Earnie N. McGill was born Jan 29, 1924, in Greenwood, Nebraska. In 1942, he received his A&E mechanics license and worked for Alaska Star Aviation in Fairbanks, Alaska. He entered the U.S. Navy Air Cadet program in 1943, attending boot camp in Liberty, Missouri and basic flight training in North Platt, Nebraska, flying a Taylorcraft. He attended Iowa College in Iowa City, Iowa from 1943 to 1944 as part of the Navy training program. With the end of World War II approaching, Earnie took the early out option in 1945, and returned to Nebraska to become a flying farmer. Starting in 1945 with just 80 acres, he grew his farm to over 800 acres by his retirement in 1989. From 1945 to1955, he increased flying hours by hunting coyotes in a J-3 Cub and delivering newspapers by air in a Stinson 105. He formed a local flying club by selling shares of a Piper Cub to other pilots. He also became an instructor in a Schweitzer glider. In 1954, he attended the American Flyers Aviation School in Fort Worth, Texas, where he obtained his instrument, multi-engine, ATP and instructors licenses. From1955 to 1958, he instructed and flew charters in Nebraska, and worked for the Weitz Construction Company in Des Moines, Iowa, flying the Cessna 310, Twin Bonanza, and Beech Super 18. He created a flight department for Bankers Life of Nebraska in 1959, where he was the chief pilot until his retirement in 1979.
Earnie was at the forefront of aviation technology, installing the first Collins weather radar unit in a Beech Super 18. He became one of the first executive aviation operators cleared to do ILS approaches to 100 feet. And just prior to the fuel crisis of the early 1970’s, he sold Bankers Life’s four-engined Jetstar and downsized to a much more economical aircraft. During the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, he flew the DC-3, Gulfstream G159, Lockheed Jetstar (dash 8), Learjet 24/25 and Falcon 10 before retiring from Bankers Life in 1979.
Earnie, along with his wife of almost 70 years, Yvonne, has three wonderful daughters and 5 grandchildren. Outside of flying, sports cars are his primary hobby. He particularly enjoyed racing his Porsche 911 in the Sports Car Club of America E Class. Earnie’s 1972 S model Porsche was eventually owned by Gianpiero Moretti, founder of MOMO Autosport.
Earnie is the consummate professional aviator, husband, father, mentor and friend.