The people that I have listed on this page are my personal aviation heroes. It is my opinion that they have done something that was either beneficial or of extreme significance in the aviation community. Each one of these individuals conveys the true sprit of flight and love of aviation.
                                                                                                                            ~Josh

Possibly the most important person in the aviation industry- the flight instructor. Flight instructors are underpaid, overworked, and often stressed. They work long days and show dedication to many students at once. They teach us everything from the basic fundamentals all the way to flight deck procedures.

Each one of the following people in this section have been my flight instructor at some time or another. I owe a lot to these people. They taught me all that I know and have encouraged me along the way. They each dedicated many hours of their time to me- often waking up at 5 am to do a pre-dawn flight with me, or flying till midnight on a dual night cross country.... I thank them and all of the other flight instructors that show so much enthusiasm and dedication to their work.

Mike Rainville
Continental Express

Mike was my very first flight instructor. He took me through my first solo at the University of North Dakota. Mike is currently living in Houston, Texas, flying for Continental Express.

Click here to read Mike's Autobiography

Theresa Jacobsen
United Express

I didn't get to fly with Theresa very much- She helped me to finish my flying for my Private Pilot Certificate after Mike was promoted to a higher instructing position. Theresa is currently working for Great Lakes Airlines, A United Express Affiliate, flying the Beech 1900.

Steve Beller
University of North Dakota Aerospace

Steve was/is my instructor for the Instrument portion of my Flight Training. He is a great guy and I enjoy flying with him... just the other day Steve took me up in a Diamond Katana (DA-20) for my first spin flight.... what a blast.

Click here to read Steve's Autobiography (Under Construction)
 
 

 

 

Some of the people that I have listed below are my personal role models. I hope that someday I might be able to sit in the left seat of a "jumbo jet" and fly thousands of miles in one leg.

Capt. Al Haynes (Ret.)
United Airlines
DC-10 Captain

 

Aside from the multitude of civilian pilots, there is another breed of pilot.... The military pilot. This group of pilots flies to protect our nation's beliefs and ways. They flight fighters and transports. They fly helicopters and bombers. Each and every military flyer is a hero. I wish that I could list them all... here are some of the ones that I feel have exceeded the "call to duty."

SFC. Dana Bowman (Ret.)
United States Army (Ret.)
University of North Dakota Aerospace

I am not quite sure where to place Dana. I guess that I could have put him under the Pioneers category or here, but I thought that I should stick him here since his military career played such a large role in what his life is today.

Dana is a very good friend of mine and I admire him a lot. Not so much for his flying skills, but for his determination and compassion. Dana is unlike any other pilot that I have known. He is a very talented pilot- he has his Single Engine Land and Sea ratings, Commercial Certificate, Private Pilot Helicopter, Instrument Rating (fixed and fling wing), and Free Balloon Rating! Currently he is working on his Helicopter Turbine Transition and his Fixed Wing Multi-Engine Rating.

However it is not the fact that he has numerous ratings and experience. It is the fact that Dana is a double amputee. In February of 1994, during annual training with the Golden Knight's, the US Army Parachute Team, Dana and his partner, Sgt. Jose Aguillon, collided while practicing a maneuver known as the Diamond Track. The maneuver calls for the jumpers to streak away from each other for about a mile and then turn 180 degrees and fly back toward each other, crisscrossing in the sky. Dana and Sgt. Aguillon had demonstrated the Diamond Track more than fifty times without a mistake, but this time was different.

Rather than crisscrossing, the two skydivers slammed into one another at a combined speed of 300 miles per hour. Sgt. Aguillon died instantly. Dana's legs were severed from his body, one above the knee and one below. Dana's parachute opened on impact, and he was taken to a hospital in Phoenix, where doctors closed his leg wounds and stopped his internal bleeding.

After two months Dana ordered the reluctant doctors to remove two inches off his leg that had become infected, so that  he could be fitted with prosthetic limbs and begin his recovery.

Nine Months later, he turned this tragedy into a triumph, when he became the first double amputee to reenlist in the United States Army. Dana skydived into the reenlistment ceremony making his dream a reality. This achievement was just an example of Dana's many successes under adverse circumstances.

For more on Dana you can visit his home page.
Dana Bowman can be reached at DanaBowman@aol.com

Do you know somebody that should be added to this list? Send your nomination to the Aviation Hall of Fame to:
 
Josh Shields
University of North Dakota
PO Box 7045
Grand Forks, ND 58202-7045

or via email:  shields@geocities.com

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