A nation stands united
brought together by flight
in memory of September 11th
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A nation stands united |
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Oklahoma Flag Bearer
Michael Rohrer
IntroductionI was born and raised in Ashland, Ohio and graduated from Ashland High School in 1976. I worked at “U-brand” in Ashland until going into the USAF in 1978. It was while in the Air Force that I moved to Altus, Oklahoma. As an Aircraft Maintenance Technician, and Flight Mechanic on C141 aircraft, I was on Command Crew for 8 years where our crew flew Generals and Dignitaries. In 1985, I had the pleasure of performing live with Bob Hope on a televised “Round the World Tour for the USO”. One of my major accomplishments while in the Air Force was inventing a roller conveyor system for KC135 tanker, which enabled the cargo plane to be loaded in a fraction of the previous time. In 1995, I retired from the USAF and purchased a Fixed Base Operation (FBO) in Altus, OK, where we repair small General Aviation aircraft. My wife, Jill, runs the flying school. She also was in the United States Air Force as an Aircraft Maintenance Technician, and later served in the Air National Guard as a Flight Engineer on the C-141 and C-130 aircraft. Jill is a Charter Member of the Women’s Memorial in Washington DC and attended the opening ceremonies in 1997. She resigned from her military flying career to run the family business and homeschool our daughter, Gabrielle. I have one son, Joshua 26, and daughters, Nichole 25, and Gabrielle 6. Jill and Gabrielle will be accompanying me on my flight. I write a monthly column for the “International Comanche Society Magazine” which is a monthly magazine for Piper Comanche aircraft owner’s and operator’s. Recently, I gave a maintenance seminar at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s fly-in at Oshkosh, WI. Over 750,000 people attended this year’s annual fly-in. I hold a Pilots license with Instrument and Multi-Engine ratings as well as an Airframe and Powerplant license to include Inspection Authorization. I have been selected by the FAA to hold the position of Designated Maintenance Examiner. This gives me the authority to give applicants the oral and practical test for Airframe and Powerplant ratings. The timetable for our trip is as follows: 4 September: depart OKC for Ashland, Ohio To honor the memory of those killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, one pilot from each of the fifty U.S. states will fly an official state flag to NYC. The “Flight Across America” is about bringing the nation together through the celebration of flight. The act of fifty pilots carrying their State flags across the country into NYC is symbolic of a nation coming together to stand in solidarity and to make the statement that terrorists do not have the last word. April 19, 1995, the people of OK experienced a cowardly act of destruction. We too share a common pain with the people of New York City. Last year, we witnessed aviation being used as a tool for incredible destruction. This year, we pilots have an opportunity to reclaim our skies by using aviation as a tool for great inspiration and bringing people together across the country that has never been done. I hope to honor the thousands of people killed or injured by the ugly hands of terrorists. We will reclaim and promote the beautiful freedom of flight, and show, by example, why Americans coming together will always make this a wonderful country to call home. I truly believe that the freedom we have in this country has to be earned. It's a privilege we all have to defend...as well as exercise. Because if we don't exercise our freedoms, then they're worthless. In “Flight Across America”, we're exercising our freedom of flight in a novel way: to show symbolic support for all of those affected by 9/11 by bringing state flags from every state in the union to New York. These flags represent the feelings of every citizen in the U.S., not just “Flight Across America” participants. Michael Dennis Rohrer |
Last Updated: 08/21/02. Copyright © 2002 Flight Across America |
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