Five Questions: Wayne Boggs
Air boss
Started in aviation…Probably, the most influential person to starting my interest in aviation was my mother, she was a pilot [Women’s Airforce Service Pilot—WASP—in World War II] and gave me my first airplane ride. I was a fair athlete. I think my father would have liked me to pursue sports, but I had no interest in being a jock. Twelve years later my brother would pick up that aspect [Baseball Hall of Fame, third baseman Wade Boggs]. Growing up in the 1950s and ’60s aviation was fascinating, for its designs and uses were changing daily. With my father being career U.S. Air Force—not a pilot—I was around aviation daily. Building model airplanes and reading aviation books, I was hooked.
Early challenges…I have had a very blessed career in the aviation field. I learned to fly—privately—while in the Marine Corps and received my license in 1973. Upon leaving the service, I applied to the FAA to become an air traffic controller. The challenge in that field is to be “the best.” The responsibilities are staggering. I had the privilege of working at such airports as Chicago O’Hare. There are so many different and rewarding fields in aviation besides being a pilot.
What’s it like to be an air boss…Being an air boss and part of the airshow industry has been the highlight of a wonderful career in aviation. The airshow community truly embraces some of the finest human beings on the planet.
Favorite aircraft…My favorite aircraft have always been old warbirds, P–40s, Corsairs, et cetera. I fly a number of these old aircraft and to me it is flying in the truest sense of the words: “stick and rudder.” I restored and currently fly the same type of airplane my mother flew and instructed in—a 1942 Fairchild PT–19.
Advice to students…I know for a fact—and have seen in others—that there is nothing you cannot accomplish if you truly wish to pursue that dream. There are so many aviation careers, both civilian and military. You’ll end up with not only a rewarding career, but will also have stood beside some of the most outstanding people you will ever work with. The world of aviation is a world of opportunities.
