Sunday, February 2, 2025
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My deepest sympathies and condolences to the family of this great guy!
“Learn to Fly” First Lesson $5
That’s how it started and that’s how I met Richard “Dick” Varker.
In 1965 I was working as a Field Engineer for an electronics company in Philadelphia. The job by its very nature required extensive travel and therein lay a problem. I was quite uncomfortable flying as I had found while being sent from place to place in the military by air charters. This “phobia” was with me for years. One evening while driving home, I saw a big sign from Atlantic Aviation, the Piper dealer at Northeast Philadelphia Airport, that said, “ Learn to Fly” “First Lesson $5”. I turned left and went in to “inquire”. A guy in the Atlantic Flight School named Dick Varker greeted me. After a handshake I was asked for $5 and he had me walking to a Piper 140 before I could “chicken out”!
That was the start of my friendship with Dick Varker and several thousand hours in various airplanes of my own over the years. From that very first flight it was the beginning of a lifelong love affair with aviation! I had a great instructor who taught me well. He taught me things that have probably saved my family and me from some tough situations over my years in the air. I am grateful for everything Dick taught me.
I will always remember the day I soloed, it was on runway 24 at NE Philly Airport. After what seemed and eternity of “touch and goes” the time came when he told me to come to a full stop at an intersection on 24 and leave him out! His words were “take it around for three or four touch and goes and then come back here and pick me up, oh, and don’t bend anything” as Dick chuckled and went to sit on a field light to “watch the kid”!! It was all too quick and before I realized, I was in the air with the right seat EMPTY! Whoa! When I finally pulled to a stop on 24 to “retrieve my instructor” I will NEVER forget the GRIN on Dick’s face!!! He was the Cheshire Cat and his student had made it back in one piece and so did the airplane! Proud moment for both of us!
What he taught me has been INVALUABLE and I believe, LIFE SAVING, over my years and years in small airplanes!!
Like many of my teachers in school that made indelible impressions on my life’s direction, I will always remember Dick Varker!!!
I am so sorry to have lost this special man, friend, brother airman!
George “Lyn” Fletcher
Gfletc7445@aol.com
(520) 885-8534
Tucson, AZ.
