Top 10 Legendary Male Pilots - Paramount Business Jets

As a co-pilot, Alastair Atchison may not be the most famous name on this list. Yet, that fateful day in 1990 he more than earned his stripes among the brave ... Thiswebsiteusescookies Weusecookiestoprovidethebestexperience. Viewcookiepolicy. Accept PrivateJetCompany|ParamountBusinessJets Blog Top10LegendaryMalePilots Pilotshavebeenadmiredsincethefirstdaysofaviation.Tothisday,theirjobisconsideredaprestigiouscareer,desiredbymany.Whileeverypilotdeservesappreciation,throughouthistorysomeearnedspecialrecognition.Belowisthelistoftop10legendarymalepilotsofalltimes. 10:NoelWien–IntroducedAlaskatoAviation NoelWienPictureSource. Beforethedaysofmodernmappingsystems,highqualityradios,pavedlandingstripsandadvancedaviationtechnologies, flyingovercertainareasseemedtobenearlyimpossible.Withitsharshclimate,Alaskainthe1920swasdefinitelysuchanunwelcomingplaceforplanesandpilots.ButNoelWiensawitdifferently.Hetookituponhimselftobravethedifficultweatherand,inspiteofAlaska'sconditions,introducedthestatetoairtravel.Astheonlydedicatedflyerinthearea,Noelsetmanyprecedentsandforeverchangedthewaylocalsinthissparselypopulatedbuthugestatetraveled.Manyofthenormshesetfunctiontilltoday. 9:AlastairAtchison–Life-SavingCo-Pilot ThecaptainofFlight5390issurroundedbytheflightcrewinhishospitalbed.PictureSource. Legendscomeinallshapesandsizes.Asaco-pilot,AlastairAtchisonmaynotbethemostfamousnameonthislist.Yet,thatfatefuldayin1990hemorethanearnedhisstripesamongthebrave,legendarypilots.WhenthewindscreensmashedonBritishAirwaysFlight5390,thepilotTimLancasterwassuckedoutfromthecockpitbythedecompressedair.Itseemedthathegotthrusttocertaindeathuntilaquick-thinkingflightattendantgrabbedhisbeltpreventinghimfrombeingpulledoutcompletely.Withutterchaosconsumingtheplane,itwasAlastairwhotookcontrolofthesituation.Hiscoolheadandsteadyhandsawtheplanelandsafelyinunderanhour,savingthelifeofallcrewmembersandpassengersonboard. 8:AdolphePegoud–DaredtoLoop-the-Loop AdolphPegoud. Aristotlesaidthat“thereisnogreatgeniuswithoutamixtureofmadness”anditwasprobablythecasewithAdolphePegoud,abrilliantpilotwhowasthefirsttosuccessfullyexecutetheclassicloop-the-looptechnique.Theaestheticallyimpressiveloop-the-loophadalwaysbeenariskymaneuverbutnevermoresothaninAdolphe’stime.Thedaringdynamoprovedhisdexterityoveracenturyagowitharooflessaircraft,increasingtheriskofdeathandmakingitlookevenmoreimpressive.Hebroughtdownsixenemyplanesenrouteandbecamethefirst-everflyingace.Hisgiftwasalsohisdownfall,however,asaformerGermanstudentshothimdown. 7:BaronManfredvonRichthoven–TheRedBaron BaronManfredPictureSource. Whilstsomemaytakeoffencetothenatureofhisactions,thereisnodenyingtheabilityofManfredvonRichthofen,amanwhoisstillknowntothisdayastheRedBaron.TheGermanfighterpilotisknownfortakingdown80oppositionplanesduringWorldWarI.Hewasnotexactlyviewedasanexceptionalflyer-instead,hemadethebigtimethankstohisextraordinarymarksmanship.Althoughencouragedtoretire,Baronremainedactiveuntilhisiconicredplanegotshotdown.ItremainsamatterofdebatewhoexactlydiditbutaCanadianpilotisoftencreditedforeliminatingtheBaronwhichmayhavebeenamorale-boostingtactic.SpeculationhasledtowidespreadbeliefthatitwaserrantgroundfirethatendedtheBaron’sstreak,buteitherwayheisstillrememberedtothisday. 6:SteveFossett–TheWorldRecordBreaker SteveFossettPictureSource. Nowandthenanadrenalinejunkieisbornwithaninsatiablethirsttobreakdownboundariesandleavetheirmarkontheworld.SteveFossettcertainlywassuchacase.Steve’slistofaccoladesstretchedtoanincredible116worldrecordsincludingfiveback-to-backnonstoporbitsofEarth.HewentmissingflyingovertheNevadadesertin2007andhisbodywasfoundthefollowingyear.Atthetimeofpassingaway60ofhisrecordswerestillintact,ensuringheleftalastinglegacybehind. 5:JimmyDoolittle–TheDoolittleRaid JimmyDoolittlePictureSource. ForamanwiththesurnameDoolittle,Jimmycertainlydidalot.Aviationwasinhisbloodfromanearlyage.Atjust15yearsoldhe(unsuccessfully)triedtoflyahand-builtglider.Undeterredbythemessyending,Jimmyralliedandperseveredwithhisdreamofbecomingatoppilot.LieutenantDoolittleisperhapsbestknownforhisfamous‘DoolittleRaid’onJapanatapivotalpointinWorldWarII.It'sworthremembering,though,thathealsobrokemanyflyingspeedrecordsandplayedanimportantroleinadvancingaircrafttechnologies.Heunderstoodthatpilotscouldoperateplanesusinginstrumentsonly.Thatwasahugestepinthehistoryofaviation. 4:CharlesLindbergh–FirstMantoFlySoloacrosstheAtlantic CharlesLindberghPictureSource. ‘LuckyLindy’becamethefirstmantoflysoloacrosstheAtlanticOcean.Hisdebut33.5-hourflightbeganinNewYorkonMay20th,1927.ItwasaverydangerousstuntatthetimewhichbroughthimagooddealofstardomoncesuccessfullylandedinParis.Charles’personalitywasasboldashisairborneaerobics,buthiscredibilitysufferedwhenhespokeoutagainstthewar.Japan’sattackonPearlHarborsawhimperformadramaticU-turnandhewentontocontributetoover50combatmissions.Laterinlifehebecameasteadfastenvironmentalistincontrasttohistechnology-ladenaccomplishments.Hisenigmaticlifecametoanendpeacefullyin1974. 3:ChuckYeager–BeattheSpeedofSound ChuckYeagerPictureSource. ChuckYeagertookthephrase“fasterthanthespeedofsound”quiteliterally.In1947hebecamethefirstmantotravelfasterthanthespeedofsound,completingachallengethatmanyhaddiedtryingtoface.Itwasn’thisonlynotableaccomplishmentinaviation.Chuckwentontobreaktherecordagainsixyearslaterwhenhereachedtheincrediblespeedof1,650mph.Booksandfilmshavebeenmadeinhishonour–takealookatTheRightStuffifinterested–showingthistrulyenthrallinglifestory. 2:WrightBrothers–BirthofAviation WrightBrothersPictureSource. Thequestionofwhowasthefirst-evermantotakeaflightisahotdebateamongaviationenthusiasts.EilmerofMalmesbury,AbbasIbnFirnasand,ofcourse,Jean-FrancoisPilatredeRozierallthrewtheirhatintheringofthisambiguoustriumph.Whenitcomestoagenuinelycontrolledflightinapower-centricairplane,however,thereislittledoubtaboutwhoholdsthehonor.OnDecember17th,1903OrvilleandWilburWrightmanagedtocover852ftover59secondsinaplanetheyhadbuiltfromscratch,givingbirthtothenewworldofaviationthatweknowtoday.Likeothersonthislist,thetwowerenotparticularlyaccomplishedpilots.Instead,itwastheircreativity,ambition,andperseverancethatguaranteedtheirmemorableplaceinhistorybooks. 1:YuriGagarin–FirstHumaninSpace YuriGagarinPictureSource. Wehaveachievedmanyincrediblefeatsovertheyearsbutfewareasimpressiveastravelingintoouterspace.Allthetopmalepilotsonourlistrepresentextraordinaryachievementsrelatedtoflyingbutanumberonepositionisfortheveryfirstpilottomakethatboldestofexcursions,YuriGagarin.YuribecamethefirsthumantoventureintoouterspaceonApril12th1961ontheVostokspacecraft.AfterorbitingtheEarthhebecamesomethingofacelebrityinhisnativelandandgotawardedwiththehighesthonoravailable,theHerooftheSovietUnionaward.Althoughitwastheonlyspaceflighthewouldevermake,thisfeatwasaground-breakingaccomplishmentthatwillneverbeforgotten. JetCard Frequentflyingpaysoff. 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