Mr. Gann, one of America's foremost authors lived a very exciting and event filled life. Aviator, sailor, world traveler, writer, and landscape painter, he did everything at full throttle.
He was an airline pilot for American Airlines in it's early days. He was an adventurer, as well as a great novel writer, with many of his novels having an aviation theme. He flew the hump in China, the North Atlantic, into India, Africa, South America, and many other exotic places for the Civilian Pilot Air Transport Command in WWII. He had over 20 thousand flying hours logged as a pilot. Writing however, was his greatest legacy and what he was best known for. He wrote such novels as, The High and the Mighty, Island in the Sky, Soldier of Fortune, Fate is the Hunter, Band of Brothers, The Antagonists, and many, many others, with a total of 21 best-sellers. Many of these novels were turned into popular movies. Ernie had a lifelong love of the sea and sailing, having sailed across both the Atlantic and Pacfic oceans in small sail boats. He also was an accomplished landscape painter in his last years.
In the fall of 1991, Ernie once again took to the skies to mark the 50th anniversary of his promotion to Captain at American Airlines; it would be his last flight. On December 19, 1991, Ernie passed away from liver, kidney and heart problems on a Thursday in Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, Washington, at the age of 81.
Ernie's writing office was an old chicken coop that he had converted into an office near his ranch house. After his death, the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) moved the entire coop and its furnishings, including the barber's chair Gann used at his desk, to the EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where it is on public display.
In Friday Harbor, a cafe named "Ernie's Cafe" was opened in honor of his accomplishments.
Gann was a member or honorary member of Society of Flight Test Engineers, Order of Daedalions, Black Birds, OX-5 Aviation Pioneers, Secret Order of Quiet Birdmen, Colgate President's Club, Washington Athletic Club, Grey Eagles Club, 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Retired Eastern Pilots Association, and American Fighter Pilots Association.
Other honors included, Washington Governor Gary Locke posthumously awarded the Medal of Merit (the state's highest honor) to Gann on July 9, 2003, The Confederate Air Force Hall of Fame (1971), Aviation Journalist of the year (1975), and The Culver Military Man of the Year (1974).
REM
He was an airline pilot for American Airlines in it's early days. He was an adventurer, as well as a great novel writer, with many of his novels having an aviation theme. He flew the hump in China, the North Atlantic, into India, Africa, South America, and many other exotic places for the Civilian Pilot Air Transport Command in WWII. He had over 20 thousand flying hours logged as a pilot. Writing however, was his greatest legacy and what he was best known for. He wrote such novels as, The High and the Mighty, Island in the Sky, Soldier of Fortune, Fate is the Hunter, Band of Brothers, The Antagonists, and many, many others, with a total of 21 best-sellers. Many of these novels were turned into popular movies. Ernie had a lifelong love of the sea and sailing, having sailed across both the Atlantic and Pacfic oceans in small sail boats. He also was an accomplished landscape painter in his last years.
In the fall of 1991, Ernie once again took to the skies to mark the 50th anniversary of his promotion to Captain at American Airlines; it would be his last flight. On December 19, 1991, Ernie passed away from liver, kidney and heart problems on a Thursday in Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, Washington, at the age of 81.
Ernie's writing office was an old chicken coop that he had converted into an office near his ranch house. After his death, the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) moved the entire coop and its furnishings, including the barber's chair Gann used at his desk, to the EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where it is on public display.
In Friday Harbor, a cafe named "Ernie's Cafe" was opened in honor of his accomplishments.
Gann was a member or honorary member of Society of Flight Test Engineers, Order of Daedalions, Black Birds, OX-5 Aviation Pioneers, Secret Order of Quiet Birdmen, Colgate President's Club, Washington Athletic Club, Grey Eagles Club, 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Retired Eastern Pilots Association, and American Fighter Pilots Association.
Other honors included, Washington Governor Gary Locke posthumously awarded the Medal of Merit (the state's highest honor) to Gann on July 9, 2003, The Confederate Air Force Hall of Fame (1971), Aviation Journalist of the year (1975), and The Culver Military Man of the Year (1974).
REM
Mr. Gann, one of America's foremost authors lived a very exciting and event filled life. Aviator, sailor, world traveler, writer, and landscape painter, he did everything at full throttle.
He was an airline pilot for American Airlines in it's early days. He was an adventurer, as well as a great novel writer, with many of his novels having an aviation theme. He flew the hump in China, the North Atlantic, into India, Africa, South America, and many other exotic places for the Civilian Pilot Air Transport Command in WWII. He had over 20 thousand flying hours logged as a pilot. Writing however, was his greatest legacy and what he was best known for. He wrote such novels as, The High and the Mighty, Island in the Sky, Soldier of Fortune, Fate is the Hunter, Band of Brothers, The Antagonists, and many, many others, with a total of 21 best-sellers. Many of these novels were turned into popular movies. Ernie had a lifelong love of the sea and sailing, having sailed across both the Atlantic and Pacfic oceans in small sail boats. He also was an accomplished landscape painter in his last years.
In the fall of 1991, Ernie once again took to the skies to mark the 50th anniversary of his promotion to Captain at American Airlines; it would be his last flight. On December 19, 1991, Ernie passed away from liver, kidney and heart problems on a Thursday in Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, Washington, at the age of 81.
Ernie's writing office was an old chicken coop that he had converted into an office near his ranch house. After his death, the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) moved the entire coop and its furnishings, including the barber's chair Gann used at his desk, to the EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where it is on public display.
In Friday Harbor, a cafe named "Ernie's Cafe" was opened in honor of his accomplishments.
Gann was a member or honorary member of Society of Flight Test Engineers, Order of Daedalions, Black Birds, OX-5 Aviation Pioneers, Secret Order of Quiet Birdmen, Colgate President's Club, Washington Athletic Club, Grey Eagles Club, 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Retired Eastern Pilots Association, and American Fighter Pilots Association.
Other honors included, Washington Governor Gary Locke posthumously awarded the Medal of Merit (the state's highest honor) to Gann on July 9, 2003, The Confederate Air Force Hall of Fame (1971), Aviation Journalist of the year (1975), and The Culver Military Man of the Year (1974).
REM
He was an airline pilot for American Airlines in it's early days. He was an adventurer, as well as a great novel writer, with many of his novels having an aviation theme. He flew the hump in China, the North Atlantic, into India, Africa, South America, and many other exotic places for the Civilian Pilot Air Transport Command in WWII. He had over 20 thousand flying hours logged as a pilot. Writing however, was his greatest legacy and what he was best known for. He wrote such novels as, The High and the Mighty, Island in the Sky, Soldier of Fortune, Fate is the Hunter, Band of Brothers, The Antagonists, and many, many others, with a total of 21 best-sellers. Many of these novels were turned into popular movies. Ernie had a lifelong love of the sea and sailing, having sailed across both the Atlantic and Pacfic oceans in small sail boats. He also was an accomplished landscape painter in his last years.
In the fall of 1991, Ernie once again took to the skies to mark the 50th anniversary of his promotion to Captain at American Airlines; it would be his last flight. On December 19, 1991, Ernie passed away from liver, kidney and heart problems on a Thursday in Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, Washington, at the age of 81.
Ernie's writing office was an old chicken coop that he had converted into an office near his ranch house. After his death, the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) moved the entire coop and its furnishings, including the barber's chair Gann used at his desk, to the EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where it is on public display.
In Friday Harbor, a cafe named "Ernie's Cafe" was opened in honor of his accomplishments.
Gann was a member or honorary member of Society of Flight Test Engineers, Order of Daedalions, Black Birds, OX-5 Aviation Pioneers, Secret Order of Quiet Birdmen, Colgate President's Club, Washington Athletic Club, Grey Eagles Club, 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Retired Eastern Pilots Association, and American Fighter Pilots Association.
Other honors included, Washington Governor Gary Locke posthumously awarded the Medal of Merit (the state's highest honor) to Gann on July 9, 2003, The Confederate Air Force Hall of Fame (1971), Aviation Journalist of the year (1975), and The Culver Military Man of the Year (1974).
REM
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