John H. Livingston (1897–1974) was an American aviator and

air race Air racing is a type of motorsport that involves airplanes or other types of aircraft that compete over a fixed course, with the winner either returning the shortest time, the one to complete it with the most points, or to come closest to a prev ...

pilot of the 1920s and 1930s. He placed first in 80 national air races.

Life

John Livingston was born in 1897 in

Cedar Falls, Iowa Cedar Falls is a city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 40,713. It is home to the University of Northern Iowa, a public university. History Cedar Falls was first settled in March 1845 by ...

. His first profession was as an automobile and motorcycle mechanic. He first soloed an aircraft in 1920 and started work with The Iowa Airplane Company, later purchasing and managing it as Midwest Airways Corporation. Iowa's first airline with service starting in 1928. In 1928 Livingston won first place in the Transcontinental Air Derby, flying a Waco 10T from New York to Los Angeles. In 1930, Livingston purchased a

Monocoupe 110 The Monocoupe 90 was a two-seat, light cabin airplane built by Donald A. Luscombe for Monocoupe Aircraft.Eden and Moeng 2002 p. 993 The first Monocoupe (Model 5) was built in an abandoned church in Davenport, Iowa, and first flew on April 1, 19 ...

(NC-501W) to use in air racing. He modified the landing gear, engine cowling, engine output, streamlined struts. In 1932 the aircraft went back to the factory to have the wings clipped from 32 feet to 22 feet in length becoming a Monocoupe 110 Special. Livingston would fly the aircraft through rain storms with whitewash paint to find areas of drag. His modifications increased the speed of the monocoupe from 160 to 200 mph. Out of 65 races entered, he placed first 41 times in this aircraft. He sold his aircraft in 1933, and it was entered in the

MacRobertson Race The MacRobertson Trophy Air Race (also known as the London to Melbourne Air Race) took place in October 1934 in aviation, 1934 as part of the 1934 Centenary of Melbourne, Melbourne Centenary celebrations. The race was devised by the Lord Mayor o ...

flying from England to India where it dropped out. The rebuilt airplane returned to America, killing its next owner Ruth Barron in a 1936

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

crash. Livingston's first Monocoupe racer was restored over ten years between 1996 and 2006 and is still flying. By 1933, Livingston had won more air races than any other pilot. After losing to a pilot flying a

Cessna CR-2 The Cessna CR-2 was a mid-winged racing aircraft in the CR series of Cessna racers. Design and development The Cessna CR-1 proved to be too difficult to handle, requiring a redesign of the aircraft. The new plane had an additional 2 foot of win ...

racer, he commissioned an even faster

Cessna CR-3 The Cessna CR-3 was a follow on racing aircraft to the Cessna CR-2 that raced in the 1932 National Air Races. Development The CR-3 was ordered by air racer Johnny Livingston in response to the performance he saw when competing against the Cess ...

racer. His aircraft only lasted 61 days before he had to bail out over Ohio. In that time he won every race he entered with the aircraft. After the season, he went to work for

WACO Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the st ...

as a test pilot, and was also sponsored in the Baby Ruth Aerobatic Team featuring aircraft tied together with ropes. In 1939, Livingston returned to air racing in a Monocoupe. Livingston managed Chapman Airport in Iowa with his brother throughout the 1930s into

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He managed a cadet training program with over 1500 students completing basic training. He retired at

Pompano Beach, Florida Pompano Beach ( ) is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. It is located along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, just north of Fort Lauderdale. The nearby Hillsboro Inlet forms part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. As of the 2020 ...

. Livingston suffered a heart attack and died shortly after test flying a

Pitts Special The Pitts Special (company designations S-1 and S-2) is a series of light aerobatic biplanes designed by Curtis Pitts. It has accumulated many competition wins since its first flight in 1944. The Pitts biplanes dominated world ae ...

at the age of 76. he was inducted into the Iowa aviation Hall of Fame in 1995. His Waco taperwing has been donated to the

EAA AirVenture Museum The EAA Aviation Museum, formerly the EAA AirVenture Museum (or Air Adventure Museum), is a museum dedicated to the preservation and display of historic and experimental aircraft as well as antiques, classics, and warbirds. The museum is lo ...

Oshkosh, Wisconsin Oshkosh is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, of which it is the county seat. The city had a population of 66,816 in 2020, making it the ninth-largest city in Wisconsin. It is also adjacent to the Town of Oshkosh. History Oshkosh was ...

where it has been restored.

Races

*1928 Transcontinental Speed Race - First Place in a Waco Taperwing *1929 Ford Tour - First Place *1931

National Air Races The National Air Races (also known as Pulitzer Trophy Races) are a series of pylon and cross-country races that have taken place in the United States since 1920. The science of aviation, and the speed and reliability of aircraft and engines grew ...

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

- First Place *1939 Miami Air Races - First Place in a Monocoupe

In popular culture

John Livingston is considered to be the inspiration and namesake for the 1970 novel and 1973 film ''

Jonathan Livingston Seagull ''Jonathan Livingston Seagull'', written by American author Richard Bach and illustrated with black-and-white photographs shot by Russell Munson, is a fable in novella form about a seagull who is trying to learn about life and flight, and a homi ...

'' by author and pilot

Richard Bach Richard David Bach (born June 23, 1936) is an American writer. He has written numerous works of fiction and also non-fiction flight-related titles. His works include ''Jonathan Livingston Seagull'' (1970) and '' Illusions: The Adventures of a R ...

Legacy

Livingston-Betsworth Field, as well as the fixed-base operator at the Waterloo, Iowa, municipal airport, are named in his honor.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Livingston, John 1897 births 1974 deaths American air racers Aviators from Iowa Ford National Reliability Air Tour