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OT: Most Famous aviators you've ever met

Brian Shul, pilot and photographer of the SR-71. Author of "Sled Driver"

Interestingly, before the SR-71 made him famous, he stopped by my USAF Pilot training base to give a lecture on Safety based on his experiences in Viet Nam. The salient point of his lecture still rings true with me today.

He said what if, prior to stepping to your next flight, someone came to you and said, "Hey, just to let you know, your engine is going to fail right at the far end of the runway on take-off today." If, as a result of that knowledge, you did anything different, you were taking chances every day. Because nobody is ever going to tell you that.

I also wanted to tell everyone on this Forum, that you all are amazing pilots. While humans seem to always look up, to the person with a bigger income or larger engine, it's important to remember that there is a WHOLE WORLD of people who are looking up at us. To the vast majority of the human race, even being able to pilot an airplane verges on miraculous. That you may have actually built that plane with your own two hands is beyond belief.

Sure, look up and revere those who have accomplished great feats, but never forget that you have done the same.
 
I went on my honeymoon to South Africa last month and purchased an MGL N16 radio straight from their offices. Rainier himself handed me the unit! Guess he’s not that famous, but semi famous in VAF!
 
Brian Shul, pilot and photographer of the SR-71. Author of "Sled Driver"
Interestingly, before the SR-71 made him famous, he stopped by my USAF Pilot training base to give a lecture on Safety based on his experiences in Viet Nam. The salient point of his lecture still rings true with me today.
He said what if, prior to stepping to your next flight, someone came to you and said, "Hey, just to let you know, your engine is going to fail right at the far end of the runway on take-off today." If, as a result of that knowledge, you did anything different, you were taking chances every day. Because nobody is ever going to tell you that.
I also wanted to tell everyone on this Forum, that you all are amazing pilots. While humans seem to always look up, to the person with a bigger income or larger engine, it's important to remember that there is a WHOLE WORLD of people who are looking up at us. To the vast majority of the human race, even being able to pilot an airplane verges on miraculous. That you may have actually built that plane with your own two hands is beyond belief.
Sure, look up and revere those who have accomplished great feats, but never forget that you have done the same.

I live just a few miles from Col. Rich Graham and his Wife Pat. Rich was Wing Commander for the SR-71. He's written at least 4 or 5 books on the "Blackbird".

We've been close friends for quite a number of years.

All those SR-71 guys are top notch.
 
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Back was I was an avionics tech: Jimmy Buffet flew his Widgeon in to be repaired. Didn't meet John Travolta but I was at his house in Spruce Creek to work on his Vampire before he sold it. Just recently met Eric Doyle former Blue Angels commanding officer. Sat at his house and talked aviation.
 
I met Jimmy Doolittle in Feb, 1993 while I was an Acting Air Officer Commanding of the 37th Cadet Squadron (Skyraiders) when he was talking at a dinner.

Skyraiders.jpg

We had been briefed not to approach him but he just walked over to our table to chat with the cadets. Although he was frail at the time, his mind was as sharp as a tack, ribbed the cadets mercilessly and we all had fun. One of the Cadets asked what he felt was his greatest aviation achievement and without hesitation he said the 1st flight by instruments. He also stated that looking back on it, it wasn't a real smart thing to do and he really hadn't thought about the possibility of the experiment going wrong.

I met John Travolta when he flew his 707 in to Aguadilla, PR to clear US Customs on his way back to Florida from the Virgin Islands. He was a super nice guy and when he found out I was a pilot he took me in to the cockpit to show the plane off. I was working with US Customs at the time so I couldn't ask for his autograph.

Dale (Snort) Snodgrass (highest time F14 pilot ever) was a fellow pilot here in St. Augustine. We were both retired military and members of the local Pilot's Association so we chatted a lot.

Snort.jpg

Patty Wagstaff has a hangar right across from mine so I see her all the time.
 
Legendary pilots

Many moons ago we built our RV6A in Avra Valley, Az. Patty Wagstaff was hangered there at the time. Saw her fly and practice dozens of times. Always waved, we stopped by once and she was very gracious, let my daughter sit in her Extra, the one that’s in the Smithsonian now. Got an autographed poster.

Was at Oshkosh about 2009, I think. Was just standing and eyeballing a Kodiak.
A person beside me said, that’s quite a plane, yes it is replied. It was Delmar Benjamin. I asked what he was flying there and it was a turbine Duke, an awesomely beautiful airplane. I told him that I had been blessed to see him fly the GeeBee many times and was amazed at the beauty and skill that he flew a notoriously difficult airplane. I also told him that I was thrilled that he got out of it safe and sound.
After that I shut up and listened. He invited me over to see the Duke, sit in the cockpit and told me about it. Visited for quite a while. Made a great memory.
 
Totally unplanned encounter with C. Alfred "Chief" Anderson, head instructor of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen! He saw me fly in and wanted to meet the pilot of "that strange airplane" (Air Creation weight-shift trike):
 

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Great thread!

Working in Air Ops at Sun n' Fun I've had the opportunity to meet so many of the people I grew up respecting, and without fail they've been the kind of people you hoped they'd be. John Travolta based his planes at our FBO at KSTS when he was filming Phenomenon in Sonoma County, I was finishing my ATP checkride when his Lear came in behind us. Pam the controller explained that I was on my last maneuver (SE ILS) and could he do a 360? He graciously broke off his approach to give me time to finish and flew around for a bit. Very nice of him.

In 1997 I met Craig Breedlove, Richard Noble, and Andy Green at the Black Rock desert when Thrust SSC was getting ready to set the supersonic LSR.

On my hangar wall are these 2 pics, I discovered the B&W only after my Dad passed. He wasn't famous, but he raised 4 kids on a USN enlisted man's salary, and that's enough to make him my hero. I missed my FIL by a year, Cpl Mike Nakashima of the 442nd Infantry Regiment.

One cool thing about being in QBs is you never know who you're going to meet, I really learned to stay humble when the quiet, wizened old guy sitting next to you at dinner turns out to have a Mach 3+ card in the double digits, and jokes that he's so short because he punched out of a F-104. Twice.

I'd still like to meet Joe Engle, buy him a beer and get him telling X-15 stories. Wonder what he thinks of Dream Chaser?
 

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I had the honor of meeting two aviation legends. My father served in the USAF and was a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. It was in fall of 1969 and at the SETP annual meeting the speakers were Neil Armstrong right after Apollo 11 and Charles Lindbergh. I got to briefly meet both of them after the event.
 
Astronaut Jerry Linenger and General James Doolittle

Linenger, a retired naval officer and physician (as well as an astronaut boasting the most time spent in outer space) was the guest speaker at my daughter’s graduation from Naval Flight Surgery program. The service was in the atrium of the Naval Museum in Pensacola. I had the honor of pinning her wings on her. After the ceremony, we were ushered to a small set of bleachers on the tarmac and treated to a full show by the Blue Angels. My trip there and back to Michigan was in my RV9A, a few days I’ll never forget. Leah still has a book with a personal inscription from Dr. Linenger.

In the 70’s, Peggy and I were fortunate to be visiting with my aunt and uncle (WWII B-24 navigator) in St. Pete. They belonged to the local yacht club, which hosted a reunion of Dolittle’s Raiders. One afternoon, we took a group of guests and their wives on boat tour of Tampa Bay. If I recall correctly, Bob Hope flew in and did an evening show just for the small group. Wish I could have seen that too.

Terry, RV9A N323TP
 
They're all around us, we just don't know

I recall, back in the days when they'd pump your gas for you, one of the men manning the pumps at the local Texico station had lost one arm just above the elbow. Such things stand out to small kids. My dad knew him, and explained to me that he'd been the Tail Gunner in a B-17 in WWII. His plane had been hit by Flak or cannon fire, and had been split in two. This guy had rode the tumbling and twisting tail all the way down to the surface, losing most of one arm in the process. He became a POW and survived the war.

When I was young, my family went to a Christmas Eve party at another families house. I stayed in the back of the house with the kids and avoided the living room where all the "old people" hung out. So, while I recall seeing one families grandfather in the living room, I never interacted with him. It was only many years later, and after his death, that i found out he had flown over the Western Front in WWI in his Sopwith Camel.

A few years later, as a teenager, I had a job going door to door. When I got to this house, the man of the house greeted me at his door, but said he was in the middle of something, and could I go down the hallway to his office, and he'd join me? I did. When I entered his office, I may as well have entered pilot nirvana! There were models handing from the ceiling, and photos and plaques on the wall. I was dazzled! When he returned, I asked him what it was all about? It turned out he had been a volunteer in the Eagle Squadron in England and had flown for the RAF in the Battle of Britain!

A guy pumping gas. An old man in the living at a Christmas party. A perfectly innocuous man living in a perfectly innocuous house down an unremarkable street. Heros, all. I never knew any of their names. They're all around us.
 
A guy pumping gas. An old man in the living at a Christmas party. A perfectly innocuous man living in a perfectly innocuous house down an unremarkable street. Heros, all. I never knew any of their names. They're all around us.

Very well said.
In reading the posts in this thread over the last week I was tempted multiple times to write up something similar about the many [locally famous] unsung people i have meet in aviation. Thanks Clay for your post.
 
About 25 years ago I was just out of college and bumming around Airventure. While admiring a P51 I noticed 2 guys standing next to the wing and a few more people standing around them. One of the guys was Chuck Yeager. It clearly wasn't a public appearance or a meet and greet, but at the same time I realized I would likely never get this opportunity again.

I screwed up my courage, waited for a gap in the conversation, and stepped up and said, "Mr Yeager, I'd just like to shake your hand." But his face just lit up, and a warm smile came across. He shook my hand. I was determined not to intrude so I immediately mumbled thank you or something and strode away.

It was tremendously awkward, for both of us. In hindsight I bet he would have talked to me for a minute. But I also suspect this happened to him before. Regardless, I shook the hand that broke the sound barrier.
 
Candy Bomber

I’ve met many phenomenal, humble, and unknown pilots during my USAF career. Still meeting young and very skilled military pilots from around the world as a simulator instructor. Now I’m also luck to meet the amazing pilots of the RV community.

But the one pilot I consider myself very fortunate to have met was Gail Halvorsen, the Candy Bomber, at an Airlift/Tanker Association convention many years ago. He was an absolute joy to speak with and about the most pleasant person I’ve ever met.
 
I once met an ex-SR71 pilot, who lives next door to the in-laws. My son was playing with his decepticon transformer toy at a BBQ when the tall lanky American guy we'd met earlier casually said he used to fly real ones like that. Quite an eye-opener having such a chance meeting. I asked him about the speed they flew, I think I asked that they could do 2000mph, and the reply was 2000mph and some....

Also met Mat Hall a few times (ex-RAAF hornet pilot, now aerobatics pilot) when gliding. He was actually the tug pilot when I went solo in gliders, and I remember thinking a lot of things including what if something goes wrong. I calmed down when I thought this guy flew FA-18's for a living, so if he couldn't handle a problem we were both toast. A few years later I had a joyflight in a P-51 with Mat at the controls, and that was just about the most fun I'll ever have in an aircraft. Barrel rolls over a couple of Grumman Avengers that happened to be flying that day, loops, inverted flight, greyout from G's, and a high-speed pass of the runway. Afterwards I realised that I will never travel as fast that close to the ground.

I also had the really good fortune to attend lectures/talks by several aerospace pioneers - Chuck Yeager, Jim Irwin, John Kiker, Andy Thomas. All gave such wonderful talks, which I still remember to this day although it's now ~ 30yrs since hearing them.
 
This is a great thread. Someone should write down all the names mentioned so we can better remember them and things that they did for all of us.

As you wish....


Robin Olds
Joe Kittinger
Bob Hoover
Harrison Ford
Kermit Weeks
Paul Poberenzy
all the guys from the book Chickenhawk
Carmine Vito
Mattie Laird
Jimmy Doolittle
Bert Rutan
Dick Rutan
Jeana Yeager
Paul Dye
Louise Hose
John Sharp
Ray Cote (Shoestring)
Don Fairbanks (Knightwister)
George Cowan
Richard Van G
Evelyn Bryan Johnson

Wally Scott
George Moffat
Dick Johnson
Sebastian Kawa
Manfred Radius
E Perin Scott
Greg Boyington
Richard Bach
Steve Whitman
Chappie James
Curtis LeMay
Robert L Scott
Bevo Howard
Vernon Darley
Hal Darley
Bob Day
Jim Dent
Frank English

Our Dads
Our Moms
Our CFIs

Bob Anderson
Julie Clark
Joe Foss
Gordon Baxter
Len Morgan
101 Mission B-17 pilot
Scott Crossfield
Francis Gabreski
Travis Hoover
Al Santilli
Art Scholl
Sam Walton
Ted Dobrick
Brian Binnie
Mike Melville
Sean Tucker
Rod Machado
Bob Davis

Bill Elliot
Carl Edwards
John Travolta
Carl Clark
Hans Ekkehard Bob
Jon Johanson
Darryl Greenamyer
Lefty Gardner
Mr Falck (Rivets F-1)
Ray Cote

The old gray headed gentlemen in our EAA chapter. Many are decorated war heroes but you'll never ever hear it from them.

Theodore Van Kirk
John Denver
Sean Tucker
Erik Tucker
Amelia Reid
John Sharp
Bob Caron
Giles Henderson
Charles A Schult
Robin Olds
Tex Hill
Cliff Robertson
Douglas Bader
Buster Keaton
Bruce Dickinson

Blue Angels
Thunderbirds
Donald E Bussart
Col Burdick
Ernest K Gann
Norah O'Neill

Tamar Bailey
Steve Hinton
F Lee Bailey
CD Albury
Jimmy Franklin
Bobby Younkin
Jim 'Bulldog' Leroy
John Kennedy Jr
Bill Munz
Merrill Wien
Jim "Reddo" Redmond
Paul Tibbets

Nancy Bird Walton (Australias first aviatrix)
Dick Smith
Dave Klages
Richard Collins
Dave Anders
Brian Duffy
Doc Horowitz
Hugh Downs
Jon Johanson
Leo Loudenslager
Gene Littlefield
Olive Ann Beach
Louise Thaden
Jim Voss
Frank Whittle
Wernher von Braun
Eddie Rickenbacker
The General’s daughter

Bob White
Lloyd Hanes
Jimmy Stewart
Tony Levier
Morgan Woodward
Clete Roberts
Bob Cummings
Steve McQueen
Sammy Mason

Steven Delbagno
Joanne Osterud
John Colver
Bill Cornick
Wayne Hadley
Bob Van Ausdell
Perry Schreffler
Bob Herendeen
Mike Dewey
HM "Mac" Lane
if one were to include the skydiving world most of the greats.
Tony Bingelis
Budd Davisson
Brian Shul

Jon Johansen
Bill Randolph
Wolfgang Langwiesche
Gene Hackman
Marion Orr
10 yrs ago i took care of a 92 year old man in the ICU. He flew many missions over the Burmese hump.

Al Haynes
Charles McGee
Charles A Lindbergh
Denny Fitch
Jack Pelton
Dick Johnson
Roy Clark
Matt Chapman

Gene Soucy
Armstrong
Rob Holland
Kyle Franklin
the Alabama Boys
Auggie Bellanca
Rich Graham
Jimmy Buffett
Eric Doyle

Snort
Delmar Benjamin
C Alfred "Chief" Anderson
Craig Breedlove
Richard Noble
Andy Green

George HW Bush

Tail Gunner in a B-17 in WWII His plane had been hit by Flak or cannon fire and had been split in two This guy had rode the tumbling and twisting tail all the way down to the surface

a volunteer in the Eagle Squadron in England

Gail Halvorsen
Mat Hall
John Kiker
Andy Thomas
Joe Moser

Many astronauts
Neil Armstrong
Frank Borman
Buzz Aldrin
Gene Cernan
Bill Anders
Jim Lovell
Jack Swigert
Fred Haise
Story Musgrave
Bob Crippen
John Young
Dick Scobee

Gordon Cooper
Wally Schirra
John Glenn
Hoot Gibson
Jan Brown/Davis
Jerry Linenger
Jim Irwin










and a drum roll please... Rosie
 
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As an aviation geek, it's interesting to see how many names were familiar to me, and how many were new. And sad to see how many have Gone West.
 
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...and someday, in the not too distant future, a kid we don't know will be asked the same question; "Who is the most famous aviator you've ever met?" I predict one of them will say, "Well, there was this guy/gal, down the street when I was growing up, and damned, if they weren't building an airplane, right in their garage! Coolest thing I ever saw. Right then, I decided to be come a pilot."

Guaranteed.
 
I started flying with Chuck Yeager as a student pilot. Wonderful time of my life and enjoyed every flight. Lots of cool stories and awesome times. Bud Anderson is another local hero and still around.
 
I’ve met/shook hands with several famous guys over the years, but my favorite aviation “hero” of all time was a guy who was my student way back when I was a young Cfi working my way through college.

Laverne “Bud” Kreutner showed up at our airport wanting to get his PPL. He was in his 70s at that point. A WWII vet, Bud had washed out of pilot training in the air corps when he had a midair with another student and ended up crashing into a pond.

He had lived his whole life with the idea in the back of his mind that he was going to get back into flying and the stars finally aligned for him after he had raised his family and retired.

I worked with Bud for a few months, got him soloed, and then handed him off to another instructor when I graduated from college and moved on. I have every reason to think that he finished up and continued on to a wonderful retirement full of airplanes.

Awesome guy. I learned a lot about tenacity and determination from him. As well as the wonderful example of how it’s never to late to pursue your dreams.
 
Story Musgrave

I met Story Musgrave about 8 months ago at Kissimmee airport. I went to the airport to meet a friend of a friend to talk about my RV3 I bought several months earlier. This old guy and his son showed up who had the hangar across from him. He stopped by to look at my plane and exchanged a few words. He got back in the truck and started to drive away and the friend asked me, “do you know who that was?” I said no. He said that is Story Musgrave, the astronaut. I immediately yelled out to the guy and said, ‘hey, you didn’t tell me you were an astronaut’? And he said, “why does it matter”? And I said, “hell yeah it matters”, and I went over to talk to him some more.

Musgrave has a twin Aircam
 
Famous aviator

Debby Rihn-Harvey At wings-over-Houston Airshow. I had the opportunity to chat with Debby.
“She has been the women's national champion nine times and is the longest-flying member of the U.S. Unlimited Aerobatic Team. She has represented the United States in 13 World Championships” Debby is very down to earth and we really enjoyed her show.
 
When it was time to take my RV-8 to the airport for final assembly, I started searching for a hangar in earnest. One day, I found an open hangar with a glider trailer in it which was very unusual for the coastal region of SC. I left a note on the car that was parked there explaining my situation. I received a call from Wally Moran the next day offering me space in his hangar.

Although I didn't know it at the time, Wally was an aviation legend with NAFI Master Instructor credentials. Sadly, he was also the last pilot to fly the TWA flight 800 which blew up departing NY. He had just brought that 747 back from Europe and was just settling into the layover hotel when he got the call that it had crashed.

I consider it Divine Intervention that Wally and I ended up sharing a hangar. His humble way of passing lessons to me helped to keep me alive during my flight test program. He flew my RV-8 when I was grounded by the FAA for my vision issues. People like Wally are national treasures...such wonderful mentors for us all.
 
Red Stewart

A name few will know,
Red and his father cleared stumps to make a runway near Waynesville, OH. His two sons, Steve and Cubby took over the operations, Steve with a successful sky dive operation and Cub and his family with rentals, instruction and repair of gliders and a few J-3’s.
I wanted to rent a J-3 to take my small kids flying and was told I needed a checkout. Red was semi retired and suffering some signs of dementia but still flew with folks that the family knew. This man had forgotten more about flying than many of us ever knew. When we were done, he told a friend…that old boy sure can fly…

I will cherish that comment to my last days….
 
Merlyn Dethlefsen

As a young USAF KC-135A copilot I had the good fortune of being tasked several times to be our Wing DO (Director of Operations) designated copilot for his simulator training sessions while stationed at Dyess AFB. Col. Dethlefsen and I would ride together from Abilene TX to Carswell AFB (Ft Worth TX) and have two to three simulator sessions with usually an overnight stay. Those three hour car rides back and forth for simulator training and later dinner, enjoying a few drinks discussing flying and current events, were always enjoyable. Sometimes we’d share a few Vietnam stories (mine Army and his Air Force).

Col Dethlefsen (then Captain) was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor flying the F105 on a fire suppression mission over Thai Nguyen North Vietnam when his aircraft was heavily damaged. Ignoring heavy anti-aircraft fire he flew repeated close range strikes to silence enemy positions with bombs and cannon fire. Later in his career he flew the SR71 aircraft in support of national security interests. His aviation accomplishments were many.

Like others have mentioned, during my military career I’ve had the opportunity to meet numerous famous aviators and individuals. However, none were more gracious, respectful and inspirational than Col. Dethlefsen. Unfortunately he passed away on December 14, 1987 in Ft Worth, TX.
 
A name few will know,
Red and his father cleared stumps to make a runway near Waynesville, OH. His two sons, Steve and Cubby took over the operations, Steve with a successful sky dive operation and Cub and his family with rentals, instruction and repair of gliders and a few J-3’s.
I wanted to rent a J-3 to take my small kids flying and was told I needed a checkout. Red was semi retired and suffering some signs of dementia but still flew with folks that the family knew. This man had forgotten more about flying than many of us ever knew. When we were done, he told a friend…that old boy sure can fly…

I will cherish that comment to my last days….

Small world, as they say. I was in college and a member of the Soaring Society of Dayton (now Caesar Creek Soaring Club) in about 1975 and wanted to get checked out as a towpilot, but first I had to get a tailwheel checkout. I got my TW checkout at Red's Field with Cubby in one of their J-3s after 3 takeoffs and landings (I already had my Commercial Glider and CFI-Glider Certificates as well as my ASEL Certificate). Rented their 65 HP and 85 HP Cubs several times after that. Then got checked out in SSD's 150 HP Champ and the Stinson L-5 towplanes (the Club had three L-5s). I really enjoyed flying the L-5 (and the time I spent as a member of SSD instructing, towing, and socializing).

The SSD/CCSC gliderport is about 2 nm SE of Red's Field. One day I was towing to the NW of the gliderport when meat bombs fell in front of the towplane. I did a hasty 180 back toward the gliderport with the sailplane in tow. That's the closet I've come to meat bombs!
 
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Ed Yeilding....holds the current (forever?) transcon speed record while delivering a SR-71 to the museum at Dulles. Gave me a local area check out in the RF-4C when transferring to his base.

Terry Lutz....Believe to be the first American test pilot for Airbus Industries. Landed the first A-380 in the US.

Bob Hoover....Met in O'Club snack bar line while attending UPT. Was there checking out in the F-5E to later demo at the Paris Air Show.
 
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