What Were They Doing at 25?

Some were already heroes. Others were nowhere near where you would have expected them to be.

  • By Michael Klesius
  • Air & Space magazine, May 2011
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Air Force Thunderbird pilot Nicole Malachowski the first woman to fly with a U.S. military high-performance demonstration team. Air Force Thunderbird pilot Nicole Malachowski, the first woman to fly with a U.S. military high-performance demonstration team.

US Air Force

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When he turned 25 in May 1933, Stewart was making appearances in Broadway plays such as <i>The Spring in Autumn</i> and <i>All Good Americans</i>. Though he’s remembered for leading roles in films such as <i>It’s a Wonderful Life</i>, he had a passion for flying (and played Charles Lindbergh in <i>The Spirit of St. Louis</i>). In 1935, he earned his private license, and in 1938 his commercial license. During World War II he proved he was the real deal: Stewart trained pilots Stateside to fly B-17 Flying Fortresses, then commanded B-24 Liberators on bombing missions over Europe. He finished the war as a colonel, having earned a Distinguished Flying Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters, an Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, and the French Croix de Guerre.

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Before they were heroes, hotshots, or game changers, they were just pilots, for the most part. Some of them had made their mark in their twenties. Most didn’t until well afterward.

Browse the gallery above to find out what some famous aviation/ space figures were doing at the age of 25 (and see more in our April/May 2011 issue). We hope a few of the stories might offer some insight into who the person was on the ground before the legend took off.

Michael Klesius is an associate editor at Air & Space.

Before they were heroes, hotshots, or game changers, they were just pilots, for the most part. Some of them had made their mark in their twenties. Most didn’t until well afterward.

Browse the gallery above to find out what some famous aviation/ space figures were doing at the age of 25 (and see more in our April/May 2011 issue). We hope a few of the stories might offer some insight into who the person was on the ground before the legend took off.

Michael Klesius is an associate editor at Air & Space.


 
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