We enjoy reading John Wades advice on the future of Aviation jobs for todays youth, but looking back in his past has some VERY interesting gems of history. These gold nuggets of experience may shine some insight and give credibility to his aviation opinion and intuition.
John came from an aviation family and learned to fly in Southern California. His father was a Army Air Corps flight and WASP instructor towards the end of World War II. He flew and trained students in many of classic warbirds that we see today at airshows including the AT-6C, F4U Corsair and the PT-19A. Many combat and WASP pilots that fought in WWII were taught to fly by John’s dad.
After leaving the military, Bill Wade served as a test pilot at Chance Vought alongside Charles Lindbergh and Wolfgang Langewiesche (Author of Stick and Rudder) Bill was later hired by United Airlines in 1946. He flew an exciting airline career starting in the DC-3 as a co-pilot, and finishing his career in the revolutionary Boeing 727-200 “stretch”. His journey was full of flying enjoyment as well as challenges. One day in 1964, Bill was Captain on a Convair 340 and lost both engines in flight do to a mechanical breakdown. Bill and his Copilot successful ‘dead sticked’ their commercial airliner safely to the ground saving all 47 souls on board.
Growing up as a son in Bill’s family, certainly brought many good flying stories and well-earned perspectives on aviation. His Dad used to fly United DC 6’s and 7’s from Los Angeles to Hawaii in the 1950’s. John Wade followed in his father’s footsteps, flies the same routes 60 years later. John will retire from Hawaiian Airlines next year as Captain on the Airbus 330 and continue his passion of flying with San Diego Sky Tours.