Born February 14, 1948 in Fort Worth, Texas, graduated from Polytechnic High School in
1966 and received his BA Degree from Texas Wesleyan University in 1971. John joined the
U.S. Army in 1971 and served as a rotary wing pilot on active duty until December of 1973.
He was assigned to the 2/62 Command Aviation Company of the 11th Combat Assault Group
based in DaNang, Vietnam and flew the UH-1H helicopter. John joined the Texas Army
National Guard in March 1974, and flew the CH-47 "Chinook" helicopter from Navy
Dallas Air Station until 1979. He went to work for Bell in August 1977. John transferred
to the Bell pilot staff in December 1978. He worked at the old Globe Plant, the Bell
Flight Academy and the Hurst flight line as a production test pilot and flight instructor.
John relocated to the People's Republic of China in August 1983 until December 1983 for
the purpose of training Chinese offshore pilots in the Bell models 412 and 214ST. In
November 1984 he transferred to the experimental flight test facility at Plant 6 where he
worked on Bell research and military flight test programs until February 1987. Some of the
notable research programs he worked on were the C-Nite Cobra weapons qualifications and
OH-58D development flights at the Army Proving Grounds in Yuma, Arizona.
In addition, he worked on the Bell IR&D program called "rise and fall
swashplate". In February 1987, John transferred to program management as the program
manager of Bell's contracted research and development department. During this time he also
managed Bell's remotely piloted tilt-rotor vehicle, called the "Pointer", until
its successful program completion. He also served as treasurer of the SW Region of the
Society of Experimental Test Pilots for three years during this period. John returned to
the Bell pilot's staff in April 1990 and is currently a U.S. Army flight examiner in the
Oh-58D Kiowa Warrior and a test pilot in the AH-1W Cobra gunship. He also supports the
Bell Flight Academy as a flight instructor. Over the years, he has traveled extensively
for the company having flown helicopter demonstrations, conducted flight instruction and
performed experimental flight tests in over 55 different countries.
Sponsored by Bell from 1978 to 1995, John was involved with World Helicopter
Championships (WHC) and the Helicopter Club of America. In 1978 and 1981 he flew as a team
pilot on the United States Precision Helicopter Team. They won the World Helicopter
Championships held in Poland in 1981. In 1989, John served as Chief American Judge at the
WHC held in France. That same year he was given a lifetime appointment as an International
Judge for aerospace records and sporting events by the Federation Aeronautique
Internationale (FAI), in Paris. He was elected President of the Helicopter Club of
America, based in Washington, DC, in 1993 and served two terms. At the 1994 World
Helicopter Championships in Russia, John was the Chief Delegate for the American team.
Additionally, he served on the executive Board of Directors for the National Aeronautics
Association (NAA) in Washington, DC in 1993 and 1994. He is currently a board member of
the Helicopter Club of America and has been a regular contributor of articles regarding
the helicopter championships for the American Helicopter Societies' Veriflite
magazine and was a guest writer for the NAA's For The Record magazine. In 1992 John
was the Bell organizer for the XV-15 world record setting flights and was the NAA's
directing official for Ron Bower's 1994 record setting, around the world helicopter
flight. He worked as an editor of Bell's Book, The Bell Helicopter Textron Story,
and was instrumental in the establishment of the "Aero Club of Texas" as an
affiliate of the National Aeronautic Association.
John has accumulated over 8,400 hours of helicopter flight time in his career. This
around-the-world trip should give him a few more!
John W. Williams Biography (as of spring 1996)