Dick Jonas served four years as an infantryman in the Georgia Army National Guard while attending Valdosta State College. He graduated in 1965 with a BS degree in Physics and Math. He entered the Air Force and received his commission through Officer Training School. In 22 years service he flew 3,000 jet fighter hours in the F-4 and the F-16. During 125 missions in Vietnam he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters and the Air Medal with 12 clusters.
He recorded his first albums of military ballads in 1969, after returning from Vietnam.
He retired from the Air Force in 1986 as a Lieutenant Colonel, and became an Aerospace Science Instructor in the Air Force Junior ROTC program.
Nick Anderson, perhaps better known as the Old.Pilot is the oldest of the Airline Pilot Guy Podcast crew and not too far from retirement after a flying career that started in the ‘60s. Brought up in England and from an aviation family, he began flying in the wood and canvas, open cockpit gliders of the Air Training Corps. He started his professional career in the military, the Royal Air Force. He completed jet training on the Jet Provost, Folland Gnat and the Hawker Hunter before getting into the awesome McDonnell Douglas F4 Phantom, eventually becoming a Qualified Weapons Instructor. His military career moved around a bit and he spent a while as a fast jet QFI on the BAe Hawk before taking up a post with the Royal Australian Air Force on the F18 Hornet. Back with the RAF he completed his time on the BAe Tornado F3.
Captain Nick is now an international Captain on the A-340 with a UK airline referred to as "Acme Red". Hi is also an accomplished photographer.
Dick is a protégé of the famed Tuskegee Airmen and was mentored, trained, and commissioned under their tutelage. He is a graduate of the USAF Fighter Weapons School at Nellis AFB, NV and completed two tours in Southeast Asia with 446 combat missions. He also held key roles in advanced research, development, and testing of tactical fighter aircraft. Later he directed the testing and evaluation of other weapon systems for the Department of Defense and allied military programs. Dick held key staff positions and commanded a number of units in several major commands of the Air Force. His duty assignments included bases throughout the United States, Southeast Asia, Europe, North Africa, and the Persian Gulf. He is a Command Pilot with 4,000 flying hours in the F-4, F-15, F-16, OT-37, O-2, T-33, and several civilian aircraft. His military decorations include the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Air Medal with 27 Oak Leaf Clusters. Dick retired from the United States Air Force March 1, 1989 after 26 years of distinguished service.
John and Martha King have trained more than half of all pilots seeking pilot certificates over the past 40 years, with over 98 percent passing their written exams on the first attempt. They have won numerous awards and possess every FAA airman certificate available to civilian pilots.
In this podcast, they discuss their aviation journey , which includes an around-the-world flight in their Falcon 10 aircraft, and their piloting of the Fuji Film airship. Throughout the podcast their passion for aviation shines through. They are strong supporters of aviation education and risk mitigation.