June 28, 2025 – A remarkable half-century in the skies, distinguished by an unblemished record of no accidents or FAA violations, has culminated in local pilot Timothy J. Dickerson receiving the esteemed Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award. This prestigious honor, bestowed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), celebrates aviators who exemplify the highest standards of professionalism and expertise over an extended career.
The discovery of the award itself was a stroke of serendipity, as recounted by his wife, Sharon Dickerson, who has chronicled his aviation journey for decades. “I was flipping through one of his magazines,” she explained, referring to the EAA Aviation magazine, “and I saw a little article about a man, an older man flying… and it had the caption in there that he was a recipient of the Wright Brothers Master Pilot award. So I thought, ‘Well, I wonder what that is.’ So I… Googled it, and I found out about it through the FAA website.”
Tim’s inherent connection to aviation blossomed early. At just five years old, his grandfather, Gale Sudduth—who built P-38s for Lockheed Skunkworks during World War II—gave him his first balsa wood glider. Sharon noted, “He understood that you had to make minute bends to the wood in order to make it fly straight and level.” This early grasp of aerodynamics propelled him forward; by 1974, at 15, he was washing planes at Fresno Airport’s Valley Aviation to afford flight lessons. His first solo flight in a Cessna 150 occurred on July 7, 1975, two days after his 16th birthday.
From Military Skies to Self-Built Wonders
Tim’s journey continued with enlistment in the U.S. Army, leading him to Flight School at Fort Rucker, Alabama, as a Warrant Officer Candidate. He graduated on October 1, 1982, earning his Army Aviator Wings. “He is such a good pilot. I can’t even tell you, when we’re flying, he’s so easy and gentle,” Sharon emphasized. “I always tell everyone that he was a bird in a prior life because he just can feel the air, he knows exactly what he needs to do.” His military service included flying UH-1 (Huey) and AH-1 (Cobra) helicopters, achieving Pilot in Command status and promoting to CW3.
Before meeting Sharon, Tim briefly explored hang gliding at Marina Beach. This phase ended after he lost a friend. His exit from hang gliding, however, led to an unforgettable anecdote. He famously traded his hang glider for a car at Cardinalli Motors in Monterey. “The more interesting part of that story was kind of funny,” Sharon chuckled, describing how while at the dealership, Tim encountered a man leaning against his vehicle who turned out to be John Travolta. She added that Travolta noticed Tim’s flight suit. “I guess John Travolta noticed, ‘well, what are you doing with your flight suit on, so you’re a pilot. Oh yeah, I’m a pilot too.’ And then that’s when Tim realized who he was.” This chance meeting with the then-popular actor occurred around 1983 or 1984, while Tim was purchasing a Datsun 240Z.
Tim’s dedication to aviation extended to building his own aircraft. Inspired by a magazine advertisement, he embarked on constructing multiple Vans RV experimental planes from kits. “We had aircraft parts all over the house,” Sharon recalled of their first RV-4 build, begun in 1990. “It was our first house. It had them all over the garage.” The tail section even served as their Christmas tree one year. Working together, Sharon held the “bucking bar” while Tim riveted. She remembered the meticulous conditions required: “The metal has to be a certain temperature, because if you rivet them cold, then when it gets hot, they’ll expand and they’ll start to sag… we had all these heaters going on in the garage and the metal was almost hot to the touch, and we’re riveting in this in the middle of winter and we’re both sweating.” This community of builders frequently shared tools and knowledge, and Sharon noted, “we lived on a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches during that time frame.”
The Unforgettable Edwards Air Force Base Air Show
One of the most cherished memories for Tim and Sharon unfolds at the 1997 Edwards Air Force Base Air Show. This event was particularly monumental, marking the 50th anniversary of Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier, attracting aviation’s most revered figures. Tim was invited to display his RV-4 after it had impressed officials at the Watsonville air show.
Their arrival at the base on Friday afternoon, preceding the main show, became a moment of unexpected notoriety. Tim, leading a formation of nine RV aircraft, prepared to land. Sharon vividly recalled the radio communications: “I hear on the radio, he’s talking to the tower, and we can hear that they have to stop one of the Air Force’s aircraft that they’re test flying, and he was in the holding on the runway there at the taxiway waiting for a flight of nine to come in.” The aircraft being held was a YF-22, a cutting-edge, then-new fighter jet. “None of us had ever seen one in, in real life,” Sharon emphasized, highlighting the rarity of the encounter as their civilian planes, led by Tim, took precedence on the massive runway famously used for Space Shuttle landings. Tim, ever the expert, opted for a unique landing strategy to avoid a long taxi, gliding his RV-4 “in ground effect”—about six feet above the surface—all the way to their designated hangar.
That evening, at a dinner for all participating pilots, their group’s unexpected impact was humorously highlighted. The gentleman who invited them “made a joke about how our flight of nine held up the YF-22,” Sharon recounted. This led to Tim meeting the very pilot whose test flight had been paused for their arrival. For Tim and Sharon, who were among the youngest attendees and flying their “least expensive airplane” built on a paycheck-to-paycheck budget, this recognition among “heavy duty… people that are just looked up to for their aviation abilities” was profound. Sharon described it as “the epitome of all the five years that he put into building that airplane and then test flying it.”
The extraordinary weekend culminated in an iconic photograph taken Sunday morning, as aircraft were departing. Spotting a B-2 bomber still inside a hangar, guarded by soldiers, Sharon had an idea. “I told Tim, ‘Wouldn’t this make an awesome Christmas card if we could put our plane in front of the B-2 with Tim and me in the picture?'” With a quick plea from Tim, they secured permission for a fleeting moment. “We got the best picture of the B-2 in the back, our airplane, the RV4, and then Tim and me… right in front of our airplane,” Sharon proudly stated. “We sent that out as a Christmas card, that was the best picture of all time.” So striking was the image, Sharon noted, that “a lot of people thought that we photoshopped it, but we didn’t, obviously.” It was a powerful visual summary of their incredible journey in aviation.
A Character Defined by Discipline and Wit
Beyond his flying prowess, Tim’s character is described as a unique blend of discipline and humor. “He’s extremely patriotic,” Sharon said. “For him, it’s God and country.” She described him as “a true soldier,” and noted, “He’s got this serious side to him that when it comes to his profession and his flying and everything that he does. But he has this sense of humor that’s… he keeps me laughing in tears, literally all the time.” Tim is “shy, but he’s very professional, and then when you get to know him and you hear him joking around, you just die laughing.” His quick wit is legendary: “He doesn’t even have to think about it. He’ll just say something.”
His meticulous nature and commitment to safety are evident in his regular “drills” with Sharon. “He’s always putting me through that,” she said, recalling scenarios like: “‘OK, we’re flying and I just had a heart attack, so you have to take me, you have to take us in, you have to land.'” His steadfast belief in capability is often expressed as: “‘Can’t means won’t.'”
Tim’s 50 years of flying without incident are further highlighted by multiple occasions where his skill averted disaster, including an engine failure on takeoff in a TH-55 helicopter in 1981, an engine-out landing in his J-35 Bonanza in 1987, and an 8-mile glide to NAS Lemoore in 1996 after his RV-4 suffered an exploded exhaust valve. Each time, he landed safely with no damage.
Today, Tim continues to fly his Kitfox 5, RV-7A, or Aerolite 103, enjoying each for its unique characteristics. When asked why he owns three airplanes, Sharon shared his classic retort: “because I can’t fit four in my hangar!” His life truly embodies the spirit of aviation, a testament to a career built on passion, skill, and an unwavering commitment to the skies.