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 | | | Living Legend of Aviation, “but a pea in a podling compared to Grandpa Buddy.” | |
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"Flying has taught me more about who I really am than anything I've ever done," says Kurt Russell. "I take very calculated risks. I've done too many stunts on too many movies and television shows to be a daredevil. I learned a long time ago that if you want to do something you enjoy, you want to do it again."
Russell adds that a thrill-seeking attitude is a very bad one to take in the air with you. His seven years of aerobatic training was not just for the exhilaration that comes with midair loops and treacherous spins; Russell wanted to deepen his understanding of how a plane acts in atypical situations and how a good pilot should respond, and recommends such training to all pilots with regards to that safety precaution.
"You should understand this from the get: this can kill you, flat out. You need to pay attention and if there's something you don't understand, raise your hand. You better get your ego out of the way if you've got one because it'll get you," Russell warns.
The lesson about the seriousness needed for safe flights came during his early aerobatic training from Chris Joachims, a helicopter pilot who instructed Russell during his twin training as well. When the actor climbed into the back of the plane for his first lesson and secured his helmet, Joachims asked him to observe the insignia sewn into the back of the pilot's seat. |
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 | | | The U.S. Air Meet - 100 Year Ago | |
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The first international air meet was held just north of the city of Rheims, France, and it began on Aug. 22, 1909. Although Orville Wright was in France operating a flying school not far from Rheims, the only American in attendance was Glenn H. Curtiss from Hammondsport, N.Y., flying his Golden Flyer. Curtiss was then a member of the Aerial Experiment Association, founded by Alexander Graham Bell.
This inaugural flight event was instrumental in introducing the general public to mechanical flying. Although the Wrights had six years of experience by this time, their style was to avoid attention—they preferred to demonstrate their abilities in a more studious manner. They did not believe in competitive flying and considered public displays "grandstanding." The Wrights believed the patents they held gave them the rights to all flying. |
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 | | | In 1961, Jackie Cochran set eight major records flying the Northrup T-38 with Chuck Yeager coaching and flying “chase” in another aircraft. | |
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| When Jacqueline Cochran died on Aug. 9, 1980, at age 74, she held more U.S. and international aviation records than any pilot in the world, male or female. In 1935, she won the Bendix Trophy Race flying a Seversky P-35 fighter. She was the first woman to make a blind instrument landing and helped develop the first practical oxygen masks for pilots. During World War II, she was instrumental in the formation of the Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program for which she received the Distinguished Service Medal. In 1953, Jackie, flying with her good friend and legendary test pilot Chuck Yeager, became the first woman to break the sound barrier, and 11 years later, she exceeded Mach 2 in an F-104 Starfighter. |
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