Les Morris
PanAm Shuttle ?€“ 1989 to 1991
Eastern Airlines ?€“ 1965 to 1989
US Air Force

On June 30, 1954 I got my first lesson in a Piper Cub. I wasn't happy about riding in the back seat but it got better once the Oinstructor got out of the aircraft and I soloed.

In order to avoid the draft I took the test for the Air Force Aviation Cadet program. I thought it would be better to fly versus digging foxholes. After passing the Aviation Cadet exam I was contacted by the New York Air National Guard to become one of their pilots. So, in April 1957 I reported to Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas as a New York Air National Guard Pilot in the Aviation Cadet Program. I graduated in July 1958 and finished my F-86 fighter school training at Williams AFB near Phoenix, Arizona in December 1958. I then spent one month at Ellington AFB in Houston, Texas, honing my instrument skills before returning back to New York.

Now holding a commercial pilots license, I qualified to become an Air Traffic Controller. I started in New York Center in August 1959 as an Assistant Controller. I moved up the ranks and finally became a Radar Controller/Coordinator and Crew Instructor before leaving for Eastern Airlines in November 1965.

On November 8, 1965, I reported to Eastern Airlines in Miami to become a Flight Engineer on the Constellation. Due to the lack of training resources, I finally got out of school in April 1966 and finally got to fly the line in New York. In May 1967 I was back in Miami checking out as a First Officer on the DC-8, only to go back to New York and fly the Connie until my two year probation ended.

I flew the DC-8 until Eastern got rid of them in anticipation of getting the L-1011. However, with a strike at Rolls Royce and problems with the engine, the L-1011's did not show up on the property until 1972. So, I flew the B-727 as a First Officer for a couple of years.

I finally got on the L-1011 and flew it as a First Officer until checking out as a B-727 Captain in July 1979. Six month later I was promoted to Manager of Flying and Check Airman on the B-727. 1986 I checked out as a Captain and Manager of Flying on the B-757 and flew the aircraft until March, 1989 when Eastern pilots went on strike.

I never went back to Eastern but officially retired on December 31, 1991. In August 1989 I became the Chief Pilot for the Pan Am Shuttle and left when Delta Airline
purchased Pan Am in 1991.

In July 1993 I started working for Flight Safety International as a simulator and flight instructor on the Falcon 900. In addition I flew part time for Paul Tudor Jones until moving to Green Valley, AZ in June 1994. I presently instruct on the Lear 60 with Flight Safety in Tucson, AZ