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CLAIR F. HORTON, now superintendent of repairs at the Air Corps repair depot in San Antonio, began at Hammondsport in 1908 and eventually soloed in a Curtiss seaplane, June 15, 1914, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Then followed long journeys about the country in exhibitions. The Philadelphia Inquirer, of May 13, 1916, tells of the presence of Admiral Peary, the mayor and other prominent lights at the opening of the Philadelphia Aviation School at Essington, and shows the instructors as Clair F. Horton, Earl Beers, Jack Tweed and Walter E. Johnson, Jr. Horton was in Havana in 1911 when J. A. D. McCurdy ran out of oil 10 miles or so from Havana in his flight from Key West. Horton himself had a number of narrow escapes in his career. In Winnipeg he was thrown into the lake and at Lake Ponchartrain, Louisiana, his plane was overturned with a passenger during a storm. He was under water two and a half minutes before he could free himself when a control cable caught between the back of his neck and his life preserver. He has been at Duncan Field now for 19 years. courtesy of Steve Remington - CollectAir |
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You will find the name of Clarence F. Horton mentioned twice in the "History of the Order of Daedaleans" story. You can access the history by clicking on: Order of Daedaleans Use the "find" function on "Horton" to find the two entries I heartily recommend that you plan to read the whole, fascinating story. |
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From The Early Birds of Aviation Roster of Members January 1, 1993 If you have any more information on this Early Bird, please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper Back 
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