Norman Ralston
Encyclopedia
Norman William Ralston was an American
pilot
.
. Rankin Aeronautical Academy was a civilian flight school for the United States Army Air Corps
.
As a stunt pilot, he operated a fleet of aircraft for Ralston Airshows. Ralston became famous for flying an AT-6 Texan through Naval Air Station Tillamook
, a World War II Blimp Hangar, in Tillamook, Oregon
. Ralston constructed the first commercial hangar at Hillsboro, Oregon
and helped found the Hillsboro Airport
. He co-founded the airline company Aero Air, a successful full service Fixed Based Operator.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
.
Biography
During World War II, Ralston, known as "Swede", trained hundreds of Army pilots at the Rankin Air Academy in Tulare, CaliforniaTulare, California
Tulare is a city in Tulare County, California, United States. The population was 59,278 at the 2010 census.Just eight miles south of Visalia, it is part of the Census Bureau's designation of the Visalia Metropolitan Area. The city is named for the currently dry Tulare Lake, once the largest...
. Rankin Aeronautical Academy was a civilian flight school for the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
.
As a stunt pilot, he operated a fleet of aircraft for Ralston Airshows. Ralston became famous for flying an AT-6 Texan through Naval Air Station Tillamook
Naval Air Station Tillamook
Naval Air Station Tillamook, located just south of Tillamook, Oregon, was a U.S. Naval Air Station during World War II. It was used primarily to house blimps. It was commissioned in 1942 and decommissioned in 1948. It includes US Naval Air Station Dirigible Hangar B, listed on the U.S...
, a World War II Blimp Hangar, in Tillamook, Oregon
Tillamook, Oregon
The city of Tillamook is the county seat of Tillamook County, Oregon, United States. The city is located on the southeast end of Tillamook Bay on the Pacific Ocean. The population was 4,352 at the 2000 census...
. Ralston constructed the first commercial hangar at Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
and helped found the Hillsboro Airport
Hillsboro Airport
Hillsboro Airport , also known as Portland-Hillsboro Airport, is the name of a corporate, general aviation and flight-training airport serving the city of Hillsboro, in Washington County, Oregon, USA. It is one of four airports in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area owned and operated by the...
. He co-founded the airline company Aero Air, a successful full service Fixed Based Operator.
Awards
- Charles Taylor Master Mechanic AwardCharles Taylor Master Mechanic AwardThe Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award is an honor presented by the United States Federal Aviation Administration in honor of Charles Taylor, the first aviation mechanic in powered flight. The award recognizes the lifetime accomplishments of senior aviation mechanics...
- International Council of Air Shows Hall of Fame Award
- FAAFederal Aviation AdministrationThe Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
Wright BrothersWright brothersThe Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
Master Pilot Award