Norwood’s Pioneer Aviator H. Roy Waite Happily Back in His Restored Chair at Norwood Airport-October 7, 1972

H. Roy Waite, Norwood’s legendary 87-year-old pioneer aviator, is happily back “on the job” about a month after his favorite chair was heartlessly stolen from the Norwood Airport.

For Waite, his unofficial “job” consists of spending sunny days sitting in his favorite spot on the knoll overlooking the runways, watching planes take off and land while chatting with local pilots. But that routine was upended in early September when someone made off with his chair, later abandoning it badly damaged down an embankment.

An Aviation Pioneer and “Early Bird”

Waite holds a revered place in American aviation history. He earned the very first pilot’s license issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce after teaching himself how to fly. His prestigious “Early Bird” membership card designates him as one of a rapidly vanishing breed of aviators who successfully soloed prior to December 17, 1916.

Though he no longer flies, Waite’s passion for aviation never waned. Approximately nine years prior, employees of Wiggins Airways recognized his dedication and gifted him a sturdy wooden lawn chair so he could comfortably observe airport operations.

The Theft and Community Restoration

On September 10, the cherished chair vanished from in front of the airport administration building. Cliff Fuller, vice president of Wiggins Airways, reported that the chair was eventually discovered over an embankment with its legs and one arm smashed.

Because furniture designs had changed over the intervening nine years, standard replacement parts were unavailable, requiring meticulous hand-repair work. Fuller reached out to a friend at Walpole Woodworkers Inc. for assistance. Bill Keefe of the woodworking firm shrugged off the extra effort, stating simply, “Everyone wanted to help restore Roy Waite’s chair.”

Back on the Knoll

Now fully restored, the chair sits once again in its familiar spot. A self-proclaimed “airport bum,” Waite expressed deep gratitude for the community’s outpouring of support, noting that people “have been very nice to me. The repair job on the chair is wonderful.”

With warm autumn days holding steady, Waite can once again be found on his favorite knoll, watching the skies above Norwood Airport.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger