Ed Robertson
Jan Christensen
Ed Robertson’s aviation career began in 1975 when he joined the U.S. Army and entered the Warrant Officer Candidate Rotary Wing Aviator Entry Course. Over the next 40 years he flew helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft for the Army, the Alaska Army National Guard, Alaska Air National Guard, and Alaska Airlines.
During Army flight training, Ed completed survival training that included a simulated prisoner-of-war camp. This experience sparked a fascinating interest in the American POWs held captive in Vietnam. While on active duty, he secured a rare opportunity for an Army aviator: attending the U.S. Air Force Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) school at Fairchild Air Force Base. That training and the diploma he wisely kept, would prove unexpectedly valuable 17 years later.
After active duty, Ed joined the Alaska Army National Guard and served full-time in its Active Guard and Reserve program. He became the first Alaska Army National Guard aviator to qualify in the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and later became a Black Hawk instructor pilot.
One memorable experience occurred on Little Diomede Island during the Cold War. Looking through a telescope across the International Date Line toward Russia’s Big Diomede Island, Ed saw someone on the Russian side looking back through another telescope—two observers, two islands, and two different calendar days, watching each other across the Bering Sea!
Ed joined Alaska Airlines in 1988, serving as a Boeing 727 flight engineer. He later became a First Officer and Captain on the Boeing 737 and MD-80 and a 737 instructor. He served as Chairman of Alaska Airlines Aviation Safety Action Program. On his airline days off, he reported to the Army Guard. After receiving a direct commission, he served as an aviation unit commander while continuing as an instructor pilot and instrument flight examiner in airplanes and helicopters. At one point, his combined duties required him to work 90 consecutive days without a day off.
In 1993, Ed accepted a part-time position with the Alaska Air National Guard’s 210th Rescue Squadron, flying the HH-60G Pave Hawk. Before he could transfer, a personnel specialist told him every Air Force pilot had to attend SERE training at Fairchild.
“I’ve already been.” He replied.
“As an Army pilot?” she asked.
“Yes.”
She said he could avoid repeating the course if he produced the diploma. He still had it! Ed was grateful he had endured the training at 22 rather than repeat it at 38.
Ed continued flying rescue missions while pursuing his airline career and retired from Alaska Airlines in 2015, completing a career that began in 1988. Seeking relief from Seattle’s rain, Ed and his wife, Sterlyn, discovered Arizona and eventually made SaddleBrooke Ranch their year-round home.
Today, Ed follows the philosophy that has guided his career: “Never Stop Learning.” He keeps his Cirrus aircraft—equipped with a whole-airplane parachute system—at Marana Regional Airport. When he and Sterlyn are not flying, they enjoy playing golf at SaddleBrooke Ranch.