as737700

When I was flying on Delta a few years back the Captain of our flight came to my seat during his break (it was a transatlantic) and gave me a photocopy of one of Rick Drury's columns. I remember reading it and I could tell that this man really loves to fly, and is a great writer. I never did order his book--but I may add it to my library very soon.

junglebob

Great article!! Purely top notch, I can relate to both people. Would love to visit that place after obtaining my ATPL! Anyone know where it is??

junglebob

Anybody know where I can get more of these stories??

Photon

the book mentioned earlier i would guess

KoruPilot

Osaka is a great town for noodle shops in back alleys, so just start walking. There is also a great Airliner store, tough to find as it is above a radio shop on the main electronics drag; can't remember the name but close to the Swisshotel where we stay.

A shame more of todays airline execs don't share the passion Captain Drury and many of us have for aviation. The days of guys like Eddie Rickenbacker and the like at the helm seem to be gone.

Thanks to CAC737 for bringing his writing to my attention again. If you buy the movie "The High and The Mighty" with the Duke, Captain Drury is briefly on the disk with additonal features speaking about Ernie Gann. It's a great movie for the old aviation buffs.

727C47

"Island in the Sky", is even better, perhaps the best DC-3/C-47 movie ever made, another Gann masterpiece,also available on DVD, starring the Duke. Some of us out there still have that burning passion,I am strictly "Old School" when it comes to this lift and thrust ,overcoming weight and drag stuff.

KoruPilot

Yea, I'll be picking that one up to add to the collection. The remastered copy of High and the Mighty has a separate disk of specials including 'Flying in the Fifties'. Well worth it. If you know of any others let me know. I do love the opening scene to 'Easy Rider' at the end of the runway with all the 727's coming in with the good old smoke trails. Other favorites; 'Strategic Air Command' with Jimmy Stuart and 'Jet Pilot', also with the Duke. And of course the original, and only the original 'Airport'.

BenM

Great story

T-tail

I am sorry that I missed him. I love flying with those kind of gentlemen.

HvyJet

Rick is a true gentleman and I enjoyed the times I was able to talk with him or just listen when he was apart of the group. Look up his license...it says something like "qualified to operate any and all piston aircraft". Pretty much says it all to me.

Last I heard he is operating a single pilot tour operation of the Puget Sound area with a small 2 seat open cockpit ship, type escapes me.

His writings in Airliners were great, the last one I read was printed around his retirement month. It described the difference in leadership types in the Chief Pilots office of the airlines today. I wont try and write what he did because it will really lose something but, the point I remember most was something like: the CP of years ago would be a very senior captain from the list displaying numerous pictures or models of planes that he commanded the last 25 years or so as opposed to todays CP displaying maybe a couple different jets from his short airline career including a plane or 2 from the career that got him there just a short time before.

As for the area in KIX with the model store in the electronics area I believe its called Din-Din Town. Been there once.

Best Regards
HvyJet