Texas Chapter Gone West Memorial

This page commemorates members of the Texas Chapter who have "Gone West", or passed on, in alphabetical order. Every year at the AAA National Fly-in at Blakesburg, Iowa there's a memorial service on Sunday at the Gone West Memorial on the grounds of the Airpower Museum.

THE LAST CHECK RIDE

I hope there's a place way up in the sky, where old flyers can go on the day they die. A place where a guy can buy a cold beer, for a friend and a comrade, whose memory is dear.

A place where no doctor or lawyer can tread, nor an FAA type would 'ere be caught dead. Just a quaint little place, kind of dark, full of smoke, where they like to sing loud, and love a good joke.

The kind of a place where a lady could go, and feel safe and protected by the men she would know. There must be a place where old flyers go, when their flying is finished, and their airspeed gets low.

Where the whiskey is old, the women are young, and songs about flying and dying are sung.

Where you'd see all the fellows who'd flown west before, and they'd call out your name, as you came through the door. Who would buy you a drink, if your thirst should be bad, and relate to others, "He was quite a good lad".

And then through the mist, you'd spot an old guy, you’d not seen in years, though he taught you to fly. He'd nod his old head, and grin ear to ear and say, "Welcome, my son, I'm pleased that you're here, for this is the place where the true flyers come, when their journey is over, and their war has been won.

They've come here at last to be safe and alone, from the government clerk, and the management clone, Politicians and lawyers, the Feds and the noise, where all hours are happy, and they're all good ole' boys.

You can relax with a cold one, maybe deal from a deck,
for this is heaven my son.....You've passed your last check!"

Author Unknown

Click on the Member Name for bio.