D Allen Butcher

Sixty Years in the 20th Century: a Pilot's Memoir D Allen Butcher

As the author steps off his aircraft for the last time as a professional airline pilot, he looks back to the events of his lifetime that brought him to this moment. From his birth in 1939, he weaves a unique perspective on life in America during the last sixty years of the twentieth century. He begins his story during the tumultuous days of World War II when his young life tends to change suddenly, based on the needs of the nation. In the aftermath, he grows up in a nation altered forever by new technology, leading to his family?s retreat to the land and a period of primitive living. During the ?Happy Days? of the 1950s, he recounts the successes and challenges that every teenager faces in his or her formative years. Uncertain about his career path, the author finds his ?niche? in the Air Force ROTC program at the University of Tennessee and qualifies for the Undergraduate Pilot Training program, where he gives an instructive and informative insight into the fundamentals and high standards of military flight training. He follows with his tours of duty as an air force transport pilot, culminating in his sometimes heart pounding wartime experiences in Vietnam. Answering the call of the nation?s airlines for pilots, the author abandons his air force career path and begins his slow climb up the seniority list of a major airline. From his flight logbooks, he focuses on the events of each year and how they parallel the country?s social and political changes. Finally, he ends with an emotion-filled account of his last flight and the satisfaction of having completed a career that exemplifies the professionalism found throughout our nation?s airline pilot group.