Hello My Band of Brothers and Sisters from 75-07,

I am really excited to see everyone. Thanks to Bill and his intrepid searching for all of us to come together on June 11, which just happens to be my Birthday (hint, hint).  Just to update you on what to call me: “Pickard on guard” has upgraded to Captain Pickard of the “Starlifter 141”. 

Now, that aside, after pilot training, I had a good career at McCord AFB. Making aircraft commander afforded me the opportunity to fly everywhere, including Africa and Indonesia (really spooky stuff). I even got to see fellow classmates around the world including Rob Banjo, John Drake, some guys from OTS and some of our instructors from pilot training who were copilots when I was AC the 141.

Also during that time Emily was born. You remember Lisa who had a lot of Swedish in her from Karin, well Emmer had the same amount of Irish from me and both have turned into outstanding young women. Since I don’t have grandchildren yet, I will be interviewing for prospective son-in-laws…just don’t tell my daughters.

After living in Tacoma, WA for five years, we moved back to the Bay Area of California where we were able to afford one house after trading two in Tacoma.

There were no flying jobs in 1980 when I got out, so I went back to grad school for a degree in accounting. My old college roommate, also a general aviation pilot, had started an accounting practice. Working for him and school, I became strong in accounting. I moved on after 5 years because I didn’t like doing taxes. I got into accounting manager and the controller of a company. I still had the flying bug in me and got a job as a flying accountant. It sounded great but ended up being a right seat babysitter and bookkeeper. He was a very rich guy with a new King Air and we flew around the world. I had a great travel experience but not a good flying experience, so I left after 6 months. During this time, as we’ve all experienced rough times, Karin and I grew apart and were divorced in 1996. We are still friends, as we decided the girls are important in both our lives and as I stated in our pilot training yearbook, nothing has changed in my feelings toward the girls. But as one door closes, a new one opens. My daughters pushed me back into aviation. I joined Hiller Aviation Museum as a captain docent volunteer. Stan Hiller as some of you may know, built and flew the first helicopter on the west coast in 1944. He also built a fine aviation museum at the San Carlos SQL airport just south of San Francisco. There are a lot of aircraft built in the Bay Area going back to 1869. My intent was to be around airplanes again; however it turned out to be a “target rich environment, goose”.  I found a lot of good-looking aviation-oriented females and am now living with a special aviatrix named Beth Ann. I am very lucky to have been blessed twice with beautiful and strong females in my life. The girls really like her. Beth retired from United Airlines last year from the right seat of a B747-400. She has finished my daughters’ job and has facilitated getting me back into flying. We’ve moved to Hawaii, leaving our houses in California on a semi-permanent basis. We are both working for Mokulele, a 135 operation on the Big Island at Kailua-Kona KOA. We fly between islands and do Circle Island tours. Can you imagine that, me with a flying and talking job all at the same time!

I am sending pictures with this narrative and I hope they come through. I have enjoyed checking out all the other bios and hope more guys send theirs in. And Kathy Harris, hubba hubba. I guess hanging around those cosmetic counters has paid off after all! (I hope she’s laughing).  So if anyone is still awake after reading this, I’m signing off now. Beth & I have finagled? a week off from our new jobs. Looking forward to seeing everybody.

		Give me an "F" and bottom left
Emily, Dad and Lisa-Rainbow Falls, Hilo, HI
	Rog and Beth on the job at Mokulele-Kona, HI