FLIGHT OF THE ?
CHARLES LINDBERGH and his Spirit of St. Louis were the first, in 1927, to fly solo non-stop from New York to Paris. However, aircraft cognoscenti also recognize the Navy-Curtiss NC-4 … Continue reading
A WRIGHT WHIMSY
THE FOLLOWING two fantasy correspondences are offered for your amusement: Wilbur Wright, 7 Hawthorne Street, Dayton, Ohio, U.S.A. April 11, 1909 My Dear Wilbur, Greetings from the little bathing town … Continue reading
THE FERVOR OF FRENCH FLYERS, 1898 – 1908
FRENCH AÉRONAUTS came this close—no, closer than this—to being the first in the world to demonstrate sustained, controlled, heavier-than-air flight. What about the Wrights? Between 1898 and 1908, there was … Continue reading
SAMUEL F. CODY—A LIFE WELL CRAFTED
THIS RAKISH guy named Cody with long flowing hair and cowboy garb must be the famed Buffalo Bill, right? A common conclusion. In fact, though, this particular Cody was born … Continue reading
ROOSEVELT FIELD—AND RACEWAY
YESTERDAY WE admired the Rhonie murals at Roosevelt Field (http://wp.me/p2ETap-2GJ). Today, I’ll fill in some of Roosevelt’s history between its 1909 origin and 1951 demise. In between, there’s Glenn Curtiss, … Continue reading
ALINE RHONIE—GOLDEN-AGE AVIATRIX AND MURALIST
PURSUITS HAVE an interesting way of evolving. I was perusing Minute Epics of Flight, a wonderful collection of one-page vignettes in the Minute series. (See “Minutes of Knowledge,” http://wp.me/p2ETap-1rI, for … Continue reading
ALEXANDER EAGLEROCK
IF YOU’VE changed planes in Denver (and haven’t we all at one time or another?), you might well have admired a biplane displayed overhead near Gate 21 of Concourse B. … Continue reading
SOME VTOL AIRCRAFT
VTOL STANDS for vertical takeoff and landing, as it applies to fixed-wing aircraft (not rotary-wing or helicopters). Here’s a brief sampling of the type and its variants. Maybe you’ll share … Continue reading
LATHAM AND THE ANTOINETTES
SOME PEOPLE—and endeavors—are just plain unlucky. Hubert Latham was a pioneer French aviator with the skills of his countryman Louis Blériot. His Antoinette VII aeroplane could outclimb Blériot’s Type XI. … Continue reading
DE HAVILLAND BEAVER: PILOT FAVORITE, MOVIE STAR
THE CANADIAN De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver met one of its design criteria by being faster than a sled dog. This bush pilot’s favorite was named one of the top ten … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 