Perusing Some Old Logbooks

Memories from the past elicit lots of laughter and plenty of tears.

Wednesday, June 12, 2024 at 09:03 AM ET

Verified

On a whim, FLYING contributor Martha Luniken dug into some old logbooks, as well as some diaries from the years between the mid-1960s and mid-’70s. [Courtesy: Martha Lunken]

Key Takeaways:

The author, a former flight instructor and flight school owner, reflects on her extensive career from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s, reminiscing about the numerous students she taught and the challenging yet rewarding experiences.
She recounts her personal journey, including her early instructing jobs, her complicated relationship and eventual marriage to Ebby Lunken, and the establishment of "Miss Martha's Flying School" where she logged nearly 6,000 hours of dual instruction.
The article shares several humorous and sometimes difficult anecdotes from her time as an instructor, featuring memorable students who ranged from a flustered woman telling ATC to "shut up" to a businessman who drank martinis before flying lessons.
Through revisiting old logbooks, the author conveys a deep appreciation and nostalgia for the hard work, unique characters, and emotional experiences of her years dedicated to aviation instruction.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Grounded too often this winter by weather and a head cold that morphed into pneumonia, I was stuck in the house, casting around for stories to tell you.

On a whim, I dug into some old logbooks, as well as some diaries from the years between the mid-1960s and mid-’70s, and have been alternately convulsed with laughter, drowned in tears, and flat-out amazed at the number of people I taught (or tried to teach) to fly. As far as I know, none have hurt themselves, their passengers, or their airplanes (well, except me).

Martha Lunken

Martha Lunken is a lifelong pilot, former FAA inspector and defrocked pilot examiner. She flies a Cessna 180 and anything with a tailwheel, from Cubs to DC-3s.