Roscoe Turner
Born
Corinth MS, Sept 1895. Died June 23, 1970. Applied for Air
Service in World War I, but was rejected because of his lack
of a college education, so enlisted as an ambulance driver
in May 1917. Then in October he applied for transfer to the
Air Service and was that time accepted for flight training
in balloons and aircraft, being honourably discharged in
1919 as a 1st Lieutenant. He bought a surplus Standard H-1
and joined the cadre of post-war barnstormers, developing
his image of sartorial splendour by designing the special
uniform that would become his trademark costume. His
flashing smile and easy personality, the eye-catching
uniforms, his penchant for self publicity, his sleek
aircraft and major sponsors all went toward the creation of
a popular image.
However, in
the Turner's case, it was not all smoke and mirrors—he lived
up to the image. After a few years of movie flying and
airline operations—while with Nevada Airlines in 1929 he
also became a Colonel in the Nevada National Guard... hence
his adopted title#151;Turner began making a mark in the
world of air racing that was never equalled by any other
flyer in that colourful early era. Among his many
accomplishments were numerous transcontinental records, both
west-east and east-west, and local dashes.
In 1933 he
won the Shell Speed Races and the famous Bendix Trophy. He
was also first to cross the finish line in the Closed-Course
Thompson Trophy Race, but was technically disqualified for a
pylon infraction. In 1934 he won the Thompson, was second in
the Shell Race, and finished second in the Speed Division of
the MacRobertson International Air Race from London to
Melbourne. In 1935 he came in only 23.5 seconds behind the
winner in the Bendix Race, and led the Thompson until the
last half lap when his engine overheated. In 1938 he placed
second in the Golden Gate Trophy Race, and won the Thompson
Trophy for the second time.
At the
close of the 1939 National Air Races, at which he had won
the Thompson Trophy for a third time, he announced his
retirement from active competition to found a flying school
at Indianapolis IN. During WW2 he was responsible for
training 3,300 military pilots. As America's premier speed
flyer, Turner was multiple winner of the Harmon and
Henderson Trophies, and received a special Distinguished
Flying Cross from Congress in 1952 for his contributions to
aviation.
The Corinth
municipal airport was renamed in his honour in 1961. Beyond
his valuable contributions to the sport or racing and
advancement of aviation technology, Colonel Roscoe Turner
was a legendary personification of a golden era in aviation
history. |