Published by Tom Thinnes on Wed, Sep 04, 2013
Aviation gets into people’s blood. Talk to most aviation enthusiasts and they can pinpoint the time in their life when this happened: a gift of an airplane at an early age; the sight of a strange looking craft streaking across the sky; a first flight. Whatever the reason, these experiences change the individual forever. For some of these people, this enthusiasm for aviation turns to passion and begins a journey that has a lasting impact. Tom Deckard is one of these people.
As a young high school student, his infatuation with aviation was sparked after meeting a group of pilots at the local airport in Elkhart, Indiana. This triggered something in him, and it wasn’t long before Deckard clicked with a former U.S. Air Force pilot in the group. Their conversations intrigued the formative young man and after talking with the experienced pilot about aviation and flying, Deckard was hooked - he knew he wanted to fly for the Air Force.
By age 19, Deckard had already earned his private pilot license. The eager young pilot continued working toward his goal of flying for the U.S. Air Force when he enrolled at Indiana University in 1964. After completing his freshmen year at Indiana, Deckard decided to transfer to Western Michigan University, where, by 1967, he earned a Bachelor of Science in math, with a minor in physics. With his degree complete from WMU, Deckard set his sights on his original goal – becoming a pilot for the U.S. Air Force. In 1967, he was on his way.
As a newly anointed Air Force pilot, the recent flight training graduate was selected to become a T-38 instructor pilot in Florida. He would later fill the same role at Williams Air Force Base in Arizona. While in Arizona, he found himself training a unique group of individuals. Deckard had no idea the U.S. Air Force would train foreign pilots. But there he was, training five South Vietnamese pilots during the time of the Vietnam War. One student in particular had a tremendous impact on the young pilot trainer. Deckard struck up a friendship with the young South Vietnamese student. Not only did the friendship grow, it prospered. Transcending the war, Deckard helped sponsor his friend as an immigrant into the United States, which changed his friend’s life forever. Reflecting on the time, Deckard remembers the elation he felt watching his friend not only become a mechanical engineer, but most importantly a U.S. citizen.
After six fun and exciting years with the U.S. Air Force, Deckard’s military tenure came to an end. Leaving the U.S. Air Force in 1973, he rejoined his alma mater as a graduate student and received his Master of Science in industrial supervision from Western Michigan University. With his master’s firmly in hand, he began a quest to join the WMU faculty team. By 1975, Deckard had held multiple roles at WMU, including Assistant Professor, Assistant Chief Flight Instructor, and Academic Advisor. During his time as a faculty member, Deckard specifically enjoyed teaching aerodynamics and fondly remembers the first classes he taught--Introduction to Aviation. As a pilot, Deckard was incredibly competent managing aircraft, systems and flight plans. How hard could it be to manage a classroom? Enter in his first class with over 300 students. To say his learning curve was steep is an understatement. However, with his typical dedication and perseverance, Deckard jumped in head first and quickly learned how to manage such a large group of eager young minds.
His contributions to aviation at this time went beyond his academic duties at Western Michigan University. In addition to his classroom responsibilities, Deckard was also a Designated Federal Aviation Administration Pilot Examiner for a few years. Conducting a multitude of check-rides for aspiring pilots provided an insight many in the aviation world don’t get to see. According to Deckard, the time spent as a pilot examiner provided him with some “unique experiences conducting check-rides.”
When someone is fortunate enough to combine their avocation with a vocation, the thought of retirement is a hard pill to swallow. In 1999, Tom Deckard retired from WMU. Looking back, Deckard remembers a life full of exciting and interesting memories during his over 20-year experience as a faculty and staff member. However, much like Al Pacino’s character in the finale of the “Godfather” trilogy, “just when he thought he was out, he ‘gots’ pulled back in.” Deckard was soon asked to re-join the WMU team as Director of Flight Operations and would eventually serve as Faculty Chair until 2005, when he would officially “hang up his hat.”
Deckard’s WMU years are filled with great memories and experiences. Looking back fondly, he remembers the personal satisfaction he received watching students develop. Watching them grow from eager-eyed freshmen to knowledgeable seniors, and then mature into professionals, was of great enjoyment to Deckard. When it comes to his colleagues, both at the Kalamazoo (AZO) facility and the current Battle Creek facilities, he has nothing but admiration. He mentions how the staff and faculty became like a family, they knew a lot about each other both professionally and personally. When the program moved to Battle Creek, this was “his cherry on the sundae.”
Deckard didn’t take long to find a new enjoyment during retirement. He admits it’s nothing like his previous jobs at WMU, but the new occupation provides him solace and a sense of relaxation. For the past seven and a half years, Deckard has been spending his time delivering RV’s to dealerships and customers using his own large pickup truck, which has faithfully driven him over 640,000 miles.
Deckard and his successes went beyond the cockpit. In his professional life, he logged over 50 years of employment, and over 10,000 hours of flying. In the logbook that matters, he has a more profound entry. His life would be forever changed when he met the co-pilot that would take the ultimate journey with him. Prior to entering pilot training, Deckard’s eyes caught sight of the woman he would soon marry. While on leave from the Air Force, the future aviator met Nancy. The whirlwind romance was soon followed by their engagement, which took place just two weeks after their first meeting. The two made the union official a month later and have been happily married for the past 45 years. Along with his love for Nancy, his two daughters and six grandchildren, three boys and three girls ages 8-14, have brought him happiness as he shares his passion for aviation with them as well.
Because of his prolific knowledge, Deckard was posed these questions: “What kind of advice would you give to the inexperienced pilots? What about the experienced ones?” With no hesitation, he expressed the need for the less-experienced pilots, specifically those in the 200-500 hour range, to avoid getting over confident. Their learning curve toward the 200-500 hour mark has been significantly steep. Deckard says, “(they are) feeling more comfortable with their skills, but it’s important to remember we are always a student and are always learning and growing.” For those that are more advanced in their career, Deckard throws out the buzz word “complacency.” He also mentions the fact, that while many pilots know the limitations of aircraft, many fail to take into consideration that each pilot has personal limitations that must be recognized to ensure they maintain safe operations as they advance into the later parts of their career.
Of all of his experiences in aviation, one memory bubbles to the top. “Formation flying is the best,” Deckard remarked excitedly. “Pushing past the sound barrier in a two-ship close formation is something nothing compares to.” On occasion, when conditions were right, Deckard said pilots were able to see the shockwave of the lead aircraft and fly through it, creating an amazing experience and one he will be able to recall forever. He does also put an emphasis on ensuring that those who enjoy or want to fly formation have the proper ground school and education to ensure safety during these maneuvers.
When it comes to WMU’s College of Aviation, he sincerely believes in supporting his alma mater. “It’s very important to come back to help your school,” Deckard says while talking about the value of helping develop new projects that cannot be funded by internal money. He also firmly believes in the increased value of a degree as a program continues to grow. As a program gains recognition, adding new programs and accolades, alumni benefit as their own degree gains more clout and identification.
Tom Deckard expressed his wish to tell his former co-workers that he is doing just fine and that he will never forget his WMU experiences. He hopes everyone is doing well, too. He also comments that he is extremely proud of the College of Aviation and all its achievements and accomplishments. He will continue to promote WMU aviation everywhere he can.
During Deckard’s long career he was the recipient of many awards. Some of these include:
- Outstanding Graduate – Officer Training School
- Outstanding Graduate – U.S. Air Force Pilot Training
- Master Instructor Award (U.S. Air Force)
- Grand Rapids FSDO District Instructor of the Year
- Western Michigan University – Teaching Excellence Award
- Western Michigan University, College of Aviation – Hall of Honor 2010