-1920 AKA Georges Mestach |
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Collection of Robert D Mestach, 1-7-05 Great nephew of George Mestach |
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from the Early Birds of Aviation CHIRP June, 1937 - Number 20 The nights and days of the year of Apple Blossom Time in Normandy and Waitin' for the Robert E. Lee, like those of 1911, were big in the annals of American aeronautics. Meets, shows and exhibitions; and more startling steps in invention development and performance--inception of the flying boat--first air speed meter--self starters--Fowler's transcontinental-- proposals for federal legislation--first airplane parachute--flight of Bell's kite--an air mail bill--demonstration of the first "foolproof" airplane-- introduction of skywriting--first airplane machine gun--a roof take-off--first catapult launchings--first bomb sight contest--muffled engines-- the first "military type" airplanes for the Army--and more records. Highlights of 1912 tied to dates--days of that year in which Early Birds made history. A majority of all these pioneers, record-makers and those of less degree, are now but overnight from each other by the airplane which they helped to develop and to practically apply. If you wish to review the activities in the other months of the year, just click on the title above. |
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Collection of Bruce Beveridge, 8-26-09 |
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Collection of Bruce Beveridge, 8-26-09 |
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Early 'Flying Machine' Took Toll of Aviators from an unidentified newsclipping Collection of Todd McVickar, 6-29-07 Perhaps the most spectacular accident occurred in 1912 during the Chicago Air Show. George Mestach, a famous Frence flier who had come over to the United States to participate in the events, and Howard Gill tangled in a mid-air crash on October 14. Gill and Mestach were flying about 200 feet above the ground when their machines collided, falling to the earth. Gill was killed and Mestach seriously injured. Gill had an illustrious career. He was the first to construct an airplane with two complete......... |
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"The Airmail Route Promoters of air travel hoped to establish the industry through a demonstration of its practical uses. They found a likely target in the mail system. In 1912, more than a dozen years before airmail became a regular service, French aviator George Mestach delivered mail from New Orleans to Baton Rouge in 1 hour and 32 minutes, marking the second airmail delivery in the United States. Although he ran into a fence and broke the plane’s propeller upon landing on the Louisiana State University campus, the jostled Mestach managed to deliver a letter to Governor J. Y. Sanders." If time permits, you will want to read the whole article. It has several mentions of John Moisant, including the fact of his crash in Harahan just outside of New Orleans in December, 1910 |
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Quotation courtesy of Roy Nagl, 2-4-06 Thank you very much for letting me know about your new web page for Thomas McGoey! I was especially intrigued about the mention of his air mail flight and looked up the entry for it in volume four of the 1981 edition of the "American Air Mail Catalogue", which gives the following description of it, on page 1654: "1912, May 10 -- Winnipeg, Manitoba. An Air Circus was held in Winnipeg for the entire week. On May 10 it was expected that one of the plots, Thomas McGoey, would fly mail in his machine. The mail afterwards was to be posted at the local Post Office. It is understood he had the authority of the Postmaster to do this. A card, the only item now known to exist, is addressed to Toronto, Ont. It is postmarked Winnipeg, May 10, 9:30 A.M., 1912, and is also canceled Grand View, Ont., May 14, 1912. The card has a three-line rubber stamp cachet reading "From Winnipeg -- By First Aerial Route -- Thomas McGoey, Aviator." Aviator Sam Tickell flew a Curtiss biplane and crashed. However, McGoey was ill in a hospital at Grand Forks, N. Dak. and did not reach Winnipeg until May 24. It is not definitely known whether Tickell carried mail on his attempt of May 10 or whether it was dispatched via ordinary means on the failure of McGoey to arrive." The catalog also has a short description of another pioneer Canadian flight, involving French aviator Georges Mestach and it mentions his Morane-Borel monoplane that you show on your web page for him: "1911, September 1. During an aviation meet at Quebec City August 29 - September 4, French pilot Georges Mestach made several flights in a Morane-Borel monoplane. On September 1 he took along a number of messages addressed to various officials of the exhibition, and dropped them over the grounds." |
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Editor's Note: If you have any more information on this pioneer aviator please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper |
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