Mike Machat

Machat grew up in Long Island, New York. He would visit New York airports and draw airplanes as a kid.[2] Machat began flying at age 16,[1] exchanging his drawings and paintings for flying lessons.[3] Although poor eyesight prevented Machat from commercial flying,[2] he would eventually fly in more than 200 aircraft, including with the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, the Blue Angels, and NASA.[1][4]

He attended Pratt Institute, then joined the United States Air Force. Machat relocated to Los Angeles, California, where he graduated from California State University, Long Beach. Machat then began working at the Douglas Aircraft Company[2] as a Staff Artist and Corporate Representative.[5]

In 1984, Machat established his own aviation art studio. He was later elected as the first president of the American Society of Aviation Artists and was made a member of the Society of Illustrators, both of New York and of Los Angeles.[6]

Machat's painting honoring the world speed record flight of the North American X-15A-2 flown by the late Col. “Pete” Knight

Machat created a 6 by 21 feet (1.8 m × 6.4 m) mural of the P-38 for the Burbank Airport in 1996.[3] One of Machat's drawings hangs on a wall at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California.[7] Another, titled February 17, 1986, is owned by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.[8] Machat has also painted for the U.S. Air Force,[9] where he once served on active duty. Machat painted a 10 by 20 feet (3.0 m × 6.1 m) mural titled The Golden Age of Flight for the Air Force Flight Test Center Museum.[10] In 2012, Machat was selected to restore a painting by Douglas Ettridge of an Lockheed NF-104A at the Air Force Test Pilot School.[1]

Machat was awarded the 11th Annual Combs Gates Award by the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2013 for his mural, Fly DOUGLAS!.[11] In 2014, Machat completed a 10 by 20 feet (3.0 m × 6.1 m) mural, Flying Navy, for the Museum of Flying in Santa Monica, CA.[12]

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (District of Columbia), National Soaring Museum (Elmira, NY), and the National Museum of Naval Aviation (Pensacola, FL) have Machat's artwork in their permanent collections.[1] Machat hosts a series of shows at the Museum of Flying, which began on June 8, 2019.[13] He painted the mural Record Breakers for the museum and serves as curator at this museum.[14]

Machat illustrated a number of books by R. E. G. Davies, including:[15]

• Aeroflot
• Pan Am
• Delta
• Lufthansa
• TWA
• Trans Brasil
• Charles Lindbergh: An Airman, His Aircraft, and His Great Flights

He also authored several books, such as:[16]

• Painting Aviation's Legends
• World's Fastest Four-engine Piston-powered Aircraft

• Presentation by Machat on painting The Golden Age of Flight mural
• Time-lapse video of Machat painting Record Breakers mural