Meeting an Inglorious Basterd (Yes, that's the way it's spelled in the movie!)

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On April 18, the Buzzards luncheon group here in the Sunnyside Retirement community was privileged to meet a real aviation legend, John Billings.

John lives in Woodstock, and flies a Cessna 172 RG, based at the Luray Airport, on Angel flights. (Angel flights are made by airplane owners who volunteer to fly, free of charge, patients to necessary medical facilities not in the area.)

But wait - there's more! John, who is now 93 years old, started flying in 1938! He was a bomber pilot in the Mediterranean theater in WWII, and later flew Office of Secret Services (OSS, the predecessor to the CIA) classified missions dropping spies in Europe. After the war, he had a career with American and Eastern airlines before retiring and continuing his Angel Flights. You can read more about him at this website: click HERE.

He even got his glider add-on rating at the Warrenton Soaring Center! (No, I was never his instructor.)

He recently participated in a White House ceremony awarding a Medal of Freedom to the OSS group, and was the oldest living survivor of the group to attend. He's my new role model!