Herbert O. Fisher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Herbert O. Fisher
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Herbert O. Fisher, c. 1944
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| Born | March 6, 1909 |
| Died | July 29, 1990 (aged 81) Chilton Memorial Hospital, Kinnelon, New Jersey, US
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| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Test pilot, Administrator |
| Spouse(s) | Emily Fisher (née Yucknat) |
| Awards | Air Medal |
| Aviation career | |
| Full name | Herbert Owen Fisher |
| Air force | United States Army Air Corps |
| Battles | World War II |
Herbert O. Fisher (born March 6, 1909 – died July 29, 1990) was an amazing American pilot. He was known as a test pilot and a leader in aviation. For over 50 years, Fisher flew planes for 19,351 hours without any accidents or violations. He also helped manage aviation projects for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
During World War II, Fisher went to the China-Burma-India theater. Even though he was a civilian, he trained the famous Flying Tigers pilots. He flew many dangerous missions and was given the Air Medal by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. People saw him as one of the best pilots of his time.
Contents
Early Life and First Flights
Herbert O. Fisher was born on March 6, 1909, in Tonawanda, New York. When he was 16, he had his first airplane ride with a "barnstormer," which is someone who performs flying stunts. He immediately loved flying! After two years of college, Fisher decided to make aviation his career.
Aviation Career Takes Off
Fisher's journey in aviation began in 1927. He joined the United States Army Air Corps and started flight training in 1928. By 1931, he was already helping with aviation in Indianapolis. He worked with the local Chamber of Commerce to support the city's airport.
Becoming a Curtiss-Wright Test Pilot
In 1933, Fisher left the military and joined Curtiss-Wright, a big aircraft company. He became a test pilot. A test pilot flies new planes to make sure they work correctly and are safe. On his very first day, he flew 10 different aircraft!
During his 15 years at Curtiss-Wright, Fisher became the Chief Production Test Pilot. He flew thousands of hours testing many famous planes. These included the Curtiss C-46 Commando, Curtiss P-36/Model 75 Hawk, Curtiss SB2C Helldivers, Curtiss P-40 Warhawks, and Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighters. He flew 2,498 P-40s alone!
Flying for Hollywood and War Efforts
In 1942, Hollywood needed planes for the movie Flying Tigers, starring John Wayne. Since military planes couldn't be used, Curtiss-Wright helped out. They repainted some P-40E fighter planes to look like the ones flown by the Flying Tigers. Fisher, as a test pilot, even flew in the film, acting as a stunt double for John Wayne!
The commander of the Flying Tigers, Claire Lee Chennault, asked for Fisher's help. He wanted Fisher to share his flying experience with the young pilots overseas. So, in 1943, Fisher went to the (CBI) for 13 months. Even though he was a civilian, he flew about 50 combat missions. He proved how well the P-40 could perform in battle. He also taught and demonstrated the P-40 at almost every fighter base in the CBI and other regions.
Fisher also helped introduce the Curtiss C-46 Commando transport plane. On August 6, 1942, he had a scary experience with a C-46. The landing gear got stuck during a test flight. He had important Curtiss executives and a famous Australian pilot, Clive Caldwell, on board. After trying for eight hours to fix it, Fisher calmly landed the plane on its belly. The plane had very little damage, showing his amazing skill!
Fisher worked hard to fix problems with the C-46. He flew 96 "research missions" over "The Hump" to test its systems. "The Hump" was a very dangerous air route over the Himalayan mountains. His detailed reports helped save many lives by improving the plane's safety.
Fisher also convinced American General Joseph Stilwell that new flying procedures would make C-46 flights safer. In 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave Fisher the Air Medal. He was the first living civilian to receive this special honor.
Postwar Innovations in Flight
After World War II, Fisher moved to the Propeller Division of Curtiss-Wright. He became the Chief Pilot there. His main job was to explore how much more propeller-driven planes could do.
Understanding High-Speed Flight
In the 1940s, pilots were starting to fly planes faster than ever. They sometimes ran into something called "compressibility." This happens when air starts to behave strangely at very high speeds, close to the speed of sound. Fisher knew about this problem even from earlier planes.
To solve this, Curtiss-Wright designed new propellers. They wanted propellers that would work well even at very high speeds. Fisher flew a specially changed P-47D-30-RE for these tests. He performed over 100 high-speed dives from 38,000 feet. He reached speeds from 500 to 590 miles per hour. He had to pull out of these dives at exactly 18,000 feet, staying within five feet of that altitude.
These tests were dangerous. Once, an oil line broke at 590 mph over Allentown, Pennsylvania. Fisher had to make a "blind" landing because the whole plane was covered in black oil. Despite the risks, he reached speeds of Mach 0.83 (about 83% of the speed of sound). He even took his young son, Herbert O. Fisher, Jr., on a Mach 0.80 dive! His son was called "the world's fastest toddler."
Revolutionizing Landing and Descent
Fisher also worked on a way for planes to descend very quickly. He did this by reversing the pitch of all four propellers in flight. On a Douglas C-54 Skymaster transport plane, this allowed the plane to drop up to 15,000 feet per minute in just four seconds! This was a safe way for airliners to lose altitude fast. A flight could start at 15,000 feet, three miles from the airport, then land and stop in just one minute and 50 seconds.
Fisher performed nearly 200 of these rapid descents. He even showed the technique to Generals "Hap" Arnold and Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1948. This method was adopted worldwide. It helped modern planes, which fly very high, safely lose altitude in emergencies. Fisher also helped develop using reverse pitch to slow planes down quickly. This allowed them to land safely on shorter runways and greatly reduced runway overruns.
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Later, flying a U.S. Navy Grumman F8F Bearcat fighter, Fisher found a way to fly "zero-g" vertical dives. From 20,000 feet, he would point the plane straight down. At the same time, he reversed the propeller pitch. This allowed a controlled vertical dive at rates between 30,000 and 37,000 feet per minute!
Later Career and Honors
After leaving Curtiss-Wright in 1952, Fisher worked for 23 years at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He was a Special Assistant for Aviation. He helped decide which planes could use airports like JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, and Teterboro. He checked out many different types of aircraft, from huge airliners to small executive jets.
Fisher retired in 1975 but stayed active in aviation. He was known as a skilled pilot and a friendly person. He was often seen in nice clothes, which led to a painting called "The man in the flying tuxedo."
Fisher also held other important roles. He was a director for the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce and an instructor at Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University. He even had a special degree from the university, which also has a scholarship fund in his name.
He helped start and lead many aviation groups. These included the P-40 Warhawk Association and the P-47 Thunderbolt Pilots Association. He was also a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. In his hometown of Caldwell, New Jersey, he was a councilman and police commissioner.
Awards and Recognition
Herbert O. Fisher received many awards for his contributions to aviation:
- In 1976, he was inducted into the OX5 Aviation Pioneers Hall of Fame. This happened at the same time as Charles Lindbergh.
- He also received the China-Burma-India Veterans Association's Americanism Award in 1976.
- He was named a General "Jimmy Doolittle Educational Fellow" by the Air Force Association.
- In 1983, Fisher was inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum of New Jersey.
- In 1984, the Yankee Air Force honored him as "Airman of the Year" and put him in their Hall of Fame.
- On May 13, 2011, Fisher was inducted into the Niagara Frontier Aviation & Space Hall of Fame. His son accepted the award for him.
Death
Herbert O. Fisher passed away on July 29, 1990, at the age of 81. He died from heart failure. He lived in Kinnelon, New Jersey, which had been his family home since 1955.
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