Northwest Missourian

Issue date: 10/2/08 Section: Community News

Media Credit: Jarod Clarke PILOT JOE RANKIN radios Maryville air traffic control, informing them of the test flight over the city. Rankin joined the U.S. Air Force in 1952 during the Korean War, but military age restrictions kept him from flying. By the time he was old enough, the war was over. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Cortney Edwards RANKIN TALKS ABOUT the Piper Cub; the model his son owns now is a replica the first plane Rankin learned to fly in 1947. The wings of the plane are made of fabric not aluminum and can handle almost double the amount of G's that aluminum planes can. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Cortney Edwards THE PLANE RANKIN currenly uses to train prospective pilots is this Cessna 172 Skyhawk. [Click to enlarge]

After checking a variety of gauges and instruments, he puts the key in the ignition. The engine emits a deep, rumbling sound as the propeller begins to spin.

The cockpit smells of worn leather seats and a hint of motor oil, like the inside of an old Ford Mustang. He increases the throttle and the Cessna 172 Skyhawk speeds down the runway and lifts smoothly into the air.

From 1,000 feet above the ground, Joe Rankin sees houses being built, fields being plowed and to the west, Maryville and the Northwest campus. The view is not unusual to Rankin, though it has changed during the 61 years since his first flight. During that time, he has logged more than 13,000 hours of aviation instruction.

Rankin started flying in 1947 while attending Maryville High School, using money earned on his paper route to pay the $13 an hour fee for lessons. He completed his first solo flight at the age of 16 and earned his pilot's license at 17.

The Air Force seemed like a good fit for a young flight enthusiast, so Rankin joined in 1952. Unfortunately, he was too young to fly in the military, and by the time he was old enough the Korean War ended, greatly reducing the need for pilots.

After coming home from the Air Force in 1953, Rankin started a business spraying crops for local farmers. The city of Maryville needed a new manager for the Municipal Airport west of town and approached him about the position. In 1964, Rankin became manager of the Maryville Municipal Airport.

Rankin's wife, Jo, ran the office at the airport while Rankin instructed students and maintained the aircraft as well as the grounds.

The family tradition at Maryville Municipal has continued.

Today, it is operated by Rankin's son, Kevin.

Before they were wed, Rankin took Jo on dates in his plane, but only after Jo's father, who had flight experience of his own, supervised a flight to ensure that Rankin was a competent pilot. Rankin and Jo married in 1950.

"It gets confusing," Rankin said. "People call up and ask for Mr. Joe or Mrs. Jo, whichever one they want."

Shortly after taking charge of the Municipal Airport, the Rankins formed a partnership with Northwest to create an aviation course, which they still teach together. Jo teaches the ground portion of the class, which prepares students for the written exam required for a pilot's license, and Joe instructs the 10 hours of actual flight required for the course.

Enrollment for the class averaged at about 25 students in early years. Recently the numbers have dwindled to six or eight students most trimesters. This trimester, only one student enrolled in the course.

Jeremy Peeler took the course in fall 2007. Peeler was not a Northwest student, but said he wanted to learn to fly as a hobby. He still trains with Rankin, and said he is a good, relaxed instructor.

Jo agrees, having learned from "Mr. Joe" herself, just as their daughter and two sons did.

Rankin is "exceedingly patient," she said.

In 1973, Rankin took over what is now Rankin Airport at 26842 Jet Road, east of Maryville. The airport was built to train pilots in preparation for World War II, Rankin said. The local chapter of the Civil Pilot Training Program was run by the State Teachers College, which is now Northwest.

Ed Schultz, a former Navy pilot who later died in combat, trained the "Flying Bearcats" in basic flight, Rankin said. They received advanced training in California before leaving for the military.

Vernon Bowman, one of the trainees most eager for combat, joined the Canadian Air Force while the United States decided whether to participate in the war, and fought in the famous Battle of Britain.

There is more to the history of flight in the Maryville area than many people are aware of, Rankin said. Today, his office is a miniature museum devoted to the history of local flight. Pictures and newspaper clippings line the walls.

Ray Schenck's pilot license, signed by Orville Wright, hangs in one corner. Schenck, for whom the airport in Clarinda, Iowa, is named, flew in and "delivered Santa Claus" to Maryville in 1932, Rankin said.

A picture of Air Force One was sent by Charlie Arms, who once flew then-Vice President George H.W. Bush. Arms took his first flight with Rankin. He regularly rode his bike to the airport to watch Rankin fly, until one day Rankin flipped open the door and made him an offer he couldn't refuse, Arms said.

"Want to come along?" Rankin said.

The flight left a big impression on Arms, helping steer him toward a 24-year career in the Air Force, and 10 years with Southwest Airlines.

"He really has been a blessing to this community for these years," Arms said.

On another wall of Rankin's office, a poster from Denny Sapp, another former student, depicts Sapp's time as part of the Blue Angels. The Blue Angels Web site describes them as a demonstration squadron which has performed stunts for more than 427,000,000 people since 1946.

Though never a Blue Angel, Rankin has seen his share of excitement in the cockpit.

One day, while preparing to land, a student asked "Are we supposed to have two shadows?"

Rankin pulled up, discovering another plane flying directly below them.

On another flight, an F-100 fighter jet flew less than 100 feet below Rankin's plane. It was close enough Rankin could see the pilot wore a red flight suit with a green visor on his helmet.

"You could describe flight as hours and hours of sheer boredom punctuated by stark terror," he said.

In recent years, Rankin received two awards from the Federal Aviation Administration honoring his achievements related to flight. In 2005, he was awarded the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award, recognizing more than 50 years in aviation maintenance. In May 2008, he received the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, given to pilots who have achieved 50 years of safe flight.

Rankin recommends flight lessons for "anybody who wants to learn to fly. It just takes good common sense and a willingness to learn."

A private pilot's license requires 40 hours of flight, 20 of which must be with an instructor. Rankin says lessons usually cost around $100 an hour.

The ground portion of Northwest's aviation course takes place at Maryville Municipal Airport on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Students pay tuition as well as $230 for supplies. They must also pay for 10 hours of flight instruction, which count toward the requirements for a pilot's license.

The propeller slows as the Cessna nears the ground. The wheels touch down, kicking up dust from the gravel extension of the mostly concrete runway. Rankin coasts to a stop, climbs out of the cockpit and walks toward his house, which doubles as the airport's office. He gets a cold bottle of water from the refrigerator.

Tomorrow, he will fly again, probably more than once. After more than six decades of flight and countless contributions to aviation, local and beyond, Rankin sees no reason to stop now.

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