Augustus Roy Knabenshue
Encyclopedia
Augustus Roy Knabenshue (July 15, 1875 – March 6, 1960) was an American aeronautical engineer and aviator.
.
In 1904 at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition
he piloted Thomas Scott Baldwin
's California Arrow dirigible to a height of 2,000 feet (610 m) and was able to return to the takeoff point.
He was the first to make a dirigible flight over New York City
in 1905.
He performed barnstorming
and worked as the general manager
of the Wright Exhibition Team
. From 1933 to 1944 he worked for the National Park Service
and then worked for a Los Angeles, California
firm reconditioning used aircraft
.
In 1958 he had a stroke. He had a second stroke at his home at a trailer park
in Arcadia, California
on February 21, 1960. He died on March 6, 1960 at the Evergreen Sanitarium in Temple City, California
.
Interment and services were held March 9, 1960 at the Portal of the Folded Wings in Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery
in North Hollywood, California.
Biography
He was born on July 15, 1875 in Lancaster, OhioLancaster, Ohio
Lancaster is a city in Fairfield County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 38,780. It is located near the Hocking River, approximately southeast of Columbus, Ohio. It is the county seat of Fairfield County...
.
In 1904 at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition
Louisiana Purchase Exposition
The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the Saint Louis World's Fair, was an international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States in 1904.- Background :...
he piloted Thomas Scott Baldwin
Thomas Scott Baldwin
Thomas Scott Baldwin was a pioneer balloonist and U.S. Army major during World War I. He was the first American to descend from a balloon by parachute.-Early career:...
's California Arrow dirigible to a height of 2,000 feet (610 m) and was able to return to the takeoff point.
He was the first to make a dirigible flight over New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1905.
He performed barnstorming
Barnstorming
Barnstorming was a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s in which stunt pilots would perform tricks with airplanes, either individually or in groups called a flying circus. Barnstorming was the first major form of civil aviation in the history of flight...
and worked as the general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
of the Wright Exhibition Team
Wright Exhibition Team
The Wright Exhibition Team was a group of early aviators trained by the Wright brothers at Wright Flying School in Montgomery, Alabama in March 1910.-History:The group was formed in 1910 at the suggestion of Augustus Roy Knabenshue....
. From 1933 to 1944 he worked for the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
and then worked for a Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
firm reconditioning used aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
.
In 1958 he had a stroke. He had a second stroke at his home at a trailer park
Trailer park
A trailer park is a semi-permanent or permanent area for mobile homes or travel trailers. The main reasons for living in such trailer parks are the often lower cost compared to other housing, and the ability to move to a new area more quickly and easily, for example when changing jobs to another...
in Arcadia, California
Arcadia, California
Arcadia is an affluent city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, and located approximately northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains....
on February 21, 1960. He died on March 6, 1960 at the Evergreen Sanitarium in Temple City, California
Temple City, California
Temple City is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Temple City is part of a cluster of cities, along with Arcadia, Rosemead, Monterey Park, San Marino, and San Gabriel, in the west San Gabriel Valley with a rapidly growing Asian population. Temple City also has a Cuban and Puerto Rican...
.
Interment and services were held March 9, 1960 at the Portal of the Folded Wings in Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery
Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery
Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery is located at 10621 Victory Boulevard in North Hollywood, California.The cemetery has a special section called the Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation that is the final resting place for a number of aviation pioneers — barnstormers, daredevils and...
in North Hollywood, California.
Legacy
- One of the first in America to pilot a steerable balloon
- In 1904 he piloted the first successful dirigible in America at the St. Louis World’s Fair
- The Wright Company hired him in 1910 to manage the 1910-1911 Wright Exhibition TeamWright Exhibition TeamThe Wright Exhibition Team was a group of early aviators trained by the Wright brothers at Wright Flying School in Montgomery, Alabama in March 1910.-History:The group was formed in 1910 at the suggestion of Augustus Roy Knabenshue....
- In 1913 he built the first passenger dirigible in America: White City