After
UPT I went back to Norway - to Sola AFB, located outside Stavanger. After the
6-month F-5 check-out plus gunnery training, I applied for a squadron up north
at Bodø AFB. I arrived there in June 19, 1969. Bodø lies north of the Arctic
Circle, by the way, and is a place I liked very much. Flying was very
interesting - low level most of the time with hardly any limitations in those
days. The Cold War was at its "hottest," and we encountered the Soviet Navy and
Air Force quite often.
I met Jan at Ft. Sam Houston on a weekend trip to San Antonio. She was finishing
her Physical Therapy Course at about the same time I was nearing the end of my
time at Laughlin. In late 1969 she came over to Norway and we got married. We
have 2 daughters and 4 grandchildren, the oldest of whom just turned 16.
In 1972 I was scheduled to be sent to Canada and CF104 training. Norway had
bought a number of CF-104's that were earmarked for my squadron. At that time,
Jan began having problems with rheumatoid arthritis, and her doctors wanted her
to move somewhere less cold and humid. The only suitable place was Gardermoen
AFB outside Oslo. There was no fighter squadron there, so I applied for the
C-130. Again there was no slot available, so I was transferred, instead, to a
helicopter (Huey's) squadron. At the time, I felt let down, but it turned out to
be a very good choice.
1974 was the year of the first fuel crisis, no airline was hiring, and I wanted
to get out of the Air Force. Oil companies had discovered oil in the North Sea,
and helicopter pilots were very much in demand - especially those with a
military background. I went to work for Helicopter Service (now CHC), moved back
to Stavanger on the southwest coast, and spent the next 30 years flying
helicopters in the North Sea. In the beginning, it was quite a challenge: no ATC
or radar, no de-icing, hardly any accurate wx reports, and no nav aids. We were
responsible for our own separation. We ran the operation 24/7, summer and
winter, and came up with the rules and regs that are still valid for offshore
operations today. I was also an IP in the 'copters and simulators, plus flew SAR
missions the last 20 years of my career, all of which I enjoyed very much.
In 2004 I retired and moved back to Molde, where I was born. It lies on the
coast halfway between Bergen and Trondheim. I also have an apartment in
Sweden, where I like to spend time due to plenty of golf courses, cheap food and
BEER, plus a perfect grass strip for my Cessna 177
.
However, last year I sold the Cessna and bought a brand new DA42 - the first one
in Norway. Nice airplane - has long-range fuel tanks, is approved for icing
conditions, has the Garmin 1000 glass cockpit, and runs on either jet or diesel
fuel.I have a small boat that I use for fishing in the fjord, just a 5-minute
walk from my home. There is plenty of fish most of the time, but salmon fishing
in the rivers is the most fun. I caught the one below last summer. It was almost
3 ft. long and weighed over 14 lbs.
I don't like cold weather much, so I travel a lot, mostly in the winter
months.Southeast Asia is one of my favorite areas, and I just got back from a
trip to Cambodia. I have been pretty much all over Europe, Asia and the U.S, so
Australia is on the agenda for next winter.Another interest of mine is old cars
- they have to be American and preferably from the 1950's or older. I now have a
'58 Chevy convertible in mint condition. I had a '68 pick-up, but sold it and am
looking for an older model. For daily use I have a big gas-guzzling Chevy
pick-up. No rice cooker for me!
I had a great time in Texas. First, I spent 5 weeks at Lackland, going to
language school with people from SEA. Very basic English and no real effort
necessary. But my English improved some since I picked up a lot of “new” words
at the O-Club bar,my favourite place.
My one star(Norwegian 2Lt) got a lot of attention from the guys in boot camp. It
was very funny. Nobody thought I was a bit young for a General.
I enjoyed UPT and Del Rio. I felt welcome and was taken care of from day one.
ave Merris volunteered to be my room mate, a brave man, and we became good
friends. Jon Gard was also a big help the first months. Roger Lutterman invited
me to spend Christmas with him and his family in Minnesota. I will never forget
their hospitality and kindness to me.
Look forward to seeing you all again!