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Early Aviation in Indiana

Paul Baer: A World War I flying ace, he died carrying mail in China. Fort Wayne, his hometown, named the municipal airport in his honor.

Grover and Lawrence Bell: These brothers from Mentone bought a plane from Glenn Martin, the California manufacturer. Grover died while making an exhibition flight in 1913. Lawrence, who had been his mechanic, went to work at the Glenn Martin plant, later opening his own company and designing aircraft. His first successful fighter model was the P-39 Aireobra.

Vincent Bendix: Inventor of the Bendix Drive, which made automobile self-starting systems practical, he also was president of Bendix Aviation and Bendix Helicopters and sponsored a transcontinental air race that bore his name.

Howard Casterline: A Hartford City man who was the first to crash in Blackford County, he flew passengers on five-minute flights for a penny a pound.

Octave Chanute: He tested gliders at the Indiana Dunes in aviation's earliest years. His findings were used by the Wright brothers in their airplane designs.

Ellen Church: One of the seven nurses hired as the world's first airline stewardesses for United Airlines, she later became administrator of Union Hospital at Terre Haute. Church had wanted to be a pilot, but her request - in 1930 - was denied.

Harvey Weir Cook: A World War I ace, born in Wilkinson, and a resident of Anderson, Indiana. Assigned to the 94th Pursuit Squadron, Cook was credited with seven victories including four balloons. He later flew the mail. He returned to service in World War II, losing his life on March 24th, 1943 in New Zealand. Indianapolis International Airport previously bore Weir Cook's name.

Capt. Clarence Cornish: Indiana's first aeronautics commissioner, appointed in 1946, Cornish flew during World War I, became an instructor and later managed Fort Wayne Municipal Airport. He also flew during World War II.

Lee Eikenberry: A World War I pilot, he set up his own flying operation at Kokomo and Flora. While flying an open-cockpit WACO biplane, he set a barnstorming record of 17,000 flights with 32,000 customers.

Horace Hickham: This aviator from Spencer lost his life in an air crash in Texas in 1934. Hickham Field in Hawaii was named in his honor.

Lou, Harry, Julius, Clarence and Arthur Johnson: About 1910, these Terre Haute brothers built a successful monoplane, which was used in exhibition flights. Unable to get financial backing, they used their aircraft engine ideas to create Johnson boat motors.

Edwin Link: Born in Huntington in 1904, he patented his flight simulator training device, call the Link Trainer, when he was 24. The device earned him the nickname "The Pilot Maker."

Helen Montgomery: A commercial glider pilot from the Fort Wayne area, she established women's records for glider endurance, altitude and distance.

Augustus Eugene Riggs: A Terre Haute-area designer, he built a successful biplane in 1913 that was the model for several improved designs. He became a designer for Walter Beech, founder of Beech Aircraft Corp.

Robert Shank: He built his own plane in 1916, helped train World War I pilots, opened Hoosier Airport in Indianapolis with a partner, later sold it and opened Shank Field. It was named for his son, Robert, who died in a crash.

Richard Stout: He was an aviator for the French in World War I, then transferred to the U.S. forces. He died at Schoen Field in Indianapolis in 1926. The airport at Mars Hill was named Stout Field in his honor.

Roderick Wright: Born at Washington, he barnstormed and worked as a test pilot for Sturtevant Airplane and Motor Co., the U.S. War Department and Stinson. He served as a pallbearer at Orville Wright's funeral, although they were not related.

Source: William Thumma, 1314 Dulee Drive, Elwood, IN 46036