PILOT STORIES: Bishop,
Lester F.
| Air Mail
Service Began: |
December 27, 1918 |
| Air Mail Service Ended: |
September 16, 1920 |
| Pilot Reinstated: |
November 30, 1919 |
| Air Mail Service Ends
Again: |
June 30, 1927 |
| Total Hours Flown: |
2176.37 |
| Total Miles Flown: |
210,535 |
| Assignment: |
Cleveland, Ohio |
| |
January 7, 1919 – Belmont Park,
New York |
| |
February 6, 1919 – Bustleton Field,
Pennsylvania |
| |
March 27, 1919 – Belmont Park,
New York |
| |
April 15, 1919 – Cleveland, Ohio |
| |
September 16, 1920 – Cleveland,
Ohio |
| |
July 1, 1921 – Hazelhurst Field,
New York |
| |
February 1, 1922 – Cleveland,
Ohio |
| |
June 16, 1922 – Salt Lake City,
Utah |
| |
September 1, 1926 – Iowa City,
Iowa |
Lester Frank Bishop was born on April 12, 1889.
He served as an instructor and test pilot in the years before
his airmail service. Bishop was a solid flyer, but did not
like flying at night. On March 23, 1926, manager Harry Huking
wrote to the service's general superintendent noting
that Bishop and Jack Sharpnack had both made their reluctance
to fly at night known. According to Huking, Bishop had flatly
refused to fly at all at night. Recognizing the need to keep
a good pilot, even if he did not like night flying, airmail
officials kept Bishop in the Western Division, where only
day flying was being done.
|
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