LTC (ret) Kenneth Wood (@Tweetdrvr)
03-28-2024, 09:46 PM
#1
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Oct 2006
Position: Center seat, doing loops to music
Posts: 825
LTC (ret) Kenneth Wood (@Tweetdrvr)
It is with heavy heart that I post, our friend and long time contributor, has flown west after a 7 year reappearing/recurrent battle with prostate cancer. Gone much too soon and I'm absolutely heartbroken. A more than 24+ year Air Force veteran pilot, (active?) UPS pilot as of my last contact with him, he is survived by wife and young adult daughter. Funeral information is scant at this time, but a memorial for folks local to the SAT area is planned for April 13 at the Gather Brewing Company just outside the gates of Randolph AFB.
I'm sure the UPS family on here will probably have more information for those who knew him on that side. On our side in the USAFR, he holds a special place in my own career. He was the one poster I met right here on APC, who provided me the initial contact information that would allow me to reach escape velocity from an unwanted and corrosive assignment and into a flying opportunity at his squadron at the time, which would change both my career and my life forever. I owe that pivot to his helping hand, which allowed me not only to decide not to quit flying for the military, but led me to securing what will become an Active duty retirement here in 3 more years. All thanks to that one courtesy he extended me right here, sight unseen.
I'll never forget when I called him right after getting his PM; he picked up while sitting on the sort in SDF (before I even knew what any of that 121 stuff meant), ready to shoot the bull about flying jets with another fellow usaf pilot, barely only knowing my callsign at that point. I would go on to get hired at the unit and we would become real life friends, sharing a common interest in light piston aviation as fellow airplane owners. An absolute passionate aviator he was, and always ready to expand his circle of influence and love for this flying affair to all who would listen. Gone much much too soon, and this world is a lesser place without him. He changed more lives than he ever realized in life. His legacy echoes within us...
Tailwinds K-Mike. A nickel....
I'm sure the UPS family on here will probably have more information for those who knew him on that side. On our side in the USAFR, he holds a special place in my own career. He was the one poster I met right here on APC, who provided me the initial contact information that would allow me to reach escape velocity from an unwanted and corrosive assignment and into a flying opportunity at his squadron at the time, which would change both my career and my life forever. I owe that pivot to his helping hand, which allowed me not only to decide not to quit flying for the military, but led me to securing what will become an Active duty retirement here in 3 more years. All thanks to that one courtesy he extended me right here, sight unseen.
I'll never forget when I called him right after getting his PM; he picked up while sitting on the sort in SDF (before I even knew what any of that 121 stuff meant), ready to shoot the bull about flying jets with another fellow usaf pilot, barely only knowing my callsign at that point. I would go on to get hired at the unit and we would become real life friends, sharing a common interest in light piston aviation as fellow airplane owners. An absolute passionate aviator he was, and always ready to expand his circle of influence and love for this flying affair to all who would listen. Gone much much too soon, and this world is a lesser place without him. He changed more lives than he ever realized in life. His legacy echoes within us...
Tailwinds K-Mike. A nickel....
03-28-2024, 11:39 PM
#2
Speed Verified
Joined APC: Sep 2017
Posts: 1,029
Originally Posted by hindsight2020
It is with heavy heart that I post, our friend and long time contributor, has flown west after a 7 year reappearing/recurrent battle with prostate cancer. Gone much too soon and I'm absolutely heartbroken. A more than 24+ year Air Force veteran pilot, (active?) UPS pilot as of my last contact with him, he is survived by wife and young adult daughter. Funeral information is scant at this time, but a memorial for folks local to the SAT area is planned for April 13 at the Gather Brewing Company just outside the gates of Randolph AFB.
I'm sure the UPS family on here will probably have more information for those who knew him on that side. On our side in the USAFR, he holds a special place in my own career. He was the one poster I met right here on APC, who provided me the initial contact information that would allow me to reach escape velocity from an unwanted and corrosive assignment and into a flying opportunity at his squadron at the time, which would change both my career and my life forever. I owe that pivot to his helping hand, which allowed me not only to decide not to quit flying for the military, but led me to securing what will become an Active duty retirement here in 3 more years. All thanks to that one courtesy he extended me right here, sight unseen.
I'll never forget when I called him right after getting his PM; he picked up while sitting on the sort in SDF (before I even knew what any of that 121 stuff meant), ready to shoot the bull about flying jets with another fellow usaf pilot, barely only knowing my callsign at that point. I would go on to get hired at the unit and we would become real life friends, sharing a common interest in light piston aviation as fellow airplane owners. An absolute passionate aviator he was, and always ready to expand his circle of influence and love for this flying affair to all who would listen. Gone much much too soon, and this world is a lesser place without him. He changed more lives than he ever realized in life. His legacy echoes within us...
Tailwinds K-Mike. A nickel....
I'm sure the UPS family on here will probably have more information for those who knew him on that side. On our side in the USAFR, he holds a special place in my own career. He was the one poster I met right here on APC, who provided me the initial contact information that would allow me to reach escape velocity from an unwanted and corrosive assignment and into a flying opportunity at his squadron at the time, which would change both my career and my life forever. I owe that pivot to his helping hand, which allowed me not only to decide not to quit flying for the military, but led me to securing what will become an Active duty retirement here in 3 more years. All thanks to that one courtesy he extended me right here, sight unseen.
I'll never forget when I called him right after getting his PM; he picked up while sitting on the sort in SDF (before I even knew what any of that 121 stuff meant), ready to shoot the bull about flying jets with another fellow usaf pilot, barely only knowing my callsign at that point. I would go on to get hired at the unit and we would become real life friends, sharing a common interest in light piston aviation as fellow airplane owners. An absolute passionate aviator he was, and always ready to expand his circle of influence and love for this flying affair to all who would listen. Gone much much too soon, and this world is a lesser place without him. He changed more lives than he ever realized in life. His legacy echoes within us...
Tailwinds K-Mike. A nickel....
04-11-2024, 07:39 PM
#4
maxing the min/Moderator
Joined APC: Aug 2005
Position: 757
Posts: 1,357
Mikes wife is having a celebration of life on Saturday the 13th of April in San Antonio at the Gather brewing company. It begins at 2 pm. Food and drinks to celebrate one of our own that’s gone to soon! Life’s short. Enjoy each day, you never know what the next day brings!
