Top 10 Greatest Pilots Throughout History
The airplane's development heralded an exciting period in history that we still take pleasure in today. Daring pilots have taken to the skies for pleasure, war, or business throughout this time. This brings us to our current discussion of the ten pilots we believe to be the greatest of all time:
Top 10 Greatest Pilots Throughout History
- Charles Lindbergh
- Amelia Earhart
- The Wright Brothers, Wilbur and Orville
- James ‘Jimmy’ Doolittle
- Baron Manfred Von Richthoven
- Charles E. Yeager
- Erich Hartmann
- Louis Bleriot
- Florence ‘Pancho’ Barnes
- Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger
10: Chesley Sully Sullenberger
We had to include Chesley Sully Sullenberger on our list because he is a hero of today because of his expertise in aviation. He served as a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force from 1973 to 1980. In 1980, Sully joined Pacific Southwest Airways as a commercial pilot. Throughout his career, he has also served as the Air Line Pilots Association's safety chairperson and an accident inspector. When a flock of Canadian geese struck his US Airways airliner, flight 1549, during liftoff on July 15, 2009, Sully had to put all of his safety training to use, causing damage to both engines. In order to save his passengers, Sullenberger had to choose the best way to land the aircraft quickly. He decided to make an emergency water landing in the Hudson River as his only option. Only a few of the 155 passengers were injured, but they all made it out alive. Sully got out of the plane last, as one would expect of a captain.
9: Florence ‘Pancho’ Barnes
Florence Pancho Barnes was the first woman to fly as a stunt pilot for a movie. In addition to being a skilled pilot, Pancho Barnes established her place in aviation history. She bought her first airplane in 1928, a Travelair biplane, and only took six hours of flight instruction before going it alone. She flew in daring ways and developed into an experienced pilot along the way. In 1929, she competed in the cross-country competition known as the Women's Air Derby, which took place between Santa Monica, California, and Cleveland, Ohio. She led the group, but a runway collision with a truck forced her to withdraw. She competed once more the following year and set a new women's world speed record of 196.19 mph, knocking Amelia Earhart out of first place. Later in her life, she became the first female stunt pilot in the film industry by performing aeronautical stunts in the Howard Hughes film Hell's Angels.
8: Louis Bleriot
Louis Blériot was a pioneer in French aviation. He joined the military as a lieutenant following his graduation from École Centrale Paris with a degree in Arts and Trades. He started his own business, producing automobile headlamps, after serving his country. He used the money he made to pay for his experiments in building and flying different kinds of aircraft. He went on to become the first pilot to use his own monoplane to cross the English Channel. The plane was called the Blériot XI and had a 25-horsepower engine. He became known as one of the greatest pilots and pioneers of early aviation thanks to this feat.
7: Erich Hartmann
Erich Hartmann flew 1,404 missions and won 352 of them, making him the most successful fighter pilot during World War II. In addition, Erich's aircraft was never shot down. His plane was only forced to land once due to mechanical issues or a fuel shortage. Prior to Hartmann's accomplishments, Richthoven occupied the top spot on the list of best pilots. He rose to that position thanks to his record. The Soviets held Erich for ten years toward the end of the war. He went on to lead the first West German jet fighter unit after being released.
6: Charles E. Yeager
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Charles Chuck E. Yeager was a fighter pilot and test pilot who had a long and distinguished military career. Chuck Yeager flew fighters against German forces as a non-commissioned officer in the Army Air Force during World War II. He then shot down approximately 14 German aircraft. Chuck was riding in a propeller-operated P-51 Mustang, while the other was a brand-new German jet fighter known as the Messerschmidt-262. He went to school to become a test pilot after the war. On October 14, 1947, Yeager became the first pilot to break the sound barrier when, during a level flight in the Bell X-1 rocket, he reached speeds of 670 mph. Following that, Chuck held a number of Air Force positions, including brigadier general in 1969. 1975 marked the end of his service. He is still alive and enjoying flying at the age of 93.
5: Baron Manfred Von Richthoven
During World War I, Baron Manfred Von Richthoven, also known as the Red Baron, was a terrifying force in the skies. He took down 80 planes, which was the most victories of any pilot on either side of the conflict. Even during his final flight, he was formidable because he safely landed his aircraft despite being fatally wounded in the chest area. He became famous as a result of all of this in Germany.
4: James Jimmy Doolittle
General James Jimmy Doolittle was more than just a great pilot. Over the course of his life, he was also a combat leader and an aeronautical engineer. His first stint in the Army lasted from 1917 to 1930, during which time he received flight training and rose to the rank of second lieutenant. In 1928, he flew for the first time using only instruments. He left the Army in 1930, but in 1940, the Army called him back into service. He is best known for the 1942 Doolittle Raid, which took place following the attack on Pearl Harbor. On April 18, 1942, Doolittle instructed a group of pilots to pilot 16 United States bombers to bomb Tokyo and other significant Japanese cities. The crews had to either bail out in China or the Soviet Union, where locals rescued them, as the planes ran out of fuel after the raid. The Japanese's morale was so badly impacted by the Doolittle raid that Doolittle was accommodated for it.
3: The Wright Brothers, Wilbur and Orville
Orville and Wilbur Wright launched the aviation era with the first flight of the Wright Flyer, a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft. On December 17, 1903, the flight took place in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. For Wilbur and Orville, this flying machine was a four-year labor of love and technological exploration. The Wright Brothers are, in fact, the ones who established modern aviation.
2: Amelia Earhart
A year after Lindbergh's historic flight, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. This accomplishment cemented her place in history. On June 17, 1928, she left Trespassey Harbor in Newfoundland, Canada, in the Fokker F.Vllb/3m Friendship, accompanied by Wilmer Stultz, a fellow pilot, and Louis E. Gordon, who served as copilot and mechanic. They arrived at Burry Point in Wales after a journey that lasted just under 21 hours. However, due to inclement weather, Stultz piloted the plane throughout this trip, and Amelia kept a flight log. Tragically, her most famous flight of her career brought her there. Earhart attempted to circumnavigate the globe in a Lockheed Model 10 Electra in 1937, but she vanished near Howland Island in the Pacific Ocean after communicating via radio that her fuel was low and the weather was cloudy. To this day, the other particulars remain a mystery.
1: Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh is best known for making the historic first solo transatlantic flight on May 20, 1927. Lindbergh, also known as Lucky Lindy, took part in this flight to win the $25,000 prize that hotel owner Raymond Orteig offered to the first pilot to fly from New York to Paris without stopping. To win this challenge, he flew the Spirit of St. Louis, a custom-built monoplane, from Long Island, New York, to Le Bourget Field, near Paris, France, in just 33.5 hours. At a distance of 3600 miles, his route was straight across the Atlantic Ocean.
