Howie Cammack, EAA 290592, celebrated his 90th birthday on June 29, surrounded by family and friends. The celebration took place at the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum in Denver, Colorado, a fitting venue given Howie’s deep connection to the museum and the aviation community.
Since he was a young man, Howie has always had a passion for aviation. His journey as a pilot began in 1960 when he took his first solo flight while serving with the Minnesota Air National Guard as a crew chief, and he still gets choked up when he looks back on that day. “He’s a big softie,” his daughter Mary Kay Raab said.
After a 30-year career at John Deere Industrial, Howie retired and finally had the time to pursue his dream of building airplanes. Over the years, he crafted three homebuilt airplanes: a Kitfox, an RV-3, and a Skybolt, all of which were mainly garage-built. “Our garage was always as big as the house, and the garage was like the sacred place where he would build his planes,” Mary explained. His first homebuilt aircraft, the Kitfox, hangs proudly at the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, making it the perfect place to celebrate.
His love for aviation also sparked a passion in his family. His son Dan became a pilot, and Mary’s niece Jenny married Mitch, another pilot, whose son now shares the same enthusiasm for airplanes.
Throughout his life, Howie attended 23 EAA Oshkosh fly-in conventions, starting with his first trip in 1991 in a motor home with a friend. His journeys to the convention varied, including trips by motorcycle, flying the Kitfox and RV-3, and even driving with his wife and grandson, JD, who was just 10 years old at the time and already fascinated by airplanes.
“[EAA has] just meant so much to Dad over the years and in his life,” Mary said. “As you get to be 90 years old, maybe you slow down and don’t fly as often as you used to, but it’s still an important thing that it’s just his love and his hobby.”
Howie’s dedication to aviation is evident in his continued activity. He still has his RV-3 and flew it as recently as two months ago, making him one of the few nonagenarian pilots. He stores it in a hangar he rents at the Colorado Air and Spaceport, his “man cave,” where he spends most of his time.
At first, Howie was reluctant to even have a birthday celebration, but with the right location and enough persuasion, Mary made it happen. “He did not want a birthday party, just didn’t want one,” she explained. “And then somehow I came up with the idea maybe we could have it at the Wings Over the Rockies Museum, and that changed everything. He was on board.”
The celebration was a chance to honor Howie and bring the family together from various states. “It’s just a chance to kind of honor him at 90, get the family in town from these other states where we’ve all moved… and just celebrate Dad,” Mary said.
As the family gathered to celebrate Howie’s milestone birthday, they reflected on his incredible journey and the impact he has had on their lives. “As a family, I would say we’re all extremely thankful for it, that he’s doing so well, that he is so independent that he has a place to go (his hangar) and a plane to take care of,” Mary said.
Howie Cammack’s 90th birthday celebration was not just a party; it was a tribute to a man whose love for aviation has inspired generations. His legacy lives on in the airplanes he built, the family he inspired, and the countless memories he created along the way. Thank you, Howie, for sharing your passion and for being an inspiration in the world of aviation.