DICK COTTINGHAM 1949 - 1976 PILOT DAL DFW He got his 25 year pin in the Fall of 1975 per Nov-Dec FL NEWS. Hire date of RB Cottingham was 11/15/49 per 9/1/72 FL/ALPA seniority list. -Jake Lamkins (3/31/06) RICHARD BENJAMIN COTTINGHAM 90 FORT WORTH TX -US Search (3/31/06) Posted at the FL Club: George and the amazing bunch Amazingly, an article from the Dec 1975 FL newsletter has turned up showing George and 4 other pilots marking their 25th anniversary with the company. To my knowledge, all five are still alive. I've uploaded the article to the Club files as SeniorPilots. Does anyone have more info, such as contacts, photos, etc., of this amazing group? -Jake Lamkins (4/20/06) Subject: Gone West Date: Mon, 18 Dec 2006 19:43:58 -0600 Information today (18 Dec) that Richard (Dick) Cottingham passed away the 10th of December. The info came from George Ceshker and Pete Liscomb. George is in touch with the family and he believes that the memorial is on the 24th. No place or time yet. Dick was a Central/Frontier Pilot. I will send more when I get it. -Jim Ford (12/18/06) OBITUARY: Richard B. "Dick" Cottingham 1916 - 2006 Richard B. "Dick" Cottingham, 90, a retired airline pilot, died Thursday, Dec. 7, 2006, in Fort Worth. Memorial service: 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 23, at Meadowbrook Methodist Church, 3900 Meadowbrook Drive, Fort Worth. Dick has been cremated. A reception will follow at 4 p.m. at the Arlington Yacht Club, 6215 W. Arkansas Lane, Arlington. Dick was born Jan. 7, 1916, in Motley, Minn., the son of Mary Margaret Dickinson Cottingham and Jay Cottingham. After growing up in Sibley, Iowa, Dick received a bachelor's degree in history from Buena Vista University, where he competed in football and track medaling at the Drake relays. He became a naval aviator in 1939, hunted submarines in the North Atlantic, served on several aircraft carriers in the South Pacific during World War II, became the wing commander on the USS Cowpens, led the attack on Truk Island, flew in the attack on Iwo Jima and was honorably discharged as a U.S. Navy commander. After serving as a flight instructor for American Flyers, Dick was an airline pilot for 25 years, serving with Central Airlines, which was later acquired by Frontier Airlines. He spent two additional years as a private pilot. In addition to his love of flying, Dick loved sailing and sailboat racing. Dick and Kay sailed in numerous locations throughout the Caribbean and Pacific. They were one of six couples who founded the Arlington Yacht Club in Arlington and Dick served as the club's first race captain, establishing a regular racing program that continues to this day. He later served as AYC's commodore and won the Corinthian Award in 1988 and the Bow Light Award in 1966 and 1978. The Cottingham Regatta is held every year by the club. Dick last competed in a sailing race in September 2006 at the age of 90. Dick was an avid writer, painter, musician and athlete. He was a member of the DFW Writers Workshop, participating until the age of 89. He won the Sportsmanship Award from the North Texas Amateur Fencers League in 1952 and achieved the silver level rating from the Amateur Fencers League of America. Dick was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Marjorie Kathleen "Kay" Alexander Cottingham. Dick will be greatly missed for all of his wisdom, his wit and his sense of humor. The family wishes to especially acknowledge the friendship and support of Ken Roberson and Beverly Gordon and Dick's wonderful AYC friends and crewmates. Survivors: Son, Richard "Bunky" Cottingham and his wife, Barbara, of Ontario, Canada; daughter, Lynn Cottingham DeNooyer and her husband, LeRoy L. DeNooyer, of Harker Heights; daughter, Nancy Cottingham of San Diego, Calif.; son, James Cottingham of Minneapolis, Minn.; 11 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; five nephews; and countless friends. -Fort Worth Star-Telegram on 12/19/2006. Posted at the FL Club: CN/FL pilot Dick Cottingham has died Dick, who was 90, was one of the first pilots hired at CN with a seniority date of 11/15/49. His obituary is at http://www.legacy.com/dfw/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=20348646 Be sure to sign his guestbook. Thanks to Jim Ford for alerting me to Dick's passing. -Jake Lamkins (12/18/06) I was 22 when I became a copilot at Central Airlines. Dick Cottingham was one of 52 captains who were veterans of WWII. I didn't realize how fortunate I was to get my training from these, the finest pilots on the face of the earth. Dick was shot down 6 times, yet he climbed back into a TBM and continued to fight the enemy. They wouldn't talk much about their combat experiences. I paid attention to the stories that they did share and considered myself in great company. -Hugh Barron (5/27/09)