Harold R. Harris

Who was Harold R. Harris?

Harold Ross Harris was a notable American test pilot and U.S. Army Air Force officer who held 26 flying records. He made the first flight by American pilots over the Alps from Italy to France, successfully tested the world's first pressurized aircraft, was the first airman to safely escape an aircraft by "bailing out" using a free-fall parachute. In his civilian career he helped create the first aerial application "crop dusting" business, and later retired as vice-president of Pan American Airways.