EAA Sport Aviation - November 2010

I like to see what

everybody else is doing, especially the avenues that people take on restoring their aircraft.

Dr. Joe Masessa, MD, FAAD (EAA Lifetime 576510) Dermatologist, Skin-cancer surgeon In-active member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary Commercial, multi-engine, instrument pilot Sport Aviation Reader

Meet Dr. Joe Masessa.

He was introduced to flying by his father, a Korean War veteran and private pilot. Joe envisioned his career as a fighter pilot, but less-than-perfect vision disqualified him from military flight training programs. Fast-forward one medical degree and 17 years, Joe took his first flight lesson at 35. “It was a long time coming!” Joe’s daily driver is a twin turboprop Cheyenne II. “I have several dermatology offices in New Jersey. It’s a long state, so I fly it twice a week to work and to meetings. It saves me four hours each day commuting.” Joe started going to Oshkosh 15 years ago. “I hung around the Warbird group and started thinking about preserving one. I feel EAA meets the needs for the majority of pilots, especially pilots into Warbirds. I also found out that it wasn’t enough to come a couple days. Now I go for nine.” In 2008, Joe became the owner of an OV-1D Mohawk 958. It needed lots of TLC, which Joe delivered in spades. “Owning the Mohawk is having a piece of history. It was very rewarding to preserve it, and to now make it available to others, especially veterans. I think my Dad would be proud that I’m doing something to preserve history and that makes a difference in veterans’ lives.”

Why Joe reads EAA Sport Aviation…

“It’s really for a variety of aviation interests. I like to see what everybody else is doing, especially the avenues that people take on restoring their aircraft. It’s interesting to read what the innovators are up to and what’s in store for the future of aviation.”