A tribute to Pauline Glasson by Tommy Meyer:
I am so sorry to hear of this great lady's passing. Pauline has a great history with so many people and was an influence in their aviation lives.
Let me list for you my memories in an order of happening.
1. First lady to test fly my father's (George W. Meyer) World Famous "Little Toot"
2. Promised me as a little boy that she was the only one that would ever teach me to fly.
3. She gave me a job as hanger boy in the early 50's, She treated me as if I was her son. I appreciated having her as my adopted momma.
4. Allowed me to live with her and Claude for three months in 1960 to learn to fly.
5. Wow! What an instructor. I flew with Pauline twice a day during the summer of 1960 and when she went on the Air Race Circuit; Claude Glasson continued my instruction until Pauline returned home.
6. Pauline had to re-teach me to fly her way after being gone for a couple of weeks on the Air Race. Claude was a little Ruff and Pauling always told me to fly for the comfort of your passengers.
7. Pauline had me solo me that summer with only 8.5 hours of instruction. I learned flying in Pauline's Cessna 140 with a Witch painted on the side. You know the one, the Witch flying on the broom stick. That was supposed to be Pauline!
8. Later on she flew with me on my Dual Cross country to San Antonio and Austin, Texas.
9. Then she allowed me to make that same trip by myself. Remember I am only 16 years old.
10. Pauline sends me on my first cross-country, into unseen country. That was Corpus to Laredo, Laredo to McAllen, McAllen to Harlingen, and Harlingen to Brownsville, Texas. The only problem was I got lost between Laredo and McAllen. I held off telling her when I returned to Corpus Christi, but I knew better. So I said, "Pauline, I have to be honest and tell you I got lost between Laredo and McAllen, Texas." Pauline laughed and said "All my students get lost down there. Good Job, Tommy."
11. When I was 21 Years old my father finally gave me permission to fly his Little Toot. Pauline was my "Check Airman "and approved my tail dragger time and experience.
12. In early 1979 Pauline knew I was a photographer and she and Claude asked me to follow the Women's Air Classic to Columbia, South Carolina to film the entire race on video. Boy, was that the year! Pauline paid my way on the airline while JoAn, my wife, flew in a Cessna 182 to Columbia to meet me at the end of the race. What was so amazing to me was Pauline asked me to walk out on the Control Tower Cat Walk to film the airplane crossing the finish line. Well! That day one airplane was 30 seconds past official sun set and was disqualified. It just happened to be Edna G. White from Aero Country, 52F in North Texas. Boy, that disqualification was "tuff". I then realized that women are a tuff breed of People. They did not give an inch. Edna was "OUT".
13. Pauline and Claude purchase a JVC Video edit machine for the construct on the Women's Air Race Classic that year and I still have a wonderful recorded history of that event.
14. In 1982 we moved off to Colorado and Pauline insisted on teaching my first child, Sandy Meyer to fly, which she did during the summer of 1983. My daughter will never forget staying in Corpus Christi with Pauline during those days learning to fly.
15. I wish I knew just how many people she taught to fly; has to be hundreds.
16. I can remember ground school one night when she and Elaine Needom played a magic trick on us students. You see, we had to learn code in Pauline's class and Pauline told us all that she could read minds. She held her hands on Elaine's temples and ask her to think of a word, any word. Elaine typed code through her temples and Pauline received the code and was right every time. What a neat magic trick with Morris Code.
17. If I could have anything that belonged to Pauline, it would be the Cessna 140l Scale Model Airplane with "The Witch" painted on the side. I would cherish it forever.
18. Finally, my last conversation with Pauline was through her home care giver and her last words to me were, "Tommy, I love you" I will never forget that conversation. I was her adopted son and she treated me as just that.
What was really the real truth was that every one of her students was her adopted child. I think you will all agree with me on that. Today, I have hundreds of hours of flying time in Little Toot and all because this lady made a safe pilot.
Thank you, Pauline; you will be missed, but I know now that you will get to see all your old friends in heaven, Claude for one and my Daddy, George Meyer, too. Have a wonderful time being a teacher for all the new Angles in heaven.
Help them all achieve their wings as you did for so many here.
I love you Pauline Glasson.
Thank you to my adopted momma.
Tommy Meyer
"Son of Toot"
