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80-456: Past recipients of the award include such famed luminaries as Eddie Rickenbacker , Donald Douglas , Jimmy Doolittle , C. R. Smith (the founder of American Airlines ), William A. Patterson (president of United Airlines 1934–1966), and Chuck Yeager . Those so honored are enshrined at the St. Petersburg Museum of History's First Airline Pavilion. The Museum, located 100 yards (91 m) from

160-659: A financial hit. In 1925, the Rickenbacker model 8 was the pace car of the Indianapolis 500. RMC declined when Rickenbacker failed to fully focus on RMC and continued work on aviation. In addition, the company's production engineer, Walter Flanders , died. Above all, the arrival of the less expensive, equally reliable Chrysler cut into the RMC market. As RMC sales dropped and leadership bickered, Rickenbacker resigned from his role as vice president and director of sales. In November 1927,

240-478: A narrow field of view. These missiles could be avoided by simply turning sharply, which essentially caused the missile to lose sight of the target aircraft. Another tactic was to exploit a missile's limited range by performing evasive maneuvers until the missiles had run out of fuel. Modern infrared missiles, like the AIM-9 Sidewinder , have a more advanced guidance system. Supercooled infrared detectors help

320-439: A passing coal car twice. Once, he ran back into his burning school building to retrieve his coat and nearly paid for it with his life. Sixty years later when producing his autobiography, he found significance in these close calls. He came to believe that God had repeatedly saved him for a higher purpose. Young Rickenbacker had an artistic side and enjoyed painting watercolors of animals, flowers, and scenery. He tried to design

400-512: A perpetual motion machine, but, his father berated him for wasting time on an invention with no purpose. He was also "sort of the leader" of the Horsehead Gang, with whom he smoked, played hooky, and broke streetlamps. With the Horsehead Gang, he constructed pushcarts that were a precursor to the Soapbox Derby . Once, the Horsehead Gang took a "roller coaster ride" in a quarry cart and his leg

480-421: A pilot is dogfighting at short-range, his position relative to the opponent is decidedly important. Outperformance of another pilot and that pilot's aircraft is critical to maintain the upper-hand. A common saying for dogfighting is "lose sight, lose fight". If one pilot had a greater missile range than the other, he would choose to fire his missile first, before being in range of the enemy's missile. Normally,

560-701: A reenactment of the Jannus inaugural flight 70 years earlier. The replica was moved to the museum in January, 1993. A permanent exhibit at Tampa International Airport also pays tribute to the following individuals (by year) who have received the Tony Jannus Award since 1964: The Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Tampa, Florida , and governed by a board of directors composed of distinguished industry leaders and Tampa Bay area officials. Financial support

640-399: A second "k" more frequently, with his active encouragement. He also decided his given name "looked a little plain" and adopted a middle initial, signing his name 26 times with different letters before settling upon "V." The Hartford Courant referred to him as "Edward Victor Rickenbacher" after his win at Sheepshead Bay in 1916. In the 1915–16 seasons, Rickenbacker won at Sioux City for

720-595: A stop to racing, and we have a training that our country would need in the time of war. We are experts in judging speed and in motor knowledge." After the April 6 declaration of war by the United States, Rickenbacker went to Washington, D.C. to propose his idea without success. In late May 1917, a week before he was to race in Cincinnati, Rickenbacker was invited to sail to England with General John J. Pershing . By mid-June, he

800-532: Is also true for pilots of most other aircraft. Fighter pilots must be in optimal health to handle the physical demands of modern aerial warfare . Excellent heart condition is required, as the increased "G's" a pilot experiences in a turn can cause stress on the cardiovascular system . One "G" is equal to the force of gravity experienced under normal conditions, two "G"s would be twice the force of normal gravity. Some fighter aircraft can accelerate to up to 9 G's. Fighter pilots also require strong muscle tissue along

880-553: Is considered "close". Pilots perform stressful maneuvers to gain advantage in the dogfight. Pilots need to be in good shape in order to handle the high G-forces caused by aerial combat . Pilots flex their legs and torso to keep blood from draining out of the head. This is known as the AGSM or the M1 or, sometimes, as the "grunt". Many early air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles had very simple infrared homing ("heat seeking") guidance systems with

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960-581: Is from Rickenbacker's book, Fighting the Flying Circus. New York: Frederick A. Stokes, 1919, pp. 363–364. Rickenbacker returned home as a war hero. At the Waldorf-Astoria , 600 people, including Secretary of War Newton Baker and his mother, shuttled in from Columbus . They "cheered him and toasted him and shouted and sang to him". On the streets, he was mobbed by souvenir seekers who tore buttons and ribbons off his uniform. He noted, "The onslaught

1040-504: Is in the ring now!", and the squadron became known as The Hat-in-the-Ring Gang. Rickenbacker's first sortie was with Reed Chambers on April 13, 1918. It almost ended in disaster when both became lost in the fog and Chambers was forced to land. Flight commander David Peterson called Rickenbacker a "bloody fool for flying off in a fog". Two weeks later, on April 29, Rickenbacker shot down his first enemy plane. On May 28, he claimed his fifth victory and became an ace . Rickenbacker received

1120-508: Is provided by prominent companies and organizations related to the aviation industry. The stated threefold mission of the Society is to: The Society holds its annual luncheon and dinner banquet in the Tampa Bay area, when the Tony Jannus Award is conferred for that year, in the presence of past recipients. These meetings are also the occasion for recognizing those college students selected to receive

1200-619: The Chateau Thierry campaign . While recovering in a Paris hospital in July, Rickenbacker reflected on his shortcomings as a pilot, deciding he needed more self-discipline and less impetuosity. Rickenbacker was out of the hospital in time for the St. Mihiel offensive based out of Rembercourt Aerodrome on September 12, 1918. By this time, the 94th and the other squadrons of the 1st Pursuit had converted from their agile but temperamental Nieuport airplanes to

1280-578: The Columbus Buggy Company as a chief testing engineer, supervising upwards of a dozen men in his department. The sixteen-year-old Rickenbacker's hard work and mechanical acumen impressed Harvey S. Firestone , his new employer. Firestone chose Rickenbacker for special assignments, including troubleshooting in Atlantic City and demonstrating at the 1909 Chicago Automobile Show . Later that year, Firestone sent Rickenbacker to Texas to figure out why

1360-762: The Distinguished Service Cross a record number of eight times. In 1930, one of these awards was upgraded to the Medal of Honor . In addition, he received the Legion of Honor and the Croix de Guerre from France. He brought down 26 aircraft during the war, making him the United States ace of aces for the war. His 26 victories remained the American record until Richard Bong 's forty victories in World War II. The following data

1440-690: The Federal Aviation Act of 1958 that created the Federal Aviation Administration . In the 1970s, the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce joined with the Tampa chamber to co-sponsor the award. The joint effort by the two chambers of commerce eventually evolved into the Tony Jannus Distinguished Aviation Society, a non-profit organization which now confers the award. Winners of the Tony Jannus Award are enshrined at

1520-623: The Maxwell team. Looking back decades later, Rickenbacker called this "the major mistake of my racing career". Still, he finished the season ranked fifth among all racers, with three victories to his credit. In September 1915, Rickenbacker received financial backing from Indianapolis Speedway owner Carl Fisher and his partner, Fred Allison. They made Rickenbacker the leader of a new Presto-Lite team, giving him free rein over three drivers and four mechanics as they developed four Maxwell Special race cars. In 1915, newspapers began spelling his name with

1600-551: The Savoy Hotel in London. The English police surveilled Rickenbacker the entire six weeks he was in England and for another two weeks when he was back in the United States. In 1917, after his experience as a suspected spy and to anglicize his name, he officially changed the spelling of his name from Rickenbacher to Rickenbacker. A few years later, he settled on the middle name "Vernon" after

1680-475: The St. Mihiel sector , where Rickenbacker had begun his training with the French seven months earlier. Now the American air service had its aerodrome at nearby Gengoult . Before beginning their patrols, the two squadrons chose an insignia to paint on their planes. The 95th chose a kicking mule. The 94th chose an Uncle Sam stovepipe hat, tipped inside a surrounding circle. One officer remarked, "Well, I guess our hat

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1760-644: The $ 700,000 in debt he incurred. He also drove the speedway's pace car for several years. He operated the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for more than ten years, overseeing many improvements to the facility. He was responsible for the first radio broadcast of the Memorial Day 500 race. After a final 500-mile (800 km) race in 1941 , he closed the Speedway to conserve gasoline , rubber, and other resources during World War II. In 1945, Rickenbacker sold

1840-479: The French Croix de Guerre that month. However, Rickenbacker was not perfect: he almost fired on friendly planes several times, his gun jammed, and he nearly crashed when his Nieuport's fabric wing tore off in a dive. On May 30, 1918, he achieved his sixth victory, but it would be his last for three and a half months. In late June, he had a fever and ear infection that turned into an abscess and grounded him most of

1920-501: The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce created the Tony Jannus Award to recognize the "Man who has done the most to advance the airline industry" and to celebrate the Tampa Bay area's historic role in the development of commercial aviation. The following March 1964, Senator A. S. Mike Monroney was named the first Tony Jannus Award recipient for his work as chairman of the U.S. Senate's Aviation Subcommittee and as chief proponent of

2000-636: The Hat-in-the Ring squadron symbol. It was a high-quality mid-priced car, "up to the minute in every detail". RMC models sold for $ 1,500 to $ 2,000. Because it "offers the least resistance to radio because of vibration", the Rickenbacker was selected to make the first transcontinental radio tour in June 1922. The next year, Leo Wood extolled its smooth ride in a pop song, "In My Rickenbacker Car". In mid-1923 Rickenbacker introduced his next innovation—four-wheel brakes. A decade earlier, he had benefited from these on

2080-604: The International Correspondence School. Chief engineer Lee Frayer took Rickenbacker under his wing, giving him more responsibility in the workshop. Two months later, when it came time to compete in the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup race, Frayer brought Rickenbacker to New York as his riding mechanic. After two practice runs, their engine overheated and they failed to get to the starting line for their qualifying run. Back in Columbus, Rickenbacker followed his mentor to

2160-515: The Society's financial assistance, along with high school students excelling in the Essay Contest. Eddie Rickenbacker Edward Vernon Rickenbacker (born Edward Rickenbacher , October 8, 1890 – July 23, 1973) was an American fighter pilot in World War I and a Medal of Honor recipient. With 26 aerial victories, he was the most successful and most decorated United States flying ace of

2240-578: The St. Petersburg Museum of History's First Airline Pavilion and Tony Jannus-related exhibits. The Museum, located 100 yards (91 m) from the site of the inaugural flight's takeoff on January 1, 1914, also has an operational replica of the Benoist XIV airplane flown by Jannus that day. The replica was built by the Florida Aviation Historical Society in 1983 and flown across Tampa Bay from St. Petersburg to Tampa on January 1, 1984, in

2320-559: The Upper Midwest Agency out of Omaha. At nineteen, Rickenbacker was in charge of six men, covering sales, distribution, and maintenance of Firestone-Columbus automobiles in four states. He earned $ 125 per week. To draw attention to his company's car, Rickenbacker entered a 25-mile race in Red Oak, Iowa . He failed to finish in his first automobile race after crashing through an outer fence. That summer, Rickenbacker went on to win most of

2400-555: The air than any other pilot in the service—a total of 300 combat hours. He brought down fifteen aircraft in the final six weeks of the war. In September 1918, he received the rank of captain. At the end of the war in France, the 94th had the highest number of air victories of the American squadrons. When Rickenbacker learned of the Armistice , he flew an airplane above the No Man's Land to observe

2480-860: The brother of his boyhood crush, Blanche Calhoun. While in England, Rickenbacker watched Royal Flying Corps airplanes fly over the Thames from the Brooklands aerodrome. He began to consider a role in aviation if the United States entered the European war. The month before, while he had been in Los Angeles, Rickenbacker had had two chance encounters with aviators. Glenn Martin , founder of Glenn L. Martin Company and more recently with Wright-Martin Aircraft , gave Rickenbacker his first ride aloft. Next, Major Townsend F. Dodd

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2560-515: The car, with Ray McNamara developing its core engineering. Rickenbacker's most significant innovation was the tandem flywheel construction at the rear of the crankshaft that reduced vibration. The Rickenbacker automobile model took two years of development and 100,000 miles (160,000 km) of test driving by Rickenbacker before being unveiled at the New York Auto Show in 1922. RMC marketed its vehicle as "A Car Worthy of Its Name" and also used

2640-492: The ceasefire as it occurred at 11:00 a.m. on November 11, 1918. He later wrote, "I was the only audience for the greatest show ever presented. On both sides of no man's land, the trenches erupted. Brown-uniformed men poured out of the American trenches, gray-green uniforms out of the German. From my observer's seat overhead, I watched them throw their helmets in the air, discard their guns, wave their hands." Rickenbacker received

2720-449: The company included Henry Ford , Richard C. Hoyt of the Hayden, Stone & Co. financial empire, and Percy Rockefeller . Ford's investment included supplying three new airplanes. Florida Airways began carrying airmail in April and passengers two months later, going between Miami and Jacksonville. However, Florida Airways was out of business before completing a full year of operations. It

2800-677: The company went bankrupt. Because he was a founder, Rickenbacker was responsible for $ 250,000 of debt. While he was supposed to be focusing on RMC, Rickenbacker tried to achieve speed and distance records in aviation across the United States. His focus shifted to creating a light plane that would be affordable for private ownership. In January 1923, he announced the Glider Trophy, an annual worldwide contest he established to encourage experimentation with glider design. The Trophy cost $ 5,000 to produce. In 1926, Rickenbacker started Florida Airways , with wartime comrade Reed Chambers . Investors in

2880-469: The dirt track races he entered, including five of six races at Omaha's Aksarben Festival in October. When reporting on races, newspapers misspelled his name as Reichenbaugh, Reichenbacher, or Reichenberger, before settling on Rickenbacker. The following May, Lee Frayer invited his protégé to join him in another racing venture: the first ever Indianapolis 500 . As relief driver, Rickenbacker replaced Frayer in

2960-558: The early 1990s, women were disqualified from becoming fighter pilots in most of the air forces throughout the world. The exceptions being Turkey where Sabiha Gökçen became the first female fighter pilot in history in 1936 and went on to fly fast jets well into the 1950s, and the USSR during the Second World War 1942–1945 where many women were trained as fighter pilots in the 586th Fighter Aviation Regiment including Lilya Litvyak who became

3040-406: The extremities and abdomen, for performing an anti-G straining maneuver (AGSM, see below) when performing tight turns and other highly accelerated maneuvers. Better-than-average visual acuity is also a highly desirable and valuable trait. Modern medium and long range active radar homing and semi-active radar homing missiles can be fired at targets outside or beyond visual range . However, when

3120-432: The eyes of the enemy" by taking out their observation balloons . The giant gas bags appeared easy to bring down, but were heavily guarded and dangerous to attack. Rickenbacker led planning sessions for multi-squadron raids of as many as fourteen planes. One reporter likened him to a football coach, "boning up for the season ahead" with "conferences on methods, blackboard talks, and ideas for air battle tactics". Rickenbacker

3200-554: The facts of an enemy's weapon payload is unknown, and are revealed as the fight progresses. Some air combat maneuvers form the basis for the sport of aerobatics : Pilots are trained to employ specific tactics and maneuvers when they are under attack. Attacks from missiles are usually countered with electronic countermeasures , Flares and chaff . Missiles like the AIM-120 AMRAAM , however, can actively home in on jamming signals. Dogfighting at 1 to 4 miles (1,600 to 6,400 m)

3280-488: The family income. In 1893, his father owned a construction company. With a loan from Lizzie's parents, the couple purchased a lot and built a small home on 1334 East Livingston Avenue , 2 miles (3.2 km) southeast of downtown at the edge of the city limits in 1893. The house lacked running water, indoor plumbing, and electricity. This is where Edd, as he was called by his parents, spent his childhood. Growing up, Rickenbacker worked before and after school. He helped in

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3360-412: The first airplane from which a parachute jump was made, in 1912. Jannus was also the first airline pilot, having pioneered the inaugural flight of the St. Petersburg–Tampa Airboat Line on January 1, 1914, the first scheduled commercial airline flight in the world using heavier-than-air aircraft. Departing from a location near the downtown St. Petersburg Municipal Pier on Second Avenue North, Jannus piloted

3440-405: The forces are great enough and over a sufficient period of time this can lead to blackouts (called G-induced loss of consciousness or G-LOC ), because not enough blood is reaching the pilot's brain. To counteract this effect pilots are trained to tense their legs and abdominal muscles to restrict the "downward" flow of blood. This is known as the "grunt" or the "Hick maneuver". Both names allude to

3520-563: The garden where the family grew potatoes, cabbages, and turnips and cared for the family's chickens, goats, and pigs. He earned money by delivering papers, setting up pins at a bowling alley, and selling scavenged goods. He gave most of his earnings to his mother but spent some on Bull Durham tobacco, a habit he picked up from his older brother Bill. As a child, Rickenbacker was accident-prone. Before entering school, he toddled into an oncoming horse-drawn streetcar and fell 12 feet (3.7 m) into an open cistern . His brother rescued him from

3600-600: The grandest free-for-alls I ever was in." He finished the year in third place in the standings but with a win in Los Angeles . He was now one of the most famous race car drivers in America and was earning $ 40,000 a year. Signing with the British Sunbeam team for the upcoming season, Rickenbacker sailed to England to work to develop a new race car. Before he could disembark at Liverpool for his new job with Sunbeam, Rickenbacker

3680-485: The guidance system of either the missile or ground station guiding it. Chaff is another option in the case that the aircraft is too high up to use geographical obstructions. Pilots have to be aware of the potential threats and learn to distinguish between the two where possible. They use the radar warning receiver (RWR) to discern the types of signals hitting their aircraft. When maneuvering fiercely during engagements, pilots are subjected to high G-force . G-forces express

3760-446: The magnitude of gravity, with 1G being equivalent to Earth's normal pull of gravity. Because modern jet aircraft are highly agile and have the capacity to make very sharp turns, the pilot's body is often pushed to the limit. When executing a "positive G" maneuver like turning upwards the force pushes the pilot down. The most serious consequence of this is that the blood in the pilot's body is also pulled down and into their extremities. If

3840-546: The middle portion of the race, driving the majority of miles and helping his former boss take thirteenth place. The next year he drove Frayer's Red Wing Special by himself but was forced out after 100 miles with mechanical difficulties. Rickenbacker quit his sales job and went on the county fair circuit with a Flying Squadron team. In October 1912, the American Automobile Association (AAA) cracked down on drivers known for flouting safety regulations. Rickenbacker

3920-436: The missile find a possible exhaust source, and software assists the missile in flying towards its target. Pilots normally drop flares to confuse or decoy these missiles by creating more multiple heat signatures hotter than that of the aircraft for the missile to lock onto and guide away from the defending aircraft. Radar homing missiles could sometimes be confused by surface objects or geographical features causing clutter for

4000-561: The more rugged, higher-powered Spad XIII . The Spad was a good fit for Rickenbacker's style of attack. He made another kill on September 14 against a Fokker D-VII , and another the day after that. Although Rickenbacker's performance was rising, the 94th squadron's was still disappointing. After a sluggish summer at Chateau Thierry, Major Harold Hartney wanted new leadership to lead the Hat-in-the-Ring Gang to its former greatness. He chose Lieutenant Rickenbacker over several captains as

4080-490: The most highly regarded and desirable positions of any air force. Selection processes only accept the elite out of all the potential candidates. An individual who possesses an exceptional academic record, physical fitness, healthy well-being, and a strong mental drive will have a higher chance of being selected for pilot training. Candidates are also expected to exhibit strong leadership and teamwork abilities. In nearly all air forces, fighter pilots are commissioned officers . This

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4160-453: The new Frayer-designed engines were overheating. Rickenbacker solved the problem and stayed on to head up Columbus Buggy's Dallas agency. At eighteen, he was the chief engineer, experimenter, demonstrator, mechanic, and salesman. During this time, he served as a chauffeur to the visiting William Jennings Bryan , getting his picture and his cars in the newspaper. He made three sales as a result. In March 1910, Firestone sent Rickenbacker to direct

4240-428: The new St. Petersburg–Tampa Airboat Line began providing two daily round trips across Tampa Bay, departing St. Petersburg at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., with return flights from Tampa departing at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. At a fare of five dollars, it was the first time tickets were sold to the general public for point-to-point commercial air travel on a scheduled basis. Fifty years later, in 1963, James Hamlett and

4320-476: The new commander of the 94th Squadron . Rickenbacker went to work turning his men "back into a team". He gathered his pilots and exhorted them to stay focused on their mission. Reminding the mechanics that he was one of them, he stressed the crucial importance of their work. Above all, he let them know that he was a "gimper" or "a bird who will stick by you through anything" and "would never ask anybody to do anything that [he] would not do [him] self first or do at

4400-514: The next three months, Rickenbacker took time from his work schedule to continue his flight training, standing in at the back of lectures and taking airplanes up on his own to practice new maneuvers. In January 1918, Rickenbacker finagled his way into a release for gunnery school , the final step to becoming a pursuit pilot. In February and March, Lieutenant Rickenbacker and the officers of the nascent 1st Pursuit Group completed advanced training at Villeneuve–les–Vertus Aerodrome . There he came under

4480-542: The performance and safety of airplanes were a concern for the government and the general public. Rickenbacker resorted to his promotional abilities to generate public and governmental enthusiasm, but with limited success. In 1920 and 1921, he made four transcontinental crossings—twice in Junkers-Larsen JL-6s and twice in de Havilland DH-4s . During these trips, he had seven crack-ups, nine near misses, and eight forced landings in cornfields. In 1925, Rickenbacker

4560-406: The race track and wanted to make them standard on his commercial vehicles. However, his decision to make a mid-year introduction was costly. Rickenbacker blamed sales problems on a concerted industry media attack led by Studebaker . He said, "That broke me; it was more responsible for my going broke...than anything else." A second mid-year change in 1924 left RMC dealers feeling mistreated and taking

4640-503: The racetrack to the businessman Anton Hulman Jr. Fighter pilot A fighter pilot or combat pilot is a military aviator trained to engage in air-to-air combat , air-to-ground combat and sometimes electronic warfare while in the cockpit of a fighter aircraft . Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting (close range aerial combat). A fighter pilot with at least five air-to-air kills becomes known as an ace . Fighter pilots are one of

4720-638: The rest of the season. He won three times and finished the season in 27th place on the AAA standings with 115 points. In 1914, the Duesenberg team separated from their investor, Edward R. Mason . Winning the prize money became vital for Rickenbacker because he would be out of racing for the season if Duesenberg ran out of funds. With some hard driving, he won the Fourth of July race at Sioux City. A third-place finish by another Duesenberg driver brought in $ 12,500 and ensured that

4800-403: The same time." To underscore his point, Rickenbacker took a solo patrol over the line and shot down two enemy planes the next morning. His victories above Billy, France, earned him the Medal of Honor , awarded by President Herbert Hoover in 1931. Building on the leadership skills he developed with Maxwell , Rickenbacker turned the 94th Squadron into a winning team. He was determined to "blind

4880-557: The site of the inaugural flight's takeoff on January 1, 1914, also has an operational replica of the Benoist XIV airplane flown by Jannus that day. On January 29, 2011, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics dedicated an historic site plaque on the museum's grounds, commemorating the site of the world’s first regularly scheduled airline. Tony Jannus was an early American pilot whose aerial exploits were widely publicized in aviation's pre-World War I period. He flew

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4960-461: The sounds the pilot makes, and is the primary method of resisting G-LOCs. Modern flight suits, called G-suits , are worn by pilots to contract around the extremities exerting pressure, providing about 1G of extra tolerance. Some notable fighter pilots, including some for being flying aces and others who went on to non-fighter pilot notability (record-breaking test pilots , astronauts and cosmonauts , politicians , business leaders, etc.): Until

5040-455: The team would complete the season. Rickenbacker finished the year in sixth place in the AAA standings. Rickenbacker was now a national racing figure, earning the nickname "Fast Eddie". One sportswriter called him "the most daring and...the most cautious driver in America today." The top-ranked Peugeot team lured Rickenbacker away from Duesenberg at the start of 1915. However, a couple of bad outings caused him to abandon Peugeot and switch to

5120-503: The third year in a row, as well as Tacoma and Sheepshead Bay (New York). In September, he was in a three-way tie for the championship with Dario Resta and Johnny Aitken . He needed a win at the Indianapolis Harvest 100 to take first place. He had the lead in the penultimate lap but had driven his car into the ground. Driving on three wheels, Aitken passed Rickenbacker's broken-down Maxwell Special. Rickenbacker called it "one of

5200-572: The track to becoming a fighter pilot. Miller asked Rickenbacker to be the chief engineer at the flight school and aerodrome he was establishing at Issoudun . Rickenbacker bargained for the chance to learn to fly at the French flight school outside Toul . He received five weeks of training or 25 hours in the air in September 1917. Then, he went to Issoudun to start constructing the United States Air Service 's pursuit training facility, During

5280-409: The tutelage and mentorship of the French flying ace, Major Raoul Lufbery. With regards to flying, Rickenbacker said, "All I learned, I learned from Lufbery". Lufbery took Rickenbacker and Douglas Campbell on their first patrol before their Nieuport 28s were outfitted with machine guns. Rickenbacker earned the respect of the other fliers, who called him "Rick". Both squadrons relocated to Toul, in

5360-461: The twenty-three-minute inaugural flight of the pioneer airline's Benoist XIV flying boat biplane. A crowd of 3,000 gathered at the pier to watch the history-making takeoff at 10 a.m. and were told by organizer Percival Fansler that "What was impossible yesterday is an accomplishment today, while tomorrow heralds the unbelieveable" [ sic ]. Occurring just ten years after Wilbur and Orville Wright 's historic first airplane flight,

5440-566: The war, Fighting the Flying Circus . Rickenbacker also contracted for a speaking tour for $ 10,000; still in the Army, Rickenbacker also used this tour to promote liberty bonds . After the Liberty Bond tour, he was released from the army in November 1919 with a promotion to the rank of major, but he did not claim the promotion. He felt the rank of captain was the only one that was "earned and deserved". He

5520-576: The war. He was also a racing driver , an automotive designer, and a long-time head of Eastern Air Lines . Rickenbacker was born Edward Rickenbacher in Columbus, Ohio . He was the third of eight children born to German-speaking Swiss immigrants, Lizzie (née Liesl Basler) and Wilhelm Rickenbacher. Later in life, he changed the spelling of his last name to Rickenbacker and adopted a middle name, Vernon. His father worked for breweries and street-paving crews and his mother Lizzie took in laundry to supplement

5600-444: Was a defense witness, along with Hap Arnold , Tooey Spaatz , Ira Eaker , and Fiorello H. La Guardia , in the court-martial of General Billy Mitchell . In October 1919, Rickenbacker accepted an offer from millionaire Byron F. Everitt of Everitt-Metzger-Flanders to develop a new car under the name Rickenbacker Motor Company (RMC). Other partners in the business were Harry Cunningham and Walter Flanders . Rickenbacker designed

5680-556: Was a victim of the 1926 hurricane, the decline of the Florida real estate boom, and the failure of Tampa officials to deliver a promised airport. The company was purchased from receivership by Harold Pitcairn . On November 1, 1927, Rickenbacker purchased the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from Carl Fisher for $ 700,000. He considered his salary of $ 5,000 a year and the opportunities for public relations to be more valuable than

5760-491: Was barred from the track for the next twelve months. He joined the automobile workshop of Frederick and August Duesenberg in Des Moines, Iowa . For the next year, he worked sixteen-hour days at $ 3 a day, developing a Mason race car, named for Duesenberg's chief investor. In July 1913, Rickenbacker received dispensation from AAA to compete in his hometown Columbus 200-mile race. Somehow, he kept his racing reinstatement through

5840-545: Was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to ten years in prison. Though his older siblings Bill and Mary were working, Rickenbacker felt a responsibility to help replace his father's lost income. He dropped out of the seventh grade and went to work full-time, lying about his age to work around child labor laws. He worked eight different jobs during the next two years. While working at the Oscar Lear Automobile Company in 1905, he took an engineering course from

5920-482: Was credited with bringing down five balloons, Rickenbacker inculcated into the squadron with his new principles of engagement, which germinated while he was confined in the hospital: Never attack unless there is at least a fifty-fifty chance of success, always break off an engagement that seems hopeless, and know the difference between cowardice and common sense. He continued to fly aggressively, but with calculated caution. He also flew more patrols and spent more hours in

6000-517: Was detained by two plainclothes agents from Scotland Yard . A 1914 Los Angeles Times article had fabricated a story claiming that the young driver was Baron Rickenbacher, "the disowned son of a Prussian noble." With Britain deep into World War I , Scotland Yard considered him a potential spy. In England, Rickenbacker worked at the Sunbeam shop in Wolverhampton during the week and spent weekends at

6080-644: Was in France, where he enlisted in the United States infantry. He was assigned to drive Army officials between Paris and A.E.F. headquarters in Chaumont , and on to various points on the Western Front. Rickenbacker earned the rank of Sergeant First Class but never drove for General Pershing. Rather, he mostly drove for Major Dodd. A chance encounter with Captain James Miller on the Champs-Elysees put Rickenbacker on

6160-449: Was pretty heavy, more than I liked, but I took it...." Los Angeles gave him a parade in June. Rickenbacker turned down several endorsement offers and an opportunity to star in a feature film. He said producer Carl Laemmle "shoved a hundred-thousand-dollar certified check under my nose". Rickenbacker turned down these opportunities because he did not want to cheapen his image. He signed a book deal worth $ 25,000, publishing his memoir of

6240-540: Was referred to as Captain Eddie or just "the Captain" for the rest of his life. Rickenbacker had a name he could capitalize on in any business he chose. He told a reporter, "There is no comparison between the auto and the air. I am through with the automobile and I stand ready to place my skill and talents in flying." Around December 1919, Rickenbacker talked to Reed Chambers about a joint venture in aircraft manufacturing. However,

6320-469: Was run over and badly sliced. After the Wright brothers' first airplane flight, Rickenbacker tried to "fly" a bicycle outfitted with an umbrella off of his friend's barn roof. The summer before Rickenbacker's fourteenth birthday, his father was injured in a brawl. After being hit in the head with a level, Rickenbacker's father was in a coma for almost six weeks before his death on August 26, 1904. His assailant

6400-516: Was stranded with his plane in a field and Rickenbacker diagnosed a magneto problem. Dodd later became General John J. Pershing 's aviation officer and an important contact in Rickenbacker's attempt to join air combat. Back in the United States after the revelation of the Zimmermann Telegram , Rickenbacker shared his idea for an aero squadron composed of race car drivers and mechanics with a New York Times reporter: "War would practically put

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