Cleo Pineau

Cleo Francis Pineau
Born	23 July 1893 Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Died	29 May 1972 Williamsport, Pennsylvania, USA
Wildwood Cemetery	Williamsport, Pennsylvania, USA
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	Aviation
Years of service	1917 - 1918
Rank	Lieutenant
Unit	No. 210 Squadron RAF
Awards	British Distinguished Flying Cross
Other work	Sparked civil aviation in Pennsylvania; became executive in steel industry

Lieutenant Cleo Francis Pineau was a World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories.^[1] He later became an executive in the steel industry.

Early life

Pineau was the son of Thomas L. and Adele Gstalder Pineau.^[2] He was a restless youth, and dropped out of school in sixth grade.^[3] He was a motorcycle racer before World War I.^[4] He raced Flying Merkel and Indian Motorcycles, once defeating Barney Oldfield. He also rode in the "Globe of Death" motordrome as a vaudeville performer.^[5]

World War I

He joined the Royal Flying Corps in December 1917,^[6] and trained at the Curtis Aviation School in Buffalo, New York.^[7] He was assigned to 210 Squadron on 2 June 1918. Between 6 September and 8 October 1918, he used a Sopwith Camel to destroy four Fokker D.VIIs and drive down two others. Following his sixth win, he was shot down by a Fokker Triplane near Roulers and fell into captivity as a prisoner of war.^[8]

Postwar

Pineau went back to motorcycle racing in the 1920s, winning many world motordrome records.^[9] Pineau did not leave aviation behind. He was instrumental in founding the Williamsport-Lycoming County Airport, and fostered it through his connections in the aviation community, including a friendship with Wiley Post.^[10][11]

He began the Radiant Steel company in 1927 or 1928, as a spinoff from Darling Valve and Manufacturing Company. By 1948, he was its president; he served in this capacity until he retired in 1969. He died in 1972.^[12][13]

Sources of information

1. ^ http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/usa/pineau.php Retrieved 18 February 2010.
2. ^ http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/usa/pineau.php Retrieved 18 February 2010.
3. ^ Williamsport: Boomtown on the Susquehanna. pp. 100–102. 
4. ^ http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/usa/pineau.php Retrieved 18 February 2010.
5. ^ Williamsport: Boomtown on the Susquehanna. pp. 100–102. 
6. ^ Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920. 
7. ^ Williamsport: Boomtown on the Susquehanna. p. 101. 
8. ^ Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920. p. 305. 
9. ^ http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/newspaper-articles/32777-cleo-f-pineau-former-radiant-steel-head-dies.html Retrieved 18 February 2010.
10. ^ http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/newspaper-articles/32777-cleo-f-pineau-former-radiant-steel-head-dies.html Retrieved 18 February 2010.
11. ^ Williamsport: Boomtown on the Susquehanna. p. 101. 
12. ^ http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/newspaper-articles/32777-cleo-f-pineau-former-radiant-steel-head-dies.html Retrieved 18 February 2010.
13. ^ http://www.sungazette.com/page/content.detail/id/526275.html?nav=20 Retrieved 18 February 2010.

Reference

• Above the Trenches: a Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920. Christopher F. Shores, Norman L. R. Franks, Russell Guest. Grub Street, 1990. ISBN 0948817194, 9780948817199.
• Williamsport: Boomtown on the Susquehanna. Robin Van Auken, Louis E Hunsinger. Arcadia Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0738524387, 9780738524382.

Persondata
Name	Pineau, Cleo
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	23 July 1893
Place of birth	Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Date of death	29 May 1972
Place of death	Williamsport, Pennsylvania, USA