User:Ken keisel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kenneth M. Keisel is an actor and aviation historian living in Clintonville in Columbus, Ohio. Kenneth G. Keisel is a pilot living in Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania.

[edit] Kenneth G. Keisel

Kenneth G. Keisel was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1922, and grew up in Sibly and Trenton, Michigan. He bagan his flying in a Boeing Stearman in 1938. In 1942 Kenneth G. Keisel enlisted in the Army Air Corp. and soon was transferred to the enlisted man's advanced flight training program. He graduated from basic flight training from Luke Field, Arizona in the class of 43C. In that class Ken shared a bunk with young Airman 1st Class Charles "Chuck" Yeager. Ken recieved additional multi engine trainging and was assigned to fly Curtiss C-46 Commando transports over the "Hump," flying out of Chabwa, India to Kunming, China and Yunanyee, China. By the end of hostilities Ken had flown 101 round trip missions, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

After the war Ken served as a ferry pilot flying P-47 Thunderbolts, P-51 Mustangs and P-63 King Cobra's across the Atlantic to resupply the RAF. Ken joined the Air National Guard in 1947, flying A-26 Invaders with the 107th Bomb Squadron based at Detroit Metro Airport in Romulous, Michigan. Ken also flew P-51 alongside P-51 ace Urban "Ben" Drew, pilot of the famous P-51 "Detroit Miss." In January, 1950 Ken became the first pilot in the Michigan Air National Guard to be certified to fly a jet when he checked out in a F-84C. In May, 1950 Ken joined Kaiser-Fraiser Motorcars, flying their A-26 and Lockheed Ventura from their hanger at Willow Run Airport. In 1951 Kaiser-Fraiser was awarded a contract to build the C-119 Flying Boxcar, and Ken spent the next two years as a production test pilot on the C-119 assembly line, taking most of the 71 Kaiser built C-119's on thir maiden flights.

In 1955 Ken joined Wyandotte Chemicals as their chief pilot, flying Twin Beech and later King Air aircraft from their hanger at Detroit Metro Aiport.

In 1974 Ken joined National Steel as a pilot flying their Handley-Paige Jetstream, Lockheed Jetstar, Hs 125, and Gulfstream II through IV from Detroit Metro, and later Allegheny County Airport, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Over his lifetime Ken has owned many aircraft, including a Ryan PT-22, Boeing Stearman, Aeroinca, Cessna 150 and Republic RC-3 Seabee (N6444K), which were usually kept at Nan-Bar Airport in Flat Rock, Michigan.

Ken retired from flying in 1992 with just over 22,000 hours TT.

Ken is recognized on the Wall of Valor at the VFW post in McMurray, Pennsylvania. He lives today with his wife of 52 years, Marjorie (Bobbie) Keisel in Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania.

[edit] Kenneth M. Keisel

Kenneth M. Keisel was born in Detroit, Michigan. He grew up in Trenton, Michigan, attending Jesse L. Anderson Elementery School, and Gibson School for the Gifted in Dearborn, Michigan. In 1979 he moved with his family to Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania south of Pittsburgh. He graduated from McKee Place High School, in Oakland, Pennsylvania. Following graduation he attended Carnegie Mellon University majoring in theatre, and later attended the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio where he graduated with a B.S. in Zoology.

Ken has worked with Pittsburgh director George A. Romero on several motion pictures, including:

• "Knightriders" (1981) Appeared with Ed Harris (his first film appearence), as an extra, film loader and set decorator.
• "Creepshow" (1982). Worked on segments "The Crate," "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill" and "They're Creeping Up on You" as a carpenter and set decorator.
• "Day of the Dead" (1984) Appeared as a "special zombie" and set decorator. Was one of six featured zombies on the cover of the first U.S. DVD release.

Ken also appeared in:

• "Flashdance" (1983) as a ballet dancer.
• "Two Weeks in Winter" (BBC) (1983) as a Polish miner, and a Russian soldier.

Ken is an aviation historian and author. He has written articles for "Air Classics" and "Flight" magazines. He is a specialist on the history of the Bell YFM-1 Airacuda, Vought XF5U-1, North American F-82, Convair XC-99, and Northrop P-61 Black Widow, and is currently working on a book on the history of the Bell Airacuda.

Ken Keisel lives in the Clintonville area of Columbus, Ohio, and is also a local historian of the former Olentangy Park Amusement Park.

Ken can be contacted at kkeisel@gmail.com

This user is a member of the Military history WikiProject, which aims to improve Wikipedia's coverage of military history. If you would like to participate, you can visit the project page, where you can join the project and see a list of open tasks.