Edward Vernon Rickenbacker (1890-1973) was an American aviator and businessman who became the most decorated United States flying ace of the First World War, credited with twenty six aerial victories and awarded the Medal of Honor. Before the war he raced automobiles at the Indianapolis 500 under the nickname Fast Eddie. After the war he founded the short lived Rickenbacker Motor Company, then built a career in commercial aviation, taking over Eastern Air Lines as general manager in 1935 and growing it from a small regional carrier into a major national airline equipped with modern Lockheed and Douglas airliners. During the Second World War he survived twenty four days adrift in the Pacific after his B-17 ditched.
Facts
FAQs
Why was Eddie Rickenbacker aboard a B-17 over the Pacific in 1942?
He was on an inspection tour of air bases when faulty navigation sent the B-17 off course and it ran low on fuel.
He was a passenger, not a crew member. On October 21, 1942, Rickenbacker was on an inspection tour of air bases in the early days of the Second World War. Faulty navigation equipment caused the aircraft to stray off course, and with fuel running low and no place to land, the pilot was forced to set the bomber down on a remote stretch of the Pacific with few islands and little shipping or air traffic.
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Nationality
Also in Geography Atlas: the nationality of this subject.
Sources
1. Eddie Rickenbacker (Wikipedia)
Lead, birth date
October 8, 1890
Lead, death date
July 23, 1973
Lead, opening sentence
American aviator and businessman
In Group: Aviators and Military Pilots, Lead sentence
Edward Vernon Rickenbacker (born Edward Rickenbacher, October 8, 1890, July 23, 1973) was an American fighter pilot in World War I and a Medal of Honor recipient.
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