Promotional Queen Monoplane Owned by Earle Ovington, First United States Post Office Air Mail Pilot, 1911
THF256666 / Promotional Queen Monoplane Owned by Earle Ovington, First United States Post Office Air Mail Pilot, 1911
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Artifact Overview
Earle Ovington earned a unique place in aviation history when, on September 23, 1911, he piloted the first air mail flight operated by the United States Post Office Department. The three-mile flight over New York's Long Island was more a publicity stunt than a practical venture, but it previewed a not-too-distant future. Regular air mail services began in 1918.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Photographic print
Subject Date
1911
Collection Title
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Object ID
84.1.1629.188
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Paper (Fiber product)
Technique
Gelatin silver process
Color
Black-and-white (Colors)
Dimensions
Height: 5.5 in
Width: 6.25 in
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Related Content
SetEarle Ovington: “Air Mail Pilot No. 1”
- 13 Artifacts
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.