20 Facts About Clyde Pangborn

Clyde Pangborn was its half-owner, chief pilot and operating manager, working in partnership with Ivan R Gates.

Clyde Pangborn graduated from high school in 1914 and enrolled in the University of Idaho, where he studied civil engineering for two and a half years.

Clyde Pangborn was a first cousin of American composer George Frederick McKay, who grew up in Spokane, Washington, and used the penname Arthur Clyde Pangborn for the lyrics for some of his compositions.

Clyde Pangborn performed as a part of the Gates Flying Circus, which he co-owned with Ivan Gates.

Clyde Pangborn received national fame after assisting in a mid-air rescue of stuntwoman Rosalie Gordon, who had become caught on Pangborn's landing gear while demonstrating a parachute jump, in Houston, Texas.

The Flying Circus disbanded in 1929, but Clyde Pangborn continued flying with several other businesses he owned.

Clyde Pangborn had to climb out onto the wing supports barefoot at 14,000 feet to remove them.

Turner and Clyde Pangborn came in second place in the transport section, behind the Boeing 247's eventual rival, the new Douglas DC-2.

Clyde Pangborn planned on using the aircraft for a Dallas, Texas, to Moscow Flight.

Clyde Pangborn was detained near the Latvian frontier when he entered the country without a visa.

Clyde Pangborn was released on July 21,1937, and flew on to Moscow after help from New York Congressman William Sirovich.

Clyde Pangborn worked for Cunliffe-Owen until the late 1930s testing military aircraft.

When World War II broke out in Europe in late 1939, Clyde Pangborn joined the Royal Air Force and assisted in organizing the RAF Ferry Command.

Clyde Pangborn recruited pilots throughout the United States and Canada for the Ferry Command and Eagle Squadron.

From 1941 through the end of the war in 1945, Clyde Pangborn served as Senior Captain, Royal Air Force Ferry Command during which time he made approximately 170 trans-ocean flights.

Meanwhile, Clyde Pangborn flew almost every type of multi-engine aircraft used during the war.

Clyde Pangborn was discharged from the RAF in 1946 and continued his career as a commercial pilot.

Clyde Pangborn was instrument-rated to fly any plane, single or multi-engine, land or sea, and had logged more than 24,000 flight hours over his 40 years of piloting.

Clyde Pangborn died in 1958 and was laid to rest with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

Clyde Pangborn was enshrined as a member of the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1995.