Since 1929 the Bouchard family from the Ashland, Wisconsin, area have been flying as commercial pilots and now have their fourth generation expressing their love of aviation.
It all started with my Grandpa Harry convincing his mother to let him venture to Universal Airways in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to learn how to fly and obtain his limited commercial pilot license on February 26,1930 - license number 12610. Harry completed his flying at the “old Race track” which is now Minneapolis St Paul Wold Chamberlain International Airport (KMSP). He told many stories of having conversations and experiences with Charles W. “Speed” Holman as he was next door at Northwest Airways.
Harry purchased a Curtiss Robin after completing his training and then began his barnstorming career in Superior at Billings Air Park. At the time there were three aircraft based in Superior. Harry with his Curtiss Robin, Hank O’Hare with his American Eagle, and Jule Burne in a Waco. One of the fondest stories I remember is Grandpa telling stories that they would gather a gaggle of airplanes on a Saturday to fly for breakfast and invariably a couple airplanes and their pilots wouldn’t make it to destination due to engine mechanical failures. In fact Harry had one near Moose Lake, Minnesota, in 1933. It is confirmed via the Western Union telegraph receipt he sent to the CAA reporting the incident as a “non-event”.
In the 1950s as logging was taking place on the Apostle Islands Harry was subcontracted in the winter to fly ski planes to Outer Island to transport the loggers back and forth to either Ashland or Bayfield depending on their residence or needs. Outer Island is 24 miles from Bayfield; it’s the farthest from the mainland and the most remote of the six Apostle Islands light stations. It was during this time that Harry and his good friend Gordon “Gordy” Shefchik passed on their love of flying to Harry’s son Tom Bouchard.
During this time, as a student pilot, Tom tagged along on empty legs or ferried a plane for Gordy. Upon graduation from high school Tom continued his flying and was the first pilot to land at the “new” Ashland airport in 1958—John F. Kennedy Memorial Airport (KASX) – also referred to as JFK Memorial. Tom obtained his private, and then later his commercial rating in 1962. Tom would eventually become a full-time corporate pilot for Ashland businessman Dean Roffers, flying across the Midwest in his Piper Aztec.
After the sale of the Aztec it wasn’t long before Roy Shwery (1992 WAHF inductee) came to Ashland pursuing airline service to the Bay Area via Midstate Airlines. While shuttling Roy back and forth to the airport, Roy offered Tom a job flying for Midstate based in Ashland. On May 1, 1966, Tom started a 22-year career with Midstate, flying throughout Wisconsin and transporting tens of thousands of passengers over those years. Starting first with the Beech 18 as a co-pilot (not first officer in those days). After gritting his teeth through the summer circumnavigating thunderstorms and then shedding ice and battling crosswinds on snow covered runways Tom upgraded to the left seat in the spring of 1967 on the Twin Beech. The routes flown were the ones abandoned by North Central just prior and Tom paved the way across upper Wisconsin to Chicago with many stops in between.
After a little over 4000 hours in the “18” Midstate upgraded to the “highly sophisticated” (let’s all chuckle) Beech 99 in 1969. Now Tom had radar and it made flying the Ashland, Hayward, Marshfield, Wisconsin Rapids, Milwaukee, Chicago O’Hare run a lot easier and of course faster in the sleek turbo prop. After 7200 hours across Wisconsin in the “99” Roy decided Tom needed pressurization and air conditioning and the Swearingen Metroliners started arriving at Midstate and service was introduced on the Ashland/Hayward run in 1977. Tom continued to fly the Metroliner for Midstate until 1984 when the Fokker F27 came online. Tom enjoyed the larger aircraft and great flight characteristics of the F27, and now – an autopilot! And, especially not having to have as much “boo fuel” on the Fokker as compared to the prior commuter aircraft at Midstate. (I know you’re asking, “What boo fuel?” Well let’s say Tom needed a little extra fuel to get into Ashland in the old days and that extra was for the “wife and kids” (when the weather was bad) and what was on the manifest and what was in the tanks didn’t always match up! This carried over to many other airlines as boo fuel or the “Boo Factor” from all the First Officers Tom flew with who later moved on. In fact our good friends in Milwaukee were familiar too.) For those pilots now days your contingency fuel on your dispatch release was taught to us in 1986 that the real definition of FAA contingency fuel was known as boo fuel, which then everyone in class understood completely!
The F27 was short-lived at Midstate and Tom went back to flying the Metros until 1989 when he decided the demise of Midstate was near and commuting to Louisville or St Louis wasn’t in the plan for a Wisconsin born boy. During his 23 years at Midstate Tom had stints as chief pilot, check airman, and instructor, and he trained hundreds of future airline pilots over his career. After leaving Midstate Tom was able to fly corporate out of Ashland, flying Citation IIs and IIIs across the country and Canada. Still battling northern Wisconsin’s snow and ice. It was during this tenure back in Ashland that Tom was instrumental in getting a localizer approach, PAPI’s, and eventual GPS approaches to other runways. It wasn’t that Tom was getting old and not wanting to fly NDB’s and VOR approaches to that mile long snow-covered runway anymore, it was just not as comfortable at 140 knots in the Citation III compared to 100 knots in the Beech 18 40 years earlier.
Tom retired in 2004 at age 65 from commercial flying. During these years prior he was appointed by Governor Patrick Lucey and served terms on the Wisconsin Council of Aeronautics and represented the commuter airlines and northern Wisconsin airports well. General aviation was and still is a huge part of what Tom Bouchard represents. He just recently had his term expire on the John F. Kennedy Memorial Airport Commission in Ashland but that never stops him from mowing grass, plowing parking lots, making sure the Cessna 172 is ready for the grandkids, and in general being the “airport ambassador” in Ashland. The one thing that has remained constant for almost 70 years is Tom’s love of Northern Wisconsin, his love for aviation, his love of JFK Memorial Airport, and his time promoting aviation to all persons over those years especially those in Ashland. Tom is the first one to get the coffee going on Saturday mornings and he always organized our fly outs to have breakfast or a hamburger somewhere. Up until a few years ago he was sponsoring, along with a few other Ashland aviators, rides to Ashland high school students who are interested in aviation. But the most important thing Tom loves is his family and that he has inspired aviation in his children and grandchildren.
Which leads to the third generation of Bouchard pilots.
His children Cary, Robyn, and Scott are all certificated pilots. I started flying with Dad at an early age and my love of flying and aviation continues to this day. I soloed on my 16th birthday and earned my private pilot certifcate on my 17th birthday. Just two weeks past my 18th birthday I earned my commercial rating. I started flying Queen Airs for Bemidji Airlines parttime just prior to turning 19 and entering college. After obtaining enough flight hours I was hired by Midstate and flew my first revenue trip with my dad in April of 1986 on the F-27. A proud moment for both. I currently fly as captain for a major US airline.
Scott was next! I soloed my brother in 1988. Scott was devastated to find out he was color blind and unable to fly for the airlines, but he was passionate about obtaining his private pilot certificate. He currently owns and flies a Champion 7EC.
Tom’s daughter Robyn was hired in 1989 at Midwest Express as a flight attendant and soon thereafter decided that being on the flightdeck was her goal. Robyn obtained all her ratings and became a flight instructor in 2001. She continues to fly her and Tom’s Cessna 172 to this day.
The fourth generation consists of my children Alec, Connor, and Arabella, who have all obtained their commercial certificates and are pursuing careers in the airline/aviation industry.
We cannot close this article without mentioning Marcia Bouchard. Tom’s wife, mother of Cary, Robyn, and Scott. Grandmother to Alec, Connor, and Arabella. Marcia was the first woman to solo at JFK Memorial in 1965 as a senior in high school under Tom’s oversight. She says she had to put flying on the back burner when the “baby bump” of Cary got in the way of the yoke. Then he demanded to always be Tom’s copilot, so she was relegated to the back seat or left at home. The entire family is grateful for the support Marcia gave all the flying Bouchards over the last seven decades spanning back to 1966.
And now the mother of Kimberly, Alec, Connor, and Arabella wants to begin flight training with one of her children.
It has become an aviation family affair up in Ashland.
