N. H. Verne Jobst

On February 10, 2024, we said goodbye to one of aviation's finest when Verne Jobst of McHenry, Ill., flew west. Verne was 92 when he passed away peacefully in Birmingham, Ala.

The only child of Norman and Gertrude Jobst, Verne was born in San Mateo, Calif., and raised in Pittsburgh, Penn., where his passion for aviation began. As a teenager, he spent every possible minute at Allegheny County Airport learning about planes and flying. His professional career began with Capital Airlines, which later merged with United Airlines. When he retired in 1991, Captain Jobst was United's most senior pilot with a total of 40 years' experience.

Verne was born to be a pilot, and his lifelong passion was flying. His storied career took him all over the world and to the top of his field. He was an aerobatic competition pilot and, in 1973, won the advanced category title. Verne was the first editor of Sport Aerobatic magazine and became a five-term president of the International Aerobatic Club. Later, he joined the EAA board of directors where he served for close to 30 years. Verne completed thousands of hours in all types of aircraft, and he always enjoyed flying museum planes. He flew EAA's B-17 during its national tour. Verne was instrumental at AirVenture, where, for 33 years, he was chair of the air show operation.

Verne was well known for being the principal pilot of EAA's replica of the Spirit of St. Louis, which commemorated the 50th anniversary of Lindbergh's trans-Atlantic flight by re-creating Charles Lindbergh's tour of the country in 1927. He also toured with the airplane to Mexico, Canada, and France, where he flew the aircraft at Le Bourget Airport in Paris on the 60th anniversary of that famous flight. One of his favorite things to do was to give talks and share his knowledge about Charles Lindbergh.

He was inducted into the Illinois Aviation Hall of Fame in 1988, the Flight Instructors Hall of Fame, and the IAC Hall of Fame in 2020.

Verne had a passion for aviation, never tiring of talking about it and sharing his expertise. He was always available to mentor, support, and inspire young pilots. Safety was always a priority.

In addition to flying, Verne had many interests throughout his life, including gun collecting, hunting, fishing, photography, sailing, and card games with friends. He was involved in the local Kiwanis and the Soap Box Derby. Verne was an animal lover and welcomed many lucky dogs and cats into his home.

Verne is survived by his daughters Kimberly Stephens (Richard), Karen Donnelly (Patrick), and Jennifer Henley (Alan), eight grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Patricia Colgan Jobst, and his son, Christopher Verne Jobst. His wife Shari, passed away on October 7, 2024.