I just wanted to let all my friends at Cutter Aviation know that I am retiring from professional flying. Appropriately, I finished my last flight, arriving at Cutter in an Eclipse the night of February 2, 2019.

I have been a licensed pilot for 64 years and have flown in the military and as a professional pilot for 59 years, and now it’s time that I spend a little more time with my wife of 59 years. It’s been a “great ride,” because I love flying, and because of all the great people I have known and worked with in aviation.

In particular, I want you and all the employees at Cutter to know how much I appreciate your professionalism and friendship. Please pass on my personal thanks for their making my time in aviation in Albuquerque most enjoyable. As the saying goes, they have made “the worst day of flying better than the best day of real work.”

While I’m retiring from professional flying, I will not be gone. You will still see me around the airport in my Mooney!

Cutter in ABQ is a real class act. I recently flew my Piper Archer into ABQ for a fuel stop along my planned route but ended up spending the night due to bad wx. Cutter literally rolled out the red carpet for us. I was treated like I taxied onto the ramp in a Gulfstream. They gave us rides to a restaurant and hotel and had the plane ready and fueled for our morning departure as well as cleaned our dirty windshield without asking. A special word to Ben, Seth and Chelsea on the line for going WAY above and beyond to serve us.

I just wanted to thank you for taking such great care of me when I was there last Thursday night with my Mooney, with an electrical maintenance issue. The way you were "on it" with all the information and help I needed to allow me to figure out what to do was awesome. The guys at Bode were great and found the problem promptly and professionally. It turned out I made the wrong call on the callout because no parts were needed and it turned out to be just a loose ground wire. But, it certainly could have been much worse, so all in all, I could sleep well knowing that everything would be good to go in the morning. I continued my flight to Vegas and the return back to South Carolina without incident.

Anyway, I appreciate you and your team. I’m leaving a review on the AOPA airports website and Facebook. I will also recommend Cutter as a nice stop for anyone I know making the trip West.

Thank you again and please let everyone know I appreciated all they did to help.