Corky Meyer has quite an aviation background

As was explained in a column two weeks ago, three local aviators were awarded the prestigious Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award at Lakeland-Linder Regional Airport on Dec. 17. The award is the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) highest acknowledgement of a pilot's outstanding service in aviation. Last week we learned about one recipient, Gerald "Jerry" Walbrun, and this week we will get to know another awardee, Corwin "Corky" Meyer, describing him through some of the comments used by the FAA at the presentation ceremony. Next we will get to meet Henry "Hank" Rodahaver.

Corwin "Corky" Meyers, Leeward Air Ranch resident, had already been a rated pilot for two years when World War II broke out. He made a career out of pushing developmental naval aircraft to their absolute edges so that others might fly them effectively in combat. This was his role as a test pilot for the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation.

In fact, Meyer was Grumman's first full-time engineering test pilot, and over the span of his long career he flew many amazing airplanes. Before retiring from test flight in 1978, he had tested and evaluated more than 125 different types of military and commercial jet and piston-engine aircraft.

One of his first projects was the legendary XF6F-3 Hellcat, which was under development early in the war. With only four years as a certificated pilot, he was appointed project test pilot on the XTBF-3 Avenger, the aircraft George Bush Sr. flew. This was in May of 1943. In 1944 he was already Grumman's senior engineering test pilot!

Meyer was a test pilot in the early days of jets, when almost nothing was known about them except anything learned through trial and error. Even the operational pilots in carrier-based squadrons had to be brave souls on a good day; Meyer preceded them all and was test flying those same jets before they got to the fleet. In 1947 Meyer was the first to fly the XF9F-2 Panther, Grumman's first jet fighter.

As if this wasn't all exciting enough, Meyer also experienced nine engine failures, all during flight tests.

After a lengthy period as Grumman's senior engineering test pilot, he shifted more to the management side, and eventually rose to prominence within the company to become Vice President of all manufacturing, flight test, purchasing, and quality control, with 23,000 people serving under him. He was head of Grumman Flight Operations at Edwards Air Force Base from 1952-1956. In 1954 he landed an F9F-6 Cougar aboard USS Lake Champlain, becoming the first civilian pilot to qualify aboard an aircraft carrier.

After leaving Grumman American, a commercial aircraft subsidiary, where he eventually became president and CEO, Meyer's career moved on to cover management positions with significant accomplishments at a number of other companies including Gulfstream, Enstrom Helicopter, Falcon Jet and OMAC.

In 1997 Meyer was named an Honorary Naval Aviator, only the 23rd since 1911. Among the many other achievements and awards he has received, he was named a member of the Carrier Aviation Test Pilots Hall of Honor at Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum in Charleston, S.C.

Truly a unique individual, now one can read more about "Corky" Meyer in his just-published book, Corky Meyer's Flight Journal. There is a 15 percent discount on orders placed before Jan. 31. Call (800) 895-4585 for more information.