Cleo Pineau

Lieutenant Cleo Francis Pineau (23 July 1893—29 May 1972) was an American World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories. He was a renowned motorcycle racer both before and after the war. He later became an executive in the steel industry.

Early life

Pineau was the son of Thomas L. and Adele Gstalder Pineau. He was a motorcycle racer before World War I.

World War I

He joined the Royal Flying Corps in December 1917, and trained at the Curtis Aviation School in Buffalo, New York. Pineau did not leave aviation behind. He was instrumental in founding the Williamsport-Lycoming County Airport, and fostered it through his connections in the aviation community, including a friendship with Wiley Post.

He began the Radiant Steel company in 1928, as a spinoff from Darling Valve and Manufacturing Company. By 1948, he was its president; he served in this capacity until he retired in 1969. He died in 1972.