Airport Life: Pilot Introduction

Harrisburg International Airport would like to introduce our next mini-series in blogging: Airport Life. This series will explore the airport community from business and leisure travelers to airport staff.

Tom Bouck, Airline Pilot

And with that, let us introduce to you retired Continental Airlines pilot and Vietnam veteran Tom Bouck. From a young age Tom knew he wanted to become a pilot. Watching airplanes fly in and out of Schenectady County Airport in upstate New York, with his grandfather, he dreamed of one day joining these aviators in the sky as he watched from the ground.


Fast-forwarding to his stint in the Marines, Tom trained as an air traffic controller. Guiding aircrafts in and out of Marine bases, he came one step closer to realizing his dreams.


After serving for our country, he studied to obtain his private and commercial pilots licenses in Arizona. But with a combination of a competitive job market and a decreased need for pilots in the 1970’s, Tom began working for the FAA as an air traffic controller.


However, in 1981 when the air traffic control strike hit airfields nationwide, Tom soon moved away from this position. With a large amount of flight hours under his belt already, Tom refocused and switched gears back to piloting and became a flight instructor.


He began his commercial piloting career with Fresno West Air in California and moved to Command Airways based out of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. for two years. In January of 1988, Tom switched to Continental Airlines, one of Harrisburg International Airport’s airline partners, where he stayed until retirement.


Tom’s first assignment with Continental was in Denver, C.O. Shortly after, he taught flight instruction on an Airbus A300 out of Los Angeles for three years. Continental then based Tom out of Hawaii. From here he flew mainly through the South Pacific, where he was able to explore such places as Australia, New Zealand, and Guam.


After two and a half years in Hawaii, Tom headed back to the mainland where he primarily flew out of Newark Airport in Newark, N.J. Some of his favorite European destinations include Madrid, Rome and Munich.


As Tom hit the age for retirement, he made his last trip as a pilot for Continental, which he chose to fly from Newark to Las Vegas, N.V. This flight was extremely special for many reasons. Tom’s wife Nanette rode proudly onboard the jet, which was only the second time she flew with Tom. When was the first you might be thinking? The two met when Tom piloted a sight-seeing tour from Pheonix, A.Z. to the Grand Canon of which Nanette was on board.


Tom’s father was also onboard the plane. The last flight signified new life for Tom and his wife, as they had recently purchased a house in Las Vegas where they currently live in the lap of retirement. Loved ones from around the country met Tom and Nanette at their new home that day to celebrate his accomplishments.


Flying has always conjured a sense of freedom for Tom. Enjoying many aspects of the job from the challenges he faced in the skies, and strategic decision making and safety planning, to being able to pilot his own journey across the globe, aviation allowed him to fulfill a life long passion.


While Tom’s period as a pilot came to an end in 2005, just five years later Continental Airlines announced a new era in business operations. Merging with United Airlines to form United Continental Holdings, Inc., these two airlines will now, together operate approximately 5,800 flights a day in 371 airports including Harrisburg International Airport.

In keeping with our Airport Life series, how do you think this will affect the future of commercial aviation namely the employees and passengers they currently serve?