Who is Roscoe Turner

Roscoe Turner was born in 1895 to a poor farm family in Mississippi. At an early age he determined that farming was not for him. He'd rather tinker with the machinery than use it to farm. He grew to love speed and the vehicles that went fast.

Roscoe's dad told him once:

You'll never be worth anything if you keep fooling around with things that burn gasoline instead of oats

This piece off advice passed through young Roscoe's ears like wind through a short tunnel. At the age of 16 Roscoe quit school and ran away from home. He landed in Memphis where he drove everything from delivery trucks to taxis. Eventually, Roscoe began working as a mechanic for various auto dealers around town and became respected as an expert in this field.

After seeing his first airplane in 1913, Turner became interested in flying, and when the war broke out he enlisted in the Army to learn to fly. The Army rejected his entry into the Air Service because he was undereducated. But, he brefriended some aviators who taught him to fly.

After the war, he bought half ownership in a Jenny, forming a partnership with Harry Rusner. Together they flew the barnstorming circuit with Rusner as the pilot and Turner as the mechanic/Wing Walker. Although the partnership dissolved after about two years, but Turner went on to fly the shows for a total of five years.

Turner was very popular, and probably the number one reason he was had to do with the fact that he wore his military uniform when performing. When the uniform became thread bare, Roscoe fashioned a new outfit that was still military in looks, it was bit more flashy.

Roscoe's career as a barnstormer fizzled along with the profession in general. Federal regulations aimed at putting a clamp on barnstorming coupled with skyrocketing insurance costs made barnstorming an unviable resource for cash.
So, in the mid 1920's Roscoe bought a Sikorsky cabin plane which he decorated and made a flying cigar store out of. At one point he even flew ladies tea clubs for "sky" teas and radio broadcasts.

In 1928 Howard Hughes hired Turner and his plane to work as a stunt pilot for the film Hell's Angels. During the filming, the plane went down in flames as a German bomber. Roscoe was without a plane, but this was no big deal. He was wired for speed and he knew it.

After the filming of Hell's Angels was complete Roscoe was able to begin his real pursuit. He purchased a small and fast Timm biplane and entered the National Air Race. He finished a speedy last and knew why. The Lockheeds were in a class all there own when it came to speed, and Roscoe had no chance. Quite possibly, his own intent was to start branding himself.

He was hired to organize the Nevada Airlines in 1929. The airline purchased four Lockheeds, one of which Turner converted into a racy showpiece. He then grabbed four passengers and flew them to New York, proving the practicality of transcontinental air service. It might be said that Turner was the pioneer that stitched the two halves of the country into one flowing piece of fabric.

After his return to Nevada, the governor bestowed upon him the title of "Colonel". Roscoe then acquired a military uniform and began donning a beautifully waxed mustache. He had his hook back.

Claiming his Lockheeds were the fastest in the world, he began to race them. In one contest he arrived for the start well past the deadline and was disqualified. Turner was on a mission and didn't let this stop him. He joined the race and finished 3rd.

Never one to dismiss the power of showmanship, Turner convinced Gilmore Oil to purchase a Lockheed Air Express and put their Lion icon to good use. In 1930, Turner bought a lion cub and named it Gilmore. It didn't take long for millions to call Turner "the man who flew with a lion".

After several races, a few records, and 25,000 miles Turner had to retire Gilmore. The lion was adding to Turner's payload and he needed speed.

In 1932 Roscoe Turner bought a Wedell-Williams racing plane and began flying in the Bendix coast to coast race. The first year he finished 3rd, but in 1933 he won the race and set a record that stood for five years. Quickly, Roscoe Turner was building a reputation as a Speed Demon not only in the transcontinental races but the Pylon races as well. In his career he became the only man to win the Thompson Classic twice.

In October of 1934, the MacRoberstson air race took place. It is widely known as the greatest air race in history. Flying between England and Australia, Turner and his crew aboard a Boeing transport plane thundered into Melbourne with a close second place finish. For his effort, Roscoe Turner won 1500 pounds. Also for his effort he amassed a $35,000 out of pocket debt that took five years to payoff.

Roscoe Turner opened a military flight school for trainers, pilots and mechanics. After Pearl Harbor was attacked he got the itch to fly combat, but was told he was serving the country in a greater way by training the young aviators.

After the war, aviation technology flew by Roscoe faster than he finished a Thompson Classic. Although he was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross by the United States Air Force in 1953. Other than that moment in the limelight, Roscoe was relegated to public speaking on behalf of aviation.

He died on June 23rd, 1970.

Roscoe's dad gave his son a piece of fatherly advice in an attempt to show him the wisdom of striving for a stable life of status quo. Something any father would do for his son. A piece of advice that was discarded like candy wrapper.

Sometimes those wrong turns lead to wondrous ends. Instead of focusing on the map that others have laid out before us, we can find a journey that dumps us out exactly where we need to be. Roscoe followed his heart and not his father's yearnings. In doing so, Roscoe lived a life full of what he wanted.

I am getting my shot at that wrong turn. Every day I get further away from January 4th, 2009. It has not been a bed of roses, and I suspect it will be worse at times than it has been thus far. But, I know in my heart of hearts that my path will lead to where I want to go.

At least the journey has and will continue to be enlightening.

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