Contributions as an F-105 and A7 Pilot
· Public Relations Officer - Created multi-media campaign informing the public of unit mission activities by print and TV coverage to include reporters joining daily operations on base and deployments away from the home base. This practice continues to this day.
· Hill Air Force Base Special Use Airspace Manager - Created low level - high speed jet training routes throughout about the Great Salt Lake area. Designed array of Military Operating Areas (MOA's) surrounding existing Restricted flying areas. I was awarded one of two Air Force Comendation Medals. These arial training ranges are among the finest in the United States.
· Navy Fighter Weapons School - TopScope at Miramar NAS, San Diego, CA. With wing war time mission to defend shipping lanes in the North Atlantic, three of us trained in at sea tactics. at Navy Fighter Weapons School and the Navy Light Attack Fighter Weapons School at Lemoore NAS, CA. A take-away: Fighting ships are nasty things. Be careful, wise, and stay far away as possible.
· Instrument Pilot Ground Training Instructor - Graduate of USAF Instrument Pilot Instructor School (IPIS) at Randolph AFB, TX. Prepared annual training instruction for squadron pilots with many pilots presenting elements of rules, regulations, and practices. Also an F-105 Instructor Pilot School graduate from the in-residence F-105 school at McConnell AFB and a Flight Leader.
· US Air Force Red Flag combat exercises (12 in all) hosted by Nellis AFB, NV. A Lieutenant, I led 60 aircraft and 120 aircrew as force commander. Player in Canadien Air Force Maple Flag Excercise at Cold Lake Air Base in Alberta. Deployed over water to Denmark, England, Hawaii, and Panama. Many U.S. deployments.
· F-105 Top Gun for seven consecutive years. Also F-105 fighter checkout Top Gun at McConnell AFB. The greatest fighter pilots of the day were my guru's, many with 100 combat missions over North Viet Nam. Our unit Top Gun team subsequently won USAF World Gunsmoke Gunnery Championship. Unfortunately, I was a Presidential Management Intern at the time and not actively flying.
Top Gun of Fighter Wing competition in England with our British Fighter Wing hosts on their gunnery range in Scotland. Also one of four Top Gun's of the US Air Force Owyhee Round Up exercise at Mountain Home AFB, ID, that involved fighter aircraft from 14 U.S. Air Force, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard, and Navy fighter squadrons.
