An Old Character

I found an old character
From my college days.
He loved being a pilot
Flying everyday.
His most treasured possession
Was, of course, his airplane.
The sky was his love
A big beautiful dame.
On adventures, he’d fly
For his platoon, he made a way.
Yet, his greatest dislike
Was when they entered a cave.
For he feared all the earth
Would be his grave.
A simple character
Was how he was made.
His friends called him “Swift”
But that wasn’t his name.
“I’m the greatest pilot”
That was his claim.
“The world just forgot
To give me my fame.”
I wonder what could’ve happened
If this character became a flame?
And not a forgotten memory
From my college days.