Navy pilot flying at 90: Vet takes to the skies to celebrate birthday

It was the first time in three years he had his hands on the controls.

Or felt the roar of the engine; the headset over his ears.

But Alvin Marsh summed up the feelings and sensations of the flight simply: “unbelievable.”

The 26-year veteran naval aviator has been on the ground longer than he would like.

Though the last entry in his logbook was three years ago, he has logged thousands of hours in the sky since his father pinned the wings on his uniform 65 years ago.

And after spending two decades flying alongside aircraft carriers and into hurricanes in the Navy, being at the controls once more was — to oversimplify — like riding a bike.