Eugene Ely, Daredevil Aviator
First Shipboard Landing and Takeoff
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About the Book
Eugene Burton Ely was buried the day after his 25th birthday, less than a half-mile from where he was born. No sooner had he captured the world’s eye and gained the fame he sought, than he crashed into the earth.
Until 1911, the last year of his life, hardly anyone knew his name. More than a century later, nothing has changed. An Iowa farm boy afraid of heights, Ely was the first to land an airplane on the deck of a ship. To some, he is the father of naval aviation, the inspiration behind today’s nuclear aircraft carriers—but many details of his life have been lost until now. This book seeks to fill this void.
About the Author(s)
Bibliographic Details
William M. Miller
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 344
Bibliographic Info: 24 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2014
pISBN: 978-0-7864-9677-8
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1798-5
Imprint: McFarland
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Preface 1
1. Homecoming 3
2. Macon, 1911 8
3. The Old York Hills 12
4. A New Century 17
5. Scorching Through the Countryside 20
6. The City of a Hundred Hills 23
7. 5:12 a.m.—April 18, 1906 27
8. Native Son and Daughter 31
9. Driving the Right People 35
10. Racing Cross-Country 39
11. Challenging the Wrights 46
12. Dominguez 52
13. Wemme Wants a Prizewinner 56
14. Crowds Will Flock 60
15. “I was fascinated with the idea of flying” 65
16. On the Road to Curtiss 70
17. O, Canada 77
18. “Scrape that golden lining” 83
19. “A warm corner in the heart of Father Knickerbocker” 87
20. “Plucky pioneer conqueror of the air” 95
21. “There’s your trouble, Gene” 103
22. “The ease of a swallow and the speed of an express train” 112
23. Bleak Days at Belmont 116
24. A Little Man with an Aero-Eye and the Plucky Little Woman Beside Him 122
25. “He flew off with the greatest ease” 130
26. Balmy Southern Skies 140
27. Scientific Suicide 149
28. A Platform for the Pennsylvania 157
29. Two Days Out of Ten 164
30. Waiting for a Rainbow 169
31. “Easier than I thought” 176
32. “Best girl” 188
33. “The noble art” 195
34. Good Luck Charm 201
35. Land of Salt and Snow 204
36. Flitting Along 211
37. The Wayward Winds 220
38. Sailing Air and Sea 226
39. Redemption on an Oregon Trail 232
40. Over the Rockies 240
41. A Very Busy Month 246
42. “We are merely circus performers” 256
43. Not for $50,000 267
44. “Fate handed me this bump” 272
45. “He was just Ely” 280
46. Beginning the Afterlife 292
47. “They’re all gone now” 298
Chapter Notes 305
Bibliography 327
Index 333
