Worlds Best Pilot?

[EastCoastFan]

Re: Worlds Best Pilot?

For pure "stick & rudder" pilots of all time that have made great contributions to the furtherance of aviation & aeronautics:

1) Charles A. Lindberg
2) James Doolittle
3) Robert A. "Bob" Hoover

Lindberg's history from being an airmail pilot to the famed Spirit of St Louis to his exploits during & after WWII and the knowledge that he transferred to our military pilots speak volumes of his pilot ability.

Jimmy Doolittle was a pioneer in instrument flight, an accomplished air racer, the leader of the raid on Tokyo etc.

Bob Hoover.....great aerobatic demonstrator in multiple aircraft. However, you're only scratching the surface of his exploits if you stop there. Read his book "Forever Flying" and you will gain a really deep appreciation for his unparraleled contributions to aviation & our military aviation in the USA. His years of flight testing & the information derived from his hours in the cockpit have saved many a pilot's life, and putting his own at risk to do it. A consummate professional & very "down to earth" guy. A true American hero & one who represents the "gold standard" of pilots.

Very Honorable Mention:

M. Scott Crossfield
Darryl Greenamyer
Neil Armstrong
Leo Loudenslager
Art School
Sean D. Tucker
Jackie Cochran

[MRussell]

Re: Worlds Best Pilot?

Maybe off topic, but IMO Hoot Gibson doesn't get enough recognition for his talent.

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Worlds Best Pilot?

Maybe off topic, but IMO Hoot Gibson doesn't get enough recognition for his talent.

Obviously, this list can grow to be REALLY long but as long as we're in *that* family... Curt Brown is another really undernoticed stick.

I think that the pat on the back that Tiger gave him by turning over his beloved "Strega" to Curt smacks highly of Curt's skills...

And this brings up another not too often mentioned stick... Tiger himself...

I truly think that he and a few others have really written the book on mayday handling.. I know that Bob Hannah certainly said he learned a ton about what to do when things go wrong from him..

So many pilots deserve to be in our little "hall of fame" ey!

How bout adding credit for personality???

Several on the lists mentioned so far could get a point or two added/removed for that!

[Air Race Addict]

Re: Worlds Best Pilot?

I'd hardly put myself in the same category as *any* of the guys mentioned thus far, but thanks for the compliment.

This is such an amazingly subjective topic, and it's impossible to really quantify what is meant by 'best pilot'. There are certainly a lot of aviators whose abilities and experiences I highly respect, though. Some of them are famous names, and some of them are not. There are some guys I fly with in the military who have absolutely phenomenal skills in a jet, but the public will never know their name because they're not airshow/air race performers.

The airshow performers / racers who have made me stop and say 'wow' are (off the top of my head):

Bob Hoover
Wayne Handley
Sean Tucker
Steve Hinton
Bud Granley
Jimmy Franklin

Military pilots whom I wanna be like when I grow up:
Willard Clark the Sr.
Brad Haskin
Robin Olds
Bob Pardo
John Boyd

There you go Brad
Had to put my Dad in there. Everyone I ever talked to said he was the best B-52 pilot around. Nobody could refuel mid-air like him or handle a BUFF as well, or so they say. I was going to put you and Randy in there, but someone beat me to Randy. The rest of Randy's list pretty much would coincide with mine.

[DON MCDONALD]

Re: Worlds Best Pilot?

The worlds best Pilot ...can't remember his name, but I know he sucessfuly
returned from his 35th mision early in 1945 thus completing his tour of duty.......anyone out there remember his name?

[DON MCDONALD]

Re: Worlds Best Pilot?

Sorry..should have read Kamakazi Pilot...BAD
Don

[Randy Haskin]

Re: Worlds Best Pilot?

The worlds best Pilot ...can't remember his name, but I know he sucessfuly
returned from his 35th mision early in 1945 thus completing his tour of duty.......anyone out there remember his name?

Can you be more specific? There are lots of pilots with 35 combat missions.

[Peashooter]

Re: Worlds Best Pilot?

This is like asking who was the best Playboy centerfold -- ever. So many with so many nice assets! Which brings me to Mary Dilda, one of the smoothest pilots I've ever watched! She always does well in the L-39s. Peas

[Randy Haskin]

Re: Worlds Best Pilot?

This is like asking who was the best Playboy centerfold -- ever. So many with so many nice assets! Which brings me to Mary Dilda,

Mary was in Playboy?!

[Race#21]

Re: Worlds Best Pilot?

Lt. Ross USMC. Huey pilot in Viet Nam 67/68 descended thru trees on the side of a mountain North/East of Hue, cutting wood with the main rotors in severely deteriorating weather, approaching darkness, an advancing NVA Division, and an inbound B-52 "Arc-Light" mission to save two accidentally stranded Marines. He deserved the Navy Cross for that one. Hope he made it out of country right side up. I would not be here or have raced at Reno but for his skill and bravery.

[Wild Bill Kelso]

Re: Worlds Best Pilot?

And.... Tiger is probably one of the funnest personalities in all of Air Racing.

I've never laughed so hard in my life!

PS... don't tell him I said that... he'll get a big head...too late?.....

;-)

Yeah like after last years pit fight. He just put his hands on his hips, took a deep breath and PROCLAIMED "Yeah... I really kicked the s**t outta that guy"! He was sooooo proud of himself. Made me want to march a couple of the Bear crew by and yell "hey man did you hear what this guy said about your plane".

[Race#21]

Re: Worlds Best Pilot?

Randy; Tell your fathers story about the broken rudder cable night landing. I like the part where he said "If I had had a parachute I would have jumped out". He is one of the best.
Tom Campau

[speeddemon]

Re: Worlds Best Pilot?

Randy; Tell your fathers story about the broken rudder cable night landing. I like the part where he said "If I had had a parachute I would have jumped out". He is one of the best.
Tom Campau

I'll second that, Tom. The fact that Al was able to live to tell about it was amazing enough. That he was able to tell about it with a smile and a laugh is just a testament to what kind of guy he is.

RG, we need to get your dad in the seat of Dago or something....

[speeddemon]

Re: Worlds Best Pilot?

There you go Brad
Had to put my Dad in there. Everyone I ever talked to said he was the best B-52 pilot around. Nobody could refuel mid-air like him or handle a BUFF as well, or so they say. I was going to put you and Randy in there, but someone beat me to Randy. The rest of Randy's list pretty much would coincide with mine.

Sniff....sniff.....I LOVE YOU, MAN!!!!!

[First time Juke]

Re: Worlds Best Pilot?

Lt. Ross USMC. Huey pilot in Viet Nam 67/68 descended thru trees on the side of a mountain North/East of Hue, cutting wood with the main rotors in severely deteriorating weather, approaching darkness, an advancing NVA Division, and an inbound B-52 "Arc-Light" mission to save two accidentally stranded Marines. He deserved the Navy Cross for that one. Hope he made it out of country right side up. I would not be here or have raced at Reno but for his skill and bravery.

I hear you. In Vietnam chopper pilots did miracles. I recall one ex-finnish pilots started a new career in USA and ended up as Chinook pilot in Nam. He recalled he once had over 100 refugees in his chopper that regularly took 30 combatants onboard. Unfortunately I don't remember his name. I have to call my dad.