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By March of 1914 the U.S. Navy had established a flying school at Pensacola, Florida. Among the commissioned officers taking the
course that year were the above (left to right); Lieutenant V. D. Herbster,
Lieutenant W. M. McIlvain, Lieutenant P. N. L. Bellinger, Lieutenant Richard Caswell Saufley,
Lieutenant J. H. Towers, Lieutenant Commander H. C. Mustin,
Lieutenant (Army) B. L. Smith, Ensign de Chevalier, and
Ensign M. L. Stolz. from The Early Birds by Arch Whitehouse |
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Helen O’Rear, First Female to Pilot an Airplane Over New York City Newspaper Account (1915) Helen O’Rear was daughter of Judge Edward C. O’Rear of Frankfurt, Kentucky. Her first marriage was to Midshipman Richard Caswell Saufley (of Kentucky) who was an early pilot in the U.S. Navy. He died in an airplane crash in Pensacola, Florida shortly after the events set out in this newspaper account. The photograph and account are from an unidentified New York Newspaper. ABOVE NEW YORK "Just One Long, Long Minute of Delight, " Says Mrs. Saufley, Lieutenant’s Bride. -- First of Her Sex to Risk trip Which Even Experts are Forbidden to Attempt. According to Mrs. R. C. Saufley, wife of Lieut. Saufley, U.S.N., it is no trick at all to soar 1,200 feet above New York in an aeroplane, stop the car at will, swoop down to the waters of the harbor in a long and graceful glide, then up and away again on the wings of the wind. Just no trick at all. That is, if you have the right king of stabilizer in your air-craft...... Editor's Note: To read the rest of this fascinating story, just click on: O'Rear. |
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from Pensacola's Chronological History You may want to use the "Find" tool on "Saufley" If you have any information on this Early Bird, please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper 
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