First all Instrument flight

General James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle, USAF (December 14, 1896 – September 27, 1993) was an American aviation pioneer. On September 25 - 1929, Doolittle became the first pilot to take off, fly and land an airplane using instruments alone, without visual references from outside the cockpit.

Having returned to Mitchel Field that September, he assisted in the development of fog flying equipment. He helped to develop, and was then the first to test, the now universally used artificial horizon and directional gyroscope.

Back to Main Page