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[i]It is with a truly heavy heart that I type this report this morning. The world has lost a true aerospace pioneer and I have lost a dear friend. At around 1:30 AM today, Chal passed away peacefully in his sleep. His devoted wife Aila was by his side. What makes this even more bittersweet, was he was selected for induction to the Florida Aviation Hall of Fame yesterday afternoon late. This is not suppose to be for publication until formal notifications are made, but I am making an exception in this case due to circumstances (I am on the selection committee). Let us hope he can now gain the respect he deserves, and that one "bitter man" will no longer try to boost his own ego by putting down Slick with manufactured stories, as he has for years. Below is a portion of the press release for his obituary we finished last night (funeral arrangements pending) - I'll bet a dollar many of you did not know the total Slick Goodlin and will read a lot you were not aware of:[/i] It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of pioneer test pilot, humanitarian, businessman, loving husband and loyal friend, Chalmers H. "Slick" Goodlin. Chal, as he was known to his friends and associates, was born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania on January 2nd, 1923 and died at his residence in West Palm Beach, Florida with his loving and devoted wife Aila, at his side. He obtained his private pilot's license in 1939 and in 1941 joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) as a trainee in preparation to join the war effort in England. There he was assigned as an Instructor and Ferry pilot, but later flew Spitfires in England. He switched over to the US Navy as an instructor pilot in 1943 and flew most of the aircraft in the Navy's inventory. From 1944 - 1948 he flew for the Bell Aircraft Corporation as an engineering test pilot, flying 26 flights in the XS-1 (the 1st rocket propelled aircraft designed to exceed mach 1) and the other Bell Aircraft of that time. As test pilot for the XS-1 he was responsible for proving out and readying the aircraft for the USAF prior to their acceptance. He pioneered rocket powered flight and flew into many unproven regimes never before flown. He considers this one of two parts of his career that meant the most to him. He was also one of the very first jet licensed pilots in the US. He joined the "Caterpillar Club" two times when bailing out of aircraft during test flights. In 1946, at the first post war Air Races in Cleveland, he was the co owner and test pilot of a Bell Cobra II. During 1948 and 1949, Chal flew for the Israeli Air Force on combat duty and later became the chief test pilot for the IAF. Later, when hostilities ceased, he flew DC-4's for Near East Air Transport on humanitarian missions, carrying thousands of Jewish refugees to Israel from Aden, Arabia and Germany. He then went on to further his spectacular career in aviation owning the Seychelles-Kilimanjaro Air Transport, and other companies supplying parts and aircraft to various airline and other concerns. What he considers the pinnacle of his career however, was becoming involved with and ultimately Chairman and CEO of, the Burnelli Company. An aircraft company noted for the safe design of airline bodies that met with considerable political resistance. He fought the battle for Burnelli and the design for many years. The Burnelli Company's design was the first "flying wing" or lifting body design that was manufactured, that would have revolutionized the airline industry and created far safer airliners. While his other achievements are far too numerous to list in total here, Mr. Goodlin is a nominee for the National Aviation Hall of Fame, was inducted into the Florida Aviation Hall of Fame, the American Rocket Society (Honorary Member 1946), he had a Commendation from the American Red Cross for Humanitarian Efforts in Nigerian Relief Operations and Biafra (1969), elected into the Niagara Frontier Aviation Hall of Fame (1987), Society for Experimental Test Pilots (Honorary Fellow 1991), and received the Wright Brothers Memorial Award from the Greater Miami Aviation Association (1992). He enjoyed memberships in the Royal Aero Club, the Quiet Birdmen, the Caterpillar Club, the OX-5 Club, The Greater Miami Aviation Association as a Senior Member and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Mr. Goodlin is survived by his loving wife the former Aila Kaarina Vainio of Finland, his brother E. Alton (Al) Goodlin and sister Myla Shestik (husband Robert), both of New Alexandria, Pennsylvania, and his two nieces Susan Ludwig and Cindy Burnham (husband Matthew Burnham and two children, Kay-Lee and Tailor). Funeral arrangements locally are by the Joseph Scarano Funeral Home in Pembroke Pines, Florida, with burial in the family plot in Pennsylvania.
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