Retired F-16 pilot can’t stay away from airplanes

Hugh McMillan

Special to the Gateway

Doug Munday, a retired F-16 pilot who just can’t stay away from aircraft, had the soggy Purdy Elementary School playground all to himself — and his lithium battery-powered Radian Parkzone glider — following a chess tournament last month.

Aloft, the glider could be seen from just about anywhere near the school, gracefully soaring through the almost wind-free air.

Munday said the light weight of both the aircraft and its power source make it possible for virtually noise-free flights. The glider uses a battery-powered motor to spin a propeller, which easily pulls it aloft and, when an appropriate altitude is reached, the motor is turned off by radio control. The propeller then folds itself back on the fuselage and the gliding needs only air buoyancy.

Munday also sent a similarly equipped detailed model of a WWII P-51-D fighter around the area.

Freelance contributor Hugh McMillan can be reached at 253-884-3319.