Jim Parnell spent more time in the air than on the ground in his life.

He took his first flight at the age of 13, which sparked an interest in all facets of aviation. And for a 53-year career, Jim piloted all around the world, inspected numerous planes and gave lessons to a number of people seeking a license.

During those 53 years, Jim never once experienced an accident. In fact, he was recently honored with the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award - a program that recognizes pilots who have 50 or more consecutive years of safe flight operations.

"He's the safest pilot I've ever met," says one family member, as a group of six sorted through some of Jim's awards and certificates.

Last Thursday, Jim took off from the Ridgeland Airport in his '72 Piper 140 for a routine checkup flight. He didn't make it too far from the runway before experiencing problems.

"The plane lost power. The engine was quiet," recalled Mike Parnell, Jim's son, who was riding with him. "It just started sputtering."

The two tried returning to the airport, but the plane crash landed onto the runway, breaking the landing gear. Mike suffered some cracked ribs and crushed vertebrae in his back. He is expecting a full recovery.

Jim, however, wasn't as lucky.

What should have been just another day in the air for Jim ended in his first accident and proved to be his final flight at the age of 74. A compressed spinal injury for Jim, which paralyzed him, led to his death on Monday.

But to ask his family members, more specifically his wife Bess, Jim's life was one lived to the fullest. And there aren't any hard feelings in regards to how it ended.

"This was his life," Bess, a Ridgeland native said. "This is what he enjoyed doing, so we have no regrets."

Jim, who is from Kentucky and moved to Ridgeland in 1989, spent much of his career inspecting planes. He worked with the FAA as an accident investigations supervisor and served in a role that had him inspecting aircrafts outside of the United States.

If a plane left the US airspace for more than five years, it needed to be inspected before it could return. Jim did that inspection.

In addition to the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, Jim also received the FAA's Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award, which honored senior mechanics who provided 50 years of aviation maintenance.

Jim's complete interest in flying allowed him to earn some rare licenses as a Certified Flight Instructor. Because of his specialties, aspiring pilots traveled from all over the U.S. to receive instruction from him.

"He taught me how to fly when I was 21," Mike, who now works in aviation maintenance with US Airways in Charlotte, said. "He knew a slew of pilots and was as knowledgeable as anyone."

Jim's passion for aviation passed down to Mike, who was told by by Bess to make room for Jim's second plane that he had garaged at the Ridgeland Airport. That plane, a Taildragger, will now be Mike's.

What his passion never really did, though, was work its way to Bess.

Bess admits that she didn't have an interest in aviation before meeting Jim. And being married to him never did change that fact.

"I didn't have an interest and still don't," she said. "The only thing I enjoyed about it was that I got to go see a lot of different countries, like Japan and Switzerland, while he was there doing work."

One of Bess' favorite memories was during one trip with Jim when he took her to see the cockpit. What Bess didn't know was that Jim met with the pilot beforehand and arranged to play a small joke.

"He opened the door and I saw a pilot sitting there peeling an apple," Bess said, laughing. "I thought 'This isn't safe' and I asked 'Who is flying the plane?' The pilot told me he didn't know.

"Jim was so safety conscience, so I didn't know what to think."

All was well moments later when the joke sorted out and eased Bess' fears.

Bess continued on with other stories, including one from a trip just after the Gulf War. Each memory had one thing in common with the last - it centered on a trip with Jim or involved his main interest in some way.

"When he got so involved in flying, that's all he ever wanted to do," Bess said.