Rick Durden
July 9th 03, 02:38 PM
Dan,
Good post. Winston Churchill was also a pilot, soloing, but never
receiving a license. He learned very early (don't have the reference
here but I believe it was during or immediately after WWI...at a time
when the sport was extremely dangerous and, if I recall correctly, he
stopped due to pressure from his family after the deaths of a number
of friends and acquaintances) and always recognized the value of
aircraft both for civilian and military uses, which proved invaluable
during his leadership in WWII as he instinctively knew what could be
done with airplanes whereas other leaders didn't.
All the best,
Rick
Cub Driver > wrote in message >...
> As usual on the web, Ike's prowess as pilot has been inflated. He
> seems to have taken lessons or flown solo as a student pilot for
> several years, then held a license/certificate for about a year.
> Here's the gen:
>
> ****************************************
>
> President Eisenhower was the first President licensed to pilot an
> airplane. Dwight Eisenhower was issued a private pilot's license on
> July 5, 1939 by the Commonwealth of the Philippines. License No. 95,
> expired June 30, 1940. He also had a Certificate of Competency from
> the U.S. Civil Aeronautics Authority (No. 93258) and it expired July
> 15, 1940. Dwight Eisenhower logged 350 hours of flying time from July
> 1936 to November 1939.
>
> Eisenhower soloed on May 19, 1937 in a Stearman PT-1. This was the
> main aircraft of the Philippine Air corps at that time. He also flew a
> Stinson Reliant. One of his instructors, Lt. William Lecel Lee,
> referred to a 0-19-C and a Stearman 76-B-1 or BT-1 also.
>
> On his application for a pilot's liscense Eisenhower listed the
> following as his instructors: Captain Mark K. Lewis, Lt. William Lecel
> Lee, Lt. Charles H. Anderson and Lt. Hugh Parker. The lessons were
> given at Philippine Army Flying School, Zaplan Field, Camp Murphy,
> Quezon City, Philippines.
>
> The only reference found to his flying in the post-Philippines period
> is found in At Ease: Stories I Tell to Friends by Dwight D. eisenhower
> on page 227, "After World War II, I had ceased to fly altogether,
> except that once in a while, on a long trip, to relieve my boredom
> (and demolish the pilot's), I would move into the co-pilot's seat and
> take over the controls. But as the jet age arrived, I realized that I
> had come out of a horse and buggy background, recognized my
> limitations, and kept to a seat in the back."
>
> ************************************************** ****
>
> This leaves open the possibility that he may have flown Air Force One
> from the right seat. I seem to recall that AF1 in the Eisenhower years
> was a Constellation. (But perhaps it wasn't AF1. I remember the
> plane's name as Columbine.)
>
> 350 hours over the course of four years is a bit better than I have
> done. But then, he didn't have to pay for the time.
>
> Among other world leaders who have flown from the right seat is
> Winston Churchill, on his way home by Pan Am Clipper from Washington
> to Bermuda during WWII.
>
> all the best -- Dan Ford
> email: www.danford.net/letters.htm#9
>
> see the Warbird's Forum at http://www.danford.net/index.htm
> Vietnam | Flying Tigers | Pacific War | Brewster Buffalo | Piper Cub
Good post. Winston Churchill was also a pilot, soloing, but never
receiving a license. He learned very early (don't have the reference
here but I believe it was during or immediately after WWI...at a time
when the sport was extremely dangerous and, if I recall correctly, he
stopped due to pressure from his family after the deaths of a number
of friends and acquaintances) and always recognized the value of
aircraft both for civilian and military uses, which proved invaluable
during his leadership in WWII as he instinctively knew what could be
done with airplanes whereas other leaders didn't.
All the best,
Rick
Cub Driver > wrote in message >...
> As usual on the web, Ike's prowess as pilot has been inflated. He
> seems to have taken lessons or flown solo as a student pilot for
> several years, then held a license/certificate for about a year.
> Here's the gen:
>
> ****************************************
>
> President Eisenhower was the first President licensed to pilot an
> airplane. Dwight Eisenhower was issued a private pilot's license on
> July 5, 1939 by the Commonwealth of the Philippines. License No. 95,
> expired June 30, 1940. He also had a Certificate of Competency from
> the U.S. Civil Aeronautics Authority (No. 93258) and it expired July
> 15, 1940. Dwight Eisenhower logged 350 hours of flying time from July
> 1936 to November 1939.
>
> Eisenhower soloed on May 19, 1937 in a Stearman PT-1. This was the
> main aircraft of the Philippine Air corps at that time. He also flew a
> Stinson Reliant. One of his instructors, Lt. William Lecel Lee,
> referred to a 0-19-C and a Stearman 76-B-1 or BT-1 also.
>
> On his application for a pilot's liscense Eisenhower listed the
> following as his instructors: Captain Mark K. Lewis, Lt. William Lecel
> Lee, Lt. Charles H. Anderson and Lt. Hugh Parker. The lessons were
> given at Philippine Army Flying School, Zaplan Field, Camp Murphy,
> Quezon City, Philippines.
>
> The only reference found to his flying in the post-Philippines period
> is found in At Ease: Stories I Tell to Friends by Dwight D. eisenhower
> on page 227, "After World War II, I had ceased to fly altogether,
> except that once in a while, on a long trip, to relieve my boredom
> (and demolish the pilot's), I would move into the co-pilot's seat and
> take over the controls. But as the jet age arrived, I realized that I
> had come out of a horse and buggy background, recognized my
> limitations, and kept to a seat in the back."
>
> ************************************************** ****
>
> This leaves open the possibility that he may have flown Air Force One
> from the right seat. I seem to recall that AF1 in the Eisenhower years
> was a Constellation. (But perhaps it wasn't AF1. I remember the
> plane's name as Columbine.)
>
> 350 hours over the course of four years is a bit better than I have
> done. But then, he didn't have to pay for the time.
>
> Among other world leaders who have flown from the right seat is
> Winston Churchill, on his way home by Pan Am Clipper from Washington
> to Bermuda during WWII.
>
> all the best -- Dan Ford
> email: www.danford.net/letters.htm#9
>
> see the Warbird's Forum at http://www.danford.net/index.htm
> Vietnam | Flying Tigers | Pacific War | Brewster Buffalo | Piper Cub