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MR. ERICKSEN E. SHILLING, AVG & CNAC Army Air Corps trained fighter pilot and AVG "Flying Tiger" Flight Leader: Mr. Shilling served as Chennault's aerial reconnaissance specialist. On December the 9th, 1941, Shilling flew the AVG's first operational combat mission, when escorted by two other AVG pilots, he flew from Toungoo, Burma to Bangkok, Thailand and photographed Japanese forces that were preparing to invade Burma. Following AVG service, Shilling joined CNAC and flew supplies into China. With CNAC, Shilling flew more than 350 missions over the demanding and deadly "Hump Air Route. " Following the Second World War, Shilling went to work flying for General Chennault's C. A. T. airline flying cargo and passengers throughout Asia. During the fall of French Indo China, Shilling and number of other C..A.T. pilots were contracted by the U.S. Government to fly supplies to French Army. Braving intense anti-aircraft fire, Shilling made 37 supply drops to the beleaguered French garrison at Dien Bien Phu. Following C.A.T., Shilling went to work for Swiss Air Airlines, flying passengers routes in both Europe and Asia. Over his lifetime, Mr. Shilling has accumulated more than 30,000 hours of flight time, and still actively pilots his own aerobatic sport plane. He also a published author, having written a popular autobiography that describes his sixty years as an aviator. |
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