Former owners of the
businesses which have run the Fort Morgan Airport came together to
celebrate Gene Smith's 40 years of flying Saturday. From left, back, are
Merle Bristol of Bristol Flying Service, Jerry Carpenter of Carpenter
Flying Service, Gene Smith of Smith Aerial Spraying and Kyle Scott of
Scott Aviation,and front, Dee Carpenter, Jan Smith and Brian Smith.
(Courtesy photo / Fort Morgan Times)
Aviator Gene Smith,
left, visits with Rosemary and Ray Tucker during a 40-year anniversary
of Smith's flying career Saturday at the Fort Morgan Airport.
(Dan Barker / Fort Morgan Times)
A large number of people came to celebrate 40 years of flying by Gene Smith at the Fort Morgan Airport Saturday.
(Dan Barker / Fort Morgan Times)
Friends and family had
a chance to look at newspaper stories and other records of the
agriculture pilots and their businesses during the 40th anniversary of
Gene Smith's flying career at the Fort Morgan Airport.
(Dan Barker / Fort Morgan Times)
Four of the owners of the Fort Morgan Airport agricultural flying operations came together to celebrate 40 years of flying by Gene Smith Saturday.
Those included Merle Bristol of Bristol Flying Service, who sold the business to Jerry Carpenter of Carpenter Flying Service, who sold it to Gene Smith of Smith Aerial Spraying, who sold it to Kyle Scott of Scott Aviation, the current owner.
It was kind of a special occasion to have them all together at one time, Scott said.
It was particularly special for Smith, who was the guest of honor.
Smith had been fascinated with aircraft as a child. He used to build model, remote control aircraft and fly them in a park on the west side of Fort Morgan, he said.
However, he always thought his eyesight was too poor for him to actually fly, Smith said.
Smith was finally encouraged to get his pilot's license when he met back up with Carpenter, while Smith was working for in a plastics company in Houston, Texas.
Carpenter had attended a chiropractic college in that city, and Smith knew Carpenter's wife. Carpenter decided to go back into the aviation business, and wanted Smith as a partner.
They moved back to Fort Morgan, and were planning to buy out the Bristol Flying Service.
While Carpenter did buy the business, Smith went to Pine Bluffs, Wyo. to do flying, and did that for 18 years before he lost much of his business to a national outfit.
About that time, Carpenter wanted out of the business, so Smith packed up and moved back to Fort Morgan again in 1991, he said.
Smith did his first solo in August of 1971, and flew agricultural spraying for 40 years.
"This business was good to us," Smith said.
Later, he got out of the business, but not out of flying, he said.
Asked why the celebration now instead of when he retired, his wife, Jan, said he would never retire.
he thanked a crowd that filled a hangar at the airport, and invited people to share their stories.
Scott told a story about a time when Smith had a contract to take a family up to spread the ashes of a loved one over a hunting club.
Smith knew that trying to dump ashes only resulted in having them fly back into the aircraft, so he tried to brainstorm a way to make it happen.
The family tried poking a hole in the bag and leaning far out of the airplane, but it still did not work, but they were not upset.
"That guy was a prankster, and that was his last joke on us," one of his friends said.
Smith did later invent an ash spreading tube that made it possible, Scott said.
People at the celebration had a chance to enjoy a barbecue lunch and take rides in Scott's helicopter.
Story and Photo Gallery: http://www.fortmorgantimes.com
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