Last Name:   
Loane
Picture
First Name: 
Ernest William
Nickname:  
Buster, Bus, Buzz
Born/Died  
March 11, 1917 / January 17, 1978
Hometown:
Presque Isle, Maine
Squadron:
First Pursuit Squadron "Adam and Eves"
Position: 
Wingman
Victories
 
Decorations:
 Distinguished Flying Cross, Presidential Unit Citation
Pre AVG: Graduated from Bowdoin College, Maine, in 1939.  In 1940 was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps Reserves at Kelley Field, Texas.  Served as a flight instructor in Texas prior to resigning his commission to join the American Volunteer Group in 1941.
AVG Service: In September of 1941, he left San Francisco aboard the Dutch liner Zaandam bound for Rangoon, Burma, and finally Yunnan-yi, China, as a flight instructor for the Chinese Air Force.  He fought with the AVG as a wingman for the First Pursuit Squadron until the group disbanded on July 4th, 1942.  He volunteered for an additional 2 weeks duty as the transition from the AVG to the 14th Air Force was completed.
Post AVG, WWII:
At the end of July 1942, he joined the CNAC and was checked out as a pilot on August 29, 1942.  By the end of the war, he had flown 226 1/2 round trips over the "Hump." 
Post War Career:
Loane piloted with CNAC until September 30, 1947, having logged over 4000 hours in the C-46, C-47, and DC-4 airplanes.  He then became a pilot for CAT and continued flying in China until the communist takeover.  After returning to the States, he was hired by the Flying Tiger Line and flew as a Captain until retiring in 1977.  He passed on to "Hogy Taw" in January 1978.