In the Cockpit with Cliff Robertson

By Di Freeze

In the Cockpit with Cliff Robertson is the third volume in the Passion for Flight series. These short biographies (20,000 words or less) tell the stories of notable pilots who inspire young and old alike to take to the skies.

Cliff Robertson appeared in more than one hundred roles in his career as an actor, including a young John F. Kennedy in “PT 109,” his Academy Award winning performance in “Charly,” astronaut Buzz Aldrin in the autobiographic “Return to Earth,” Henry Ford in “The Man and the Machine,” and most recently, Uncle Ben from “Spider-Man.”

Cliff always felt more comfortable in a plane than in Hollywood. His fascination for aviation began as a child. He accrued several thousand hours in the cockpit and held single-engine land and sea, multiengine, instrument and commercial licenses, as well as balloon, gliding and seaplane ratings. Over his lifetime he owned a variety of planes, including a Beech Baron 58, Messerschmitt Me 108, Stampe SV4, three Tiger Moths and a Spitfire Mk.IX.

He gave others the opportunity he had as a youth when he became involved with the Experimental Aircraft Association. Within EAA, he founded the Cliff Robertson Work Experience, helped launch EAA’s Young Eagles program in 1992, and served as its first national honorary chairman. At EAA AirVenture 2002, he was presented with the inaugural Key to the City Award, created by EAA and the city of Oshkosh, to honor distinguished personalities for significant contributions to the promotion and support of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh and the aviation community.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Di Freeze
• Release date: Oct 7, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301329854

Di Freeze

Di Freeze is the founder of Freeze Time Media, which offers writing, editing, formatting and publishing services for print and ebooks. Over the past few years she has edited and published books in the categories of self-help, children's, fiction (including historical), short stories, and commentaries.Her aviation features are the basis for a series, Passion For Flight (In the Cockpit with...), geared towards inspiring young adults to fly. The first ten biographies are available as ebooks on Amazon and B&N. Volumes one through three — featuring Chuck Yeager, Bob Hoover and Cliff Robertson — are available on Amazon. Volumes four and five, featuring Barron Hilton and Clay Lacy, will be available in the near future.Di co-wrote "From the Ground Up: From the Tractor to the Sabre," with Talmage E. Miller, a Colorado aviation sales pioneer.In 2009 she wrote briefly for A Time To Love, an online relationship magazine. Her interviews included astronaut Charlie Duke, the Love Boat's Gavin MacCleod, and professional BMX racer Donny Robinson.From 2000 to 2008, she was editor-in-chief for Airport Journals. She interviewed well-known aviators regularly for feature biographies for our print and online publications. Those interviews included Chuck Yeager, Bob Hoover, Tex Hill, Barron Hilton, Clay Lacy, Burt and Dick Rutan, Harrison Ford, Morgan Freeman, John Travolta, Patty Wagstaff, Sean Tucker, Gene Cernan, Bill Anders, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy, Steve Fossett, AL Ueltschi and many others.

Book preview

IN THE COCKPIT WITH CLIFF ROBERTSON

Passion for Flight

Vol. 3

Di Freeze

IN THE COCKPIT WITH CLIFF ROBERTSON

Published by Di Freeze at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard word of this author.

Copyright © 2013 Di Freeze

Freeze Time Media

All rights reserved.

Cliff Robertson: Time Must Have A Stop, © Hansen Airport Journals, was originally published in 2003 in newspaper and online format and has been updated for inclusion in the Passion for Flight series.

To Cliff Robertson, whose Passion for Flight inspired others.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Cliff’s Magic Cushion

Charly

PT 109

You Never Forget

Belgium Air Force Spitfire

Giving Back

Nothing’s Purer

9/11

Oscar Winner

Ups & Downs

Spider-Man

Playing Hooky

Time Must Have a Stop

Recognition

Barron Hilton Preview

Barron Hilton Introduction

The Wizard

Mr. Hilton’s Toy Store

The Flying Innkeeper

About the Author

INTRODUCTION

Cliff Robertson Photo

Academy Award and Emmy Award winner Cliff Robertson was passionate about aviation.

Academy Award and Emmy Award winner Cliff Robertson passed away on September 10, 2011, in Stony Brook, New York, one day after his 88th birthday. Fans of Robertson know him for various roles, such as a young John F. Kennedy in PT 109, his Academy Award winning performance in Charly, astronaut Buzz Aldrin in the autobiographic Return to Earth, and Henry Ford in The Man and the Machine. A newer generation knows him simply as Uncle Ben from Spider-Man.

But Robertson always felt more comfortable in a plane than in Hollywood. He became fascinated with aviation as a child. He decided to give others the opportunity he had as a youth when he became involved with the Experimental Aircraft Association. Within EAA, he founded the Cliff Robertson Work Experience. He also helped launch EAA’s Young Eagles program, organized in 1992, and served as its first national honorary chairman. At EAA AirVenture 2002, he was presented with the inaugural Key to the City Award,