Blessed and Fortunate

By Capt. Ron Rogers (United, Ret.)

A rainbow greets Capt. Ron Rogers (United, Ret.) as he finishes his final flight in 2017.

I was very blessed and fortunate in my 36-year career at United.  My career involved over 20 years of ALPA volunteer work on a number of safety and engineering committees, leading an FAA committee involved in certification of fly-by-wire aircraft (AE4R Radiated   Environment Certification Committee). 

Some of my proudest moments were receiving the Best Technical Paper of the year award from the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and an Aviation Week and Space Technology Laurels award for my paper “Aircraft Protections and Pilot Authority” dealing with aircraft flight control design.

I flew the Boeing 777 at the end of my career.  As chairman of the ALPA National New Aircraft Evaluation and Certification Committee, I had been involved with the certification of the B-777 and many more transport aircraft. In fact, I led the ALPA Working Together Team involved with the certification of the B-777. 

During my career, I was also a Line Check Airman on the B-727, Airbus 320, and B-777. I had the privilege of helping to train many fine pilots—but there’s one that stands out.

My oldest son Mark, now a captain for United, jumpseated on my final flight.  I taught Mark to fly, starting as his tow pilot in gliders. I soloed him in a Cessna 152 and prepared him for his private, commercial, and instrument check rides. Mark also followed, and exceeded me in ALPA work.   He was awarded the ALPA Air Safety award, the highest ALPA Air Safety Award, for his work as ALPA’s Dangerous Goods Chairman.

My final flight was from Maui to my home base, Chicago O’Hare.  On my flight were my wife, my three children, their spouses, and my four grandchildren.  I had two Maui flights back to back so I flew my family out on the first trip and they enjoyed a nice, week-long Maui vacation.

My announcement to my passengers before my last flight was that I had provided 36 years of accident-free transportation, and I intended to do that one more time.  My children arranged for some cakes to be served along with putting together a poster highlighting my career that was displayed at the departure gate.  I also handed out a page describing my career so the passengers could know something about their pilot.  Imagine that, your career described on one page.

I said goodbye to my deplaning passengers at 4:30 a.m. in Chicago.  Many told me how much they enjoyed reading about my career and to be on my last flight. I took one last look into the empty cockpit as pilot in command, and then walked out onto the jet way.

I would now be home for all the appliance breakdowns, blizzards and floods. It probably took a month to get over feeling constantly jet lagged. What I miss most is deciding with my crew just where in Rome/Maui/Paris we were going to have dinner.