It is 1936, and BEN FINDLAY, a 16-year-old Michigan farm boy, wanders to a local airport to escape his abusive father. Ben meets BRICE, a crusty flight instructor and veteran pilot with the U. S. Army Air Corps in the 1914-1918 Great War, who teaches Ben to fly in a bi-wing, open-cockpit Stearman trainer. Ben quickly masters advanced maneuvers, including aerial combat tactics, and is recruited to fly for Spains Republican Air Force in that countrys bloody civil war. Ben slips away from home before his eighteenth birthday, and after additional combat training, sails for Barcelona, Spain. Thus begins an adventure filled odyssey that sweeps Ben from Spain to England and into the early days of World War 2 as a Spitfire pilot with Britains Royal Air Force. Following Americas entry into the war Ben transfers to the U. S. Army Air Force and opts to fly Boeing B-17 bombers to carry the war directly to Germany. Escape to the Sky ends with Bens thirtieth and final bombing raid over Regensburg, Germany.
In this painting by renowned aviation artist, Keith Ferris, B-17 Little Willie struggles home from the Abyss on two engines following a March 6, 1944, raid on Berlin. The pilot, Flight Officer Bernie Dopko, brought Willie and his crew home safely. Following several days of repairs Dopko and crew took Willie back to Berlin where they were shot down. They survived World War 2 as POWs. For mission details, contact Keith at www.keithferrisart.com. Artist Ferris, enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2012, was born in 1929, the son of a career Air Force Officer. He attended Texas, A&M, majoring in Aeronautical Engineering; George Washington University, and Corcoran School of Art in Washington, DC. He began his art career as a civilian in Air Force Publications at Randolph Field in 1947, and in 1956 became a freelance artist in the New York area. He created the 25 foot high by 75 foot wide mural in oil Fortresses Under Fire in the World War 2 Gallery of the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, and the 20 foot by 75 foot Evolution of Jet Aviation mural in the museums Jet Aviation Gallery. He has 63 major paintings in the Air Force Art Collection.
It is 1936, and BEN FINDLAY, a 16-year-old Michigan farm boy, wanders to a local airport to escape his abusive father. Ben meets BRICE, a crusty flight instructor and veteran pilot with the U. S. Army Air Corps in the 1914-1918 Great War, who teaches Ben to fly in a bi-wing, open-cockpit Stearman trainer. Ben quickly masters advanced maneuvers, including aerial combat tactics, and is recruited to fly for Spains Republican Air Force in that countrys bloody civil war. Ben slips away from home before his eighteenth birthday, and after additional combat training, sails for Barcelona, Spain. Thus begins an adventure filled odyssey that sweeps Ben from Spain to England and into the early days of World War 2 as a Spitfire pilot with Britains Royal Air Force. Following Americas entry into the war Ben transfers to the U. S. Army Air Force and opts to fly Boeing B-17 bombers to carry the war directly to Germany. Escape to the Sky ends with Bens thirtieth and final bombing raid over Regensburg, Germany.
In this painting by renowned aviation artist, Keith Ferris, B-17 Little Willie struggles home from the Abyss on two engines following a March 6, 1944, raid on Berlin. The pilot, Flight Officer Bernie Dopko, brought Willie and his crew home safely. Following several days of repairs Dopko and crew took Willie back to Berlin where they were shot down. They survived World War 2 as POWs. For mission details, contact Keith at www.keithferrisart.com. Artist Ferris, enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2012, was born in 1929, the son of a career Air Force Officer. He attended Texas, A&M, majoring in Aeronautical Engineering; George Washington University, and Corcoran School of Art in Washington, DC. He began his art career as a civilian in Air Force Publications at Randolph Field in 1947, and in 1956 became a freelance artist in the New York area. He created the 25 foot high by 75 foot wide mural in oil Fortresses Under Fire in the World War 2 Gallery of the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, and the 20 foot by 75 foot Evolution of Jet Aviation mural in the museums Jet Aviation Gallery. He has 63 major paintings in the Air Force Art Collection.
Raised on a bankrupt farm along the Mississippi River, Allen E. Paulson would become owner of the Fortune 500 aerospace empire Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation. He began his career as an airplane mechanic, later setting world records as a pilot and developing unique military and civilian jets. Paulson was ambitious and reticent, generous and frugal, confident and dogged by self-doubt. His friends included U.S. presidents, Hollywood celebrities and famous aviators. He toasted and tangled with such business titans as Lee Iacocca and Teddy Forstmann--until life took him in another direction. Paulson played by the rules and took each success and setback in stride, always with a keen ethical sense and an unflagging entrepreneurial spirit.
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