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PAGE TWO  THE MOUNTAIN EMPIRE BULLETIN SEPTEMBER 1, 1936
EARL OVINGTON OF FIRST AIR MAIL FAME PASSES
QUIT REPORTER'S JOB IN 1910 TO BECOME BLERIOT AVIATOR

In Memoriam 
Lincoln Beachey

KILLED IN A CRASH AT SAN FRANCISCO 

MARCH 14, 1915

This Tribute from an Early Bird

In Memoriam 
Lieutenant Thomas E. Selfridge 
Died Following Accident to Wright Military Aeroplane At Fort Meyer, Va., Sept. 17, 1908
Aged 26
THE FIRST CASUALTY 

This Tribute from an Early Bird

EARL OVINGTON [[image of Earl Ovington]]

This is an authentic story of the early career of Earle L. Ovington, pioneer aviator, who died in a Glendale hospital on the night of July 21, 1936. 

Earle L. Ovington was the eldest grandson of Edward Judson Ovington, the founder of "Ovington's," a famous gift shop, on Fifth Ave., New York. 

He was born in 1880. In 1904 he received a degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but in stead of seeking a career in that field became a reporter on a New York Daily newspaper instead. 

Ovington first became interested in aviation while reporting an aviation meet at Belmont Park, in October 1910. It was at this meet that Claude Grahame-White, a famous English aviator, wrestled the Gordon Bennet speed trophy, first worn by Curtiss, at Rheimis, France i nAugust 1909, from America.

For two months after the Belmont meet it is said that Ovington could think of nothing else but flying. At night a pollow placed on each side of him, representing the wings of the Bleriot monoplane, and with another pillow between his knees, to represent the controls, he made his first "practice flights." 

Later that year Ovinton enrolled in the Bleriot school, at Pau, France. There, ridiculous as it may seem, his "bed-time" flying exercises stood him in good stead. After only two lessons he was able to take to the air for a short hop five hundred feed, and shortly thereafter received his F.A.I brevet. 

Brought Bleriot to U.S.

Before returning home Ovington bought a racing type Bleriot monoplane, and had the tiny cockpit fitted with all of the latest aids to aerial navigation possible at that time. The equipment included a cylindrical map holder, an electric speed indicator, a level indicator, and aneroid barometer, a recording barograph, and floating compass. The latter was mounted on the floor, between the aviators feet. 

Shortly after he returned to the United States Ovington made some sensational flights during the course  of an aviation meet held at Waltham, Mass., in June 1911. James V. Martin, another noted pioneer flyer, also flew at the Waltham meet. 

Ovington was an active participant in the biggest aviation event held in the United States that year, the ten-day Chicago aviation meet, and was one of the big prize winners. By this time he had acquired, in addition to his Bleriot monoplane, a speedy Curtiss biplane. 

On August 12, at Chicago, in his Curtiss plane, Ovington placed second against Beachey, in a six mile trial heat. That same day, in his Bleriot, he defeated T.O.M Sopwith, in a 20 mile monoplane race; wone a 14 mile race over Lake Michigan, from Sopwith, in 17:13, and was again second to Beachy, in a 20 mile biplane race. 

Raced Beachy, Sopwith 

Throughout the remainder of the meet Ovington could never overtake the skilled Beachey, and placed second on all events in which Beachey and himself were entered; but he did outfly and outplace every other machine in the monoplane contests. He flew the fastest lap of any one during the meet, his time for the 1 1/3 mile being 1 minute and 22 seconds. 

The aerial voyage, for which Ovington became most noted, was flight with a bag of mail from the flying field at Garden City, L.I. to Mineola, L.I., six miles distant. Ovington and Captain Paul W. BEck, a Curtiss-trained aviator were sworn in as aerial postmen by Postmaker-General Hitchcock and both completed, within a few seconds of each other, the first air mail flights ever to be made in the United States. 

On this occasion Ovington flew his Bleriot monoplane, Beck flying a military Curtiss biplane, of the pusher type. In addition to a sack of mail Beck also carried the Postmaster-General as a passenger. Soaring over Mineola both aviators, still in the air, pitched their mail pouches overboard, the mail falling at the feet of Willian McCarthy, the Mineola postmaster. 

Ovington had arrived at Mineola first, and was accordingly honored as the first aerial postman. Captain Beck was killed later that year at San Antonio, Texas, when he swerved his plane quickly to two competitors, cross-country from Boston to Nashua, N.H., Providence, R.I., and back to Boston. For this feat he received a prize of $10,000. 

Entered Hearst Contest

Ovington was one of the pilots who were entered in the competition for a $50,000 prize, offered by William Randolph Hearst in 1911, for the first coast to coast flight. The rules of the contest stipulated that the flight be made in thirty days. The purse was never won, although two flyers, C.P. Rodgers and Robert Fowler completed flights which required many weeks over the time limit. James J. Ward, flying a Curtis biplane, gave up the attempt after a flight of but several hundred miles form New York, and Ovington's effort was of even shorter duration. Leaving Nassau Blvd., in his monoplane, on the morning of October 8, 1911, he crashed within a few miles of his starting point. 

Until the time of his death, in the summer of 1936, Ovington maintained an active contact with aeronautical matters. In 1931 he owned and was flying his thirteenth plane. By this time he was engaged in the real estate business at Santa Barbara, owned the Ovington Air Terminal there, and had taken up yachting as sport. In 1931, also, Ovington was elected president of the "Early Birds," an organization whose membership is limited to aviators who began flying prior to the World War. 

NAVY PLANES MOVE
WASHINTON, D.C., Feb. 1

1912 (E.B.) - All navy flying equipment, two Curtiss and one Burgess-Wright hydroaeroplanes, have been transferred from Annapolis to North Island, San Diego, Claif., the Navy Department announced today. 

The Curtiss machines are fitted with powerful 75 horsepower motors, and have the steering gear arranged so the wheel may be shifted from one aviator to another while in the air. 

The first tests of his type of machine were made over the Lake Keuka, Hammondsport, N. Y., during the summer. On one trip, Lieut. Theodore G. Ellyson, with Captain Washington I. Chamber, officer in charge of aerial activities for the navy, as a passenger, made a non stop trip of 40 miles. 

[IMAGE]

CAREERS FOR ELEVEN PLANNED BY HIGH AERIAL DEPARTMENT

On Aug. 27, 1911, the special department of Gods, recently created to direct the future careers of embryo birdmen convened. 

"George E. Barnhart," read the scribe, from a short scroll, "'soloed in a Curtiss-type crate at Dominguez field last year." 

"Let him survive many crashes," said the chief God. "Put a brain of a scientist in the skull of a gangling country youngster. Let him eventually invent, and get a patent on wing flaps, so that all may say 'Well, what do you think, of that - that dumb Barnhard guy finally did something worthwhile. He invented wing flaps." 

"Hillery Beachey," read the scribe. 

"Bust him up," said the chief scribe. "Been flying too long, already. Shake him up pretty bad. Make hi quit the game. But let him prosper in other lines. Get him a good helpmate." 

"Joseph A. Blondin, exballoonist with heavier-than-air ambitions," read the scribe. 

"Ah, a gentleman," said the chief God. "It is decreed that he shall not aviate. He shall invent. Put that idea for a different aileron control in his noodle." 

"Walter R. Brookins," intoned the scribe. 

"Another gentleman," said the chief God. "And a veteran of a year and a half flying experience with the Wright company. Let him wing his way through life smoothly for a year or so. Then let him get a great idea and work on it a few years more. Let the idea prove a success, and let him prosper." 

"Lawrence W. Brown," read the scribe. 

"Ha, ha, ha," laughed the chief God. "Ha, ha, ho! That Englishman who doesn't know whether he wants to be an aviator, or a wireless expert. Well, mix a few other interests up in his career just to keep him puzzled. Then finally make a hotel manager out of him. Ho, ho, ho!"

"Anthony Stadleman," read the scribe. 

"You mean Tony," the Chief God corrected. "Tony's a good scout, but let's have a little fun with him. Rolle that Curtiss pusher of his up in a bundle a few times. Then finally made an aeronautical technician out of him."

"R. J. Armor," read the scribe. 
"Guard him well." 

"Arthur B. Stone," read the scribe. 

"The guy with the Queen company," said the Chief God. "Let him save a few crack0ups to impress him with the seriousness of life. Let him get married, and stay married, to the same little woman for thirty years. Then when his grandchildren arrive on the scene, if they like Stone, then let his wife like him even better - and stay married to him then forever and ever, amen." 

"O. W. Timm," read the Chief Scribe. 


"Let him eventually manufacture the Barnhart wing flap," said the chief God. 

"Waldo D. Waterman," read the scribe. 

"Why he's just a kid!" exclaimed the Chief God. "Well, let him grow up. Mix in a few small successes and failures. Then when he is properly seasoned let him design and build an airplane that will revolutionize flying." 

"That's all," said the scribe. "Say how about a reunion for those fellows - say about 25 years from now."

"O. K." said the Chief God. "We'll have them all living in Southern California, and meet at the Hotel Clark, at 7 p.m., August 27, 1911. "Just so the thing doesn't look to obvious, we'll let them think the gathering is of their own accord, and for the purpose of planning a general reunion of all the early birds."

"I get it," said the scribe. "During the National Air Races. O. K. Chief."