1886-1975 |
|
EB CHIRP, January, 1974, Number 80 |
You will find a picture of Dana with his fellow members by clicking on: Dana deHart |
 |
|
Dana Chase deHart, one of the nation's first civilian airmail pilots, died in San Mateo, California, July 16,
1975. He was 89 years of age having been born June 17, 1886 in Los Angeles. Private funeral services were held in Burlingame,
California and he was buried at Holy Cross in Colma on July 18th. Dana made his first flight, which was his solo flight on July 25, 1911 in an Eaton Borthers plane which he had helped to build. In November, 1911 he made a circular flight from Inglewood to San Pedro to Long Beach and return, flying over the Pacific fleet in San Pedro Harbor. He did exhibition work and taught students for Eaton Brothers. His FAI certificate was No. 129 and his Aero Club of California license was No. 9. When World War I came in 1917 he became a civilian instructor for the Army at Rockwell Field. He had a record of no breakage and no lost time. Dana entered the Air Mail Service a few days after the Post Office took over operations from the Army in August, 1918. He totaled over 4,000 hours between Washington and New York and his only accident was a broken propeller from nosing over landing on a rain soaked field. On one occasion he survived hurricane winds up to 80 miles per hour. He is survived by his wife, Rosemond of San Mateo, California 
|