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Like most of this THIS IS A DRAFT ! It will be fixed.
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The Story of Woolsey as told to Frederick Kohler, by Roger Woolsey.

Alright, let’s start.

AD- And you are Roger Woolsey? And it's OK if we record you?
RW- Of course it is - especially for you.
AD- Thank you very much. What I'd like to do first is just get your father, mother - that little bit of background, and then go next step through the Bonanza.
How the Bonanza came in.
RW- Well not sure how far back to go but father and mother. . .  my, my father was a pilot actually in the army. But not an army pilot. He was in there as traffic controller. They had me in – Arkansas-- I mean born actually in Alaska. My father was a pilot, twenty-four, flew Beech18s and when he left the military became a pilot for freight. And at the age of three. . . I turned 4 -- two weeks after my 4th birthday my father had an aircraft accident. So the aircraft sadly took his life. So my mother was a single mother. . .  you know we didn't have much. . .  which is OK.  (phone rings)
. . .Buzz… Pardon me, I apologize. Ohh!  This is Kermit. ...........So we were young. . . we're living there we were living in . . .  (phone rings) This might take a second. This is Kermit. “Hi Kermit…” (We stop for a moment. Kermit Weeks has the largest private air force in the world and his own museum – also was a champion Acrobatic pilot.)

There we go -- so it is yeah so we uh –we  just start up at the top or something?  So we, you know, we were young you know. Mother moved back to Arkansas close to my grandparents. I you know we grew up you know without a lot but we didn't know we didn't have anything. We, we were just fine you know. But at an early age I thought I wanted to be a pilot - but we didn't have the means so I started, at a very early age, working.  you know, so I . . .
 AD- interrupts: When were you born?
 RW- I was- - -  what, where or what year?  .ohh May, 1967 in Alaska, Anchorage AK – 67. So this would have been in 71.  I guess we moved back to Arkansas as my mother -- single mother could get some help from grandparents. And then so I wanted to . . . I started brush hogging, worked at Walmart, got my first car at 14 - primarily to get myself to work, you know. So I worked at a drive-in, you know, a restaurant, you know - and just every everywhere. I couldn't have license. No didn't have it. I went to the judge tried to get a hardship license. He didn't buy it - didn't offer it. You know, sadly, I think I think statue of limitations is OK to admit now -- I kept driving anyway you know . . .
AD- interrupts to the Reader…: OK sorry to interrupt – again. I wanted you to see the man I saw. We are in the middle of the largest AirShow in the world, in which he has been flying – lots of noise and distractions. But My Silver Prince – that’s what I call him because I met him at his polished aluminum A-26 “Million -Airess” just hours after he had flown back over the Atlantic in one of the war planes, 80years of tired metal – and he was giving an interview about how the people he met in Europe for the D-Day celebrations actually, I mean some really understand and appreciate USA and the exceptional gift it has given the world – not our technology or war-fighting, but the idea of Freedom to live and create your own life.
There’s more to this, but for now, I’ll just let you know that I may edit his talk (and he can really tell a story), but in the interest of smoothness, I might edit out a few “You knows” and repetitions. That’s all – back to Roger.

RW- . . .so I took myself to work - school - between the jobs. But by the time I was 15 where I could start flying --- I guess I gotta think about this but I think I was in the -- uh yeah – 15 ---
 I was in the 10th grade in high school. I had enough money saved up enough money to go get my private pilot license, so I found a pilot by the name of John Bass in Manhattan KS. A man that that my father had actually taught to fly! And he said he would teach me --- that was kind of cool, kind of the hand of my father even though it was indirect. And I thought that would be special. So he sent me the books to Arkansas to start pre-studying, so I could get to him in the summer and be ready. My mother found out. Threw the books away -had a meltdown. Now, I'm not gonna fly. She wanted nothing to do with it!
And, I think honestly at that moment I . . .  I really thought if I make it to a truck driver -- not a damn thing wrong with that. But if I do,  I'll be successful. I mean that. That would make me very happy-- because there's not a lot of opportunity at that time in Arkansas either but . . . and and, by the way, my mother had a boyfriend longtime boyfriend from - I don't know - I was 7 or 8 years old. Gilbert (was) basically my stepdad. Wonderful human being - worked in the trucking business. So again, I kind of thought well if I can't fly I'm going to follow that. But I just couldn't shake the bug.
So she threw the books away. I determined to do it anyway. I called John Bass again and said “Gee mom's not gonna have it. She threw my books away.” And he said, “Well, do you have a neighbor you could trust and likes you?” “Yes, I do.”
He sent me a second set of books to my neighbor. So after school, in between work, I would go to my neighbor's house, read up on the flying books and study a little bit. Do some pre study and my evil plan was: On the last day of school, at the school bell ring for my 10th grade, my car was loaded up and I ran away from home. At 15 I ran away.
AD-  you graduated from high school?
RW- I know. I'm still in the 10th grade just last day of school. But I turned 16 the day after. My driver's license kicked in. My birthday was in May. so when the school bell rang I had a driver's license in my car. I had money saved up. I had my little Volkswagen Karmann Ghia loaded with my clothes and my flight books - that my mother didn't know I had. And I went to Manhattan KS. In Manhattan (KS), I called home and said well I'm going to flight school. I'm fine. I'm safe. I'll call you when I'm done. . .  and I kind of hung up. Because, I didn't need anybody to know where I was and come to drag me back home.
 I left Arkansas, Arkansas, where I grew up, but it is about Where in AR?? not that far but yeah, far enough. So that's where I got my pilot license that summer. I got my private pilot license, and I came back to Arkansas to go back to high school.
And you know, I was in Manhattan in the summer, and for the school year I came back - but this time I moved in with my grandparents, which were my father's parents. Now they weren't very happy about it either. I think concerned. But they never said one discouraging word, not one. I think I can honestly say they never gave me an encouraging one either.
 But they did instill a hard work ethic so also, my mother and my stepdad they encouraged a hard work ethic. But not none of them really pushed high dreams or go big or you know none of that but but. . . just work hard, be honest, you know. . .  but never the aviation thing. They never pushed that.
But anyway, I'm back in high school and I'm renting airplanes now to keep my flying up. And now I'm preparing to get my instrument ready and my multi rating the next summer and I'm realizing you know I go back and I get those ratings the next summer I went back to Manhattan KS had enough money saved again to get up there, and rent the planes, pay the instructors, pay my rent, not have a job for several months, got my instrument, my multi.
 Came back now, my senior year in high school and I'm out of money. So I had burned through all the money I had saved through all those years to get my ratings but I'm becoming a pilot. I mean. I'm a - I'm a private, multi, instrument rated pilot at 17 years old and now entering my senior in high school. (Great ratings at that age – but you cannot earn money with that.)
Now, I didn't have money to fly. And I started thinking I gotta build a lot of time because you have to have 250 hours to get the commercial which was going to be very expensive. And I didn't have the money to do it. So I had this bonehead idea -- and I don't know why they did it -- but I went down to the bank and I convinced the bank that I needed to borrow $35,000. I'm going to buy a plane. I'll buy the Bonanza and I'll sell it in the next 6 months and I'll pay the loan off. So I was gonna buy it to resell it somehow. Somehow, they give me the loan -- don't know why. I think-- there is speculation that my grandfather might have cosigned the loan, but if he did I'd never knew it officially, but he might have . . . uh so maybe they were behind it a little bit. To this day, I don't know but I borrowed $35,000. I found a Bonanza for $25,000 I bought the Bonanza.  Now I have $10,000.
AD-  Why did you choose Bonanza?
 RW- Because it was fast, retractable gear - it was appealing to me.  And you know it had those traits - and I needed an IFR airplane. And I liked it more than the 152 or the 172 at the time.
Yeah, so I buy this Bonanza, and I now have $10,000 to buy gas. I fly that thing until I almost run out of my 10 grand. And, and now it's month 5 -- one more month the $35,000 loan is due. I'm my 17 year old holy mess and my boy brain. I'm like, well this will be easy I'll just put it up for sale. I'll sell it for 35,000 get my money back; pay the loan. Buying and selling the plane got me all my hours. So I did have all my hours and I was ready to put the plane up for sale. -- Stop. I'm really thinking about this because I'm gonna get the order correct. This is a 1957 model Bonanza and I put it up for sale for $35,000.
I get a guy in Kansas City that calls me up -- and by the way I polished it and I made it look pretty. I advertised it in Trade-A-Plane. Back then, people used to trade things. So I had a gentleman from Kansas City call me. He says I'd like to see the plane and I fly to Kansas City and I'll tell you . . . um, wait, I didn't put a price for 35,000 I put a higher price you know maybe 45,000 thinking I might get a few dollars to have some more gas money to do something else, not even thinking about it. So the guy in Kansas City, he calls me and says I'll tell you what I've got a I've got an old Corvette that I inherited and I will give you 35 cash - 35,000 cash and the Corvette for your airplane. Well, all I really need is 35,000, so now I'm going to get this 45,000 and a free Corvette. I'm pretty excited so I go off to do it. I arrive,  and he says “well, I apologize. this things really. . .  it's, it's in a chicken barn for -- no kidding hadn't been driven in 20 years.” And it was covered in chicken -- yeah -- the material and feathers and dirty and he goes, “ahh, it's a replica of a Mako Shark.” Now, you know Mako Shark is a is a Corvette in the early 70s, that is two toned blue - like a shark. And, I believe Corvette only made three in the world. He says, “… a replica – it, it can't be real. My uncle always said it was real -- but it's a replica. Just so you know -- you can - you can have the car in trade.” OK great.  so he sells - - - I'm taking this back. He paid me $45,000 forty-five thousand and the car.
Now I do the trade; I pay the bank off. I paid the bank in the six months. Now that's probably - in this day – well you know. I wouldn't -- yeah and in this day I would never think that you could do that. I got my 35,000 back I have 10,000 cash now -- extra from the deal, and I got this Corvette.
 So take the Corvette back to my dad - my stepdad - who's a car guy and a semi-truck mechanic. We go look at this thing, cleaned it up, and we scratch off the serial number and --- I'll be damned it is a real Mako Shark. It is not a replica! Now I have this car and - I got 10 grand. I take the 10 grand, and I take the car and then we fix it up. So we put this 454 in it and we clean it up. We get it all ready. I go back into Trade-A-Plane and I advertise it.
Hey! I've got this Mako Shark I'd like to trade for an airplane. I spent the 10 grand to get it cleaned up, took pictures to sell it, and then they get a guy -- he calls me and says “Hey I've got a 1961 Bonanza. OK so that was my first airplane. This is a 1961 model airplane, so it's four years newer than the one I sold this is all in about 10 months from my first one… yeah he says “I got a 1961 model I will trade you my airplane for your Corvette plus $10,000. . . I'll give you my airplane and 10 grand for the Mako Shark.”
I said I'll take it!
By the time I graduated my senior year in high school I had given out the Corvette, got this Bonanza, and another $10,000 - plus I've been working all year. Now I've got about $23,000 in my pocket graduating high school. I can now take my Bonanza, like I built my time in, go up to back to Kansas and get my commercial rating - which I got that summer.
 So that's kind of how I kind of funded my hours and my airplane and my first airplane so I graduated high school owning a Bonanza free and clear. And because I kind of horse traded my way up - accidentally - to get there.
AD- That's grand. Ahh, I've got a question on that. Did you do any CFI work?
RW- no I never did
AD- because that was one of the typical roads, a lot of. . .
RW-  typical Road. . .  It was because I had my multi so early and I loved airplanes; and what I did is --- there was a --- actually it's kind of a famous aviator I believe his name is Bobby Younkin he was an airshow performer of an extreme kind…(True – Younkin and Franklin were one of the top and most exciting AirShow pilots of their time. Bobby. Son of Jim Younkin who is well-known for designing Century and Trutrak autopilots as well as building replicas of the 1930’s Howard “Mr. Mulligan” and Travel Air “Mystery Ship” race planes) I started out loading bags in Bobby’s Twin Beech at the airport at 16 years old. And then I was fueling and oiling his airplane when he got back and, of course, cleaning his plane, if he just let me go along.
So he let me ride along with him - never got paid - but because I got my multi engine rating in 11th grade I used to fly almost every night. I’d do the school thing in the week. I would work as an AP apprentice at this mechanic shop until about 10:00 at night. I would then load the bags or the freight in the Bobby’s B-18. I'd crawl in his Beech 18 and he would fly these routes. But he had a couple empty legs, two to three to four empty legs, every month. After a while, Bobby got to where he trusted me and let me fly left seat. So I'm logged into three hours of multi time a week. Flying 20 hours, building lots of experience, but legally logging a couple hours a week while my friends were paying for it so I. . .
Literally, when I graduated high school I think I had somewhere in in – this is going into college my first year in Arkansas. I believe I had close to 800 hours of total flying time with which you know 400 of it was multi. So it was kind of cool, yeah.
AD-  How old were you then? .. because you were 18?
RW-  18 years old. yes Sir.
AD-  and what college did you go to?
RW-  I originally went to the University of Arkansas and that's really where my life changed.
I,   I was one of the guys who . . .  I used to mow the grass and paint the fences. . . One guy -  he knew I wanted to be a pilot. I had no idea what he did.
It ends up -- he was Eric Clapton and Julio Iglesias’s personal pilot. I didn't even know he was a pilot, much less his famous people.  And he called me one day and said, “Hey did you ever get a license? How far along are you on your ratings?” I told him and he - he's like,  “You gotta be kidding!”  He's kind of a little--- A crewman opens the door…
RW- I know Kermit --- I’ll tell you one more story if you care to hear one more? …see how I got that first job--- crewman in the door… but it's about ready --- ohh he's here! Would you tell him I'll be there couple minutes ---
ohh I try make it fast but it's kind of . . . you'll find it --- because of what you love --- you'll find these stupid things interesting. So I get the phone call. Chuck is calling me at 7:00 in the morning. My friend’s asking “How long, How far along did you get?” --- his time7.
It is 6 in the morning my time; I'm getting ready to go to school. I'm in central time zone he was in Miami and he said, “Hey how did you ever get your ratings?” I said, “Yes Sir, I did-- I did and and ---
crewman in the door ---and Tay, come on in I'm, I'm,  I know He’s here ---(Kermit Weeks) and if you'll hold him… don't let him leave. I’ll be there about 3 or 4 minutes --- but he knows right? yeah he's gonna go? -- no tell him please, please 3-4 minutes.
He said, “well did you ever get your ratings?” I said, “ Yes Sir. got all my ratings.” He said, “No, umm – you, you're like in high school.” and I said, “I just graduated this year. I'm now- you know- I'm in college my first year semester. . .  But Yes Sir. I got all my ratings.”
“ well how many hours is that?” “I got 800.” He says, “ahhh. That’s too low, too low--- but I have an idea for you.” He said, “There's a company out in California that flies uh you know that flies these rock'n'roll bands and they're hiring a copilot right now. But you don't have enough hours - so call them up, tell them I sent you, ask them to ship you the books, and you start studying -- and in a year or two when you got enough hours, maybe they'll give you a shot because you've been studying all this long.”
“So, Chuck--- that is the nicest thing anybody's ever done for me” I appreciate it.” I hang the phone up. I immediately make the phone call. Hmm. The party at the other end is like  ---
 I call. They answer. “Hey this is Roger. Chuck told me to call and he said if you like ---“ “wait wait wait wait - slow down who's this Roger? Who told you to call? Chuck?  Do you know what time it is young man?”  “No sir.”  “Well, it's 4:00 in the morning in California.”   I'm like Oh my God --- I feel horrible-- “I'm so sorry.” He says, “Will you please, just call me back at 8:00 in the morning, my time, when we're awake?” I'm like. “Yes I will.” -- so I hang the phone up. So of course, I go to school I'm watching my watch I'm waiting for 10 my time and at 10:00 my time, I called. I called again. They're like, “Oh my God you're on time. I can't believe this!” “Well Chuck told me to call and get the books and I said well… and and. . . Then they're response was, “Look, look, look --- kid we, we gotta make a decision now. I'm making one today -- or tomorrow. I don't have time to wait for your resume.”
Roger leans back to explain to me. “I'm calling for books not a resume.” – back to the phone call- I'm like, well I said, “I'll tell you what. I own a bonanza. If you need my resume today, I will crawl in my Bonanza. I imagine. . .” they're in California, “I imagine I could be there by this evening and I'll get you my resume.”  (To me, now mind you I don't even have a resume.) and ahh, “You got to be kidding me. You're going to fly your resume out here?” I say. “Yes Sir. I will.” and they said “Well, wait a minute. Do you. . .  Oh my God, if you want it that bad I'll tell you what. Go overnight me your resume and I will make a decision tomorrow.”
I'm like, “Yes Sir.” -  hung the phone up - ran out of my class - went straight to a notary -because that's where you go to have somebody type you up a letter - because I didn't own a computer, didn't have a typewriter. They typed me up a resume. Then I run to Federal Express. FedEx has a thing and I wanted to overnight my resume right then. And I'm telling the guy, it's so important, it's so important - and this is - this is in the 80s. But he's like, “Sir that's what we do. We do important papers. That's what FedEx is all about. us and this is so important he said well tell you what, What is it?” “This piece of paper.” and he goes, “Well, why don't we do ZAP mail?” “What's ZAP mail?” He goes, “We're going to go in the back office and make a photocopy of your paper but instead of it coming out here it's going to come out in the office in California, And then we're gonna give it to the driver and they'll deliver it today.” I went, “Oh my God! I gotta do that!”
So I do ZAP mail and send it overnight. Now if you don't remember what ZAP mail is. . . it’s a FAX. FedEx had the patent and they called it ZAP mail. So I do ZAP mail to this very person that I was calling it 4:00 in the morning and then again at 9:00 in the morning or 8:00 in the morning and now by 4 he's got my resume and I'm on the phone going Sir did you get it? He's like, “My God, kid I've never seen anybody work so hard, so fast, to get something here. --- pause ---  “but you don't have enough time.” . . . because now he sees I only have 800 hours.
So now I'm kind of like trying to backpedal – right? - because it's like, “well you know, but Chuck, you know…” He goes, “I know, I know Chuck recommended you. Hey, kid I've never seen anyone work so hard. you're right on time and a recommendation from Chuck, and you go this far out. . .  can you be in Miami in three days?” I'm like, “Yes Sir. I can.”
so three days later I quit college. I only went to one semester.
I'm now sitting in Miami FL in a vicar bought 4 engines bigger bike out flying Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac on their world tour. . .  and that's how I got into the flow of aviation.
AD- viscount?
 RW- right yeah, a 4 engine turboprop from the Brits!
 AD- so you what position are you applying for?
RW- copilot -- copilot I I you know that that's where I started. Can we run out and see Kermit before he disappears on us --- because I'm very concerned . . .
AD- We step out of this 50 ft motor home and join Kermit Weeks, Roger’s son Chase, a jet pilot, Roger’s daughter, Allison, pilot and merchandiser for his empire, and pilots and mechanics from around the USA and world who have flown in for OSH.
The main thing I want to write about is individuals achieving their dreams – but I am continually fascinated by the coincidences I find in Life and the people I meet. I came to Marathon in the Florida Keys to swim in warm water and fly at the airport, only a bike ride away. I find Solomon Bradman, (another Dream Story), his local Flight school – and guess what?
Roger Woolsey, Million Air, just took over the airport – sort’a.
 Right here in the Florida Keys.  – if you want to know what a hustling boy with a Bonanza can do, look up  Roger Woolsey, Million Air

And NO. Mr. Woolsey is not a Participant in VB4AD, except to give another Dreamer Story.  . . . But he cheers me on.

So I invite YOU to PARTICIPATE !               Frederick Kohler      – Call: 310-274-2177      Send an Email : VB4AD@usa.com

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