Kay Ackerman Harmon was raised on the family farm with five brothers and one sister. Later, the Ackerman family moved the farm to an area outside Hollister. A typical day on the farm for Kay was helping her mother with shores, feeding animals, picking prunes, and cutting apricots.
Kay remembers the beginning of WWII, seeing military aircraft flying over the farm toward the Pacific, which piqued her interest in aviation....And she often dreamed of soaring as a child.
She attended Tres Pinos Grammar School and later Fairview Grammar School. Kay was active with the 4-H Club, earned the "All Star Award" from the club, and was Valedictorian of her 8th grade class. Kay attended Hollister High School, was active in baseball, basketball, volleyball, field hockey, cheerleading, and graduated in 1950.
The Hollister Airport was a training base for the Navy during WWII. Military aircraft (SN Js) regularly flew over the ranch on practice runs.
In 1945, Kay would walk to the airport after school and met Ron Harmon. Ron's father owned Harmon Flying Service, where Ron worked pay for flying lessons. After WWII, Ron's father was able to transition to the Hollister Airport, and was the first civilian operator at the Hollister Airport. He trained many pilots under the GI Bill and was the first airport manager there. Ron got his pilot's license at age 16.
In 1950, at the age of 15, Ron and Kay we married and had four children. Ron and Kay were married for 59 years and have 11 grand children, 21 great grand children, and 1 great-great grandchild. Ron passed away in November 2009.
Over the years, Ron and Kay owned five airplanes; 1958 Cessna 172, Piper Cherokee, Cessna 182, Piper Warrior, and a Cessna 182 Hawk X-P which they purchased new and flew from the factory in Wichita, KS in 1977. Kay has logged over 2500 hours.
They made many cross country flights, including Victoria, BC, Whidbey Island, Banff, BC, and many other trips to visit relatives in Utah, Arizona, and Texas. One outstanding cross country trip was ferrying two aircraft from San Marcos, TX to Salinas. Although Kay has flown over thirty different airplanes, she says some of her favorites were the Corbin baby Ace and the Taylorcraft L2 WWII reconnaissance aircraft. The 1958 Cessna is the most favored, fondly dubbed "The Super Chicken" after they installed droop-tips on the wings.
When Pope John visited the US, one stop was the Laguna Seca's Mazda Raceway. Kay was asked to fly the official photographer over the site, being the only fixed wing aircraft in the restricted air space.
Kay joined the Ninety-Nines in 1972, serving as Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary, as well as many other committees over the years. She was also chapter "Pilot of the Year" in 1973. Kay flew many Direct Relief Foundation (DRF) flights, ferrying medicines and pharmaceuticals to Santa Barbara to be distributed to needy free world countries. Kay conducted many tours of the Salinas Airport for Lyceum of Monterey, as well as scout troops and school groups for the Ninety-Nines, Inc.