Roger I. Parrish

Between 1959 and 1966 he flew the F100, F105, and F-4 at Bitburg Air Base in West Germany. In 1966 he was selected to attend the Air Force’s Top Gun school at Nellis Air Force Base. Roger won all 3 trophies available for academics, gunnery skill and a vote for Best Student by the instructors. In 1969-1970 Roger flew over 100 combat missions in Vietnam. While in Vietnam he once led another F-4 crew back to base after the aircraft had been badly damaged and the pilot seriously Wounded. In July 1972 Roger was selected to Íly with the Air Force’s Thunderbirds demonstration team, leading the team in 1973 and 1974. After his retirement from the Air Force in 1983, he was hired by Lear Jet as a demonstration and test pilot. He left the company in 1988 as the Vice President of Operations. In 1989 he was hired as a co-pilot for America West Airlines flying the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320. He retired from commercial flying in 1995 and became Director of Training for the airline. He retired from America West in 2003. Roger continues to fly recreationally and owns a Stearman biplane and a replica of a World War I Nieuport 17 fighter.