Many years ago, I found myself on the 4th of July with not much to do as my family was taking part in other activities.

Not wanting to sit around all day, I jumped in my truck and pointed it south to see what I could discover.

After a while I pulled off the freeway in Santa Monica with the Museum of Flying in my sites to spend a day around some airplane history at old Clover field. Never would I have thought that day would change my life forever.

Late that afternoon, a Stearman Biplane pulled up to one of the hangars and I went over to take some photos and talk to the pilot about his beautiful ride. Some time and many words later, he asked me if I wanted to go for a ride, and of course I jumped at the chance.

Like a kid at Christmas, I climbed in the front seat and prepared for what I thought would be just a short hop around the field. I didn’t know it would be much more than that. As we rolled down the runway, those bi wings had us in the air in short order and we climbed out to the west over the ocean and turned north to parallel the shoreline.

As we flew along, we had some back and forth about the joy of flying in such a great old airplane, and as I looked down at the shoreline the 4th of July aspect really hit me as the shore was packed with beachgoers on their holiday quest for fun. I was looking down at them and they were looking up at me alone in the sky in a plane from American history.

Randy, the pilot, came on the intercom and asked me “Do you want to fly it?” At first, I had that moment, but before long I had the stick and pedals working in unison. This dream just kept getting better as the cool air and smell of the salty air of the ocean passed through that open cockpit as that radial engine sang along.

Before long, Randy had me doing wingovers as I enjoyed the freedom of dancing in the air, and I enjoyed looking down at the people on the beaches looking up at me dancing in the air.

Still being aware of airplane etiquette, I was also calling out other air traffic as we encountered them, and Randy appreciated my attention to those details. During the flight I shared that my dad was a pilot and flew a Waco out of Santa Monica back in the late 1940s and how I was now glad to share that same experience he had many years ago.

We made it up to Malibu then turned back to head for home. As I continued to fly the plane, a kind of peace came over me that made me realize the best flying I could ever experience was that in an open cockpit. The magic of what I was experiencing all started when those wheels left that runway.

While turning into the pattern, Randy asked me if I wanted to land it and I had that moment again of not wanting to bend his beautiful plane. After some back and forth, he is telling me “You can do this,” but I still just did not feel comfortable with putting those wheels on the ground.

As we landed, he schooled me on a bit of history about his old World War II trainer and how city and farm boys with no experience became pilots in this old Stearman. When you realize that in an old biplane, things didn’t happen real fast as all that wing-area struts and guide wires gave the plane a landing speed that was equivalent of a fast walk.

As we taxied back in, I realized my life on this July 4th was changed forever, and my love for flying and old war birds would define my life for many years to come.

Recently that yellow Stearman, known as the Triple Nickel, was donated to the Planes of Fame in Chino and when I saw the pictures of it sitting there, the memories of that special day came flooding back.

Talking to my friend John down at the museum I learned the painful reality of why the plane made its way to its new home. Randy, my pilot and instructor that day, had been killed in a plane crash leaving an airport in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and his daughter felt the plane would be well taken care of by the crews at Chino.

Doing a bit more research, I found out my pilot that day was Dr. Randy Sherman, a renowned plastic surgeon who spent many years doing humanitarian missions around the world. Dr. Sherman participated in Operation Smile’s World Journey of Hope, which circled the globe in a flying hospital to bring reconstructive services to more than 5,000 children.

Dr. Sherman served on the organization’s board of directors and served as chief medical officer, consulting with the U.S. Navy on multiple humanitarian missions.

He was truly a great man who did amazing things in his life and a tragic loss. But for one guy on a 4th of July many summers ago, he will always be the man who opened that magic door on a runway. He helped me realize the dream of dancing in the clouds and brought a peace to my soul I never knew I could achieve.

Thank you, Randy, for the ride and the opportunity, your moment in time with me will last forever in my heart.

Peace my friends, and until next time, Bob out …