Oakley G. Kelly
Encyclopedia
Oakley George Kelly was a record setting pilot for the United States Army Air Service
.
In May 1922, Lieutenant Oakley G. Kelly and Lieutenant John Arthur Macready
were awarded the 1922 Mackay Trophy
for the beating the world's air endurance record and staying aloft for 36 hours, 4 minutes, and 32 seconds.
On May 2, 1923, Lieutenants Kelly and Macready flew their single-engine, high wing Army Fokker T-2 over 2,625 miles from Mitchel Field, New York
to San Diego, California
in an official time of 26 hours, 50 minutes and 38 3/5 seconds, setting the record for transcontinental flight by a heavier than air craft winning the 1923 Mackay Trophy
.
In October 1924, Kelly piloted Ezra Meeker
along portions of the Oregon Trail
to generate support for marking and preserving the historic route using the same airplane in which Kelley had set the record: a single-engine, high-wing Army Fokker T-2. Traveling by air at 100 mph, Meeker traveled the same distance in an hour that had taken him a week to travel by ox at 2 mph.
Between 1924 and 1929, Kelly was the squadron commander for the 321st Observation Squadron at Pearson Field
, Vancouver, Washington
. Kelly retired from military service as a Colonel on March 31, 1948. He died at age 74 in San Diego, California
in 1966.
United States Army Air Service
The Air Service, United States Army was a forerunner of the United States Air Force during and after World War I. It was established as an independent but temporary wartime branch of the War Department by two executive orders of President Woodrow Wilson: on May 24, 1918, replacing the Aviation...
.
Biography
He was born on December 3, 1891 in Pennsylvania.In May 1922, Lieutenant Oakley G. Kelly and Lieutenant John Arthur Macready
John Arthur Macready
John Arthur Macready was an American test pilot and aviator. He was the only three-time recipient of the Mackay Trophy, receiving the trophy three consecutive years.-History:...
were awarded the 1922 Mackay Trophy
MacKay trophy
The Mackay Trophy was established on 27 January 1911 by Clarence Hungerford Mackay, who was then head of the Postal Telegraph-Cable Company and the Commercial Cable Company. Originally, aviators could compete for the trophy annually under rules made each year or the War Department could award the...
for the beating the world's air endurance record and staying aloft for 36 hours, 4 minutes, and 32 seconds.
On May 2, 1923, Lieutenants Kelly and Macready flew their single-engine, high wing Army Fokker T-2 over 2,625 miles from Mitchel Field, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
in an official time of 26 hours, 50 minutes and 38 3/5 seconds, setting the record for transcontinental flight by a heavier than air craft winning the 1923 Mackay Trophy
MacKay trophy
The Mackay Trophy was established on 27 January 1911 by Clarence Hungerford Mackay, who was then head of the Postal Telegraph-Cable Company and the Commercial Cable Company. Originally, aviators could compete for the trophy annually under rules made each year or the War Department could award the...
.
In October 1924, Kelly piloted Ezra Meeker
Ezra Meeker
Ezra Meeker was an early pioneer who traveled the Oregon Trail by ox cart as a young man. Beginning in his 70s, he worked tirelessly to memorialize the trail, repeatedly retracing the trip of his youth...
along portions of the Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
to generate support for marking and preserving the historic route using the same airplane in which Kelley had set the record: a single-engine, high-wing Army Fokker T-2. Traveling by air at 100 mph, Meeker traveled the same distance in an hour that had taken him a week to travel by ox at 2 mph.
Between 1924 and 1929, Kelly was the squadron commander for the 321st Observation Squadron at Pearson Field
Pearson Field
Pearson Field , is a city-owned public-use airport located one mile southeast of the central business district of Vancouver, a city in Clark County, Washington, United States....
, Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
. Kelly retired from military service as a Colonel on March 31, 1948. He died at age 74 in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
in 1966.