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[[newspaper clipping]]
16-A  Oakland Tribune, Sunday, April 13, 1947

First Pilot to Fly the Mail, Now 70, Has Feet on Ground

BERKELEY, April 12. – Living here quietly – and with his feet definitely on the ground – is "Wiseman the fearless" and "Wiseman the dauntless," the man who stamped a deed on history 36 years ago when he hopped out of a flimsy-looking crate at Santa Rosa to become the first man to fly airmail in California – the first to fly the mail in all of the world.

Although the name of Fred J. Wiseman, 70, of 1817 Oxford Street, is obscure among the pioneers of aviation and many have since piloted similar bits of "spars and struts" into more publicized niches, the Berkeley aviator has the official records of the Smithsonian Institution to prove his world-wide title.

Paul Edward Garber, curator of the Division of Aeronautics at the institution, recently visited Wiseman at his home here to gather data connected with construction of the plane – the first California-built plane to fly – and the initial airmail flight, made on February 17, 1911, from Petaluma to Santa Rosa.

WORLD PREMIER

Garber has since notified Wiseman that a check of records revealed his flight with letters and newspapers – and a load of groceries – was the first instance of airplane-carried mail in the world, nosing out by one day a similar hop made in India.

The part of Wiseman in aviation might have remained virtually forgotten except for the 100th birthday of his mother, Mrs. America Wiseman, at Santa Rosa Saturday.  Mrs. Wiseman mentioned that her son had built the first plane to fly in California and the story of his early air career was revealed.

The plane actually has gone on to its share of fame, while the builder and pilot – after leaving the field of aviation – became a businessman, "earth bound" as an automotive specialist.

The battered, boxlike craft which won Wiseman his title of the "birdman," was given to the Port of Oakland many years ago by Dr. Robert L. Cooke of Crockett, brother of Weldon Bagster Cooke, pioneer in California aviation.  It has been on display in recent years at Oakland Airport and is now in Hangar 2.

HALL-SCOTT MOTOR

Powered with an eight-cylinder Hall-Scott motor, the ancient biplane resembled a kite – a shaky-looking kite, with paper-like wings, bicycle wheels and landing skids.  Wiseman sat on a tiny seat in front of the wings and manipulated the plane with a steering wheel mounted on a stick.  The motor was behind his head, suspended between the wings, and the propeller whirled around at the rear.

Wiseman started to build his plane in 1909, after seeing the Wright brothers in operation in Dayton.  Returning to Petaluma, he interested several other men in aviation, including a fellow racer, Ben Noonan;  a mechanic, Gene Peters, and the late Don Prentice.

A year passed before the plane was finished – the maiden flight took place on May 30, 1910, but to the disappointment of all, the craft was barely able to rise from the ground – but finally the "great machine" took to its wings and California had its first home-built aircraft.

Wiseman, as the pilot, won races and honors.  Crowds followed him, newspapers acclaimed him and the practical maintained the airplane would never be more than a fad.  Then, in February, 1911, Wiseman fulfilled the promise he had made never to return to Santa Rosa unless he could fly his ship there from Petaluma.

FIRST AIR MAIL

"We got the idea of carrying letters with us from the mayor and the postmaster of Petaluma to the mayor and postmaster of Santa Rosa," Wiseman said.  "We also took along a bundle of papers from the Press Democrat to drop along the way."

In his old scrapbook, among yellowed clippings, is the newspaper report of that flight.

"Fred Wiseman, the birdman, came sailing home today, as he promised," the headline said.

The plane faltered once during the take-off, when the runners struck soft adobe, but the "engine responded nobly and the great machine began to rise."  Wiseman was off on the last stage of his homeward flight!

Watchers along the way telephoned his progress ahead.  Machines followed him on the roads and, when the airship passed Contati, bombs were exploded in front of the Press Democrat office to notify the public.

WHISTLES AND BELLS

"The whistles blew, fire bells rang and the whole town knew that Wiseman, the undaunted, was coming home.  All over town automobiles were in readiness and people quickly piled in and started for the south side, to watch the approach.  For the greater part, Wiseman flew low, at an average height of 100 feet, although occasionally he arose to twice that altitude."

While "rising gracefully" to clear some trees, a wire from the plane became entangled in the propeller, the engine stopped and Wiseman coasted earthward, over a newly plowed field of wet adobe.  The running wheels stuck, the machine pitched forward, then rocked back.  The flight was ended – 14 miles in 12 minutes and 20 seconds.

Along the way, Wiseman had tossed papers into the outstretched arms of open-mouthed spectators.  A band of cattle stampeded, a horse ran away and frightened rabbits raced 'round and 'round in circles.

The tumult covered days and included bands, fireworks, banquets and fame for the "favorite son."  Wiseman barnstormed for about a year after that, touring up and down the Pacific Coast, all the way to Washington and to Reno, Nev.

EXPENSIVE FLYING

But it cost a lot to fly, to known the plane down between towns and reassemble it again, and the pioneer "air chauffeur" finally decided aviation was "too expensive."

In 1912, the Wiseman plane came into the hands of Weldon Cooke, who brought the craft to Oakland and entered it in the Third International Aviation Meet, February 17 to 25, 1912.  He used the plane in other meets and barnstorming tours until he was fatally injured in the crash of another plane in 1914.

Wiseman, who expects he would have met a similar fate if he had remained "in the air," returned to the automotive business, then went to work as a specialist for Standard Oil.  He retired from that company after 25 years' service.

His mother, who still lives at the family home at Mellita, between Santa Rosa and Glen Ellen, came to that area in 1874.  Born in Columbus, Ill., she recalls Lincoln and on her birthday said:  "I can see Abe now as he stood up (at a speech following the Civil War).  I sat near enough to touch his hand."

One of the family possessions is the handle of a slingshot given to Mrs. Wiseman's grandfather by Daniel Boone while both were fighting the Indians.

[[image - photograph of Wiseman in plane]]
[[caption]] Fred J. Wiseman, of Berkeley, poses at the wheel of the flimsy flying "machine" in which he flew the world's first air mail 36 years ago – a record now recognized. [[/caption]]
[[/newspaper clipping]]