August 19 is National Aviation Day. It was established by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1939 as a way to celebrate and promote interest in the subject. The date is the same day as flight pioneer Orville Wright’s birthday.
In recognition of sky jockeys across the nation, we thought we’d pay homage to three who started right here in Texas. Let’s have a look:
Bessie Coleman. Born in Atlanta, Texas, in 1892, Besse Coleman was a true leader in the world of aviation. In 1921, after traveling all the way to France to find someone willing to train her, she became the first black woman to earn a pilot’s license. And when she came back to the U.S., she made a name for herself performing daredevil tricks at aviation shows. “Queen Bess” is what they called her. She was billed as “the world’s greatest woman flier,” and she was a huge draw for spectators. She died while flying at an airshow rehearsal in 1926 when she was thrown from her plane.
Douglas Corrigan. Born in Galveston in 1907, Douglas Corrigan always maintained that his fame as a pilot was only an accident. The aircraft mechanic/amateur pilot had applied for permission to make a transatlantic flight from New York to Ireland in 1935. His application was denied. But two years later, he “accidentally” made the flight, claiming that fog had made it hard to read his compass. Folks nicknamed him “Wrong Way Corrigan” after the incident. During World War II in the early 1940s, Corrigan worked as a pilot with the Air Transport Command and then later as a commercial airline pilot. He died in 1995.
Wiley Hardeman Post. Born near Grand Saline in 1898, Wiley Post was considered one of the more colorful characters of early American aviation. At 28, he lost an eye in an oil rig accident and then used the money to buy his first plane. He set a number of records in his life, including being the first person to fly solo around the world (1933). He also helped conceive and test the first pressurized flight suit and helmet. He flew higher than anyone of his day and discovered the atmosphere’s jet streams. He died in a plane crash with famed entertainer Will Rogers in 1935.
Aviation plays an important role in the functioning of our nation. And it’s a huge part of the American fighting force. Veteran Energy salutes each man and woman who ever played a part in making it as strong as it is. Happy National Aviation Day.
