Great aviator passes

[wby0nder]

I learned tonight that Col. Harold Fischer has died. Hal was featured in the book Hot Shots as one of the Korean War F86 aces who after becoming the first American jet pilot with 10 kills, was shot down and imprisoned by the Chinese. Hal was my fathers best friend during the 60s when they both lived in Iowa. As I said to his son Kurt on the phone tonight, "Star wars heros are a fantasy. Your dad was the real thing, a warrior on a frontier that not longer exists". To which he replied, "and your dad too! Now they are together".

Off we go, into the wild blue yonder...

 

[rottydaddy]

Blue skies and happy landings to both of them.

 

[akite]

I think as pilots we are lucky, we get to experience a little bit of heaven before we actually get there. The wild blue yonder is great!

 

[write-stuff]

You're lucky to have known him. He is part of a breed that is swiftly leaving us, never to exist again. I'm saddened everytime we lose another one.

- Russ

 

[wby0nder]

http://www.acepilots.com/korea_fischer.html

 

[Pilawt]

I once had the thrill of meeting one of those featured on that Acepilots site, Col. Glenn Eagleston.

In 1971 I was a green-as-grass, 19-year-old flight instructor at an FBO at Long Beach CA. Our eclectic (if not elegant) fleet included a couple of then-new American AA-1 Yankees.

A distinguished-looking gentleman came into the FBO and asked for a demo ride in one of the Yankees. We took off in N6190L, but not before he pulled on a pair of leather flying gloves. He skillfully wheeled the airplane around the sky over the harbor, obviously enjoying the Yankee's slick handling. After we landed and the customer left, the chief pilot ambled up and asked if I knew who that was. I didn't. He said, "Col. Glenn Eagleston is a fighter ace with 18-1/2 kills in WW-2 and Korea, and now he's in your logbook under 'instruction given'!"