~ IN MEMORY ~
Military veteran, NWA Capt. Dale Wilburn Basham
December 22, 1939 – December 8, 2024
From friends and family comes this news with the
passing of Northwest Airlines pilot Captain Dale Wilburn Basham, age 84. Dale joined Northwest Airlines 11-04-1968. He is survived by many dear family members
and friends.
PCN memorial site :
https://neptunesociety.com/obituaries/tempe-az/dale-basham-12123176
Dale W. Basham
December 22, 1939--December 8, 2024
Dale passed away on December 8th at the age of 84.
Dale was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Smiley and Inez Basham. He graduated from the University of Tulsa
where he was in the U.S. Air Force ROTC program. Upon graduation, he entered
USAF Primary Flight Training at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma. Dale was one of the first to fly the
Supersonic T-38 Talon. Dale graduated at
the top of his pilot training class both academically and in flying
performance. Being at the top of his
class assured him a fighter position, however Dale had always had a love affair
with the C 130 Hercules and that was his first choice. After checking out in
the Hercules, Dale was stationed in the Typhoon squadron on Guam where he flew
missions into the eyes of typhoons to track the speed and pressures of the storms. He attributed his gray hair to doing that
vital work. At one time, Dale was the
highest time 130 pilot in the whole C130 fleet.
Dale had been a flight instructor while he was in
college and he taught Ned Best, another Northwest pilot, how to fly. They became good friends and when Ned invited
Dale to dinner with family, Dale met Mary Jo, Ned’s sister. They became a
couple and had been married for over 60 years at the time of Dale’s death. Dale and Jo had two children, a daughter
Michelle of Minneapolis and a son Matt who lives in Phoenix. Dale instructed flying at Harvey Young
airport located on the outskirts of Tulsa.
It has a beautiful grass runway that was once used to train pilots
during World War II. The comedian George
Gobel learned to fly there. A photo
there showed the field filled with olive drab Piper Cubs. Dale has asked that some of his ashes be
spread there.
After leaving the Air Force, Dale came to work for
Northwest Airlines. He followed the standard route starting out as a Second
Officer on the B-727, then checking out as First Officer and then later as
Captain. While flying for Northwest,
Dale also flew for the Minnesota Air National Guard out Minneapolis-St. Paul
International Airport, once again flying the C 130. He eventually became the Commanding Officer
of the Squadron. After some medical
issues, Dale went to work in the Training Department at Northwest and
eventually took medical retirement from the airline. Dale was one of those
chosen people who truly was born to fly. He was really good at it.
Dale stayed active in flying after retiring from
Northwest and flew light airplanes for several years. At one time he was the owner of a small
single seat bi-plane that he used for aerobatics. I am also a Northwest Airline Pilot and I’ve
known Dale for many years as my brother-in-law and great friend. He will be missed.
(~ Basham
and Best families)
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