Soar with the author as he advances through the many stages of his career until he reaches the dream - to fly as a pilot for the world's largest airline, ending up commanding a Boeing 757 airliner. There is humor, interesting characters, and stories told in a style that will seem like he is across the living room from you telling the story. Settle in for a riveting, unique, and entertaining account of a career aviator.
Whenever I was asked about my background as a pilot and mentioned that I was in the Air Force as a tanker crewmember, the inevitable question from former military pilots that I flew with was, “Where did you go to pilot training?” When I answered that I was enlisted and did not fly as a pilot in the military, an explanation about my path to becoming an airline pilot was necessary. I have heard, “You should write a book!” many times after telling my story.
Memoir of an Aviator – My journey from factory worker to airline Captain is a chronicle of that path, but it is also a love story of my relationship with flying. My story is in four segments. First is my experience as an Air Force mechanic for Strategic Air Command on Cold War-era KC-135s. Next, is a description of the remainder of my Air Force career as an inflight refueling operator (aka boom operator). I tell of my experiences on KC-135 and KC-10 tankers, and of the many trips and operations I have been a part of. Then my life takes a turn, and I trained as a commercial pilot, ending up flying at the world’s largest airline after years of progression. After my flying days were over, I worked for a major US airplane manufacturer, developing training programs for civil and military pilots. I ended my career running a site for a world-class military flight simulation company.
My story is not all just good times and favorable experiences. There was romance, then heartbreak. There were triumphs, then tribulations. There was joy in reaching my lifetime goal and then sorrow after getting laid off. Sometimes I questioned the path I had chosen and through determination, stubbornness, and support from my spouse I made a career out of it. The people I describe along the way are sometimes humorous, at other times exasperating, but always interesting.
This book will appeal to several interests. Mechanics and airplane aficionados will enjoy the description of my crew chief days and work alongside me as I maintain a frontline war-fighting asset. Military aviation fans will like the description of my time as a boom operator as I haul cargo and refuel airplanes in midair around the world. Pilots and those interested in what goes on beyond the airliner flight deck door will have plenty to enjoy with my description of airline training and flight operations. From flying dogs, furloughs, flight training, military life, and people learning to fly, this book has a lot to offer.
