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citizensmemorial.com
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Radiologist
takes to
the sky
About Dr. Horner
Doug Horner, D.O., is a radiologist at the Citizens Memorial Hospital (CMH) Imaging Center and
CMH Radiology Department. Using the latest equipment and techniques, Dr. Horner and the other
board-certified radiologists on staff at CMH provide patients with accurate, comprehensive and timely
diagnostic information. Patients can typically expect results from any imaging procedure within three to
five days.
By Lucas Roberts
Right around sunset
on a cool
summer evening in Bolivar, Missouri,
you may hear the quiet hum of a
small airplane flying around the
area. For many pilots in southwest
Missouri, this is the best time of
day to fly. The wind is calm, the
temperature is not too hot and the sky
is beautifully lit. It is not uncommon
to see a small plane flying at this time.
However, something that may also
catch your eye is the type of plane
that is flying. While many pilots
prefer flying traditional enclosed
metal aircraft, some prefer a lighter,
more open flight. These lightweight,
open-cockpit airplanes are known as
ultralights, and Doug Horner, D.O.,
flies one.
A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
One of only a few in the area to
regularly fly an ultralight, Dr. Horner
earned his private pilot’s license in
2004. Since then, he has logged
more than 500 hours in the air and
has earned an Instrument Rating,
qualifying him to fly above the
clouds or an altitude of 18,000 feet.
Dr. Horner rarely flies an aircraft
that high, however. He prefers to fly
locally, lower and slower. “The best
part about flying is just getting up
and getting a different perspective.
It’s a lot different than driving
around in a car,” says Dr. Horner.
“I just like the aviation perspective:
actually flying the airplane—the stick
and rudder stuff—and going around
low-level and sightseeing.”
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COMMUNITY
TAGLINE HERE
PHYSICIAN PROFILE
Dr. Horner, a board-certified
radiologist on the medical staff at
Citizens Memorial Hospital (CMH)
in Bolivar, hasn’t always owned his
ultralight. His previous plane, a
Bonanza, was a traditional metal
aircraft, which he flew all across
the nation. One memorable long-
distance flight was to Las Vegas, New
Mexico, near the Sangre de Christo
Mountains. “It’s a challenge to fly out
there, but it’s so interesting and pretty.
I think that was my favorite trip to
take,” says Dr. Horner.
His ultralight cruises at around
45 to 50 miles per hour and has a top
speed of 65 miles per hour. While his
plane is perfect for cruising around
the area at those speeds, given the
chance, Dr. Horner would love to
own a Corsair or P51 Mustang. Both
planes saw service in World War II
and the Korean War.
PRIOR SERVICE
Before coming to CMH, Dr. Horner
graduated from the West Virginia
School of Osteopathic Medicine
and completed a residency in
radiology at the Cleveland Clinic
Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio, and
a fellowship in pediatric radiology
at the Texas Children’s Hospital in
Houston, Texas. He also worked as
a diagnostic radiologist for Litton
and Giddings Radiological Associates
in Springfield. With the U.S. Army
Reserve Medical Corps, he provided
service with the rank of major as a
diagnostic radiologist and served as
a helicopter crew chief for the West
Virginia Army National Guard during
Operation Desert Storm.