"It lit a fire in me" says LeRoy Cook who is now known as longtime local pilot, instructor, writer and overall aviation aficionado. "My teacher gave me a packet meant for educators that was full of information about the airline industry and I got busy."
That he did, scrawling questions and thoughts on a Big Chief tablet, then mailing them to said companies; to which, he got responses. And the simple fact that they did respond greatly fueled his interest in understanding the dials, levers, gauges and gizmos in the cockpit along with how to navigate the skies.
Did the companies know they were conversing with 5th grader? Hard to say, but it didn't matter- LeRoy was on a mission. He was getting more excited by the minute as the stars aligned for a promising future.
Born smack in the middle of World War II, Charles LeRoy Cook made his appearance January 23, 1943 near Appleton City, Mo. and growing up near Spruce, Mo., he knew he had specific calling from a very young age. "I was different" he admits, while other kids were busy on the playground, LeRoy desired to reach a little higher than some his age.
Throughout his childhood he continued to read and research aviation while going though plenty of 3 cent stamps to keep the literature flowing in. Finally, at the age of 14 he shelled out a few bucks to take his first airplane ride.
Now he was officially hooked, as if he needed yet one more reason to advance his cause. But as in most cases, money was an issue. "I'd hang around the Butler airport cleaning, washing airplanes and doing odd jobs" which caught the attention of local entrepreneur, Ed Robertson who offered $35 a week for Cook's expert broom pushing services.
What followed their complimentary handshake was 41 years of employment with Robertson that later included the opportunity of taking over Robertson's office supply business, to which Cook declined. "I'm just not the management type" he said, further stating he'd rather be flying and working with those who share his enthusiasm for being airborne.
As he trained in various types of aircraft, one highlight in particular was the Crème de la Crème Aero Commander 560. While time in the twin engine behemoth was $50 an hour, "where there's a will, there's a way" stayed true for Cook and soon he was on to bigger and better things, leaving the Commander as just another entry in his logbook.
Fortunately, one potential life-changing-challenge had already been avoided as he was a National Guard flight operations clerk in 1963 and managed to miss the Vietnam draft by one week- which possibly afforded him the opportunity to further expand his horizons. This included the submission of his penned articles to flying magazines and other publications such as his weekly What's Up ramblings in local newspapers.
"What really got me writing was finding other people's mistakes" as he referenced a popular flight magazine article that didn't contain a simple typo, but a significant technical error. Cook started making article submissions and sure enough, got their attention as well, allowing him to somewhat relive the Big Chief tablet days of his youth.
Cook's first paying article appeared in Flying Magazine in 1970 for which he received a tidy sum of $75. "I was shocked it was that much. But hey, it beats honest work" he mused.
In the years to follow, LeRoy never missed an opportunity to go airborne. The writer of this article fondly remembers his days (oddly starting around the 5th grade as well) of plodding into Robertson's on the North side of the square to see, if by chance, we could go for a ride. I later realized I wasn't the only one who got a pilots license due to his generosity. In fact, some 180 or so fliers went on to pass their check ride under his instruction.
For LeRoy, it all adds up, as his logbook shows a staggering total of over 17,300 hours in the cockpit, which would draw awe even from lifetime commercial airline pilots.
As our lighthearted interview wound down, we inquired about unusual circumstances and sure enough, there are plenty including miscommunication regarding a destination many years ago. In planning a passenger flight he misheard McAllen (Texas) as Galveston, which required some fast thinking to reroute as three "big 'ol boys" got antsy in the cramped Cessna 182. The now extended trip included a bonus viewing of the Gulf shoreline and went off without a hitch, barring the initial misheard word.
Another minor incident included a throttle issue following a fuel up in Warrensburg that resulted in a grass field landing and subsequent 3 1/2 mile walk for help in those pre-cellphone days.
But hey, in pilot lingo, it was another "walk away" and Cook didn't let it bother him- which is probably one of the many keys to his overall success.
With all that in the rear view, "Now I'm reluctantly retired" he says following the recent sale of his flight school "the whole kit and caboodle" to Delaney Rindal who enthusiastically took the reins and is readily taking on new students while effortlessly filling some big shoes.
These days you'll probably still see him occasionally poking around the Butler airfield between checking on his cows, riding his motorcycle or chatting it up with residents at local nursing homes. Yes, busy as always, just in a different kind of way but there's no signs of slowing down for LeRoy Cook.
A well known adage is "There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but no old, bold pilots" that highlights a common belief that taking risks in aviation, especially as one gains experience, can be detrimental to longevity and safety. However regarding LeRoy's success, we'll have to chalk it up to passion, drive and attention to detail.
Ok, we'll add a dash of luck.
As we well know, the sky's the limit even in retirement. Kick back, relax and enjoy the ride, LeRoy Cook.
