Bill Lockwood, Longtime Ag Pilot from the Pacific Northwest and Former NAAA Board Member, Passes

Bill Lockwood, a longtime agricultural aviator, passed away on May 15, 2025. He was a proud member of NAAA and NAAA board member, serving as Treasurer in 2003. Bill was a member of the Pacific Northwest Aerial Applicators Alliance (PNWAAA) for decades and served as President in 2008 and 2009. In 2009, he received PNWAAA’s Operator of the Year award.

In his teenage years, Bill became an Eagle Scout, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. He attended the University of Washington and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration in 1968. During college, he served in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) and then spent two years as a Lieutenant in the United States Army, including one year in Vietnam.

Bill received early flying instruction from his father, Al, who was a commercial pilot, instructor, and an ag pilot. Bill earned his private pilot’s license at the age of 16 and pursued the profession of flying for the rest of his life, even building his own private airfield near his home in Okanogan for his flying business.

He married Donita Hendrickson Lockwood in 1982, and together they raised two daughters, built their home in 1987, operated his aerial application business, farmed apple and cherry orchards, and raised registered Vizsla bird dogs.

In 2024, Bill received the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

A celebration of life will be held on May 31, 2025, at 12 p.m. at the United Protestant Church in Mansfield, WA. Donations may be made in Bill’s name to the following organizations:

• PNWAAA, Fallen Pilot Fund, PO Box 55, Quincy, WA 98848
• Mansfield Volunteer Ambulance, PO Box 326, Mansfield, WA 98830
• Mississippi Ag Museum, 1150 Lakeland Dr., Jackson, MS 39216 (please note that the donation is designated for the Ag Aviation Museum).

Our deepest condolences to Donita, Bill’s daughters Abbie and Cathy, and his family and friends. Bill’s obituary can be read here.