Did Any U.S. Presidents Hold Pilot Certificates?

Several U.S. presidents have held pilot certificates. [Pixabay]

Question: A friend told me a story about an airplane that intentionally landed on the lawn of the White House. That got us to wondering, have any U.S. presidents actually held a pilot certificate?

Answer: I think the story your friend recalls is about a Helio Courier, a STOL aircraft designed during the Cold War. There are variations on the story: one is that it was put down in the Rose Garden; another has it landing in the courtyard of the Pentagon. Both times it was a demonstration of the ability to win a military contract.

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To answer your question about U.S. presidents holding pilot certificates, there have been three: Dwight D. Eisenhower earned his certificate during his time in the U.S. Army, George H.W. Bush was a decorated Naval aviator who served in World War II, and George W. Bush also held a pilot certificate before taking office.

It's also worthy to note that first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, obtained a student pilot certificate in the early 1930s as she was good friends with Amelia Earhart. Roosevelt logged 35 hours in a Piper Cub. FDR supposedly had reservations about the pair flying together. It may have had something to do with the time they ducked out of a state dinner to go flying— still wearing their evening gowns.

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Meg GodlewskiAuthor

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.