Local aviator inducted into Iowa hall of fame

The Iowa Aviation Museum at Greenfield, IA, recently announced Connie Rex Younger as a 2022 inductee into the Hall of Fame.

An induction program for Younger, who is deceased, and another man, Nicholas A. Turner, Rhodes, IA, will be held on August 27 in conjunction with a fly-in.

Connie Rex Younger was born in 1939 near Elmo to Rex and Margaret Younger. He joined the Navy hoping to become a pilot but was unable to pass the vision requirements. He chose the appointment of Navy musician instead and served four years as a US Navy musician.

After service, Younger graduated from Northwest Missouri State College with a degree in music education. He became a high school music director, played in a band and worked as a carpenter until taking flying lessons from the late Joe Rankin, Maryville, and attaining his ratings. In 1971, he earned a master’s degree in aerospace education and became a flight and ground instructor in glider and fixed-wing at the University of Illinois.

From 1976 to 1996, he worked at Iowa State University as FAR Part 141 chief flight instructor, FAR Part 91 ISU Flight Services staff transportation pilot in the Beechcraft King Air 200, Cessna 414 and Aero Commander AC 500 aircraft. He managed Iowa State’s FAR Part 141 private pilot program.

In 1990, Younger launched CY Aviation Inc. and began managing the Boone Municipal Airport which he continued to do for 26 years. He was a flight instructor, FAA designated pilot examiner and airframe mechanic. He taught glider flying in Ames, IA and seaplane flying on the Mississippi and Rock Rivers in the Quad Cities area and on Saylorville Reservoir. He flew for Denali Air and Kantishna Air Taxi in Alaska providing flightseeing tours.

Holding multiple ratings, he logged over 20,000 accident-free pilot hours during his aviation career, including 3,000 multi-engine, 2,000 tailwheel, 700 glider and 150 seaplane. He received numerous awards and honors for aviation.

He also was a published composer with “Sea Wise March” for concert band which was published posthumously in 2018. This march has been performed locally by the Northwest Missouri State University concert band under the direction of Dr. John Bell. While in Boone, he played the saxophone in the Boone Municipal Band for 30 years and organized the Big Band.

Younger died August 1, 2016, at the age of 77.

Nominations to the Hall of Fame are made by the public and selection is made by an independent judging committee. Neither the museum board nor employees of the Iowa Aviation Museum make nominations or selections.