Pilot
1. Jean-Pierre Francois Blanchard (1753)
Pilot
French balloonist who was the first person to fly across the English Channel in a balloon.
2. Hilda Hewlett (1864)
Pilot
Early female pilot and founder of a successful aircraft manufacturing company in the United Kingdom.
3. Alberto Santos Dumont (1873)
Pilot
Brazilian aviator who flew hot air balloons, planes and dirigibles.
4. Gustave Whitehead (1874)
Pilot
German aviation pioneer who worked on powered flight and was active at the same time as the famous Wright Brothers.
5. Jorge Newbery (1970)
Pilot
Pilot, engineer and civil servant who popularized aviation in Argentina and founded the country's Air Force.
6. Amelie Beese (1886)
Pilot
Female pilot in early 20th century Germany who gained fame as the country's first aviatrix.
7. Igor Sikorsky (1889)
Pilot
Russian-born developer and aviation pioneer who designed and flew the world's first multi-engine fixed-wing aircraft, the Russky Vityaz, in 1913. He also founded the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation in 1923, where...
8. Dale Mabry (1891)
Pilot
This United States Army Air Service dirigible aviator died after the Roma, an aircraft he was test piloting, crashed in eastern Virginia in 1922. Thirty-three other people also perished in...
9. Dieudonne Costes (1892)
Pilot
French aviator who piloted the first nonstop flight from Paris to New York.
10. Lawrence Sperry (1892)
Pilot
Aviation pioneer who was nicknamed 'Gyro' for his numerous inventions to help improve the safety and navigation of early airplanes. In 1992 he was inducted into the Naval Aviation Hall...
11. Arthur Roy Brown (1893)
Pilot
Canadian pilot and Royal Air Force officer remembered for shooting down the Red Baron during World War I.
12. Gabriel Guerin (1892)
Pilot
Moroccan-born pilot who earned 23 confirmed victories as an ace during World War I. He received prestigious citations like Médaille Militaire and Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur for his service.
13. Edwin Musick (1970)
Pilot
Pan American World Airways pilot who became a pioneer of commercial, transoceanic routes.
14. Italo Balbo (1896)
Pilot
Pilot and political leader who helped to develop Fascist Italy's Air Force.
15. Juan Delacierva (1970)
Pilot
Pilot and engineer who developed the autogyro, a working predecessor to the airplane.
16. Lester J. Maitland (1970)
Pilot
The first pilot to successfully complete a flight from the United States mainland to Hawaii.
17. Francis Chichester (1970)
Pilot
British adventurer who sailed around the world in Gipsy Moth IV, a fifty-five-foot yacht.
18. Max Conrad (1903)
Pilot
American aviator who set numerous records for long-distance and around-the-world flights.
19. James Allan Mollison (1905)
Pilot
Scottish aviator and World War II pilot best known for his flight speed records.
20. Erich Warsitz (1905)
Pilot
Legendary test pilot who became the first man to fly a jet aircraft and - two days later - a liquid-fueled rocket.
21. Charles F. Blair Jr. (1909)
Pilot
Renowned pilot who served as a Brigadier General with the U.S. Air Force and as an aviation Captain with the U.S. Navy.
22. Jeffrey Quill (1970)
Pilot
Aviator who was nicknamed "Mr. Spitfire" and flew the prototype of the most famous World War II airplane.
23. Tex Johnston (1914)
Pilot
Daredevil test pilot who barrel-rolled a Boeing 707 on the aircraft's demonstration flight.
24. Bill Bower (1970)
Pilot
Former U.S. Air Force Colonel remembered for being the last surviving pilot of the Doolittle Raid, the first American aerial attack on Japan during World War II. In June 1942,...
25. Albert Lee Ueltschi (1970)
Pilot
Founder of FlightSafety International, one of the world's foremost aviation schools.
26. Joseph C. McConnell (1970)
Pilot
Distinguished American fighter pilot of the Korean War era. He received both the Silver Star and the Distinguished Service Cross for his aerial combat heroics.
27. Francis Gary Powers (1929)
Pilot
United States Air Force pilot and U-2 spy mission pilot for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). He is best remembered for his involvement in the Cold War U-2 incident of...
28. Patricia Yora (1970)
Pilot
Indonesian pilot whose photos of her career and lifestyle have amassed her 120,000 followers on Instagram.
29. Dick Rutan (1938)
Pilot
Commander of the Voyager aircraft, which flew around the world without stopping or refueling.
30. Steven L. Bennett (1946)
Pilot
Medal of Honor recipient for his bravery during the Vietnam War as a member of the United States Air Force from 1968 until his death in 1972.
31. Jeana Yeager (1970)
Pilot
Aviatrix who co-piloted the Rutan Voyager to the first around-the-world nonstop, non-refueled flight.
32. Daniel Narváez Hurtado (1970)
Pilot
Colombian Instagram star who has gained fame as a young airplane pilot.
33. Ritu Rathee Taneja (1990)
Pilot
Commercial airline pilot known for her Flying Beast YouTube channel, where she shares her adventures in the air and on the ground. She has amassed more than 7 million subscribers.