At The Age Of 96, Doylestown Resident Is Still Flying High

DOYLESTOWN, PA — At the age of 96, George Coulton is still flying high.

In his 80s, he earned his pilots license. Last year at the age of 95, he sat behind the controls of a glider as it sailed through the sky. And last week, he took to the skies again, this time for a flight over Bucks County.

On October 13, the resident of Wesley Enhanced Living in Doylestown climbed aboard a biplane at the Van Sant Airport for a 30 minute flight above the Delaware River and the beautiful autumn countryside.

The excursion was arranged through Wesley Enhanced Living's WEL Wish program. The program allows seniors like Coulton to fulfill their lifelong dreams, including balloon rides, zip line excursions and airplane rides.

“It was something extra special. And to do it at 96 maybe kind of crazy, but I liked it,” said Coulton, of his ride into the sky. “It was wonderful.”

Accompanied by Van Sant Airport pilot, Bar Eisenhauer, Coulton took off into the wild blue yonder in a plane built one year before the stock market crash of 1929 that sent the nation into the Great Depression.

“The view was gorgeous. It was beautiful. We flew over the Delaware River and over into New Jersey and back around over Upper Bucks County,” he said. “It was just awe-inspiring. And I loved every bit of it.”

His only regret was that he couldn't fly the plane, which doesn't have a second set of controls.

The plane, built when Coulton was two years old, had once carried the U.S. Mail, had been used as a crop duster and now, in retirement, takes people like George out for rides.

“It was a great experience,” he said. “It was a little noisy, a little windy but it was beautiful. It was just an experience I wouldn’t normally get and I don’t think too many get at my age,” he said. “I enjoyed it because I like to being up in the air. But this was a great surprise. I didn’t expect it,” he said.

Coulton learned to fly in his 80s. “I always had an itch to do it, but with the business I had I never had time to do a thing like that,” he said.

While living briefly in Bethlehem, his apartment happened to be in the flight path of the Lehigh Valley International Airport.

“I’d watch those little planes coming in and out and I couldn’t stand it any more. So I decided to take a few lessons. I just had to do it. I didn’t do a lot because it was expensive, but I did it enough to get rid of the itch.”

Coulton spent much of his life in Buck County, growing up in Newtown, Langhorne and Doylestown. He graduated from Doylestown High School.

He eventually settled on Arrons Avenue in New Britain Borough. He owned and operated his own
excavating business for many years. And he later worked at Delaware Valley University where he also did excavation work .

During the 1980s he served on the New Britain Borough Council from 1983 to 1991, including a stint as president. The biggest issue at the time was the development of the shopping center, he said.

Coulton is the father of two children. He has six grandchildren, a great-granddaughter with another great-grandchild on the way. His wife, Norma, passed away 13 years ago.