Rich is the lead fixed wing pilot at our Page AZ base where he is also an instructor.
He officially joined the team in 2007, but Rich has been a member of the Classic family for much longer than that; his father, Richard H. Willard was the company’s original director of fixed wing operations and wrote Classic’s certificate for fixed wing aviation back in 2005.
It was his father who inspired Rich to one day become a pilot back when he was just 15 years old. He went on to follow in his dad’s footsteps, serving in the US Marine Corps for 11 years at Camp Pendleton in California and the Marine Corps Air Station in Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii. Towards the end of his time in the Marines, Rich began flying basic reconnaissance flights, marking the start of his career in the sky! Soon after, he joined Classic as a jet charter pilot before transferring to the air medical side in 2010. He’s flown close to 1,000 missions ever since.
Rich takes pride in helping to lead and mentor others within the Classic family. He says every day is a new adventure with Classic, and he appreciates the family-oriented nature of the team.
When he’s not flying, Rich lives in Page AZ with his wife, freelance photographer Bonnie McCarthy. He has two adult children and enjoys spending time biking and hiking with his wife.