George William Beatty
Encyclopedia
George William Beatty was a pioneer aviator who set early altitude and distance records, including one record set on the same day that he flew his first solo flight
.
He graduated from high school in 1904 and worked in the printing industry as a linotype machine
operator in New York City
. He became interested in a gliding club In New York City and helped build a homemade Santos-Dumont Demoiselle
between 1909 and 1910 using a three cylinder engine
from Anzani
.
He attended the Wright Flying School
on Long Island
in 1911. He was taught by Arthur L. Welsh
. He had his first lesson on June 24, 1911 and soloed on July 23, 1911. That same day he flew as a passenger with Welsh to establish a new American two-man flight altitude record
of 1860 feet (566.9 m). On August 5, 1911 Beatty broke his own record, flying to 3080 feet (938.8 m) with Percy Reynolds as his passenger. On the same flight he won a cup given by the Farman Company
for flight duration.
On August 6, 1911 he flew for his license and was awarded Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
(FAI) pilot certificate number 41.
At the 1911 Chicago International Aviation Meet
at Grant Park
he set the new three-man endurance world record of 1 hour and 18 minutes on the August 13, 1911. He also set the American two-man endurance record of 2 hours and four minutes on the August 12, 1911, which he surpassed with a time of 3 hours and 19 minutes on August 19, 1911. His total flight time at the meet of 24 hours and 21 minutes.
Beatty created a flying school on Long Island
in early 1912. From this site, he became the first person to land in Manhattan
when he flew into New York City
and landed in Central Park
on February 13, 1912. He returned to his Nassau County, New York
base the next day. After the June 11, 1912, death of Al Welsh, he moved to College Park, Maryland
, where he served as the chief test pilot and instructor at the United States Army Aviation School
.
He moved to England
in 1913, where he established a joint venture
with Handley Page to create a flying school at the Hendon Aerodrome
in Hendon
, North London
. He trained in over 1,000 pilots for the Royal Air Force
in his career. He also brought three Wright Flyer
s to add to the Handley Page fleet.
In Europe
in the early 1920s, Beatty started a business manufacturing engines for motorcycle
s. By 1923, he constructed a racing motorcycle that won the Tour de France
. The Great Depression
ended the motorcycle business and Beatty returned to the United States.
He had great difficulty finding work and did not attain a full-time job until he was hired by the Hughes Printing Company of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
in 1934, working his way up to superintendent. He remained at the job until his death on February 20, 1955 at age 67. He was buried in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
at the Laurelwood Cemetery.
First solo flight
The first solo flight of a new pilot comprises that pilot completing a take off, and usually a short flight and safe landing, by him or herself...
.
Early life and education
Beatty was born on August 28, 1887, in Stephensburg, New Jersey.He graduated from high school in 1904 and worked in the printing industry as a linotype machine
Linotype machine
The Linotype typesetting machine is a "line casting" machine used in printing. The name of the machine comes from the fact that it produces an entire line of metal type at once, hence a line-o'-type, a significant improvement over manual typesetting....
operator in 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...
. He became interested in a gliding club In New York City and helped build a homemade Santos-Dumont Demoiselle
Santos-Dumont Demoiselle
-External links:...
between 1909 and 1910 using a three cylinder engine
Three cylinder engine
Three cylinder engine can refer to:* Straight-three engine, the most typical three cylinder internal combustion engine* V3 engine, seen on some two-stroke racing motorcycles* W engine* Anzani 3-cylinder W and radial three cylinder engines of 1905 to 1915...
from Anzani
Anzani
Anzani was an engine manufacturer founded by the Italian Alessandro Anzani , which produced proprietary engines for aircraft, cars, boats, and motorcycles in factories in Britain, France and Italy.-Overview:...
.
He attended the Wright Flying School
Wright Flying School
The Wright Flying School, also known as the Wright School of Aviation, was operated by the Wright Company from 1910 to 1916 and trained 119 individuals to fly Wright airplanes.-History:...
on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
in 1911. He was taught by Arthur L. Welsh
Arthur L. Welsh
Arthur L. "Al" Welsh was a Jewish, Russian-born American pioneer aviator who became the first flight instructor for the Wright Brothers. He was killed in an aircrash in 1912.-Early life:...
. He had his first lesson on June 24, 1911 and soloed on July 23, 1911. That same day he flew as a passenger with Welsh to establish a new American two-man flight altitude record
Flight altitude record
These are the records set for going the highest in the atmosphere from the age of ballooning onward. Some records are certified by Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.-Fixed-wing aircraft:-Piston-driven propeller aeroplane:...
of 1860 feet (566.9 m). On August 5, 1911 Beatty broke his own record, flying to 3080 feet (938.8 m) with Percy Reynolds as his passenger. On the same flight he won a cup given by the Farman Company
Farman
Farman Aviation Works was an aeronautic enterprise founded and run by the brothers; Richard, Henri, and Maurice Farman. They designed and constructed aircraft and engines from 1908 until 1936; during the French nationalization and rationalization of its aerospace industry, Farman's assets were...
for flight duration.
On August 6, 1911 he flew for his license and was awarded Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale is the world governing body for air sports and aeronautics and astronautics world records. Its head office is in Lausanne, Switzerland. This includes man-carrying aerospace vehicles from balloons to spacecraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles...
(FAI) pilot certificate number 41.
At the 1911 Chicago International Aviation Meet
1911 Chicago International Aviation Meet
The 1911 Chicago International Aviation Meet was major aviation show held at Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois, United States in August 1911., 362-63 Lincoln Beachey set a world altitude record of 11,642 feet at the meet....
at Grant Park
Grant Park (Chicago)
Grant Park, with between the downtown Chicago Loop and Lake Michigan, offers many different attractions in its large open space. The park is generally flat. It is also crossed by large boulevards and even a bed of sunken railroad tracks...
he set the new three-man endurance world record of 1 hour and 18 minutes on the August 13, 1911. He also set the American two-man endurance record of 2 hours and four minutes on the August 12, 1911, which he surpassed with a time of 3 hours and 19 minutes on August 19, 1911. His total flight time at the meet of 24 hours and 21 minutes.
Beatty created a flying school on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
in early 1912. From this site, he became the first person to land in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
when he flew into 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...
and landed in Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
on February 13, 1912. He returned to his Nassau County, New York
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
base the next day. After the June 11, 1912, death of Al Welsh, he moved to College Park, Maryland
College Park, Maryland
College Park is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, USA. The population was 30,413 at the 2010 census. It is best known as the home of the University of Maryland, College Park, and since 1994 the city has also been home to the "Archives II" facility of the U.S...
, where he served as the chief test pilot and instructor at the United States Army Aviation School
United States Army Aviation School
The United States Army Aviation School is located at Fort Rucker, Alabama-History:In 1912 the facility was located in College Park, Maryland.* Organic Army Aviation first entered into combat in November 1942 on the coast of North Africa...
.
He moved to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1913, where he established a joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
with Handley Page to create a flying school at the Hendon Aerodrome
Hendon Aerodrome
Hendon Aerodrome was an aerodrome in Hendon, north London, England that, between 1908 and 1968, was an important centre for aviation.It was situated in Colindale, seven miles north west of Charing Cross. It nearly became "the Charing Cross of the UK's international air routes", but for the...
in Hendon
Hendon
Hendon is a London suburb situated northwest of Charing Cross.-History:Hendon was historically a civil parish in the county of Middlesex. The manor is described in Domesday , but the name, 'Hendun' meaning 'at the highest hill', is earlier...
, North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
. He trained in over 1,000 pilots for the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
in his career. He also brought three Wright Flyer
Wright Flyer
The Wright Flyer was the first powered aircraft, designed and built by the Wright brothers. They flew it four times on December 17, 1903 near the Kill Devil Hills, about four miles south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, U.S.The U.S...
s to add to the Handley Page fleet.
In Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in the early 1920s, Beatty started a business manufacturing engines for motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
s. By 1923, he constructed a racing motorcycle that won the Tour de France
Tour de France (disambiguation)
Tour de France may refer to:* Compagnons du Tour de France, an organization of craftsmen and artisans doing the tour de France since the Middle Ages* Various sports competitions going around France:...
. The Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
ended the motorcycle business and Beatty returned to the United States.
He had great difficulty finding work and did not attain a full-time job until he was hired by the Hughes Printing Company of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg is the most populous municipality in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the Poconos region of the state. Originally known as "Dansbury", East Stroudsburg was renamed for geographic reasons when the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad opened a...
in 1934, working his way up to superintendent. He remained at the job until his death on February 20, 1955 at age 67. He was buried in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
Stroudsburg is a borough in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the Poconos region of the state, approximately five miles from the Delaware Water Gap, at the confluence of the Brodhead and Pocono Creeks. It is the county seat of Monroe County. Stroudsburg is part of the...
at the Laurelwood Cemetery.
External links
- George William Beatty at the National Air and Space MuseumNational Air and Space MuseumThe National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution holds the largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft in the world. It was established in 1976. Located in Washington, D.C., United States, it is a center for research into the history and science of aviation and...
- George William Beatty at FlickrFlickrFlickr is an image hosting and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community that was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers to...