Flying Home Page #3

with at least three of her own -

for 30 years.

Hundreds of letters,

all gone missing in Honolulu.

But my search for Walter's traces

in the New World had only just begun.

My research led me to Wichita, Kansas,

then a center of the

American aviation industry.

The huge companies,

which had lost their Air Force contracts

after the second World War,

were on the search for new markets

and ideas with a future.

For Walter, the chance of a lifetime.

I set off for Wichita.

November 1945.

Dear Mami, Just think:

I now work for the airplane company

Beechcraft, in the state of Kansas.

I'm designing a car for them.

Maybe this will be my breakthrough.

January 1946.

Do you remember

Papa's Electromobile?

I will design a very special car,

which can drive on electricity

as well as on gas.

15 April 1946.

Before my departure from Detroit,

I attended a jazz concert by Lionel Hampton

"and heard my favorite piece,

Flying Home".

I arrived in Wichita last Saturday evening,

with my Ford and all my things,

after a nice 1000-mile trip.

The roads were good,

and I mostly drove 70-80 miles per hour,

overtaking everyone on the way.

Here, everything seems better than

I could have dreamt for.

In the Broadview Hotel, I'll probably

be able to pay a monthly rent.

Wichita, 17 July 1946.

Work at Beechcraft is still wonderful.

I have never been happier in the USA.

I've bought a bed, to be able to

spend the night in the office.

Seven people now work for me

on the Plainsman car.

End of November, 1946.

It is certain that we will

finish the test cars,

as a few hundred thousand dollars

have already been spent on them.

But there is a big question mark over

whether the car will ever be manufactured.

After days of fruitless searching,

I began to fear

that I would find nobody

who could tell me about Uncle Walter's

private life here in Wichita.

But then I came across the name

Walt Burnham,

Uncle Walter's then boss at Beechcraft.

His daughter Pat

had married a certain Dale Rummer,

whom I finally found in Lawrence, Kansas.

Dale was also an engineer.

On the phone, he had told me about

a wonderful wedding present,

which Walter had given him

and his wife Pat.

15 January 1948.

Unfortunately,

the aviation industry is not doing well.

People are losing their jobs.

I surprised I'm even still here.

I can probably still finish the test car.

Working Saturdays now too.

But who knows,

with the Cold War against Russia,

and rearmament,

the aviation industry might soon

have plenty to do again.

It is so terrible, that there will be

war again in the foreseeable future.

Handicapped down here...

Following my visit to the Rummers, after

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes