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MR. JOHN R. "DICK" ROSSI President of the Flying Tigers Association, naval aviator and AVG Flight Leader and fighter ace: Following AVG service where he was officially credited with 6.5 confirmed aerial victories, Mr. Rossi volunteered to continue flying fighter missions with the newly formed 23rd Fighter Group of the China Air Task Force until a sufficient number of replacement Army pilots could arrive from the U.S. Rossi then joined the China National Aviation Corporation where flying Douglas DC-3 (C-47/C-53) transports he would fly badly needed supplies into and throughout China. As a CNAC pilot, Rossi would set the record for the most missions flown over the treacherous "Hump Air Route" that connected China with Allied supply bases in eastern India. Following the War, Rossi stayed with CNAC and in the years immediately following the Second World War played an important role in developing commercial air travel throughout China. Following his service with CNAC, Rossi with a small number of fellow former Fling Tigers co-founded Flying Tiger Airlines. Choosing to stay with the operational side of the airline, Mr. Rossi became one of the company's chief pilots and pioneered air cargo routes throughout the world. As an aviator, Mr. Rossi has more than 25,000 hours of commercial and military flight time to his credit. |
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