X-1. After the flight, he gave us the Mach Meter. The items that have been personally given to us are not for sale, but I think you will find several other “dream” items on our site. If we’re lucky, we all have people who have influenced our lives, or whom we have admired. Different people have different “heroes” and hopefully, we can offer a remembrance of a person who is very special to someone.
As we answer these questions, it brings to mind some of the great stories of friends that we have shared a lot of great times with.
Bud Anderson and his
wonderful wife Ellie are very special to us….We’ve had some great
fun with them and a lot of that fun has included flying a lot of
different airplanes. Chuck
Yeager says Bud is the best fighter pilot he’s ever known, he has
the demeanor and appearance of a very nice grandfather, but when you
get him in an airplane, it’s a different story!
I recall many funny
stories from visiting and flying with Günther Rall (the leading
living ace with 275 victories). Günther
was next to the B-25 one day, getting ready to go fly with us and Ed
ask him if he ever shot down a B-25 in WWII… Günther answered
…No…and don’t worry, I want hurt this one. He had not flown in
many years, but he had not lost the touch.
Another occasion with Günther, we were landing on a grass
strip in a Lockheed 12 and there are trees on both sides of the end of
the runway….on VERY short final… Günther says, in his German
accent!…..Vill it Fit? Ed’s
answer was, well Günther, I don’t know yet!
Robert L. Scott….everytime
we see him, he literally jumps up to give you a hug, with that big
smile…in his 90’s, he is still full of energy.
Tex Hill and his wife
Mazie live in San Antonio and Tex is still hunting and traveling like
he is 20. The stories
that Tex can tell are so delightful with his Texas drawl and the
sayings… that are original Tex.
He’s always smiling and laughing, loves a good joke.
Ray likes to tell the story that when Bud Anderson got the flu
and could not make it to Rays Air Force graduation, we called Tex the
day before and he agreed to fill in, even if it meant a couple of days
of traveling. He was more
than happy to jump in. When
we visited Tex last month, we went hog hunting.
I’ll attach a picture of Tex and Ed pointing at their
respective “hogs”…note the inscription that Tex wrote to Ed.
A successful hog hunt with Flying Tiger "Tex" Hill
(second from left)
Robin Olds who flew
P-51’s in WWII and F-4’s in Vietnam, is probably one of the most
Patriotic people that we have ever met.
A fun loving, outspoken individual.
We had a large group at a “Spaghetti Factory” restaurant in
Louisville, Kentucky one night when Robin gave a dissertation that had
everyone ready to re-enlist! He’s
great!
As I said, there are a lot of great people that we have had the privilege of meeting, but to have so many of them become friends……guess we should stop and pinch ourselves! Can’t figure out why we have been so fortunate to have so many good friends and to enjoy so many different aspects of Aviation.
Chuck Yeager and Gunther Rall peruse some of the
selection
Please give us a rundown about the types of aircraft that you have both flown on the airshow circuit, where our readers may have seen you.
We have owned several types of warbirds over the years, and have had the opportunity to fly many high-performance piston and jet powered aircraft still flying today. Some of our piston powered favorites are the P-51 Mustang, F4U Corsair, P-47 Thunderbolt, B-17, B-25, DC-3. We were lucky enough to take a couple of Sky Raiders to Oshkosh one year….that was a nice surprise….they fly really nice. We also enjoy flying the vintage jets and owned a T-33. If you have attended Oshkosh, or Sun N Fun, I am sure you have seen us fly. We are probably best known for the 2 P-51’s that we owned for a while…. His and Hers P-51’s….that’s pretty disgusting isn’t it! Unbelievable fun! We flew the B-25 to Sun N Fun airshow at Lakeland, FL this year and then took the B-25 to Columbia South Carolina in April to the Doolittle Raiders reunion. We flew in a formation flight of eleven B-25’s in a tribute to the Raiders.
At what age and why did you both become interested in aviation?
Ed: I always wanted to fly. As a kid, my family had a farm in Tennessee close to the Army Air Corp base in Union City. I watched hundreds of trainers fly over the farm as the cadets were training to go to War. At the age of 16, I snuck away and took my first flying lesson. I think it cost $10 and I was working making about 60 cents an hour. My Mom and Dad would not have approved. I was in ROTC in high school, joined the Memphis Air National Guard and was able to go to Air Force pilot training under the Cadet program. The Guard had just phased out the P-51 when I got out of pilot training and I was one of their first Jet students flying the T-33, P-80. We operated the RF84. I flew fighters from 1956 to 1964. When the Vietnam War came along, the guard switched to C-97’s and we flew missions all over the world. The Guard program was really good to me. By the time I was 21, I had completed pilot training and was flying a shiny new jet with my name on the side. A friend convinced me that I should go to work for the airline…..and at the time, I didn’t really see why I would want a real job….who could ask for anything more than what I had. But, I did the right thing and at the age of 21, I started flying for Delta Air Lines as a DC-3 co-pilot. Life was good!
Connie: As a kid growing up on a farm in North Carolina, I was always interested in mechanical things and the outdoors. Aviation was not in my family, so I would never in my wildest dreams have thought I could fly. I first recall watching the crop dusters, thinking that was pretty cool. Then when I had an opportunity, in college, to take a few lessons, I was hooked. However, it wasn’t until I met Ed, that the world of Aviation really opened up to me! I guess my family was a little unusual, and I didn’t realize it. Both my parents always assumed that we could do anything that we set our mind to. So, we believed that too….
We’re coming up on a century of powered flight. What do you both think have been the most significant moments or eras of that century, and where are we going in the next 100 years?
Without a doubt the most significant era in aviation is the development and importance of airpower in World War II. The quantum leaps in technology and importance of air superiority during WWII pave the way to creating today’s capable air force. I cannot describe what it is like to fly WW II’s top fighter aircraft, then climb in and fly today’s top of the line, modern fighter aircraft. It is an eye-watering leap in capability (especially considering these fighters span only the last ½ century). Unfortunately, combat will never be the same, as computers are slowly replacing pilot skill. In the next 100 years, I think computers will completely replace pilots, but we will see exciting advances in space exploration.
With more than 45,000 hours between you, and flight experience ranging from classic warbirds to today’s commercial airliners, can you both individually share your thoughts on what makes a good pilot? A good airplane?
Connie:
Describing a good pilot is easy.
It is someone who knows his/her limitations and
always flies their aircraft within those limits.
The best pilots are those who can push an aircraft to
its performance limits, but still be within their own
personal pilot capability…..The really good pilots are
almost as one with their aircraft….listening, feeling and
responding to it’s every message!
We have lost many friends over the years, and in many
cases the accident was avoidable.
Ego….”Hey watch this” has killed a lot of
people. You don’t have to have thousands of hours to be a
good pilot, but there is no substitute for experience.
Ed:
Describing a good aircraft is also easy.
They are all good!
We have people come up to us who say, well, I ONLY
fly a Cessna 152, or some other small aircraft.
None of us started in a P-51 or a B-767.
The small aircraft are Great aircraft!
They may not have the same sex appeal as a P-51, but
they are still great to fly and we have fun flying small
aircraft. In
fact, I enjoy flying my J-3 Cub as much, or more than a
P-51! You
probably ask why! To
fly a cub on a pretty afternoon flying low over a beautiful
countryside, looking for deer, or just enjoying the feel of
the airplane is very satisfying, and it’s great to give a
kid a ride in an aircraft that is slow enough that they can
enjoy looking at the earth below them!
People
think that pilots are crazy and they’re probably right,
but there is a love of flying that just can not be
explained. A
relatively small number of people are fortunate enough to
have experienced the challenge, the exhilaration and at the
same time the peacefulness of flying!
To exceed in anything, you have to be willing to take
the risk, work hard and be judged by your peers.
Pilots are notoriously hard on themselves.. demanding
perfection, but it is a dangerous game, so that is a good
thing!
But, if you are new at the flying game…..please don’t forget to enjoy the pleasures of flying….don’t work too hard!
You’re both experienced airshow performers. An extremely experienced naval aviator told me once that, in his opinion, airshow flying is as dangerous as anything he did while in the military. Do you agree or disagree? Is that inherent danger level necessary to keep audiences interested, or are there steps that can and/or should be taken to improve safety?
Yes, we agree. The Danger is
not planned, nor is it necessary to hold the audiences
interest. A big issue that makes an airshow dangerous is the
changing environment. In
the military, most every part of what you do is standardized
and you are trained to know what to expect and react
accordingly. Airshow
locations, organizers, airbosses, weather, crowd orientation
and many other things are continually changing.
Airshows are never standard.
I believe that our rules, regulations and other
planning issues are proper and adequate.
You have to understand the environment and stay “on
your toes” to successfully fly in an airshow.
Experience is valuable.
Tell our readers about your favorite aircraft to fly and why. How about least favorite?
As our friend, Wiley Sanders, who owns about 40 aircraft once told us….they are like my children,……they are all different, and I love them for what they are.
Ed: Probably the favorite, or the one that I would fly if I could only fly one more aircraft….It would be the J-3 Cub. It’s challenging, but peaceful. The worst….I don’t know!
Connie: That is a hard choice….I would have to agree with Ed that the Cub would be the last to go! The T-6 is very high on the list because it is a great trainer and prepares you to fly any of the other high performance “old aircraft”. The P-51 has to be the most exhilarating. It is a very responsive and has great performance characteristics. The worst….well there is something good about all of them!
Are there any aircraft you have never flown but wish you had or could? Which one(s and why?
Connie: The Focke Wulf 190, the P-40…it would be nice to compare it to the P-51, Ed has flown the Corsair, but I have not, so I would put the Corsair on the list as well. I would like to fly the B-747.
Ed, You have experience in military, civilian, and commercial aviation. Can you tell us about the differences in each, besides the obvious capabilities of the aircraft involved?
Each type of aviation has a very different mission and they are really quite different. Each requires different training and disciplines. Military is the most mission oriented. Civilian aviation can involve so many different things, that you must be willing to adapt. Commercial aviation is closer to Military because of the standardization. Focus is on passenger safety, service, and comfort…scheduling is very rigid.
Who or what do you view as the biggest influence to your aviation career?
Ed: World War II was the most important factor. Two of the individuals that were a major influence on me as a kid were; Tex Hill who was an “AVG Flying Tiger” and featured in the movie “Flying Tigers”, and Robert L Scott who wrote the book “God is My Co-Pilot”. As a kid, these guys were really special to me. Now, it is amazing that we are friends with both of them. We were with friends last month at the Doolittle Raider reunion when someone had a question about when the Flying Tigers shot down their first airplane. We picked up our phone and called Tex….and asked the question. It was great, one of the other guys took the phone and started thanking Tex for what he had done for he and his family and how great is was to be an American. Tex loved it! He’s a great Guy!
Connie, you are currently the only woman flying the B-17. Please tell us a little bit about how the Flying Fortress compares to the other aircraft in your background, and what are its virtues and quirks?
I’m not sure if there is another lady flying the B-17 now. A benefit of my flying the aircraft is the opportunity to recognize that women flew them during World War II. The WASP flew all of the aircraft of that era in support of the war effort. The flying characteristics of the B-17 are not the greatest….it is heavy and not very responsive. But, it is very stable and was very well suited for its mission…..to provide a stable platform for bombing. The best thing about flying the B-17 is the people. The aircraft means so much to so many. Tom Brokaw’s book, “The Greatest Generation” was a very good book that a lot of people enjoyed. But, his stories were nothing compared to the things that have been related to us.
Ed and Connie in the EAA's B-17 Flying
Fortress
Connie, you were recently inducted in the American Fighter Aces Association as an honorary ace, and honored as an Eagle at the 1998 “Gathering of Eagles.” Tell us a little bit about what that means to you, given the other members of those groups.
In both of these situations, I was, of course honored and humbled. I admire and respect those people and honestly protested that I would be embarrassed to be included in their company. Obviously, I did not prevail, so I accepted the honors graciously. I still have some reservations at being included in such distinguished company. My Sponsors and supporters involved with those inductions are very strong individuals, so it was hard to say no. In my acceptance of those, I have related that it is an honor to be accepted by them and that my goal is to make sure that others will continue to know what they have done for our country.
Connie, what do you see as the opportunities for women in aviation today, compared to when you began flying?
The opportunities are limitless today. The women of World War II answered the call when given the opportunity, but then the opportunities went away. Thankfully, those opportunities began to open up again, especially in the mid 70’s. The big difference now is that women are aware from an early age that aviation is an option. They have mentors and sponsors and organizations such as Women in Aviation. The impressive thing about WIA is that they promote education and opportunity; they do not project the attitude that anyone owes you anything, just because you are a woman. Women need to work hard and focus on their goal, just like anyone else!
Connie, what would you guess is the percentage of time you regard yourself as a pilot versus a female pilot? How does your sex play into what you do?
I’m a pilot! ;) I have always considered myself, just a pilot, but I have also never felt that I needed to be one of the guys. I’m still a lady and have enjoyed the respect, friendship and camaraderie of the guys, and girls that I fly with.
Connie, there have been a number of famous woman pilots throughout the history of flight, from the early pioneers like Earhart to the Russian aces of WWII to those today who continue to push the limits up and beyond in military, general, and commercial aviation. Besides being women, do you think there’s a common pattern or similarity in all of you?
There are common traits that all aviators share. Perhaps those traits in a woman are more apparent since they are not necessarily as common. A good aviator needs self confidence….that is sometimes mistaken for arrogance. It is important to pursue your dreams with the knowledge that you will not be perfect, but that you will give it your best effort….You have to be able to accept criticism…and consider it constructive. If you never venture from your safe area, you will not gain!…that’s true in the pursuit of anything!
Who or what do you view as the biggest influence to your aviation career?
Short, Simple answer….100% Ed.
Similarly, do you have a certain era of flight that you wish you could go back and experience first-hand? Which one(s) and why?
Definitely World War II.
Does it ever just get old for you? I can’t imagine a day when I wouldn’t jump at the chance to take a classic aircraft up, but the grass is always green on the other side of the fence, I’d imagine. Do you ever just feel like not flying?
There are days when other things interfere, or you don’t have time, but, No…..it never gets old!!!!
Do you have any hobbies other than aviation?
We enjoy the outdoors, We have 4 horses, and we enjoy fishing, skiing. We’ve been on a couple of really great backpacking trips to the “High Sierra’s”.
Have either of you tried a retail flight simulation game? Which one(s) and did you have any thoughts?
We’ve tried a couple of different games, one that Bud Anderson was directly involved with another that was called “Yeager”. That’s been a few years ago that we were playing with that one with Chuck and Bud sitting at our computer playing the game that depicted their airplanes, that was pretty interesting! It was fun to watch them try to follow the aircraft by looking beyond the screen when it went out of site!
Every time a new flight sim comes out, the community seems to get into a debate about it. I guess in some ways you can think of it as a debate between those who really want the flight model “by the numbers” and those who say that the “atmosphere,” if you will, is more important. Some feel other aspects are more important assuming you couldn’t have it all, what factors would be most important to you in designing a flight sim for the computer?
Each would have their good points and it depends on your end user and their preference as much as anything. I would probably prefer the “by the numbers” because a lot of people will never experience the real airplane and from an educational point of view, I would like for them to have the correct information.
One of the constant issues faced by the flight sim community is that many among us feel that our numbers are too small and that the general interest in flight sims too low to encourage companies to make more titles. From reading trade magazines, it seems to me that perhaps general aviation is in somewhat of a similar predicament. What can we do to increase interest in aviation among the population in general? What obstacles are there?
You, in the flight sim business have done a lot for the popularity of aviation and we all need to just keep promoting what we love. A lot of people are discouraged from entering aviation because they don’t know how…it seems very foreign and inaccessible to many people. That’s where your flight sims are very helpful. Programs such as the EAA’s Young Eagles Program will pay big dividends in years to come. The emphasis on giving kids an airplane flight has brought a lot of people to aviation. If your readers would like to learn more about getting a kid a ride, they can log on to the EAA’s website at www.youngeagles.org
I’d be interested to both of your opinions on this topic….Much of violent video games have been highlighted in the past after acts of violence. Retail flight sims have recently been written about in light of September 11 and terrorists’ apparent use of them as, for lack of a better word, training. Any thoughts?
Unfortunately, there are people who choose to do evil things. Our freedoms and our ability to learn and explore are valuable to all of us. We cannot protect ourselves from every evil, so I don’t see that the flight simulator can be blamed for what happened.
Copyright 2002 SimHQ.com. Republished with permission.