Lynn Hunton:  

Life Enlisted in the Navy in '67. Became a submarine (USS Francis Scott Key SSBN 657) reactor operator as an E-6. Got selected for a commissioning program and spent 3yrs at Univ. Of Colorado, Boulder where I got a ME degree and a regular officer commission as an Ensign. I was assigned to flight school in Pensacola, FL. Got my wings in Sep 76 after finishing flight school and Carrier Qualification on the USS Lexington. Spent 3 yrs in San Diego flying on/off the West Coast carriers in the venerable C-1 Trader, a twin engine cargo plane. Following that I was assigned to Patrol Squadron 22 out of Barbers Pt, Hi for 3yrs. Flew all over South West Asia, South Pacific, Guam, Japan, Korea, and the Indian Ocean. At the end of my VP 22 tour I was selected to attend the Navy Test Pilot school at Patuxent River, Md. Enroute there I stopped in Meridan, MS to qualify in the T-2 jet trainer. 11 months later I graduated in Class 83 and joined the fraternity of 300 or so Navy Test Pilots. I stayed on at Patuxent River flying as an Engineering Test Pilot for the next two years. All totaled, I flew about 30 some different aircraft, most in Pax River including the A7, A6, T38/F5, F14, C135, CH46, OH57, F80, Beaver and sail planes …A really excellent time for me. I decided not to pursue Astronaut training in Tx and closed out my Navy career in San Diego as the Flag Communicator for Battle Group Bravo/Commander Carrier Group 7. We made a WestPac deployment and several shorter deployments near Alaska and Canada. After I retired, I worked in San Diego in the Defense industry until 2005. At that point I moved to Huntington Beach, CA and went to work for my current company SAIC, as an Assistant VP, Program Manager working on a very large ($14 Billion) Army modernization program. Life is good. Who would have thought that I would attain my life’s dream of becoming a Navy Carrier Pilot as a Coronado High grad. I guess the message is that you should chase your dreams cuz they do come true. I reminisce about my time at Coronado a lot. While those yrs weren’t the best for me, I made some great friends that I’ve stayed connected with to this day…. Update August 2010... In the past two years I've had total knee replacement on both my knees. Physical therapy following surgery has me pretty much back to normal although running and other high impact activities are now only memories... I've moved on to a new job. Working for a much smaller (16 engineers) company has brought a much needed break from the hectic pace of running a major defense program. The guys I'm working with now have been friends for almost 20yrs. Our office is in San Diego so I work mostly from home with just occasional visits to the office. The drive from Huntington Beach to San Diego isn't too bad. I'm moving to Las Vegas in a month or so...I was able to purchase a home there and given the flexibility I have at work, will be able to continue to work from there until ...Expand for more