Airmen Exemplars Flashcards
What bicycle manufactures from Dayton, Ohio achieved the first powered, sustained, controlled, airplane flight in 1903, heralding the age of heavier-than-air aviation?
The Wright Brothers
When did the Wright brothers successfully fly four manned missions at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
17 Dec 1903
What is generally recognized as the first practical airplane?
The 1905 Wright flyer
When did the Signal Corps establish an Aviation Section and issue a bid for a military airplane?
1907
What was the US Army’s first airplane?
Signal Corps No. 1
Who trained the US Army pilots?
The Wright Brothers
Who remained the “father” of flying and a highly honored individual until his death in 30 Jan 1948?
Orville Wright
Who was an airpower visionary who saw the airplane dominating warfare and called for an air force independent of the US Army?
William “Billy” Mitchell
Who was the youngest captain ever selected to join the General Staff?
William “Billy” Mitchell
In support of what September 1918 offensive did Mitchell mass more than 1500 US and Allied aircraft?
St. Mihiel offensive
Whose claimed that the airplane could sink battleships ultimately led to bombing trials in June 1921?
William “Billy” Mitchell
What former battleship did the 1st Provisional Air Brigade under Mitchell’s leadership sink during bombing trials in June 1921?
German Ostfriesland
Who was the pioneer aviator and the first commander of an American air unit in the field?
Benjamin Foulois
In 1908 and 1909, who participated in the acceptance tests of the Army’s first semirigid dirigible and its first airplane?
Benjamin Foulois
In 1910, who took Signal Corps No. 1 to Fort Sam Houston, TX, where he conducted test to demonstrate its military usefulness?
Benjamin Foulois
In 1915, who completed the organization of the Army’s first operational unit, the 1st Aero Squadron?
Benjamin Foulois
What was the Army’s first operational unit?
1st Aero Squadron
Who commanded the squadron during the Mexican Punitive Expedition in 1916-1917, which was the first deployment of a US Army air unit to the field?
Benjamin Foulois
What was the first deployment of a US Army air unit to the field?
Mexican Punitive Expedition in 1916-1917
Who was an aviation pioneer and is generally recognized as the father of the modern US Air Force, commanding the US Army Air Forces during WWII?
General Henry H. “Hap” Arnold
When did General Arnold become Commanding General of the US Army Air Forces?
30 June 1941
On 7 May 1949, who did Congress appoint the first and only five-star General of the Air Force?
General Henry H. “Hap” Arnold
Who was the first Chief of Staff of the US Air Force
General Carl A. “Tooey” Spaatz
Who oversaw the final strategic bombing campaign against Japan, including the 1945 use of atomic weapons against Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
General Carl A. “Tooey” Spaatz
Who was one of the founding fathers of the modern Air Force and commander of the first combat Air Force who was killed in an aircraft accident near Iceland, 3 May 1943, and considered one of the most promising Army Air Forces generals?
Lt. Gen Frank M. Andrews
Who flew in the first extended aerial refueling experiment in 1929, during which the crew kept a plane aloft for 151 hours?
General Ira C. Eaker
Who, as a pioneer logistician, coordinated the rapid expansion of America’s air arsenal during WWII?
Maj. Gen Oliver P. Echols
During WWII, who coordinated the most massive aircraft procurement program in history, as Chief, Army Air Force Material Division?
Maj. Gen Oliver P. Echols
A pioneer in passenger care, who successfully combined two careers (flight attendant and Nurse) to become the most decorated women in US military history?
Lillian K. Keil
Who was perhaps the most daring and innovative commander of the war, who gained MacArthur’s confidence because he knew how to run combat air forces and produced results quickly?
General George C. Kenney
Who was a renaissance man: an air leader, aeronautical engineer, airplane racer, businessman, commanding general, oil company executive, special assistant to the Chief of Staff of the USAF, and holder of the Medal of Honor?
General James “Jimmy” Doolittle
Who developed fog-flying equipment in 1928, which led to widespread use of artificial horizontal and directional gyroscope and made the first “blind” flight, completely on instruments?
General Doolittle
Who resigned his regular commission in 1930 to manage Shell Oil’s aviation department and as part of his duties with Shell, helped develop high-octane gasoline and sold the Air Corps on the development of high-compression engines using that fuel?
General Doolittle
Who is best remembered for leading the 18 April 1942 B-25 raid on Tokyo, launched from the deck of the aircraft carrier Hornet?
General Doolittle
Who was nicknamed “Old Leatherface” and a famed leader of the Flying Tigers?
Maj. Gen Claire L. Chennault
Forced to retire in 1937 for health reasons, who went to China shortly after to train pilots for the Chinese Air Force?
Maj. Gen Chennault
Who made Strategic Air Command the world’s premier force?
General Curtis E. LeMay
Whose success at directing the Berlin Airlift in 1948 made him the obvious choice for Strategic Air Command commander-in-chief in October 1948?
General LeMay
Who made Strategic Air Command the world’s most powerful nuclear force? He developed Strategic Air Command’s policy of constant alert, keeping some bombers aloft at all times ready to respond to soviet attacks?
General LeMay
Who was known as the Air Force’s outstanding practitioner of air logistics and air mobility?
Lt. Gen William H. Tunner
Who implemented assembly-line maintenance, systemized cargo-handling procedures, emphasized flight safety, and imbued the operation with a driving commitment to increase tonnage?
Lt. Gen Tunner
On 24 June 1948, the Soviet Union blockaded the surface routes between Berlin and the Western occupation zones in Germany. On 28 July, who assumed command of the airlift, Operation Vittles, developing an intricate bridge if aircraft that flowed in a steady stream through narrow corridors in and out of Berlin?
Lt. Gen Tunner
Who took command of Combat Cargo Command (Provisional) and illustrated how a fleet of cargo aircraft was sufficiently flexible to handle airborne assault while airdropping supplies and moving cargo and personnel through a combat theater?
Lt. Gene Tunner
Who was a pioneer in the filed of air intelligence?
General Charles P. Cabell
What German-born leader came to America in 1917, was naturalized in 1923, and is recognized as the architect of Air Force ballistic missile and military space programs?
General Bernard A. Schriever
Who, in April 1959, was named to head Air Research and Development Command, and then two years later was promoted to four-star general and named to head the new Air Force Systems Command?
General Schriever
Who established 437L, an antisatellite systems, as part of his efforts to extend the Air Force mission to include space and personally headed the Manned Orbiting Laboratory Project?
General Schriever
Who was the first female pilot to break the sound barrier in 18 May 1953?
Colonel Jacqueline “Jackie” Cochran
In 1939, who set a new altitude and international speed record and became the first woman to make a blind landing?
Col. Jackie Cochran
Who, during WWII, organized 25 women to fly for Great Britain and became the first woman to fly a bomber across the Atlantic, receiving the Distinguished Service Medal for services during the War?
Col. Jackie Cochran
Who in 1971, was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame for “outstanding contributions to aviation by her devotion to the advancement of the role of women in all of its aspects, and by establishing new performance records that advances aeronautics?
Col. Jackie Cochran
In 1975 who was the first woman to be honored with permanent display of her memorabilia at the USAF Academy?
Col. Jackie Cochran
Who was the commander of the famed WWII Tuskegee Airmen?
General Benjamin O’ Davis Jr.
Who was the first black general in the US Army?
General Benjamin O’ Davis Jr.
In June 1959, who became the first African American officer in any service to old the rank of Major General?
General Benjamin O’ Davis Jr.
What general distinguished himself as a lead in three wars: WWII, Korea, and Vietnam?
General Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr.
Who, as an AC-47 gunship (Spooky 71) loadmaster, is the lowest ranking Airman ever to receive the Medal of Honor for exceptional heroism during wartime?
A1C John Lee Levitow
On 11 April 1966, who, as a pararescueman, was killed while defending wounded comrades against the Viet Cong?
SSgt William H. Pitsenbarger
Who was the first enlisted Airman to receive both the Medal of Honor and the Air Force Cross posthumously?
SSgt William Pitsenbarger
In whose honor did the Navy name an Air Force munitions preposition ship?
William H. Pitsentbarger
Who was the first woman to command a space shuttle mission?
Colonel Eileen M. Collins
On what mission did Colonel Collins became the first female pilot of a space shuttle?
STS-63
During what mission, flown by the Columbia, 22-27 July 1999, did Col. Eileen M. Collins become the first woman to command a shuttle mission that featured deployment of the Chandra X-ray observatory?
STS-93
Who earned the AF Cross for extraordinary heroism in military operations armed force while serving as a pararescuemen near the village of Marzak, Pakita Province, Afghanistan, 4 Mar 2002? He repositioned wounded to three collection points while exposing himself to enemy fire.
Jason D. Cunningham
Who, has crew chief of a radar team at Lima Site 85 in Laos, put himself in the line of fire to load three airmen in rescue slings and was fatally wounded by enemy ground fire as he was being rescued? Was the first E-9 to be awarded the Medal of Honor.
Richard L. Etchberger
