Month: December 2023

Neta Snook was born on February 14, 1896, in Illinois but during her teens moved to Ames, Iowa with her family. Growing up her father interested Neta in driving, automobiles, things mechanical and fostered an ability to fix and make…

Lt. General Charles Horner was born, raised and educated in Iowa. On October 19, 1936, General Horner was born in Davenport then lived 14 years in Centerville and next moved to Des Moines where he graduated from Urbandale High School…

Nellie Vos Ruby was born on a farm near Galesburg, Iowa on November 16, 1919. With only an eighth grade education she has worked her whole adult life in aviation. She was the first Iowa woman to receive an A…

Born on February 22, 1914, in Dow City, Iowa, Louis “Andy†Anderson turned his airplane hobby as a youngster into a lifetime devoted to flying. After moving to Denison with his family, Andy purchased a partially completed glider. With ingenuity,…

Born on November 9, 1897, on a Grundy County, Iowa farm, Clayton Folkerts was a self-taught designer, builder and pilot of early airplanes. Experimenting with designs and materials found on the family farm, Clayton constructed five home-built aircraft from 1916…

A Denison, Iowa native, Clarence Chamberlin made flying history more than once in his lifetime. He was born, raised and educated in Denison and attended Iowa State College in Ames. His interest in things mechanical lead him to challenge the…

No one has been a champion of antique airplane owners like Robert Taylor of Blakesburg. Since he established the Antique Airplane Association in 1953 he has provided a place and a purpose to fly, to preserve, to share and to…

Born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1920, Luther Smith became a WWII hero and an aerospace engineer who made significant advances in aviation. Luther was introduced to flying at the age of 13 while riding in a Ford Tri-Motor. On…

JC Pemberton, a Greenfield, Iowa native, began his aviation career after earning a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Iowa State University. Like the Wright Brothers, like Charles Yeager, like William Piper, it was a career that influenced,…

Eugene Ely’s daring bravery and love of flying lead him to pioneer the world of flight from a ship. Born in Williamsburg, Iowa in 1886, Eugene became one of the premiere pilots during the early days of flying. Self-trained as…