John G. “Tex” Rankin

WWI U.S. Army Air Corps, barnstormer, and aerobatics instructor: posthumous

With an aviation career spanning the years between WWI through the end of WWII, Tex Rankin’s aviation enthusiasm inspired thousands of aviators throughout the United States of America. A native of Texas,
young John G. Rankin left home at 16 in 1910 in search of adventure and found his way to the United States Army Air Corps. Developing a love of aircraft while serving his country, Rankin made his way to the
State of Washington where he learned to fly after his discharge from the Army Air Corps in 1919. Rankin moved to Portland, Oregon, in late 1922 with his strong Texan drawl still in tact. When he started the Rankin Flying Service, he was referred to simply as “Tex”! Before long, many aspiring aviators turned to Rankin for flying lessons. In response, he established the Rankin School of Flight and by 1927, he had instructed over 250 students. More than 60 flying schools nationwide adopted Rankin’s series of booklets, known as The Rankin System of Flying Instruction, which covered all phases of flight and emphasized safety as a priority. When he wasn’t instructing new pilots, Rankin’s Air Circus barnstormed cities and towns throughout the West, with a series of different aircraft, all with a number 13 painted on the side and a black feline passenger for luck. With the advent of WWII, Rankin established the Rankin Aeronautical Academy in Tulare, California, to instruct civilians in aerobatics for the Army Air Corps. During its four and a half year history, the Academy graduated 10,450 cadets, twelve of which became WWII aces. One of America's greatest pilots, Tex Rankin died in the crash of a Republic Seabee in Klamath Falls, Oregon on a routine business flight in 1947.

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