The Villages - April 2018 - 16

{ For THe

Love

o F F LY I N G }

BoB Frister

A Pilot
with High Hopes
Story By rica LewiS

Some say the sky is the limit, but Bob Frister has a
different perspective. Cruising through life at 39,000
feet, he found a special kind of freedom in flight.
"When you're on the ground, you only see as high
as the sky. But when you're in the air, you can see the
whole world," he said.
Although Bob's father was afraid to fly, Bob knew
from an early age that aviation was A-OK.
"I knew I wanted to fly when I was 6 years old," he
said. "I grew up during World War II, and I started
seeing airplanes on television. My inspiration was
Eddie Rickenbacher (America's most successful fighter
ace), and I wanted to fly for Eastern (Airlines) just like
he did."
Knowing he could not acquire his parents' consent
to pursue flying, Bob found other ways to reach
his goal.
"I sold my guitar and trumpet to pay for flying
lessons," he said. "Then a buddy and I snuck out to
Hackettstown Airport in New Jersey."
While most teens were traversing the road, Bob was
navigating the air. At age 17, he earned his wings after
convincing his friend's mother to sign his release to
fly solo.

16

APRIL 2018

"I got home and my dad asked, 'How was the flight?'
I almost had a heart attack," he said. "I'm not sure how
he found out, but surprisingly, he was not angry."
Bob continued to fly, and his four brothers followed
suit. One had a 58-year career in aviation, and
another is still manning the cockpit for Executive Jet
Management. At age 27, Bob was offered his dream job
at Eastern Airlines. He spent close to three decades there
before becoming a "freight dog."
"Freight pilots fly all night with their cargo - what
an adventure," he said. "It was beautiful. You could see
meteors, stars and comets. The brilliance of the sky - it
was incredible."



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Villages - April 2018

Contents
The Villages - April 2018 - Cover1
The Villages - April 2018 - Contents
The Villages - April 2018 - 1
The Villages - April 2018 - 2
The Villages - April 2018 - 3
The Villages - April 2018 - 4
The Villages - April 2018 - 5
The Villages - April 2018 - 6
The Villages - April 2018 - 7
The Villages - April 2018 - 8
The Villages - April 2018 - 9
The Villages - April 2018 - 10
The Villages - April 2018 - 11
The Villages - April 2018 - 12
The Villages - April 2018 - 13
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The Villages - April 2018 - 16
The Villages - April 2018 - 17
The Villages - April 2018 - 18
The Villages - April 2018 - 19
The Villages - April 2018 - 20
The Villages - April 2018 - 21
The Villages - April 2018 - 22
The Villages - April 2018 - 23
The Villages - April 2018 - 24
The Villages - April 2018 - 25
The Villages - April 2018 - 26
The Villages - April 2018 - 27
The Villages - April 2018 - 28
The Villages - April 2018 - 29
The Villages - April 2018 - 30
The Villages - April 2018 - 31
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The Villages - April 2018 - 33
The Villages - April 2018 - 34
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The Villages - April 2018 - 37
The Villages - April 2018 - 38
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The Villages - April 2018 - 42
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The Villages - April 2018 - Cover3
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