Colonel Kenneth J Outland

Colonel Kenneth J. Outland, a long time resident of Kansas City, MO, has flown his last flight west at the age of 77, May 13, 2012, after a long and courageous battle with prostate cancer. Ken leaves his high school sweetheart and wife of 54 years of marriage, Nancy J. (Rochford) Outland. Survivors also include his daughter, Laura L. Huber (Augie) of Kansas City, his son, James K. Outland (Elizabeth) of Birmingham, AL and his four grandchildren whom he adored, Elizabeth Fairlie Outland, Remi Alexander Huber, Anne Kendall Outland, and James Crawford Outland.

Born March 6, 1935, in Detroit, Michigan, Ken’s love of aviation began as a young boy building model airplanes in the basement of his home and as a member of the Air Explorer Boy Scouts which gave him a chance to hang out at the local airport where he polished and washed airplanes for spending money. His first airplane ride was in an open cockpit Ryan that he had just finished polishing. That sealed his fate for aviation. He left college after two years to join the U.S. Air Force as an Aviation Cadet. He later completed his college degree at the University of Maryland where he was a member of the Phi Alpha Lambda fraternity. Ken spent more than ten years active duty with the Air Force and another 19 years in the active reserve. Ken’s Air Force career was a source of pride to him. He flew many different types of aircraft with his favorite being the C-130. He flew three models of the C-130, the first the “A” model while living in France, then the “D” model with snow ski’s off the Greenland Ice Caps while living in Texas, then came the brand new C-130, “E” models which he flew in Viet Nam. In the Reserves it was the C-124, C141, C-9, Air Evacuation squadron and then many staff jobs leading to his assignment and later retirement from the Pentagon where he served as a Colonel in War Planning and Strategic Mobilization. He was awarded the Legion of Merit medal on his retirement from the Air Force, an honor of which he was most proud.

In 1965, he joined Trans World Airlines as a co-pilot on the B-727 and was flying as a Captain in less than three years. Ken spent many years as an instructor and check captain finally retiring as an international check Captain on the L-1011. After retirement from TWA, he continued his love of aviation when TWA asked him to return to TWA as a consultant in contract pilot training for the Lockheed 1011 aircraft. At the end of this consulting period, he joined the FAA as an Air Carrier inspector in Miami, Florida. In Miami he was the Principal operations inspector for Pan American World Airlines. Returning to Kansas City with the FAA he was assigned to Vanguard Airlines before finally giving in to real retirement. His family and his friends at the Early Ford V-8 club, the Tuesday ROMEO breakfast group, and Quiet Birdmen will miss him greatly.

Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, May 17, at Mount Moriah & Freeman Funeral Home located at 10507 Holmes Rd., Kansas City, MO 64131. Visitation will follow after the service until 4:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that gifts be made to the American Cancer Society, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO 64105 or St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 11822 Holmes Rd., Kansas City, MO 64131. Condolences may be offered at www.mtmoriah-freeman.com. Arrangements under the direction of Mount Moriah and Freeman Funeral Home in Kansas City, MO.