10 Heroic Pilots

Charles Lindbergh. “Slim’s” fantastic musings while piloting early Air Mail biplanes led to his flying a tiny monoplane across the Atlantic, forever changing the world.

Wilbur and Orville Wright. They combined their creative genius with an unfailing work ethic as they strove to understand how to control an airplane in flight.

Chuck Yeager. In 1947, his sang froid helped make him the first pilot to fly faster than the speed of sound, in an aircraft that took its aerodynamics from a .50 caliber bullet.

Yuri Gagarin. He had the courage to strap himself on top of a rocket in the first manned mission beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

John Glenn. His technical understanding of his space capsule, Friendship 7, likely saved the mission—and his life.

Pancho Barnes. She was a pioneer movie stunt pilot who helped revolutionize (and unionize) flying for the film industry.

Howard Hughes. A fearless aviator, Hughes also designed a long string of revolutionary aircraft, including the mammoth Spruce Goose flying boat.

Wiley Post. Most famous for the crash that killed humorist Will Rogers, this around-the-world pilot test-flew the first aviation pressure suit, which looked more like a deep-sea diver’s rig.

Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager. The dynamic duo of pilots circled the globe—on one tankful of avgas—landing after nine days with a mere 17 gallons of its fuel left.

Lincoln Beachey. One of the earliest exposition pilots, he would career around oval speed tracks with his wheels inches above the head of Barney Oldfield in his race car.