Obituary
Published in The Colorado Springs Gazette, Aug. 7, 2007
General Bettinger retired from the U.S. Air Force on February 1, 1969 after twenty-seven years of continuous service. At the time of his retirement he was Assistant Chief of Staff, North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) and Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD), stationed at Headquarters Command USAF, Ent Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Gen. Bettinger was born in Chittenango, New York where he attended Chittenango High School. He later graduated from Syracuse University in 1937 with a degree in mathematics and education. In 1988 he was recognized as a Syracuse University Letter Winner of Distinction. Originally commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1941, he ferried aircraft to overseas theaters during World War II and eventually became an aircraft commander on the "Fireball" run between Miami, Florida and the country of India. This led to his being assigned as Chief Pilot for the Berlin Airlift under General William H. Tunner in 1948. General Tunner, after an especially harrowing day in Berlin which came to be known as "Black Friday," directed General Bettinger and his co-pilot, "Red" Forman, to remain "locked" in an apartment in Berlin until they had figured a way to avoid all of the air traffic problems which were plaguing the airlift operations. Bettinger and Forman developed a plethora of air traffic regulations which greatly improved air traffic within and around the Berlin Airlift theater of operations. Included among this list were such innovations as the full-time use of Instrument Flight Regulations regardless of flying and landing conditions, mandatory spacing of aircraft both in distance and altitude along the corridors leading into and away from Berlin, and the full-time use of Ground Control Advisors to guide pilots into the airports. These, and many other innovations conceived by Generals Bettinger and Forman for the Berlin Airlift, continue in general use today as the basis of our commercial flight regulations.
General Bettinger first moved his family to Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1965 and has remained a resident ever since. He is survived by his wife of sixty-four years, Gertrude (Bettye) Bettinger, two daughters, Carol Bettinger Porter of Ridgeland, South Carolina, and her three sons, Jake, Casey, and Buster; Leigh Anne Bettinger LaVergne of Houston, Texas, with her husband Pat LaVergne, and their daughter Keri; daughter-in-law Francelle Fulweiler Bettinger of Austin, Texas, with her son Scott and daughter Lauren; and a son, Dave Bettinger of Colorado Springs, Colorado, with his wife Kim, sons Jesse, Seth, Peter and David, and daughters Barbara Ann and Alexi. Also surviving him are four great-grandchildren. General Bettinger was predeceased by his son, Lt. Col. Sterling Peter Bettinger, Jr., (USAF, Ret.) in 1996. A Memorial Service will be held at Springs Community Church in northeast Colorado Springs on a date to be announced.
Published in The Colorado Springs Gazette, Aug. 7, 2007
General Bettinger retired from the U.S. Air Force on February 1, 1969 after twenty-seven years of continuous service. At the time of his retirement he was Assistant Chief of Staff, North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) and Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD), stationed at Headquarters Command USAF, Ent Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Gen. Bettinger was born in Chittenango, New York where he attended Chittenango High School. He later graduated from Syracuse University in 1937 with a degree in mathematics and education. In 1988 he was recognized as a Syracuse University Letter Winner of Distinction. Originally commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1941, he ferried aircraft to overseas theaters during World War II and eventually became an aircraft commander on the "Fireball" run between Miami, Florida and the country of India. This led to his being assigned as Chief Pilot for the Berlin Airlift under General William H. Tunner in 1948. General Tunner, after an especially harrowing day in Berlin which came to be known as "Black Friday," directed General Bettinger and his co-pilot, "Red" Forman, to remain "locked" in an apartment in Berlin until they had figured a way to avoid all of the air traffic problems which were plaguing the airlift operations. Bettinger and Forman developed a plethora of air traffic regulations which greatly improved air traffic within and around the Berlin Airlift theater of operations. Included among this list were such innovations as the full-time use of Instrument Flight Regulations regardless of flying and landing conditions, mandatory spacing of aircraft both in distance and altitude along the corridors leading into and away from Berlin, and the full-time use of Ground Control Advisors to guide pilots into the airports. These, and many other innovations conceived by Generals Bettinger and Forman for the Berlin Airlift, continue in general use today as the basis of our commercial flight regulations.
General Bettinger first moved his family to Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1965 and has remained a resident ever since. He is survived by his wife of sixty-four years, Gertrude (Bettye) Bettinger, two daughters, Carol Bettinger Porter of Ridgeland, South Carolina, and her three sons, Jake, Casey, and Buster; Leigh Anne Bettinger LaVergne of Houston, Texas, with her husband Pat LaVergne, and their daughter Keri; daughter-in-law Francelle Fulweiler Bettinger of Austin, Texas, with her son Scott and daughter Lauren; and a son, Dave Bettinger of Colorado Springs, Colorado, with his wife Kim, sons Jesse, Seth, Peter and David, and daughters Barbara Ann and Alexi. Also surviving him are four great-grandchildren. General Bettinger was predeceased by his son, Lt. Col. Sterling Peter Bettinger, Jr., (USAF, Ret.) in 1996. A Memorial Service will be held at Springs Community Church in northeast Colorado Springs on a date to be announced.
Obituary
Published in The Colorado Springs Gazette, Aug. 7, 2007
General Bettinger retired from the U.S. Air Force on February 1, 1969 after twenty-seven years of continuous service. At the time of his retirement he was Assistant Chief of Staff, North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) and Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD), stationed at Headquarters Command USAF, Ent Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Gen. Bettinger was born in Chittenango, New York where he attended Chittenango High School. He later graduated from Syracuse University in 1937 with a degree in mathematics and education. In 1988 he was recognized as a Syracuse University Letter Winner of Distinction. Originally commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1941, he ferried aircraft to overseas theaters during World War II and eventually became an aircraft commander on the "Fireball" run between Miami, Florida and the country of India. This led to his being assigned as Chief Pilot for the Berlin Airlift under General William H. Tunner in 1948. General Tunner, after an especially harrowing day in Berlin which came to be known as "Black Friday," directed General Bettinger and his co-pilot, "Red" Forman, to remain "locked" in an apartment in Berlin until they had figured a way to avoid all of the air traffic problems which were plaguing the airlift operations. Bettinger and Forman developed a plethora of air traffic regulations which greatly improved air traffic within and around the Berlin Airlift theater of operations. Included among this list were such innovations as the full-time use of Instrument Flight Regulations regardless of flying and landing conditions, mandatory spacing of aircraft both in distance and altitude along the corridors leading into and away from Berlin, and the full-time use of Ground Control Advisors to guide pilots into the airports. These, and many other innovations conceived by Generals Bettinger and Forman for the Berlin Airlift, continue in general use today as the basis of our commercial flight regulations.
General Bettinger first moved his family to Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1965 and has remained a resident ever since. He is survived by his wife of sixty-four years, Gertrude (Bettye) Bettinger, two daughters, Carol Bettinger Porter of Ridgeland, South Carolina, and her three sons, Jake, Casey, and Buster; Leigh Anne Bettinger LaVergne of Houston, Texas, with her husband Pat LaVergne, and their daughter Keri; daughter-in-law Francelle Fulweiler Bettinger of Austin, Texas, with her son Scott and daughter Lauren; and a son, Dave Bettinger of Colorado Springs, Colorado, with his wife Kim, sons Jesse, Seth, Peter and David, and daughters Barbara Ann and Alexi. Also surviving him are four great-grandchildren. General Bettinger was predeceased by his son, Lt. Col. Sterling Peter Bettinger, Jr., (USAF, Ret.) in 1996. A Memorial Service will be held at Springs Community Church in northeast Colorado Springs on a date to be announced.
Published in The Colorado Springs Gazette, Aug. 7, 2007
General Bettinger retired from the U.S. Air Force on February 1, 1969 after twenty-seven years of continuous service. At the time of his retirement he was Assistant Chief of Staff, North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) and Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD), stationed at Headquarters Command USAF, Ent Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Gen. Bettinger was born in Chittenango, New York where he attended Chittenango High School. He later graduated from Syracuse University in 1937 with a degree in mathematics and education. In 1988 he was recognized as a Syracuse University Letter Winner of Distinction. Originally commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1941, he ferried aircraft to overseas theaters during World War II and eventually became an aircraft commander on the "Fireball" run between Miami, Florida and the country of India. This led to his being assigned as Chief Pilot for the Berlin Airlift under General William H. Tunner in 1948. General Tunner, after an especially harrowing day in Berlin which came to be known as "Black Friday," directed General Bettinger and his co-pilot, "Red" Forman, to remain "locked" in an apartment in Berlin until they had figured a way to avoid all of the air traffic problems which were plaguing the airlift operations. Bettinger and Forman developed a plethora of air traffic regulations which greatly improved air traffic within and around the Berlin Airlift theater of operations. Included among this list were such innovations as the full-time use of Instrument Flight Regulations regardless of flying and landing conditions, mandatory spacing of aircraft both in distance and altitude along the corridors leading into and away from Berlin, and the full-time use of Ground Control Advisors to guide pilots into the airports. These, and many other innovations conceived by Generals Bettinger and Forman for the Berlin Airlift, continue in general use today as the basis of our commercial flight regulations.
General Bettinger first moved his family to Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1965 and has remained a resident ever since. He is survived by his wife of sixty-four years, Gertrude (Bettye) Bettinger, two daughters, Carol Bettinger Porter of Ridgeland, South Carolina, and her three sons, Jake, Casey, and Buster; Leigh Anne Bettinger LaVergne of Houston, Texas, with her husband Pat LaVergne, and their daughter Keri; daughter-in-law Francelle Fulweiler Bettinger of Austin, Texas, with her son Scott and daughter Lauren; and a son, Dave Bettinger of Colorado Springs, Colorado, with his wife Kim, sons Jesse, Seth, Peter and David, and daughters Barbara Ann and Alexi. Also surviving him are four great-grandchildren. General Bettinger was predeceased by his son, Lt. Col. Sterling Peter Bettinger, Jr., (USAF, Ret.) in 1996. A Memorial Service will be held at Springs Community Church in northeast Colorado Springs on a date to be announced.
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