James Craig Pope was born Oct 4, 1924, in Thief River Falls, North Dakota.
He enlisted in the United States Army in 1943 and saw combat in the European Theater from 1944-1945.
Jim graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1949 with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering. Afterward, he joined the North Dakota Naval Reserves as an Electronic Technician, repairing radar equipment and flight simulators until 1952.
He was an engineer for State Farm Insurance during the mid 1950’s.
During the late 1950’s, Jim formed a flying club in Des Moines, Iowa where he earned his Airline Transport Pilot license, as well as instructor ratings for ground schools, airplanes and helicopters.
In 1960, Jim was hired to be the Chief Pilot for the State of Nebraska. His responsibilities included flying the Governor of Nebraska and heading up Nebraska’s General Aviation (GA) Safety Programs. There he flew the Twin Bonanza, Baron and Aero Commander. He also flew rescue missions throughout the state in the Sikorsky H-19 helicopter. Jim used his engineering degree to invent GUARD, an automatic gear-lowering device for airplanes.
After leaving his position as Nebraska’s Chief Pilot, he formed his own company, In-Flight Devices. He sold the company in 1965 and began working for the Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C. Shortly thereafter, he joined the Federal Aviation Administration where he was an Airport Inspection Project Manager. He then became Chief, Government and Industry Relations for the Office of General Aviation (an ombudsman for the General Aviation Community).
While working at the FAA, Jim was involved in numerous groundbreaking projects including the General Aviation Fuel Allocation Program during the Arab Oil Embargo. He was also involved in spearheading the use of GPS approaches and the use of Life Flight helicopters operated by hospitals. Jim also participated in the creation of the automotive fuel test program in aircraft.
Staking his career on efforts to improve mid-air collision prevention systems, Jim became a whistleblower and was banished by the FAA to Seattle, Washington for 2 years. Despite this, he continued to push for the industry–wide implementation of an effective mid-air collision prevention system. His efforts culminated in a “60 Minutes” interview by Mike Wallace, which aired in the fall of 1979. After years of exhaustive effort, Jim’s determination paid off and Traffic Collision Avoidance System, or TCAS, was born. The system for which fought during the later part of his career is now in use throughout the world.
Jim felt fortunate to work with some of the best in the aviation industry: Paul Poberezny (EAA founder), Jack Obink, Director of Aeronautics for the State of Nebraska (and Bataan Death March survivor), Mervin Stricklin (FAA Aerospace Education), Jack Hunt (ERAU President) and Earnie McGill (pioneer in corporate aviation and fellow Air & Space Wall of Honor Member).
Other Interests: Jim put his engineering skills to use throughout his life. His favorite lifelong hobby was restoring automobiles, most notably, an award winning 1936 Studebaker President. He also rebuilt and flew airplanes, including his final project which was an award winning 1946 Globe Swift. Jim also designed and built 4 houses and was a gifted pianist.
Those who knew Jim Pope will forever remember his “can do” spirit and enthusiasm. He passed away on Sep. 30, 1991.