Arthur Raymond Brooks | |
|---|---|
 Lt. Ray Brooks | |
| Nickname(s) | Ray |
| Born | November 1, 1895 Framingham, Massachusetts |
| Died | July 17, 1991 (aged 95) Summit, New Jersey |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ | Air Service, United States Army |
| Years of service | 1917-1922 |
| Rank |  Captain |
| Unit | Air Service, United States Army |
| Battles/wars |  World War I |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Cross |
Arthur Raymond Brooks (1 November 1895 – 17 July 1991) was an American World War I flying ace of the United States Army Air Service credited with shooting down multiple enemy aircraft. Among his most prominent achievements was when he single-handedly took on a squadron of German-flown Fokker (Dutch make) planes officially downing 2 of them in one aerial battle piloting his SPAD XIII named Smith IV.[3][4] He was a pioneer in the development of radio navigational aids (NAVAIDs) used by pilots for location and navigation as well as air-to-ground communications. Brooks also participated in early endeavors to commercialize aviation as a passenger-carrying business and was one of the earliest commercial pilots involved with carrying mail (air mail) for the US Post Office Department.
- ^ "SOVA: Smithsonian Online Virtual Archives" (PDF).
- ^ Fowler, Glenn (24 July 1991). "A. Raymond Brooks is Dead at 95; the Last U.S. Ace of World War I". The New York Times.
- ^ Fowler, Glenn (24 July 1991). "A. Raymond Brooks is Dead at 95; the Last U.S. Ace of World War I". The New York Times.
- ^ "2nd Pursuit Group". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2016-02-19.