Gary's introduction to general aviation happened thanks to an uncle with a 100,000-acre ranch in far-west Texas and his summer visits there. He legally soloed at 16 in a Cessna 150, then earned his license after he turned 17. Over the next two summers, he got multi and instrument ratings and a commercial license in the fall of 1971. Gary was hired as an Air Traffic Controller in February of 1975, and after completing initial training at Austin Robert Mueller Airport, he was assigned to Tulsa’s Riverside Tower – easily the busiest, most challenging, and absolutely most fun place he ever worked. He eventually became a CFI, single and multi-engine, but, other than a few biennials, he never exercised those licenses.
