More detail on this person: James Donald Coates, 58, a resident of Canby, Oregon, passed away
on May 13, 2011 surrounded by family and friends. James Coates was born in Roswell, New Mexico on
November 21, 1952 to Vada H. and William T. Coates. Jim graduated from Powell County High School
in Deer Lodge, Montana in 1970.
Jim's father, a pilot in the Air Force, inspired him to pursue a career in aviation. Jim earned his
wings 38 years ago as a Warrant Officer / helicopter pilot in the United States Army. He then went
on to serve in the 101st Airborne at Ft. Campbell, KY flying UH-1 Huey. In 1973, Jim left active
duty and returned to Montana where he joined the Air National Guard. He met Eileen M. Kelly in 1976
when they were both attending the University of Montana and they were married 33 years ago.
In 1979 Jim joined Columbia Helicopters and became highly proficient flying every aircraft the
company owned. After 17 years of serving as a command pilot in the field, he was promoted to Chief
Pilot. He was certified by the FAA as a Certified Flight Instructor and Pilot Proficiency Examiner.
Jim was given the title of Designated Pilot Examiner in the BV234, the largest FAA certified
helicopter in the world. Since 1996, he was the only pilot in the world with this designation.
Jim held many management positions at Columbia Helicopters (CHI) which included Chief Pilot,
Director of Operations and, finally, Director of Safety. During his career, he amassed nearly 20,000
flight hours working on 5 of the 7 continents which not only included North America (Alaska, Canada
and the majority of the 48 states) but also the Arctic Circle, the deserts of Africa and, the
jungles of Peru, Ecuador and Papua New Guinea. Jim is described by his colleagues as dedicated,
tenacious and committed to his career - traits which stand as a testament to CHI and the field of
aviation.
He was well known for his wry sense of humor and deep belly laugh. He took great pride in his 1947
V-tailed Bonanza airplane, his game of golf and his writing skills. He was a dedicated reader and
you could always find him finishing the crossword puzzle. Above all, he was an avid fisherman - one
of his favorite things to do was head down to the Rouge River to catch a salmon or steelhead.
Survivors include his wife; father Major "USAF RET." William T. Coates (Nevada); sisters Patricia
Goeppinger (Nevada), Shirley Mayfield (California), and Mary Hart (Montana). He was preceded in
death by his mother, Vada H. Coates. James' interment will be on June 17th at the Willamette
National Veterans Cemetery in Portland, Oregon.
Burial information: Willamette National Veterans Cemetery Portland, OR
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site: 01/11/2025
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