Don Emigholz

 

Preferred Name: Don

Nickname/Call Sign: Don

Date of Birth: July 1, 1930

Highest Military Grade Held: Lieutenant Colonel, O5

Hometown: Kewanee, IL

  • Don Emigholz - before
  • Don Emigholz - now

Biography

Flying right wing on the Skyblazers, with Bill Creech leading was like a dream. He was so smooth, it was unbelievable and not once, during all the practices and shows, did he dump the stick.

I’ve had my share of pucker time flying the Atlantic and Pacific in single engine jets with no autopilot and got shot at and missed and shot at and hit, in Nam.

I’ve dead sticked a couple of Super Sabres, one at Bitburg and the other over Paris: It gets real quiet.

And if I had to do it all over again I would not change a thing. The joy of flying and fighting with the greatest bunch of pilots in this whole wide world is an experience reserved for some of the chosen few.

Units Assigned

  • 1953: Instrument School, Moody AFB, GA T-33
  • 1953: Gunnery School, Tyndall AFB, FL F- 80A/B
  • 1953-1956: 22 nd FDS Bitburg AB, GE F-84E F 86F
  • 1956-1957: Right Wing, Skyblazers, Bitburg AB, GE F-100C
  • 1957-1961: Flight Commander, 1st FDS, 306th FDS, 309th FDS, George AFB, CA F-100D
  • 1961-1963: Wing DOT, 31st TFW, Homestead AFB, FL F-100D/F
  • 1964: Chief of Stan Eval, I ASOC/34th TAC GP, DaNang/Bien Hoa, RVN T-28, O-1, A-1H/E
  • 1965-1968: Flight Commander, Operations Officer, 10th TFS, Hahn AB, GE F-100D/F. F-4D
  • 1968-1969: Flight Cdr, Instr Pilot for IP’s, 4453rd CCTS 4454th CIS, Davis Monthan AFB, AZ F-4C
  • 1969-1970: Operations Officer, 7th TFS, Spangdahlem AB, GE F-4D.
  • 1971-1972: Det 1/CC, 401st TFW, Spangdahlem AB, GE F-4
  • 1973-1975: 81st TFS/CC (Wild Weasels), Spangdahlem AB, GE F-4C
  • 1976-1980: Director of Systems Test, TFWC, Nellis AFB, NV
  • 31 Jan, 1980: Retired

Awards & Decorations

  • Wall of Honor Location: Foil: 8 Panel: 3 Column: 3 Line: 55Wall of Honor Level: Air and Space Friend

    Dedicated Panel: F86 Sabre Pilots Association

Flight Info

T-33

F-80 A/B

F-84 E

F-86 F

F-100 C/D/F

O-1

A-1 H/E

F-4 C/D

Military Education

  • Squadron Officers School
  • Armed Forces Staff College
  • Combined Air Warfare Course

Civilian Education

1958 Carleton College

Biography

Biography

Flying right wing on the Skyblazers, with Bill Creech leading was like a dream. He was so smooth, it was unbelievable and not once, during all the practices and shows, did he dump the stick.

I’ve had my share of pucker time flying the Atlantic and Pacific in single engine jets with no autopilot and got shot at and missed and shot at and hit, in Nam.

I’ve dead sticked a couple of Super Sabres, one at Bitburg and the other over Paris: It gets real quiet.

And if I had to do it all over again I would not change a thing. The joy of flying and fighting with the greatest bunch of pilots in this whole wide world is an experience reserved for some of the chosen few.

Units - Education - Awards - Flight Info

Units Assigned

  • 1953: Instrument School, Moody AFB, GA T-33
  • 1953: Gunnery School, Tyndall AFB, FL F- 80A/B
  • 1953-1956: 22 nd FDS Bitburg AB, GE F-84E F 86F
  • 1956-1957: Right Wing, Skyblazers, Bitburg AB, GE F-100C
  • 1957-1961: Flight Commander, 1st FDS, 306th FDS, 309th FDS, George AFB, CA F-100D
  • 1961-1963: Wing DOT, 31st TFW, Homestead AFB, FL F-100D/F
  • 1964: Chief of Stan Eval, I ASOC/34th TAC GP, DaNang/Bien Hoa, RVN T-28, O-1, A-1H/E
  • 1965-1968: Flight Commander, Operations Officer, 10th TFS, Hahn AB, GE F-100D/F. F-4D
  • 1968-1969: Flight Cdr, Instr Pilot for IP’s, 4453rd CCTS 4454th CIS, Davis Monthan AFB, AZ F-4C
  • 1969-1970: Operations Officer, 7th TFS, Spangdahlem AB, GE F-4D.
  • 1971-1972: Det 1/CC, 401st TFW, Spangdahlem AB, GE F-4
  • 1973-1975: 81st TFS/CC (Wild Weasels), Spangdahlem AB, GE F-4C
  • 1976-1980: Director of Systems Test, TFWC, Nellis AFB, NV
  • 31 Jan, 1980: Retired

Awards & Decorations

  • Wall of Honor Location: Foil: 8 Panel: 3 Column: 3 Line: 55Wall of Honor Level: Air and Space Friend

    Dedicated Panel: F86 Sabre Pilots Association

Flight Info

T-33

F-80 A/B

F-84 E

F-86 F

F-100 C/D/F

O-1

A-1 H/E

F-4 C/D

Military Education

  • Squadron Officers School
  • Armed Forces Staff College
  • Combined Air Warfare Course

Civilian Education

1958 Carleton College