THE SKY is the LIMIT: From Clod Buster to Cloud Chaser - Tapa blanda

The story of the rocky, and sometimes precarious road, traveled by a farm boy who grew up with the Air Force, the A F Reserve and the Air National Guard while pursuing a parallel career in Commercial Aviation. A brief glimpse of the potential that exists for anyone who dares to dream of something different in life in America.

Biographical Sketch--B/G Oscar Allen Hurt Oscar Allen Hurt was born in Kingsley, Iowa on June 12, 1923 and spent his youth near Spencer, Iowa. In September 1948 he entered pilot training at Randolph AFB, San Antonio, Texas as an Aviation Cadet and was commissioned in September 1949 with initial duty assignment to James Connally AFB, Waco, Texas as a basic training flight instructor. In 1951 he was transferred to the Air Force's senior training center for instructor pilots at Craig AFB, Selma, Alabama. In October 1952 he volunteered for service in Korea and was assigned as Group Pilot and Instrument Training Officer at Brady AFB, Fukuoka, Japan where he flew combat cargo missions in Korea. He returned to the U. S. in 1953 and was assigned to De Pauw University, Geencastle, Indiana as Assistant Professor of Air Science and Tactics. In 1956 he joined the Strategic Air Command as a B-47 aircraft commander. General Hurt resigned from active duty in 1957 and joined the Air Force reserve in 1958, becoming the first officer technician to assume duties in the Air Force Reserve Technician program (a new training concept for the Air Force Reserve). In 1963 he joined the Federal Aviation Agency as an Air Carrier Inspector with additional duty as Assistant to the Supervising Inspector. In this capacity one of his primary functions was the final review of all accident reports and allegations of violations before submission to the FAA Western Region legal department for disciplinary action or license revocation. During this time General Hurt continued his reserve duties to include: Flying Safety Officer at Squadron, Group, and Wing level; Chief of Standardization; Squadron Commander; Group Operations Officer; Group commander; and Wing Commander. He has logged over 11700 military and 12000 commercial flying hours. Decorations and awards include the Korean Service Medal with two bronze stars, United Nations Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal with one bronze star, Presidential Unit Citation, Air Force Longevity Service Award with Oak Leaf Cluster, Vietnam Service Medal, and the Air Force Reserve Medal. General Hurt retired from the Air Force Reserve in September, 1977 with credit for completion of 29 years, 11 months, and 21 days of Air Force duty. He retired from United Airlines in June 1998.