Barnard was an instructor and department head for the Aviation Program at Kansas State University. He elevated the program to a four-year Bachelor of Science. The Professional Pilot Program he created in 1988 is the only FAA Part 141 approved pilot training program in Kansas. This program provided pilot training through the Airline Transport Rating in airplanes and helicopters. Barnard was the Program Director of a joint Kansas State University Salina/British Aerospace International Airline Pilot training program. He was a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, and served as a helicopter pilot in the Vietnam War.