Don Frost's Office
Take a stroll back to 1984 where we enter a small room on the ground
floor of the Air Service building, south ramp of Honolulu Airport. This
is Don Frost's office and it's ok to be here, I have a key. Those parachutes
in the corner belong to Art Daegling, and Don lets me use them when I
fly acro.
It's not a big office,
but what a sight! I can't pick up the chutes without checking out the
photos which absolutely cover these two walls. My favorite? It's this
one over here of an early airliner called the Boeing 247. Don spent years
as the head of the FAA office in Seattle, and while there he gave author
Ernest K. Gann a type rating flight in the Boeing 247. Ernie thanked him
with this photo, upon which is scribed, "Quick, get the stewardess
off my lap. Here comes Frostie of the CAA."
Don Frost was on
duty in Seattle for the introduction of Boeing's 707 when Tex Johnson
livened up the presentation with a barrel roll in the huge jet. Thousands
saw it. Apparently Tex did a nice job of it, but Don had to violate him,
nonetheless. After Seattle, next stop was the Honolulu FAA office, located
on the second story of this building. Upon retiring from the FAA, Don
stayed involved in aviation as a private examiner, thus the need for an
office.
These photos are
like Don Frost himself, they're reminders of a different age in aviation.
I'm told that Don was soloed by none other than Tony Levier. Don maintained
the traditional aviator's mustache and retained a trim form throughout
his later years. He once pointed at a flight instructor and said, "Now
that man LOOKS like a pilot". He was referring to a tall, muscular
pilot with central casting features which would make him a worthy companion
to John Wayne up on the big screen. You see, Don was alive when the likes
of Roscoe Turner were streaking around pylons and if you needed some flying
for a film you'd hire Paul Mantz and Frank Tallman. It was a proud bunch
of aviators in those days, a time when pilots carried their bags, they
didn't drag them behind on squeaky little wheels.
Over on this wall
are the signed photos of air race and air show stars, so many in fact
that you supposed if Don attended an air show, he could talk old times
with most of the performers.
Here is the hot
seat, the chair in front of Don's desk where you sat while he asked questions
to see if you were ready for the new certificate or rating. You probably
never listened so well as when you were getting a rating ride, and Don
knew this, so he used the time to teach a little, not just quiz. Maybe
he told you the story of the Western Airlines crew who lost total electrical
power over the Pacific Northwest one dark and stormy night with low ceilings
and low vis everywhere. The captain not only knew where the bad weather
was, he knew where to find good weather as well, and the jetliner landed
safely at a strip in Winnemucca, Nevada, or some such place.
Well, my friend,
it's time to leave. Take a good look around, because shrines to aviation's
earlier years are getting hard to find. These were glorious days with
some fine airmen, and there's plenty to learn from them. Plenty.
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