When bronc and bull rider Larry Mahan won six world rodeo championships in the 1960s and '70s, he did it with the help of "Old Goldie," his twin-engine Cessna plane. High in the pilot's seat, Mahan could make it to two rodeos in a day, racking up the wins that put him at the top of his field. Long retired, Mahan and his old buddy George Harris, former president of the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, recently sold their planes to St. Philip's College for a combined $172,240 to be used in the school's aviation technology program.
Mahan recently flew into Port San Antonio and met with students in the program, telling them to take good care of "Old Goldie" for him, a reference to the plane's dated color scheme.
"(She) took me from one world to another, both physically and mentally ... and helped me become a better competitor," Mahan said.
Mahan's five-seat 1960 model 310D and Harris' six-seat 1964 model 320B will be used by students learning to operate and maintain airplane engines. Both planes were recently transported to St. Philip's Southwest Campus on Quintana Road, where they will remain grounded.
Though the planes are old, basic engines have remained constant over the years, said Rafael Brisita, chairman of St. Philip's aviation program. The school will add modern instruments, such as global positioning systems and radios, but cannot afford a new plane, he said.
"It's not the latest and greatest, but it is useful," Brisita said. "We are making an investment for the community."
As San Antonio bolsters its reputation as a hub for aerospace, employers such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Gore Design Completions need the trained graduates that St. Philip's is producing.
Students earn an associate's degree at St. Philip's and must pass a test to become licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration. Many go to work for big companies, others at small airports or for private plane owners.
For students, the program is relatively cheap, only $6,500 compared to $29,000 at its for-profit competitor, Hallmark College. But the program is not cheap to run, and students may be asked to pay more as the Alamo Colleges battle the budget crisis facing public entities around the nation.
But there was no talk about budget woes as students walked out to greet Mahan and Old Goldie. Clad in a white straw hat, snakeskin boots and a rodeo belt buckle, Mahan told the students he was afraid to fly at first but soon got hooked on the feeling. After his rodeo career ended, Mahan was the subject of the Academy Award-winning documentary "The Great American Cowboy." He also started a line of western wear clothing, released an album and is the host of Rural Free Delivery TV's "Equestrian Nation."
"I haven't been flying (Old Goldie), and I didn't want it to sit out there without a purpose," Mahan said. "I'm glad it will be in a situation where someone will learn from it."
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Information from: San Antonio Express-News, http://www.mysanantonio.com
