FRANK E. BOLAND 1884-1913

 

Collection of Alfredo Schael, 2-27-06

 

ONLINE RESOURCES      If you search for "Frank E. Boland", using the Google search engine, (3-3-06), you will find about 46 links. Two of the most outstanding are cited immediately below and offer a wealth of information as to his life and career.

 

The Privilege of Knowing Frank Boland      This book-length article by Alfredo Schael, which is currently, (3-3-06), on the Latin American Aviation Historical Society website, (LAAHS), offers a most comprehensive and fascinating story of the life and career of Frank Boland. It is profusely illustrated with seven unique photographs from the Schael collection. You can access the article by clicking on the title above and then searching for "Alfredo Schael".

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS via email from Alfredo Schael, 2-27-06 Caracas, Venezuela, february 21st, 2006 Mr. Ralph Cooper USA Dear Mr. Cooper,      With joy I read your generous reference to what we have published about Frank Boland.      The original article presented by LAAHS is awaiting to be published in order that Venezuelans, and those interested in the US, to get to know Boland, better.      About him, only by honorable exceptions like you, take care of one of the pioneers of aviation in the US as well as in Venezuela.      The newspapers reviews that you publish denote certain imprecisions that unfortunately survive about Boland, who also designed the motors for his airplanes and whose older brother continued as designer of seaplanes.      With my wife and friends, three years ago we visited those places in New Jersey where Frank was active, but few traces remain. He is prominent in the Hall of Fame of the Aviators of New Jersey.      As this is not the job of one person, I would appreciate if in your references to my work about Frank Boland, please mention with justice someone like Mr. Mauro Freschi, Venezuelan friend, colaborator and investigator who has recreated archives available images of Boland in Venezuela.      Also Mr. Tulio Soto, former active member of LAAHS, resident of the United States, magnificent investigator of Latinamerican aeronautical subjects, who generously translated to English the version of my ready to print book about Boland, published on the LAAHS´website.      It is my desire that the work and memory of Frank Boland keep us in contact in the future times to come. With gratitude I salute you, Alfredo Schael

 

Cronología de Frank Boland en Venezuela. Chronology of Frank Boland in Venezuela Por Mauro Freschi      This feature of the Museo del Transporte website offers, in Spanish, a complete and detailed description of the exploits of Frank Borland who made the first aeroplane flights in Venezuela. The story occupies some 17 full size pages, many with numerous photographs, and includes mention of several other important persons who were active in the development of aviation in South America. You can access the article, in Spanish, by clicking on the title above.      For those of us who don't read Spanish, we can obtain a machine-translated version by clicking on: English Version

 

Museo del Transporte Transportation Museum      This homepage of the museum is the entry point to sections devoted to Aviation, Automobiles, Carriages, and other features. It offers photos of the beautiful garden area adjacent to the museum. The website is written in Spanish,      To visit the page devoted to Aviation, just click on the title "Aviacion." You can access the site in Spanish by clicking on the title above.      For those of us who don't read Spanish, we can obtain a machine-translated version by clicking on: English Version

 

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION via email from Ray Dean, 8-4-11 Hi Ralph;      I am a great nephew of Frank Boland and am trying to get all the info I can on the Boland Bros. My grandfather was his brother his name was Alban Bolland and he was a telegraph operator for the railroad. Thanks Ray Dean son of Loretta Boland Dean Editor's Note: If you can help Ray in his search, you can contact him by sending an email to me.

 

AMERICAN AVIATOR KILLED ABROAD Frank E. Boland Makes Fatal Trial Flight in Tailless Biplane at Port of Spain. The New York Herald January 25, 1913 PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Friday.---Frank E. Boland, an American aviator, was killed last evening while flying here. After accomplishing numerous successful flights in Venezuela, he had arranged to give an exhibition flight here tomorrow. The weather conditions being perfect yesterday, he decided to make a trial flight. He ascended in the evening and flew for some time, and was returning to the landing place.      When he had reached to about half a mile from the tent erected to shelter his machine, his biplane, which was flying low, suddenly dived and struck the ground with terrific force. The machine was smashed and the aviator was found dead beneath it. Dead Aviator Was Inventor of a Tailless Biplane.      Frank E. Boland is know among aviators in America as the inventor of a tailless biplane, in which he had made short flights at the Old Aeronautical Society's field, Mineola, and at Kuhnert's Aerodrome, Hackensack, during the last two years.      His machine had neither tail, rudder, nor ailerons and avoided the Wright patented principle of balancing by wing-warping and steering by rudder. It was controlled by two pivoted vertical surfaces at either end of the main planes. His experiments for several years were approved by many mechanical experts, including I. M. Uppercu, prominent in the automobile trade of this city.      Until recently, Mr. Boland lived in Rahway, where he had a wife and several children. After spending most of the last season in demonstrations at Hackensack, the inventor, with his brother and mechanician, left for an exhibition tour in the West Indies and South America. Boland's Mother When Told of His Death Doubts It. RAHWAY, N. J., Friday.---When informed today that her son, Frank Boland, an aviator, had been killed at Port of Spain, his aged mother, Mrs. Catherine Boland, who lives in Westfield Avenue, firmly declared she didn't believe it. She said, however, that her son had been in Venezuela, but would not tell how he came to go there.      Mr. Boland was thirty-nine years old, unmarried and made his home with his mother. The family had lived here for many years. Mr. Boland was for a time in the bicycle and garage business in Rahway, being associated with his brothers, James F. and Joseph Boland. He is also survived by a sister, Miss Nella Boland.      Boland left Rahway several weeks ago to give exhibition flights in the East Indies and in South America. He formerly was a resident of Newark, having been an agent for an automobile company. He became interested in aviation problems while he was in Newark, and left the automobile business to devote his time and considerable money to the development of a flying machine of his own invention. Ttranscribed by Roy Nagl, 12-27-05 TRUE TALES OF THE ANCIENT AVIATORS

 

Editor's Note: If you have any information on this pioneer aviator, please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper   Back