George F Archer

1921-2011

Greetings from Clyde Hudnall, Airways Flight Inspector, Ret

I have some information I recently obtained through Google that may interest you. This is about George Archer, retired FAA air traffic controller and, principally, Airspace Sys Inspection Pilot.

George lived alone (his wife predeceased him) for several years in Port Orange, FL  He passed away in July, 2011.

I had the pleasure of having him as a flying buddy for about 2 years while assigned to flight inspecting in upstate New York.  That was a New York Flight Inspection Branch assignment.  He was a good pilot and a good inspector.

George was a Navy pilot during WW-II and had a couple of interesting experiences.  On one occasion he had ferried an airplane to the west coast and was on his way back to headquarters at Floyd Bennet NAS, first stop at Ponca City Oklahoma.  These ferry pilots normally "hitch-hiked" back to headquarters.  He found there was an R4D leaving the next morning going east.  Seat assignments were by "find an empty seat and sit in it".  He arrived at the airplane early the next morning and was able to claim a seat.  The airplane soon filled up and another pilot came along and found all seats filled.  He picked George's bag up and threw it out on the ramp, and said "George, your bag is out on the ramp".  George had no choice but to retrieve his bag and the intruder grabbed his seat, so George was left behind.  The airplane took off leaving
George behind and crashed killing all aboard.  Bad luck turned to good luck!

On another occasion after he retired from the Navy he became an area airway traffic controller in New York and joined the Naval Reserve program at Floyd Bennet NAS.  Early on he was assigned as copilot on an airplane to go somewhere and when they returned to the New York area they found it pretty much "socked-in" and the plane commander opted to make an instrument approach to Floyd Bennet WITHOUT AN INSTRUMENT CLEARANCE.  That was asking for a "mid-air" and George was pretty upset over it.  He forthwith resigned from the Floyd Bennet NAS program.  It wasn't safe!