The Eighth Air Force was formed in 1942 and specialized in daylight precision bombing. The collection consists of a photographic book containing a narrative, ranging from the years 1943 to 1945.
Elwyn Gibbon served in the Chinese 14th Volunteer Squadron from 1937-38. He was a test pilot for TWA, Lockheed, and was working for Vultee and the Chinese Air Force when he was killed in a crash.
Emmet Tanner enlisted in the Army at the start of World War I. In 1919, Tanner won the first transcontinental air race from San Francisco to New York City in a de Havilland plane (the first of the Western flyers to make the trip). Additionally, he piloted Lydia “Grandma” Kahl, in her eighties, making her the oldest woman to fly. He also holds a patent on a rotary gas engine which helped increase engine power for future aircraft.
Errold G. Bahl (1894 - 1930) was an aircraft pilot, mechanic, barnstormer, and entrepreneur. He attended the School of Military Aeronautics, flew in Latin America, was a mentor to Lindbergh, and formed the Harding, Zoo and Bahl Airplane Corporation.
Rankin earned his wings at the Naval Academy in Pensacola, FL, in 1941. He became commanding officer of a squadron of Consolidated PBY Catalina patrol aircraft in the Pacific and earned the Legion of Merit.
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The San Diego Air & Space Museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Federal Tax ID Number 95-2253027.
