John Wescott Myers

John Wescott Myers (born Los Angeles, California, June 13, 1911 – died Beverly Hills, California, January 31, 2008) was a World War II test pilot who helped develop the P-61 fighter plane.

The son of Louis Wescott Myers, a prominent California judge and lawyer, Myers was educated at The Thacher School,[1] Stanford University and Harvard Law School. He returned to California to practice law, but was an avid pilot. When the US entered WWII, Myers took a job in the legal department with Lockheed, hoping to get piloting work. He was soon ferrying aircraft for them as a sideline, and did some test-piloting on the YP-38. He joined Northrop Aircraft in 1941 as chief engineering test pilot, flying many of Northrop's experimental planes. He was heavily involved with the P-61 program; he test-piloted the plane, and then taught American pilots on the Pacific Front to fly it. He was called "Maestro" for his flying skills. While in New Guinea, Myers gave a ride to fellow trainer Charles Lindbergh; Lindbergh later wrote of how Myers avoided a potentially fatal accident by evading a plane that landed too closely behind their own plane.[2]

After World War II, Myers successfully ran several aviation-related businesses.

Myers married Lucia Raymond in 1942; they had two children, Louis W. Myers II and Lucia Myers.[3]

A small plant (Myers' Pincushion or Navarretia myersii) first identified on Myers' ranch was named in his honor due to his contributions to conservation.[4][5]

References

  1. ↑ http://articles.latimes.com/2008/feb/02/local/me-myers2 LA Times obituary
  2. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/10/us/10myers.html New York Times obituary of Myers
  3. ↑ http://www.airportjournals.com/display.cfm/Centennial/0803010 Airport Journals obituary of Myers
  4. ↑ http://www.calflora.net/botanicalnames/pageMI-MY.html Info on myersii and JWM
  5. ↑ http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=NAMY PLANTS profile for Myers' Pincushion
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