A couple of nights ago, Oklahoma was treated to a rare edition of January severe-weather theater after a band of cold, slightly tornadic storms blew through the state, leading reporters, storm chasers, and helicopter pilots to drop their winter weather gear for raincoats and galoshes.
You know, people like famed local chopper pilot Mason Dunn.
A favorite of local weather viewers, he worked at News 9 from the 1990s through 2011, when he was unceremoniously fired and replaced by former KFOR chopper pilot Jim Gardner.
After some time away from TV news, Mason then resurfaced, ironically enough, at KFOR in 2019 to be Mike Morgan's chopper pilot, a position he held until the station did away with the helicopter in 2025 as part of a cost-cutting by KFOR's out-of-state Nexstar owner.
This put Mason back on the unemployment line where he hovered for a bit until relanding at…
Yep, that’s right! 15 years after being fired from News 9, Mason Dunn is back in the pilot’s seat. This is incredible news for his fans… and animals waiting to be rescued.
Although it’s not uncommon for TV news personalities to jump around from station to station – for example, Joleen Chaney made the jump from KFOR to News 9 to KFOR – you have to admit it’s pretty odd for anyone, regardless of the field or industry they work in, to go back to the place that fired them to replace the guy they fired you for.
But in this situation, it makes sense.
Dunn was originally fired from News 9 back in the day because he prioritized safety and FAA regulations over getting the perfect news shot. This put him at odds with the then news director and station manager, and he was promptly replaced by a guy who liked aviation safety as much as ANTIFA protesters – Jim Gardner.
Well, I guess all the people who were responsible for Dunn’s termination are no longer with the channel, and with Dunn being a free agent and News 9 really needing a chopper pilot after Jim’s forced resignation, I guess the reunion made sense for everyone involved.
Kumbaya, My Lord. Kumbaya.
Anyway, we wish Mason Dunn the best of luck on his return to Oklahoma’s Griffin Media controlled skies. We hope he doesn’t bust out a window or get too annoyed with David Payne, and saves many more animals and livestock from imminent drowning.
Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.
