|
Pilot ID
Hi Joe:
First, there is a certificate number above the name that may be unscrambled with a little effort. A cryptologist or handwriting expert may help. That number would lead you to the name of the instructor from the FAA database.
Second the book "Wings of Honor" (Schiffer) has a compilation of pilots and brief histories of all squadrons, both combat and otherwise, enlisted in WW1. Note-there are still some out there not on the list. If you have a clue whether he would have been Army, Naval or Marine, that would narrow it a bit.
Third. There were ~eight Signal Corps basic training schools in WW1, and good archival information is available if you know where to look. Student pilots were usually assigned the campus in their region. If Florida, chances are he attended GaTech School of Military Avation (SMA), and the archives are in Atlanta. Happy to provide address offline.
If your man had a regional accent, that would be a clue to which archives to check.
-pete
|