About this episode

Tom Morton K2GO shares his journey from Navy fighter pilot to global aviation mentor and passionate ham radio operator.

Tom Morton K2GO is a Navy fighter pilot turned airline captain turned global aviation mentor—and through it all, a relentless ham radio operator who always found time to get on the air and meet new friends. In Part II, Tom’s story widens from cockpit to command. He rises from top-of-class Navy aviator to instructor, then to carrier-qualified pilot and Landing Signal Officer, racking up nearly 200 carrier landings. His post-military career reads like a passport stamped across the globe: 707 captain in Cold War Berlin, widebody captain for American Airlines, and later a 777 and 787 instructor shaping the next generation of pilots from Dubai to Singapore to Seoul. Even in his 80s, he’s still flying jumpseat audits worldwide, quietly evaluating airline safety and standards. But the throughline isn’t aviation—it’s radio. From aeronautical mobile QSOs over the Pacific to remote contesting from Virginia while living in Uruguay or Panama, Tom has ridden every technological wave the hobby has produced. He’s an early believer in remote operation—not as a shortcut, but as a democratizer—giving small-station operators access to big iron and helping keep contesting alive. He’s equally…

People in this episode

Host: Kevin Thomas

Guest: Tom Morton K2GO

Topics covered

• aviation
• ham radio
• military career
• remote operation
• youth involvement
• contest running

Keywords

• ham radio
• aviation
• Navy pilot
• remote operation
• contest running
• youth involvement
• CW Ops

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: American Airlines

Places: Cold War Berlin, Dubai, Singapore, Seoul, Uruguay, Panama

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