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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:

Warney L "Bing" Crosby began his flying career while he was a student at the University of Georgia. Bing's father complained that he spent money on flying time instead of books. But by graduation he had amassed enough time to become qualified as a Service Pilot Instructor for the Army Air Corps. Bing was commissioned into the Air Corps and continued to instruct at Randolph Air Base until the end of WW II. After the war he was transferred to Germany and while there he flew missions in the Berlin Airlift. (Years later in Vietnam, his son worked on several of the actual airplanes that Bing flew in the Airlift.) Returning to the CONUS he was assigned as a test pilot on jets, flying both the P-59 and the North American F-86. During the Korean War high in the cold clear air of MiG Alley, Bing flew an F-86F. He named his Sabre Jet, "Patricia Darling," for his wife and mother of his four children. With more than one tour to Gieger Field, Spokane, Washington Bing flew the F-86 "Dog," and the Convair F-102 Delta Dagger. On a second tour to Gieger he assumed command of the 498th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, known worldwide as the Gieger Tigers thereby earning his Nomne de Guerre "Papa Tiger." At Clark Air Base, in the Philippines he was assigned to the staff of Thirteenth Air Force. He flew F-102s again, with the 509th Fighter Interceptor Squadron over Vietnam and Laos. His final Air Force Flying job was as an advisor to the Republic of Korea Air Force flying the Northrup, F-5 Freedom Fighter. His flying was not over. After serving his country, he flew Sabreliners and Falcons for another 14 years as a corporate pilot for the Teamsters.