Raptor Driver

“Man, when I think of Trav my thoughts instantly go to a behavior science class we shared. We sat on opposite sides of the room, which actually gave me a great vantage point to witness the famous smile many of the previous posts referenced. We were never particularly close at the “Zoo” but he was always the friendliest guy in the room and the first to make your day, whether he meant to or not. Fast forward a couple of years to a Vance drop night and Trav went out of his way to come say hey to me, which meant a lot considering I wasn’t even sure he had cause to remember who I was. While he did give me grief for wearing Sheppard patches to a Vance drop night (VALID), in doing so he immediately established the friendliness and friendship that we had years earlier at school. It was my sincerest honor to share the sky with Trav and his flag and I’m happy to report that he helped me endure multiple ground delays, abnormal tanker ops, and a recovery to an unfamiliar airport - through which Trav and I visited the Big Island for the first time together. His tremendous impact on others made the chance to fly with his flag all the more humbling and the flight was as much for those people as it was more me and my memories with Trav. Thanks for the chance to honor his memory and here’s to Trav, who can now claim a title that is more exclusive than “Astronaut” - Travis B. Wilkie, RAPTOR DRIVER.”

- Joey