Keith W. Balcom

Preferred Name: Keith
Date of Birth: December 9, 1939
Highest Military Grade Held: 0-3 – Captain
Biography

After serving in the USAF, Keith Balcom worked as a flight engineer for TransWorld Airlines out of NY where he flew the Boeing 707 and 727 from 1968-1970. From 1970-1973, Balcom was a Sky Marshal for the U.S. Treasury Department out of NY for International flights.  In 1974 he became a project engineer and flight test operations engineer at Boeing in Seattle, WA until 1976, when he became the Flight Engineer for the Boeing 727 with TransWorld Airlines again out of NY.

Keith went on to work as an Air Safety Engineer for the Airline Pilots Association out of Washington, DC from 1981-1983. From 1983 until 16 years later, Balcom was Flight Engineer (Boeing 727), then First Officer & Captain (Boeing 737) with Piedmont/US Airways out of Norfolk, VA, and Baltimore, MD.

Captain Keith Balcom retired from US Airways on November 1, 1999.

Pilot Information

Units Assigned

  • 1962 USAF ROTC, commissioned 2nd Lt
  • 1963-1964 USAF pilot training, Webb AFB, Big Spring, TX (T-37, T-38)
  • 1964 F-100 training, Luke AFB, AZ (F-100)
  • 1964-1967 F-100 operational assignment, RAF Lakenheath, England (F-100)
  • 7/1966-12/1967 494th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Wheelus Air Base, Libya
  • 1968 355th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Myrtle Beach AFB, SC /Phu Cat AB, Vietnam (F-100 – 52 combat missions)

Awards & Decorations

Air Medal (2)

Flight Info

T-37
T-38
F-100

Wall of Honor Location: Foil: 10 Panel: 1 Column: 3 Line: 43
Wall of Honor Level: Air and Space Friend
Dedicated Panel: F100 Super Sabre Society

Military & Civilian Education

Military Education:

  • USAF ROTC

Civilian Education

  • 1958 Roosevelt H.S., Seattle, WA
  • 1962 BS/Aeronautical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA