An Unusual Hobby

Interview Contact: Larry Snowden

Larry Snowden is a locally well known pilot. He lives in Sunset with his wife and two daughters. The elder of his daughters interviewed him for this piece.

"[Flying-] it's just something you do to put your mind at ease and be up there alone, and do loops, and it's the freedom about it. I love to look down and see things from the air, and it's very relaxing.

I learned to fly with Herb Jones; he gave me my first ride in a plane when I was about 13 years- 12 or 13 years old.

[Herb and I-] we went up; I sold tickets for a television set that the flying club had, for a raffle, and that's how I earned my first ride.

[I] always loved airplanes. Model airplanes, I used to build 'em. Had a drawerful of them that the cat used to get into and chew up. But, I always loved airplanes.

The only story I liked in school was the one about Lindbergh, and of course, the Amelia Earhart story; but that wasn't as prominent 'cept that she got lost, and they put it in books.

Well, I was a professional student for quite a few years, and then I finally went to ground school down in Florida for three months, and passed a commercial written [test].

Yeah, my plane was a plane that was in a wreck; it was crash-landed up in Bangor. I bought it with damaged nosegear, and the wings were off it. I brought it home on a trailer, put it in my garage, and I bought some parts off a fellow named Sam Thompson in Belfast.

The day I put the wings on, they [the inspection guys] came down and checked it out- said it looked pretty good. If I could fly it up to, you know, to Brewer, they said that they'd check it out - sign it off.

Next day, I flew up to Brewer, and they went over it with a fine tooth comb, checked all the cables, engines, compression, and pronounced it air worthy.

And I've flown it- it's over seven hundred hours since that without any incidents- well, any major incidents.

Oh yeah, any time you fly is an unusual experience. I've had 'em. I had engine problem one time. I tried a loop with my airplane I have now. I went over the top too slow, and I got over the top, I was upside down, and everything on the floor fell into the ceiling. Gas cans were floating on the ceiling, ash tray fell out, and all the dust that accumulated up in the bottom of the plane accumulated in up in the top. So, we had a shower of gravel when I turned it back over!

Then I got lost one time, up near some place in Virginia. I was really lost 'cause I don't know the name of the place. But, nobody got too worried.

The first Stonington Fly-In was an idea that we organized to have a fly-in this year. It was the first one ever to get all the pilots and former pilots, student pilots, and their friends together, and to have a good time and enjoy what we have down here at the airport. Herb Jones, who started the airport, volunteered his plane, and flew all day long giving people rides. A lot of the former pilots came, and lots of stories and pictures [were shared]. Just a good time was had by all.

Everbody that loves [flying] should do it."

Audrey Snowden