Lincoln Beachey
LINCOLN BEACHEY
MARCH 3, 1887 - MARCH 14, 1915
LINCOLN BEACHEY WAS BORN IN SAN FRANCISCO AND CALLED THE CITY “HOME”
ALL HIS SHORT LIFE. HIS AERIAL ADVENTURES STARTED AT AGE 18, FLYING
DIRIGIBLES. BEACHEY MADE THE WORLD’S FIRST AIR MAIL DELIVERY DURING AN
AIR SHOW IN PORTLAND, OREGON, IN 1905. AT 23 HE APPRENTICED HIMSELF TO
GLENN CURTISS, FIRST AS A MECHANIC, THEN A PILOT. BEACHEY FLEW WITH THE
CURTISS TEAM FOR SEVERAL YEARS. EVERYDAY THAT HE PREFORMED HE EARNED
MORE THAN THE YEARLY NATIONAL AVERAGE INCOME. BEACHEY RETIRED FROM
FLYING IN 1913 AFTER BEING HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATHS OF OTHER
AVIATORS WHEN THEY ATTEMPTED HIS MANEUVERS. HIS RETIREMENT ENDED WHEN
HE LEARNED THAT A FRENCHMAN HAD LOOPED AN AIRPLANE. HE RETURNED TO THE
AIR IN AN FULLY AEROBATIC CURTIS BIPLANE DUBBED "LITTLE LOOPER." AFTER
A SUCCESSFUL 1914 NATIONAL TOUR, BEACHEY RETURNED HOME TO FLY IN THE
PANAMA PACIFIC EXPOSITION. FOR THIS EVENT HE AND HIS BROTHER HILLERY
BUILT A NEW MONOPLANE, "LE TAUBE." PREFORMING FOR EXPOSITION VISITORS,
BEACHEY TOOK OFF FROM THE MARINA GREEN ON MARCH 14, 1915. BOTH WINGS OF
"LE TAUBE" FAILED, FOLDING TO THE REAR, AND BREACHEY DIVED INTO THE BAY
NEAR THIS SPOT. THE FATHER OF AEROBATICS WAS GONE AT AGE 28.
Submitted by mollyocr