Otis W. Hammonds

OTIS SAYS OF HIMSELF

I was born on a farm, literally, in the very 'rural' east Texas community of Grand Saline in 1934. We had a primitive and remote lifestyle, no electrical power, and the proverbial 'outhouse.' We did however, have running water...That is if someone 'ran' to the spring and back!

Because of the remoteness of our farm, I early discovered the two very real interests of my life. I became closely attuned to nature and East Texas' plentiful wildlife and secondly, to aviation. As far back as I can remember I would watch from horizon to horizon the old Douglas DC-2 airliner that flew over 'our place,' tri-weekly. The seeds were sown!

My first venture in aviculture was extremely unsuccessful. The homing pigeons, given to me by a neighbor from about 5 miles away, kept returning to his 'home' each time I released them! I believe this to have been around 1940. I have been 'into birds' off and on ever since (mostly on). The peak population of our birds, when we were raising the exotics, my wife and I owned just shy of 375. Many breeding pairs of African Greys, Blue and Gold Macaws, Umbrella Cockatoos, Yellow Nape Amazons, Red, Blue Streak, and Green Nape Lories and several other species of parrots and exotic finch.

I learned to fly in 1954 while serving in the United States Navy, non-military connected. After release from active duty in 1956, upon examination, I qualified for my commercial license. Flying for a vocation consisted of the following: Charter Pilot, Agriculture Pilot (crop duster), Flight Instructor (airplane, single and multi engine land, glider), Aerial Fire Fighter, Alaskan Bush Pilot and Glider Tow Pilot, (Jack of many, master of none). My 'apprenticeship' in aviation ended 33 years after the first solo, with me in possession of the following Federal Aviation Administration Ratings or Certificates and Endorsements:

Airline Transport Pilot, Airplane Single and Multi Engine Land, Glider, Flight and Ground Instructor, Designated Pilot Examiner (Private, Commercial, Instrument, Single and Multi Engine Land, Glider, [aero tow, winch/auto tow]), Company Check Pilot for Munz Northern Airlines (Nome, Alaska) and Aviation Safety Counselor for Western Alaska and the Arctic.

My logbooks have entries of over twenty one thousand hours of flight time in powered aircraft, plus an excess of twenty three hundred glider flights (where each flight is counted rather than the actual flight time, although I have eleven flights of over eight hours each).

I was an avid camping and fishing outdoorsman, spent much time at it, however and unfortunately I seldom participate in that active currently but do ride my 18 speed bike five to seven miles most days (81 years old in Feb) for exercise and pick up some food at the grocery store, and occasionally to my favorite Mexican Restaurant.

I live in Surprise, (Phoenix Metro) Arizona, with Lu-Lu, a beautiful 'little' (95 lbs) German shepherd dog, and spend much of my free time feeding the wild birds, growing flowers and vegetables in containers, reading and even more time telling and writing stories.