More detail on this person: BLOUNTVILLE,
Tenn. Bill Rhea Starnes, 64, passed away Friday,
Aug. 24, 2012. 2nd Lt. Bill Starnes flight career
started at the age of 14 when he was taught how to
fly by his father, Rhea. He graduated flight
school at Fort Rucker, Ala., on March 23, 1971. He
qualified in the UH-1A/B/D/H and the TH-55
helicopters. He qualified in the AH-1G Cobra on
May 3, 1971, and was then assigned to C Troop,
7/17 Air Cavalry in Vietnam, where he flew
approximately 800 combat hours. He was
transferred to Btry B, 4th BN, 77th FA, 101st
Airborne Division, Ft. Campbell, Ky., in June
1972. In April 1974, he joined the Tennesee Army
National Guard as a 1st Lt., assigned to the Army
Aviation Flight Facility in Smyrna, Tenn. In
October 1978, he qualified in the UH-1M aircraft
and was assigned to the Aviation Flight Facility
#2, in Louisville, Tenn., where he also qualified
in the OH-58A/C, OH-6, AH-1F, and the OH-58D
helicopters, commanding multiple line units, and
attained the rank of lieutenant colonel. In
addition to a tour in Vietnam, he also deployed
with the Paladin Troop to Kosovo in 2005 to 2006.
He retired from the military on March 15, 2009,
with 39 years of service having achieved the
following awards: Bronze Star , Meritorious
Service Medal , two Air Medal with Valor, Army
Commendation Medal, nine Army Achievement
Medals, five Army Reserve Components
Achievement Medals, three National Defense
Service Medals, Global War on Terrorism Medal,
Kosovo Campaign Medal with Bronze Star, Armed
Forces Reserve Medal, with "M" device, three
Armed Forces Reserve Medals, Army Service
Ribbon, Republic Of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with
Palm, NATO medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign
Medal w 60 Device, Vietnam Service Medal, with
four campaign stars, two Overseas Service
Ribbons, Master Army Aviator Badge, seven
Tennessee National Guard Service Ribbons,
Tennessee National Guard Unit Commendation
Ribbon and Tennessee National Guard Volunteer
Ribbon. Bill was preceded in death by mothers,
Louise Culpepper Starnes and Mary Elizabeth
"Betty" Starnes. He is survived by his adoring
wife of two years, Lisa; sons, Jason Starnes and
wife, Felicity, and Justin Starnes and wife,
Rachel; step-children, Tyler Barnett, and Rikki
Keaton and husband, Kenny; grandchildren, Harley
Rhea, Christian, McKenzie and Austin; father,
William Rhea Starnes; a cousin, more like a
brother, Charles Richmond and wife, Jane, Anthony
and Caitlin; as well as many aunts, uncles,
cousins and extended family members too
numerous to mention, that were near and dear to
Bill's heart. The family will receive friends on
Friday, Aug. 31st from 5 to 8 p.m., at Colonial
Heights United Methodist Church Ministry Center.
Funeral services will be conducted on Saturday,
Sept. 1, at 2 p.m., at Colonial Heights United
Methodist Church, with Chaplain David Collins and
the Rev. Robert Burlingham officiating. The body
will lie in state one hour prior to the service.
Burial will follow the service at Tri-Cities
Memory Gardens. Military honors will be conducted
by the Tennessee National Guard. Please visit
www.hamlettdobson.com to leave an on-line
condolence for the family. Hamlett-Dobson Funeral
Homes, Kingsport, is serving the family of Bill
Rhea Starnes.
Published in Bristol Herald Courier from August 29
to August 30, 2012
Pilot has been missing since the late Friday crash
Bill Starnes' career included 39 years of flying
military helicopters, among them an earlier
military version of the Bell 407 that crashed
Friday.
By Mike Still - A barge pushes a recovery crane
near the site of a helicopter crash on South
Holston Lake Saturday evening. Crews are still
searching the site of a Friday night helicopter
crash believed to have involved Food City chief
pilot Bill Starnes, but the crane was sent back to
a nearby marina until Sunday.
SPECIAL TO THE HERALD COURIER
The Virginia Highlands Airport was flying its U.S.
and state flags at half-mast Saturday in memory of
a missing pilot, although airport employees
declined to comment on the crash of the Bell
helicopter registered to the parent company of the
Food City grocery stores.
The pilot has been missing since the late Friday
crash into South Holston Lake, though rescue
crews have been searching nearly round the clock
since then.
According to a 2011 article in the online trade
publication Aviation International News, Food
City's pilot, Bill Starnes, had amassed at least
26,500 accident-free flying hours when he was
recognized in November with a National Business
Aviation Association Pilot Flying Safety Award, as
K-VA-T's chief pilot.
Across the state line Saturday night, at the
Bristol Motor Speedway, fans filling the seats for
the Irwin Tools Night Race were asked to pray for
the pilot, and for Food City, which has sponsored
races at the track for 20 years now.
"As you may have heard, our partners at Food City
need our prayers," Bristol Motor Speedway General
Manager Jerry Caldwell said over the public
address system before the start of Saturday's
race. "They are like family to us. When they hurt,
we hurt. So please keep them in your thoughts and
prayers. Thank you."
On Friday, the Bell 407 helicopter piloted by
Starnes crashed into the lake less than an hour
after the end of the Food City 250. The helicopter
had taken off from the home of K-VA-T President
and CEO Steven C. Smith.
Virginia State Police spokesman Sgt. Michael
Conroy said only the pilot was on board when the
helicopter went down.
As of Saturday night, the pilot had not been
located.
The search began immediately after the crash, and
continued through the night, concentrating in a
cove of the lake near Washington County Park, just
north of the state line, then expanding on
Saturday.
Conroy said the search will continue until the
pilot is found.
Starnes' career included 39 years of flying
military helicopters, among them an earlier
military version of the Bell 407 that crashed
Friday. Working for Food City, Starnes also flew
two fixed-wing aircraft in the grocery chain's
aviation section, a Cessna Citation and a Hawker
Beechcraft King Air 200, according to the trade
association article.
According to that report, the Bell 407, the
Citation and the King Air were operated by K-VA-T
in partnership with Bristol, Va.-based Central
Coal Co.
On Saturday, the information on the Federal
Aviation Administration's civil aircraft
registration website indicated that only the Bell
was currently registered to K-VA-T and W-L
Aviation LLC.
Phone calls to the aviation company's office in
Abingdon have gone unanswered, but the message
greeting acknowledges the joint operation by Food
City and Central Coal, and provides Starnes' name
as a contact.
According to the Bell Helicopter website, the Bell
407 has a four-blade rotor and Rolls Royce
250-C47B turbine engine. The aircraft is able to
cruise at speeds up to 140 knots, and comfortably
seats up to five people. The website markets the
407 as flexible enough for a variety of missions
and payloads.
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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