Featuring great pilots
of Overseas National Airways

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I was given the opportunity and a class 
date to fly the Lockheed L188 Electra 
for Overseas National Airways in May of 
1968.  I was living in Wisconsin and was 
very excited about finally, after many 
applications, getting the big chance 
to fly for an airline.  There were 
no guarantees--I still had to make it 
through ground school, simulator and 
flight training.  The training went very 
well and I was greatly impressed with the 
very thorough curriculum and the 
professional instructors we had. 
Dave Lampard and Tom Sellner were my 
flight instructors.  They were both 
superb pilots and great guys to be around. 
I also had a good bunch of guys as my 
classmates. We often studied together and 
helped each other out with problem areas. 
The friends that I remember well were 
Siggy Brege, Dick McConnell, the Dee 
brothers--Neff and Lee.

 


I flew mostly the military cargo flights 
for the Air Force and Navy (Logair and 
Quicktrans) and was based  at Warner 
Robins, Ga., Norfolk,Va., and Oklahoma 
City. Our trips were very challenging with 
many stops and with very marginal weather 
at times. The Electra did not have the 
equipment that other ONA aircraft had. 



Lockheed L-188 Electra 
N284F at JFK in 1973
We had no auto pilot, flight director or 
sophisticated navigation assistance.  
But, I think it made us all better pilots. 
I flew with many exceptional pilots, 
flight engineers and navigators.  
They all will be in my memories for a 
long time.  Captains Bill Holloway, 
Erik Moberg, Del Hollenbeak, Tom Fenwick; 
flight engineers Ted Moore, Duane Gibeau, 
Ed Chandler; and, navigator G. Keating are 
just a few that come to mind. I always had 
to commute to pick up my trips because I have 
lived in Ogden, Utah since early 1969.  
It usually worked out well, though, as the 
ONA DC-9 flights frequently stopped at 
Hill AFB.  HAFB is only about 15 minutes 
away from my home. I spent many an hour 
seated in that hard jump seat and picked 
up a lot of good  tips just observing 
those great crews performing their missions.  
I was fortunate to dead head quite often 
with Jim Hamilton and got to know him well.  
What a great friend he was.
 
I upgraded to Captain on the Electra in Feb. 
of 1971 and flew my last trip on May 2,1972. 
What a great ride while it lasted.  I enjoyed 
the military flights because of the challenges.  
I also was able to bid reserves some months 
to fly charters and the passenger Electra
(N182H). I was involved in the Cuban airlift, 
some Caribbean destinations and a trip to Paris. 
                               
ONA was my only airline experience due to a 
medical problem that occurred that prevented 
me from ever getting my first class medical 
back. My health has been great since the 
surgery but I will always miss my flying 
and the great people of Overseas National. 
 
Sincerely,
Larry McKenzie

Guam runway

I think I know who the first officer 
is in the crew DC-8 photo. 
Siegvard Brege was in my Electra 
class in 1968. He was a great guy 
who flew fighters with the Swedish 
air force before coming to ONA. 
His friends called him Sieggy for 
short. He was #90 on the 1977 
seniority list a few numbers ahead 
of me. 
Larry McKenzie, OGDEN UTAH

WARNER ROBINS AFB GA

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