Elgin M. Wells

Elgin M. Wells, Delta Captain (Ret.), age 89, of Duluth, GA died Monday, February 19, 2007. A memorial service will be held Saturday, March 10 at Gwinnett County Airport, EAA Hangar 1, at 10:00 AM.

He was born August 7, 1917 in Jackson, MS to Elgin and Margaret Wells, attended Central High School in Jackson and was an Eagle Scout. He graduated Mississippi College in 1938, after which he did graduate work in Physics at Duke University. He learned to fly in the Civil Air Patrol and then enlisted in the Army Air Corps, receiving his wings in 1941. Kept stateside for several years to help train other young pilots, he flew all of the US fighters of World War II except the P-47. He participated in the Advanced Field Testing program for the new P-51. A year before being sent to the Pacific as part of the 138th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron, 5th Air Force, he married Geraldine Gerry Sumrall, the youngest sister of one of his flying classmates, also of Jackson. At age 28, he was advanced to the rank of Major and assumed command of the 138th, which proudly recorded a perfect safety record during the war, never losing a single squadron member while on duty with the unit. Elgin's favorite mount at the time was the P-38. Soon after the war, he moved to Atlanta to work for Delta Airlines, initially flying DC-3s and logging 28,000 hours before retiring in 1977, flying the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar.

He and his wife Gerry had two children, Caroline and Elgin, Jr. An excellent nature photographer, he enjoyed his years of retirement with his wife, Gerry, who was an expert naturalist and Girl Scout executive, until her death in 1988.

A superb aerobatic pilot, Elgin later enjoyed hundreds of hours of flying with his son, Elgin Jr., even competing successfully during his 70s and 80s and performing in the Delta Airshow with a low-altitude aerobatic waiver. Commended by radio personalities Paul Harvey and Neal Boortz for a remarkable emergency night landing in his Decathlon at age 76, he was often consulted by media reporters when aviation issues were in the news. Elgin was flying upside-down over the Georgia woods mere weeks before his death.

Mr. Wells is survived by his son, Elgin Jr., his daughter-in-law, Lisa, his son-in-law, Wally, his two granddaughters, Laurel and Alecia, and many beloved friends.

In lieu of flowers, Mr. Wells requested that remembrances be made in the form of donations to The Salvation Army, 1000 Center Place, Norcross, GA 30093 or contributions to EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) Chapter 690, 5134 Eagles Nest Court, Loganville, GA 30052.