Neal Vernon Loving facts for kids

Neal Vernon Loving (born 1916, died 1998) was an amazing American pilot. He was the first African-American and the first person with two amputated legs to become a licensed racing pilot. He was also a talented inventor and an engineer who designed aircraft.

Early Life and Dreams of Flight

Neal Loving was born in Detroit, Michigan, on February 4, 1916. His dad was the first Black eye doctor in Michigan. Neal got excited about flying when he was ten years old. He saw a cool de Havilland biplane fly over his house! He went to Cass Technical High School to learn about airplanes.

Neal Loving's Flying Journey

Learning and Teaching About Airplanes

After high school, Neal worked with his old teacher, George Tabraham. He became a licensed airplane mechanic. Neal even built a special ground trainer aircraft. This trainer won an award from Mechanix Illustrated magazine. It was shown at the Detroit City Airport.

In 1936, Neal was hired to teach kids how to build model airplanes. He also kept learning himself. He took fast-paced classes in drafting and engineering.

Breaking Barriers in Aviation

Neal Loving faced challenges because of his race. He was not allowed to join the U.S. Air Cadet Corps. He was also rejected from Detroit's Cass Aero Club. So, he joined the Ace Flying Club, a group for Black pilots. There, he met Earsly Taylor, who became a close friend and business partner.

Later, Neal's old teacher, George Tabraham, hired him to teach at Aero Mechanics High School. Neal taught model airplane building again. He was the first Black teacher at the school. At first, he only taught boys. But then girls wanted to join his fun class too! The principal made sure the girls could join, even though some people didn't want a Black man teaching white girls.

Starting an Airplane Company

While still teaching, Neal and Earsly Taylor started the Wayne Aircraft Company. This was the first airplane company in Michigan owned by Black people. Both Neal and Earsly had other full-time jobs, so their progress was slow.

During World War II, Neal and Earsly joined the Civil Air Patrol. They were not allowed to join local groups because of their race. So, they formed their own all-Black group, Squadron 639-5. Neal was the executive officer, and Earsly was the commanding officer. Their squadron taught people how to fly and how to parachute. They were even called the "Parachute Squadron."

A Life-Changing Accident

In 1943, Neal lost his teaching job. He started working seven days a week on the Ford Motor Company's assembly line. He also kept working at Wayne Aircraft Company. And he continued training pilots for the Civil Air Patrol. With so little rest, Neal became very tired.

On July 30, 1944, Neal was flying a glider at Wings Airport. He had only slept for two hours. He didn't realize he was flying too low. His glider crashed, and his legs were badly hurt. Both of his legs had to be removed below the knee. Neal spent 18 months in the hospital. During this time, he and Earsly closed their airplane company.

A month after getting his new wooden artificial legs, Neal got his driver's license. By 1946, he was flying airplanes again! He once joked that "the nice thing about artificial legs is that you can be as tall as you like and wear any shoe size you want."

In 1947, Neal and Earsly opened the Wayne School of Aeronautics.

Designing and Racing Airplanes

Neal Loving designed and flew five different airplanes during his life. In 1949, he started building a small racing plane called Loving's Love. This plane had one seat and special wings. It could fly very fast, up to 255 miles per hour!

Neal entered Loving's Love in the 1951 National Air Races. He became the first person with two amputated legs and the first African-American to be a licensed racing pilot. In 1955, Loving's Love won an award for Most Outstanding Design.

Around 1953 or 1954, Neal flew Loving's Love all the way to Kingston, Jamaica. He visited Earsly Taylor, who had opened a flying school there. Neal later married Earsly's sister-in-law, Clare Therese Barnett.

In 1955, Neal went to Wayne State University to study aeronautical engineering. He closed the Wayne School of Aeronautics two years later. After graduating, Neal became an engineer at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. He worked on ways to measure clear-air turbulence, which is like invisible bumps in the air.

Family Life

Neal Loving married Clare Therese Barnett in 1955. They adopted two children, Paul and Michelle. The family lived in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Neal kept flying for nine years after he retired. But then heart problems meant he could no longer fly. Clare Loving reportedly worried more about his daily bike rides than his flying adventures! Neal lived in Yellow Springs until he passed away in 1998.

Awards and Legacy

Loving's Love is now on display at the Experimental Aircraft Association Air Education Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. In 2000, the Neal V. Loving scholarship was created. This scholarship helps high school students attend a special aviation school.

• Meritorious Civilian Service Award
• Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame
• Wayne State University College of Engineering Hall of Fame
• Organization of Black Airline Pilots Distinguished Achievement Award