I had only to draw from my uncle's experiences. He was a lieutenant in the Army Air Corps in the '30s, when pilots were being led by such famed captains as Eaker, Arnold and LeMay.† The Army gave you a place to live and $75 a month - practically a fortune during the Depression. And of course, the Army gave you the privilege of flying the biplane, our great defender of the skies. My uncle and his fellow pilots remembered World War I as if it were yesterday; they realized the world was only taking a breather from conflict, and when World War II began, they were ready. My uncle's experiences became mine: I express those magical times of exciting flying through my art. I hope the viewer of this piece, too, can experience the romance of open cockpit flying, smell the oil and leather, and thrill to the freedom of the skies. - CK