Eisenhower as pilot

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

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