On October 27, 1946 , then Lieutenant Dick Schram inaugurated his grass-cutting aerial demonstrations wearing a dapper top hat while reading his leather-bound book, "How to Fly." Although he was an experienced commercial pilot, he was not an officially designated Naval Aviator until 1949, when he became one of the few in history to reach that status without attending formal flight training school.

He took a J-3 Piper Cub, powered by its 65 hp Continental engine, and with his expert aeronautical expertise and circus clown humor, created an air show routine that gained him international fame and recognition as "The Flying Professor."

"The Professor" was a fixture at most of the same airshows in the 60's that the Blue Angels flew, and was very proud of the fact that from in 1969, his son, Lt. Dick Schram, Jr. was designated a Blue Angel, as Public Affairs Officer.