The last civilian to earn the Distinguished Flying Cross

Roscoe Turner’s Rise from Mississippi Farm to Aviation Glory

Roscoe Turner swapped farm life for the sky at just 16 years old. Born in 1895 near Corinth, Mississippi, he soon took to the air and never looked back.

By 1930, Turner was setting speed records with an odd co-pilot – his pet lion cub Gilmore. The pair logged over 25,000 miles together as Turner rose to fame.

He then won the Thompson Trophy three times, a feat no other pilot matched. During World War II, his flight school trained 3,500 new pilots.

Congress later made him the last civilian to earn the Distinguished Flying Cross.

The Corinth Municipal Airport now bears his name, where visitors can see how a farm boy became America’s air racing king.

Farm Boy Ran Away From Home to Chase Aviation Dreams

Roscoe Turner was born September 29, 1895, on a small farm near Corinth, Mississippi. His father often scolded him for playing with gasoline engines instead of farm equipment.

Bored with farm life, Roscoe ran away at 16 to Memphis. He worked as a mechanic and taxi driver, always fixing engines in his spare time.

In 1913, Turner saw his first airplane at the Memphis Tri-State Fair. After meeting military pilots, he decided to learn flying, leaving his farm roots behind.

Army Rejected Him Before He Finally Got His Wings

Turner tried joining Army aviation in 1916 but got rejected because he never went to college. Not giving up, he signed up as an ambulance driver during World War I.

His luck changed when the Army lowered its education rules, letting him switch to balloon pilot training in January 1918.

Turner served in France and Germany as a balloon spotter, watching enemy troops from above. During his service, he grabbed the chance for private airplane lessons, finally learning to fly.

His Flying Circus Thrilled Crowds Across the South

Turner joined Harry Runser in 1919 to barnstorm across the South in a Curtiss Jenny. They amazed crowds with rolls, wing walking, and parachute jumps at county fairs.

When they split up, Turner started the Roscoe Turner Flying Circus in 1924. He flew a Standard J-1 biplane first, then added a bigger Breguet 14 to his show.

Business grew so well that by 1925, Turner opened a flying school in Florence, Alabama.

He Flew With a Lion Wearing a Parachute

Turner did stunt flying in Howard Hughes’ 1930 movie “Hell’s Angels,” showing his skills on screen. That same year, he got a lion cub named “Gilmore” through a deal with Gilmore Oil Company.

The lion had his own custom parachute and flew over 25,000 miles with Turner as his famous co-pilot. When Gilmore grew from cute cub to full lion, Turner built him a $2,500 house because he got too big for the cockpit.

The Master Showman Made His Mark in Racing

Turner started air racing at the 1929 National Air Races in a Nevada Airlines Lockheed Vega. He won his first big race in the 1933 Bendix Trophy cross-country event.

Through the early 1930s, he broke multiple cross-country speed records that caught public attention. Turner knew how to get noticed, wearing a flashy military-style uniform with a waxed mustache.

The press called him the “Master Showman of Aviation” as he became famous nationwide.

Tragedy Marked His First Thompson Trophy Win

Turner won his first Thompson Trophy in 1934 flying a Wedell-Williams Model 44 racer. The victory came with sadness after race leader Doug Davis crashed and died during the event.

That same year, Turner took second place in the MacRobertson International Air Race from London to Melbourne.

The tough 11,300-mile journey took him through Athens, Baghdad, Karachi, and Singapore. The race cost Turner $35,000, which took him five years to pay off.

His Custom Racer Became a Legend

Wanting an edge in racing, Turner hired Lawrence W. Brown Aircraft Company in 1936 to build him a custom racing plane.

Designer Matty Laird changed the aircraft, adding bigger wings and flaps for better handling. The plane got a new name, the Turner RT-14 Meteor, and wore sponsor colors that stood out at races.

Turner came in third in the 1937 Thompson Trophy during the plane’s test year. This aircraft became the most successful racing plane in Thompson Trophy history.

Last Place to First: His Most Dramatic Win

Turner won the 1938 Thompson Trophy flying the “Pesco Special” at 283.4 mph.

The Pump Engineering Service Corporation of Cleveland backed this record-setting flight. His best win came in 1939 when he got his third Thompson Trophy as “Miss Champion.”

The race looked lost when Turner dropped to last place after missing a marker, but he fought back to win at 282. 5 mph.

After this win, Turner quit racing, telling reporters, “This is a young man’s game.

He Trained Thousands of Pilots for War

Turner started the Roscoe Turner Aeronautical Corporation in Indianapolis in 1940, moving from racing to training.

His company trained about 3,500 pilots through the Civilian Pilot Training Program during World War II, helping build America’s air power.

The business offered flying lessons, plane repairs, and charter flights for wartime needs. Turner got busy in the Civil Air Patrol, rising to Colonel.

Though military leaders ignored some of his ideas, they valued his help training new pilots.

Airlines and Government Work Filled His Later Years

After the war, Turner started Turner Air Lines in 1947, serving Midwest cities. He sold his airline in 1950 when it became Lake Central Airlines.

His flying know-how got him a job as advisor to the House Science and Astronautics Committee for three Congressional terms.

Turner helped create the Civil Air Patrol and served on its National Board for many years.
He also led the National Aviation Trades Association as president.

The Last Civilian to Receive America’s Highest Flying Honor

Congress awarded Turner the Distinguished Flying Cross on August 14, 1952, making him the last civilian ever to receive this prestigious military decoration.

His hometown of Corinth renamed its municipal airport Roscoe Turner Airport in 1961, honoring their famous son.

The International Order of Characters named him “Character of the Year” in 1962, recognizing his colorful personality and contributions to aviation.

Turner fought bone cancer in his final years before passing away on June 23, 1970, in Indianapolis at age 74, leaving behind a legacy that transformed American aviation from barnstorming to the jet age.

Visiting Corinth, Mississippi

You can learn about Roscoe Turner’s incredible aviation story at the Roscoe Turner Aviation Museum in Corinth, Mississippi.

The museum is at 221 North Fillmore Street and costs $5 for adults, with free admission for kids under 16. It’s open Tuesday through Friday 10am to 3pm and Saturday 10am to 2pm.

Interactive videos show Turner’s racing wins and his famous pet lion Gilmore.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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