Best Pilot Ever

[Polynomial]

Sir Douglas Bader, i find him to be the most inspirations pilot ever. . . .

[Felix/FFDS]

The pilots of SAR helicopters - you have to go out - you don't have to come back - fortunately, most do come back.

[ATI_7500]

hartmann,
lacey,
marseille,
the guys who flew supply runs into china during WW2,
and,as mentioned by felix before, the SAR guys. anywhere,anytime,any weahter....anyone cares?

[Ambassador]

I voted for someone who:

• Was a naval aviator.
• Flew 78 combat missions in Korea
• Got to pilot the X-15
• Went to the moon.

You guys will know who I'm talking about.  Anyway, I bet tomorrow I'll write back saying I changed by mind.  And the day after that do the same thing.  It is hard to choose the "Best Pilot" as there are so many of them.

[SabreHawk]

The pilots of SAR helicopters - you have to go out - you don't have to come back - fortunately, most do come back.

Ditto, I have to agree with that. They are quite the unsung heros, puuting it on the line..........all the time.

From a somewhat unsung heli sim,....."SAR4 Coastal heros"

[Hagar]

This is impossible to answer. There are so many brilliant pilots, both famous & unknown, in all categories of aviation. The best pilot I ever knew was someone you will never have heard of. This man was an inspiration to me, not only on how to fly but knowing him affected the way I've conducted my whole life ever since. His name was Cecil Pashley, the most experienced flying instructor in the world with over 20,000 hours in 1960. I'm not sure if this is still a record for instructors. He taught himself to fly in an aircraft he built with his brother in 1909 - only six years after the Wright Brothers first flew. They progressed to giving pleasure flights from my local beach in 1911.

"Pash" taught countless fighter pilots to fly in WWI (his brother was unfortunately killed in action in 1917) & later did it all over again in Harvards throughout WWII. He was around 70 years old when I first knew him in 1960-62 & still teaching people to fly in open cockpits every day. They said a "Pash taught" pilot could fly anything. I'm proud to be one of them.

"Pash" was only about 5 feet tall (if that) in his flying boots but a giant amongst men. I still think of him almost every day.

Cecil & Eric Pashley in the aircraft they built.

[KJones]

• Was a naval aviator.
• Flew 78 combat missions in Korea
• Got to pilot the X-15
• Went to the moon.

Gotta be Neil Armstrong... Joseph Engle also flew the X-15 before becoming an astronaut, but he didn't go to the Moon.

Armstrong demonstrated his piloting ability during his Gemini 8 mission when the capsule started to spin out of control and he recovered.

I agree that there are a lot of great pilots out there that we don't know the names of, so a better title for this thread would be "Best Famous Pilot Ever".


KJ

[Hagar]

I agree that there are a lot of great pilots out there that we don't know the names of, so a better title for this thread would be "Best Famous Pilot Ever".

KJ

I agree up to a point but this raises another issue. Famous for what - or famous where? I note all (except for von Richtofen whose flying skills are debatable) the choices in this poll are Americans. I could name just as many famous British & European examples. Neville Duke is another hero of mine. He was as famous as any film star not too many years ago. I bet most of you never heard of him either.

[Mr. Bones]

i voted for Charles Lindbergh. he did an amazing thing with his flight over the Atlantic: hours and hours with no sleep and no autopilot! he must have been afraid...one little mistake in his navigation, and he'd never seen Europe! praise him...he was a damn good pilot!

[ATI_7500]

i don't think that you can miss such a big continent...

[fido]

I was going ot vote for Sir Douglas Bader, but how can you not be swayed by Ozzy's humility.

                   Fido

[C]

...all (except for von Richtofen whose flying skills are debatable) the choices in this poll are Americans. I could name just as many famous British & European examples. Neville Duke is another hero of mine. He was as famous as any film star not too many years ago. I bet most of you never heard of him either.

Yep I agree, and it depend on definition of Piloting...

Let me think, the choices have to include:

Alex Henshaw
John Cunningham
Roland Beamont
John Derry
Geoffrey De Havilland (Junior)
Bill Bedford
Mike Lithgow (was still calmly describing the situation as he died)
Brian Trubshaw (on his inclusion one has to mention Andre Turcat)
Neil Williams (just read his books)

and others from a more war-like era

S/L Robert Palmer (how many have heard of him)
G/C Leonard Cheshire
W/C Guy Gibson
F/L John Cruichshank
W/C James Tait
AM Ivor Broom

I could go on, and on, and on...

Charlie

[cub3pp]

Joseph McConnell Jr........first US triple jet ace..........anyone honestly heard of him ?

http://www.acepilots.com/korea_mcconnell.html

hell yes ive heard of him.  he's the guy Mc Connel AFB is named after.  Big tanker base in wichita

[Donnie111]

I'dd say Orville Wright because he was the first one that dared and did fly.

[Mr. Bones]

[quote]
hell yes ive heard of him.