According to the club rules, you had to have flown an OX5 or have been a mechanic who had worked on the engine.

They had a plain, old round magnetic compass and a watch and they used landmarks on the ground. They did it with skill and familiarity with basic flight instruments. They were really some amazing pilots.

We owe the old guys a debt of gratitude. Their mistakes then made aviation safe for us today.

But that's not what qualified me for membership. It was the (1963 documentary) film I made, 'The Seat of Your Pants,' which featured a bunch of OX5 pilots -- old-timers flying antique airplanes.