Bill Allen - learning to fly

Say you are 60-something and retired. What might you do with your time? When Bill Allen found himself in that position, he went to Johnson County’s Executive Airport and asked about flying a plane. “They said why not take a lesson,” Bill said. And that’s just what he did.



Bill Allen

Bill got his license a year and a half ago, and has been having a great time taking to the skies. He and his wife, Mary, recently flew to Paola, parked the airplane, walked over to a barbecue joint, ate, and flew back home.

Bill is a private pilot, and flies VFR (visual flight rules.) That means he can’t fly through clouds, using instruments to guide him. He must be able to physically see the sky and surroundings when flying. “I’m a fair weather flyer,” he explained.  “I always have to be alert.”

Flying lessons involved a number of requirements. A minimum of 40 hours flight training is necessary, which includes 20 hours of dual instruction and 10 hours of solo flight. Then comes a written test of 60 multiple choice questions, and a practical flight test with an FAA-designated examiner. For Bill, training included flying solo to Topeka and Emporia in Kansas; and Lake of the Ozarks and Columbia in Missouri, making numerous landings and take-offs. He had to practice landing at night too.

“I get nervous taking any test,” Bill said, so you might be able to imagine his discomfiture flying with the FAA representative. “I had to fly in a circle without losing altitude,” Bill said. “I had to purposely stall the plane and then recover. The FAA representative pulled the throttle and would say, ‘Uh oh, engine failure,’ and I had to simulate a landing.”

The written test included questions such as, “What is Class B airspace?” and “What are the minimum flying conditions for VFR?”

Though the tests are behind him now, Bill still has requirements before getting in the pilot’s seat. For example, he has to get a weather briefing before flying. And he can’t fly at night unless he has had three night landings in the previous 90 days. But it’s not the landing that is of greatest concern, Bill said. “Taking off is the most risky and critical part of the flight,” he said.

Bill is a CPA by trade and was a partner in a national CPA firm. He was the CFO at Bethany College in Lindsborg, and CFO for Mennonite Housing in Wichita. The latter involved building houses and making repairs for the elderly and low-income. Bill also was a co-owner of a company that built furniture for all the Cessna’s private jets, and for Air Force I. The company employed 500 people, and generally built tables and entertainment centers.

He always had an interest in airplanes, though never felt compelled to pursue that interest. “It was just a wild hair,” he said about deciding to get a pilot’s license.

Though he flies for fun, Bill looks for ways to serve others. He applied to help with Honor Flights as a guardian. Honor Flights is a program that takes veterans to see the World War II memorial in Washington, D.C., something many had given up on ever seeing because of financial and physical constraints. A couple of weeks ago, Bill helped with the Challenge Air program, whose purpose is to give airplane rides to children with special needs. “There were about 20 planes there to give rides to over 120 kids,” Bill said. “I helped load the kids and their guardians into the airplanes. It was a fun event and great to see the smiles on the kid's faces.”

Bill also spends each Monday at St. Joseph Hospital, transporting patients within the hospital, and supports a variety of efforts through the Metro Lutheran Ministry.

He recently joined the Holy Cross men’s cycling group for a ride, and thought he would ride with them again. But as for flying? “It’s something I like to do,” Bill said. “I don’t play golf. I don’t have a lot of hobbies.”