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RECALLS 1904 FLIGHT HE SAW OVER VALLEY

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eve of the 62nd anniversary of the Wright Brothers' famous first powered flight.
A. Roy Knabenshue was born in 1876 in Toledo, Ohio. He became interested in aeronautics during his teens and made many balloon flights later on beginning in 1904 and in one flight in Los Angeles in 1905, he successfully raced against an automobile.
Knabenshue built his own dirigible, the Toledo 1, which he first flew in July, 1905. He later built his Toledo II and III dirigibles and flew them in demonstrations throughout the east.
Participate in Meets
In 1908, he built and flew the first three-man dirigible and continued his exhibitions until 1910.
In 1910, the Wright Brothers formed the Wright Exhibition Co., composed of several skilled pilots, and engaged Knabenshue to manage it.
First performing under his direction in Indianapolis in June, 1910, the team subsequently participated in numerous aviation meets through the country including the Atlantic City meet and the Belmont Park International Aviation meet in 1910.
One year later, the team participated in the San Francisco Aviation meet and the Chicago International Aviation meet.
Cite Contributions
Under Knabenshue, the team set many records. When it finally disbanded, Knabenshue continued making dirigible exhibitions throughout the country and at one time had a 10-passenger balloon which he flew out Pasadena.
A. Roy Knabenshue retired some years later in Glendale and died in March, 1960 at the age of 84. He was entombed in the Portal of the Folded Wings in Valhalla Cemetery.
His enshrinement this year was based on his "outstanding contributions to aviation by early public demonstrations of balloons and steerable balloons, by designing, building and demonstrating early dirigibles and by managing airplane exhibition teams."