LIFE IN THE CLOUDS Harding pilot Ken Mcconnaughhay flew his 19th year in the Searcy skies. In 1975, on his 16th birthday, Harding pilot Ken McConnaughhay focused his attention not on an interstate, but on the Searcyairport runway. This was his first solo flight and the beginning of a passion-filled career in aviation. The Harding jet was, in fact, not a jet. It was considered a turboprop, and more specifically, it was a Beechcraft King Air 350 2006 model. In his 19th year flying for Harding, McConnaughhay never viewed his position as work. "It's not a job," McConnaughhay said. "When I was younger, my dad and I were sitting at the supper table. He looked at me and said, 'I don't care what you do, just as long as you like it.' There isn't a day that has gone by where I haven't enjoyed what I'm doing." President Bruce McLartyflew across the country with McConnaughhay a number of times. He considered McConnaughhay to be a highly trusted friend. "I have complete confidence in Ken that he watches out for our safety," McLartysaid. "I love the way he treats people, the way he loves Harding and the way he takes care of things. He's always ready to get us where we need to go." Chancellor and former president Dr. David Burks hired McConnaughhay in August 1999. "It's very important that we be able to get to all kinds of functions around our constituency whether it's for fundraising, whether we're going to a ball game or whether we're going to an alumni reception," Burks said. "He's always extremely dependable, has everything ready and does a first-class job in taking care of Harding people." McLartysaid that every trip with McConnaughhay was pleasant, bur that McConnaughhay enjoyed joking with him. "I remember being in Nashvilleonce, and we weren't able to fly out when we wanted to because a storm blew in and everything," Mclarty said. "So the storm had almost passed over, and, you know, I looked at Ken and said, 'What do you think?' And Ken said, 'Oh. We can probably make it.' He just loves to talk like that and kid us, and of course, it was with a smile." McConnaughhay's co-pilots were all university students including his co-pilot in 2018, junior NickTurnage. McConnaughhay was professional in training his apprentices as each former apprentice moved on to major careers in the aviation world. Yet at the end of the day, McConnaughhay believed "flying" and "fun" were synonymous. "I know there isn't any playing on the airplane, but if there was one person who played the most, it would be me because I just love what I do," McConnaughhay said. story by Zach Bissell Harding pilot Ken McConnaughhay and co-pilot junior Nick Turnage fly Harding's plane, a Beechcraft King Air 350 2006 model, from Searcy, Arkansas, to Memphis, Tennessee, on Nov. 6, 2018. Former President David Burks hired M cConnaughhay in 1999. I photo by Sterling M cMichael 209 I FACULTY & STAFF FEATURE
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