36 years and 364 days ago my IP in the contact phase of army flight school, Al Olah, keyed the mic and said "Well, I think I've had about enough of this ****! Put us down over there by flight ops." I thought for a second my 2 week Army Aviation Career was over.......Back To The Infantry! He jumped out and before he unplugged his flight helmet he keyed the mic, chuckled and said "Take it around the pattern three times and bring it back over here so Spark's (my stick buddy) can try and kill me for the last hour." And away I went!
During the day's end debrief Mr. Olah, Pan Am contract IP to the United States Army Aviation Center and School, presented me this colored by his own hand solo certificate. I was honored that he took the time to add color to it himself....no other IP did that. Al Olah wasn't the average IP.
Al Olah was a 51 year old, 5'7" and 150 pound GIANT of a Man! He was a veteran of the USMC rising to the rank of Sergeant, then went to OCS at fort Benning in 1967, commissioned as an Infantry Officer and retired as a Captain in 1978 after serving 2 tours in Vietnam flying the mighty UH-1D "Slick" and UH-1C "Hog" Gunship. He was confident, humble and approachable....the mark of every good instructor...and he demanded maximum effort in the cockpit. He died in 2021 at the age of 83, and only then did I learn he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, 19 Air Medals - number 8 with a V device for Heroism - for his service in Vietnam. Like all real heroes he never talked about himself, never mentioned his accolades, only that he was honored to have served with brave men fighting in a land far away.
Alfred E. Olah - National Air and Space Museum
Here's to you Mr. Olah! It was an honor to sit beside you in the TH-55. To have you pour your vast knowledge over me for 4 weeks, teaching me things that would later save my life... more than once. For pointing out to me that the oldest "ancient" looking IP in the contact phase was in his youth an Army Air Corp B-24 Liberator Pilot who bombed the "Damn Dirty Japs" into surrender in the pacific, "Never judge a Man just because he's old" you said. For giving your best, all day, every day....never failing me or allowing me to think I could, I am eternally grateful. You were a Giant of a Man, Aviator, Husband, Father, and Grandfather. What an honor it is to have really known you.
During the day's end debrief Mr. Olah, Pan Am contract IP to the United States Army Aviation Center and School, presented me this colored by his own hand solo certificate. I was honored that he took the time to add color to it himself....no other IP did that. Al Olah wasn't the average IP.
Al Olah was a 51 year old, 5'7" and 150 pound GIANT of a Man! He was a veteran of the USMC rising to the rank of Sergeant, then went to OCS at fort Benning in 1967, commissioned as an Infantry Officer and retired as a Captain in 1978 after serving 2 tours in Vietnam flying the mighty UH-1D "Slick" and UH-1C "Hog" Gunship. He was confident, humble and approachable....the mark of every good instructor...and he demanded maximum effort in the cockpit. He died in 2021 at the age of 83, and only then did I learn he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, 19 Air Medals - number 8 with a V device for Heroism - for his service in Vietnam. Like all real heroes he never talked about himself, never mentioned his accolades, only that he was honored to have served with brave men fighting in a land far away.
Alfred E. Olah - National Air and Space Museum
Here's to you Mr. Olah! It was an honor to sit beside you in the TH-55. To have you pour your vast knowledge over me for 4 weeks, teaching me things that would later save my life... more than once. For pointing out to me that the oldest "ancient" looking IP in the contact phase was in his youth an Army Air Corp B-24 Liberator Pilot who bombed the "Damn Dirty Japs" into surrender in the pacific, "Never judge a Man just because he's old" you said. For giving your best, all day, every day....never failing me or allowing me to think I could, I am eternally grateful. You were a Giant of a Man, Aviator, Husband, Father, and Grandfather. What an honor it is to have really known you.
