26 June 1969 – Capt John Casper was serving with the 413th TFS out of Phan Rang AB, Vietnam. On a mission to detect VietCong...
Read MoreGary L. Heartsill
Preferred Name: Gary
Nickname/Call Sign: Cropduster/G. Heart
Date of Birth: March 31, 1938
Highest Military Grade Held: 0-3 – Captain
Hometown: Ardmore, OK
Biography
Pilot Information
Album
Biography
Comments
Before Gary joined the USAF, he was in Civil Air Patrol for three Summer camps, and was a Foreign Exchange Cadet to Italy in 1955. He had his Jet Orientation Course at Perrin AFB, TX in 1956, then ROTC summer camp at Luke in 1959 where he remembers “my first F-100 ride”.
After serving in the USAF – Gary had the privilege of teaching active duty AF pilots in the C-21A Instructor Pilot Upgrade program at SimuFlite, DFW Airport from 1998 to 2014. For 16 years with 869 student pilots (“lieutenants”) in 224, five-day classes, we enjoyed the passion of “Flying the Jet” in academics and simulator in what was called “G. Heart Country” – and I didn’t miss a class.
Gary says his best flying story is “My last 20 seconds would be in the HUN – shooting the four forward firing Pontiac M-39 20mm guns…King’s Sport!”
Pilot Information
Units Assigned
- 1956-1957 OAMC
- 1958-1960 Undergraduate Pilot Training
- 1961-1962 Pilot Training (Class 62-G), Webb AFB, TX (T-37, T-33)
- 1962-1966 3561st Pilot Training Squadron (IP), Webb AFB, TX (T-37, T-38)
- 1966-1967 166th Tactical Fighter Squadron, FANG, Lockbourne AFB OH (F-100)
- 1967-1968 127th Tactical Fighter Squadron, FANG, McConnell AFB KS (F-100)
- 1968-1969 354th Tactical Fighter Wing, Flight Examiner – USAF, Kunsan AFB Korea (F-100)
Awards & Decorations
Flight Info
T-37
T-33
T-38
F-100
Flight Hours Total – 20,321 Pilot hours logged – 12,496 Flight Engineer – 7,825 Simulator – 6,694
Military & Civilian Education
Military Education:
- 1962 BIS Randolph AFB, TX
- 1963 PIT Randolph AFB, TX
- 1968 USAF Water Survival, Homestead AFB, FL
Civilian Education:
- 1960 BS Oklahoma State University
- 1976 MLA Southern Methodist University
- 1979 MEd North Texas State University
- 1992 PhD University of North Texas
Album
