Eddie Hoglan (Plainview)

Eddie Ray Hoglan, 79, of Plainview died on March 31, 2013 in Littlefield. A memorial service will be held at 10:00 A.M. on Friday, April 5, 2013 at First United Methodist Church with Father Jim McCartney officiating. Arrangements are under the care of Kornerstone Funeral Directors of Plainview. A visitation will be held from 6:00 to 7:00 P.M. Thursday, April 4, 2013 at the funeral home. Eddie was born a twin in a family of six boys and six girls. The twins were second-youngest in the huge family in rural Montgomery County north of Houston. At age 5, Eddie and family moved to Boggs Hollow, Okla., where their dirt-floor home had two rooms. Boggs Hollow creek provided drinking and washing water for the young family. Eddie was a brilliant child with no interest in formal education. After several more moves, Eddie dropped out of school in seventh grade to support his mother and siblings. He managed to save a little of his earnings as a farm worker in Kress. At age 17, Eddie bought his first airplane for cash; Claude Hutcherson threw in flying lessons. His mother told him he had “no good sense” for his flying. Eddie was such a keen student of aviation that he could soon out-fly his teachers. He moved to Houston soon after where he worked as a welder. He had such mechanical ability that he could fix virtually anything. He maintained and repaired trucks, cars, farm machinery and aircraft. The quality of his work had certified aircraft mechanics seek his assistance on challenging work. Eddie married Patricia Sulzer in 1956. In birth order, they raised Austin, Dale, Cynthia and Elvin in their home. Eddie supported his family by farming and crop-dusting. He was legendary for his prowess as a pilot; dozens of Plainview folks would not get into an aircraft without Eddie as a pilot. Eddie would fly his family to California or Oklahoma on holidays. At one point he had five aircraft, two Pawnee crop dusters, a Cessna 150, a Baron and a Bonanza. Hitting a standpipe is usually fatal for a spray pilot. Eddie managed to strike two of these without any injury. In the most dramatic example, the standpipe tore off his left landing gear, left spray rigging below the wing, and the left horizontal stabilizer. Eddie managed with full thrust to maintain a flyable aircraft, burn off fuel and navigate to the Plainview-Hale County Airport, where dozens of onlookers had assembled to watch a landing many considered impossible. Eddie landed on one main wheel and the tail wheel, bringing the aircraft to nearly a complete stop before allowing the left wing to drop harmlessly. Eddie experienced engine failures many times, always landing with no harm to the aircraft or pilot. Eddie loved everyone. He delighted in sharing aviation with friends and youngsters. He would learn that one of young passengers lacked a warm coat. A few days later Eddie would appear in the child’s home with a slightly oversized coat. He would proudly share crudely written thank-you letters from children he had introduced to aviation. Eddie was seriously injured riding as a passenger in a gyrocopter about 15 years ago. He recovered from this to resume his aviation profession and farming vocation. He accumulated more 22,000 hours as pilot in command, nearly all of it 3 meters above crops. His airstrip northwest of Plainview was so narrow that few other pilots ever attempted to land there. Eddie was a commercial pilot in single- and multi-engine airplanes, as well as a commercial glider pilot. His skills were legendary in the local aviation community. He joined the Caprock Soaring Club in 2006, initially serving as a capable tow pilot. He soon distinguished himself as a precise glider pilot who could literally land the glider on a dime. His example of safety and precision were surpassed only by his kindness. He was more eager to help his comrades fly than to fly himself. He would drive hundreds of miles pulling a glider trailer to retrieve pilots who had landed far from home. Told by an admiring friend in 2009 that he could fix nearly anything, Eddie matter-of-factly corrected his young pilot colleague with the response: “I can fix anything.” He could. Few 40-year-olds could keep up with the 79-year-old Eddie. A lifelong vegetarian, Eddie never ate meat nor took alcohol. Near the end of his career he could spray crop for 12 hours a day for weeks at a time. Eddie bought a K7 German glider in 2008. It was while flying in this glider with his friend, 13-year-old Taylor Brown of the glider club, that Eddie’s aircraft became uncontrollable when half of one wing separated from the plane. Both pilots were killed. He was loved and admired by all who knew him. His dry sense of humor and modesty were endearing. He was matter-of-fact in speech and never showed anger. He had the gift of bringing out the best in others, both in aviation and life. He had no connection with an organized congregation; he was the example of complete integrity and Christian charity in speech and action. By us all, he will be sorely missed. Survivors include one daughter, Cynthia Burns & husband Brett of Talihina, OK; three sons, Austin Hoglan & wife Melody of Plainview, TX, Dale Hoglan of Fort Worth, TX, and Elvin Hoglan of Hooks, TX; eight grandchildren, two great grandchild and one on the way; four siblings, Mozeller Pearce, Velma Lucille Hughes, Charlene Chandler, and Freddie Ray Hoglan. Memorials may be made to Caprock Soaring Club, inc, Attn: Michael Graves, 2404 Yonkers, Plainview, TX 79072.