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  • Don A. Godwin
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    Wall of Honor Level:
    Air and Space Friend

    Honored by:
    Mr. Scott A. Godwin

    As a very young boy, I was intrigued by watching the T-6(1) Texan doing maneuvers over the fields in North Texas. Later my father was back in the U.S. Air Force flying all over the world in the B-36, B-25, B-26, A-20 and overseas in the Azores where he flew the C-54, the C-118, and the SA-16 seaplane for search and rescue.

    When we returned to the USA I was in my senior year of high school. I started taking flying lessons, but I was only 16 and I couldn't get my private pilot license until I was 17 years old. So when I graduated from high school I got my pilot license.

    I then Joined the US Army and was the soldier of the cycle and had orders to go to Ft. Rucker, AL Helicopter Pilot training school. I wasn't able to go because of my medical. Later I was found OK. Then I proceeded to fly. In 1963 I started working for Dallas Airmotive, building engines from large recips to turbo props and jets and turbofans.

    I then had my own automobile business for 27 years along with working for the Dee Howard company from 1973 on anything from Howard 250, 350 and 500, the BAC 1-11 the Lear Jet 23, 24, 25, and the Jet commander, the Boeing 707 and The Boeing 720. Then I went to Rolls Royce School in Montreal, Canada for the Rolls Royce Spey turbofan 511-14 Engine-Then I started working for Lear Siegler Inc at Randolph AFB TX, on the T-38 supersonic trainer and the T-37 jet trainer for another 17 years and 7 months, then for McDonnell Douglas doing C and D checks on the Convair 880 and the Convair 990.

    Then I was Back at Randolph AFB being a crew chief on the C-21 or the Lear Jet 35. Then I was overseas to Bangladesh to train the Bengalese on the T-37 trainer in which I instructed in fuels and maintenance. Then back to the USA when I worked M-198 Howitzers at Rock Island Army Arsenal and then to Marion IL.

    Then I was back in San Antonio working on the C-5A Galaxy aircraft at Kelly AFB, TX. Then I was sent to Davis-Monthan AFB in Tuscon, AZ where I started doing the ADS ESU and Modification on the C-130 H and then to Dyess AFB, TX where I did the same mod on the C-130 . Then I went to Osan AB in Korea where I did the embedded GPS mod on the A-10 Wart Hog Aircraft.

    Then I went to Fresno CA to do 500-hour inspection on the UH-60 Biackhawk helicopter and then to Okinawa to install the ADIS mod on the KC-135R aircraft for 2 months and back to Seymour Johnson AFB and to Warner Robins AFB, GA to finish the ADIS mod on the KC 135R and then to Andrews AFB, MD to Install the IDAR mod on the UH-1(N) Huey rescue helicopters. then to Great Falls Montana to modify the UH-1(N) then to FE Warren AFB in Cheyene WY Then To Minot AFB, ND , then to Spokene, WA, then to Vandenburg AFB, CA then back to Minot AFB, ND and back to Great Falls, M. to finish the ADIS Mod on the Hueys.

    Then l started doing sheet metal work on the A-10 for the recent Gulf War, so I decided to go to Kuwait and Iraq where I was a UH-60 Biackhawk mechanic and I returned back In July 2003 and I started working for Lockheed Martin in Ft Bragg, NC on the reset program on the UH-60 Biackhawk helicopter, and now I'm back with LSI in Corpus Christi, TX at CCAD on the UH-60 Biackhawk doing the recap program on the UH-60 Biackhawk helicopter. I have over 45 years in the aviation industry and I'm proud to be a member of it. I have an Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) license and a third class radio-telephone operators permit.

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