Walter’s first airplane ride was at the age of 7, and by high school he rebuilt his own J-3 Cub. He earned an A&E (A&P) from Spartan School of Aeronautics, and BA and MS degrees in math and physics from Wichita State University. He worked at Boeing Wichita as a Dynamics and then Aerodynamics Engineer, and at General Dynamics in the missile division. Walter received a patent on the horizontal tail system of the STOL Convair Charger. He worked for Beechcraft as the Project Aerodynamicist on the Super King Air Model 200 and Starship. He was a member of the American Institute Aeronautics and Astronautics for over 25 years. After retiring from Beech in 1991, He gave tours as a volunteer for nearly 20 years at the Kansas Aviation Museum. Walter was president of the of the national OX5 Club, and author of his memoir Airplane Beans.