Roster of Instructor Pilots
Robert R. “Boom” Powell attended Penn before Pensacola and Navy flight training. He flew attack missions in Vietnam and was later an instructor pilot in the A-4 Skyhawk. Boom transitioned to the RA5C Vigilante and returned to Vietnam flying reconnaissance “unarmed and unafraid”. After being the LSO for the RA5C RAG, he returned to the fleet for two deployments. He was in VF-43 at NAS Oceana for two years flying A-4s and T-38s, followed by tour as Naval Attaché to South Africa. After 20 years in the Navy, he was hired by Pan American and, after they passed into history, joined Atlas Air and became a captain flying freight world-wide in Boeing 747’s. Boom loves aviation and has flown DC-3 charters in Africa, Turbo-porters, historic Skyraiders, SNJ’s, and aerobatics in anything that can loop. He was a pilot for sport parachuting, recently discovered soaring and now owns a Libelle sailplane.