I came across this video will looking for something else. Robert Buck set the transcontinental speed record for a junior at 16 (when you could get a license at 16) and several other records, started flying DC2's for TWA, flew a B-17 on purpose through the most violent thunderstorms he could find to learn about weather, flew a 707 around the world pole to pole, and retired a TWA 747 Captain. Wrote a lot of great books including Weather Flying and his autobiography North Star Over My Shoulder.
http://www.c-span.org/video/?170568-1/book-discussion-north-star-shoulder
Covers some interesting topics that I thought some might find of interest.