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

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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, reminisces about her extensive career from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s, establishing "Miss Martha's Flying School" and logging nearly 6,000 hours of dual instruction.
Her journey involved navigating personal challenges, including a marriage to Ebby Lunken despite a significant age difference, and adapting to the evolving aviation rules and culture of the era.
She recounts humorous and memorable anecdotes from her time teaching a diverse range of students, from a charming but flustered lady to a businessman who drank martinis before lessons.
The article reflects a deep sense of nostalgia and pride in a fulfilling career spent shaping aspiring pilots, despite the hard work and often challenging conditions.

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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.