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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Julene Delo

Marion (M. E.) Tilton started flying lessons with Charlie McAllister in the Yakima Valley on 3/11/1959 (Mr. McAllister took flying lessons from Orville Wright), earned his private license on 6/23/1961 and his commercial license on 9/21/1961. He received his instrument rating on 8/16/1962, and his flight instructor rating on 6/15/1966. He started teaching at Noland-Decoto Flying Service and was a full time charter pilot/flight instructor by 8/1966. He got his instrument flight instructor rating in 5/25/1967 and his multi-engine land rating in 9/1967. After that, he became Chief Flight Instructor and Chief Pilot and started a VA certified ground and flight instruction program for Noland-Decoto.
He went to work for the FAA Seattle District Office on 7/1/71. He studied for and passed the Air Transport Pilot (ATP) test on 12/1971. He got his Single Engine and Multi-Engine Sea Plane rating in 5/1977. He received a Cessna Citation Jet type rating that year and earned his single and multi-engine helicopter ratings on 3/7/1980.
When the FAA de-regulated the airline industry, he was one of the first to certify a commuter airline (Mountain-West) using the new regulations and he helped iron out some of the kinks in those regulations. He served on many different teams that developed and implemented new regulations, including regulations requiring installation of security fence systems after the DB Cooper hijacking affair. He worked with the FBI during that the hijacking because he was considered an expert on the model of plane that was hijacked.
While stationed in Hawaii he investigated a tour operator for falsification of records and ended up charging them with 18 counts of records falsification. The FAA eventually assessed that tour operator with the largest general aviation fine to that date. He also investigated and helped shut down a black market ring that specialized in providing US pilot licenses to unqualified and untrained people located outside of the United States.
He worked 30 years and 1 month for the FAA. During his last month of service (October, 2001) he was Acting Chief for the Spokane, WA office.