Legends of Airpower – Episode Descriptions



Legends of Airpower

Episode Descriptions

101 – Chuck Yeager

Brigadier General Charles Elwood Yeager - World War II ace and the man who broke the sound barrier as depicted in screen classic "The Right Stuff." Chuck Yeager has had a bigger than life career, always poised on the edge of the envelope. He broke the sound barrier flying "Glamorous Glennis," has won nearly every aviation award, was awarded a peacetime Medal of Honor and was the youngest man enshrined in the Aviation Hall of Fame. An aviator with "the Right Stuff," Chuck Yeager is a true Legend of Airpower.

102 - Benjamin Davis and the Tuskegee Airmen

General Benjamin Oliver Davis, Jr. - Commander of the famed Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. Under his leadership the men of the 99th Fighter Squadron and the 332nd Fighter Group became renowned for never losing a bomber they escorted, a feat unmatched during the war. The son of a black Army officer, who was given the silent treatment during his four years at West Point, General Davis became the first black Air Force General and saw his dream of an integrated Air Force come true. General Davis, the commander of the Tuskegee Airmen, is a true Legend of Airpower.

103 – Billy Mitchell

Major General William Mitchell - Father of America's modern Air Force, Billy Mitchell predicted the First World War with Germany, the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, and predicted that planes would fly at a thousand miles per hour. As a private in Cuba, he taught himself the basics of aeronautics from a book, but later learned to fly from Orville Wright. His foresight and outspokenness won him both a general court-martial and a special Medal of Honor. Billy Mitchell is the first Legend of Airpower.

104 - "Duke" Cunningham

Commander Randall Cunningham - Vietnam fighter ace and the pilot the movie "Top Gun" is based on. A Vietnam War volunteer, "Duke" Cunningham joined the Navy to do his part. He didn't know that he would make his first air kill in January of 1972 and would become the first ace of the war by May of the same year. The commander of the Navy's Top Gun School before he retired, "Duke" was then elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1990. Always an aviator, he flies each of the Navy's aircraft before approving funding. "Duke" Cunningham is a true Legend of Airpower.

105 - Jimmy Doolittle

General James Harold Doolittle - World War II national hero as depicted in the movie, "30 Seconds Over Tokyo," Doolittle was the recipient of the Medal of Honor for the first bombing strike against mainland Japan, a holder of many early aircraft speed records, recipient of the first doctorate ever in aeronautical engineering, a corporate and military leader in aircraft development, and was instrumental in creating the U.S. Air Force as a separate service. The "master of the calculated risk," Jimmy Doolittle is a true Legend of Airpower.

106 - "Gabby" Gabreski

Colonel Francis S. Gabreski - Natural air warrior and one of a handful of fighter pilots who launched themselves against the Japanese at Pearl Harbor. Gabby went on to be the top ace in the European theater with 31 German kills in his P-47 Thunderbolt. He would then go to war in Korea to achieve ace status once again, this time in jet fighters. A warrior's warrior, Gabby Gabreski is a true Legend of Airpower.

107 – Jimmy Stewart

Brigadier General James Stewart - Actor, warrior, and a great American. He was America's leading man who wanted to serve his country during World War II. Jimmy Stewart was too thin to meet the Army Air Corps weight standards and stuffed himself for two days to just barely meet the standard. As a B-24 pilot, he built a reputation as a solid combat commander. He was involved with the Air Force and aviation for the rest of his life, retiring as a Brigadier General in the Air Force Reserve. Jimmy Stewart is a true Legend of Airpower.

108 – Curtis E. LeMay

General Curtis Emerson LeMay - Was always the best bombardier, best navigator, and the best pilot in his unit. General LeMay developed the tactics to win wars from the air. He led the way as the Army Air Force smashed Germany, then Japan, achieving victory in World War II. He organized the Berlin Airlift and built Strategic Air Command into a nuclear threat that the Soviet Union could not ignore or defeat. A cigar smoking leader of warriors, Curtis LeMay is a true Legend of Airpower.

109 - Bernard Schriever

General Bernard Adolf Schriever - Developer of America's ballistic missile program and the Air Force's initial space program, he joined the Army in 1931 after graduating from Texas A&M University. Schriever was trained to fly in Texas in the early 30's and served in the 19th Bomb Group in the Southwest Pacific in the summer of 1942.

General Schriever was the father of missiles and space in the Air Force - from the Thor to the Minuteman missiles. He gave his all for the space race. General Schriever is a true Legend of Airpower.

110 – Hap Arnold

General Henry Harley Arnold - Leader of America's airpower assaults on Axis powers during World War II. Arnold was born in the age of horse and buggy and would lead America to the atomic age. He was taught to fly by Orville Wright and was schooled in air combat by Billy Mitchell. Hap Arnold took a nation unprepared for war to victory. The "Father of the U.S. Air Force," Hap Arnold is a true Legend of Airpower.

111 – Chuck Horner

General Charles A. Horner - Vietnam War Veteran and the commander of 9th Air Force at Shaw AFB, SC who took his command to the desert in August of 1990. Chuck Horner commanded the largest, most accurate and effective air war in history. As Air Boss of operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, General Horner built an allied air force the likes of which had never been seen before and planned the most devastating month of air attacks ever. The modern air commander, General Horner is a true Legend of Airpower.

112 - Russ Dougherty

General Russell E. Dougherty - Career officer who entered the Army Air Corps during World War II. A judge advocate in the late 40's, he left the legal world to fly bombers and refuelers. A planner in the joint arena for several tours, Russ Dougherty became the Commander-In-Chief of Strategic Air Command in 1974. During the cold war, Dougherty commanded the most lethal nuclear arsenal in the world. Russ Dougherty is a true Legend of Airpower.

113 – John Glenn

Colonel John Glenn - Marine aviator, the first American to orbit the earth, Mercury astronaut, U.S. Senator from Ohio, and Space Shuttle crew member at 77 years old. What else need be said? John Glenn is a true Legend of Airpower.

201 – John McCain

He was the son and grandson of 4-star generals, but John McCain's fame doesn't come from his impressive heritage. Instead, it's the courage he showed while a POW in Vietnam that made McCain a household name. From flying A-4s to running for the President of the Untied States, John McCain bears the mark of a true Legend.

202 – Charles McGee

The son of a preacher man, Charles McGee believed that education was the key to equal opportunities for all races. He joined the Army Air Force at a time when its policies reflected the belief that blacks were incapable of succeeding in technologically complicated jobs. Without fanfare, McGee and his fellow Tuskegee Airmen proved the bigots wrong. McGee fought in three wars-WWII, Korea, and Vietnam-and racked up over 6300 flight hours by the time he retired.

203 – Robert Morgan

As a youth, Robert Morgan was a sweet-talking ladies man who rubbed elbows with the Vanderbilts. But WWII changed this lothario into a combat soldier-as pilot of the famed Memphis Belle, Morgan oversaw a crew that flew a successful 25 missions without losing a single member.

204 - Carl "Tooey" Spaatz

Carl "Tooey" Spaatz is one of the genuine characters of American aviation. In the wild and woolly days of flight, he was a guitar-strumming free spirit who often offended the military establishment. But over the course of his career, Spaatz did as much to shape the modern Air Force as any other single person. He trained most of the American pilots who fought in WWI, pioneered air-to-air refueling, and his command of WWII's strategic air forces forever changed the way war is fought. When he retired, President Eisenhower paid tribute to him saying that Tooey Spaatz had never been wrong.

205 – Buzz Aldrin

Everyone knows the name Buzz Aldrin from the historic Apollo 11 landing. But before NASA, this famed astronaut was a Sabre pilot in Korea, and shot down three Mig-15s. After the war, he proved his mental prowess by knocking them dead at MIT, and jumping headfirst into the space program. Even today Aldrin just won't quit, working tirelessly to make space travel available to everyone, not just legends.

206 – Kelly Johnson

Joining Lockheed as a tool designer, Kelly Johnson became one of America's foremost aircraft designers. He developed more than 40 aircraft, from the U-2 to the F-104, and was the head of Lockheed's advanced development projects, known as the "Skunk Works." When he retired in 1975, this tool designer had become Lockheed's Senior Vice President.

207 – John Alison

John Alison was a kid from central Florida who dreamed of becoming a pilot, and grew up to be one of the best the United States ever produced. But Alison also traveled secretly with the highest level diplomats in the world, drove the getaway car when Americans fled the Nazi advance through Russia, and without orders set up a critical lend-lease supply to the Middle East. John Alison proved over and over again what an extraordinary man he is, as a flier, trainer, diplomat, and warrior.

208 - Charles Lindbergh

Charles Lindbergh was a pioneer of flight. As the first man to fly solo across the Atlantic, he played an important role in the development of aviation. He also became a celebrity on a scale never known before, and had to go almost to the ends of the Earth to escape the paparazzi and tabloids. A symbol of American ingenuity and bravery, Lindbergh was a true Legend.

209 - Jackie Cochran

She began her career as a beautician named Bessie Mae Pittman, but Jackie Cochran grew to become one of the most celebrated aviators of the day. After only ten years of flying, Cochran set 17 world records; she also founded the Women's Air Force Service Pilots, inspiring countless women to pursue their dreams in the sky.

210 - Eileen Collins

The young woman from Elmira, New York with dreams of flying became not only the first female instructor pilot, but also the first space shuttle commander. The STS-93 was fortunate to have her as their leader, and we are fortunate to have Eileen Collins as a Legend of Airpower.

211 - Francis Gary Powers

In 1960, Francis Gary Powers made headlines as the first U-2 pilot to be shot down. Captured in Russia, his safe return was demanded by the United States. Instead, the Russians sentenced him to ten years in prison, beginning the "U-2 Incident" and heightening Cold War tensions.

212 - William Tunner

William Tunner was born in New Jersey, and grew up to become Commanding Officer of the Air Force's Ferrying Division. During the China-Burma-India conflict, he oversaw 71,000 tons of material delivered to a beleaguered China. After WWII, Tunner flew a total of 124.5 million miles as leader of the Berlin Air Lift, earning this Legend a Distinguished Service Cross from General Douglas MacArthur.

213 - The Wright Brothers

Viewed from the distance of nearly a century, the Wright Brothers don't seem as heroic as they really were. They had funny names and wore three-piece suits to the beach. To the modern eye, they look more like comedians than leading men. But they invented the science of aeronautics, thinking in three dimensions when the rest of the world couldn't move beyond two. They made human flight possible, and every aircraft that has ever flown owes something to their work.

301 – James Lovell

He grew up fascinated by rockets, but his family couldn’t afford to send him to the elite schools that taught rocketry. Jim Lovell went instead to the Naval Academy, becoming a fighter pilot before joining the space program. Lovell became a household name when an oxygen tank on Apollo 13 exploded on the way to the moon. But it was his never-say-die attitude that helped bring Lovell and his men back to Earth.

302 - Everett Alvarez

On a scorching hot day in 1964, Lt. Everett Alvarez was shot down over Vietnam. He was sent to the Hanoi Hilton and would not know freedom again for almost nine years, earning the dubious honor of being the longest prisoner of war in Vietnam. Battling personal demons both in the Hilton and back home, Alvarez nevertheless overcame his obstacles, earning the respect of his fellow soldiers and becoming a true Legend.

303 - Paul Tibbets

He had his first airplane ride at 12, and from then on he was hooked on flying. Paul Tibbets flew 25 missions in B-17s, including the first American Flying Fortress raid against occupied Europe. But Tibbets gained his fame—and notoriety—on August 6, 1945. On that day, the Enola Gay lifted off North Field with Tibbets and his crew en route to Hiroshima. At 9:15 am the world's first atomic bomb exploded, and the course of history was forever changed.

304 - Igor Sikorsky

In 1919 Igor Sikorsky landed on these shores from Russia dreaming of a career in aviation. His determination and faith in his own ability to build what many considered to be an impossible vehicle lead to the world’s first practical helicopter. Because of this, the helicopter is an integral part of many difficult missions, including the saving of thousands of lives in both peace and war.

305 – Donald Lopez

Born in Brooklyn, NY in July 1923, Donald Lopez got the unique opportunity to fly a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk with the 14th Air Force’s 23rd Fighter Group, also known as The Flying Tigers, under the expert leadership of Gen. Claire Chennault, in China. When the war was over, Lopez worked as a test pilot at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, before eventually becoming Deputy Director of the National Air & Space Museum in Washington, DC.

306 – Deke Slayton

Wisconsin native Deke Slayton flew 56 combat missions in Europe during WWII, but is probably best known as one of the original Mercury 7. Though he was grounded due to a heart condition, Slayton filled a vital role well enough to fly in the early 1970s, and made his first space flight as pilot of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) mission—a joint space flight between American astronauts and Soviet cosmonauts.

307 – Robin Olds

Triple-ace and salty-tongued Robin Olds literally wrote the book on tactical air power. The son of a major general, Olds was born for combat. His distinguished career included 107 combat missions in World War II and 152 in Vietnam, and 17 kills in each. And along with Daniel “Chappie” James, he became part of a flying duo known as “Blackman and Robin.” And on his time away from battle, Olds even found time to marry a movie star.

308 - Daniel "Chappie" James

He was born in Pensacola, FL, and spread his wings at the prestigious Tuskegee Institute. A gifted pilot, “Chappie” James flew 101 missions in Korea and 78 in Vietnam; in addition, he also single-handedly prevented an attack from Muammar Qadaffi in Libya, and rose above racism to become the first African-American four-star general.

309 - Edward "Butch" O'Hare

Born to a father rumored to have had ties to Al Capone and the mob, “Butch” O’Hare was a Navy pilot whose name marks one of the world’s busiest airports. He graduated the Naval Academy in Annapolis in 1937 and had amassed much experience as a fighter pilot when he got involved in World War II. He was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1942 for single-handedly breaking up a Japanese attack on the Lexington. He continued his combat career and in the midst of the first successful carrier-based night interception, in 1943, O’Hare lost his life.

310 – Sam Johnson

A prisoner of war in Vietnam for over six years, Sam Johnson nevertheless was able to rise from his desperate situation to become a Texas congressman. This Legend served his country for over 50 years, flying F-86 Sabre jets in Korea and the F-4 Phantom II in Vietnam. After his release in 1973, Johnson stayed in the Air Force until his retirement in 1979. Today, the Honorable Legend serves the Third District of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives.

311 – Joe Foss

He was born in 1915 to a Norwegian-Scots family in South Dakota. Though he grew up poor, Joe Foss was able to scrape together $65 for flying lessons, and from then on he was hooked. After joining the Marines, Foss fought in WWII, racked up 26 aerial victories, and was awarded the Medal of Honor. After the war, this intrepid Marine helped organize the South Dakota Air National Guard, fought in the Air Force during the Korean War, was elected Governor of South Dakota, and even became the first American Football League Commissioner.

312 – Tommy McGuire

America’s number two all-time ace, behind his good friend and rival Richard Bong, Thomas McGuire was born in Ridgewood, NJ in 1920. Although he only flew two years of combat in World War II, he was awarded America’s highest awards, including the Congressional Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, six Distinguished Flying Crosses, three Silver Stars, three Purple Hearts, 14 Air Medals and many others. During the final days of the war, McGuire was killed while saving the life of a wingman.

313 - Claire Chennault

He was born in the small town of Waterproof, LA, but from an early age Claire Chennault thought big. He launched the theory of “defensive pursuit,” and practiced what he preached as a leader of the Flying Tigers in China. A chain-smoking, hard-living man, Chennault seemed to come from another generation, but was beloved by all—even the notorious Chinese leader Chaing-kai Shek.

401 – George McGovern

George McGovern has spent a large portion of his life in the political arena, holding office as U.S. Congressman for South Dakota for 22 years, as well as running as the Democratic presidential nominee in 1972. However, it is his outstanding military career that makes him a true LEGEND OF AIRPOWER. McGovern flew 35 combat missions as a B-24 bomber pilot. As the subject of historian Stephen Ambrose’ book The Wild Blue, it is apparent just how much responsibility was heaped on such a young man. His bravery in WWII earned him the Distinguish Service Cross. Ambrose once remarked that “McGovern is one of the greatest patriots I know.”

402 - Lorraine Zilner Rodgers

Lorraine Zilner Rodgers was a member of The Women Airforce Service Pilots, known as the WASP, the first group of women pilots to serve the United States Army Air Force in WWII. Out of 25,000 women who applied to the program, Rodgers was one out of 1830 who were accepted. Given the task of ferrying aircraft across the country, to allow the men to be available for combat, Rodgers often had to deal with the stigma of being a woman pilot. The WASP did everything the men did with equal ability, but lacked the equality of full military benefits. After many years of fighting for military recognition, Rodgers and her fellow female pilots received their veteran status on March 8, 1979 and cemented their roles in WWII, as well as the history of aviation.

403 – James Stockdale

James Stockdale spent his time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam defying orders and doing everything in his power to stay true to his country. Stockdale remains one of the most highly decorated officers in the United States Navy, leading the U.S air squadron in the Gulf of Tonkin and earning 26 personal combat decorations, including four Silver Star medals. When his A-4 SkyRaider was hit by anti-aircraft fire, he was forced to eject from the aircraft and was taken prisoner upon landing. Stockdale spent the next seven years as a P.O.W., doing everything from beating himself up to avoid being paraded in public, to slitting his own wrists to show he would rather die than talk. Released in 1973, he received the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1976.

404 - Glenn H. Curtiss

Glenn Curtiss, an aviation pioneer, started out building gasoline engines and eventually went on to build his own aircraft company. Named the “fastest man on Earth” in 1907, when his motorcycle set a speed record of 136.3 miles per hour, Curtiss began constructing engines for airships. The first U.S. Army aircraft, was powered by a Curtiss engine. Curtiss aircrafts were present at many firsts in the history of aviation. Curtiss’ friendly rivalry with the Wright brothers ended when the two aircraft manufacturers merged in 1929, to become the Curtiss-Wright Corporation.

405 - David Lee "Tex" Hill

David Lee “Tex” Hill was recruited to the American Volunteer Group, the group known as the Flying Tigers, in 1941. Under the leadership of General Claire Chennault, Hill was one of the top aces in the unit. After the deactivation of the Flying Tigers, Hill went on to fight with the 23rd Fighter Group, as well as the 75th Fighter Group. Throughout his career, he destroyed 18 plus enemy aircraft, one of them being the first Zero shot down by a P-51. He continued to fight through the end of WWII and in 1946, he joined the Air National Guard as the youngest Brigadier General in the service’s history.

406 - Albert Scott Crossfield

Albert Scott Crossfield’s military career spanned from flight and gunnery instructor to test pilot and record-breaking flyer. After attending an experimental flight test pilot school at Edwards Air Force Base, the outbreak of the Korean War left him to take full responsibility for the Edwards test program. Under his leadership, the program flourished. Undaunted by any plane, he made his first flight in the X-1 rocket plane in 1951 and when the windshield iced over, he used his own sock to clear a hole large enough to allow him to land the plane safely. The X-15 became Crossfield’s pet project and on November 15, 1960, Crossfield exceeded Mach 3, becoming the first man to accomplish such a feat and live to tell about it.

407 – Richard Bong

Richard Bong was the top scoring ace of WWII, shooting down 40 enemy aircraft. He began flying his P-38 in the Pacific Theater in late 1942 and had already surpassed Eddie Rickenbacker’s 26 kills by April of 1943. Bong achieved his 40th and final kill in 1944. He went on to become a test pilot of jet fighters, but died tragically on a routine flight when his P-80 malfunctioned after takeoff, on the same day the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.

408 - Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart’s remarkable aviation career was tragically cut short when Earhart and her navigator went missing over the Nukumanu Islands. Before her disappearance, Earhart’s name became a household one, in 1932, when she was the first woman to make a solo-return transcontinental flight. Earhart flew her Lockheed Vega from Harbor Grace, Newfoundland to Londonderry, Ireland, on the fifth anniversary of Charles Lindbergh’s famous flight. In the remaining years of her life, she went onto break numerous speed and distance records.

409 - Edward Rickenbacker

Eddie Rickenbacker’s love of speed started in the form of auto racing. Rickenbacker raised the money to buy Indianapolis Speedway in 1927, where he had raced in the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911. His attention turned to airplanes during WWI, when he enlisted in the army and after aerial gunnery training was assigned to the 94th Aero Pursuit Squadron, quickly becoming an ace fighter. During WWII, Rickenbacker and his B-17 crew were lost at sea for 24 days, after their B-17 overshot its mark. He credited his wife, who convinced General “Hap” Arnold to extend the search for another week, with saving his life and the lives of his crew. Rickenbacker later went onto own Eastern Airlines.

410 – John Boyd

John Boyd was known as “Forty-Second Boyd” throughout the Air Force because of his promise to beat anyone in simulated air-to-air combat in forty seconds or less. He was taken up on his offer many times and never lost. Boyd turned his natural combat skills into teaching tools for his fellow pilots, coining his famous Energy-Maneuverability Theory, which completely changed the way fighter pilots fought. His theory was even employed in the future design of aircraft, allowing manufacturers to design planes that had great maneuverability. His theories changed tactical fighting forever.

411 – Charles Bolden

Charles Bolden has logged more than 6,000 hours of flying time in his lengthy aviation career. Bolden enlisted in the Marine Corps after graduation from the Naval Academy and went on to fly more than 100 combat missions in North and South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Bolden graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and flew numerous test projects as an ordnance test pilot. In 1980, Bolden was picked as an astronaut candidate. His space career has allowed him to participate in many historic space flights, such as pilot of the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1990, which successfully deployed the Hubble telescope, and as commander of STS-60 in 1994, which marked the first joint U.S./Russian Space Shuttle mission.

412 – Harry B. Combs

Harry Combs started his love affair with aviation at the age of 13 with a $2.50 ride in the cockpit of a mail plane. By his mid-teens, Combs was building his own flight-worthy aircraft. His education led him to try investment banking, a path that he would later modify to successfully run Combs Aircraft. It seems Harry Combs has done it all, from working with President Kennedy on the increasing demand for air travel to rebuilding the struggling Gates LearJet company. His close friendship with Neil Armstrong even served as a catalyst for Combs’ great interest in letting the world in on the secrets of the Wright Brothers, leading to both a novel and a video documentary about the pair. Today, Harry Combs continues to nurture his passion for aviation and his love of everything America has to offer.

413 – Richard “Steve” Ritchie

Richard “Steve” Ritchie was the only Air Force pilot named an ace during the Vietnam War. After completing his training at the Air Force Fighter Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base Ritchie in 1969, he became one of the youngest instructors in the school’s history. In 1972, his second combat tour in Southeast Asia allowed him to rise to ace status, bringing down 5 MiG 21s during Operation Linebacker in 1972. In addition to becoming the only ace since the Korean War, Ritchie is also the only American pilot to destroy 5 MiG 21s.

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