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Harry Combs was an American aviation pioneer and author of many fiction and non-fiction books. He was born in Denver, Colorado on January 27, 1913 and died at age 90 in Phoenix, Arizona on December 23, 2003.
[edit] Personal Achievements
In 1929, at the age of 16, Combs built and flight-tested a sport biplane named Vamp Bat.</li>
In 1938, he and a partner formed Mountain States Aviation, a fixed base operation and flying school that later became Combs Aircraft.</li>
In 1939, he designed, built and tested the Combscraft.</li>
During World War II, Combs Aircraft Company trained 9,000 military pilots.</li>
President Kennedy appointed Combs to Project Beacon, the project that helped form the air traffic control system still in use.</li>
Was president of Learjet from 1971 to 1982. During his reign, the company's profits increased $200 million.</li>
In 1974, Combs received America’s General Aviation Man of the Year award.</li>
Recipient of the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy in 1985.</li>
[edit] Books Authored
Kill Devil Hill: Discovering the Secret of the Wright Brothers (1979)</li>
The air age was now (1979)</li>
Brules (1995)</li>
The Scout (1996)</li>
Legend of the Painted Horse (1996)</li>
At the Battle of the Little Big Horn Where Was Custer? (1999)</li>
