Tony Vallillo:
CLASS OF 1967
Neshannock High SchoolClass of 1967
New castle, PA
Catholic University of AmericaClass of 1971
Washington, DC
Swartz Creek High SchoolClass of 1967
Swartz creek, MI
St. Mary SchoolClass of 1963
Hamilton, OH
St. Elizabeth SchoolClass of 1963
Pittsburgh, PA
Tony's Story
I always wanted to be an Airline pilot, even before Mrs. Weiroch's 9th grade science class took a field trip (partly at my instigation) to Bishop Airport in Flint, MI and we got to stroll through a United Airlines Viscount! So after attending Swartz Creek High School for the first 2 years, and Neshannock High School in New Castle PA for the last two years, off I went to The Catholic University of America, in Washington DC, to get a degree (turned out to be in Chemistry, of all things!) and prepare for entry into the Air Force through ROTC.
That done, I was sent to Selma, ALA for Air Force Pilot Training, graduating with the silver wings in May of 1972. I got the assignment of my choice, the proverbial cargo plane full of rubber you-know-what (!) out of Charleston SC, which was a great place to live in the early and mid 1970's. From Charleston, we flew the C-141's all over the world, east and west, and 4 years of such flying was ideal background to get hired, in January 1977, by American Airlines.
Sent to the New York crew base, I flew Boeing 707's, 727's 757's, 767's and the Airbus A-...Expand for more
300 from there, Boston, Chicago, and Dallas-Ft. Worth for 31 plus years. During that time I also served as an instructor, check pilot, and chief pilot at JFK. All in all, I spent almost 10 years of the 31 in one or another management or quasi-management position.
Along the way, I met and married the one and only (and this is rare for an airline pilot !) Mrs. Vallillo, the lovely Virginia Park Austin, as was, known to me also as She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed! She and I have spent the 28+ years of our marriage raising her two children and enjoying our 4 grandchildren.
On March 30 2008 I flew my last flight for American, commanding flight 235 from Rome to JFK. Now comfortably ensconced in early retirement, which seemed a good thing to do, given the state of the airline industry these days, I will be continuing to fly my own small plane, and also the airplanes of the Civil Air Patrol, to say nothing of any other flying machine I can get my hands on! And traveling to many a far away land, when the urge strikes us!
It's been a great career, and I've been blessed in more ways than I can count!
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