I reported for duty at NAS Barber's Point on December 7th, 1960.  I got a flight
crew right after the 16x10 accident and put in the 4,000 hours that seemed par
for the course for most of us one timers.

After my discharge in December of 1963, I went home, dusted off the stuff still
in my closet at the folks house and began cleaning hangers and airplanes at St.
Paul Holman Field for a buck an hour.  I started work on my pilot instructor
rating (I had my commercial license before I joined the Navy) while working at
Holman.  I started instructing around May of '64 and worked on my instrument
ticket during this time.  In the year of '64, I instructed and flew charter for
several outfits, building time to get to the airlines.

On April 1, 1965 I was hired by North Central Airlines as a co-pilot on a DC-3.
I checked out as a Captain on the Convair 580 in 1970 and began flying as
Captain in 1971.  Along the way I checked out in the DC-9, the Boeing 727, the
DC-10 and Boeing 747, the plane I was flying when I retired.

Through several mergers...North Central buys Southern Airlines to create Republic, Republic buys
Hughs Airwest and finally, Northwest buys Republic.  So I retired from Northwest
as Number 10 on their seniority list.  Not bad for a lowly ACW3 huh?

I'm 59 years of age now and am enjoying retirement very much.  (I'm finding that
retirement means you spend more time now than you did at your old job doing more
for no compensation).  I have three boys and a daughter...all adults and
seemingly overly dependent as I look back on my youth and how it used to be.
Hell, maybe they're just trying to bond.

This web site has been a real hoot (Thanks DJ) and I must say I have met some
mighty fine individuals.  To you all I wish the very best!

                                                                Wes Mortensen   6/1/99