Two Antique Men and One Antique Plane

Jack Hubbert

Thursday, September 05, 2013 at 05:20 PM ET

Verified

** Jack Hubbert and Gary Yost with Hubbert's
Aeronca Super Chief**

Key Takeaways:

82-year-old retired airline captain Jack, accompanied by his 83-year-old friend Gary, fulfilled a lifelong dream by flying his 65-year-old Aeronca Super Chief named Daisy cross-country.
The journey involved refreshing Jack's small plane skills and training Gary, a builder with minimal prior flight experience, to serve as navigator, relying on positive thoughts for perfect weather.
Their 1830-mile, five-day flight included a humorous incident of accidentally landing at the wrong airport in Gillette, Wyoming, and dealing with the physical challenges of two octogenarians on a long trip.
The cross-country adventure concluded with a heartwarming surprise "Welcome Home" greeting from friends and family upon their arrival in Auburn, Washington.

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My name is Jack — I am 82 years old. My friend Gary is 83 years old, and my 1947 Aeronca Super Chief (N3900E) is 65 years old.

In 1960, I went to work for Alaska Airlines for 25 years. Before and during that time, I worked on a lot of different airplanes, and for the last 12 years I was co-pilot on the Boeing 727 one year and served as Captain for the next 11 years. Sadly, I had to leave Alaska Airlines due to a heart attack, which forced me to retire. Between 1985 and 2012, I flew very little — about two to three hours a year, mostly on floats.