Pilot Proficiency

Coming Home

Monday, March 16, 2015 at 10:54 PM ET

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Piper Cub N70215, then and now.

Key Takeaways:

The author reminisces about his time in The Citadel's Flying Club in 1966, highlighting his first solo flight in a yellow Piper J-3 Cub (N70215).
He famously used this Cub to take an aerial photograph of The Citadel, the sales of which helped pay for his entire education.
Years later, the author tracked down N70215 and, after its owner passed away, purchased the historic aircraft.
He then flew the Cub back to its original home base on John's Island, bringing its journey full circle.

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During homecoming weekend at The Citadel, the past came alive for hundreds of Citadel grads from around the nation and, in a few cases, the globe.

Old times, old tales, old pains and old pleasures — one way that time effects us all is that good times get better and bad times lose their sting.