# How many heads of state are/were pilots? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 14, 2005, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-heads-of-state-are-were-pilots/330947 "2005-11-14T04:02:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-heads-of-state-are-were-pilots/330947/1 "2005-11-14T04:02:21Z")
Well…just like it says in the title, really. So far I have both Presidents Bush, and King Hussein of Jordan, but I’m sure there have been more. (::shuffles feet:🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-heads-of-state-are-were-pilots/330947/2 "2005-11-14T04:58:21Z")
Well, technically not HoS (that title belongs to the GG or the Monarch depending how you define it), but Australian PM John Gorton became a pilot as a young man and served as a fighter pilot in WWII. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-heads-of-state-are-were-pilots/330947/3 "2005-11-14T05:09:55Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > Well, technically not HoS (that title belongs to the GG or the Monarch depending how you define it), but Australian PM John Gorton became a pilot as a young man and served as a fighter pilot in WWII. If Prince Charles makes it to King, he [learned to fly jet aircraft for the RAF _and_ learned to fly helicopters for the Royal Navy](http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page460.asp); and if Australia hasn’t ditched the monarchy by then, he’d be Australia’s head of state as well as the UK’s. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-heads-of-state-are-were-pilots/330947/4 "2005-11-14T05:22:43Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > If Prince Charles makes it to King, he [learned to fly jet aircraft for the RAF _and_ learned to fly helicopters for the Royal Navy](http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page460.asp); and if Australia hasn’t ditched the monarchy by then, he’d be Australia’s head of state as well as the UK’s. He’ll certainly be Britain’s HoS. Whether he would be Australia’s is a matter of some debate. > [@](#): > > It should be recognised that the expression ‘Head of State’ is not found in the Australian Constitution. On a plain English reading of the Constitution the Queen is the Australian Head of State and acts through her representative, the Governor-General. However, it should be recognised that there is debate as to whether the Governor-General is the Head of State or the Queen is the Head of State. [http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rn/1997-98/98rn24.htm](http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rn/1997-98/98rn24.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-heads-of-state-are-were-pilots/330947/5 "2005-11-14T06:03:02Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > He’ll certainly be Britain’s HoS. Whether he would be Australia’s is a matter of some debate. > > > [@](#): > > > > It should be recognised that the expression ‘Head of State’ is not found in the Australian Constitution. On a plain English reading of the Constitution the Queen is the Australian Head of State and acts through her representative, the Governor-General. However, it should be recognised that there is debate as to whether the Governor-General is the Head of State or the Queen is the Head of State. > > [http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rn/1997-98/98rn24.htm](http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rn/1997-98/98rn24.htm) That’s an argument I’ve always found a bit hard to swallow and I don’t recall it being used much before the Republic referendum in 1999 when the monarchists were trying to counter the allegation that we had a non-Australian head of state. Since the Queen is granted the title Queen of Australia by the \*Royal Style and Titles Act \* (Cth) 1973, I find it hard to see how anyone can argue that her representative is actually the head of state. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-heads-of-state-are-were-pilots/330947/6 "2005-11-14T06:08:21Z")
Ghana’s head of state in the 80s and 90s was [Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rawlings). I assume from his rank that he was a pilot. ---
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-heads-of-state-are-were-pilots/330947/7 "2005-11-14T06:17:17Z")
Rajiv Gandhi, airline pilot, eventually became India’s youngest HoS. ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-heads-of-state-are-were-pilots/330947/8 "2005-11-14T09:42:41Z")
[Ezer Weizman](http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Facts%20About%20Israel/State/Ezer%20Weizman) (RIP), former President of Israel [1993-2000] (and thus nominally Head of State, although lacking any real power – much like European monarchs), was a fighter pilot and Commander of the Israel Air Force during the period 1958-1966 (see link). ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-heads-of-state-are-were-pilots/330947/9 "2005-11-14T10:03:10Z")
> [@gouda](#): > > Rajiv Gandhi, airline pilot, eventually became India’s youngest HoS. I thought of Rajiv too, but I didn’t post it. Know why? The prime minister is the head of government. The president of India is the head of state. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-heads-of-state-are-were-pilots/330947/10 "2005-11-14T11:54:56Z")
People forget that Ike got his license in the Philippines. He loved to fly, but Mamie made him give it up. ---
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-heads-of-state-are-were-pilots/330947/11 "2005-11-14T12:26:15Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > I thought of Rajiv too, but I didn’t post it. Know why? The prime minister is the head of government. The president of India is the head of state. That’s correct. I should’ve just written Prime Minister. Not _exactly_ what the OP is asking for, but close enough. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-heads-of-state-are-were-pilots/330947/12 "2005-11-14T12:51:32Z")
I remember reading that one of Paraguay’s presidents was a pilot. Perhaps not a very good one, as he died in a crash. ---
**Author:** ![St\_Ides](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@St\_Ides](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St_Ides)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-heads-of-state-are-were-pilots/330947/13 "2005-11-14T19:40:35Z")
Canada’s 14th Prime Minister [Lester B. Pearson](http://www.cbc.ca/greatest/top_ten/nominee/pearson-lester.html) was a fighter pilot in WW1. He went by “Mike” Pearson, because his flight instructor started calling him that after he told him that “Lester” wasn’t a ‘proper’ name for a fighter pilot. He went by Mike for the rest of his life. He also won the Nobel Peace Prize. Hell of a guy. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-heads-of-state-are-were-pilots/330947/14 "2005-11-14T19:58:42Z")
John Glenn would have been, and John McCain might still be… On the fictional front, Vice President Jackson (forget his first name) in Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan books is a retired Marine pilot who insists on piloting Air Force Two (much to the chagrin of the assigned Air Force pilots) when he goes on trips. ---
**Author:** ![633squadron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/ee59a6/32.png) [@633squadron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/633squadron)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-heads-of-state-are-were-pilots/330947/15 "2005-11-14T21:17:30Z")
> [@William V.](#): > > John Glenn would have been, and John McCain might still be… > > On the fictional front, Vice President Jackson (forget his first name) in Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan books is a retired Marine pilot who insists on piloting Air Force Two (much to the chagrin of the assigned Air Force pilots) when he goes on trips. As long as we’re wandering a bit afield, I’d like to mention that Winston Churchill was a licensed pilot, though he was never a military pilot. Joe Kennedy Jr., elder brother of JFK/RFK/Ted, was Dad’s first choice to be the first Catholic President. He was a Navy bomber pilot in WWII, unfortunately was killed in action. I seem to remember that King George VI (father of the current Queen) was in the RAF. Was he trained as a flier? Someone previously mentioned the late Ezer Weissman, former President of Israel and thus the legal HoS. He was one of the first pilots in the Israeli Air Force and rose to Chief of Staff of that branch. I read his autobiography, in which he discusses a mission where his section attacked British Spitfires flying into Israeli airspace from Egypt. Weismann’s plane? A war-surplus Messerschmitt ME-109, smuggled into Israel from Czechoslovakia :eek: ! ;j