Flying through the years: 6 decades in the sky

For The Madera Tribune

Pilot Jim Shamp stands under his airplane which displays eyes like the characters of the movie, “Planes,” which he had a part in. Shamp has been flying for more than six decades.

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Jim Shamp has spent more than six decades in the cockpit, flying everything from an EMB 120 to a Piper Navajo to a British Aerospace 146. 

Over the years, he has been a flight instructor, safety manager, and pilot examiner, shaping the careers of pilots and contributing to flight safety in the United States.

Shamp was fascinated by flying and airplanes at a young age. When he was in the sixth grade, he built, and designed model airplanes out of balsa wood and flew them around on a string.