Ken Gilliland, 60, with B&G Flying Service in Clanton has been flying airplanes and helicopters since 1973. Gilliland was named Aviation Maintenance Technician of the year for Alabama and Northwest Florida in November 2012 by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and spends most of his days up in the air. Gilliland recently spoke with Peach Living about his love of flying and what he enjoys most about soaring to the clouds.
PEACH LIVING MAGAZINE: When did you first start flying?
Ken Gilliland: I started flying in 1972-73 when I was in the United States Air Force. I got drafted in Vietnam and went into the air force. I was a toll reel operator and it got me wanting to fly.
The program ended in 1975 and it was either get out or do something different so I went into maintenance and continued flying. The next 15 year or so I was a maintenance officer, I went to Florida but hurricane Andrew wiped that out and a lot of cutbacks started happening. Due to the cutbacks, I decided to retire and came back home to Chilton County.
PL: What was it about flying that captured your interest?
KG: Nobody can get to you when you are in the air. You are the sole person that is in charge of your destiny. If you do everything right, you are OK. If you do it wrong, you aren’t. You just feel more relaxed in the air.
PL: Which do you prefer to fly more, a helicopter or an airplane?
KG: A helicopter because it is more challenging to fly. I have been flying fixed wings since 1972 and helicopters since 1993. It is just more challenging to fly a helicopter. The only hard part with an airplane is worrying about the landing. The minute you start a helicopter you have to be on top of something and once you have mastered everything you feel like you have accomplished something.
PL: If you could fly one place in the world, where would you go and why?
KG: Alaska. I have always wanted to fly to Alaska but I have never made it. One of these days I might go. Alaska has always been my number one place to fly and Australia has been my number two because I have always wanted to see the outback.
PL: What is the hardest thing about flying?
KG: The landing. Sometimes you get complacent or tired and it makes it hard.
PL: You have taught a lot of people how to fly. What has been the most enjoyable part for you in teaching others to fly?
KG: The moment it clicks in their head. All I can do is tell them and they have to practice but when it finally clicks and they perform a maneuver or do something big is a lot of fun for me. I have lost track over the years of how many people I have taught but it has been a couple of hundred. I had one young man that I taught who went on and is flying for the FBI.
PL: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
KG: I wont throw T-shirts away. I have old pairs of T-shirts that I have had for decades. I won’t wear them out in public but I do wear them around the house a lot.
PL: Is there a time of year that is better to fly than others?
KG: Late fall is better to fly. The spring is also pretty but the winds are always coming in from the West. Early in the mornings and late afternoons any time of the year are generally the best times to fly. You can always look at the water and tell if it is a good day to fly—if the water is smooth then it is a good time but if it choppy then you know it might be rough in the air.
PL: How often do you fly?
KG: I fly every day.
PL: What is the best piece of advice you have received?
KG: My grandfather always told me, you are only a failure if you quit, other than that there are stepping-stones for success.