Walt Mooney was a friend of my father's--they were both into sport aviation here in San Diego after WWII. I met him when I was about 10 years old, back in the late '50s, when they were both members of the Associated Glider Clubs of S. Cal. and my brother and I would crew for my dad on weekends when he flew his sailplane at Torrey Pines and Elsinore dry lake (yes, it was dry back then). I remember one time (I think in the mid-'60s) when Walt lost lift after the onshore breeze died at Torrey Pines and he had to make an emergency landing on the beach, did a ground loop in the sand and fractured a vertebra in his back.

TT