IOWA AVIATION MUSEUM

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…

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…