Professional Pilot
In 1956 Art and three partners; Red Eric, Lee Jenks, and Don Bonner bought a 1950 Beechcraft BE-35B Bonanza. Each partner put up two grand to purchase the V-tail. Art earned his Commercial Pilot certificate. He started the first Part 135 Air Taxi operation out of Madison. The Company was called Air Travellers, Inc. By this time Art had established his own auto garage named Anderson Automotive. In 1959 Art demonstrated a Twin Bonanza BE-50 to officers from the Wisconsin Electric Co-op (WEC). The group agreed to purchase the airplane with the condition Art would be the pilot. With the garage flourishing, he balked at jumping at the flying job. A compromise was struck as Art agreed to work for WEC part-time. Bonner and Anderson bought out their other two partners in the B-model. In 1960 they upgraded to a 1958 J-model Bonanza. Both were disappointed with the flashy J-model. It wasn't as nice to fly as the venerable B-model.
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Chief Pilot
WEC was very pleased with the T-Bone. Many long range flights took place. They would travel west to Montana and East to Washington, DC. A major short coming soon surfaced. They needed an airplane that had a lavatory. In 1961 a 1959 Beech G18S was purchased. It proved to be a perfect fit. For ten years they criss-crossed the country with trusty ol' N-149AA (Art Anderson). 1961 saw the completion of the Anderson family as a son (Jeff) was born. The next year Bonner and Anderson traded the J-model for a 1956 Cessna 310. The J-model ended up crashing into Lake Michigan. They paid four grand to boot for the 310. During the fall of 1964 they painted it themselves. In 1965 Art decided to go to work full time for WEC. His lead man at Anderson Automotive had suffered a heart attack. Doctors told Art the man would never do heavy work again. An auction was held and Anderson Automotive ceased to exist.
In addition to flying full time for the Co-Op, Art worked part-time as pilot of a charter Learjet. He and long time friend Don Sundby flew a model 23 owned by the man who invented the paint roller. For a very brief time Art worked for a freight company based out of Janesville, WI. He flew Beech 18's and DC-3's for them. He found he didn't like the freight business and returned to WEC. By 1971 the Beech 18 was a bit old. It was replaced by a 1965 Beech King Air (N-410W). In 1973 Art decided to sell his half of the 310 to Bob Bruns of Madison. Don Bonner, feeling betrayed, refused to speak to Art until his death. Later that same year the King Air was sold to Dairy Equipment Company (DEC International). Art went to work for DEC on August 1, 1973. In the fall of 1975 Anderson and Bob Bruns bought a 1955 Cessna 180 from Terry of the Wisconsin DNR for twelve thousand dollars.
DEC International purchased a 1969 Learjet 24B s/n 182, N-155J. The airplane had been featured on the opening credits of the television series "Vegas." Long-Time Lear driver Don Sundby was hired as a co-Captain. The following year DEC terminated the flight department. In December of 1982, with the help of friend Rusty Bilsing, Art landed a job with Auto Glass Specialists. His first airplane for AGS was a 1975 Piper PA-31-350 Panther Navajo(N-204CK). It was quite a step down from the Lear, but it was a job. The Navajo was replaced a year later by a 1973 Beech C90 King Air (N-3UT).
In 1984 Art purchased his 12th airplane. He bought a 1969 Piper PA-30C Twin Comanche (N-8682Y)from a doctor south of Milwaukee. Art sold his 180 to a man in Merrill, WI for 29G.
The next year AGS traded up to a B-100 King Air (N-10AG). Art flew the B-100 until his retirement in December of 1996 at age 69!
During the summer of 1997 Art was back at it. He flew a Beech BE-58 Baron part-time for a lumber company in Portage, WI. In 1999 the lumber company bought a BE-200 Super King Air. Art set the airplane up. When the King Air was completely refurbished the following year, Art was told he was too old for the insurance. Back to the Baron he went.
Today Art and Pinky live on the airpark: Indian Hills at Salome, AZ during the winter in a hanger home they built themselves. They fly their Twin Comanche, drive a Dune Buggy and play with a Honda 500 motorcycle. During the summer they live on another airpark at Waunakee, near Madison. He flies the Baron throughout the summer. The summer is highlighted by his judging in the Contemporary Divison at EAA Airventure each year. He knowledge of Beechcraft equipment earned him a spot as a charter judge. Art is a member of the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame. He is the sole active charter member of the Madison chapter of Quiet Birdmen. Pinky has been retired from the University of Wisconsin since 1994. She worked for nearly 20 years as a lab technicion. They have six grand children. Oldest daughter Jan lives in Oshkosh. Daughter Jill lives in nearby Sun Prarie. Son Jeff lives in Arlington, Texas.
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