Foil: 14 Panel: Retired United Pilots Association Column: 4 Line: 42

Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Vincnet N. Young

Like thousands of other pilots, Vince Young had his first flight in a Piper Cub. He was accepted into the Air Force Aviation Cadet program in the fall of 1954. After earning his wings, he went on to B-47 training and was based at Lake Charles, LA for four years. In January 1960, he met the love of his life, Patricia Finch, recently of Upminster and London. They were married in May, just weeks before leaving Lake Charles for B-52 training and transfer to Spokane, WA. Pat was pregnant with their first child when they transferred to Abilene, TX, arriving in time for the Cuban missile crisis. After accumulating over 3000 hours of jet time and eleven years, Vince decided it was time to say goodbye to the joys of Strategic Air Command's (SAC) endless airborne and ground alert. He exited the Air Force on November 20, 1965 and nine days later was sitting in class at the United Airlines' Denver flight school.

At that time, United trained all new hires in props, but the airline was growing so fast that in just a few months they would be back in class for jet training. Eventually, one of the Harvard boys in the ivory tower in Chicago came up with the bright idea that it might be more economical to train the new guys in jets. This is why they make the big bucks and get all those stock options and golden parachutes!

When Vince arrived for class one morning, he noticed a man in a dark suit and tie; obviously an alien in a pilot's world. He asked for six volunteers (guinea pigs) to give up prop school and start Boeing 727 school immediately. Vince had his hand up before he had finished his sentence. The "suit" found this amusing and asked why he was so eager? Vince replied that he had just spent four days in class tracing out the prop feathering circuits on the DC-6 and that in his opinion, "Props were like battleships, obsolete!"

For Vince, the 727 school was the beginning of a long love affair with the airplane, one that was later shared with the DC-10. Of all the planes he flew, these two were his favorites. Vince flew every seat on the DC-10, including Long Range First Officer to Hong Kong when United Airlines (UAL) initiated the service from Seattle. At the age of sixty in May of 1994, he set the brakes on his DC-10 for the last time. The flight was from Chicago to Seattle with his beloved Patty by his side. It was a great career. It was even greater getting paid to do something that I would have almost done for free! My thanks to all those countless people who made it possible.

Best wishes and may your logbook always show an equal number of landings and takeoffs, Vince