Salt of Earth

I have heard it said if someone is called Salt of the Earth - they are pure, real.....I don't know if that's true. I do know that very few people appear to be.

One such good "bud" is Gene Breiner whom I have known for over 25 years....he is soon to be 88 years old and he never slows down.  He has had the "flying bug" for his entire life...and I love spending time with him.....it is SO simple his life experiences and wisdom draw me to have "talks" with him often....He laughs when I call him during the week to "check in" - yes I'm a mama nudge and he understands why.

There are few people that have a special place in my heart...and he is definitely one of them.  You see I don't let many into my fold, my deepest place...do you? Amazingly, I am drawn to people that are playful, quick witted and most of all who like to have fun with a intelligent angle to them.

Gene and I often talk about our shared passion for flying, life issues and what concerns we might have and often I will ask his advice when I am troubled. He has the most interesting way of looking at 'life'.

On a personal level I had a very sensitive issue with a good friend that has been most troubling this year and he has given me some great insight unto this issue and while I had to figure it out for myself...it's nice that I could share my thoughts with Gene where no judgment's were proclaimed.

Now back to my Salt of the Earth bud - Gene spends a lot of time with us and he told us of the history of a one bladed prop owned by Jessie Jones Elicker who herself is an amazing aviatrix 89 years young...but, that story will need to wait for another day.  She wanted to see this propeller from her father get airborne again...and Gene could make that happen.

He put this one bladed prop on his 1936 J2 Cub to show people that yes indeed a plane will fly with it mounted on...he loves to share - here is something that most of us have never seen on a plane, a one bladed propeller.

Gene pursues his need to initiate conversations/thoughts/discussions and he loves to showcase anything aviation...and well I love anything and everything that is associated with aviation...sometimes to a fault....although Gene will say no fault in finding a passion and loving it.

So, Gene put on the prop and flew it at a local fly-in located in Lockhaven called Sentimental Journey this year and boy did it get attention, just think it's only half of what you might see as a prop normally has two blades. 

Last week he decided he needed to put this one-bladed prop on his J-2 plane again and he came down to our "barn/hangar" and we chatted a few hours...about this and that..are you getting this?? when you can sit with someone and just listen and share and be?

He looked up on the one side of our barn and noticed the end of one of our big propellers from a Stearman and he wanted to know if he could borrow it.......let me tell you why: he wanted to fly his J-2 with the one bladed prop to a breakfast fly-in to Gettysburg and drop it out of his plane and shock everyone and land with only one blade........and boy did we both laugh...yes, we pilots can sometimes have a weird sense of humor.

So, he flew his J-2 plane to Gettysburg to showcase the one bladed prop and came back to home base to put his bird back in his barn before sunset...and he was so excited to tell us about his day.  That is what I love the most how we can share and it's not boasting its the awe of flight, the beauty of flight, the amazing just of flight.......

On Sunday he showed up and said to moi you need to fly the J-2 with that propeller on...and if you know me...I will fly anything anyone let's me.....I have flown his J-2 before, but not with a one bladed propeller.  He landed close to dusk on Sunday night, I didn't have much time and off I went to wander around the country side flying a 1936 J-2 with a one bladed propeller.....every time he let's me fly his J-2 I have the biggest smile on my face......I mean its from 1936!!!  IT's WAY COOL!!

It really is the time that we spend with one another, the loyalty of friendship, the laughter and ease of a shared passion that bring us together and I'm beyond thankful for those that are a part of my journey to explore the skies and be a bird.

I treasure the time that we can spend with Gene as it is truly pure to me. If you ever happen to stop by and the talk is boisterous or seems far fetched it could be what we call hangar etiquette..so come sit down and join us if you dare.

I included a few pictures of Gene's 1936 J-2 with a one bladed propeller along with a few I took in flight.

What do you think?