Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame to honor Harrison native
Harrison County native Larry Gossett will enter the Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame on Saturday, Nov. 16, at the Aviation Museum of Kentucky in Lexington.
“I am very honored and definitely didn’t see this coming,” Gossett said in an interview earlier this week of his coming induction into the hall of fame.
Gossett, 71, grew up on a family farm on Old Lair Road and remembers the day when he decided he wanted to fly.
“I saved up enough money to buy an air force magazine that was on the news stand at the drug store on Main Street in Cynthiana,” he recalled. “I was about 14 when I bought that magazine. It included an eight-page article about the F-4 phantom and said that it could fly at 1,400 miles per hour. I must have read that article a dozen times. I said then, that within 10 years, I was going to fly that plane.”
He joins a number of Harrison County natives and residents who have received this distinguished recognition in the Commonwealth.
In 2003, Esther Ammerman was honored for her World War II service as a WASP (Womens Airforce Service Pilots) flyer and advocate for veterans’ rights for herself and sister pilots.
In 2012, Fred Keller, now living in Alaska, entered the Hall of Fame in recognition of his award-winning home-built aircraft designs. Keller has also been recognized by the Experimental Aviation Association (EAA).
John M. Allen entered the Aviation Hall of Fame in 2015, after earning the rank of general in the US Air Force and later serving in the Federal Aviation Administration in aircraft safety.
Gossett took a youthful interest in flight due to a helpful convenience; the local airport was just “over the hill” from his boyhood home near Cynthiana.
He grew up on a small family farm, on Old Lair Road. “Just about a mile on the left, past the Lair Station bridge,” he explained.
“My father was not too excited about my desire to fly, but a couple of local businessmen encouraged me to follow my dream,” Gossett said. “Mr. Dick Coe and Mr. Reed Anderson both flew and when they found out I had an interest, they encouraged me. I couldn’t have flown without their support.”
Gossett said his first solo flight took place right here at the Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport.
The Harrison County native had quite the stellar career in flying. He flew F-4 Phantom fighter planes for seven years as a captain in the United States Air Force, then flew as a pilot for FedEx for an additional 30 years.
He graduated from Harrison County High School in 1966, then attended UK, where he joined the Air Force ROTC program.
Gossett enlisted in the USAF after his graduation from UK in 1970.
“I graduated in December of 1970 and went to flight training in Laredo, Texas in January of 1971,” he recalled.
He spent one year at Laredo and then was transferred to Homestead AFB, close to Miami, Fla., where he was trained to fly the F-4, for six months.
“At that time, the F-4 was the top-of-the-line fighter for the Air Force, Navy and Marines,” Gossett said. “I was the front seat pilot and had a navigator behind me. The navigator was also the WSO (weapons systems operator).”
After that six months of intensive training, Gossett was stationed at Hahn Air Force Base, in Germany, where he stayed for four years.
Gossett said there were 13 front-seat pilots that were all deployed at the same time, after finishing F-4 training at Homestead AFB.
“Seven of them were deployed to Vietnam and five of us were sent to Europe,” he said. “This was during the Cold War, so even though we weren’t in Vietnam, we were still on the front lines.”
After serving for four years in Europe, Gossett received another assignment, this time as an instructor pilot at Luke AFB, just outside of Phoenix, Az.
After three years there, he said he came to a fork in the road.
“I had married Pam, and the Air Force wanted me to deploy to South Korea, but, at that time, wives weren’t allowed to go there,” he explained. “I couldn’t do that to her and the children, so I did not re-enlist.”
Luckily for Gossett, a fledgling company had just gotten started in Memphis, and was in need of pilots.
“FedEx had just started up and was the first to offer next-day-mail,” he explained. “In the beginning they had a fleet of about 300 small Falcon jets, but soon graduated to 727s.”
He said he was honorably discharged from the Air Force in May of 1979, was hired by FedEx in June of the same year, and after several months of training, began flying for the carrier in October, also in 1979.
Initially, FedEx used the small jets to deliver mail and small packages within the United States. Soon, though, the jets got bigger, as did FedEx’s service area.
“I saw FedEx grow from an upstart company that was regional, to become an international carrier,” Gossett said. “I was blessed to be able to continue to fly as a civilian, without much lag time between the military and FedEx.”
He retired from FedEx in 2010 and hasn’t flown since.
“No, I don’t fly anymore” he said. “I just don’t have any interest in that at all.”
Gossett married the former Pamela Hawkins in 1978. They have two children, David Spencer Gossett and Joan Elizabeth Gossett.
David, 40, was born in 1979 and became quite an accomplished golfer, winning the US Amateur in 1999 at Pebble Beach. As a PGA touring pro he won the John Deere Classic in 2001. He attended college at the University of Texas.
Joan was also a golfing prodigy, playing college golf at Vanderbilt University.
Harrison County native Larry Gossett will enter the Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame on Saturday, Nov. 16, at the Aviation Museum of Kentucky in Lexington.
“I am very honored and definitely didn’t see this coming,” Gossett said in an interview earlier this week of his coming induction into the hall of fame.
Gossett, 71, grew up on a family farm on Old Lair Road and remembers the day when he decided he wanted to fly.
“I saved up enough money to buy an air force magazine that was on the news stand at the drug store on Main Street in Cynthiana,” he recalled. “I was about 14 when I bought that magazine. It included an eight-page article about the F-4 phantom and said that it could fly at 1,400 miles per hour. I must have read that article a dozen times. I said then, that within 10 years, I was going to fly that plane.”
He joins a number of Harrison County natives and residents who have received this distinguished recognition in the Commonwealth.
In 2003, Esther Ammerman was honored for her World War II service as a WASP (Womens Airforce Service Pilots) flyer and advocate for veterans’ rights for herself and sister pilots.
In 2012, Fred Keller, now living in Alaska, entered the Hall of Fame in recognition of his award-winning home-built aircraft designs. Keller has also been recognized by the Experimental Aviation Association (EAA).
John M. Allen entered the Aviation Hall of Fame in 2015, after earning the rank of general in the US Air Force and later serving in the Federal Aviation Administration in aircraft safety.
Gossett took a youthful interest in flight due to a helpful convenience; the local airport was just “over the hill” from his boyhood home near Cynthiana.
He grew up on a small family farm, on Old Lair Road. “Just about a mile on the left, past the Lair Station bridge,” he explained.
“My father was not too excited about my desire to fly, but a couple of local businessmen encouraged me to follow my dream,” Gossett said. “Mr. Dick Coe and Mr. Reed Anderson both flew and when they found out I had an interest, they encouraged me. I couldn’t have flown without their support.”
Gossett said his first solo flight took place right here at the Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport.
The Harrison County native had quite the stellar career in flying. He flew F-4 Phantom fighter planes for seven years as a captain in the United States Air Force, then flew as a pilot for FedEx for an additional 30 years.
He graduated from Harrison County High School in 1966, then attended UK, where he joined the Air Force ROTC program.
Gossett enlisted in the USAF after his graduation from UK in 1970.
“I graduated in December of 1970 and went to flight training in Laredo, Texas in January of 1971,” he recalled.
He spent one year at Laredo and then was transferred to Homestead AFB, close to Miami, Fla., where he was trained to fly the F-4, for six months.
“At that time, the F-4 was the top-of-the-line fighter for the Air Force, Navy and Marines,” Gossett said. “I was the front seat pilot and had a navigator behind me. The navigator was also the WSO (weapons systems operator).”
After that six months of intensive training, Gossett was stationed at Hahn Air Force Base, in Germany, where he stayed for four years.
Gossett said there were 13 front-seat pilots that were all deployed at the same time, after finishing F-4 training at Homestead AFB.
“Seven of them were deployed to Vietnam and five of us were sent to Europe,” he said. “This was during the Cold War, so even though we weren’t in Vietnam, we were still on the front lines.”
After serving for four years in Europe, Gossett received another assignment, this time as an instructor pilot at Luke AFB, just outside of Phoenix, Az.
After three years there, he said he came to a fork in the road.
“I had married Pam, and the Air Force wanted me to deploy to South Korea, but, at that time, wives weren’t allowed to go there,” he explained. “I couldn’t do that to her and the children, so I did not re-enlist.”
Luckily for Gossett, a fledgling company had just gotten started in Memphis, and was in need of pilots.
“FedEx had just started up and was the first to offer next-day-mail,” he explained. “In the beginning they had a fleet of about 300 small Falcon jets, but soon graduated to 727s.”
He said he was honorably discharged from the Air Force in May of 1979, was hired by FedEx in June of the same year, and after several months of training, began flying for the carrier in October, also in 1979.
Initially, FedEx used the small jets to deliver mail and small packages within the United States. Soon, though, the jets got bigger, as did FedEx’s service area.
“I saw FedEx grow from an upstart company that was regional, to become an international carrier,” Gossett said. “I was blessed to be able to continue to fly as a civilian, without much lag time between the military and FedEx.”
He retired from FedEx in 2010 and hasn’t flown since.
“No, I don’t fly anymore” he said. “I just don’t have any interest in that at all.”
Gossett married the former Pamela Hawkins in 1978. They have two children, David Spencer Gossett and Joan Elizabeth Gossett.
David, 40, was born in 1979 and became quite an accomplished golfer, winning the US Amateur in 1999 at Pebble Beach. As a PGA touring pro he won the John Deere Classic in 2001. He attended college at the University of Texas.
Joan was also a golfing prodigy, playing college golf at Vanderbilt University.
An Aviator's Last Father's Day
By John M. Allen, Brig Gen (ret)
Director, FAA Flight Standards Service
July 2, 2012 - "Wants to be: Aviator." "Likely to be: Private in Army."
That's what appeared in my father's 1940 high school yearbook. My father and his classmates were both right, except his classmates were short-sighted. He wasn't.
As I write these words, my dad is slipping away from cancer. But one gift of these last weeks is the chance to share our aviation memories, as only aviators can do. On his last Father's Day, we sat together, quietly enjoying each other's company and sharing memories of lives so heavily flavored by fixing and flying airplanes.
My dad enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1940 and spent 20 adventure-filled years, flying primarily throughout the Pacific as a flight engineer on C-97s and C-124s. He had to be good, because he retired as a "charter chief"- that is, he was in the very first group of sergeants to earn the newly established rank of Chief Master Sergeant.
My dad was always humble about his military service and his accomplishments. Still, he regaled anyone even half interested with his many military and flying stories. Though his stories were usually directed to relatives and his friends, my cousin Bobby and I listened with wonderment.
We didn't know it then, but my dad's stories sparked an interest that grew into a lifelong passion for aviation. I wound up spending 32 years in the Air Force, flying airlift in the C-141, living experiences not unlike his. Bobby took a different path in aviation, but no less fulfilling and no less important. He was pulled to the local airport in Cynthiana, Kentucky. Today he is the proud owner of a Cessna 172 and serves as the non-paid manager of this highly successful little airport bounded by the Licking River, a set of train tracks, and an honest to God poor farm.
One of the most cherished aviation memories of my dad involves the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). He and I were very fortunate to spend some quality aviation time together at AirVenture 2010. Since he was already too frail for the kind of walking required to see everything, a golf cart piloted by me became his magic carpet. Like every visitor, he was awestruck by the aviation wonderland he saw as we whirred around the grounds. We offered a lift to many, who gave us a lift in return by sharing their own aviation stories.
The most magical memory took shape when I asked my dad what airplane provided his very first flight. I expected him to say a T-6 Texan or Stearman from his aviation cadet days but, to my amazement, he told me that his first flight as a kid in Cynthiana was in a Ford Tri-Motor. You can probably guess what happened next. I yanked the golf cart into a tight spiral and made a beeline for the flightline, where they offered rides in - you guessed it - a Ford Tri-Motor. To make the experience even sweeter, I got to sit right seat and actually fly that magnificent aircraft with my dad in a window seat in back. And there was still more magic. My dad got rides in a helicopter and a floatplane. Later in the day, he met and chatted with EAA Founder Paul Poberezny. What an amazing experience it was to see two elder statesman aviators I so greatly admire sharing airplane stories. It was a long, wonder-filled day for my dad, but it left an indelible impression on us both.
It is fitting that my dad's last outing, which took place the weekend before Father's Day, was a trip to the Cynthiana Airport's Young Eagles event with my son and me. Somehow, he mustered the courage and resolve to stay for the entire event. It was a poignant day for all of us, watching my dad watch cousin Bobby use his airplane to introduce another generation to the wonders of aviation. And it was truly a family event. While Bobby flew, his wife Jeana ran the show. My brother, his family, and I pitched in to help. My dad got to see 286 kids get airplane rides that day, most for the very first time.
As he and I talked of these many memories on Father's Day just a week later, I told my father how much he had contributed to the spectacular Young Eagles Day in Cynthiana. Though his eyes were closed as he sought to endure his physical pain, he smiled in satisfaction when I explained how such a day might not have happened without the spark of interest he had provided to people like Bobby and me. I'd like to think he realized he had made a difference in this world - as a man, as a father, as an aviator. Thank you, Dad, with all my heart, both for the life you gave and the life you inspired.
In loving memory of my dad, John R. Allen Jr.
Director, FAA Flight Standards Service
July 2, 2012 - "Wants to be: Aviator." "Likely to be: Private in Army."
That's what appeared in my father's 1940 high school yearbook. My father and his classmates were both right, except his classmates were short-sighted. He wasn't.
As I write these words, my dad is slipping away from cancer. But one gift of these last weeks is the chance to share our aviation memories, as only aviators can do. On his last Father's Day, we sat together, quietly enjoying each other's company and sharing memories of lives so heavily flavored by fixing and flying airplanes.
My dad enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1940 and spent 20 adventure-filled years, flying primarily throughout the Pacific as a flight engineer on C-97s and C-124s. He had to be good, because he retired as a "charter chief"- that is, he was in the very first group of sergeants to earn the newly established rank of Chief Master Sergeant.
My dad was always humble about his military service and his accomplishments. Still, he regaled anyone even half interested with his many military and flying stories. Though his stories were usually directed to relatives and his friends, my cousin Bobby and I listened with wonderment.
We didn't know it then, but my dad's stories sparked an interest that grew into a lifelong passion for aviation. I wound up spending 32 years in the Air Force, flying airlift in the C-141, living experiences not unlike his. Bobby took a different path in aviation, but no less fulfilling and no less important. He was pulled to the local airport in Cynthiana, Kentucky. Today he is the proud owner of a Cessna 172 and serves as the non-paid manager of this highly successful little airport bounded by the Licking River, a set of train tracks, and an honest to God poor farm.
One of the most cherished aviation memories of my dad involves the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). He and I were very fortunate to spend some quality aviation time together at AirVenture 2010. Since he was already too frail for the kind of walking required to see everything, a golf cart piloted by me became his magic carpet. Like every visitor, he was awestruck by the aviation wonderland he saw as we whirred around the grounds. We offered a lift to many, who gave us a lift in return by sharing their own aviation stories.
The most magical memory took shape when I asked my dad what airplane provided his very first flight. I expected him to say a T-6 Texan or Stearman from his aviation cadet days but, to my amazement, he told me that his first flight as a kid in Cynthiana was in a Ford Tri-Motor. You can probably guess what happened next. I yanked the golf cart into a tight spiral and made a beeline for the flightline, where they offered rides in - you guessed it - a Ford Tri-Motor. To make the experience even sweeter, I got to sit right seat and actually fly that magnificent aircraft with my dad in a window seat in back. And there was still more magic. My dad got rides in a helicopter and a floatplane. Later in the day, he met and chatted with EAA Founder Paul Poberezny. What an amazing experience it was to see two elder statesman aviators I so greatly admire sharing airplane stories. It was a long, wonder-filled day for my dad, but it left an indelible impression on us both.
It is fitting that my dad's last outing, which took place the weekend before Father's Day, was a trip to the Cynthiana Airport's Young Eagles event with my son and me. Somehow, he mustered the courage and resolve to stay for the entire event. It was a poignant day for all of us, watching my dad watch cousin Bobby use his airplane to introduce another generation to the wonders of aviation. And it was truly a family event. While Bobby flew, his wife Jeana ran the show. My brother, his family, and I pitched in to help. My dad got to see 286 kids get airplane rides that day, most for the very first time.
As he and I talked of these many memories on Father's Day just a week later, I told my father how much he had contributed to the spectacular Young Eagles Day in Cynthiana. Though his eyes were closed as he sought to endure his physical pain, he smiled in satisfaction when I explained how such a day might not have happened without the spark of interest he had provided to people like Bobby and me. I'd like to think he realized he had made a difference in this world - as a man, as a father, as an aviator. Thank you, Dad, with all my heart, both for the life you gave and the life you inspired.
In loving memory of my dad, John R. Allen Jr.
Angels Of Aviation
By John M. Allen
There are lots of folks out there who are doing great things for aviation. We here in Washington get paid to work hard to "enable the adventure and commerce of aviation without the compromise of safety". Many folks get nice awards for their contributions to aviation. However, there are also thousands of unsung heroes out there who humbly give of their own time and expense to enhance the future of aviation. I was unexpectedly and significantly moved by the work of some of these "Angels of Aviation" when I had the opportunity to visit, with my brother and parents, in their original hometown of Cynthiana, KY.
My parents were born and raised in Cynthiana (pop. @6,000) and I lived there with my family through my elementary school years in the 60s. Cynthiana is a small farming town about 32 miles Northeast of Lexington. While visiting there, I was reacquainted with a cousin of mine, Bobby Craft, who I hadn't seen in over 20 years. While visiting, and searching for a common interest, our conversation turned to flying. I was reminded that Bobby is the part-time, volunteer manager of the local community airport. It is a small airport nestled in a bend of the Licking River, bordered by the railroad tracks and the "poor farm", with a 3,800' runway and a few hangars. During our conversation, I mentioned Young Eagles and he lit up. The Young Eagles program is a program run by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), where volunteers take kids up for a ride in an aircraft they rent or own. Over a million kids have received a ride, thanks to the Young Eagles Program. In fact, my sons got their first aircraft (one in a helicopter, the other in a Cessna 172) ride through the Young Eagles program when I was the aviation merit badge counselor of their Boy Scout troop. Just as we began to talk about Young Eagles, Bobby’s wife, Jeana, ran to their car and brought back a CD that includes a video showcasing the volunteers and kids they introduce to flying via their Young Eagles events (some of the pictures are included in the PDF versions of this article available on FAASafety.gov). Bobby runs two events a year (in the Spring and in the Fall). He tells me he gets around 195 kids at each event because he advertises the events in the local paper. What he is doing for these kids in this small community is tremendous. As you know, we in the FAA and others in the aviation community are concerned with the nurturing of aviation interest in future generations. Seeing
https://www.faasafety.gov/files/notices/2007/Aug/Angels_of_Avation.pdf
My parents were born and raised in Cynthiana (pop. @6,000) and I lived there with my family through my elementary school years in the 60s. Cynthiana is a small farming town about 32 miles Northeast of Lexington. While visiting there, I was reacquainted with a cousin of mine, Bobby Craft, who I hadn't seen in over 20 years. While visiting, and searching for a common interest, our conversation turned to flying. I was reminded that Bobby is the part-time, volunteer manager of the local community airport. It is a small airport nestled in a bend of the Licking River, bordered by the railroad tracks and the "poor farm", with a 3,800' runway and a few hangars. During our conversation, I mentioned Young Eagles and he lit up. The Young Eagles program is a program run by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), where volunteers take kids up for a ride in an aircraft they rent or own. Over a million kids have received a ride, thanks to the Young Eagles Program. In fact, my sons got their first aircraft (one in a helicopter, the other in a Cessna 172) ride through the Young Eagles program when I was the aviation merit badge counselor of their Boy Scout troop. Just as we began to talk about Young Eagles, Bobby’s wife, Jeana, ran to their car and brought back a CD that includes a video showcasing the volunteers and kids they introduce to flying via their Young Eagles events (some of the pictures are included in the PDF versions of this article available on FAASafety.gov). Bobby runs two events a year (in the Spring and in the Fall). He tells me he gets around 195 kids at each event because he advertises the events in the local paper. What he is doing for these kids in this small community is tremendous. As you know, we in the FAA and others in the aviation community are concerned with the nurturing of aviation interest in future generations. Seeing
https://www.faasafety.gov/files/notices/2007/Aug/Angels_of_Avation.pdf
Unsung Heroes: Building Aviation’s Future
By: John m. Allen director, flight standards service
Nestled along the South Fork of the Licking River is my hometown, Cynthiana, Kentucky. Cynthiana boasts several factories, 6,000 residents, and a public-use airport, where my cousin, Bobby Craft, is the board chairman. Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport (0I8) is a small airport two miles south of Cynthiana tucked in a bend of the Licking River with a 3,800-foot runway and a handful of hangars.
Bobby, like many others, is a huge booster of aviation. He is active in Young Eagles®, an Experimental Aircraft AssociationTM program where kids get a ride in an aircraft volunteers rent or own. It’s a great program: More than a million young people have received rides thanks to volunteer pilots in 90 countries. Since 2000, each year some 200 young Kentuckians are introduced to aviation at two events at the Cynthiana airport. Bobby proudly reports that one of his first Young Eagles returned this year with a newly minted pilot certificate. Helping young people get a taste of aviation and get a sense that their futures can soar is essential to aviation’s future. What Bobby, his wife Jeana, and countless other Young Eagles volunteers are doing is even more important: They build character. The Young Eagles flights help many kids overcome their fears and feel pride and self-confidence when they come back after that first flight.
There’s no age limit at Cynthiana airport. Last summer, Jeana coordinated an event for "Silver Eagles" to give rides to residents of the Cedar Ridge Health Campus. She wanted to give senior citizens an opportunity that they would not have had without such a program. Some of the seniors had never been in an airplane; others hadn’t flown in more than 50 years. One participant was 100 years old.
Cynthiana airport isn’t standing still. It is moving forward to ensure the airport continues to play an important role in the community. Bobby acquired funding to build a new terminal building (including classrooms) and parking lot. Yet, Bobby is not alone. There are many more people like him across the country who are doing great things for aviation.
We in the federal government work visibly to enable the adventure and commerce of aviation without compromising safety. Many in Washington, DC, get publicly recognized for their contributions. Yet, there are thousands of unsung heroes all around the nation who humbly give of their own time and expense to enhance aviation’s future.
Yes, I am extremely proud of what my cousin is doing for aviation. I am also proud of the many other unsung heroes who are making a tremendous difference for aviation. Thank you all for what you are doing to build a better and stronger future for all of us.
www.faa.gov/news/aviation_news/2009/media/janfeb2009.pdf
Bobby, like many others, is a huge booster of aviation. He is active in Young Eagles®, an Experimental Aircraft AssociationTM program where kids get a ride in an aircraft volunteers rent or own. It’s a great program: More than a million young people have received rides thanks to volunteer pilots in 90 countries. Since 2000, each year some 200 young Kentuckians are introduced to aviation at two events at the Cynthiana airport. Bobby proudly reports that one of his first Young Eagles returned this year with a newly minted pilot certificate. Helping young people get a taste of aviation and get a sense that their futures can soar is essential to aviation’s future. What Bobby, his wife Jeana, and countless other Young Eagles volunteers are doing is even more important: They build character. The Young Eagles flights help many kids overcome their fears and feel pride and self-confidence when they come back after that first flight.
There’s no age limit at Cynthiana airport. Last summer, Jeana coordinated an event for "Silver Eagles" to give rides to residents of the Cedar Ridge Health Campus. She wanted to give senior citizens an opportunity that they would not have had without such a program. Some of the seniors had never been in an airplane; others hadn’t flown in more than 50 years. One participant was 100 years old.
Cynthiana airport isn’t standing still. It is moving forward to ensure the airport continues to play an important role in the community. Bobby acquired funding to build a new terminal building (including classrooms) and parking lot. Yet, Bobby is not alone. There are many more people like him across the country who are doing great things for aviation.
We in the federal government work visibly to enable the adventure and commerce of aviation without compromising safety. Many in Washington, DC, get publicly recognized for their contributions. Yet, there are thousands of unsung heroes all around the nation who humbly give of their own time and expense to enhance aviation’s future.
Yes, I am extremely proud of what my cousin is doing for aviation. I am also proud of the many other unsung heroes who are making a tremendous difference for aviation. Thank you all for what you are doing to build a better and stronger future for all of us.
www.faa.gov/news/aviation_news/2009/media/janfeb2009.pdf
