Robert F. Patterson Pilot Collection

Collection — Box: 1

Identifier: 2024-10-28

Contents of the Collection

The Robert F. Patterson Pilot Collection consists of textual and visual materials primarily relating to the career of Trans World Airlines (TWA) pilot Robert F. Patterson, 1965-1982.

The bulk of the collection is textual materials and includes TWA correspondence, memos, and bulletins. It also includes his 1977 pilot license, medical certificates, flight condition reports, customs forms, TWA employee benefit materials, a notebook, and reference materials issued by TWA. There are also four color snapshots of Patterson in his pilots' uniform, either standing next to an aircraft and with other airline personnel. One print depicts Patterson, members of the flight crew and other TWA dignitaries on a flight to Jordan. None of the photographs include contextual information, such as date, names or locations. Additional materials related to his commercial airline career include a very small amount of Air Line Pilots Association related materials.

There is also a small amount of personal materials, including his United States Air Force Reserve honorable discharge correspondence and a photocopy of Patterson's obituary. Also present is Patterson's 1953 United Kingdom private pilots license and a black-and-white vintage photograph of Patterson seated in a Tiger Moth. There is also an undated clipping about Patterson and a forced landing in a Tiger Moth in the waters near Margate, England and his rescue. Three photographs are included; two relate to Patterson's power boat racing hobby and one depicts Patterson astride a horse, likely during a trip to Jordan.

Dates

Creation: 1953-1982
Creation: Majority of material found within 1965-1982

Creator

Patterson, Robert F., 1935-1982 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research and is accessible in the Dahlberg Research Center by appointment. For more information contact us.

Conditions Governing Use

The Museum of Flight (TMOF) Archives is the owner of the physical materials in the archives and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from TMOF archives before any publication use. TMOF does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners. Consult repository for more details.

Biographical Note: Robert F. Patterson

Robert Francis Patterson (1935-1982) was a pilot for Delta Air Lines and Trans World Airlines (TWA).

Robert F. Patterson was born on June 15, 1935 in Sarasota, Florida to Stanley Alan and Lucy Verginia (Merry) Patterson. He attended Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Florida, but did not complete his education until 1957 when he earned his GED. He was orphaned as a teenager and lived in foster homes. During this time someone started taking him to airports to watch planes, sparking an interest in aviation. From 1950-1952, Patterson worked for Bud Oliver Aviation based at the Daytona Beach Airport, as an airplane fueler and likely had initial flight training at this point. At some point, likely in the early 1950s, Patterson joined the British Royal Air Force, likely stationed near Ramsgate, England. He possibly served as an air traffic controller and also earned his UK private pilots license in 1953. His highest known rank while in the RAF was Airman 2nd Class and his discharge date is unknown.

After returning to the U.S. from England, Patterson continued pursusing his career as a pilot. In the late 1950s and early 1960s he worked as aa charter pilot at Browns Airport in South Florida, flying charters to the Bahamas. Around this time he also worked as a lifeguard in Daytona Beach, as a Law Enforcement Officer in Daytona Beach Shores, and performed crop-dusting flights in South Florida. Although his start date is unknown, Patterson served in the United States Air Force Reserves until 1960 and exited as an Airman 1st Class. In 1962, Patterson joined Delta Air Lines as a 1st Officer. He remained there until 1965 when he moved to Trans World Airlines (TWA). Patterson was selected to fly on Air Force One during a visit to Jordan by Henry Kissinger, circa 1973-1974. He was a pilot for TWA until his death in 1982. During his commercial airline pilot career, Patterson primarily flew Boeing Model 747s as well as Boeing Model 707s and the Lockheed Constellation. While a pilot for Delta and TWA, Patterson lived in Miami, Florida but was based out of John K. Kennedy International Airport in New York, often flying routes to France, including TWA flight 800.

Other activities of Patterson's included power boat drag-racing, fishing and diving. Patterson married Judy Hendrickson in 1958. The couple had one daughter, Carol. They divorced in 1968. That same year he married Veronica Sprague. The couple had one daughter, Heather. On September 26, 1982 Robert F. Patterson died of a heart attack in Ormond Beach, Florida.

Biography derived from donor information, collection materials, and records on Ancestry.com.