Fred Hargis in his Mooney Mite, N494M

This photo originally appeared on the Front Page of the Mite Site in August/September, 2006. It was sent to us by Fred's son, Jake Hargis, of Sylva, NC. Jake says, "I don't tell this often but I received a trophy as the youngest solo pilot at a Rogers Arkansas air show in about 1953-54 in that airplane. I was 13-14. My dad and his friend flew along side of me enroute in a Supercub. I'm 66 now and flew Army aircraft & helicopters in the 60's."

Fred Hargis in his L-model Mooney Mite, N494M, over Oklahoma in the mid-50's. Fred bought the aircraft from Bill Taylor, VP of sales at Mooney while they were still in Wichita. Bill had been Fred's original flight instructor prior to the war. Bill went to Culver while Fred went to the Air Corps where he ended up in B-29's. He continued to fly till the late 60's, his last aircraft being a Globe Swift. He passed away in the mid-70's.

13 September, 2006