Gordon Cahill's whole life revolved around flying. Born in 1913 in Gibbstown, New Jersey, and raised on a nearby farm, he became fascinated with aviation while talking to a cousin, a former World War I pilot. Cahill started taking flight lessons at age 17. He bought a bi-plane called "Bird," kept it on the family farm and taught his friends what he learned from each flight lesson. By 1939, he had converted a farm to an airport in nearby Bridgeport and started a successful flying service to teach others to fly. During World War II, the government closed all private airports within 100 miles of the coast, so Cahill as a civilian instructor, taught military personnel to fly. His students included U.S. Army Air Corps ace Jimmy Happel. At age 29, Cahill was inducted into the Army Air Corps as a second lieutenant. He ferried P-47's, P-51's and other aircraft all over the country and to England. He was promoted to captain in 1944 and flew 53 trips across the "Hump" (the Himalayas) between India and China. Cahill also served a stint as personal pilot to General T. J. Handley, Jr. After the war, he resumed his commercial flying activities at Bridgeport and, with friends, opened another airport in Woodbury, NJ. Over his 52 year career in aviation, he taught countless students to fly including his wife, Madeline, and his children. Along the way, Cahill flew crop dusters, parachute jump planes, and other general aviation aircraft. He also worked as a mechanic on helicopter test flights for Piasecki Corporation and was a flight examiner for the Federal Aviation Administration for 40 years. Cahill was an aviation pioneer in South Jersey and devoted his entire life to the world of aviation. He passed away in 1995.