PPRuNe Forums - Political Leaders who were Military Aviators

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- - Political Leaders who were Military Aviators (https://www.pprune.org/military-aviation/553873-political-leaders-who-were-military-aviators.html)

Rajiv Gandhi was never a military aviator. Went to civil flight school ..... According to his peers a so-so aviator?...... Military aviators are steep in chivalry and being gentleman.....that's a lot to give up to be a politician...... Doubt if will be a long list

Prince Husain (eldest son of the Sultan of the Indies) was a military aviator and subsequently became Sultan.

Prince Andrew. Prince Charles. William and Harry. The Duke of Camborne. Why's the Xmas Monarchy thread been shut down? Its just getting interesting. Especially in the Daily Mail tonight, photographs and everything on there.... they'll need to be bloody politicians to get out of this one....if its true.
Wedgewood Benn was a pilot on Spitfires, I think but too young or was in the wrong place for combat.

Randy 'Duke' Cunningham, congressman and guest of the American legal system for 8 years and 4 months.

Quote:

Rumsfeld served in the United States Navy from 1954 to 1957, as a naval aviator and flight instructor. His initial training was in the SNJ Texan basic trainer after which he transitioned to the T-28 advanced trainer. In 1957, he transferred to the Naval Reserve and continued his naval service in flying and administrative assignments as a drilling reservist. On July 1, 1958, he was assigned to Anti-submarine Squadron 662 at Naval Air Station Anacostia, District of Columbia, as a selective reservist. Rumsfeld was designated aircraft commander of Anti-submarine Squadron 731 on October 1, 1960, at Naval Air Station Grosse Ile, Michigan, where he flew the S2F Tracker (redesignated S-2 in 1962). He transferred to the Individual Ready Reserve when he became Secretary of Defense in 1975 and retired with the rank of Captain in 1989.

And with all that he was still a stupid *&^% who tried to damage the military both in the mid-1970s (SecDef for Pres. Ford November 20, 1975 – January 20, 1977, when he tried to force the 2nd-rate CVV carrier design and then the 3rd-rate VSS on the USN) and again in the early 2000s.

President George W. Bush was also a military aviator, he flew F-102's operationally.