List of glider pilots
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This list of notable glider pilots contains the names of glider pilots who have achieved fame in gliding and in other fields:
[edit] Notable in gliding
- Ruth Alexander - female altitude record breaker, first woman glider instructor in the U.S.
- Neil Armstrong - astronaut on first Moon landing, active glider pilot appeared on 60 Minutes TV newsmagazine..[1] [2]
- Paul Bikle - NASA Director, glider altitude record setter and Soaring Hall of Fame
- Janusz Centka - multiple world champion, ... [3]
- Richard C. du Pont - director of military glider program
- Steve Fossett - entrepreneur and gliding record breaker[4]
- Hans-Werner Grosse - 46 world records[5]
- Doris Grove - female world record breaker, first woman to fly 1000 km, and U.S. Soaring Hall of Fame member [6]
- Barron Hilton - hotel magnate and founder of the Barron Hilton Cup for gliding[7]
- Wolf Hirth, German gliding pioneer and sailplane designer
- Klaus Holighaus, glider designer and European Champion
- Thomas Knauff - author, instructor, world record breaker, and U.S. Soaring Hall of Fame member [8]
- Robert Kronfeld- Austrian gliding champion and sailplane designer
- Jean-Marie Le Bris - pioneer of French aviation
- Otto Lilienthal - German machine engineer, first controlled gliding flights to 250 m
- Paul MacCready - aviation inventor, devised the MacCready Theory on speed to fly[9]
- Jerzy Makula - six times world glider aerobatic champion[10][11]
- Peter Masak - U.S. Soaring Team member, developed the first practical winglets for sailplanes
- George Moffat - author, two-time world champion, and U.S. Soaring Hall of Fame member[12]
- John J. Montgomery - U.S. physicist, first controlled glider flight in U.S., and U.S. Soaring Hall of Fame member
- Derek Piggott - flight instructor and movie stunt pilot[13]
- Helmut Reichmann - German professor, author and three-time gliding world champion
- Hanna Reitsch - test pilot and breaker of several gliding records[14]
- Klaus Ohlmann - 36 world records [15], member of the Mountain Wave Project[16]
- Ingo Renner - four times world champion[17], two world records[18], flight instructor
- Cliff Robertson - actor and soaring activist[19]
- Richard Schreder naval aviator and developer of the HP/RS-series kit sailplanes marketed from 1962 until about 1982.
- Peter Scott - naturalist (founder of World Wildlife Fund and ex-chairman of British Gliding Association)[20]
- Karl Striedieck - world record breaker, and U.S. Soaring Hall of Fame member [21]
- Ann Welch, instructor and administrator
- Philip Wills, world champion and administrator
- Wright Brothers - early glider pioneers, invented 3-axis flight control on 1902 glider, set world glider duration record in 1911 (also widely credited with inventing the airplane)
[edit] Other notable people known to fly gliders
- Richard Bach - author
- Barbara Cartland - author[22]
- Kalpana Chawla - astronaut
- John Denver - singer/songwriter
- Hugh Downs - television news anchor
- Matthew Fox - actor[23]
- Erich Hartmann - most successful fighter pilot of all times (352 confirmed victories)[24]
- Marsha Ivins - astronaut
- John Kerry - U.S. Senator and former presidential candidate[25]
- Charles Lindbergh - winner of the Orteig Prize as pilot on first solo nonstop Atlantic crossing flight[26]
- Richie McCaw - All Blacks captain [27]
- Steve McQueen - actor, star of The Thomas Crown Affair (1968 film)[28]
- Mike Melvill - Spaceship One test pilot[29]
- Story Musgrave - astronaut on Hubble telescope repair mission
- Robert Pearson - airline pilot and glider pilot who glided a Boeing 767 to safety[30]
- Christopher Reeve - actor[31]
- Michel Rocard - French former prime minister[32]
- Alan Shepard - astronaut on first Project Mercury space flight
- Peter Twiss - test pilot and former holder of the World Air Speed Record
[edit] References
- ^ CBS interview with Neil Armstrong includes clip of gliding. Retrieved on 2006-09-26.
- ^ Being The First Man On The Moon, Ed Bradley Talks To Neil Armstrong About Fame, Family And Apollo 11 - CBS News. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
- ^ FAI awards of Janusz Centka. Retrieved on 2008-01-11.
- ^ Link to Steve Fossett's glider altitude record. Retrieved on 2006-09-01.
- ^ FAI World Records by Hans-Werner Grosse. Retrieved on 2007-01-11.
- ^ FAI World Records by Doris Grove. Retrieved on 2006-12-11.
- ^ FAI article on the Barron Hilton Cup. Retrieved on 2006-09-26.
- ^ FAI World Records by Tom Knauff. Retrieved on 2006-12-10.
- ^ Link to Paul MacCready bio. Retrieved on 2006-09-26.
- ^ Jerzy Makula's rankings in FAI world and european championships. Retrieved on 2007-01-11.
- ^ FAI Centenial Medal recipients. Retrieved on 2007-01-11.
- ^ FAI World Records by George Moffat. Retrieved on 2006-12-10.
- ^ Piggott, Derek (2002). Gliding: A handbook on soaring flight. A & C Black. ISBN 0-7136-6148-8.
- ^ Bio of Hanna Reitsch. Retrieved on 2006-09-26.
- ^ FAI World Records by Klaus Ohlmann. Retrieved on 2007-01-11.
- ^ Mountain Wave Project. Retrieved on 2007-01-11.
- ^ SSA: World Soaring Champions. Retrieved on 2008-01-11.
- ^ FAI: world records of Ingo Renner. Retrieved on 2008-01-11.
- ^ National Aviation Hall of Fame article on Cliff Robertson. Retrieved on 2006-09-26.
- ^ Bio of Sir Peter Scott. Retrieved on 2006-09-26.
- ^ FAI World Records by Karl Striedieck. Retrieved on 2006-12-10.
- ^ Barbara Cartland biography. Retrieved on 2006-09-26.
- ^ Bio of Matthew Fox. Retrieved on 2006-09-26.
- ^ New York Times article on Erich Hartmann, Oct 23 1993. Retrieved on 2006-09-26.
- ^ Boston Globe article on John Kerry. Retrieved on 2006-09-26.
- ^ Article on glider flight by Lindbergh. Retrieved on 2006-09-26.
- ^ Daily Telegraph report 17 Dec 2006. Retrieved on 2006-12-20.
- ^ Evidence that Steve McQueen was a glider pilot. Retrieved on 2006-09-26.
- ^ Mike Melvill bio. Retrieved on 2006-09-26.
- ^ Description of the Gimli glider accident. Retrieved on 2006-09-26.
- ^ Interview with Chritopher Reeve. Retrieved on 2006-09-26.
- ^ Bio of Michel Rocard (in French). Retrieved on 2006-09-26.
