Editing Cliff Robertson (section)

===Aviation===
A certified private pilot, one of Robertson's main hobbies was flying and, among other aircraft, he owned several [[de Havilland Tiger Moth]]s, a [[Messerschmitt Bf 108]], and a genuine World War II–era Mk. IX [[Supermarine Spitfire]] (MK923).<ref name=go-star>Hall, Bob. [http://www.go-star.com/antiquing/cliffrobertson.htm ''Southeastern Antiquing and Collecting Magazine''. Cliff Robertson Collects Vintage AircraftArticle on Robertson's private aviation collection] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041210075807/http://www.go-star.com/antiquing/cliffrobertson.htm |date=December 10, 2004 }}. 2004.</ref><ref>[http://www.airportjournals.com/Display.cfm?varID=0512003 ''First Cross-Country Soaring or (You Ain't John Wayne – Robertson)''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101116195142/http://airportjournals.com/Display.cfm?varID=0512003 |date=November 16, 2010 }}</ref> His first plane flight was in a [[Lockheed Model 9 Orion]]. As a 13-year-old, he cleaned hangars for airplane rides. He met [[Paul Mantz]], [[Art Scholl]], and [[Charles Lindbergh]] while flying at local California airports.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Air Progress|date=December 1987|title=Real Airport Kids Never Grow Up|author=Gene Smith}}</ref> His piloting skills helped him get the part as the squadron leader in the British war film ''[[633 Squadron]]''. He entered balloon races, including one in 1964 from the mainland to [[Santa Catalina Island, California|Catalina Island]] that ended with him being rescued from the Pacific Ocean. He was also a [[Glider (aircraft)|glider]] pilot and owned a [[Grob G102 Astir|Grob Astir]].<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://nationalaviation.blade6.donet.com/components/content_manager_v02/view_nahf/htdocs/menu_ps.asp?NodeID=1271444555&group_ID=1134656385&Parent_ID=-1 
 |title=National Aviation Hall of Fame article on Cliff Robertson 
 |accessdate=September 26, 2006
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070618002300/http://nationalaviation.blade6.donet.com/components/content_manager_v02/view_nahf/htdocs/menu_ps.asp?NodeId=1271444555&Group_ID=1134656385&Parent_ID=-1 
 |archive-date=June 18, 2007 
}}</ref>

In 1969, during the [[Nigerian Civil War|civil war conflict in Nigeria]], Robertson helped organize an effort to fly food and medical supplies into the area. He also organized flights of supplies to the ravaged country of [[Ethiopia]] when it experienced famine in 1978.<ref name=go-star/>

Robertson was flying a private [[Beechcraft Baron]] over New York City on the morning of [[September 11 attacks|September 11, 2001]], two days after his 78th birthday. He was directly above the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]], climbing through 7,500 feet when the [[American Airlines Flight 11|first Boeing 767]] struck. He was instructed by air traffic control to land immediately at the nearest airport after a nationwide order to ground all civilian and commercial aircraft following the attacks.<ref>[http://www.cliffrobertson.info/aviation2.htm ''Official Cliff Robertson site''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002115148/http://www.cliffrobertson.info/aviation2.htm |date=October 2, 2011 }}</ref>

====Young Eagles====
He was a longtime member of the [[Experimental Aircraft Association]] (EAA), working his way through the ranks in prominence and eventually co-founding the [[Young Eagles|Young Eagles Program]] with EAA president [[Tom Poberezny]]. Robertson chaired the program from its 1992 inception to 1994 (succeeded by former test pilot [[Chuck Yeager]]). Along with educating youth about aviation, the initial goal of the Young Eagles was to fly one million children (many of them never having flown before) prior to the 100th Anniversary of Flight celebration on December 17, 2003. That goal was achieved on November 13, 2003. On July 28, 2016, the two millionth Young Eagle was flown by actor [[Harrison Ford]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Harrison Ford Flies 2 Millionth Young Eagle|url=http://www.eaa.org/en/airventure/eaa-airventure-news-and-multimedia/eaa-airventure-news/eaa-airventure-oshkosh/07-27-2016-2-millionth-young-eagle-flies-today|access-date=August 25, 2016|archive-date=August 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820123829/http://www.eaa.org/en/airventure/eaa-airventure-news-and-multimedia/eaa-airventure-news/eaa-airventure-oshkosh/07-27-2016-2-millionth-young-eagle-flies-today|url-status=live}}</ref>   Within the EAA, he also founded the Cliff Robertson Work Experience in 1993, which offers youths the chance to work for flight and ground school instruction.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/aviation-education-and-resources/eaa-youth-education/eaa-internships-and-work-study-programs/eaa-air-academy-internships/cliff-robertson-work-experience-for-ages-16-17|title=Cliff Robertson Work Experience|access-date=March 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312052332/https://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/aviation-education-and-resources/eaa-youth-education/eaa-internships-and-work-study-programs/eaa-air-academy-internships/cliff-robertson-work-experience-for-ages-16-17|archive-date=March 12, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>