| Al Wilson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Albert Pete Wilson December 1, 1895 Harrisburg, Kentucky, USA |
| Died | September 5, 1932 (aged 36) Cleveland, Ohio, USA |
| Occupation | Actor, stunt pilot |
Al Wilson, born Albert Pete Wilson, (1 December 1895 – 5 September 1932) was an American film actor, producer and stunt pilot. He was born in Harrisburg, Kentucky and died in Cleveland, Ohio in an airplane crash while doing flying stunts at the 1932 Cleveland Air Races show.[1]
Wilson grew up in Southern California, where his family had moved, and since he was young he has always been passionate about flying. He started at Schiller Aviation School as a maintenance assistant, where he also began to study as a pilot. After that, he taught in flying schools and finally he became chief instructor at the American Aircraft Company. With time he became more and more skilled in performing stunts and left the company to become a professional stunt pilot, after a short period as manager of Mercury Aviation Company, founded by one of his student, Cecil B. DeMille. He worked together with stuntmen like Frank Clark and Wally Timms and also for movie companies, including Universal. After numerous appearances in stunt roles he started his actor career in 1923, with The Eagle's Talons. He produced his own movies until 1927, when he went back to work with Universal. Wilson was also one of the pilots in Hell's Angels (1930) and during filming he was involved in an accident where the mechanic Phil Jones died. This episode marked the end of his career as stunt pilot in movies.[2]
During the National Air Races in Cleveland in 1932, his plane crashed and he died a few days later in hospital due to the injuries he suffered. The accident is documented in the film Pylon Dusters: 1932 and 1938 Air Races, an historic film about the 1932 Cleveland Race.[1][2]