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John C. Seal
JOHN C. SEAL, from biplanes to jets, from fighters to four engine bombers, John C. Seal, one of the nation's noted test pilots for over 20 years, has flown them all.
Licensed as a commercial pilot and flight instructor in 1939, he acted as a charter pilot and instructor, until 1940, when he joined the then CAA as a flight inspector at Roosevelt Field, Long Island, New York.
In early 1942, he accepted a job as production test pilot with the Curtiss-Wright Corporation in Buffalo. Within three months, he was assigned to experimental flight test at Curtiss.Wright and flew tests on most of the experimental models and was project pilot on the XP40Q, the XP-62 and the XP60C. After several structural failures of the SB2C Helldiver, he was named project pilot on that airplane and flew all of the structural integrity dive and spin tests to a successful conclusion. While with Curtiss, he qualified in all production and experimental aircraft and flew over 500 different P-40 aircraft, scores of the Curtiss C-46 Commandos, and the Curtiss built P.47 .
In 1946, John Seal was named chief test pilot of the newly formed Cornell Aeronautical Research Laboratory, a position he held until his retirement from test flying in 1963 after over 20 years as a professional. While chief pilot at CAL, Seal flew over 90 different military and commercial aircraft, including the B-47, the KC.135, the F-I00 and many military helicopters of that time. He successfully completed 80 flight test pro- grams, including flutter dive tests in the F4U, post stall gyration spins in an F7U, and pioneered in terrain following and pilot eval- uation of stability and control characteristics of aircraft.
In 1952, Seal was the recipient of the Octave Chanute Award, the pilot's "Oscar."
In the early fifties, he conducted flight evaluation tests on two Russian fighters captured during the Korean conflict and broke the sound barrier over Buffalo in an F -86 Sabre jet.
When Seal retired from Calspan in December, 1970, after 25 years, his associates presented him a plaque with the heading, "To A Distinguished Pilot and Gentleman."
Seal is now manager of public relations for the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority.
John's career in aviation spanned over 40 years. He holds a commercial pilot's license with all FAA ratings and has accumulated over 8,000 hours of flight time, 4,000 hours of which was test flying and 1,000 hours in jets and 500 hours in helicopters.
The author of several technical papers, Seal is a member of Quiet Birdmen, the OX-5, P-40, P-47 Pilots Clubt, the Aero Club, the Veteran Pilots Association, a Col in the Confederate AF aind is a Fellow in the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.
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Pilot Name
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Biography Summary
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John Abbotts
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P-47 transition followed at Pocatello, Idaho and Greenville, Texas after which he was assigned to the 56th Fighter Group in England. When the news of his arrival reached Berlin, Hitler retired to his bunker with his cyanide capsule and revolver. Eva found the news equally depressing.
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Asa A. Adair
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He returned to the States in August of 1944 after participating in the invasion "D" Day. He flew P-63's, P-51's, F-80's, T-33's, F-84's, T-38's, P-47's in numerous assignments during the following twenty years in in, Japan, U.S.A. and Europe before retiring after twenty-six years of Active Duty.
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Edward B. Addison
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The 507th Fighter Group, equipped with P-47N's, won the Presidential Unit Citation for destroying 32 Japanese aircraft in the air on one mission to Seoul, Korea. The average flying time for raids to Korea and Japan would be 7 to 9 hours flying time. In a total of 31 months, the 507th not only provided top cover for B-29's, but also
dive-bombed, napalm-bombed and flew low-level on strafing missions.
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Levon B. Agha-Zarian
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It is rumored that he, took his primary training on a flying rug. He flew Spits, briefly, in England, but as the, war moved to the East, he was sent to India as a Sgt. Pilot and first saw action from Ceylon, flying the Curtiss P.36, the Brewster Buffalo, and the Hurricane. At this point he might have opted for the rug! This was at the time of the fall of Singapore and the sinking of the Prince of Wales and the Repulse.
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George N. Ahles
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Posted to A-20 light bomber squadron Barksdale Field, Louisiana. . Group moved to Hunter Air Base Savannah, Georgia. Qualified for Pilot training November 1940. Entered Aviation Cadets January 1942. Presented wings November 1942 class of 42-J. Married Mary Louise while in Advanced Pilot Training at Craig AFB, Selma, Alabama, September 1942.
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Roy J. Aldritt
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Shortly after the group moved to France he ran into some unseen flak and was forced to make a nylon descent behind the lines; some evasion and a lot of luck had him back with his unit
in 24 hours.
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Eugene J. Amaral
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After graduation from Stonington High School he enlisted as an Aviation Cadet in December 1942 and was called to active duty in March, 1943. He received his wings and commission at Spence Field, Georgia as a member of the Class of 43-C.
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Talmadge L. Ambrose
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Flew 84 missions thru VE Day, was downed by 22mm ground fire over Siefried Line. He destroyed 11 enemy aircraft, 9 known confirmed in air and on
ground, including 4 FW 190-D's in one afternoon over Hanover, Germany, April 8, 1945. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross,
Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, 17 man, Oak Leaf Clusters, Good Conduct Medal, Pacific Theatre and European Theatre Meda1s with 5 Battle
Stars and Unit Citation Medal.
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John C. Anderson
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After P-47 transition he was assigned to the 406th Fighter Group, 512th Fighter Squadron. (E.T
.0.) He flew 56 missions through January, 1945 destroying supply routes, bridges, and railroads; he also flew close support missions with the ground forces, with attacks on tanks, artillery and enemy positions.
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William Anderson
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It was not always flak,two ME-109's beat the hell out of me one day. The central controller called me and said "Basher-Red Leader do you have contact Bandits," I replied, "I sure do, I'll bring them over the field in 3 minutes, they're chasing me home." Got all the usual medals including two Belgium and two French but one I'm most proud of is the Silver Star -it is the greatest.
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