Mike Machat

Machat grew up in Long Island, New York. He would visit New York airports and draw airplanes as a kid.{{cite news|newspaper=Daily News (Los Angeles)|last=McCarthy|first=Dennis|date=April 19, 2007|page=N3|title=Airplane Enthusiast Needs Only Sketch Pad}} Machat began flying at age 16, exchanging his drawings and paintings for flying lessons. Although poor eyesight prevented Machat from commercial flying, he would eventually fly in more than 200 aircraft, including with the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, the Blue Angels, and NASA.{{Cite web|last=Guttman|first=Robert|date=2019-12-25|title=The Missile With a Man In It|url=https://www.historynet.com/the-missile-with-a-man-in-it.htm|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-09-12|website=HistoryNet|language=en-US}}

He attended Pratt Institute from 1965 to 1966, then served in the United States Air Force from 1967 to 1970 as an airman.[https://www.newspapers.com/image/713863695/ "S. Machat, Realty Dealer"], Newsday Nassau Edition, volume 28, number 255, July 2, 1968, page 64. Machat relocated to Los Angeles, California, where he graduated from California State University, Long Beach in 1979. Machat then began working at the Douglas Aircraft Company as a Staff Artist and Corporate Representative.{{Cite web|title=Mike Machat, Your 'Go-To' Source for Aviation Art & Information|url=https://airwingmedia.com/articles/2012/mike-machat-source-aviation-art-information/|access-date=2020-09-12|website=airwingmedia.com}}

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 City and of Los Angeles.{{Cite web|url=https://www.aviationarthangar.com/mikemachat.html|title=Aviation Art of Mike Machat|website=www.aviationarthangar.com}} Machat previously served as president of Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles.{{Cite web|title=Who we Are - Presidents|url=https://www.si-la.org/who-we-are|access-date=2021-12-13|website=si-la.org}}

File:111005-F-9999B-007.jpgA-2 flown by the late Colonel Pete Knight]]

File:190130-F-EI321-0110.jpeg in 2019 after receiving a new paint scheme designed by Machat]]

File:190307-F-ZZ999-1042.jpeg in March 2019]]

Machat created a {{convert|6x21|ft}} mural of the P-38 for the Burbank Airport in 1996.{{Cite web|last=Ryfle|first=Steve|date=1996-03-09|title=Captured Lightning : Airport Mural Depicts Storied P-38 Fighter Plane|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-03-09-me-44836-story.html|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-09-12|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}} One of Machat's drawings hangs on a wall at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-03-09-me-44836-story.html|title=Captured Lightning : Airport Mural Depicts Storied P-38 Fighter Plane|date=March 9, 1996|website=Los Angeles Times}} Another, titled February 17, 1986, is owned by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.{{Cite web|url=https://airandspace.si.edu/multimedia-gallery/5009hjpg|title=February 17, 1986 by Mike Machat|website=National Air and Space Museum|date=9 June 2016 }} Machat has also painted for the U.S. Air Force,{{Cite web|url=https://www.afmc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1791210/new-vista-paint-scheme-gets-artists-approval/|title=New VISTA paint scheme gets artist's approval|website=Air Force Materiel Command|date=20 March 2019 }} where he once served on active duty. Machat painted a {{convert|10x20|ft}} mural titled The Golden Age of Flight for the Air Force Flight Test Center Museum.{{cite news|newspaper=Daily News (Los Angeles)|last=Skeen|first=Jim|title=Spreading Their Wings Museum of Flight Grows|date=July 20, 2000}} In 2012, Machat was selected to restore a painting by Douglas Ettridge of an Lockheed NF-104A at the Air Force Test Pilot School.

Machat was awarded the 11th Annual Combs Gates Award by the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2013 for his mural, Fly DOUGLAS!{{Cite web|date=2013-10-23|title=Mural saluting legendary Douglas Aircraft airliners earns artist the 11th Annual Combs Gates Award|url=https://www.nationalaviation.org/mural-saluting-legendary-douglas-aircraft-airliners-earns-artist-the-11th-annual-combs-gates-award/|access-date=2020-09-12|website=National Aviation Hall of Fame|language=en-US}} In 2014, Machat completed a {{convert|10x20|ft}} mural, Flying Navy, for the Museum of Flying in Santa Monica, CA.{{Cite web|title=Santa Monica Museum of Flying unveils mural|url=https://www.thecorsaironline.com/corsair/news/2014/09/24/santa-monica-museum-of-flying-unveils-mural|access-date=2020-09-12|website=The Corsair|date=23 September 2014 |language=en-US}}

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (District of Columbia), National Soaring Museum (Elmira, New York), and the National Museum of Naval Aviation (Pensacola, FL) have Machat's artwork in their permanent collections. Machat hosts a series of shows at the Museum of Flying, which began on June 8, 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.museumofflying.org/welcome/|title=Museum of Flying, Santa Monica, CA|date=December 6, 2014|website=Museum of Flying}} He painted the mural Record Breakers for the museum and serves as curator at this museum.{{Cite web|url=https://www.c-span.org/person/?mikemachat|title=Mike Machat | C-SPAN.org|website=www.c-span.org}}

Machat illustrated a number of books by R. E. G. Davies, including:{{cite web|url=https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=%22mike+machat%22+%22r.e.g.+davies%22&qt=results_page|title=WorldCat books (Davies, Machat)|website=WorldCat|access-date=September 12, 2020}}

• 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:{{cite web|url=https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=%22mike+machat%22+-davies&qt=results_page|title=WorldCat books (Machat)|website=WorldCat|access-date=September 12, 2020}}

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

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=XRR9OzXS8Bs&feature=emb_logo Presentation by Machat] on painting The Golden Age of Flight mural
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zne2dG56k8 Time-lapse video] of Machat painting Record Breakers mural
• {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190806205042/http://www.mikemachat.com/|date=2019-08-064}} (www.mikemachet.com)

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Category:1940s births

Category:Living people

Category:Date of birth missing (living people)

Category:Aviators from New York (state)

Category:American illustrators

Category:Pratt Institute alumni

Category:California State University, Long Beach alumni

Category:United States Air Force airmen

Category:Aviation artists