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Great Moments in Aviation History - 1983 by John Ficklen

Signatures on left

Signatures in middle

Signatures on right

Hand signed and numbered by John Ficklen

Published for the Class of 1983 - Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB

Twenty-seven (27) signatures of famous aviators

Overall size: 30" x 24 1/2"

# 106/1400

It's all about the signatures!

This incredibly scarce 1983 Great Moments In Aviation History lithograph includes 27 incredibly rare signatures of aviation pioneers

In 1982 a small faculty and student group at the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell AFB was chartered to develop an aviation heritage program which encouraged the study of aviation history and the contributions of aviation pioneers. Distinguished aviators were invited to share their unique personal experiences through a series of teaching interviews and social events with members of the class.

Initially called the "Great Moments in Aviation History" and later termed the "Gathering of Eagles", the gathering recognized aviation pioneers and greats for their accomplishments. Each year the graduating class chose the "Eagles" to be featured, and each year an original painting with the depiction of aircraft that they were famous for flying was commissioned. Prints were published and hand signed by the "Eagles" in pencil.

Signatures:

George A. VAUGHN Jr. - (May 20, 1897 – Jul 31, 1989) was an American fighter ace in World War I and Distinguished Service Cross, Britain's Distinguished Flying Cross, and Silver Star recipient. Vaughn was America's second-ranking Air Service ace to survive the war.

Saburo SAKAI - (25 Aug 1916 – 22 Sep 2000) was a Japanese naval aviator and flying ace of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Sakai had 28 aerial victories, including shared ones, according to official Japanese records, though he and his ghostwriter Martin Caidin claimed much higher numbers.

Charles E. YEAGER - (Feb 13, 1923 – Dec 7, 2020) was a United States Air Force officer, flying ace, and record-setting test pilot who in October 1947 became the first pilot in history confirmed to have exceeded the speed of sound in level flight.

Joe H. ENGLE - (Aug 26, 1932 – Jul 10, 2024) was an American pilot, aeronautical engineer, and NASA astronaut. He was the commander of two Space Shuttle missions including STS-2 in 1981, the program's second orbital flight. He also flew two flights in the Shuttle program's 1977 Approach and Landing Tests. Engle was one of twelve pilots who flew the North American X-15, an experimental spaceplane jointly operated by the Air Force and NASA.

James G. HAIZLIP - He has long been a legendary figure in aeronautical racing circles and first learned to fly as a young man with the French during World War I.

Mary HAIZLIP - (1910-1997) was an American aviator who was the second woman in the United States to qualify for a commercial pilot's license. She was one of the twenty competitors in the first Women's Air Derby, in 1929. For seven years she held the world's speed record for women and became the second highest prize winner, man or woman, at the 1931 National Air Races.

Clive R. CALDWELL - (28 Jul 1911 – 5 Aug 1994) was the leading Australian air ace of World War II. He is officially credited with shooting down 28.5 enemy aircraft in over 300 operational sorties, including becoming an ace in a day.

Pierre CLOSTERMANN - (28 Feb 1921 – 22 Mar 2006) was a World War II French ace fighter pilot. During the conflict he has been claimed to have achieved 33 air-to-air combat victories, earning the accolade "France's First Fighter" from General Charles de Gaulle.

Leigh WADE - (1897 - 1991) was part of the attempt in 1924 to circumnavigate the globe with a team of four Douglas World Cruiser aircraft. Wade was the pilot of aircraft #3 named Boston which was forced down onto the sea between Orkney and Iceland on August 3, 1924.

Maxie L. ANDERSON - (Sep 10, 1934 – Jun 27, 1983) was an American hot air balloonist and Congressional Gold Medal recipient. He was part of the balloon crews that made the first Atlantic ocean crossing by balloon in the Double Eagle II and the first Pacific ocean crossing by balloon in the Double Eagle V. He perished in a balloon crash in the same year that he signed this print.

C.H. "Punch" DICKINS - (12 Jan 1899 – 2 Aug 1995) was a pioneering Canadian aviator and bush pilot. Northern Indigenous Canadians called him "Snow Eagle", northern Europeans called him "White Eagle", while the press dubbed him the "Flying Knight of the Northland".

John W. OSWALT - In November 1942, Captain John Oswalt became one of the first ten US Army “L” (liaison) pilots sent into combat.

Frances S. "Gabby" GABRESKI - (January 28, 1919 – January 31, 2002) was a Polish-American career pilot in the United States Air Force who retired as a colonel after 26 years of military service. He was the top American and United States Army Air Forces fighter ace over Europe during World War II and a jet fighter ace with the Air Force in the Korean War.

Paul W. TIBBETS - (23 February 1915 – 1 November 2007) was a brigadier general in the United States Air Force. He is best known as the aircraft captain who flew the B-29 Superfortress known as the Enola Gay (named after his mother) when it dropped a Little Boy, the first of two atomic bombs used in warfare, on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.

Cook CLELAND - (Dec 24, 1916 – Jul 13, 2007) was a United States Navy officer, World War II flying ace, and civilian air race pilot. He participated in the Battle of Coral Sea and the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Cleland won the 1947 and 1949 Thompson Trophy Air Races.

Bernard F. FISHER - (Jan 11, 1927 – Aug 16, 2014) was a United States Air Force officer and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor. He was the first Air Force member to receive the medal in the Vietnam War.

Elwood R. QUESADA - (Apr 13, 1904 – Feb 9, 1993), nicknamed "Pete", was a United States Air Force lieutenant general, FAA administrator, and, later, an owner of the Major League Baseball team, the Washington Senators.

Risto Olli P. PUAHAKKA - He was one of Finland’s leading aces during two wars against the Russians, joined other pilots from his small but gallant country in forging an unforgettable chapter in aviation history.

William G. HUDSON - Pilot William A. “Skeeter” Hudson and radar operator Carl S. Fraser scored the first air victory in the Korean War. They were initially crewed together in 1948 while flying the P-61B Black Widow with the 68th Fighter All-Weather Squadron (FAWS), but soon transitioned to the North American F-82G Twin Mustang.

Jack R. CRAM - Major Jack Randolph Cram (USMC), was the personal pilot of Marine General Roy Geiger’s PBY-5A, the “Blue Goose.” On 15 October 1942, he won the Navy Cross and permanent nickname “Mad Jack” in operations at Guadalcanal.

Carl S. FRASER - Pilot William A. “Skeeter” Hudson and radar operator Carl S. Fraser scored the first air victory in the Korean War. They were initially crewed together in 1948 while flying the P-61B Black Widow with the 68th Fighter All-Weather Squadron (FAWS), but soon transitioned to the North American F-82G Twin Mustang.

John CUNNINGHAM - (27 Jul 1917 – 21 Jul 2002) was a Royal Air Force (RAF) night fighter ace during the Second World War and a test pilot. During the war, he was nicknamed 'Cat's Eyes' by the British press to explain his success and to avoid communicating the existence of airborne radar to the Germans.

Withold A. URBANOWICZ - (30 Mar 1908 – 17 Aug 1996) was a Polish fighter ace of the Second World War. According to the official record, Witold Urbanowicz was the second highest-scoring Polish fighter ace, with 17 confirmed wartime kills and 1 probable, not counting his pre-war victory. He was awarded with several decorations, among others the Virtuti Militari and British Distinguished Flying Cross.

David L. "Tex" HILL - (Jul 13, 1915 – Oct 11, 2007) was an American fighter pilot and triple flying ace. He is credited with 12 1/4 victories as a squadron leader with the Flying Tigers and another six as an officer in the United States Army Air Corps in World War II. He retired as a brigadier general.

Günther RALL - (10 Mar 1918 – 4 Oct 2009) was a highly decorated German military aviator, officer and General, whose military career spanned nearly forty years. Rall was the third most successful fighter pilot in aviation history, behind Gerhard Barkhorn, who is second, and Erich Hartmann, who is first.

James F. BREWER - He transported heavy cargoes on a treacherous route over some of the world’s worst terrain to support Chennault’s “Flying Tigers,” LeMay’s bomber force, and various Allied armies in Southeast Asia.

Frank BORMAN - (Mar 14, 1928 – Nov 7, 2023) was an American United States Air Force (USAF) colonel, aeronautical engineer, NASA astronaut, test pilot, and businessman. He was the commander of Apollo 8, the first mission to fly around the Moon, and together with crewmates Jim Lovell and William Anders, became the first of 24 humans to do so, for which he was awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.

[Mini bios credit to Wikipedia and the Gathering of Eagles Foundation]