Lincoln Beachey – Pioneer Aviator
Much has already been written about Lincoln Beachey, (1887 – 1915), one of America’s best known pilots of his time, and this information can be found in books and other websites. Information presented here pertains to Beachey’s activities in New England.
Its been noted that Beachey’s last name was sometimes misspelled in the press and appeared as “Beachy”.
The following article appeared in the Waterbury Evening Democrat (Waterbury, Connecticut), on June 7, 1907.
SAILS OVER BOSTON
Lincoln Beachey’s Airship Almost Death Of Him
On Return Journey to Revere Beach Motor Became Disabled and the Balloon Was Carried Out Over the Atlantic.
Boston, June 7.- The breaking down of his motor, which allowed the airship he was navigating to be blown seaward, almost resulted in the death of Lincoln Beachey off Revere Beach.
Boston Got the surprise of its life when it looked up and saw sailing over the buildings in the center of the city its first visiting airship.
Beachey passed over the capitol building and dropped a message for Governor Guild.
The governor and most of the legislators crowded the balconies and sidewalks about the statehouse as the airship sailed over them and when the message came down waved their hands and cheered the aeronaut.
Beachey had made a seven mile journey from Revere Beach to Boston, sailing high over the city’s tallest structures, and passing over the steeple of the Park Street Church and the statehouse dome, and finally landed on Boston Common, where thousands of persons were attracted by the airship.
On the return journey to Revere Beach the motor became disabled when the aeronaut was a mile off shore over Boston Harbor, and the airship was carried some distance seaward. Beachey managed to partially repair his engine so as to get back to the vicinity of Revere Beach.
When several hundred feet off shore the airship settled rapidly, and it looked as if Beachey would be thrown into the water and entangled beneath his airship. Men in rowboats and launches, who hastened to Beachey’s assistance, seized the drag rope and were able to tow him and his apparatus ashore before he struck the water. The airship was not damaged.
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The following article appeared in The Bridgeport Evening Farmer (Connecticut.), May 15, 1911, page 8.
BEACHEY TAKES AERIAL TRIP TO NEW HAVEN
Starts at Aerodrome and drops in at Yale Commons to Have Supper
Early postcard image of Lincoln Beachey.
Having heard that Yale Commons affords good eating, Lincoln Beachey stepped into his Curtis aeroplane at the Bridgeport Aerodrome yesterday afternoon, and sauntered over to New Haven . Most of the saunter was made at a height of about 2,000 feet. It took him just 14 minutes and 57 seconds from the time the propeller first turned over at the aerodrome to the time it stopped turning in the center of Yale Field.
In about fifteen minutes more Mr. Beachey was seated at the table in Yale dining hall. He tried to ignore the enthusiastic crowd of Yale students and declared that he had done nothing out of the ordinary, but his hosts refused to be left out of the program, and gave him a Yale yell.
Beachey slipped away from the enthusiastic crowd in New Haven as soon as he could, and took a train for Bridgeport. At the Stratfield here he was disgusted to find another big crowd awaiting him. he couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about.
Beachey’s flight to New Haven, the first cross-country flight made in Connecticut, and about the smoothest ever made in this country, was a fitting ending to an aviation exhibition of four days, which experienced aviators declared to be one of the finest ever given.
Yesterday was ideal for flying. The wind was light nd steady and blew from the southeast, so that the bird men in starting could life over the lowest portion of the aerodrome fence. It was this shift in the wind which enabled Beachey to make two passenger flights yesterday.
Miss Margaret Shea and frank Arnold were Beachey’s guests. Mr. Arnold was the first to be taken up. He was seated on the lower plane in back and to the left of Beachey’s chair. The aeroplane rose nicely and soared into the air without apparent effort, despite the double burden it was carrying. Beachey made a nice trip, circling around the field at a height of about 350 feet and came down easily.
Miss Margaret Shea was the next to go up, and for her entertainment Mr. Beachey gave an even longer trip, circling around in the air several times at a height of about 500 feet, and making a steep swoop in landing.
Another “stunt” which was a record breaker took place at the Bridgeport Aerodrome when McCurdy from his machine got into touch with New York by wireless. This is believed to be the longest distance that a message was ever sent by wireless from an aeroplane.
McCurdy sent the initials “M. D. T.” These were caught by the wireless operator in the tower of the Pulitzer Building. They were also caught at a private station in New Haven and were taken as a signal that Beachey had started on his flight to that city.
Before shaking the air of Bridgeport off his wings, Beachey went through a number of the thrilling aerial evolution for which he is noted. Bo less that seven times he made deep swoops over the field, coming within a few feet of the ground and then shooting up into the air again. Several times he just grazed the fence. Once or twice he swooped down among the crowd outside the aerodrome and gave them a bad scare. On the return he passed over a barn so close that he shook the shingles on the roof. he dived and dipped around the field looking like an immense bird playing a game of tag with itself.
The nice smooth wind yesterday made these stunts possible. Beachey was tickled with the day and declared it ideal. The wind blowing just opposite to the prevailing direction of the other three days of the meet. Otherwise, passengers could not have been carried.
On Saturday the wind was blowing from the west so that the aviators had to start toward the west and head directly for the trees.
McCurdy, in making his first trip with the wireless apparatus on Saturday, came near getting into serious trouble. Either his engne wasn’t working, or the wireless was unexpectedly heavy; at any rate it looked as though he would smash into the trees.
Beachey, who was watching him, was dropping cold sweat. Hamilton was another onlooker. Both heaved a sigh of relief when the machine sagged through the trees without mishap.
“If you’d been in that tree and yelled, ‘will you make it?’, he’d have yelled back ‘ I don’t know!,” said Hamilton.
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Click on image to enlarge.
Orleans County Monitor
(Barton, Vermont)
June 26, 1912
Click on images to enlarge.
Advertisement for the 23rd Annual Orleans County Fair held in Barton Vermont, August 20, 21, & 22, 1912.
Lincoln Beachey advertising Red Crown Gasoline.
Daily Capitol Journal, Salem, Ore.
May 14, 1914
For more information about Lincoln Beachey in New England click on the following links elsewhere on this website.
Manchester Ct. – June 14, 1914 – Lincoln Beachey survives plane crash.
First Woman To Fly An Airplane In R. I.
