Month: December 2023

In 1918, at the age of four, Robert Freyermuth was near his birthplace of Muscatine when he saw the love of his life, his first airplane. He soloed in 1933. At the age of 20, Bob attended the Cleveland National…

From the pioneer days of barnstorming to sleek, swift jets, Ralph E. Piper has witnessed the growth of aviation from a cockpit. Born on October 22, 1912 on a farm near Liscomb, Iowa, Ralph’s time in the air totals twenty-four…

If sports magazines had been regular publications in the 1930s, much print would have been devoted to John Livingston. At a time when flying interests peaked in the United States, John was an accomplished airplane mechanic, pilot, aerobatic flyer and…

Howard Gregory’s devotion to aviation is so intense that even his hobbies center around airplanes and flying. While attending Drake University in Des Moines, Howard started flying lessons at the Des Moines Municipal Airport. He soloed in an Aeronca K…

Grant Woldum, born in Waukon, Iowa, was a tireless advocate for the Civil Pilots Training Program. He spent much of his time and energy lobbying the federal government to start this program, and convincing other pilots to do the same.…

Carl was born in Warren County in 1917. Following his college graduation from Iowa State College in 1940, he took his engineering degree and began working for the famed airplane company, Glenn L. Martin Nebraska Company. In 1944, he enlisted…

William Reed was born January 8, 1917 in Stone City, Iowa. The family moved to Cedar Rapids and then Marion during his childhood. After graduating in 1935, Bill enrolled at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. He graduated cum laude in…

In 1935, while employed by International Harvester Truck Division, Herbert Elliott became interested in flying, and with the money he saved playing bass fiddle at night, purchased a Curtiss, Jr. He became associated with Delbert Clayton, who at that time…

Donald A. Luscombe was born in Iowa City on May 25, 1895. Early in his life, he showed an interest in promoting, writing and advertising. In the spring of 1917, he volunteered during World War I to be an ambulance…

Born November 8, 1922 on a farm two miles south of Deloit, Iowa, in Crawford County, Charles Fink was introduced to flying as a teenager. He picked corn by hand to earn money for flying lessons, soloing on March 22,…