He's a 'Fly Guy'

Some 65 years after his first flight, and more than 20 years after coming to work at Culpeper’s airport and about a week after officially retiring, from the county’s aviation hub, A. Leon Rector says he’s not quite ready to step off the airfield for good.

“I’d still like to see if I can go to part time,” the 80-year-old said, joking that he might like to keep at it until he’s 90 or even 100.

Following the county’s Oct. 11 AirFest, other airport employees and friends gathered at the event for a retirement ceremony and dinner.

Born in Fauquier County, Rector said airplanes have always held his interest. He took flying lessons at what’s now known as Warrenton Air Park and performed his first solo flight there receiving his pilot’s license in 1948.

“Then in July of that year, I got a permit to drive a car,” he said with a laugh.

After that, Rector joined the newest branch of the military, the Air Force, in 1950, serving for three years. After leaving the military, he put some of the electronics training he’d received to use and joined Intelligent Machines Research Corp. in northern Virginia, an early computer firm, remaining with them until 1958.

But away from what he loved, he said he soon found his way back to airplanes and flying, becoming the manager of the Manassas Air Park — which is now a shopping center — in 1961.

In 1962, Leon became the manager of the Winchester Airport and along with his wife, ran the daily operations there until that airport closed around 1972. He returned to the new Manassas Airport, and also began working part time in Prince William County and Garrett County, Md. One of his children, Donna, recalled living right at the edge of the airfield and watching all the activity.

She concedes however that the flying bug apparently hasn’t rubbed off on her, despite joining her father in the skies for countless trips. “I’m a white-knuckle flier,” she said.

After working in airports all over the region, Leon came to Culpeper in 1985, working for Airport Services Corp., which ran Culpeper’s airport before the county took over operations in 1989. In 1993, he set a record — 33 aircraft fueled in a day — an achievement that still stands today, nearly 10 years after stepping down from the manager’s role.

With a little extra time on his hands, Rector said he might pick up his bass guitar a little more often. Music has been his other passion and it’s afforded him the chance to perform with dozens of well known country acts, including Patsy Cline.

But despite accumulating 300 hours of flight time and being around airplanes for most of his life, Rector said he doesn’t own an airplane himself.

“I tell people if you work in general aviation, you can’t afford an airplane,” he joked.

Nate Delesline III can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 110 or ndelesline@starexponent.com.