SUBMITTED PHOTO Marshalltown pilot Doug Boyd accepts the Federal Aviation Administration Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award. The recognition is given to pilots who have been flying for 50 years.

Marshalltown pilot Doug Boyd joined an elite group of Iowans when he was awarded the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award on June 13.

The award, considered the most prestigious the FAA can issue to pilots, is given to those who have been safely flying in the sky for at least 50 years. Only 110 pilots in Iowa have been given the recognition. Named after the Wright Brothers, the inventors of the first successful airplane in 1903, the award recognizes people who have displayed exceptional aviation skills during that period of time.

“I started as a junior in high school and got a learner’s permit,” Boyd, 79, said. “Then I got a private pilot’s license. One of the things I did during that period of time is check out different aircrafts. So, I’ve checked out 30-some types of aircraft, which is a little unusual.”

When he earned his license, the FAA only needed him to put in a minimum of 40 hours flight time — a regulation which has not changed.

“I don’t remember how much I actually had when I got my license, but it was around 50,” Boyd said. “Some of that had to be solo time, some had to be cross country.”

His interest in aviation began during childhood. While Boyd said his father’s interest might have influenced him, he believes he would have still pursued aviation as it has always been an interest.

“I used to make scrapbooks,” he said with a laugh. “Time Magazine used to have ads for Boeing and McDonnell. I’d cut them out and put them in scrapbooks — great looking airplanes.”

During his career, the pilot has logged in 1,650 hours of flight time and has earned ratings to operate different types of aircraft. Although not all of them have been used. He has an instrument rating, a commercial pilot’s license and a rating to fly twin engine airplanes, but none of them have been used.

“They’re ratings I got to learn to be a better pilot, and do different things, even though I wasn’t expecting to use it,” Boyd said.

He has mostly flown single-engine land airplanes, such as Vipers and Cessnas.

There were a few periods when Boyd was not flying, primarily when he served in the Army and when he had some medical issues, but he always found his way back to the sky. Thankfully, after his medical issues the FAA introduced some regulations which allowed people with medical issues to fly with restrictions.

To enable his flying with the new medical restrictions, Boyd built a Challenger airplane, similar to an ultralight, in 2003. The engine is a 52-horsepower, two-cycle with a pusher prop. The aircraft cruises at 70 mph. It took him three years to build.

“I flew that for a few years, and then built a second one,” Boyd said.

He enjoyed the building process so much, he decided to do it again in 2013, but wanted something faster. Boyd decided to build a Waiex with a six-cylinder 12-horsepower engine which cruises at 140 miles per hour. It took him five years and 2,500 hours to complete the build.

“They don’t go together overnight,” Boyd said, laughing.

He still has both of the aircrafts.

“They’re very different airplanes, but they both qualify for the rules so I can fly,” Boyd said. “More than half of my total flight time is in those two airplanes I built.”

Memories

In his time, he has not tried far and wide, but managed a few trips. The farthest distance he flew was Kenora, Canada, 150 north of Minnesota. He has also flown to the center of South Dakota, but he primarily stays within Iowa, Boyd said.

On Thursday morning, he flew to Oskaloosa to meet with fellow flight friends who are members of FOGZ (Flying Old Geezers). His FOGZ membership has provided Boyd with the best aviation memory.

“It’s delightful meeting with friends that way,” he said. “We had a guy from Belle Plaine, two from Newton, one from Grinnell and four of us from Marshalltown. That’s been one of the real highlights of flying.”

The FOGZ reminisced about aviation on Thursday morning and talked about changes they have observed through the years. The biggest change Boyd noted is in navigation.

“You used to navigate with a detailed chart on your lap, you would mark a line on and you would watch things on the ground,” he said. “We did have some radio navigation aids, but they were very rudimentary compared to what you have today. Today, you just dial in the GPS and it puts a line on a little map for you and as long as you stay on the line, you’re going to get to where you want to go.”

While 9/11 changed a large section of aviation — primarily passenger flights — Boyd’s flying was not impacted too much.

“There is more security at smaller airports now than there used to be, but it’s still not very much,” he said. “Marshalltown does not have a fence surrounding it like some others do. If you go into Burlington, for instance, you have to be careful where you travel on the ground because there are some areas where they bring in passenger flights, you can’t go into that ground-marked area with a private plane. [The changes] were very little. Thankfully.”

Boyd has had some flight experiences he wished never happened. Twice he landed without sufficient fuel.

“Both circumstances were my fault,” Boyd said. “I should have known better. I also flew with my father in icing conditions. That’s no fun.”

While he feels comfortable flying today, he sees the “light at the end of the tunnel.”

“Maintaining the airplanes, getting in and out — neither of them are easy to get in and out of,” Boyd said. “Moving on toward 80 [years old], I doubt I will be doing it much more. I will hate to give it up.”

For aspiring pilots hoping to make their own memories, Boyd said they should have the desire to pursue aviation.

“There has to be a real desire,” he said. “You can find people to share and encourage your interest, but first you really have to want to do this.”

Boyd did not have a lot of tips for aspiring pilots, except for one piece of advice.

“Don’t get low on fuel,” he said, laughing. “Don’t push weather. All of us have done that a time or two. We didn’t turn around soon enough.”

Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.