A LITTLE BOY squinted at the Texas sun, using his tiny hand to shield its powerful rays and give him a better chance of seeing the magic that was about to take place. His sneakers dug into the red dirt, grounding him while his heart raced with excitement. He loved coming to this dirt runway with his dad and watching the larger-than-life metal birds take flight. Each aircraft was full of history and stories of victory. As the WWII-era aircraft accelerated down the dirt runway, it was soon airborne and climbing into the sky. The little boy smiled from ear to ear, knowing that he, too, would fly one day.
For local resident and licensed pilot Chris Rounds, flying has been a lifelong love and dream. Since childhood, flying has symbolized both freedom and accomplishment for Rounds, leading him to travel the country and the world, sharing his love of aviation with the masses. It has also enabled the flying of such treasured and famous planes as The Red Knight, which has a unique history.
LEARNING TO FLY
Rounds said his love of flying came from his father. His trips to the airfield with his father to watch WWII-era planes take off and land were the foundation that led to a lifelong love of flying.
“Older planes have always intrigued me since I was a young kid,” he said. “It was always fun to fly up there and see all of the old warbirds and walk across the strip and have lunch. These planes are a symbol of our heritage, our history, and the freedom that we enjoy. Those Saturday’s flying around with my dad instilled a passion for aviation and airplanes of all sorts.”
After gaining his pilot’s license at an early age, Rounds said he enjoyed showing his friends his love of flying by taking them up in the air with him.
“My first flight as a licensed pilot was in 1978 after I got my private pilot’s license from Evelyn Brian Johnson in Morristown, who was an aviation legend,” he said. “After I got my certificate, I was the only one in my area with a pilot’s certificate at that age. I took a lot of friends flying.”
THE RED KNIGHT
The Red Knight was a Canadian air force aerobatic display aircraft that operated from 1958 to 1969. The red-painted Silver Star performed loops, rolls, Cuban 8s, horizontal 360s, inverted flight, and high-speed passes at air shows around North America.
“The Red Knight is an airplane that I really enjoy flying,” explained Rounds. “Its design is so unique. It was designed and built right after WWII at the very beginning of the jet age. I will say that out of all the airplanes that I have flown, it is one of my favorites. It’s just in a league of its own, and it’s one of the best flying ones I’ve ever seen designed. It was designed in 1946 and built in 1956 and was very much ahead of its time.”
Rounds added that he enjoys showcasing the historical aircraft in air shows and other aviation events across the globe.
“The overall purpose for the plane is to take it to different air shows and events around the country so people can enjoy seeing a piece of history, not only up close and personal but to see it fly,” he explained. “My mission is to help share my passion with aviation and to let people know that it is always a dream of mine to fly something like this and to let them know how dreams do come true.”
THE SKY’S THE LIMIT
While traveling to air shows and events is important, Rounds hopes to reach a whole new generation and audience through social media. Through social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, he hopes to share his love of flying and teach others the necessity of aviation.
“I hope people understand what an important role they play in our society for our freedoms and advancements in technology,” he said. “Flying is also one of the best challenges people could take on, and it can be one of the most enjoyable things they can experience. I hope they come away with the feeling that the sky’s the limit with their goals in life. We live in the best country in the world, and that did not come without hard work and ambition. As far as social media goes, it would be nice to say that here’s a normal, everyday guy doing something he loves to do and wants to share his passion.” GN
