On Wednesday, March 7, 2018 my dear Grandfather, Paul Ross Wynn peacefully passed away at the age of 91. And today, my family and I laid him to rest in his hometown of Ashton, Idaho, a community where I to this day, hold special ties to. My Grandfather was one of the reasons why I became interested in aviation and eventually, inspired me to become a pilot and pursue a career in aviation.
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| The V-tailed Beechcraft 35 Bonanza, one my grandfather's favorite aircraft. He once two of them during his lifetime. |
My Grandfather earned his pilots license at the age of 16; his interest in aviation was sparked one day when he and his father were driving on a long-distance trip when suddenly, their truck was buzzed by a Douglas DC-3 at low altitude! Initially rattled, followed by some good laughs, my Grandfather caught the bug and got the courage to ask his father, who would allow it on the condition that he would not fly on the Sabbath, a promise he kept his entire life.
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| To think that a Douglas DC-3 buzzing my grandfather while with his father would inspire him to become a pilot and let aviation become a large part of his life... Times were truly different back then! |
My Grandfather was a General Aviation pilot all his life, having logged thousands of hours flying over every U.S. state, Canada, Mexico, and parts of South America. Throughout his life, my Grandfather owned nine different airplanes including two Beechcraft Bonanzas, a Cessna 172, a Piper Cub, an ERCO Ercoupe, and a Mooney M20 among others.
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| Mooney M20 |
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| Piper Cub |
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| ERCO Ercoupe |
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| Cessna 172 |
My grandfather served in the United States Navy towards the end of World War II. Though he wanted to be a pilot, the Navy stopped accepting applications for such a position since the United States was on the verge of winning the war. Still wanting to fly, he then applied to be a radio operator on a bomber aircraft, the Grumman TBF Avenger. One of his favorite stories from flying on board the Avenger was prank pulled on greenhorn crew members as a sort of 'initiation.' On board is a funnel with a hose attached, which crew members were told it was the primary means to talk to the pilot flying the plane. Except it wasn't meant for talking; it was used to go the bathroom in! Greenhorn crew members (including my grandfather!) were punked with the infamous 'pee tube!'
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| My grandfather was a crew member on Grumman Avenger torpedo bombers much like this one. |
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| My grandfather's Navy portrait. |
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| My grandfather's World War II Victory Medal and American Campaign Medal. |
My entire family and I will miss him dearly. But all of our lives have been touched by Paul Ross Wynn, our grand patriarch for the better and we are grateful for him. I am personally grateful that I had 27 years to get to know him and to share the same passion we have in aviation and airplanes. As a pilot myself, I owe it to my grandfather to carry on a portion of his grand legacy; every flight I take as pilot-in-command from now on will have God on one wing, and my grandfather's spirit on the other.
Love you, Gramps! I will miss you! And thank you for inspiring me to become the man I am today!
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| Grandpa Ross, as I remember him! |
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