Earle Ovington Flying a Bleriot Monoplane, Bridgeport, Connecticut, 1911

THF256664 / Earle Ovington Flying a Bleriot Monoplane, Bridgeport, Connecticut, 1911
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Artifact Overview

Earle Ovington is remembered for piloting the first air mail flight operated by the United States Post Office Department. But Ovington's career went well beyond that September 1911 promotional flight. He was a talented airplane racer and an accomplished demonstration pilot in the pre-World War I "birdmen" era. Ovington is seen here flying his Bleriot monoplane Dragonfly.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Photographic print

Subject Date

1911

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

84.1.1629.187

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Gelatin silver process

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 2.5 in
Width: 4 in

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    In 1910, while attending the first international aviation meet held in the United States, Earle Ovington (1879-1936) decided to become a pilot. During his short but successful career as an exhibition flyer, Ovington achieved an impressive string of aviation firsts – most notably, piloting the first U.S. Air Mail flight operated by the Post Office Department.