Who is your avaition hero?

[old iron]

Wilbur and Orville, who made everything else possible. True, if they had not done it other would have, but it would likely have been many people figuring out small parts of the problem that the Wrights solved so well in only three years.

[hueyfan]

My Great Aunt. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dora_Dougherty_Strother

When I was small, I visited her frequently in Ft Worth; her office at Bell was impressive and overlooked the whole assembly floor. She was quite a big-wig at Bell and had the respect of her fellow employees. She was very interesting to talk to and had some amazing stories.

I got my love of helicopters from her.

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[B-29FE30]

My aviation hero has to be Fitzhugh Fulton, Lt. Col. USAF (retired). Just some of his accomplishments include flying the Berlin Airlift, attending the USAF Test Pilots School, flying B-26's in Korea, being a test pilot at Edwards AFB where he was the Project Pilot for the B-58 in which he was awarded the Harmon Trophy, flew all the bomber aircraft including the mother planes for the X-1's, X-2 and X-15's and the XB-70. Upon his retirement from the USAF, he went to NASA where he flew all their aircraft including the SR-71 and was the first pilot to fly the 747 Space Shuttle carrier.

I was privileged to fly many times in 1954 and 1955 as Flight Engineer or Scanner with Col., (then Captain) Fulton when he would come to Conventional Bomber Maintenance to fly our aircraft. When you would check in on the interphone and hear his "soft Georgia drawl" you knew you were in good hands. Great memories!

In later years, Col. Fulton would visit us at the Santa Paula, CA airport when possible. We always looked forward to his visits. He was the quietest, most unassuming gentleman you ever met, unlike some of his contemporaries that I won't name.

Check on the Smithsonian website;
http://www.airspacemag.com/daily-planet ... 60/?no-ist

DON VANCE

[Pogo]

Wilbur and Orville, who made everything else possible. True, if they had not done it other would have, but it would likely have been many people figuring out small parts of the problem that the Wrights solved so well in only three years.

Hah - I was wondering if I was the only one there for a minnit. Me too, I think the Wright Bros. are just plain cool, and the first names in a long list of aviation heroes.

[carlisle1926]

Eddie Rickenbacker. Race car driver, WWI ace, had his own automobile company in the 1920's, president of Eastern Airlines. Survived airliner crash as well as surviving being lost at sea for a long period of time after another crash in WWII.

[tractor_guy]

Joe Cotton, I met him while in high school when the history club did a research project on him because his wife was a native to our county in Indiana.

And my great-Uncle Bob Lower. From the stories I remember him telling when I was younger he was an instructor pilot during WW2. I think he flew P-51's in Florida. I was rather young when he told of his exploits, but I like to think that he helped make our pilots better aerial gunners.

[Mark Allen M]

I'll tell you what! some folks who IMHO get overlooked when it comes to threads like these. Again IMHO of course.

The A&P guys, mechanics, restorers, volunteers, airshow coordinators, museum directors and curators, the Taras type guys. None have to be pilots in my view to be aviation hero's. Without these people we don't have much of a warbird hobby, passion etc.

[Triplane102]

Werner Voss, just a kid, loved machines,motorcycles..flew the V3/V5, the short wing Triplane without outer struts, Had the All Time Bad a## F1(dr1)Fokker Triplane in history. And of course big brass ones when it came to combat, 6 against 1!! Revell's '60s 1/28 W.Voss Triplane kit really did it for me, as I told my Dad & brother" The Germans were really cool, they copied the Hell'sAngels big cross" wow! Was great being a kid!

[gary1954]

So many brave heros to choose from. One who has always stood out to me is Jimmy Doolittle. An aviation pioneer, a great leader, inspirational career in both military and civilian aviation, and a true gentleman.

Ryan

Concur hands down Lt. General James H. Jimmy Doolittle.