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Little did the publisher of the SAJ know when he asked me to\nwrite a note about Darrol Schroeder that there was a connection between myself\nand Darrol – It goes back to 1946, when I was about 18 months old and riding\naround in the baggage compartment of an Aeronca Champ. My Father was an\ninstructor at Dakota Skyways on Hector Field, Fargo, ND and was teaching the\nrudiments of aviation to Darrol. I have the baggage compartment log book\nentries to prove it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Darrol had completed his hours and was ready to solo, but he\nhad to wait for permission from his parents before that event could proceed. He\nhad not informed his folks about this endeavor, while they were in the South\nland [Arizona] for the winter. He prevailed on my Father, Oscar Ness, to\npresent good evidence on the benefits of aviation so he could continue the\nflying course. The history of the Darrol\u2019s accomplishments is the result of my\nFather convincing Darrol\u2019s father on the merits of aviation – Darrol many times\nreminded me of that fact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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We can move ahead from the 40\u2019s to the late 50\u2019s when Darrol\ncame home from the service to farm, join the North Dakota Air National Guard (NDANG)\nand start an aerial application business in his home town of Davenport, ND. My\nFather\u2019s business was located about forty miles away in Lisbon, ND and the two\nkept in touch thought out the years, continually promoting the aerial\napplication business on a state- wide and national basis. They continued to be\nclose friends. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 1975 the community of Lisbon was fighting a flood and my Father was hospitalized and Ness Air Spray was behind several thousand acres of work. I had come home to find the need to get the aircraft in the air. Being several years away from Ag flying I called Darrol about the issue and he said, \u201cI have one pilot on the way down today, more to come tomorrow.\u201d The next day four aircraft sat on the ramp and five days later Ness Air Spray was caught up and the season was saved by a great friend. Now, jump ahead to 1986 when I applied for the job of Director of the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission. Darrol was a member of that board that hired me to lead the State Commission. So the circle was complete from baggage compartment time to serving the aviation community of a Great State.\u00c2\u00a0 Not only was this gentleman a military man but a Father, farmer, business man, educational development and general aviation advocate. The aviation community honored him in 2009 as a member of the North Dakota Aviation Hall of Fame.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n