Ike In The Air

Sez the Prez thought of it himself.

On this day in 1957, Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes the first president to ride in the newest advance in aviation technology: the helicopter.

In a June 14, 1957, file photo, the UH-13 Bell Ranger presidential helicopter undergoes a series of practice landings
on the White House lawn to familiarize Air Force pilots Maj. Joseph E. Barrett and Capt. Laurence R. Cummings
with the flight path and landing marks. On July 12, President Eisenhower became the first
sitting president to fly in a helicopter. Photo courtesy National Museum of the USAF

President Dwight D. Eisenhower stands near the door of a helicopter on the South Lawn of the White House.
Eisenhower was the first president to travel by helicopter. Date of work: July 12, 1957.
National Park Service/Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library/NARA

[Color image & text. Monochrome image & text.]