Brigadier General Lawrence A. "Bud" Sittig
Bud's love of aviation began as a young boy flying with his father on the family farm in South Dakota. He first soloed in December, 1962 on his 16th birthday and shortly after his 17th birthday successfully completed his private license, launching his passion for a flying career. Over the next four years he obtained his commercial license, certified flight instructor certificate, multi-engine rating and instrument and instrument instructor ratings. In 1968, Bud was selected as a pilot candidate with the South Dakota Air National Guard. He graduated as a Distinguished Graduate, number one in his class, from USAF Undergraduate Pilot Training Vance Air Force Base, Enid, OK in August 1970. Through his early flying adventures Bud completed a Bachelor of Science degree from South Dakota State University in Agricultural Business.
Throughout a thirty-one-year career with the Air National Guard, Bud flew in three units:South Dakota Air Guard flying the F100; the Arizona Air Guard flying the F100 and A7; and the Colorado Air Guard flying the A7 and F16. Progressing through leadership positions, Bud completed his Air Guard career as a Brigadier General and Chief of Staff of the Colorado Air National Guard. In parallel with his military career in the Air National Guard, he flourished in a commercial airline career beginning with Western Airlines in September of 1976 before migrating to Delta Airlines after Western was acquired by Delta in April of 1987. With Delta Airlines, Bud embraced leadership positions as Chief Pilot of the Airline at Delta and then served as Director of Flight Safety. Throughout his airline career he contributed to the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) to promote airline safety and pilot advocacy. His Guard and airline career instilled the love of country and a love for travel and geography in his family.
In 2004 Bud retired from Delta Airlines and moved into the business side of aviation. He joined the founding team of Skybus Airlines, a start-up national airline in Columbus, Ohio, leading the Operations Division of Skybus through its start up and launch in 2007. Following Skybus, Bud established Flight Guidance, LLC a consulting firm that supported the development of the electronic flight bag and wireless communications in airline cockpits.
Bud's lifetime commitment to aviation is broad and deep as his career spanned civilian, military, and commercial aviation. Bud has been actively involved in volunteer and community activities that followed him into retirement. He serves on the Board of Trustees for the National Aviation Hall of Fame, Dayton, OH, and the board of LightHawk, a volunteer conservation flying organization. Bud flies the B17G for the Liberty Foundation. In 2016, he was selected as a Federal Aviation Administration Designated Pilot Examiner with the Denver Flight Standards District Office. Bud continues to fly his 1959 Beechcraft Bonanza that was originally owned by his father. He remains an active flight instructor and has taught his two grandsons to fly. He is a passionate Beechcraft owner and teaches fellow Bonanza pilots in the art of formation flying.
For nearly 60 years Bud's love for flying has taken him through the sky in over 125 types of aircraft accruing more than 20,000 hours of flight time. He has mentored many new aviators who have sought their own career and aviation passions. In 2016 Bud was inducted into the South Dakota Aviation Hall of Fame. The same year, he was awarded the Wright Brothers "Master Pilot Award," the highest award granted by the Federal Aviation Administration in achieving 50 years of of accident and incident free flying while contributing to the furtherance of aviation flying safety.
Bud married his high school sweetheart, Fran Thoreson in 1967. They welcomed three daughters into their family: Laurie, 1968, Sarah, 1972, and Katie, 1978. Bud's flying legacy is now being passed down to five amazing grandchildren, with the two oldest soloing on their 16th birthday and achieving their Private Pilot License on their 17th birthdays. His family has embraced the joys of flying and are forever grateful for the exposure and privilege that aviation has brought to the Sittig family