Famous Fighter Pilots

John McCain, born 1936 in the Panama Canal Zone, became a decorated figure in American political history. He showed tenacious service to his country and a commitment to principled leadership. McCain started at the U.S. Naval Academy, following his father and grandfather, both four-star admirals. Military service defined his life; he spent five years imprisoned during the Vietnam War, from 1967 to 1973. During that time, he showed great resilience, refusing early [service].

Bob Barker, known for daytime television, left a mark on entertainment. He was born in Darrington, Washington, on December 12, 1923. He grew up facing money troubles during the Great Depression. These issues did not stop him; they fueled his drive to win. Barker spent his early years in South Dakota, attending Drury University on a basketball scholarship. World War II stopped his studies, though, and Barker joined the U.S. Navy as a fighter pilot. Barker moved into show business.

Buzz Aldrin, Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr., is an American astronaut and mechanical engineer who added to space exploration history. Aldrin was born January 20, 1930, in Montclair, New Jersey. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He later earned a doctorate in astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Aldrin gained attention when he joined NASA's Astronaut Group 3 in 1963. His first spaceflight happened in 1966 aboard Gemini 12. There, he set a record for extravehicular activity and proved that a

Prince Andrew, Duke of York (born February 19, 1960), is a member of the British royal family. He is the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. At his birth, he was second in line for the British throne; as of May 2019, he is eighth in line. He holds the rank of commander and the honorary rank of vice admiral (as of February 2015) in the Royal Navy. He served as an active-duty helicopter pilot and instructor and captain of a warship. He saw active service during the Falklands War, flying multiple mis

Ronnie Walter Cunningham (born March 16, 1932), Col, USMCR, Ret., is a retired American astronaut. In 1968, he piloted a Lunar Module on the Apollo 7 mission. He was NASA's third civilian astronaut, following Neil Armstrong and Elliot See. Cunningham also served as a fighter pilot, physicist, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and author of The All-American Boys.

William Alison Anders (October 17, 1933 – June 7, 2024) was a USAF major general, electrical and nuclear engineer, NASA astronaut, and businessman. As a crew member of Apollo 8 in December 1968, he was among the first three people to leave low Earth orbit and travel to the Moon. Anders circled the Moon ten times with Frank Borman and Jim Lovell, broadcasting live images and commentary back to Earth. During one lunar orbit, he photographed Earthrise.

Alexei Arkhipovich Leonov (born May 30, 1934) is a retired Soviet/Russian cosmonaut, Air Force Major general, writer, and artist. On March 18, 1965, Leonov became the first person to conduct extravehicular activity (EVA), exiting the capsule during the Voskhod 2 mission for a twelve-minute spacewalk. In July 1975, Leonov commanded the Soyuz capsule during the Soyuz-Apollo mission, which docked in space for two days with an American Apollo capsule.

Philippe Perrin (Colonel, French Air Force), born January 6, 1963, is a French test pilot and former CNES and European Space Agency astronaut.

James Dougal Adrianus "Ox" van Hoften, Ph.D. (born June 11, 1944), is an American civil and hydraulic engineer, retired U.S. Navy officer and aviator, and a former NASA astronaut.

Jon Andrew McBride (born August 14, 1943), a retired US Navy Captain, is an aviator, fighter pilot, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, and former NASA astronaut.

Eric Allen Boe (born October 1, 1964) is a USAF fighter pilot Colonel, test pilot, Civil Air Patrol member, and NASA astronaut. He flew as the pilot for Space Shuttle missions STS-126 and STS-133.

Scott Douglas "Scooter" Altman (born August 15, 1959) is a retired US Navy Captain, engineer, test pilot, and former NASA astronaut. Altman served on four Space Shuttle missions. His fourth mission, STS-125, was the last servicing mission for the Hubble Space Telescope.

Ilan Ramon (born Ilan Wolferman, June 20, 1954 – February 1, 2003) was an Israeli fighter pilot and the first and only Israeli astronaut. Ramon served as a Space Shuttle payload specialist for STS-107, the fatal Columbia mission where he and six crew members died in the re-entry accident. At 48, Ramon was the oldest crew member. Ramon received the United States Congressional Space Medal of Honor posthumously; he was the only foreign recipient.

Jean-Loup Jacques Marie Chrétien (born August 20, 1938) is a French retired Général de Brigade in the Armée de l'Air, and a former CNES astronaut. Chrétien flew on two Franco-Soviet space missions and one NASA Space Shuttle mission. Chrétien was the first Frenchman and the first Western European in space.

Patrick Pierre Roger Baudry, born March 6, 1946 in Cameroon, retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the French Air Force and served as a former CNES astronaut. In 1985, he became the second French citizen in space, following Jean-Loup Chrétien, after flying aboard NASA's Space Shuttle mission STS-51-G.

Pavel Ivanovich Belyayev (Russian: Павел Иванович Беляев; June 26, 1925 – January 10, 1970) was a Soviet fighter pilot with broad experience piloting various aircraft. He commanded the cosmonaut corps and led the historic Voskhod 2 mission, which saw the first man walk in space in 1965.

Marcos Cesar Pontes, born March 11, 1963, is a Brazilian Air Force pilot, engineer, AEB astronaut, and author. He became the first South American and the first Lusophone to travel into space. He docked onto the International Space Station aboard Soyuz TMA-8 on March 30, 2006. Pontes is the only Brazilian who finished the NASA astronaut training program. He switched to training in Russia after NASA's Space Shuttle program faced issues. After Jair Bolsonaro won the presidency of Brazil in 2018, Pontes was officially nominated for Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Yang Liwei (simplified Chinese: 杨利伟; traditional Chinese: 楊利偉; pinyin: Yáng Lìwěi), born June 21, 1965, is a major general, military pilot, and China National Space Administration astronaut. In October 2003, he became the first person sent into space by the Chinese space program. This Shenzhou 5 mission made China the third nation to send humans into space independently.

Sergey Aleksandrovich Volkov (Russian: Сергей Александрович Волков; born April 1, 1973, in Chuhuiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union) retired as a Russian cosmonaut and engineer. Volkov was part of three missions to the International Space Station, spending over a year in space total. During those missions, he performed four spacewalks, each lasting more than 23 hours. Volkov retired from the Cosmonaut group in February 2017.

Yuri Ivanovich Malenchenko (Russian: Юрий Иванович Маленченко; born December 22, 1961) is a retired Russian cosmonaut. Malenchenko became the first person to marry in space on August 10, 2003, when he married Ekaterina Dmitrieva, who was in Texas, while he was 240 miles over New Zealand, aboard the International Space Station. As of June 2016, Malenchenko ranks second for career time in space because of his time on both Mir and the International Space Station (ISS). He served as a former Commander of the International Space Station.

Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (May 2, 1892 – April 21, 1918), the "Red Baron," fought for the German Air Force in World War I. He achieved 80 air combat victories, earning him the title ace-of-aces. Richthofen joined the Air Service as a cavalryman in 1915. He became a member of fighter squadron Jagdstaffel 2 in 1916. Richthofen quickly proved himself a fighter pilot. In 1917, he led Jasta 11 and then the larger fighter wing unit Jagdgeschwader 1, known as "The Flying".

William Wellman directed nearly 80 motion pictures. His output included cinematic gems despite an unexceptional canon. Wellman began his career in the silent era. He directed the World War I actioner, "Wings" (1927), which won the first Oscar for Best Picture. He directed a series of forgettable movies for ten years. He reached new heights with the screwball comedy "Nothing Sacred" (1937) and the original "A Star Is".

Maksim Viktorovich Surayev, born May 24, 1972, is a retired Russian cosmonaut. He currently serves in the State Duma, a position he took in 2016.

Zhai Zhigang, born October 10, 1966, is a major general in the People's Liberation Army Air Force. He is also a CNSA astronaut. During the Shenzhou 7 mission in 2008, he became the first Chinese citizen to perform a spacewalk.

Liu Boming (Chinese: 刘伯明; Traditional: 劉伯明; Pinyin: Líu Bómíng; born September 1966) is a Chinese pilot. He was selected for the Shenzhou program. Liu Boming served as a fighter pilot in the People's Liberation Army Air Force. The People's Liberation Army Air Force selected him as a CNSA member in 1998.

Donald Kent "Deke" Slayton (March 1, 1924 – June 13, 1993) was an American World War II pilot, aeronautical engineer, and test pilot. NASA selected him as one of the original Mercury Seven astronauts. Slayton became NASA's first Chief of the Astronaut Office and Director of Flight Crew Operations, managing NASA crew assignments. Slayton joined the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He flew in Europe and the Pacific. He left the Army after World War II. He later joined the Minnesota Air National Guard after working for Boeing as an aeronautical engineer. He joined the Unit

Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger III, born January 23, 1951, is an American retired airline captain. On January 15, 2009, he landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River off Manhattan after a bird strike disabled both engines; all 155 people aboard survived. Sullenberger speaks on airline safety and helped create new safety protocols. He co-chaired the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA)'s Young Eagles youth program with First Officer Jeffrey Skiles from 2009 to 2013. Sullenberger retired from US Air.

Ernst Udet (April 26, 1896 – November 17, 1941) was a German pilot during World War I and a Luftwaffe Colonel-General (Generaloberst) during World War II. Udet joined the Imperial German Air Service at age 19. He became a notable World War I flying ace, scoring 62 confirmed victories by the end of his life. Udet was the highest-scoring German fighter pilot to survive the war and the second-highest after Manfred von Richthofen, his commander in the Flying Circus. Udet rose to squadron commander under Richthofen and later under Hermann Göring.

Robert Kenneth Dornan, born April 3, 1933, is an American politician and a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from California. Dornan was a boisterous former actor and television and radio talk show host. Dornan had a flair for the dramatic that attracted supporters and detractors beyond his congressional districts. Dornan did not become a major power in Washington but became a well-known House member through televised "special orders" speeches. People described him as one of the leading firebrands among American politicians.

Donald Tai Loy Ho (August 13, 1930 – April 14, 2007) was an American traditional pop musician, singer, and entertainer. He is best known for the song "Tiny Bubbles" from the album of the same name.

Dean Paul Martin Jr. (November 17, 1951 – March 21, 1987) was an American pop singer and film and television actor. Martin was a member of the California Air National Guard. Martin died in a crash during a military training flight. Martin was the son of American entertainer Dean Martin.

Valentin Vasiliyevich Bondarenko (Ukrainian: Валентин Васильович Бондаренко, Russian: Валентин Васильевич Бондаренко; February 16, 1937 – March 23, 1961) was a Soviet fighter pilot selected in 1960 for cosmonaut training. Bondarenko died from burns sustained in a fire during a 15-day low-pressure endurance experiment in Moscow. The government hid Bondarenko's death and his membership in the cosmonaut corps until 1980. A crater on the Moon's far side bears his name.

Eugene Andrew Cernan (March 14, 1934 – January 16, 2017) was an American astronaut, naval aviator, electrical engineer, aeronautical engineer, and fighter pilot. Cernan became the eleventh person to walk on the Moon during the Apollo 17 mission. After re-entering the Apollo Lunar Module following Harrison Schmitt on their third and final lunar excursion, Cernan was the last person to walk on the Moon. Cernan flew space three times: as pilot of Gemini 9A in June 1966, as lunar module pilot of Apollo 10 in May 1969, and as commander of Apollo 17 in December 1972, the final Apollo lunar launch.

Reza Pahlavi, born October 31, 1960, is the oldest son of Iranian Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and Farah Diba. Before the 1979 Iranian Revolution, he served as the crown prince and the last heir to the Imperial State of Iran throne. Pahlavi founded and leads the National Council of Iran, an exiled opposition group, and criticizes Iran's Islamic Republic government.

John Edward "Ed" Broadbent (born March 21, 1936) is a Canadian social-democratic politician, political scientist, and chair of the Broadbent Institute, a policy thinktank. Broadbent led the New Democratic Party of Canada (NDP) from 1975 to 1989. In the 2004 federal election, he returned to Parliament for one more term as the Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre.

Ronald John Garan Jr., born October 30, 1961, is a NASA astronaut. After graduating from State University of New York College at Oneonta in 1982, he joined the Air Force, becoming a Second Lieutenant in 1984. Garan became an F-16 pilot and flew combat missions in Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Before becoming an astronaut, he served as the Operations Officer for the 40th Flight Test Squadron (FTS). He first flew in space as a Mission Specialist on the STS-124 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Garan returned to the ISS on April 4, 2011, for a six-month stay as a member of Expedition 27.

Charles Lacy Veach served as a USAF fighter pilot and NASA astronaut from September 18, 1944, to October 3, 1995.

Steven Wayne Lindsey, born August 24, 1960, is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and NASA astronaut. Lindsey served as Chief of the NASA Astronaut Office from September 2006 until October 2009.

Randolph James "Komrade" Bresnik, born September 11, 1967, is a retired United States Marine Corps officer and an active NASA astronaut. Bresnik, a Marine Aviator by trade, was selected for NASA Astronaut Group 19 in May 2004. He first launched into space on STS-129. Bresnik served as Flight Engineer for Expedition 52 and as ISS Commander for Expedition 53.

James Donald "Wxb" Wetherbee (born November 27, 1952) (Capt, USN, Ret.) is an American former naval officer and aviator, test pilot, aerospace engineer, and NASA astronaut. Wetherbee has six Space Shuttle mission experiences and is the only American to command five spaceflight missions.

Charles Owen "Scorch" Hobaugh was born November 5, 1961, in Bar Harbor, Maine. He served as a NASA astronaut and retired as a U.S. Marine Corps officer. Hobaugh completed three spaceflights, all Space Shuttle missions to the International Space Station, lasting 10 to 13 days. NASA selected Hobaugh as an astronaut in 1996. His first flight was STS-104, where he piloted Space Shuttle Atlantis in July 2001. This occurred less than a year after the space station got its first long-duration crew. His last flight happened in November 2009.

John Elmer Blaha, born August 26, 1942, in San Antonio, Texas, is a retired United States Air Force colonel and a former NASA astronaut. Blaha flew five space missions aboard the Space Shuttle and Mir. He married Brenda I. Walters of St. Louis, Missouri. They have three grown children and four grandchildren.

David Lee "Tex" Hill (July 13, 1915 – October 11, 2007) was an American fighter pilot and triple flying ace. As a squadron leader with the Flying Tigers, he earned 12 1⁄4 victories. He also achieved six victories as an officer in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. David Lee "Tex" Hill retired as a brigadier general.

Ted Hartley was an American actor and producer. He appeared in "Peyton Place," "Barefoot in the Park," and "The Missiles of October."

Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was born June 27, 1956. He was a former Royal Saudi Air Force pilot. Sultan flew aboard the American STS-51-G Space Shuttle mission as a payload specialist. He is a member of the House of Saud. Sultan became the first member of a royal family to be an astronaut. He is the first Arab and Muslim to fly in space. On December 27, 2018, he became the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Saudi Space Agency as a minister.

Lawrence Edward Roberts, Sr. lived from December 9, 1922, to October 12, 2004. Roberts was a pilot with the Tuskegee Airmen and a colonel in the United States Air Force. He served a total of 32 years in the military. Roberts is the father of newscaster Robin René Roberts.

Daniel Mark "Doc" Severson, born August 31, 1954, is an American Republican politician. Severson was a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, representing District 14A, which covers parts of Benton and Stearns counties in north central Minnesota. He is a retired U.S. Navy fighter pilot, a business owner, and a substitute teacher. He ran three times for statewide office in Minnesota, with his last attempt in 2014.

Major general Fei Junlong (Chinese: 费俊龙; traditional: 費俊龍; pinyin: Fèi Jùnlóng; born 1965) pilots and flies spacecraft. He flew the second manned Shenzhou program flight. Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China, is where he was born. The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) recruited him from high school in 1982 at age 17. He earned top marks from the PLAAF's No. 9 Aviation School, the Changchun No.1 Flight College of the PLA Air Force, and the Air Force Flight Training School.

Nie Haisheng (Chinese: 聂海胜; traditional: 聶海勝; pinyin: Niè Hǎishèng; born October 13, 1964) is a Chinese military pilot and a CNSA astronaut.

Yves Rossy (born August 27, 1959) is a Swiss military-trained pilot and an aviation enthusiast. He invented a series of experimental individual jet packs, the latest using carbon-fiber wings for flight. People call him "Jetman." Rossy tested and showed new jet pack versions at major global events.