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A little aviation history

Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2007 10:12 pm
by JohnR
The small town we live near is having it's 150 year anniverary. Tonight we went in for the community band concert. While waiting for it to start Karla and I went over and looked through a historical display that the organizers had set up for the event. To my surprise the largest portion of the display was related to aviation.

The display dealt with an aviator by the name of Eugene Ely. It told how he was the first pilot to fly an airplane form land and land on a ship and then take off from the ship. This all happened on January 18, 1911. Earlier, on November 14, 1910 Ely had picked up the $5,000 prize money offered for the first person to take off from a ship and land on land.

His career ended when he died in a crach where he was doing a dead stick landing at a fair in Georgia.

More info at:

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/even ... y-birm.htm

Had they taught me this kind of stuff in history class I would have pad much better attention. :roll:

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 8:44 am
by JohnR
Doohhh! I forgot to mention that he was from Williamsburg, Iowa. That is why they had the big display about him. :oops: :mrgreen:

Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2007 10:58 am
by dons
Cool. History is so much more interesting when there is a local connection. "Carrier" air operations sure have come a long way, but it is neat to read about how it all started.