Rolla Duane Cole was born in 1915 in Peoria, Illinois, the oldest child in a family that included 9 boys and one girl. According to an article found in a 1969 edition of Sports Flying Magazine, Duane left his family home in 1931 while still a boy, hitchhiking across the country in search of work. During this time he became interested in flying and took his first lesson in 1937. He returned to Peoria in 1938 where he obtained his private license. By 1940 he had gained both his commercial license and instructors rating. With World War II looming, Duane began training new pilots; first in the Civilian Pilot Training Program, then with the Royal Air Force Cadets, and finally in the United States Army. He went on to form the Cole Brothers AirshoRolla Duane Cole was born in 1915 in Peoria, Illinois, the oldest child in a family that included 9 boys and one girl. According to an article found in a 1969 edition of Sports Flying Magazine, Duane left his family home in 1931 while still a boy, hitchhiking across the country in search of work. During this time he became interested in flying and took his first lesson in 1937. He returned to Peoria in 1938 where he obtained his private license. By 1940 he had gained both his commercial license and instructors rating. With World War II looming, Duane began training new pilots; first in the Civilian Pilot Training Program, then with the Royal Air Force Cadets, and finally in the United States Army. He went on to form the Cole Brothers Airshow and was a founding member of the Experimental Aircraft Association. His plane, a red and white clipped wing Taylorcraft is now on permanent display in the EAA AirVenture Museum, located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Cole visited over 1,500 airports, penned 9 books, and had logged over 30,000 flight hours prior to his death in 2004. ...more
Sign in with Facebook
