Honoree – Ed Mack Miller

Ed Mack Miller

Honored 1979

Ed Mack Miller knew he wanted to fly after his first ride in an Eaglerock biplane when he was six years old. After high school graduation in 1938, he obtained his pilot’s license while working for the Alexander Company (the maker of the Eaglerock) in Colorado Springs. But flying was not Ed’s only ambition, he wanted to write, so he enrolled in the University of Minnesota to begin studies for a Journalism degree.

America’s entry into World War II interrupted this course. Ed knew he had to fly for his country, so in 1942, he joined the Army Air Corps and went through flight training in Stockton, California. He then went on to Instrument Flight School and served as an instructor training B-25 pilots for the remainder of the war.

After leaving the Army Air Corps in November 1945, Ed flew for Braniff Airlines as a co-pilot. He continued to pursue a writing career, and in 1949 he joined the Catholic Register in Denver where he wrote articles and coordinated publication of the magazine’s various editions. Ed continued to be involved in aviation during this time with the Colorado Air National Guard. The Air Guard had a flight demonstration team known as the “Minutemen” who performed at air shows and Ed travelled with the team as a publicist and back-up pilot.

Ed wrote articles for national magazines during this time, but with a growing family he needed a more certain income. In 1955, Ed was writing a story on the United Airlines Training Center in Denver when one of the United executives, impressed with Ed’s knowledge and flying experience, offered him a job. Ed Miller joined United Air Lines as an instructor and later became the head of Boeing 727 flight training.

Miller continued to write during his time off from United. His aviation articles were published in popular national aviation magazines, and in 1957, his first book was published. Ed kept writing throughout his life and was a contributing editor for Flying Magazine. His many evaluations of business jets were well received-he actually flew the aircraft he was writing about.

The Colorado Aviation Historical Society was Ed Mack Miller’s dream. He was the person most responsible for motivating a group of prominent aviation enthusiasts to establish this organization dedicated to preserving Colorado’s great aviation heritage.