A Life in the Air
Arnold Palmer might have grown up by a Pennsylvania golf course, but the Latrobe airport was just a mile away. And in 1956, under the tutelage of pilot instructor Babe Krinock, Palmer earned his pilot’s license there. The rest, as they say, is history. He’s flown the Boeing 747, set an around-the-world flight record and owned more aircraft than most people have cars. With the airport in Latrobe now bearing his name, Palmer averaged 150-200 hours in the cockpit each year, and was managing 400-500 during the peak of his career. With that, he’s logged more than 18,000 hours total, adding up to approximately 4.8 million statute miles. He turned in his pilot’s license this year, but tells us that he’s contemplating getting it back. Whether or not he decides to take the stick again or to leave the flying to others, his reputation as a pilot is secure. In honor of a fantastic career in the air, here’s a timeline view of Palmer’s legacy of flight:
Compiled by Chris Rodell and Kingdom staff
158
summer
2011
kingdom
20