GLASTONBURY -- LifeStar's first official pilot is now staying grounded, in retirement.
Magner's flying career started in the Army in Vietnam in 1967, but his tour ended just four months in after his jaw got shot off during an aerial mission behind the stick of a Cobra helicopter.
Five years of surgeries later, Magner eventually made the transition to a med-evac and landed in Hartford in 1985, right when LifeStar was lifting off.
He said, "First choice was med-evac coming out of flight school, and, ultimately, that's what I ended up doing."
Although he was the pilot, he credits his crew for saving lives.
"Speed is only a very small part of the issue, the most important part of the issue is the medical crews that we have on board," Magner said. "And what they can do for the patient."
