Biography

Bob grew up in Los Angeles, California and was bitten by the aviation bug at an early age. Aviation had a huge presence in the L.A. area and he often drove by the North American, Douglas, Hughes aircraft factories and dreamed of flying the fighters that he saw rolling off the assembly lines. He learned to fly at Hawthorne Airport where the Northrop plant was located and got his private license at age 17. After high school, Bob attended Northrop Institute of Technology where he earned his Aircraft & Powerplant Mechanics License. From there, he entered the Air Force as an Aviation Cadet in Class 61-G, the last class of Aviation Cadets. Bob graduated first in his pilot training class and chose the F-102 as his first assignment. After Combat Crew Training at Perrin Air Force Base, TX, he was assigned to the 509th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Clark Air Base, Philippines. His next assignment took him to the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing at George Air Force Base, CA flying the brand new F-4C. In December of 1965, two of the squadrons were deployed to Ubon Royal Thai Air Base to fly combat missions over North Vietnam. Early in his second Southeast Asia tour, Bob was shot down by 57mm anti-aircraft artillery while on a mission near Lang Son, North Vietnam. He was immediately captured and spent the next seven years as the guest of Uncle Ho at the Hanoi Hilton and numerous other prison camps around North Vietnam. Upon his repatriation and return to the U.S. in 1973, Bob attended Southern Methodist University earning a BBA degree. He retired from the U. S. Air Force as a Lt. Col. after serving as a T-38 Squadron Operations Officer and Wing Chief of Operationsat Williams AFB, AZ. His decorations include the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star with V device and cluster, Purple Heart with cluster, and the Meritorious Service Medal.

Continuing his aviation career, Bob flew Part 135 commuters in the Hawaiian Islands for Royal Hawaiian Air Lines, deep desert operations in Saudi Arabia for Arab American Oil Company, Part 121 operations with American Airlines where he retired as a Line Check Airman on the B-757/767, and Part 91 operations with Bombardier Aerospace’s fractional ownership program FlexJet. Currently, Bob does contract flying for Lancair International as well as flight instructing in Lancair aircraft and Warbird Jets.

Bob holds an ATP, CFI, Turbojet Flight Engineer’s Certificate, FAA A&P License and ratings in B-727/757/767, DC-9, Lear 60, L-29, Folland Gnat, Jet Provost/Strikemaster, Marchetti S-211, T-33 and Iskra TS-11.

Bob raced a Lancair Legacy in 2007/8, flew the pace aircraft for the Sport Class in 2009 and will be racing a Legacy this year. He has also acted as an instructor for the sport class formation clinics the past two years.

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