Roy "Doc" Wicker

Dr. Roy Wicker is a notable WWII US naval aviator, LTA (Lighter-than-air/blimp) aircraft pioneer, and recent inductee of the Vintage Aircraft Assoc. Hall of Fame."Doc" Wicker now resides in Quitman, Ga.During World War II he flew blimps, including the Goodyear Model K, on anti-submarine patrols. Later, he flew fixed-wing navy aircraft including his favorite, the Douglass Dauntless (SBD). After discharge, he headed off to dental school and started a long career as a dentist in the Atlanta and then Quitman, Georgia, areas.

As soon as his practice was established in the late 1950s, Wicker bought a Cessna 170, then a 180, plus a club share of a Piper Colt. In the 1960s, he built a full-size stick-for-stick 120-hp LeRhone-rotary-powered replica of the World War I Nieuport 24bis, finished in the markings of French ace, Charles Nungesser.

His experience with his new "old" airplane led him to the restoration arena, including a Warner-powered Fleet 1 trainer and a Cessna C-34. His most recent restoration was chosen as the Grand Champion Antique during the 1993 EAA Sun’n Fun Fly-In. In partnership with Barbara Kitchens, Wicker restored a very special Davis D-1W. Originally owned by Walter Davis, owner of Davis Aircraft of Richmond, Indiana, it was dubbed Whistler II. Along the way, interspersed between his restorations, he also restored a Marquart Charger, finished in the navy squadron Fighting 6 markings of a prewar Curtiss Helldiver. His latest project, an RV-8 homebuilt built with Lee Ballard, recently won the 2006 EAA Sun’n Fun Fly-In award for fastest 0-100mph aircraft.

His aircraft restorations and building projects have been consistent award winners and become known for their meticulous craftsmanship. Roy Wicker was inducted into the VAA (Vintage Aircraft Association) Hall of Fame in 2001.

External links

* [http://www.vintageaircraft.org/programs/hof/hof_wicker.pdf Wicker page, at vintageaircraft.org]