Says Arnie, “You don’t realize how big our country is until you drive it. On some of those longer jumps between tournaments, I almost literally climbed out of my car onto the first tee. All of that driving in the early years convinced me that flying was the only way to go.” Once Arnie’s daughters were born—Peggy in 1956 and Amy in 1958—he decided to make the ‘highways’ less and less a part of his life. He began taking flying lessons in a single-engine Cessna 172. Then after winning the Master’s in 1958, Arnie leased a Cessna 175 and hired a part-time copilot to fly with him. It wouldn’t be long before he’d be flying solo.

Arnie continued improving his flying skills and soon acquired “instrument and multi-engine ratings.” This meant he could now fly in all types of weather—anywhere. Says Arnie, “After I got down the basics, I had the thrill of my first solo flight—a spin over the Allegheny Mountains during which I felt the power of having the controls of the airplane entirely to myself.” By 1961 he was more than ready to purchase his first aircraft, an Aero Commander 500. This enabled him to do much of his traveling on the tour—in the air. Two-and-half years later he wanted even more sky power.

“In 1963, I purchased my second airplane, an Aero Commander 560F. It was brand new, more powerful, and roomier than the 500. It had a cruising range that would enable us to make it to Palm Springs from Latrobe with just one stop, cruising at 240 nautical miles per hour,” says Arnie. But his need for speed wasn’t quite yet quenched. In 1966 he acquired what he called his “latest capitalist tool,” a Rockwell Jet Commander. The leap to a corporate jet meant Arnie could now cruise at speeds up to 500 mph and his range was extended to 2000 nautical miles. The convenience of having a jet meant he could now sleep in his own bed on most nights. None of this, however, would have been possible without some major structural changes at the airport where he grew up hearing pilots tell their tales.