Duane Cole

Duane Cole (1 April 1914 to 3 February 2004) was an American aerobatic pilot who earned his private license in 1938, his commercial license in 1939 and his instructor rating in 1940. He flew his first airshow in 1940 and trained cadets in the Civilian Pilot Training Program through the Second World War. From 1947 to 1963 he performed with the Cole Brothers Airshows alongside his brothers Arnold, Lester and Marion. He flew a 65 horsepower clipped wing Taylorcraft BF-50, a modest aircraft whose routines favoured smoothness and grace over speed and power, and his name was painted upside down on the fuselage because he spent more time inverted than upright. He left the airshow business in 1963 after the death of his son Rolly during airshow practice, then produced and managed the Reno Air Races, continuing into the 1970s. He and his wife Judy created the Duane and Judy Cole award in 1971 and he won an aviation writers award in 1974 for his book The Flying Coles. His Taylorcraft is held at the EAA AirVenture Museum.