By Bill Armstrong
Doctor Robert K. Poling developed many friends over his lifetime and I consider it an honor and privilege to be among those. With our joint background in aviation that was a natural outcome. I first became aware of his acute knowledge of local aviation lore when we were “volunteered” to lead a group to determine the contents of a visitor’s gallery in the newly constructed airport terminal in the late 1990’s. After two years of effort the final result was the Cohongaronta Gallery located in the upper level of the Cumberland Regional Airport, with multiple displays highlighting historical occurrences centered in our region. A scaled replica of the 1903 Wright Flyer, constructed by the local EAA Chapter, suspended in the center of the gallery serves as a highlight. Visitors and local folks have enjoyed this gallery since.
Doc has always been a good story teller, but these stories were never made up. Rather they were recalled with keen insight, informed by his lifelong interest in aviation. As a teenager, with money earned working in his father’s grocery store, he took flying lessons in a Piper J-3 Cub at Mexico Farms Airfield, and soloed in August 1941. After graduating from high school, Bob served in World War II as a member of the Aviation Cadet Program, and received his Air Force Wings in December 1944. After flight training in PT-19 Cornells, BT-13 Vultee Valiants, and Beechcraft AT-10 Wichitas, he would go on to fly the North American AT-6 Texan, Martin B-26 Marauder, and Consolidated B-24 Liberator.
After the war, Bob attended the Baltimore School of Dental Surgery, at the University of Maryland. After graduating with a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree, he returned home to Cumberland and established a dental practice. Over the next forty years, Doc’s accomplishments included serving as president of the Allegany-Garrett County Dental Society, as a member of the Fluoridation Committee of Cumberland’s Water Supply, as chairman of the Continuing Education Committee, and as a member of the medical staffs of Memorial Hospital and Sacred Heart Hospital.
During this time, Doc began a program to provide the Fort Hill High School football team with custom fitted mouth protectors. Designed to prevent injuries to the players’ teeth and jaws, they worked so well that their use soon spread to all other high schools in Allegany and Garrett counties. All this occurred before the Maryland State Athletic Commission made the use of mouth protectors mandatory.
With all that, Doc still found time to fly his own Piper J-3 Cub, and to share his joy of flying with family and friends. Meanwhile, over many years, he acquired a vast collection of photos, news clippings, index card notes, and other reference materials documenting local aviation history.
Recognizing their value, and having worked with me on the Cohongaronta Gallery’s exhibits, Doc expressed to me his long held desire to publish a book covering local aviation history. He asked if I would assist him in this endeavor, a request that I could not turn down.
Thus, over a period of more than two years, we discussed an approach towards this goal, and met at his home and at mine multiple times to begin the task of putting into words and photos the desired result. We approached it in a decade by decade manner beginning in the 1920’s and up until 2000 – an eighty year history of aviation in the local area. I regained my typing skills, making drafts and multiple repeat drafts, having many disagreements in wording or content but always coming to a solution, and determining the many photos to be included. We finally concluded that we had done enough work and had the book published locally. Hence the Wings Over Cumberland – An Aviation History reference book was completed and was well received. It was a pleasure to hear many folks being complimentary and relaying happiness to see and read the result.
I salute the friendship and the life of this wonderful gentleman. Recall the adage – He who demands everything that his aircraft can give him is a pilot, he that demands one iota more is a fool. Doc Poling was no fool.
Addendum
Doc Poling’s son, David R. Poling, PhD, has followed his father in being deeply immersed in aeronautics and flying. Following is a recap of Dave’s experiences in aviation.
Dave is a retired Program Manager from the Boeing Company. His work at Boeing was in the area of Advanced Vertical Lift Concepts for Rotorcraft. His duties involved managing and leading engineering teams in Research and Development for technology integration, contracting, project execution-delivery, and customer coordination. He is an active member of the Industry-Academic Advisory Board for the Aerospace and Ocean Engineering Department at VA Tech and is currently teaching at Widener University in Chester, PA. Dave learned to fly both gliders and power aircraft at Cumberland and soloed a glider at age 14 and a Piper J-3 Cub on his 16th Birthday. He is a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and is active in general aviation.
Wings Over Cumberland 