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Clyde Beal: Huntington man's father inspired him to fly high
Jim Burdette has experienced things that many of us only see on television or at the movies. Yet when speaking with him about his past accomplishments, he downplays his talents as though they are not really all that special.
"I was just fortunate enough to have a wonderful father who shared his visions with me," said Burdette. "Dad's work ethic, his interest in old machinery and love of aviation were all areas that he instilled in me."
A retired machinist by trade, Burdette was born in a small farming community of Renick located in Greenbrier County. By age 5, the family had moved to Huntington where young Burdette began attending a list of public schools.
"I first attended the old Miller Elementary School on 12th Avenue; a couple of years at Barboursville Junior High, followed by another year at Beverly Hills. Then on to Huntington East where I spent most of my time in the trade school," he said.
While it was the trade school that led to a career as a machinist, it was his father who supplied the initiative to go beyond the ordinary. An example of this would be the first home that Burdette and his wife, Bertie, lived in. Together with his father, they tore down an old home just for the lumber and bricks. That material was reused for the framing and foundation in the construction of his first home.
"I cleaned old mortar from every brick and removed old nails from each piece of wood that came from that old house. It really gave new meaning to the term 'sweat equity,'" said Burdette.
Burdette's father also had a rather intense interest in antiques. For more than 40 years, he operated an antique shop at 3505 Route 60 in East Huntington. The shop may be gone, but a few of those special treasures that Burdette and his father discovered and restored have been kept. As a result of their searching and buying of antiques, the rusty remains of a 1939 Indian motorcycle were discovered in a barn on a Wisconsin farm and restored to pristine condition. Parts to restore this highly collectable vintage cycle took years to accumulate.
"I visited antique auctions, read old motorcycle publications, attended vintage motorcycle meets and even flea markets searching for parts to restore that cycle," said Burdette, who also mentioned that the motorcycle is dangerous because of the location of the foot clutch and the need to remove your hand from the handlebar to shift gears.
Another past era which Burdette seldom talks about is his accomplishments with airplanes. From small radio controlled models to full size World War II surplus trainers from the early 1940s, Burdette has flown them all.
His first experience flying full-sized airplanes was with gliders at Newlon Field located a few miles up the Ohio River Road from Guyandotte.
"I once soared over 7,000 feet high," said Burdette. "You have to find updrafts or pockets of warm air called thermals. Unless you can do that, your plane will just glide back down to the airport. One of the best ways to locate thermals is to try and find hawks who get in these warm pockets of air and seem to glide forever. Where the birds are, chances are, that's where the warm air is."
Burdette has rebuilt and owned several airplanes over the years. Planes like the 1943 Stearman bi-wing trainer that he and his father discovered while in Arkansas searching for antiques. The wings were removed, there was no fabric covering the fuselage, the condition of the engine was unknown, it was just really in sad condition.
"Dad must have heard a faint heartbeat in that old plane," said Burdette. "We tied the wings on top of the van, fastened the rear of the plane to the bumper, aired up the old tires on the landing gear and towed it home. Several fellow flyers made fun of our discovery when they first saw it, some even predicted it would never fly," he said. "Two years later, the plane received an airworthy certificate and I climbed in, started the engine and took off. The thrill of that first flight was indescribable."
Burdette has also thrilled an unknown amount of people who have been given orientation flights for free. He once was told about a lady celebrating her 80th birthday. She wanted nothing better than to say she had flown an airplane before she left this world. She never expected to fly in a World War II vintage airplane while wearing goggles and strapped in an open cockpit seat with the wind whistling by her ears -- but she did.
"When we landed, she had the biggest smile on her face. As I was helping her out of the airplane, she told me that she now knew how the Red Barron felt," Burdette said.
"Flying isn't the fun it used to be," said Burdette. "It's much more expensive now. Insurance, fuel costs, new requirements, upkeep have soared so high that the average individual is hard-pressed to afford the pleasure of flying his own plane."
But the memories of those carefree years abide. The pictures of Burdette and his dad working on that old bi-wing. The restored Piper Cub, flying with his grandson Brandon. Chasing hawks up warm thermals in a glider on summer days. Better to have those memories than to have nothing at all.
Clyde Beal is always interested in hearing your story. If you would like to share a part of your life, write him at Archie350@verizon.net.
