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 INSTRUCTOR PILOTS



           

Many former students credit the Primary training received at Spence and their Primary flight instructors as key factors in their success that followed.  Here are some of the many Spence Instructor Pilots who helped give thousands of fine young men a flying start in their aviation careers - - the way we were.

King
Dan King
Steuben
Dale Steuben
Levy
Rene Levy  
Walsh
Milton Walsh   
Kennedy
Ben Kennedy   
Aukerman
Harold  Ackerman
Williams
Ted Williams
Havill
 Charlie Havill
Cribbs
Allen Cribbs
Whiddon
 Harold Whiddon
Mirgle
Fred Mirgle 
Newell
Ben Newell 
Swenson
Veo Swenson
Cookerly
Paul Cookerly
Havelka
Frank Havelka
Parry
Bill Parry
Owens
John Owens
Hodges
Jim Hodges
Dunnigan
Pat Dunnigan
Himmelein
Mel Himmelein
Hanifan
Jack Hanifan
Hill
Ed Hill
Watson
Bruce Watson
Carver
Leo Carver
Johnson
Joe Johnson
Bailey
Ray Bailey
LWilliams
Les Williams
Winkelman
H. Winkelman
Barnaskey
George Barnaskey
Weld
Tony Weld
Ward
Gordon Ward
McDonald
Roy McDonald
Gargaly
Francis Gargaly
Brown
Joe Brown
Poole
Joe Poole
Rhodes
Bert Rhodes
Scheub
Kurt Scheub 
Keil
Eugene Keil  
Pederson
Pete Pederson 
Gale
Edwin Gail
Viator
Walter Viator  
Caudill
Henry Caudill
Pitts
Robert Pitts
Gray
Henry Gray
Shore
Eldon Shore
Gillespie
C. R. Gillespie 
Boroughs
Harold Boroughs
Hughes
Harold Hughes
Gibson
Carl Gibson
Bricker
John Bricker
Clayton
Ray Clayton
Holden
Kemp Holden
Everett
John Everett
Alonzo
Julio Alonzo
Clark
Richard Clark
Costner
Percy Costner
Welch
George Welch
Dunn
Teddy Dunn
Rheumann
Jim Rheumann
Barros
Tony Barros
Temple
Charles Temple
Teare
Bill Teare
Maddox
Henry Maddox
Albright
Lonnie Albright
Sermos
Gus Sermos
Kitchens
John Kitchens
Bergen
Jim Bergen
Bovard
Bill Bovard
Mangers
Vernon Magners
Young
Charles Young
Harrison
Alvin Harrison
Keyes
Ed Keyes
Norman
Elmer Norman
Montgomery
Bob Montgomery
Ernest
Bill Ernest
Tidwell
Dick Tidwell
Haines
Frank Haines
Peck
Bill Peck
Snyder
Stan Snyder
Hipp
John Hipp 
White
Doyle White
McComb
Bob McComb
Tittle
Louis Tittle
Curry
Al Currie
Spader
Dan Spader
Reece
Bill Reece   
Seitz
Dave Seitz
Park
Arnold Park
Roberts
Ray Roberts
Doxon
Charles Dixon
BBrown
Bill Brown
Brickett
Stan Brockett
Beamer
Henry Beamer
Mozely
Bill Mozeley
worthy
Walter Worthy
Wiggen
Pierce Wiggen
Kelly
Bob Kelly
Badgley
Dave Badgley
Lundy
Jim Lundy
Maxwell
Tom Maxwell
Carter
Gerald Carter
Hatcher
Les Hatcher
      
                               
Arnold
Ray Arnold
          
      
                         Joseph                                   Fred Joseph             
       Cossairt                Ted Cossairt     

                   N_Cole                                                                     Newton Cole
                                                      JimRiley
                     Jim Riley
            Burris                
             Bob Burris
              
         Bill Braswell                            

Blacksheep Flight - Instructor Pilots - 1954

Blacksheep
Back Row (L to R) - Swenson, L. Williams, T. Williams, Cribbs, Chapman, Watson, Winkelman, Eisman, Owen, Turzanski.   Front Row (L to R) - Francis,  R. Carver, Campbell, Havill, Pierce, E. King (Flight Commander), Oberholtzer, Lester (Asst. Flight Commander)

Class 60E - Polecat Flight - 1959

60E
Instructors - Back Row (L to R) -   Haines, Young, Walsh, Weeks, Braswell, Johnson, Freeman (Flight Commander), Tillman, Whiddon, Himmelien, Gargaly, Montgomery, Stueben.  For enlargement of 60E picture click here .

Flight Commanders
Savoy
Neal Savoy
Paschall
Ed Paschall
Lester2
Arnold Lester
Rose
Bob Rose
Windham
Roy Windham
Mengle
Fritz Mengle
Grimmett
Ash Grimmett
King
Ed King
Weaver
Bob Weaver
Hackney
Dave Hackney
Freeman
George Freeman
Roderick
Ed Roderick 
                             
Pierce
Jim Pierce 
Macon
June Macon
Jenkins
Robert Jenkins
Green
Jim Green
                                   
                               
Nabors  
     Paul Nabors  
Daughtry
Faye Daughtry
 RCarver
Ray Carver
  Laning
Red Laning
                                   

Squadron Commanders
             
Butler
Jim Butler
McKinley
Glen McKinley
Fitzgerald
Scott Fitzgerald
Batson
Brax Batson
Beard
John Beard
             
In addition to the above Squadron Commanders both Sam Austill and Les Locke, below, served in that capacity
before their promotion to Director of Flying Training.

Directors of Flying Training
1951-1961
                         
Pelling  
Matt Pelling (51-55) 
Austill  
Sam Austill (55-57) 
Locke  
Les Locke (57-61) 
                         

NOTE:  If you have pictures of Spence Instructor Pilots and/or Flight Commanders not included above, taken during their time at Spence, please let me know so we can add them to the gallery.

World War 2 Spence Instructor Pilots
         
Lester
Arnold Lester
Batson
Brax Batson
Bricker2
John Bricker
Paquette
Elmer Paquette
         
Arnold Lester, Brax Batson and John Bricker all instructed in the Advanced Training program at Spence during WW2. Lester and Batson graduated from Advanced Training at "Spence Field" in Class 44-B and were immediately assigned to Instructor Pilot duties at that same location.  Bricker's WW2 class number is unknown at this time.  Later all three were among the first flight instructors hired by Hawthorne School of Aeronautics when Spence was re-opened in 1951.  Lester advanced to the position of Flight Commander, remained with Hawthorne until the base closed, and was responsible for the training of several classes including the first and the last T-37 classes trained at Spence.  Batson advanced to Flight Commander early in the program and to Squadron Commander in 1957, the position he held until leaving the Spence program in July, 1959 to become Director of Training at the new Hawthorne US Army Primary Flight Training Program at Lowe Field, Ft. Rucker, AL.      

Elmer Gordon Paquette, pictured above as an Aviation Cadet, was also a Spence graduate in Class 44-B and was assigned as an Instructor Pilot at Spence after graduation.  Picture contributed by his son, Kap, who was born in the Spence Field Hospital on Christmas day, 1944.

Jones Bolt - From Spence IP to Major General


Hwthrn Wngs