Student led (Keri Kittleson) interview with Bob Malechek : Pilot and student of Edna Gardener Whyte
Bob Malechek in his private Q200 homebuilt airplane. Image by: Bob Malechek personal collection.
Keri: What is your background in aviation?
Bob Malechek: I build homebuilt airplanes and help people with their airplane projects. I am a private pilot and this is my hobby.
Keri: What type of work did you retire from?
Bob Malechek: I am retired now. I worked for Lennox Industries in Carrolton for 42 years as a supervisor.
Keri: What was your relationship with Edna Gardener Whyte in regards to aviation?
Bob Malechek: She taught me how to fly.
Keri: How long was she your instructor?
Bob Malechek: A little less than a year. I knew her off and on long after that. I bought an airplane and kept it on the airfield she owned. She taught me both ground school and in the air flight instruction.
Keri: What year was she your teacher?
Bob Malechek: 1977-1978.
Keri: What were some of the things you remember about her?
Bob Malechek: "She was a really interesting woman. She was the first licensed female flight instructor in the U.S. She was always disappointed she was not allowed to be an airline pilot. She felt the women got shorted on opportunities and liked to remind all students that women were good and they can do things as good as men. She was not angry but light hearted about the past. Edna came from Minnesota and was named the “flying nurse” back then. She gave up the nursing and just became a pilot and to go flying. She used to race airplanes and met up with Amelia Earhart during a race. She was in a race or two with Amelia Earhart. She then had the opportunity to go to Amelia Earhart’s house for dinner the night before her tragic round-the-world flight started in 1937. Edna ended up in Houston during WWII. She and her husband trained some of the WWII pilots. They were both flight instructors. Edna then became a WASP and ferried airplanes for the military."
Keri: Where did Edna Gardner Whyte teach you to fly? Do have interesting stories to share?
Bob Malechek: She taught me in North Texas, North of Fort Worth. The airport was called Aero Valley. The airport is close to Roanoak Texas. After the war, she and her husband left Houston and came up to Fort Worth Meecham Field. After her husband died she bought the land near Roanoak and built an airstrip and aviation school. She ran the school and airfield all by herself. She had both men and women for students. She always bragged about how well the girls flew. Us boys would laugh and chuckle. She was really a good gal and full of interesting stories. She used to go to Osh Kosh, the big annual airshow in Wisconsin every year. She would hang out with the women WASP area to share her stories and encourage other girls/women to fly. The Baylor Hospital in Dallas has a historical permanent collection of prominent people from Texas. They have a bronze cast or mold of people’s hands with a description of their contributions. There is a bronze cast of Edna’s hand describing her accomplishment s in aviation. There was also an interesting story of when a runway at DFW airport was shut down and some flights were put on hold so she could fly her airplane into the airport to a special dinner and aviation award ceremony honoring her contributions in aviation from teaching to serving in the WASPs.
Keri: Are there any other stories you would like to share about what type of instructor she was?
Bob Malechek: When I was learning how to fly and I did not do something right, she pull my ear and say say “look here young man, if you don’t straighten up you are going to wreck and crash us”. Then when I fixed the problem, she would chuckle and laugh and pull out a stick of gum and tear it in two and give me one half and then she would chew the other half. She was a good instructor. She always knew her stuff and was very patient and good with students. She was very well known and knew a lot of people in aviation. She was happy instructing all types of people.
Keri: Thank you so much Mr. Malechek for sharing your personal story with me about your relationship with Mrs. Edna Gardner Whyte. It was interesting and fun to hear your story about such an interesting legend in aviation.
Bob Malechek: You are very welcome.