John W.Knebel 1921-

Lt. Col (Ret) John Knebel has been an Air Force pilot, a test pilot and a commercial airline pilot. His father was a pilot in World War I; planes were nothing new to him when he joined the Army Air Corps as a civilian pilot. During WWII he was an Air Transport Command ferry pilot. He was among the first pilots to get checked out in the Lockheed P80, known as the “Shooting Star” and America’s first jet fighter.
After leaving the Airforce he joined Convair as a production and engineering test pilot, where he worked for 8 years. He worked on the Convair XFY-1 Experimental VTOL “Pogo ”,the B-36 Peacemaker and B-58 Hustler amongst others. He left Convair to become an airline pilot for American Airlines, eventually retiring as airline pilot from Trans International Airlines/TransAmerica
He holds the transcontinental speed record for R3Y 8-engine Tradewind flying boat