Hettinger man inducted to ND Aviation Hall of Fame
J. B. Lindquist from Hettinger was inducted into the North Dakota Hall of Fame at a banquet
on Tuesday, March 6th during the Upper Midwest Aviation Symposium which was held in Bismarck.
J. B. had his first ride in an airplane at the age of 15, and immediately offered to clean and gas
airplanes in exchange for flight instruction in a 90 horsepower Champ.
In 1963, he was drafted into the US Army, where he served as an air traffic controller at Fort
Leonard Wood Mo until 1965.
Upon completion of his Army service, he returned to North Dakota and completed his education
at Dickinson State University. While earning his degree J. B. returned to Hettinger on weekends to
give flight instruction in his Cessna 150.
In 1968, he founded Air Dakota Flite, a fixed base operation and aerial spray company that
operated up to 25 aircraft in Dickinson, Bismarck and Hettinger.
His aerial application business served area farmers for more than 50 years and was the first of its
kind in Adams County.
In addition to agricultural aviation, J. B. performed weather modification flight, provided flight
instruction and served the region with air taxi and air ambulance services.
He held the position of Airport Manager in Hettinger for more than 40 years, and acted as the
Dickinson Airport manager for five years.
J. B. also donated his time to aviation as a board member on the North Dakota Agricultural Aviation Association, North Dakota Aviation Association, North Dakota Aviation Council and Adams County Airport Authority.
Governor Ed Schafer appointed J. B. to the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission in 1993.
Active in the Hettinger community, J. B. was on the Board of Directors for West River State Bank and served as a board member for West River Health Services.
He was also active as a member of the Hettinger Chamber of Commerce, Civil Air Patrol, Hettinger Eagles and Dickinson Elks.
J. B. served as a trustee and has been a 60-year member of the Hettinger Lutheran Church.
He promoted aviation in the community and sparked the interest of youngsters by providing free airplane rides to Hettinger first graders for more than 35 years.
In 2010, J. B. received the FAA's Wright Brothers Master pilot Award for achieving 50 years of safe flight operations.
Taken from the May 4, 2012 issue of the Adams County Record - Reprinted with permission
