Our History | The Flying Tiger Line Pilots Association

THE FOUNDERS · These are the ten AVG pilots who in 1945 formed the Flying Tiger Line · John Richard Rossi · Thomas Haywood · Duke Hedman. FlyingTigerLinePilotsAssociation OurHistory ThisisdedicatedtoinformationaboutthefoundersoftheFlyingTigerLineandtheHistoryfrom1946-1989.VernMoldremhasgraciouslyallowedustousereferencesfromhiscomprehensiveBook"TigerTales"tosupplementthestories THEFOUNDERS Hewasthemanemployeeswerewillingtogowithoutpayforwhentheairlinewasstrugglingandonitsknees;whoseofficedoorwasopenequallywideforanymanorwomanonhisFlyingTigerTeam.BobPrescottwasthekindofmanwhocouldturnacrushingpersonaltragedy,thedeathofhisonlysonPeterinaplanecrash,intosomethingpositiveforhisfellowemployees--thePeterPrescottMemorialScholarshipAwards,presentedeachyeartothechildrenofFlyingTigers. ThesearethetenAVGpilotswhoin1945formedtheFlyingTigerLine BobPrescott DukeHedman LinkLaughlin CliffGroh BusLoane BillBartling TommyHaywood JoeRosbert DickRossi CatfishRaine RobertPrescottreturnedtotheUnitedStatesinNovember,1944andonatriptoAcapulco,Mexico,metagroupofLosAngelesbusinessmenassociatedwithSamuelB.Mosher,LosAngelesoilpioneerandmagnate.TheywereexploringthepossibilityofestablishinganairfreightlinealongthewestcoastsoftheUnitedStatesandMexico.PrescottconvincedthemthatabetterideawouldbeatranscontinentalrouteacrosstheUnitedStates.Theyagreedtomatchwhatevercapitalhecouldraise,andBobwasappointedtofindaircraftandsetuptheairlinethatwastobecomeFlyingTigerLine. Hefound14NavysurplusBuddConestogacargoaircraftandcollected$89,000fromfriendswhohadflownwithhiminChina.ThissumwasequaledbyMosher'sgroup.Amonthorsolater,helandedhisfirstthreeloads--aplaneloadofgrapesfromBakersfieldtoAtlanta,flowersfromCaliforniatoDetroit,andfurniturefromNewYorktoCalifornia.FlyingTigerswasofftheground.Afour-yearfightforofficialgovernmentcertificationendedin1949withapprovalofthenation'sfirstcommercialall-cargoroute. Twentyyearslater,inmid-1969,FlyingTigerswasawardedthefirstscheduledtranspacificall-cargoroute.In1977,CongressandthePresidentapprovedthederegulationoftheairfreightairlineswhichnowenablesFlyingTigerstoofferexpeditedfreighterservicetoall50states,PuertoRicoandtheVirginIslands. BobhadwitnessedhisoriginalfleetofWorldWarIIsurplusaircraftgrowintoamulti-milliondollarfleetofBoeing747andstretchedDC-8jetfreighters. FromanAugust1973RetirementPartyforTomHaywood: PilotsfromtheChennaultdaysinChina--- Standing,fromleft: BobRaines,PaulGreene,EricShilling,R.T.Smith,JimCross,DickRossi. Seated:TomHaywood,BillBartling,CliffGroh. JohnRichardRossi TotherightisthephotocollageofDickintheAVG. Anyonewishingacopysend$15check(includesfirstclasspostagewithintheU.S.Internationalneedstoadd$2extra)toLydiaRossiat3038E.MissionRoad,Fallbrook,CA92028.Anyquestions,call760-723-4757.Photois8x10" Autographcanbepersonalizediftheyletmeknowwhentheysendthecheck. JohnRichardRossiwasbornonApril19,1915inPlacerville,California.SchooledinSanFrancisco,heattendedtheUniversityofCaliforniaatBerkeley.HeenteredtheNavyforflighttraininginthefallof1939.Uponreceivinghiswingsandcommissionin1940,hewasassignedasFlightInstructoratPensacola,Florida. "Dick"RossiresignedhisNavycommissionin1941tojointheAmericanVolunteerGroup(AVG)underthecommandofColonelClaireChennault.HearrivedinRangoononNovember12,1941withagroupofthirtyvolunteersontheDutchshipM.S.BoschFontein.HewasundergoingatrainingprograminP-40aircraftatToungoo,Burma,whenPearlHarborwasattacked. RossiengagedinhisfirstcombatoverBurmainJanuary1942(thesecondtimehefiredthegunsintheP-40hewasincombat)andflewhislastovertheEastChinafrontinJuly1942.MostofhiscombatmissionswereoverRangoon.DickwasamemberoftheAVG'sFirstPursuitSquadron(AdamandEve).HealsodiddetachedcombatdutywiththeSecondandThirdSquadrons,servingunderalltheAVGsquadroncommanders.HeattainedAcestatuswithaconfirmed6-1/4victoriesinair-to-aircombat. WhentheAVG,betterknownasthe"FlyingTigers,"wasdisbandedin1942,RossijoinedtheChinaNationalAviationCorporation,flyingsuppliesfromIndiatoChina.Bythetimethewarwasoverhehadflownmorethan735tripsacrossthe"Hump."Afterthewar,Rossi,afounderofthefreightcarrier,theFlyingTigerLine,returnedtoCaliforniawhereheflewasacaptainfor25years,loggingalifetimeofover25,000flyinghours.HehasservedaspresidentoftheAmericanVolunteerGroupFlyingTigersAssociationforfifty-fiveyearsandisamemberoftheAmericanFighterAcesAssociation. TheChinesegovernmentawardedRossitheWhiteCloudBanner(YunMo)VGrade,ChinaAirForceWings(5Stars)andtheChinaWarMemorial(KangChanChi-nienChang)Decoration.HehasalsoearnedandreceivedtwoDistinguishedFlyingCrosses,theAirMedal,twoPresidentialUnitCitations,aWorldWarIIVictoryMedal,theAsiaticPacificCampaignMedalwithfourbronzestarsfortheIndia-Burma,CentralBurma,ChinaDefensiveandChinaOffensivecampaigns,andtheHonorableServiceLapelButton.In1969hewasgivenaCommendationfromtheUSAFforsustainedaerialsupportofcombatoperationsinSouthVietnam.TheAVGwasinductedintotheConfederateAirForceHallofFamein1998,inMidland,Texas.In1999Rossiwasawardedthestatusof"Eagle"bytheInternationalAssociationofEagles,MaxwellAFB,Alabama.TheAVGwasinductedintotheNationalAviationHallofFameinDayton,Ohio,inJuly1999. Tallyrecord:6-1/4victories ThomasHaywood CaptainThomasHaywood,afounderofFlyingTigerLineandamemberoftheAmericanVolunteerGroup(AVG)inChina,diedApril28th('79)attheCentinelaHospital,Inglewood,California,afteralongillness.Hewas61.Mr.Haywood,oneoftheoriginal"boysfromChina"whothrewinwithBobPrescotttofinancetheFlyingTigerLinealmost34yearsago,workedhisfirstflightfortheairlinein1945asco-pilottoBobPrescottonboardoneofthenotoriousstainlesssteelBuddConestogas.HepilotedFlyingTigersaircraftaroundtheworldforthenext15years,untilhisflyingcareerendedwithamajorheartattackin1959.Uponrecovery,Mr.Haywooddirectedtheairline'sflightoperationsandservedasmanagerofgroundtraininguntilhisretirementin1973. Mr.Haywoodissurvivedbyhiswife,Betty,andhistwomarrieddaughters,Mrs.MarilynHaywoodOrrandMrs.SuzanneHaywoodNahurski.Healsoleaveshismother,MarieJ.Haywood,twosisters,acousinandtwogrand-children. DukeHedman Hedman,amemberoftheFlyingTigers,becamethefirstAmericanacewhenheshotdownfiveenemyaircraftoverRangoon,Burma,onChristmasDay1941.Familyrecordsindicatehedidthisinlessthan15minutesandaccomplisheditinpartbyflyingintoaformationofJapanesebombers. TheJapanesepilotsapparentlywereafraidtoshootatHedman'stiger-toothed,P-40becausetheymightaccidentallyhittheirownplanes. Brig.Gen.ClaireChennaultcommandedHedmanaspartoftheAmericanVolunteerGroupfightingJapanbeforetheUnitedStatesenteredthewarandwrotethepilot'sfather,abankerinruralSouthDakota."Heisafirstratecombatpilotandtherecklessbraveryofhisattacks,bothonstrafingandbombingmissions,andinaerialcombatwiththeJapanese,aresomethingyoucanwellbeproudof,"Chennaultwrote. "TheaceoftheAmericanScalperssquadronisanunassumingstraight-forwardfarmboyfromSouthDakotawhoisknownas"Duke"toAmericanfliersinBurma,"theChicagoDailyNewsreported. ActorJohnWaynelaterpickedupthenickname"Duke"afterplayinganothermemberoftheFlyingTigers. Robert“Catfish”Raines CliffGrohwithHisMother CliffandElsieTheCow UsefulLinks