By Race Smith Race Smith always knew when to help a neighbor, a stranger, a coworker. So when his stepfather couldn’t donate a kidney to save his own brother, Race listened to the same voice that had guided him for forty years — and gave a kidney to a man he had never met. Part One - The Voice People ask me, “What made you decide to donate a kidney?” Where do I start? This adventure started long before the first blood test, long before I even considered organ donation, actually. This started almost 40 years ago, when I was in my 20s, when I accepted Christ as my Savior. I have always been a courteous, giving person, and I’ve been blessed with different ways to give. I have a background in a wide variety of mechanical crafts, so I’ve used those skills to help repair heaters, and cars, and buildings, and church busses, and a lot of other things. I’ve often said, “I’ve fixed everything from sewing machines to Jet Dragsters to locomotives,” and I have. Sometimes I even got paid for it, but many times I didn’t. Nor did I expect to. I offered the help. Those skills provided me with jobs that paid enough. Sometimes just enough to get by, and sometimes more. But always enough to share a little here and there with those in need. It might be a good tip for a server or the pizza guy. Or it might be a tank of gas for a stranger that was a little short on cash, but still needed to get to work. I never know when the urge to help will hit me. When that little voice in my head will speak up and say “help them” or “be generous”. I know some people don’t have that voice in their head. I have two. One is my voice. It’s my inner dialogue, my narrator that tells me things like, “Remember that is hot and don’t put your hand there,” or “Hey, look! A Ferrari!” and every time I see a rabbit, it says, “Bunny!” Then there’s the other voice, the one that says, “Help that neighbor with their car.” or “Give a good tip to this person.” I never know when that voice is going to speak up, or what it’ll tell me. There have been a couple times I haven’t listened to that voice when it tried to warn me. Those times resulted in disaster. One of those times the voice said, “Get out of the car.” and I didn’t listen. I crashed that car after it had a mechanical failure. Another time it said, “Bring that fire extinguisher with you,” and I argued with it. I didn’t bring that extinguisher, and just a few hours later, I watched a friend get burned after crashing that Jet Dragster I mentioned earlier. He survived, but I could have had the fire out a lot sooner than the safety crew, and maybe he could have kept his nose. “I know some people don’t have that voice in their head. I have two.” So now, I listen and comply. About six years ago, a coworker needed a kidney, and I prayed for him and his family. And the voice spoke up and said, “Offer.” So I went to him and offered to get tested. He assured me that he had a donor, and it was covered. I told him if anything changed to let me know. He’s been back to work for several years now and is doing great. The seed had been planted; it just needed time to grow. Part Two - The Surgery And The Reason Why I didn’t think about kidney donation for a couple years. Then one day, while talking to my mom on the phone, the subject came up again. She told me that Dave, her husband, just found out his blood sugar was too high so he couldn’t donate a kidney to his brother, Gary. I had never met Gary. I didn’t even know there was a Gary, but I immediately said, “I’ll do it.” Followed by, “I’m probably not a match, but they have a program called Paired Donation that we could use.” A paired donation is where one person donates “for” someone, rather than “to” someone. Because I offered to donate for Gary, he would get on the list for a kidney . . . if I passed the test, and they test a lot of different things. I made a few overnight trips to the Miami Transplant Institute to get poked and prodded and tested and inspected. At 59 years old, I had to run on a treadmill until my heart rate was higher than it had been in 20 years! Then I immediately got to do it again because the first machine malfunctioned and didn’t record the images they took. Good times. Through all this testing I found out two things about myself. One, that I’m very healthy, and two, that I don’t like treadmills. After countless vials of blood and a few scans here and there, we finally had a surgery date, February 12th. My wife and I packed our bags for a two-week trip to South Florida, minus the fun. There would be no lazy days at the beach for us. My surgery was in the morning and Gary’s was that evening. I never officially met my recipient before surgery. They took my kidney out and walked it to the next room and installed it while it was still warm. Gary’s new kidney had to catch a plane into Miami from Indiana. I was discharged the next day, and Gary went home a few days later. “I’ll admit that I was nervous about the surgery, but it was such a tremendous blessing— in more ways than one.” ~ Tammy Smith We stayed with Gary and his wife. I still don’t know why they wanted two men recovering from surgery in the house at the same time, but we managed. Initial recovery was not pleasant. My energy dropped off quickly from the loss of a kidney. Meanwhile, Gary perked up in a hurry. It was good to see him do that. It helped me get through it. I knew I had done the right thing. My wife and I went to a church service at Gary’s church. Everyone came to thank me for helping him. They told stories of Gary and what a good man he is. Again, I knew I did the right thing. Another question I get is, “Did it hurt?” Yes. Yes it did, but it wasn’t unbearable. I joke that it hurt bad enough that I’ll never do it again, but not so bad that I regret it. It took a couple months to get my energy back. It took a little longer to feel normal. At this writing, it’s been just shy of four months since the surgery. I’ve been back to work for two months. The two months I had off were covered by my short-term disability insurance. There are also plans that assisted greatly with lost wages and travel costs. My experience with them was amazing. They made up 100% of my lost wages. Paired Donation won’t be a financial burden, if you go down that path. I hope you do look into it. We lose too many good people due to lack of donors. So how does this tie into me coming to Christ? Well, I’ve learned that the voice that isn’t mine is the Holy Spirit. I firmly believe that. God guides us through life and puts us in the path of others, or puts others in our path, so that we can fulfill His plan. Listen to your inner voice and make positive impacts on friends, neighbors, your mom’s brother-in-law, or even complete strangers. It’s His plan; help execute it. “It hurt bad enough that I’ll never do it again, but not so bad that I regret it.” Race Smith and Gary Porter What Is Paired Donation? A willing donor who isn’t a match for their own loved one instead gives a kidney to a stranger who is a match. In exchange, their loved one moves up the list to receive a kidney through the same chain. It’s how Race—without ever being a match for Gary—was still able to help save his life. Read the full issue below.

By Jennifer Webb Photos by Searcy Living Photography Hannah Barber knew she wanted to be a police officer from an early age. She grew up watching her dad, who started in the Air Force as a military police officer before serving as an Arkansas State Trooper, a Lonoke County Deputy, an assistant chief at Beebe, and on the Arkansas Drug Task Force. “I grew up in a police department. It just came as second nature; it’s what I’ve always wanted to do.” - Officer Hannah Barber, Searcy Police Department When she turned 20, she applied to all the local departments, and Searcy promptly called her back. They needed officers, and female officers in particular. She started at the police academy in Camden, but it was shut down due to COVID, so she finished her training at Central Academy, near Camp Robinson. She turned 21 while in the academy. She hit the streets as a patrol officer, and it was every bit the adrenaline rush she thought it would be. No two days were the same. But as time went on and motherhood changed her personal life, what had once been exciting started to feel more nerve-wracking. She always expected the worst, but it made the good experiences even more memorable. “The best thing about patrol is the love and support of the community. They give back to us and do all they can to make sure we are taken care of and help when needed. Having a good community really helps and makes the job worthwhile.” - Officer Hannah Barber, Searcy Police Department She went back on patrol for two months after returning from FMLA leave after she and her husband, Darrell, added their son, Brantley, to the family, but it wasn’t the same. She felt burnt out. She had three other kids at home—Eli, Olivia, and a stepdaughter Caia. Chief Hernandez realized she needed a change . . . and he gave her one. She reluctantly agreed to give a new position a trial run. Westside Elementary needed a new SRO (School Resource Officer), and she was the person for the job. She had initially been intimidated by the position. How would she ever memorize all the kids’ names? How would she build connections with them? They had loved Detective Boedecker, their previous SRO, who had sustained an injury. Could she gain their trust and build connections? It was a total change of pace and environment. The kids welcomed her with open arms (sometimes literally—with many hugs from little arms). By the end of the first week, she was hooked. The staff was amazing and very supportive of her coming. Perhaps best of all was that she was able to have her two oldest kids, Eli and Olivia, with her on the car rides to and from school. They all started the same week. “I get a lot of hugs and fist bumps. They get lots of stickers, and I keep candy in my office. It’s been great to get to watch my kids make new friends, and to have them hang out in my office after school.” - Officer Hannah Barber, Searcy Police Department, SRO for Westside Elementary School When school is not in session, Officer Hannah returns to patrolling the streets of Searcy. She recently completed continuing education for the D.A.R.E. program, aimed at helping kids make good choices. She looks forward to implementing the program at her school and perhaps at the middle school next year. Read the full issue below.

Through the Habitat for Humanity ReStore By Jennifer Webb My husband stopped at a thrift store one day on his way home from work; it was a more pleasant way to wait for the traffic jam to clear. He found an everyday treasure. It was a table, gently used. It didn’t have the legs attached, but after a brief inspection, he found them lying on the floor and determined that he could get hardware to fix it easily. We needed a bigger dining table, so I was delighted when he brought it home. But time went by, and it didn’t fit our space or our needs anymore. “We need to donate this table,” I told him. “ I did briefly consider selling it on Facebook Marketplace but decided in favor of donating it instead. We dropped it off at Habitat for Humanity ReStore. (I would discover a surprise later, when I went back to shop.) I knew the table would turn into a lot more than just a table at the Habitat store. John Wells - Affiliate Administrator, Victor Cisneros - Donations Logistics Coordinator, Rick Eichhorn - Executive Director The ReStore is probably the most visible part of Habitat. Most people know that they build houses for people. What many people don’t realize is that they do not GIVE away houses. There is work and money involved for the family that gets the house. It starts with an online application process. They accept applications from low to middle-income families, especially those struggling to find affordable housing. After an applicant is selected, they have to commit to putting in a certain number of “sweat equity” hours. Some of those can be worked at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, or by friends and family, but a good portion has to be done by the applicant. Habitat has a lot of moving parts that come together once an applicant is selected. They work with a variety of lenders to lend the amount of money needed to provide affordable housing for a family. They classify “affordable” as no more than one third of your monthly income going toward housing. The houses they build are usually simple, yet functional. They gather donations from area businesses, and often, applicants are asked if they have any resources, as well. (Do you know anyone who does plumbing, electricity, etc. ?) They also take some of their funding from the sales they get from the Habitat store and use it to build a house at a reduced cost (but not free). Local businesses and contractors regularly work with Habitat, but you don’t have to be a skilled laborer to volunteer. People from all walks of life come and volunteer their labor to work on the house. Often, you get skilled tradesmen working alongside college kids, gently instructing and teaching along the way. Volunteers come from all walks of life—families, young adults, older adults, singles—anyone who is willing to donate time and effort. Along the way is where the real magic happens—the connections that the people make with each other and especially for the applicant who is chosen for the Habitat House. Many applicants are single moms. They may not know anyone except for their co-workers. They may not have family nearby, but during the building process, they start meeting and talking to people. It forms an organic support system that they may not have had before. They might meet someone willing to watch the kids, or they may start talking careers, and a seed of “maybe I should take a leap and go get the education I need to get a better-paying job” gets planted. The other thing the applicants have to do to fulfill their end of the contract is take classes on how to care for their new home. If you grew up mowing the grass and fixing the sink, it’s not that hard. But if you’ve never done it before, you might find yourself looking at a task with no idea where to start. Once the applicants move into the house with their families, they often have a better support system in place. They are not crippled by rent they can barely afford, and with that comes life-changing stability. Their money is now building ownership in something. Now they can breathe under the weight of their mortgage and start looking at ways to better their lives and their children’s lives. The Habitat ReStore itself is worked by volunteers, many of whom love Habitat’s mission and want to give back. It provides a great place to shop for affordable pieces of furniture, fixtures, and household items, and partially funds projects that make a life-changing difference. When I went back to shop at the Habitat store, I was surprised to see a price tag of only $40 on my thrifted table. I smiled and ran my hands over the piece that had once sat in my home, knowing that it would go on to bring people together—both for whomever purchased it and whomever benefited from its purchase. "Along the way, is where the real magic happens - the connections that the people make with each other, and especially for the applicant who is chosen for the Habitat House." Read the full issue below.

Download Issue 4 2026 here!

Tap the story to read the entire article.

CROSSWORD Across 3. AWAY 5. GREATEST 7. PEOPLE 8. DRUG Down 1. CAKE 2. FIRE 4. PAIRED 6. PEACE RIDDLES 1. I BELIEVE 2. SUNGLASSES 3. MOONLIGHT

Dr. Phil Hart’s Antique Stearman Airplane By Jennifer Webb Dr. Phil Hart noticed that it was quiet at the airport on a perfect spring day. Maybe he should do it now? His three-year project of rebuilding a PT-17 1942 Stearman biplane was complete. He’d had two FAA inspectors out, and he’d gotten his airworthiness certificate. He is a certified A&P Mechanic with Inspection Authorization. The first flight would be fine. Probably. He had a whole list of people who wanted to come out and see its first flight, but that idea made him a bit nervous. Should he just do it now? Today? He had started the engine before and was fairly certain all the bugs were out, at least from what he could tell on the ground. The very first time he started it, there was a significant oil leak. He watched the oil pressure rapidly drop and quickly shut it off before it could do any damage. That was fixed now. He took a breath and decided that yes, today was the day! He pulled the plane out of the hangar and climbed into the second seat of the cockpit, where the pilot sits to solo a Stearman biplane. The 275 hp Jacobs engine roared to life. Oil pressure was good­—steady and holding. He taxied out to the runway and performed all his normal systems checks. Everything was good. It was time to fly! Though it was his first flight in this particular Stearman, he knew this feeling all too well, and he had missed it. This was his second Stearman project. He had instant regret at selling his first one, a yellow navy version of the same airplane. It was good to be back in the cockpit and to feel the control stick in his hand. The extra horsepower in the engine gave him a boost, and the plane leapt into the air, almost as if it had longed to be back in the sky as much as Phil had. He could feel the wind and hear it whipping past the flight wires that connected both sets of wings. Better test the smoke system too— he’d always wanted one of those, and it was a feature that his first Stearman didn’t have. It worked perfectly. The first flight went without a hitch. He noted a few minor corrections and adjustments that needed to be made. When he landed, he felt both joy and relief. He would have to explain to his friends that they missed the first flight, but he was glad that he had followed Joe Faith’s advice and just gone ahead and flown it first with no one else around. If someone had been around, they would have seen what comes to mind as a classic biplane. (Stearmans have been featured in movies such as “Second Hand Lions” and “Pearl Harbor.”) This particular one was the Army version, and like most Stearmans, had been used to train soldiers to fly in World War II. Learning to fly in a taildragger biplane was notoriously difficult. The yellow Navy versions, like his first Stearman, were known as “Yellow Peril.” Taildragger airplanes are notorious for “ground looping,” where the tail of the airplane spins around. It’s an “uncontrolled rotation of an aircraft while on the ground” (dictionary definition). For the pilot—and instructor, if it’s a student pilot­—it also means heart-pounding terror and potentially wrecking your plane on the ground. Now, pilots have to get a special tailwheel endorsement to fly aircraft that have two wheels in the front and one smaller one on the tail of the airplane. In the 40s, that was just what you learned to fly in. George H. W. Bush learned to fly in a Navy Stearman, very similar to Dr. Hart’s first project. Back in the hangar, Phil remembered his journey in rebuilding this airplane. He had known about it for some time. It was sitting in the back of a hangar at Millington, TN. The previous owner would get excited and work on it for a few months, then lose enthusiasm and take a break. That continued for 17 years. “Let me know if you ever decide you want to sell that project,” Dr. Hart told him. The plane was in pieces. Every part that could be taken off was off. But the fuselage (the main body of the aircraft) already had all the rust and corrosion removed and had been painted; it was just dusty. Dr. Phil Hart got a call two weeks later. “Well, the wife and I talked about it, and we decided it’s time to sell that airplane.” Dr. Hart didn’t even try to negotiate the price. It took him three trips with a 16-foot trailer to bring it all back, but he got every piece. Boeing mass-produced around 10,000 Stearman aircraft in the 40s for the military, but after World War II, the Reconstruction Finance Corporation sold many of them as military surplus. Most Stearmans were refitted as crop dusters, but between the chemicals and leaving fabric-covered airplanes out in the weather, this took its toll. There are currently estimated to be around 1,000 in flyable condition in the United States. His wife, Sherry, was not surprised that the project consumed him. It had taken him nine years to rebuild his first one. This one took a bit over three years. Though she does not care for flying in the Stearman, she and Phil have had their share of aviation adventures, flying and traveling in another aircraft that he owned with a partner. Their son, Adam Hart, is also a pilot. Dr. Hart did much of the work in the shop at his house. He had to build one more wing, but the others were already done. The frame for the wings is mostly wood, with some metal pieces to reinforce it. He covered each one with Dacron polyester and shrunk it to fit with an iron. He reinforced all the edges with a special tape and painted it in the original colors with polyurethane paint. The fabric was a huge upgrade from the original cotton. If kept indoors and maintained well, the taunt fabric covering can last over 30 years. It was painstaking work, and he was happy to be done with it, but as he worked, memories of his yellow Stearman came to mind. He had taken it to several airshows and might have performed some acrobatics in it while flying alone. Taking people up for the first time in a biplane is always a thrill. There is a mirror situated in the front seat where the pilot can see their faces from the back seat. All he usually sees is teeth from their smiles as he takes them up for the first time. (Since he is a dentist by trade, he did not mind looking at teeth.) He looks forward to doing all those things with his new Stearman as well, as soon as he gets a few more hours on the engine. Read the full issue below.

Three Pilots' Flight Plans By Jennifer Webb Brothers Scott and Philip Corder Scott and Philip Corder grew up with one eye on the sky. Their dad flew for Delta Airlines and met their mother, who was a flight attendant. They occasionally got to miss school for a mid-week trip and traveled mostly in the off-season. Their dad was gone a lot, but their parents made it work. Instead of car racetracks, they had an airport set they played with, docking planes, loading pretend passengers, and going on adventures as big as their imaginations. As they grew up, nothing else seemed interesting to them. They both started flying when they were 15, took their first solo flights on their 16th birthdays, and earned their private pilot’s licenses soon after turning 17. They were both high school seniors who could legally get behind the wheels of cars and airplanes. The brothers both felt the call of the sky but pursued it in different ways. Scott went to Kansas City after graduating from Henderson State University and started working a traditional career at AT&T, Monday through Friday. But when a few of his buddies got together and asked if he wanted to go skydiving, he knew he couldn’t miss the opportunity to get his feet off the ground. He spent a lot of time talking to the employees and the owner. He walked away with a weekend piloting job taking skydivers up to jump. Scott lived for the weekends, taking the small plane up, talking to the clients, and usually squeezing in a jump for himself on the last flight of the day when someone else was piloting the plane. After 20 years working for AT&T and flying skydivers around, Scott started to feel burnt out and in need of a change. His brother, Philip, had been talking to him about flying for an airline. He took the leap and moved back to Searcy. He had enough hours to apply to an airline, so he started talking to several of them. He found an airline that offered him a job the next day. Ten days later, he found himself in ground school in Houston and started flying commercial jets. He logged 2600 hours in three years at the airline, with 1000 of those hours as captain, before transitioning to his current job flying a business jet for a large corporation. He is often on call, but he gets more time at home. Philip stayed a bit closer to home, but not necessarily closer to the ground. While he was still in college at Henderson State, he flew a plane towing banners at Oaklawn and various festivals and events in Hot Springs and Little Rock. He also worked for Lonestar Airlines, which flew out of Hot Springs, loading baggage, doing ground work, prepping the planes, and checking people in. He saw nearly every aspect of the commercial aviation industry, learning firsthand how many different moving parts come together for a successful flight. After he graduated, Philip did contract flying for a few years, then flew with Lonestar Airlines, out of Fort Worth, TX, then for Aspen Mountain Air before settling at Southwest Airlines in 1999. He made captain in 2005 and chose to be based out of Denver. He lives in Searcy but commutes into an airport and catches either a company flight or rides in a “jump seat” which is available for pilots and flight crew. A jump seat is an unoccupied seat on a commercial flight. Their typical trips are three days on-four days off or four days on-three days off. For Philip, it’s an incredibly fun job, and he feels privileged to do something that he’s always wanted to do. During his career, Philip has been able to fly with his dad professionally a few times and met lots of interesting people, along with a few celebrities. He always puts safety first but also loves meeting new people and talking to first-time flyers. His son, currently a senior at Searcy High School, is now a licensed drone pilot and does work for real estate agents around the Central AR area. His son’s interest sparked his own, and he also works as a drone pilot and aviation consultant for a local security firm. “I love seeing Searcy people on my flight, and my job has been such a privilege. I’m so grateful to God, my friends, and family for all the support.” - Captain Philip Corder, Searcy Resident and Pilot for Southwest Airlines Sheryl and David Escue David Escue, another local pilot who lives in Searcy, did not start out thinking he would be a pilot at all. His parents were in education, and he wanted follow in their footsteps and be a football coach. Between his sophomore and junior year of college at Harding, he got a call from a friend in Memphis who had his private pilot’s license. His friend asked if he wanted to come for the weekend and spend some time flying with him. David got to handle the controls a bit and after flying with his friend for a few hours, came home and told his Dad that he no longer wanted to pursue an education degree. He had been bitten by the flying bug! His dad told him, “I’ll help you get your private pilot’s license, but after that, you’re on your own.” He went to Olive Branch, MS that summer and came home with his private pilot’s license. He returned to Harding, played football for the Bisons, and got the rest of his ratings through Searcy Aviation in the following years. His first piloting job was as a co-pilot for Harding in a 690B Turbo Commander with the university’s chief pilot, David Ridings from Searcy. He also got his CFI rating which allowed him to become a flight instructor. In 1993, he got a job flying for Promus Companies in Memphis, which was a hotel management franchise. They operated Hawkers and Citations. Promus was bought out by Hilton, and the Promus flight department was closed down. He flew for another company that managed a Hawker 800 for AutoZone for a year but was very much looking for his long-term career. That’s how he found FedEx. They started hiring again in May, 2000, and David applied. He started as a flight engineer on a 727, monitoring the systems on the flights in the seat behind the pilot and copilot. Most of their flights were overnight, but their schedule made it easier to work around his family, especially since they lived in Memphis at the time. He moved to the first officer’s seat on the Airbus 300 after 13 months. At that time FedEx had a contract with the U.S. Postal Service. Many days, David would depart Memphis at 4 a.m., fly to a destination with FedEx freight, load back up with the mail, and fly back to Memphis the same morning to be off the rest of the day. It was early mornings, but the schedule allowed him to be there for most of his kids’ sports events. He even got to do some volunteer coaching when his kids were in elementary and junior high. “Flying for an airline is different, as far as being able to work the schedule around your family. When you fly for a corporation, you’re on call a lot. Both make it hard to schedule around family time until you get some seniority. Going to work for FedEx made it easier to schedule family things.” - Captain David Escue, Searcy Resident and Pilot He was able to build some seniority fairly quickly. His seniority affects seat positions, as well as how they bid for schedules. The more seniority he has, the better chance he has of getting a schedule he likes. They bid on schedules on a monthly basis, though pilots can also trade off flights with other pilots. He made his present position as captain on the A300 in 2015. After 26 years with FedEx, he is now #42 out of 242 in seniority in the captain’s seat of the Airbus. Now that he has moved to Searcy and commutes to Memphis, he usually bids on schedules that are 1 week on, 1 week off. He enjoys flying freight and not having to go through the hustle and bustle of the terminals every day. It’s also been a very steady industry. Many of his current runs are at night, and the flights are often close together with time for a nap in between. It’s been a very interesting career, and though one of his sons has stayed in Searcy as the Director of Admissions at Harding, his other son lives in Fayetteville and is a flight instructor at the Springdale airport. It was a career that David never saw coming. All three Searcy Pilots got either their start or additional ratings at Searcy Aviation at the Searcy Airport. (Searcy Aviation is no longer in business, but there are several other flight instruction businesses currently housed there.) One of Philip Corder’s favorite things that he did for 14 years was an Adopt a Pilot Day. It was a career day event where he got to talk to kids about flying and his job as a pilot. His advice is to find what you’re good at and what you like to do. Where those two things meet is a good starting point for a career. “Enjoy your life! People chase the dollar or are so scared of success that they fail. You can’t always have everything perfectly planned. You’ve got to put yourself out there. It’s difficult when you’re young, but sometimes you have to jump off a cliff and build your wings on the way down.” - Captain Philip Corder, Searcy Resident and Pilot If you are interested in becoming a pilot, book a discovery flight at any local airport or flight school. Philip Corder and fellow Searcy SWA pilot Chris Alexander. Read the full issue below.

A Tour With Joe Sims By Jennifer Webb When I texted Joe Sims asking for an interview about his helicopter and the landing spot in his backyard, I never expected to find myself literally 1000 feet off the ground. “Sure! I’ll take you up in it (the helicopter). What do you think about that?” he asked me when he called back to confirm time and place. I might have lost my professional demeanor for a minute in my excitement, but I answered in the affirmative. I’d been up in small planes before, but never in a helicopter. When I got to his hangar at Searcy Airport, I greeted Joe and asked if the wind and the low clouds were going to affect our flight. “It doesn’t bother me if it doesn’t bother you,” he told me. The Robinson R44 Raven I helicopter was beautiful and sleek—black with windows all around the cabin. He attached wheels to the landing skids and a device of his own design to push it outside the hangar. “This is how I keep from having to go to the gym,” he joked, as he nimbly bent down to lock it into place and pushed the entire helicopter out of the hangar. We disconnected the wheels and come-along, and he asked me if I wanted to fly. I wasn’t feeling quite that brave, so he took off the handle on the front passenger seat on the left-hand side of the helicopter. I got in and fastened my seatbelt, the familiar motion strangely comforting. I donned a noise-cancelling headset and paid attention as Joe went through a pre-flight checklist. He had already performed a preflight inspection on the outside of the chopper before I got there. The familiarity of the pre-flight checks made any residual nervousness fade away. For both small planes and helicopters, you check everything that can be checked on the ground. If something happens in your car while you’re going down the road, you can pull over, not so much when you’re in the air. Joe made his calls on the radio, telling other pilots in the area that he was about to taxi down the runway. In a small plane, you basically drive it down the taxiway with your feet. But the helicopter’s wheels were sitting in the hangar. We hovered over the taxiway, flying low to the ground, until the appropriate place to take off. The helicopter did go sideways once in the process, but since Joe didn’t seem to notice, I dismissed it as just being part of flying in a helicopter. “I thought helicopters were hard to fly?” I asked. “Nah. They’re easy to fly, just hard to learn.” I could hear radio calls from a student and instructor practicing around the airport. Joe’s been flying for 35 years. He started with small planes, then went to helicopters. He’s owned a hangar in Searcy for 31 years. He got his helicopter rating after taking instruction from Steve Foster in 2011. He’s had an interest in aviation as long as he can remember, starting with assembling model planes at the age of 10. He’d always dreamed about flying. In the 80s, his wife Marilyn bought him flying lessons at the airport as a Christmas present. He remembers the many people who encouraged him along the way, and does his best to pay it forward. “That’s what I do. I’ve encouraged many, many pilots. Took them flying and they went on to do big things and become airline pilots.” - Joe Sims, Helicopter Owner, Pilot, and Hangar Owner At Searcy Airport I’m not a pilot by any means, but that’s exactly what he was doing for me—taking me flying, encouraging me, and generally showing an interest and encouraging my curiosity about flying. “Where do you want to go?” he asked. “Race Street?” I hadn’t expected this question. In truth, we could have gone anywhere and I would have been happy. Just to get to go UP in the helicopter was a treat. I agreed to Race Street, and much to my delight, I found that Joe flew much lower than I had flown in a small plane. He stayed around 800-1000 feet. We flew over Henard Utility, got a great view of the Harding University Bison Football Stadium, the Searcy Lion Football Stadium, Searcy Courthouse, downtown, and the hospital. I was able to more or less keep my orientation. (Since I am “geographically challenged,” as my husband puts it, I was quite proud of myself for that.) The Little Red River makes for a distinguishable landmark from the air. Being that high up gives you a different perspective. Kids playing on the playground looked like little ants running around. Cars on Race Street looked the size of Hot Wheels. “What’s the visibility up here?” I asked. “Oh, you can probably see some of the tops of buildings in Little Rock from here. The storm that moved through yesterday cut a lot of the haze, so visibility is good today.” Little Rock is 50 miles away. And I could see just as well in the other direction. He took me to his house, and we almost landed in his backyard. We hovered a few feet above the ground. “There’s one of my motorcycle ramps,” he pointed out to me. Joe was in the motorcycle business for 40 years and was the owner of Searcy Yamaha before he retired on May 1, 2000. He personally raced motorcycles for years, competing in both motocross and supercross. He also completed the Baja 1000 in 1998. Though at 78 he no longer races motorcycles; he still follows the sport on TV. “Everything you do, if you do it right, has risks. But if you do it like you should and wear the safety equipment, and take all the precautions, then you know it’s as perfectly safe as possible.” - Joe Sims, Helicopter Owner, Pilot, and Hangar Owner At Searcy Airport “You’re not boring, are you?” I asked with a sideways grin. He just replied with a nope, but I could see the twinkle in his eye. At my request, we flew over White County Central School District, where I used to teach, then back again to the Searcy Airport. We saw cows and horses, a grass farm, lots of cell phone towers, golf courses, walking tracks, swimming pools, and houses. The wind that I had initially been concerned about wasn’t bad at all. The helicopter rotors were much less affected by them than I expected. As we were coming into the Searcy Airport to land, he calmly told me, “We just lost an engine.” It took a minute for the words to register. He was still sitting there, cool as a cucumber, piloting the helicopter. The rotors above us were still spinning. “Did you just say that we lost an engine?” I asked, mimicking his calm demeanor. I wasn’t sure that I believed him. I’d always heard that helicopters flew like rocks without the engine turning, plus he had shown me a safeguard during the pre-flight check. On the other hand . . . we did happen to be over a bunch of trees that were getting closer. “Yeah,” he confirmed . . .“Simulated. This is what it would feel like if we did lose an engine. See the speed and rotation going down to 60?” I knew from when my husband got his private pilot’s license that SIMULATING engine failure is a normal part of pilot training. (It’s also a fun way for the pilots to “entertain” passengers.) That’s why I didn’t hit the panic button. “Oh yeah, I see that.” I replied, like I had instead said, “Yes, nice weather today.” To land, Joe followed the same pattern that planes do when they land, approaching the airport in the standard way. He followed the grass beside the runway a bit, bleeding off speed and altitude. He came to a beautiful and smooth landing on the grass. It was nearly as smooth as pulling your car into the driveway . . . but vertical. I complimented his landing since I knew that a landing that smooth was a show of skill. “It won’t be quite that smooth on pavement,” he told me, as we once again took off to move the helicopter back to the hangar and “taxi,” by flying very low to the ground. But instead of the smooth, slow takeoff before, the helicopter jumped back into the air like a spring. “Wooo! That was fun!” It felt a bit like an amusement park ride. We landed again in front of his hangar and brought the ride to a close. It felt like we had been up 15 minutes, but the chronometer read 50 minutes. Back at the hangar, we sat and visited in his office. He called the student helicopter pilot who had been up and offered some encouragement, even offering to go with him on cross-country flights once he was able to solo. Joe told me that he comes to the airport every morning. Earlier in the week, he’d changed the oil on his friend’s helicopter, gave it a good look-over, put some spark plugs in, leak checked it, and put it all back together. All those are little things to Joe. But they add up to a huge investment in love for others, encouragement, and making a difference in people’s lives by showing up, being there, and showing that he cares. For me, time had literally flown, and I walked away with gratitude to Joe and an unforgettable experience. Read the full issue below.

Issue 3 2026 Across 2. JOE 3. BIPLANE 6. THOMPSON 7. CAREER Down 1. DOWNTIME 4. STATE 5. ROUTE Riddles 1. Odds and ends 2. Long time, no see 3. Before and after Read the full issue below.

Download Issue 3 2026 here!

United Way Ladies Tea