You know these names: Orville and Wilbur Wright, Charles Lindbergh, and Amelia Earhart. But are you familiar with the names Sir George Cayley, Otto Lilienthal, and Bessie Coleman?
They also were pioneers of aviation, but often are overshadowed by the larger than life personalities and achievements of some of aviation’s best-known names.
A recent post on History.com celebrates these three pioneers — as well as three others, including Glenn Curtiss, Wiley Post and, Alberto Santos-Dumont — who also made their marks on aviation.
Read it here and then comment below on other pioneers you believe haven’t received their due.
Glen Curtis certainly advanced commercial and military aviation with the ‘June Bug’ and it’s V-8 engine, and then the famous Curtis ‘Jenny’.
For us GA pilots , it was the ‘Wichita Boys’ ; Cessna, Piper, Beech, Taylor and Stearman who developed the GA aircraft that we fly today.!.
But, it was Ross Judson, who in 1903 produced the A40, flat 4 cylinder engine, and became the Continental Aircraft engine Co., that made the light GA aircraft possible.
[ this was difficult to find’ ; see, https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Judson-799 ]
Lycoming was originally a sewing machine co., that produced it’s first aircraft engine in 1929 .
And there was also Franklin and Jacobs engines…
Try an aviator well-known to older pilots in Michigan, Talbert Abrams. From the 1920’s on, he was a pioneer of equipment and techniques for aerial survey and mapping. Besides being a contributor to the military and commercial enterprises, he and his company mapped many areas around the world for the first time. This includes Antarctica where a tribute to his efforts was given by naming a mountain after him. Plus, by all accounts, he was a genuinely nice guy and a contributor to local public projects. 4D0 is named after him. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talbert_Abrams
Jerrie Mock, first woman to fly solo around the world. She did in 1964 with a 1953 Cessna 180.