1888-1960 |
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Pittsburgh, PA EB Chirp |
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JOSEPH M. ("CAPRONI JOE") PALLISSARD (St. Anne, Ills., Jan 4, 1886), builder of diesel engines in the Electromotive Division of GM under Kettering, one day in 1913 bought a half interest in a tractor biplane with a Smith radial engine, built by E. L. Partridge and H. C. Keller, and the three launched the flying school of Pallissard & Co., at Cicero Field. Pilot Frank Castori was hired and the three became flyers on their own account. Pallissard had had the usual schooling plus St. Anne's Academy and a short course at U. of Illinois, with mechanics and electricity his forte. On his father's death he organized the Pallissard Brothers, farmers and stockraisers and operated successfully until a dissolution of partnership in 1913, when he quit farming. He traveled to Chicago for a course in automobile mechanics and tester of tractors for International Harvester until his aviation enterprise above. In the course of time Pallissard soloed, June 5, 1915, celebrating the event with a flight over Chicago and the Lake and back in one piece. In 1916 he hired out as civilian aviation mechanic at the Ashburn Field school of the Signal Corps. He moved that winter with the school to Memphis and back again in the spring; he was with the 22-plane group when it flew to the new field at Rantoul. The fall of 1917 he passed the RMA test but was no so rated, as he was still a civilian. He did obtain the FAI certificate 4739 during the war period. In 1918 he enlisted in the SERC and sserved at McCook Field after graduation from the U. of I. He continued to serve in the Air Service until 1927 when he temporarily returned to the farm. Then to the diesel business. courtesy of Steve Remington - CollectAir |
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Joseph M Pallissard of Broadview, Illinois is still flying at age 71 and thinks he is one of the oldest pilots of today. He enjoys flying light planes as a hobby and will be happy to make a flight at Oklahoma City during the Air Show which he is planning to attend. |
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Joseph M. Pallissard, 74, of Broadview, Illinois, who organized a flying school at the old Cicero Airport back in 1914, passed away suddenly
of a heart attack on May 24, 1960. He was a highly active EB, and his report of a Chicago meeting is contained in this issue. A native of Illinois, Joe was educated at the University of Illinois. He joined the Army Signal Corps aviation section in 1916 as a flying mechanic and later became a civilian flying mechanic for the army. He was employed by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors for many years, retiring some time ago. |
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If you have any more information on this Early Bird, please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper Back 
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