AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 38

BRIEFING
PEOPLE /
Heart to heart
Walking the wing while my son pilots the airplane
BY MAYCAY BEELER
WHEN I F IRST laid eyes on my newborn son in the delivery room, I
never imagined 31 years later I would be looking down on him from
atop a Stearman wing as he piloted a 1943 PT-17. It would be our
attempt at the first documented mother-son wing walk with mom on
the wing and son in the cockpit piloting the aircraft. No other known
mother-son team had accomplished this before, and here we were,
giving it a go.
The seed was planted in 2009 when I co-emceed the Winston-Salem
Air Show. I have helped narrate many daring acts over time, but it was
always the wing walkers who were the heart-pounding showstoppers.
Glamorous fearless beauties pushing the envelope, showcasing the fantastic
nature of flight. I couldn't believe my eyes. Were these ladies crazy?
Who in their right mind would do such a thing? I was in awe, shocked
(there are parts of the flight where the wing walkers are not tethered to
the aircraft), yet oddly inspired. I had never seen such gutsy gracefulness.
Years later, my son RJ Gritter, a gifted aerobatic pilot, would perform
at the Flying Circus Airshow in Bealeton, Virginia. In its fifty-second
38
AOPA PILOT / September 2022
year, steeped in aviation nostalgia, the Flying Circus features
barnstorming, aerobatics, vintage airplane rides, and wing
walkers (see " Little Big Show, " May 2020 AOPA Pilot).
A long-time flight instructor, I flew with a student pilot
to Virginia to watch RJ perform. I was smitten by the show
and its enchanting energy. Truly a magical place. It was here
I saw an attractive woman in her 50s, Beth Sommer, perform
her wing walking act. I admired her badassery. I wanted
to be her. In a stroke of good fortune, Sommer became my
mentor. She would train me for a one-time, personal accomplishment
walking the wing with RJ flying the airplane.
Flying Circus crew chief Joe Bender mentioned this likely
would be a historic record, a first for a mother and son.
My wing walk, if approved, would be an exceptional private
event requiring special permission from Flying Circus
officials. I was told flat out how dangerous this could be, and
asked why I would want to risk traumatizing my son should
something go wrong, like falling off the wing as he was flying.
It was too horrible for me to imagine, but the officials
stressed the possibility. Those words never left me. They
would play a key role in our adventure.
I am blessed with a colorful storied life featuring exciting
adventures as a television journalist and record-breaking
pilot. At this late stage in life, having accomplished so much,
nothing excited me. I needed something to put the wind
VERNON POOLE

AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022

Contents
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - Intro
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - Cover1
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - Cover2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - Contents
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 4
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 5
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 6
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 7
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 8
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 9
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 10
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 11
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 12
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 13
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 14
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 15
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 16
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 17
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 18
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 19
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 20
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 21
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 24
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 25
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 26
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 27
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 28
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 29
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 30
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 31
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 32
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 33
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 34
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 35
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 36
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 37
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 38
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 39
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 40
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 41
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 42
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 43
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 45
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 46
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 47
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 48
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - R-1
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - R-2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - R-3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - R-4
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - R-5
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - R-6
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - R-7
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - R-8
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 49
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 50
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 51
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 52
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 53
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 54
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 55
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 56
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 57
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 58
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 59
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 60
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 61
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 62
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 63
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 64
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 65
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 66
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 67
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 68
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 69
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 70
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 71
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 72
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 73
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 74
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 75
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 76
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 77
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 78
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 79
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 80
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 81
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 82
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 83
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 84
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 85
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 86
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 88
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 89
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - Cover3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - Cover4
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