THE SKY IS THE LIMIT

A retired airman reflects on his decorated and varied career.

Growing up in rural Iowa, Hurt lived the typical life of a boy raised on a farm. He helped his father with daily chores, like planting and harvesting crops and caring for livestock—all before heading to school—and was fortunate enough to have industrious, thrifty parents that got by, if not prospered, during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Like most young boys, and especially boys of his generation, Hurt was fascinated with flying, and he longed to become a pilot. After briefly studying aeronautical engineering at Parks Air College, war broke out, and Hurt decided to immediately enlist. Dissuaded by his father, who had just purchased a significant addition to his farm, Hurt agreed to stay home for the summer to help farm the new land. This proved a crucial decision, as Hurt would suffer a severe ear infection that ultimately required surgery, disqualified him from being an air pilot and, somewhat serendipitously, deferred his draft until the war was already over. Upon his recovery, Hurt began several unsuccessful business ventures and decided in 1948 to enlist, hoping for pilot training in the Air Force. After passing subsequent exams and serving in Korea as a transport pilot, Hurt embarked on a lifelong career in aviation that began successfully in the Air Force, then shifted to commercial flight with the Federal Aviation Administration and United Airlines. With such a long and varied career, Hurt naturally has some harrowing stories of flight to tell, like the time he was almost sucked out of an open cockpit when his parachute malfunctioned, but most of his tales remind readers that even piloting an airplane can be as tedious as any desk job. Hurt’s passion for flying, however, is endearing, and one cannot help admire the fact that to celebrate his 90th birthday, he plans to sky-dive with his wife and sons.

Though not without its anecdotal pleasures, much of Hurt’s memoir is serenely uneventful.