Marion Cole

Marion Cole (1924 to 2011) was an American aerobatic pilot and airshow performer. He served as a flight instructor for the United States Navy in World War II, then from 1947 to 1957 performed with the Cole Brothers Airshows alongside his brothers Lester and Duane Cole. He flew a 450 horsepower 1951 Stearman 75 fitted for wingwalking and became the 1952 National aerobatic champion in that aircraft. He was one of the founding members of the Red Devils aerobatic team with Bob Heuer and Gene Soucy and later formed his own company, Marion Cole Air Shows. In 1971 he and Art Scholl bought the first two Pitts S2A aircraft built, and he went on to become a Pitts dealer. In the late 1970s he taught aerobatic training to civilian Beechcraft Bonanza pilots. He died of pancreatic cancer after more than 31,000 safe flying hours.