Greatness Finds Company… Richard I. Bong Airport & The William Amorde Terminal

SUPERIOR, WIS. – The City of Superior, Wisconsin, named its airport and its airport terminal building after two aviators who have contributed greatly to aviation – World War II Medal of Honor recipient Richard I. Bong, and airport manager, fixed base operator, and aviation educator, William (Bill) Amorde.

Amorde is president of Twin Ports Flying Service and manager of Richard I. Bong Airport (SUW). Amorde received his Private Pilot Certificate in 1963, and today holds all certificates and ratings through Airline Transport Pilot Certificate. He is also an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner. He gave 3,723 flight tests from 1976 to 2005.

Amorde founded Twin Ports Flying Service in 1966 at age 23. The company has trained more than 3,000 pilots to date. He has been manager of Superior’s Richard I. Bong Airport since 1969. Amorde has made numerous improvements to the airport over the years, including extending Runway 13-31 from 3,000 to 4,000 feet, constructed a new 5,100-foot runway (3-21), and replaced the entire ramp.

With no airport staff other than himself and the Twin Ports Flying Service staff, Amorde has made sure that Richard I. Bong Airport has enjoyed a long history of continuously open service, even during the harsh winters Superior is known for.

Amorde has conducted flight training for the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) programs at the University of Wisconsin-Superior and the University of Minnesota-Duluth, as well as for Marine ROTC. He has also provided flight instruction for the Lake Superior College aviation program in Duluth, Minnesota.

Amorde’s promotion of aviation includes organizing flying clubs, such as Great Lakes Flying, Inc. (with a Great Lakes biplane), Superior Sailplanes, Inc., and Lake Superior Balloon, Inc. Many local schools have benefited with tours of the Superior Airport conducted by Amorde.

EAA Chapter 272 has also benefited from Amorde’s support over the years from assisting with fly-ins and EAA Young Eagles flights, to the construction of a new EAA Chapter hangar and club house at the airport. EAA Chapter 272 has provided more than 3,300 Young Eagles flights to date.

In recognition of Amorde’s dedication to Richard I. Bong Airport and its tenants, and his contributions to aviation, the City of Superior named the airport’s new terminal building after him.

The airport was named after Major Richard Ira Bong (September 24, 1920 – August 6, 1945) following World War II. Bong is the United States’ highest-scoring air ace, having shot down at least 40 Japanese aircraft during World War II. He was a fighter pilot in the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) and a recipient of the Medal of Honor. All of his aerial victories were in the P-38 Lightning. On the outskirts of Superior, Wisconsin, near the Superior harbor on Lake Superior – a short distance from the airport – is the “Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center.” A P-38 Lightning that has been restored to resemble Bong’s aircraft is on display, as well as many World War II artifacts. The audio-visuals at the center provide a complete overview of Bong’s life and World War II (www.bongheritagecenter.org).

For additional information on Richard I. Bong Airport and Twin Ports Flying Service, contact William Amorde at 715-394-6444, or email bill.amorde@twinportsflying.com (www.twinportsflying.com).

For ground transportation contact “Call Me A Cab” at 218-428-3838, or Enterprise Car Rental at 715-395-9900.