Sorry to report, Joe wasn't one of the three brothers, after whom, the base was named........

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Total info here........http://public.mcconnell.amc.af.mil/History.htm

I hope you didn't include that mis-information in the magazine article you wrote last year ?..........

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are you sure? i thought that Jabarra was an ace in both wars.  maybe im rong, ill go down to midwest corporate aviation(@Col. James Jabarra Airport), or ill look it up on inter-net.

me fail english? thats un-possible

Me

Okay, a serious nomination. Alex Henshaw. Read http://www.angelfire.com/sd2/spitfirefactory/man.htm, the description of his fly-past!!!

Ozzy 8)

As I mentioned in my first reply in this topic, it depends on what you mean by "best" pilot. To me "best" means "most skilful" but skilful at what? All test pilots have to be skilful pilots. This is one of the main qualifications for the job.  Then there are the display pilots you can see at the many air shows. Skill is the main attribtute of any display pilot. Many test pilots also display aircraft on behalf of their employer as a small part of their everyday work.

The best fighter pilots are skilful at shooting down other aircraft. Most are good natural shots & possess a sense of self-preservation. Although it helps to know their aircraft intimately & know how to get the best out of it they do not necessarily have to be the most skilful of pilots.

"Best" can also mean "most famous". The most well-known pilots tend to be the aviation pioneers, Charles Lindbergh & Amelia Earhart being probably the most internationally famous although there were many more. They were all certainly brave, some were even reckless, but not all were particularly talented or skilled pilots.

Some are outstanding but the list is still long. From all accounts, Chuck Yeager was & is an outstanding & skilful pilot by any criteria. James H. Doolittle would have to be on my list. He did far more for aviation than his amazing feat of organising & participating in the Tokio raid. Alex Henshaw was a famous pre--WWII pioneer who set up many records. He was also an outstanding test & display pilot. The same can be said for most of the well-known British '50s test pilots like Neville Duke & Roland Beamont, both previously successful fighter pilots.

The list is almost endless so I can't possibly list them all. There aren't so many famous female pilots but they were just as skilful as their male counterparts. They had to be better than the average male pilot in order to overcome the prejudice which is unfortunately still common today. I actually knew Jackie Moggridge back in the 1960s, a talented pilot who flew for the ATA during WWII & went on to become one of the very first female airline pilots after the war. While in the ATA she flew alongside many skilful & surprisingly young female pilots including the legendary Amy Johnson. These young girls were expected to fly any type of service aircraft that needed to be delivered from the factory to various operational bases. They were completely unarmed & often had a quick glance at a special check list before taking off in a completely unfamiliar type. This could be a Tiger Moth, Spitfire or Lancaster. They had no modern nav-aids & flew alone, even in the heavy types. Any one of these brave young women would have to be included on my list. Some, like Amy Johnson herself, were actually lost doing their work.

Thanks Rifleman. I take that as a compliment. I was once told I missed my vocation.

On the subject of female pilots I must mention my own particular heroine. Carolyn Grace who after her husband Nick's tragic death learned to fly & display the Spitfire she helped him restore. She is now the only certified female Spitfire display pilot in the world. Her displays are exquisite & every one a fine tribute to her late husband.

The Grace Spitfire ML 407 is one of the rare two-seat examples (factory-converted post-WWII) & she often takes ex-Spitfire pilots for a trip. On one occasion she gave Jackie Moggridge a ride. Jackie last flew ML 407 when she delivered it from the factory to Selsey in West Sussex in 1944.
http://www.ml407.co.uk/pages/abheavmore.html

PS. This photo of Jackie Moggridge was taken during WWII. Eat your hearts out guys. I believe she was the youngest pilot in the ATA.


Check out one of her American colleagues, also named Jackie. Another legendary aviator (aviatrix) nobody seems to remember these days.  
http://members.lycos.co.uk/derekhorne/cochran.html

The military has a saying... goes something like this.

"If you ask an aviator 'who is the best pilot in the world?' and he doesnt know the answer... then it sure isnt him."