After leaving the Army, he joined Northwest Orient in 1954 as a mechanic in the South Pacific, and subsequently became a flight attendant, and then a purser, based in Seattle.
Setelah meninggalkan Tentara ia bergabung dengan Northwest Orient pada 1954 sebagai mekanik di Pasifik Selatan, dan sesudahnya menjadi kru pesawat, dan kemudian pengurus keuangan di Seattle.