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State Flag of Hawaii.

     As we neared our destination, Honolulu ATC handed us over to Approach Control, who informed us to expect a “Booke Seven Arrival,” using the South Kauai VORTAC (a radio navigation station on the Island of Kauai).

     Subsequently, the outline of the “Garden Island” of Kauai materialized off the 747’s nose, dear reader; filling my mind with a flood of memories.

     In 1964 Valerie’s dad, Clint Walker, shot a film in Hawaii with Frank Sinatra, entitled: None but the Brave.  At that period Valerie was in her early teens, and had occasion to visit her dad on set; getting the full Hawaiian tour treatment.

Clint Walker in “None but the Brave.”

     So in 1977, after Valerie got hired by Western Airlines - due to a lot of social pressures on both of us - we decided to “escape” for a week.  Using Valerie’s airline passes we flew to Hawaii first class on a Western DC-10.  She proved to be an excellent tour guide; conducting our exploration of Oahu, Maui and Kauai. 

Valerie soaking up rays on a catamaran sailing off the coast of Kauai.  

     At this interval, with Valerie, I was hammering my head against a brick wall, in my attempt to get hired by an airline; it was a fairly grim low point in my life.  And, as we launched out of Kauai as passengers in an Aloha 111-passenger 737 for our connection at Honolulu, I couldn’t help wondering if I’d ever get to fly a jet airliner like this.

Aloha Airlines B-737.

     A decade later, in 1987, I find myself flying a 400-passenger 747-312 above that same island of Kauai.

     Moral of the story, dear reader:  No matter how insurmountable the odds, or how downright screwy it may seem at that moment, never give up on your dream.  Be patient.  In the end it will come true...in the craziest of ways.

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