Ray Maule stories

[DeltaRomeo]

I figured there's plenty of them out there it warranted a new thread. I'll start by relaying I story I got today.

In 1973 during his senior year in high school in Napoleon, MI a young man decided to do something else with his life other than continue in the family tradition of the dairy farm, so he enrolled in his first flight lesson from a local instructor named Ray Maule. On the first approach, Ray brought the M4 in at an unusual attitude and proceeded to demonstrate a single wheel touch down and roll out on the right side and then shifted to the left wheel before becoming airborne again for another lap around the airfield. The young man was so stricken with fear that he kissed the ground once he got out of the aircraft at the end of the lesson. The young man decided to be and A&P instead of a pilot at that time although he eventually did get his license about 20 years later.

Although I have spent several hours on the phone with Ray discussing the finer points of the Maule, I regret I never got to take him up on the invitation to go fly with him.

Looking forward to other experiences the folks here have had with Ray.

[Duane]

I'm sure it's no secret that Ray could sleep in a plane at a moments notice. I used to get drafted to fly with Ray to Albany for the 337's for radios. Never failed that as soon as we were set up for cruise, I'd look over and he was fast asleep until I started setting up for the pattern at Albany and reduced the power. He would immediately wake up and I told him "since your all rested, you land the thing"

[MauleMechanic]

Yeap...Duane is correct. He always woke up just in time to tell me when to change course and how to land....and where he put up new duck houses. He was amazing.

[BamaMaule]

Great man and a great friend. My best Mr. Ray story has to be the first time I flew with him in what was to become my plane. Moultrie in late June, middle of the day. The only thing that outnumbered the gnats around my face was the temperature in the plane. After flying for an hour or so, during which, I demonstrated slow flight and unusual attitudes, Mr. Ray insisted that I demonstrate Dutch rolls. Dripping in sweat and already green and queasy, I began my best effort at Dutch rolls. Mr. Ray was offering some verbal instruction at which point my level of greenness was about to turn to full blown nausea. I said “Mr. Ray, I don’t think I can do this.â€￾ I meant that I was about to spill breakfast all over him but he thought I meant that I couldn’t execute the maneuver so he says “Sure you can! My airplaneâ€￾ and proceeds to Dutch roll the plane so vigorously that I just knew I was about to blow. I finally got him to realize my condition at which point he apologized profusely. Thankfully I never blew but I was one miserable pup for a couple of hours.
Jokingly he said that he was worried that he had spoiled a sale and that Mrs. Maule was going to be mad at him. I promised him I wouldn’t tell if he didn’t. I kept my promise and never said a word about it to Mrs. Maule. All was good, I bought the plane and gained a family of friends in the process.

I am so thankful that I got to fly with him but most of all that I got the chance to get to know him.