1890-1926 AKA Arthur Roy Smith |
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Photo & caption from the collection of Randy Harter/Fort Wayne, IN, 4-2-04 |
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Early Days 1910-1915 |
Pan-Pacific Int. Expo 1915 |
Japan 1916 |
WW I & Air Mail 1917-1926 |
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ART SMITH Rachel Sherwood Roberts Product Details Paperback 200 pages (December 2003) Publisher: McFarland & Company ISBN: 0786416467 |
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Synopsis In 1910, pioneer aviator Art Smith was as celebrated as any movie star might be today. He thrilled audiences with his barnstorming feats, doing dives, "death spirals," sky writing and "loop-de-loops," and night flights using phosphorus fireworks. He was a consummate showman and had he not died in 1926, his name probably would be familiar to most Americans. He glamorized and popularized aviation while testing the boundaries of aeronautical principles. As a young man he longed to fly before he had ever seen an airplane. His parents believed in him, and he was fortunate to have a best friend named Al Wertman who helped him build an airplane. His fame spread around the globe and in 1916, the Japanese offered him USD 10,000 for a series of exhibitions. His flying skills inspired a young Wiley Post to a life of aviation. And after Smith's death, when Lindbergh flew over Fort Wayne and dipped his wings, he gave credit to the "Bird Boy" Art Smith. The story of this rising star in American aviation is one of adventure, romance, scandal and history. Using Smith's own autobiographical writings, the story is also a factual account of events in early aviation. The book includes photographs. |
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If you have any more information on this Early Flier, please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper 
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