Luftwaffe bomber pilot Hansgeorg Bätcher made his mark on World War II history flying 658 successful combat missions, a record unequaled by any other bomber pilot. Born in 1914, in Finsterwalde, Germany, by age 17 he had completed requirements for a glider license and...
Brigadier General (ret.) Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager was the first person to break the sound barrier and went on to become one of the most legendary figures in aeronautical history. Born in 1923 in Myra, West Virginia, Yeager joined the US Army Air Corps at...
Imagine going to war while your country is at peace and having to keep it a secret. That was the situation for Missouri native “Tuck” Smith when he was awakened at 0300 on 28 March 1941, while aboard a seaplane tender in beautiful Acapulco Bay, Mexico. A...
In a military career spanning 35 years, Lieutenant General Joseph Smith made many contributions to strategic bombardment, air transport, military education, and top-echelon planning. Graduating from the US Military Academy in 1923, he was assigned to the Eighth...
In 20 years with the Air Force, “Russ” Schleeh flew and tested virtually every bomber from America’s war-winning B-17 Flying Fortress to today’s strategic workhorse, the B-52 Stratofortress. A born competitor and gifted athlete, he earned a...
Many considered flying a “man’s job” but women such as Barbara Erickson London had the skills and dedication that gave our country the boost it needed to win World War II in the air. Raised in the Pacific Northwest, London entered the Civilian Pilot...
What would you give for freedom? Squadron Leader M. A. “Tony” Liskutin has shown time and again that, for him, freedom is indeed precious. A native of Czechoslovakia, Liskutin was determined to fight the Germans, who, in March 1939, controlled his country....
Colonel Loisel was a true American Hero. With over 300 missions in World War II’s Pacific Theater, Colonel Loisel spent more than 3 consecutive years in combat–longer than any other US pilot. Born in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and raised in Norfolk,...
Joe M. Jackson flew for his country in three wars! As a youth in Newnan, Georgia, Jackson was an avid model airplane enthusiast. After graduation from high school, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and, when the United States entered World War II, he became a crew...
The courage, dedication, and airmanship of Horacio Mir Gonzalez set a fine example for the fighter pilots of Fuerza Aerea Argentina (FAA), the Argentine Air Force, during the 1982 Malvinas Conflict. Born the son of a fighter pilot in 1947, Mir Gonzalez always dreamed...
Appropriately for one of America’s “winningest” military aviators, Vermont Garrison was born in Mount Victory, Kentucky, on 29 October 1915. Raised in the Appalachians, he farmed and worked in timber while in high school and then earned a teaching...
Author, filmmaker, artist, seafarer, adventurer, rancher, conservationist … all aptly describe Ernest K. Gann, but first and foremost, he is an aviator! He has flown everything from World War I aircraft to the U-2 and F-15, and brought his deep love of flight to...
An ace, credited with 13 aerial victories, Brigadier General Robert E. Galer received the nation’s highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor, for conspicuous heroism in aerial combat during the Guadalcanal campaign. Born 23 October 1913 in Seattle, Galer...
Francis “Gabby” Gabreski, was a member of “The Inner Seven,” an elite group of pilots who achieved the status of “ace ” in both World War II and Korea. Born in Pennsylvania in 1919, he attended Notre Dame University where he learned...
Fitzhugh L. “Fitz” Fulton is one of America’s most accomplished test pilots having flown more than 15,000 hours in over 225 different types of aircraft. After attending Auburn University, he enlisted in the Army as an aviation cadet and was awarded...
Bomber Pilot A. G. “Tony” Dudgeon claims he has the “Luck of the Devil. ” Born in Egypt in 1916, he yearned to be a pilot, and at age 17, was accepted to the RAF College at Cranwell. Despite his preference for fighters, he was posted to 11...
Born into an Air Force family, Colonel Richard O. Covey wanted to fly since childhood, but he could hardly have known that one day he’d speed away from the earth at more than five miles per second. Covey graduated from the United States Air Force Academy and was...
Rick Brickert, National Champion Air Racer, can’t remember a time when aviation wasn’t a major part of his life. The son of an airline pilot, he grew up near San Francisco, watched his first Reno Air Race at age 12, soloed a Cessna 150 at age 16, and...
Prince Bernhard’s leadership during World War II inspired Dutch men and women around the world to fight on to defeat the Axis. Born in 1911 to German nobility, a childhood brush with death left him with a zest for life. Earning a law degree in 1935 and unhappy...
Royal Navy fighter pilot, Andrew D. “Andy” Auld commanded the men flying and maintaining the Sea Harriers of 800 Naval Air Squadron during the Falklands War. Born in 1945 in Scotland, Auld won appointment to Britannia Royal Naval College at Dartmouth in...
