Retired Pilot Enjoys Frontiers of Flight Museum

Staying active and engaged in life can prove challenging for many area seniors.

 A 38.6% rise in Americans older than 65 in just the decade 2010-2020 and an increase of 200,000 cases of dementia in the U.S. 2023 to 2024 are just some of the factors facing elder care today.

But transitioning to the Preston of the Park Cities hasn’t slowed down 82-year-old ex-pilot Bill Cole.

“I got into airplanes as a little kid,” Cole said.

Air Force basic training and Naval Academy prep school followed. Accepted into the Air Force Academy, he first trained in a Sesna 182 and was later assigned to C-130 transport planes in his active reserve unit in San Antonio.

“One of the interesting missions we did in San Antonio was fighting forest fires,” he said, recalling maneuvering fire-retardant dumps onto the blazes below. “It’s pretty effective.”

In 1968, he did a tour of duty in Vietnam.

“The first flight I did over there was at night,” he said. “We were picking up body bags. I was just stunned. We were mostly in transport — moving equipment, moving troops.”

Returning to the States after a year in Vietnam, Cole continued his Air Force career. “I did different kinds of missions, working with our allies – went to France, went to Spain. You never knew what to expect.

“I wanted to get my 20 years in,” he explained. “I made lieutenant colonel, then I went up and talked to Southwest Airlines. They were just beginning back then.” 

Cole continued in the reserves while flying for Southwest from 1980 to 2002.

“The only sad part was, at that time, airline pilots had to retire at age 60,” he lamented. “I didn’t want to leave, so I went to the training center and got hired as a trainer. But I would’ve been happier if I could’ve flown for five more years.”

Until recently, Cole had been volunteering regularly at the Frontiers of Flight Museum, where he remains a frequent visitor.

“I really enjoy being over there,” he said. “You meet a lot of interesting people.” 

The first time he visited, he noticed a familiar looking 737. Noting the tail number, he referred to an old logbook.

“I said to myself, ‘There’s an airplane in a museum that I’ve flown,’” he chuckled. “‘I must really be old.’”

A much smaller vehicle at the museum also caught his eye.

“Herb Kelleher was a just a great man,” Cole said, recalling the Southwest Airlines co-founder. “We pilots bought him a motorcycle, because he was really into them.”

At the Preston of the Park Cities, Cole enjoys his sixth-floor balcony, which faces Love Field.

“This is my observation point, where I can see the airport,” he said, but seeing the planes makes him curse a little. “I wish I was still doing that.”

Though grounded, he stays active.

“I still like to work out. I go to the Cooper Clinic gym,” he said. “I go as often as I can, five days a week when I can manage it. All my years flying and roaming around, I’m not used to sitting around the house all day.”