Oldest Living Pilot Officially Recognized by Guinness

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Peter Weber Jr., 95, has now officially been recognized as the world’s oldest active pilot by the Guinness World Record keepers.

On March 30, Weber, who has been married 72 years and lives in Cameron Park, flew a rented Diamond DA20z three times around an airfield in Placerville, placing him at the top of the list. He was 95 years, 4 months, and 23 days old that day. Weber said a new category was created for him: the oldest qualified pilot still licensed and flying solo.

According to Guinness, Cole Kugel, who flew in 2007 when he was 105, was the oldest pilot ever. He died later that year.

Weber, a U.S Air force veteran who rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel, retired in 1970. He started in the Army’s combat engineers unit, but transferred to the Army Air Corps after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. He flew P-38 fighters in World war II in the South Pacific, later becoming a flight instructor for pilots in the Korean War and returning to pilot an AC-130 gunship in Vietnam. He had been communicating with Guinness for weeks prior to his record-setting flight. During his long career, Weber has flown an estimated 10,000 flight hours.

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