Former Pilot Readies for Last Flight

There’s only one thing Vilma Hofer wants to do before she dies – fly one more time. Tomorrow, the 97-year-old Roswell resident will get her wish when she goes flying in a biplane over the skies of the metro Atlanta area.

“It’s exciting,” said son Hugh Hofer, who will take the flight with his mother. “We’re looking forward to it.”

Hofer is one of the recipients of Brookdale Senior Living Solutions’ Wish of a Lifetime awards and, as a former biplane pilot, her wish was to take one last flight.

“This woman is just amazing,” said Susan Patterson, sales manager at Freedom Pointe at Roswell, where Hofer resides. “Even though she has dementia and she forgets a lot, some of these memories of her early days flying are very vivid to her.”

Hofer was the first female solo pilot in her native land of Slovakia, flying from 1939-1941. She obtained her license as part of a dare, and the adventure of flying hooked her, Hugh Hofer said.

“Back then in the 30s and 40s, (flying) was the last thing on earth that would be promoted,” her son said. “She was always a sports woman. She liked to ski and hike. I think the flying to her was another adventure, another sport a sense of freedom,” her son said. “She’s always thought of it in that.”

While she was taking lessons, she flew cross-country and was forced to land in a field of cows when the engine gave out.

“She said that was a very memorable flight,” Hugh Hofer said.

Hofer was forced to stop flying in 1941 when civilian air traffic was banned during World War II.

“There were obviously a lot of military activities over the skies,” her son said.

But, when she moved to Italy, South America and later to Atlanta, she kept her wings, license and flight cap.

“Of all the things to bring out of war-torn eastern Europe after World War II, how the heck my parents decided to bring that out to Italy to South America and then to Atlanta, I have no idea,” Hugh Hofer said. “It was very evident that her flying was very close to her heart and to her wishes.”

Five years ago, Hofer took to the skies and was even able to fly the plane, with the exception of the rudder pedals.

“Everything else, banking, turning, climbing, she was able to handle still at that age,” her son said. “That was a big deal for her then. Flying for her is one of those memories from when she was a young woman that has been with her for all of her lifetime, something that she always talked about.”

And, though some days are hard for Hofer as her memories leave her, her son has been trying to cheer her up by reminding her of her upcoming flight.

“I said something like, ‘Well, I hope you cheer up. You and I are going to go flying next week.’” he said. “She looked at me and said, ‘You know, I can’t pilot the plane anymore.’  I said, ‘Yeah, you’re right. I think your certificate has expired by now.’”

Hofer will take off from McCollum Field at 9:30 a.m.