Frank B. Mormillo, Photojournalist
When a minor eyesight problem prevented Frank B. Mormillo from entry into Navy flight training, his disappointment quickly changed to hope. Instead of becoming a pilot, he got the next best thing. Frank combined his love of aviation with his exceptional talents in the photographic arts, and his new career was quickly established.
As a photojournalist, Mormillo did get to fly in a wide variety of military aircraft with the United States Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Army, and Coast Guard, as well as with the British Royal Air Force. He even sailed on Navy and Coast Guard ships, and operated in the field with Army and Marine Corps ground forces, during realistic training exercises.
For over 35 years, Mormillo has also covered all sorts of motor sports events, and was the official track photographer at both the Riverside International raceway and the Ontario Motor Speedway in California. For decades, he has also lectured on photography and photojournalism, as well as operating photo lab facilities as a staff member at the community college and university level.
Well known in the civilian warbird community, Mormillo has also served with the Planes of Fame Air Museum (now located at the Chino Airport, California) since 1957. Starting as a college intern in public relations, he has since 1980 been the museum’s media relations coordinator, in which capacity he also serves as photographer and historian.
Over the years, his keen artist’s eye and broad technical knowledge have earned him the privilege of flying in a wide range of military and civilian aircraft, from the Curtiss JN-4D Jenny biplane of 1917 to the supersonic McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom, earning him worldwide recognition as one of the leading practitioners in the field of aviation photojournalism
