Friday, May 1, 2026
Donna and Family. I want to pass on our most sincere condolences to you and the family. I flew often with Rich in the F-101 and had the good fortune to be paired with him in the 1974 William Tell competition. From there we were one of the first crew to get qualified in the new to us KC-135. Rich was an outstanding student during our qualification of the “Tanker” and he was more knowledgeable of it than his instructors by the time we qualified. His thirst for knowledge of the aircraft never abated. Along with his incredible technical knowledge of the aircraft, he was an excellent pilot. As an instructor, with his calm and confident demeanor, he helped many pilots gain qualification in the aircraft. I worked side by side with Rich for many years and I cannot express how much I learned from him during that time. Rich had the admiration and respect of legions of his fellow aviators, he was truly a remarkable man. I am honored to be able to have called him a fellow airman and a friend. I truly cannot say enough how much I respected him. My memories of Rich are the best one could have for a fellow man.
Sincerely, Bill and Sandy Albair
