Grabbing lunch on the fly, pilot, 81, won't slow down
There's no telling how far pilot, 81, will go for lunch

The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Originally published Thursday, April 21, 2005
Reprinted with permission

V. David Sartin
dsartin@plaind.com
Plain Dealer Reporter

When Roger Levering talks about grabbing a salad for lunch, he means in Michigan, West Virginia, Pennsylvania or Indiana.

An avid pilot, the retired investment banker hops in his Beechcraft Bonanza at least twice weekly and flies a friend to one of his favorite restaurants. In Muncie, Ind., it's Vince's, which boasts a view of the municipal airfield and is home to the Muncie Jaycees.

Levering, of Bay Village, always has a salad, but his pals often order the house specialty -- burgers.

Roger Levering, flys to Marshall, MI from Cleveland, OH for lunch, every few weeks.

"The guys call it a $100 hamburger," said Levering, whose tab includes a tip for the waitress and fuel for the 500-plus mile round trip. "But, with the price of gas today, it's a lot more expensive."

At 80, Levering is among the oldest private pilots in the nation, yet still logs about 400 hours yearly in the air.

Most flights are for lunch or dinner at the likes of historic Schuler's Restaurant & Pub in Michigan, pricey Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa in Pennsylvania or the five-star Maisonette in Cincinnati.

A hobby pilot with more than 8,100 hours of flying time, Levering did not get a license until he was over 50 and could have been thinking of a quiet retirement from a job as an investment banker at the old Ohio Co.

Roger Levering, affectionately known as Mr. Cleveland at Schuler's Restaurant in Marshall, MI is greeted by Hans Schuler

In 1976, Levering was on a commercial airline with his wife, Marian, who used a wheelchair after bouts with multiple sclerosis. She suggested that Levering take flying lessons, thinking it would be easier for them to travel. She also knew her husband's disappointment over being rejected as a military pilot in World War II.

"I was going to be a big-shot pilot," said Levering. "But, they washed me out because they said I had bad depth perception."

Years later, the couple struck a deal. He could take flying lessons as long as Marian accompanied him on every flight.

The couple passed over one flight school because it would not allow Marian to ride along during Roger's lessons.

It turned into a testament to love.

Airport officials Dawn Masternak and Kurt MacLane welcome "Mr. Cleveland" to Marshall's Brooks Field.

"Most pilots' wives won't even look at an airplane," said Levering, recollecting as he flew last week at 7,500 feet over a checkerboard of green farmland in Ashland County.

Because of his wife's MS, Levering had to lift her in his arms and place her into the back seat of small airplanes. They later bought a six-seater so that a pair of seats could be removed to open space for the wheelchair and leave room for Marian. They both knew the crippling disease left her nearly helpless in any emergency.

"You talk about faith and trust," said Levering.

Before Marian died in 1994, the couple amassed more than 4,000 hours together in trips over the Rockies to the West Coast, to islands in the Caribbean, to Quebec and throughout the Midwest.

They also started a habit of finding a fine restaurant for a fast trip.

Among their favorites was Win Schuler's in Marshall, an upscale restaurant that recently celebrated its 95th anniversary.

"We love having him come in," said Jackie Slater, a Schuler's dining room supervisor. "When he flies in, everybody is all excited."

"He's from a different time," said Slater, 49, a veteran restaurant employee who works in the summer at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Mich. "He's a great gentlemen. He always dresses in coat and tie.

"Flying in for the day is very decadent."

Levering is decadent at least twice weekly. His flight log shows 26 trips in January and February, before he sent his $500,000 Bonanza A-36 to mechanics for a routine inspection in March.

On some trips, he carries mementos for waitresses. Slater has a small broach shaped like an airplane with a ruby-colored stone.

"Some people say I am flirting," said Levering. "But, I'm just doing what my mother taught me. I open doors for ladies and tell them they look nice. That's not flirting."

At the end of last week's flight to Maisonette, Levering was greeted at the door by Tom Kirchner, the maitre d', and Lora Wurtz, director of operations. He got a hug from Wurtz.

"We know his voice on the phone," said Kirchner. "It's warm and friendly."

They also know what he wants, a salad with champagne vinaigrette.

"It's not on the menu," said Kirchner. "It's been off the menu for five years. We never make it anymore, except when he comes."

On that day, his lunch buddy was David Bricker, general manager of the Concourse Hotel & Conference Center in Columbus. Levering picked him up during a stop - the engine still running - at Port Columbus International Airport.

Bricker first met the couple in 1990 when they were routinely flying to the Concourse for lunch. "Everybody was saying, 'Who are these Leverings?' So, I had to meet them."

In recent years, Bricker has flown with Levering to several states.

"I like him," said Levering. "He's not nervous. He's good company, like Marian.

"I miss her. I still feel the loss. We were together 49 years and they were 49 good years."

© 2005 The Plain Dealer.

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