Frank retired from Continental Airlines in 1982. The last few years of his career, he and Lillie moved from Colorado to Hawaii as he was flying between Hawaii and New Zealand. Continental Airlines, as well as other airlines, required pilots to retire on their 61st birthday. On the last leg of his last flight from Honolulu to LAX, the airline invited him to bring members of his family. An executive from the airline was on board the flight to honor Frank. The airline provided cake for all of the passengers.  When they arrived in Los Angeles, his brother Herb, and sister-in-law Velma, were there to greet them. Herb and Velma decorated the terminal congratulating Frank on his retirement. The DC 10 that Frank flew was one of the most luxurious commercial airplanes of the early 1980's. Continental was a premiere airline from the 1934 to 2012. 

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How Frank became an aviator:

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Flossie was very aware that her eldest son Frank would never make a good farmer. He disliked everything about it. She recalled him trying to milk the cows; he hated the job and what a poor job he did—not stripping them properly tended to dry them up. He loved machinery and tinkering with old cars—one, in particular, his “bug”, a model T Ford, was his real joy. He was also fascinated with aviation and had been from the time that he paid a dollar to ride in a small barnstorming plane that had landed on the benchland above the Grantsdale property. He wanted wings!

 

It was for these reasons that, upon his graduation from high school in 1939, the decision was made to take him to California to attend Curtis Wright Technical Institute in Glendale where he could begin his career in aviation.

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Frank's mother Flossie was quite a character! She was a gregarious extrovert without filters. She loved people and would strike up conversations with people whom she had never met. Because she was Frank’s mother, she got to fly for free on Continental. Being a good son, Frank would arrange for her to travel on flights in which he was the pilot to ensure her transportation to and from the airport. She was so proud of Frank, that she would tell everyone who would listen that her son was the pilot. Frank’s daughter, Sallie, reminded me of the story when was Flossie was placed in first class, and unbeknownst to Frank until just before takeoff, Robert F. Six, The CEO of Continental Airlines, was seated right next to Flossie. Frank was a nervous wreck throughout the flight wondering if Flossie was annoying Mr. Six, and what she was talking to him about.

 

Sallie also shared the story that one of the planes that Frank flew early in his career with the airline had poor heat in the cockpit on the left side of the airplane where the captain sits. Frank needed his right arm free to work the flight controls, so Flossie knitted him a one-armed sweater to keep him warm! Not sure if he ever wore the sweater.

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Editor's note: 

Frank completed his studies at Curtis Wright Technical Institute in Glendale and went on to become a Captain for Continental Airlines for over 30 years. During his career he flew a number of aircraft from DC 3's to the DC 10. He had several routes from the DC 3 days of flying over New Mexico, Arizona and California. In the later part of his career he flew DC 10's over the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii and New Zealand. He retired from Continental in 1982. In addition to being a pilot, Frank was also a licensed airplane mechanic. When Frank was flying for Continental, his family got to fly for free! Flossie enjoyed numerous flights to visit family members all across America and vacationed in Hawaii. Of course, Flossie bragged to everyone from the ticket counter to the flight attendants that her son, Frank was a Captain for Continental Airlines. Flossie was incredibly proud of each of her four children.

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I was always very proud of my Uncle Frank. Not only could he fly jet airplanes and repair them, he also built a beautiful family cabin in Tabernash, Colorado, near Winter Park.