Honored by his wife Connie and daughters Gayle and Karyn.

Woody was born and raised in St. Croix Falls, WI. He entered the Navy in 1968 and did tours in Guam, Hawaii, and Maine as a Cryptologic Technician (CTR1) in the Naval Security Group (NSG). He left the Navy in 1977 as a CTR1 and, after turning down a job as an Air Traffic Controller, he soon started working for the Central Intelligence Agency where he served more than 20 years in South & Central America, Africa, Europe, and Western and Southern Russia.

Woody was always interested in airplanes. His uncle owned a Luscumb and gave Woody his first airplane ride when he was about 12. After retiring from the CIA, Woody started his flight training in January 2000 and getting his Private Pilot certificate six months later. Two years later he got his Instrument Rating and a year later his Commercial and Flight Instructor (CFI) certificates.

Woody is Designated Pilot Examiner for the Minneapolis FSDO, a six-time National Association Flight Instructor (NAFI) Master CFI with Commercial Airplane Single Engine Land and Sea, Multi-engine Land and Sea, and Glider certificates.

Additionally, he is a CFI-Instrument, Multi-Engine Instructor, Glider Instructor and Instrument & Advanced Ground Instructor. He is an FAA Safety Team Lead Representative having given safety seminars to more than 8,000 attendees in four states and he is a safety seminar presenter at EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh every year.

He can routinely be seen giving airport and airplane tours and rides to grade school and high school students including local Foreign Exchange Students.

Woody received the Minneapolis Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) 2009 and 2012 Flight Instructor of the Year and the FAA Great Lakes Region 2012 Flight Instructor of the Year awards. He is also the recipient of the 2013 Minneapolis FSDO and Great Lakes Region FAA Safety Team Representative of the year.

He is an instructor at Osceola AeroSport in Osceola, WI, Adventure Seaplanes in Lino Lakes, MN and Lake Wales, FL, and Red Wing Soaring Association and is on the Board of Directors for the Wild River Flying Club in Osceola, WI.

Woody is also a Contributing Editor for Midwest Flyer Magazine and former corporate pilot for Custom Fire Apparatus in Osceola, WI.