Dick Grace

Dick Grace (1898–1965) was an early stunt pilot who specialised in crashing planes for films. Grace was one of the few stunt pilots who died of old age. He was the author of two books: Squadron of Death and Crash Pilot. Films that he appeared in include Sky Bride, The Lost Squadron, and Wings. he served in both world wars, bombing Germany, and was a B-17 Flying Fortress co-pilot with the 486th Bombardment Group. He was married to Crystine Francis Malstrom, a stage actress who appeared in Abie's Irish Rose.

Dick Grace – 'Horizons Unlimited' - (Treasured "autobiographical" book I own.) (KNT); (I originally put 'Anchors to Windward'. I'm an old man.)

  At the end of the Second World War, on a theater screen (TV not invented yet!), I saw (I SAW!) a news cast. The announcer spoke to the man beside him, "I have been told that the pilot (Dick Grace) of that plane flew it one hundred feet above the North Sea with only ONE ENGINE RUNNING and landed it here on the White Cliffs of Dover. As an engineer, do you agree with that?"
  The Engineer said, "No! That plane is incapable of flying at all, much less what you have just described!"
  The plane, setting in front of us, was a four (4) engine bomber, with one wing off at the outboard engine, the other wing off at the inboard engine, the top half of the rudder missing and the plane had so many holes in it, you would swear that everybody aboard was all shot up and many even dead.
  Now you know why all the men on Dick Grace's station vied with each other to get "assigned to "LUCKY DICK'S PLANE!"
  In Dick Grace's autobiography, he describes this mission.
  THIS BOOK SHOULD BE IDENTIFIED AND PRESERVED FOR OTHERS TO READ!

Sources

• "Hollywood Stunt Pilots" — U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission
• "Daredevils in the Air" — by Tim Lussier