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{{Short description|American test pilot}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Herman Salmon
| name = Herman Salmon
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|birth_date = {{Birth date|1913|07|11|df=y}}
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1913|07|11|df=y}}
|birth_place = [[Milwaukee]], [[Wisconsin]], [[United States]]
|birth_place = [[Milwaukee]], [[Wisconsin]], [[United States]]
|death_date = {{death date and age|1980|06|20|1913|07|11|df=y}}
|death_date = {{death date and age|1980|06|22|1913|07|11|df=y}}
|death_place = [[Columbus, Indiana|Columbus]], [[Indiana]], United States
|death_place = [[Columbus, Indiana|Columbus]], [[Indiana]], United States
| nationality =
| nationality =
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| occupation = [[Test pilot]]
| occupation = [[Test pilot]]
}}
}}
'''Herman Richard Salmon''' (July 11, 1913 – June 20, 1980), nicknamed [[List of aviators by nickname#F|"Fish"]], was a [[barnstorming|barnstormer]], [[Air racing|air racer]], and [[test pilot]] for the [[Lockheed Corporation]].
'''Herman Richard Salmon''' (July 11, 1913 – June 22, 1980), nicknamed [[List of aviators by nickname#F|"Fish"]], was a [[barnstorming|barnstormer]], [[Air racing|air racer]], and [[test pilot]] for the [[Lockheed Corporation]].


==Biography==
==Biography==
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===The Goodyear Trophy air races, 1947-1949===
===The Goodyear Trophy air races, 1947-1949===
A new class of air racing was introduced at the 1947 [[National Air Races]] in [[Cleveland, Ohio]], sponsored for three years by the [[Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company|Goodyear]] corporation. The first year Herman achieved a third place flying a [[LeVier Cosmic Wind|Cosmic Wind]] plane with a speed of 158.8&nbsp;mph (256&nbsp;km/h). The Cosmic Wind was designed and built by a group of Lockheed employees, including Tony LeVier. In 1948 Herman finished first, and in 1949 fifth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2000/10/stuff_eng_bruun_goodyear.htm|publisher=IPMS Stockholm.org|title=The Goodyear Trophy, 1947|accessdate=24 September 2012}}</ref>
A new class of air racing was introduced at the 1947 [[National Air Races]] in [[Cleveland, Ohio]], sponsored for three years by the [[Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company|Goodyear]] corporation. The first year Herman achieved a third place flying a [[LeVier Cosmic Wind|Cosmic Wind]] plane with a speed of 158.8&nbsp;mph (256&nbsp;km/h). The Cosmic Wind was designed and built by a group of Lockheed employees, including Tony LeVier. In 1948 Herman finished first, and in 1949 fifth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2000/10/stuff_eng_bruun_goodyear.htm |publisher=IPMS Stockholm.org |title=The Goodyear Trophy, 1947 |accessdate=24 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120723221806/http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2000/10/stuff_eng_bruun_goodyear.htm |archivedate=23 July 2012 }}</ref>


===Later years===
===Later years===
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Salmon continued to teach flight crew and ferry aircraft. In 1974 he flew as a passenger on the maiden flight of the then-recently restored [[Westland Lysander]] piloted and owned by Dwight Brooks.<ref>Aeroplane Monthly ''A Lizzie flies again'' article in the December 1974 issue</ref>
Salmon continued to teach flight crew and ferry aircraft. In 1974 he flew as a passenger on the maiden flight of the then-recently restored [[Westland Lysander]] piloted and owned by Dwight Brooks.<ref>Aeroplane Monthly ''A Lizzie flies again'' article in the December 1974 issue</ref>


In 1980, he was killed in [[Lockheed Constellation|Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellation]] N74CA that he was ferrying to [[Alaska]], when it crashed on take off from [[Columbus Municipal Airport (Indiana)|Bakalar municipal airport]] in Columbus Indiana, along with one other crew member and a passenger. Five injured survived the crash including Salmon's son, Randall. Herman Salmon had logged about 17,250 [[Logbook#Alternative connotation|flight hours]].<ref>National Transportation Safety Board, Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB.AAR.80.14.C2, 18 February 1981</ref>
In 1980, he was killed in [[Lockheed Constellation|Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellation]] N74CA that he was ferrying to [[Alaska]], when it crashed on take off from [[Columbus Municipal Airport (Indiana)|Bakalar municipal airport]] in Columbus, Indiana. Also killed in the crash were flight engineer Leland J. Sanders and a passenger. Five others survived the crash including Salmon's son and copilot, Randall.<ref>Aviation Week & Space Technology, 30 June 1980 and 16 February 1981; {{cite web|url=http://www.indianamilitary.org/Bakalar%20AFB/Publications/ConstellationCrash.htm|title=3 Dead in Fiery Plane Crash Here|publisher=The Republic (Columbus, IN), 23 June 1980|accessdate=16 March 2016}}; {{cite web|url=https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR8014.pdf|publisher=National Transportation Safety Board|title=Aircraft Accident Report--Air Traders International, Lockheed 1049H, N74CA, Columbus, Indiana, June 22, 1980|accessdate=16 March 2016}}</ref>


Herman Salmon had logged about 17,250 [[Logbook#Alternative connotation|flight hours]].
In 1994, he was inducted into the [[Aerospace Walk of Honor]].

In 1994, he was inducted into the [[Aerospace Walk of Honor]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36298146/the_los_angeles_times/|title=Aerospace Walk of Honor Inducts 5|last1=Johnson|first1=Chip|newspaper=The Los Angeles Times|location=Los Angeles, California|date=September 19, 1994|page=53|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>


==Herman R. Salmon Technical Publications Award==
==Herman R. Salmon Technical Publications Award==
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== References ==
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

<references/>
* LeVier, Tony, with John Guenther, ''Pilot''. 1954 (reprinted 1990).
* LeVier, Tony, with John Guenther, ''Pilot''. 1954 (reprinted 1990).
* Pace, Steve, ''Lockheed Skunk Works''. Motorbooks: Osceola WI, 1992.
* Pace, Steve, ''Lockheed Skunk Works''. Motorbooks: Osceola WI, 1992.
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== External links ==
== External links ==
* {{YouTube|hUMl3YlSX8M|The Story of a Test Pilot}}: a documentary on Salmon
* {{YouTube|hUMl3YlSX8M|The Story of a Test Pilot}}: a documentary on Salmon
* [http://www.aviationhalloffamewisconsin.com/inductees/salmon.htm Biography from Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame]
* [http://www.wisconsinaviationhalloffame.org/inductees/salmon.htm Biography from Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame]
* [http://www.cityoflancasterca.org/Index.aspx?page=206#salmon City of Lancaster, Aerospace Walk of Honor, 1994 Honorees]
* [http://www.cityoflancasterca.org/about-us/departments-services/parks-recreation-arts/special-events/aerospace-walk-of-honor-program-has-been-concluded/honorees/1994 City of Lancaster, Aerospace Walk of Honor, 1994 Honorees] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308193709/http://www.cityoflancasterca.org/about-us/departments-services/parks-recreation-arts/special-events/aerospace-walk-of-honor-program-has-been-concluded/honorees/1994 |date=2016-03-08 }}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Salmon, Herman
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = American test pilot
| DATE OF BIRTH = July 11, 1913
| PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Milwaukee]], [[Wisconsin]], [[United States]]
| DATE OF DEATH = June 20, 1980
| PLACE OF DEATH = [[Columbus, Indiana|Columbus]], [[Indiana]], United States
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Salmon, Herman}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Salmon, Herman}}
⚫
[[Category:Lockheed people]]
[[Category:1913 births]]
[[Category:1913 births]]
[[Category:1980 deaths]]
[[Category:1980 deaths]]
[[Category:Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States]]
[[Category:Accidental deaths in Indiana]]
[[Category:American test pilots]]
[[Category:American test pilots]]
[[Category:Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States]]
⚫
[[Category:Lockheed people]]
[[Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1980]]

Latest revision as of 10:31, 2 May 2023

Herman Salmon
Born
Herman Richard Koerner Salmon

(1913-07-11)11 July 1913
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Died22 June 1980(1980-06-22) (aged 66)
Columbus, Indiana, United States
Other namesFish
OccupationTest pilot
Known forBarnstorming, Air racing

Herman Richard Salmon (July 11, 1913 – June 22, 1980), nicknamed "Fish", was a barnstormer, air racer, and test pilot for the Lockheed Corporation.

Biography

[edit]

Early life

[edit]

Salmon was born in 1913 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Pennsylvania-born engineer Harry Britton Salmon and his wife Bertha Wilhelmine née Wagner.[1] His first flight in an aircraft was at the age of 14; by 18 he was a licensed pilot. During the 1930s he flew as a barnstormer, parachute stuntman and race pilot.[2] By 1940 he was living in Los Angeles, California with his first wife Evelyn.[1]

Lockheed

[edit]

He started work at Lockheed in 1940 ferrying Hudsons to Montreal for the Royal Air Force. In 1945, he was transferred to the engineering test piloting division by Tony LeVier, who was the new head of the department.

As engineering test pilot, he spin tested the P-38 Lightning and dive tested the P-80 Shooting Star, the XF-90 penetration fighter prototype, and the F-94C Starfire. He certification tested two of the models of the Constellation for the Civil Aeronautics Administration. He made the first flights of such aircraft as the L-188 Electra, P-3 Orion, YF-104A Starfighter, and the XFV-1 tailsitter, which was named in his honor. He succeeded Tony LeVier as chief engineering test pilot, until he retired from Lockheed in 1978.

The Goodyear Trophy air races, 1947-1949

[edit]

A new class of air racing was introduced at the 1947 National Air Races in Cleveland, Ohio, sponsored for three years by the Goodyear corporation. The first year Herman achieved a third place flying a Cosmic Wind plane with a speed of 158.8 mph (256 km/h). The Cosmic Wind was designed and built by a group of Lockheed employees, including Tony LeVier. In 1948 Herman finished first, and in 1949 fifth.[3]

Later years

[edit]

In 1968, Salmon was the recipient of the coveted Kitty Hawk Memorial Award for distinguished achievement as a test pilot.

Salmon continued to teach flight crew and ferry aircraft. In 1974 he flew as a passenger on the maiden flight of the then-recently restored Westland Lysander piloted and owned by Dwight Brooks.[4]

In 1980, he was killed in Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellation N74CA that he was ferrying to Alaska, when it crashed on take off from Bakalar municipal airport in Columbus, Indiana. Also killed in the crash were flight engineer Leland J. Sanders and a passenger. Five others survived the crash including Salmon's son and copilot, Randall.[5]

Herman Salmon had logged about 17,250 flight hours.

In 1994, he was inducted into the Aerospace Walk of Honor.[6]

Herman R. Salmon Technical Publications Award

[edit]

Since 1971 the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, of which Salmon was a Fellow, has made an annual award "to recognize the most outstanding technical paper published in Cockpit magazine". The selection criteria include:

  • Contribution to flight testing
  • Contribution to the exchange of information between test pilots that would not otherwise be generally available.[7]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b United States Census Bureau, National Archives and Records Administration
  2. ^ "Hall of Fame Inductees, Herman R. "Fish" Salmon". Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  3. ^ "The Goodyear Trophy, 1947". IPMS Stockholm.org. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  4. ^ Aeroplane Monthly A Lizzie flies again article in the December 1974 issue
  5. ^ Aviation Week & Space Technology, 30 June 1980 and 16 February 1981; "3 Dead in Fiery Plane Crash Here". The Republic (Columbus, IN), 23 June 1980. Retrieved 16 March 2016.; "Aircraft Accident Report--Air Traders International, Lockheed 1049H, N74CA, Columbus, Indiana, June 22, 1980" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  6. ^ Johnson, Chip (September 19, 1994). "Aerospace Walk of Honor Inducts 5". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. 53 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Herman R. Salmon Technical Publications Award". The Society of Experimental Test Pilots. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  • LeVier, Tony, with John Guenther, Pilot. 1954 (reprinted 1990).
  • Pace, Steve, Lockheed Skunk Works. Motorbooks: Osceola WI, 1992.
[edit]
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