Rick Junkin

I strive to listen (read) more than I speak (type), and return some value to the community by sharing my learning. I don't suffer fools, arrogance, or condescension, so I come to Mooneyspace for both information sharing and an opportunity to practice/exercise my patience and civility . My apologies for the times I fail. Work in progress.  I believe good humor and humility are the keys to success.

I’m retired from the USAF/ANG and Boeing flight test operations. I had the awesome privilege of flying in combat in Operation Desert Storm/Southern Watch as a weapon systems officer (WSO) in the F-15E after cutting my teeth in the F-4E. I was qualified as an instructor and flight examiner (SEFE) in both airplanes, and was a guest instructor for the German F-4 Fighter Weapons Instructor Course, their version of "Top Gun". I later joined the Boeing flight test team in St Louis where I continued as a civilian flight test weapon systems operator, instructor and evaluator in all of the missionized two seat F-15 variants (E, S, I, K, SG, SA) and two seat F/A-18 variants (D, F & G), executing both experimental and production flight testing. My final contribution at Boeing was leading the aircrew team that flew the flight test program to incorporate fly-by-wire flight controls and a fiber optic avionics backbone into the F-15SA, which served as the baseline for the USAF's F-15EX. While with Boeing I also served with the 157th Air Operations Group of the Missouri Air National Guard. I deployed to the Air Operations Center at Tyndall AFB in a senior command and control role immediately following 9/11 in support of Operation Noble Eagle for homeland defense and protection of the President, and later to Qatar in support of air operations for both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. I couldn't have asked for a more fulfilling set of careers, and am eternally grateful for the opportunities afforded to me.

Now flying for fun in our M20M with flight reviews for friends thrown in for a little more fun. I have a passion for flying, teaching, and learning, not necessarily in that order.

Regular destinations are the Jackson TN area (KMKL, KDYR, M53), St Louis (KSUS, KALN, 1H0), the Gulf coast (KECP, KJKA, KVNC), and the eastern seaboard. Ocracoke Island (W95) is our favorite destination. So far...

If you're headed to KGKT please let me know! I'd like to tag up with you at the FBO. rickjunkin@yahoo.com or text/call (314) 283-5718.