PILOT CAREERPILOT CAREER BILL BARNSBILL BARNS
Logbook memories
In 1966, he retired from the
USAF and began a new career in
the private sector of the aviation
industry. His leaving spurred a
letter from Major General Charles
F Terhune, Commander at
Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton,
Ohio: “Your skill, knowledge
and experience have been most
instrumental in guiding many
decisions and actions which have
been of great importance to the
growth and development of US
air power and the security of our
nation. During these critical years,
we have needed your skill and
experience; you have given them
unfailingly.”
A friend and colleague from this
period described Bill as very quiet,
but good in one-on-one meetings and
training sessions for pilots to whom
they were selling aircraft or helicopters.
He related that Bill never hesitated
to get into a cockpit with a potential
customer, adding: “He was a kick the
tyre and light the fire type of guy.”
A pilot who worked with Barns,
Chad Haring, commented: “He
was a hero. The fighter pilot nevergoes away as part of a personality...
When Bill walked into a room,
people really responded. He was a
‘take-charge’ kind of a guy.”
Bill Barns’s life in flight stretched
over more than half a century,
catalogued in his flight logs between
1941 and 1994. His first entry,
printed in a neat, square style, was
from an initial training session on
August 2, 1941: “taxiing, effect of
controls, level flight.” By September
3, he proclaimed, “Solo”.
Over the next 54 years, he flew 109
different aircraft types, including
multi-engine commercial jets, the
fastest fighters, the initial private jets
and finally, gliders that gave him a
sense of freedom and joyfulness. The
final entry in his fourth logbook
described his last glider flight,
including: “loops-rolls-spins”. That
brought his flight time to 10,640
hours.
It took place on February 2,
1995, starting from the Pleasant
Valley airport in Arizona, where
he lived out his life. Bill Barnes is
remembered as one of the nation’s
foremost test pilots and, before that,
as a war hero.PILOT CAREER BILL BARNS
“From what I hear, there are several
airplanes coming along which will be capable
of higher speed once they’ve had the bugsNorth American F-86D-35-Above worked out. We’re progressing fast”
NA 51-6145, an FAI World
Speed Holder. ALEXANDER
VANDENBOHEDE
Right
Bill Barns in 1992. GARRETTBill Barns with one of his favourite executive
jets to fl y, a Dassault Falcon 20, at Phoenix,
Arizona,1988. GARRETTmight stand, he replied: “From
what I hear, there are several
airplanes coming along which will
be capable of higher speed once
they’ve had the bugs worked out.
We’re progressing fast.”
Once Barns had assumed the
title of the world’s fastest man,
congratulations poured in. He
received a second Distinguished
Flying Cross in recognition of
the record, which the Fédération
Aéronautique Internationale (FAI- see panel on page 110) officially
confirmed in the autumn. In
September 1954 he received the
French de la Vaux medal in honour
of his achievements.
In early 1954, Barns moved with
his family to McClelland Air Force
Base (AFB) near Sacramento,
California. He continued in his role
as a test pilot, setting a new speed
record with a North American
F-100 Super Sabre, reaching
more than 610mph (981.7km/h)
during a 335mph (539.13km/h),
35-minute trip between Los
Angeles and McClelland.
In March 1956, Barns was
reassigned to Nagoya in Japan,
where he helped convert F-86 pilots
to fly the F-100. By 1957, he was
appointed as Director of Current
Operations, Pacific Air Force at
Hickam AFB, Hawaii, the site of
his first training. He established
combat readiness of all USAF
elements in the Far East.
112 FLYPAST February 2018