David Rahm (1931–1976), nicknamed "the Flying Professor", was an American
geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the structure, composition, and History of Earth, history of Earth. Geologists incorporate techniques from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and geography to perform research in the Field research, ...
, professor and
stunt pilot
Stunt flying refers to any stunts performed in an aircraft. It encompasses aerobatics, wing walking, and transferring from one airplane to another or to a moving vehicle on the ground, such as an automobile or train, and vice versa.
History From t ...
. He taught at Western Washington State University and was a
visiting professor
In academia, a visiting scholar, visiting scientist, visiting researcher, visiting fellow, visiting lecturer, or visiting professor is a scholar from an institution who visits a host university to teach, lecture, or perform research on a topic fo ...
of geology at the
University of Jordan
The University of Jordan (), often abbreviated UJ or JU, is a public university located in Amman, Jordan. Founded in 1962, and it is the largest and oldest institution of higher education in Jordan. It is located in the capital Amman in the J ...
. Rahm lived in
Anacortes, Washington
Anacortes ( ) is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is an adaptation of the name of Anne Curtis Bowman, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman.
Rahm met King
Hussein of Jordan
Hussein bin Talal (14 November 1935 – 7 February 1999) was King of Jordan from 1952 until Death and state funeral of King Hussein, his death in 1999. As a member of the Hashemites, Hashemite dynasty, the royal family of Jordan since 1921, Hu ...
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
. Hussein asked him to come to
Jordan
Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...
and train the
Royal Jordanian Falcons
The Royal Jordanian Falcons (صقور الأردن الملكية) is the national aerobatic demonstration team of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
The team was formed on the orders of King Hussein of Jordan
Hussein bin Talal (14 November 1 ...
aerobatics team. Rahm was killed in a crash in the summer of 1976 while performing with co-display pilot, Steve Wolf in
Amman
Amman ( , ; , ) is the capital and the largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of four million as of 2021, Amman is Jordan's primate city and is the largest city in the Levant ...
, Jordan.
Rahm died performing a dual routine with Steve Wolf of a Hammerhead maneuver in an S2 Pitts Special. Rahm's wife, Katy Rahm, and King Hussein were both present.
Writer
Annie Dillard
Annie Dillard (née Doak; born April 30, 1945) is an American author, best known for her narrative prose in both fiction and nonfiction. She has published works of poetry, essays, prose, and literary criticism, as well as two novels and one memo ...
wrote an essay about Rahm called "The Stunt Pilot", reprinted as the last chapter of her collection, '' The Writing Life''. Rahm's widow later wrote a memoir, ''Flying High: Soaring Above the Tragedies of Life''.