1883-1912 |
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Collection of Rolland Deremer - 12-22-03 |
FROM THE FLYING PIONEERS BIOGRAPHIES OF HAROLD E. MOREHOUSE Then he became interested in aviation and during the winter months of 1909-1910 buillt his first plane, (a Curtiss copy), using an auto engine, and tried to fly it in March, 1910, resulting in a smash-up. He rebuilt the plane and sold it, and later it was bought by Tom Benoist of St. Louis who put an aeroplane engine in it and taught himself to fly on it there. This plane actually started Benoist in business. Throughout 1910 he continued to build more airplanes, all Curtiss copies, and built the FIRST headless (no forward elevator), model, whjich later was copied throughout the industry. He had Hillery Beachey succeeded in doing a little flying on these machines at Air Meets and they also got other pilots to fy them. He had made some money in his motor car business and was tinkering with aviation for the fun of it. He had gained considerable notoriety with his experiments and in September, 1910, he was approached by E. Percy Noel of St. Louis, Mo. about investing a little money in an aviation magazine he was trying to promote. Gill went in with him and AERO, one of the first American Aviation magazines made its appearance. For over a year, Gill devoted considerable time to this venture and contributed to the early editing and reporting. His early serial article, "HOW TO BUILD A CURTISS TYPE BIPLANE", created great interest and was a material factor in really establishing the magazine, as well as starting a great number of builders all over the country making their own machines to his instructions. AERO later became AERO & HYDRO and turned out to be easily the best aviation magazine of that era. By the spring of 1911 Gill really wanted to get into the flying game and joined up for instruction at the Wright School at Simms Station, Dayton, Ohio, where he had his first "real" ride with Cliff Turpin on April 10th. He was taught to fly by Turpin who gave him his first lesson on April 17th. He soloed after 3 hours, 18 minutes, finishing his instruction on May 15th, and was made a member of the Wright Exhibition Team at once, and began filling engagements about the country. He rapidly became a very competent pilot and on June 20th at Quincy, Ill. gave a fine exhibition up to 7,000 feet in 1 hour, 27 minutes. On July 4-5th he was at Meridan, Miss. and while at Nassau Boulevard, L.I. he flew for his pilts license No. 31 on July 12th, 1911. He was at the famed Chicago Meet in August 1911 where he was a very acive participant throughout the event, specializing in altitude and endurance flying. His highest flight while there was 8,700 feet, which was not a record but well worthy of mention. Flew at Wahpeton, N.D. for four days starting September 29th, then at Salem, Ohio, on October 6th. Was at the St. Louis Meet, where on October 19th, 1911 he established a new American Endurance Record of 4 hours, 16 minutes. He was released from the Wright Co. in early November, and in December, 1911, joned the Burgess Co. to become their instructor at a new school on the West Coast at Dominguez field, L.A. On January 6th, 1912 he started a class there and began carrying passengers demonstrating Burgess planes. Among his students at this School were the Christofferson brothers. On January 26th he had a bad smash-up and was injured slightly. Following this, he continued to fly there until the Burgess Co. moved the school back east in the Spring. In early Summer of 1912 Burgess built a special plane for him, having two engines and two sets of twin propellers, 2 pushing, two pulling, the plane being capable of flying on either engine and its respective two propellers. Gill conducted some test flying on this machine, but it was not a success. During the summer of 1912 he did not do much flying, dividing his time between his business interests in Baltimore and at the Burgess Co. in Massachusetts, but was preparing to attend the Chicago Meet at Cicero Field September 12-21. He entered flying a special Model EX Wright with 60 H.P., 8-cyl. Hall-Scott engine. He was actively participating in the Meet until September 15th while engaged in a free-for-all race around pylons, a faster machine flown by George Mestach flew into and collided with Gill's machine from the rear, instantly tearing away his control surfaces and causing him to crash to the ground from about 50 feet. His back was broken when taken from the wreckage and he died on the way to the Hospital. Mestach crash-landed his plane and was not injured. He had infringed the rules of the meet by not keeping at least 150 feet away from any other plane. Gill's brother was among the spectators and rushed to his aid. Howard Gill had never married, and was survived by his Mother and two brothers. His body was returned to Baltimore where he was buried in Greenmont Cemetery. He was a well liked fellow and his ever cheerful disposition had won him many friends wherever he went. His was a distinct loss to aviation because he had great plans ahead for expanding his efforts toward the future of flying. His name appears on the Wright Memorial Plaque at Dayton along with the othre pioneers who learned to fly on those historic grounds. |
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Daily Journal and Tribune, Knoxville, Tennessee: July 9, 1910, Transcribed by Bob Davis - 9-24-03 What a screw-up by the reporter, aeronauts fly balloons, not biplanes! The pilot's injury occurred because he had no seat belt. That's what killed Moissant later in this year when he fell out of his machine in Havana, Cuba. Bob Davis |
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On September 5, 1911, Albert Bond Lambert signed an agreement with A. Roy Knabenshue, manager of the Wright Company, whereby the Wrights would supply three pilots and biplanes in return for 25 percent of the gross receipts of the meet. The three aviators - Howard Gill, J. Clifford Turpin, and P.O. Parmalee - were to fly every day but October 15, because of the rule of the Wright Company against Sunday flights. Also entered were Dr. Henry Walden of Mineola, Long Island, with his picuresque Antoinette monoplane; Horace Kearney and John D. Cooper of St. Louis with Curtiss biplanes; Alfred Elton and Andrew Drew of St. Louis with Wright biplanes; George Beatty; and Walter Brookins. |
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Early 'Flying Machine' Took Toll of Aviators from an unidentified newsclipping Collection of Todd McVickar, 6-29-07 Perhaps the most spectacular accident occurred in 1912 during the Chicago Air Show. George Mestach, a famous Frence flier who had come over to the United States to participate in the events, and Howard Gill tangled in a mid-air crash on September14. Gill and Mestach were flying about 200 feet above the ground when their machines collided, falling to the earth. Gill was killed and Mestach seriously injured. Gill had an illustrious career. He was the first to construct an airplane with two complete......... |
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by Bill Ballard, 11-14-07 As an interesting note to the Gill page, the plane that is mentioned at the end of Todd McVickar's clip had a connection to the story I am writing about Lionel DeRemer. Gill was from Baltimore, and Hillery Beachey helped him run a concession there. While working together, they traveled to Wanamaker's Department Store in NYC, and (with Glenn Curtiss' permission) took measurements of a Curtiss plane. They then built the Gill-Dosh plane from those measurements, took it to Dominguez Field, sold it to Benoist, and Benoist in turn sold it to Lionel DeRemer. Also, when Mestach was injured in the Gill crash, Lionel's father immediately contacted the Michigan State Fair to see if Lionel could fly Mestach's contract with them on dates that immediately followed the crash at Cicero Field. DeRemer was given the contract. Bill Ballard |
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1910, . Gill was an early California airman, who sold his Curtiss type plane to Benoist at a bargain price. |
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You will find several references to Howard on the AeroFiles website, some with pictures by clicking on: Howard Gill You will want to click several times with the "Find" tool on "Gill". |
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Aviator Gill, of Baltimore, Dies of Injuries - French Airman Slightly Hurt. The Daily Journal and Tribune, Knoxville, Tennessee: Sunday, September 15, 1912 Transcribed by Bob Davis - 6-9-04 Gill was in a Wright biplane and Metasch in a Borel monoplane. The accident occurred just as darkness at the end of a day of spectacular flights. Five thousand people were witnesses, but owing to the darkness and distance few of the spectators could not tell just how the disaster occurred. Gill was reported wealthy. He was interested in automobile racers until 1905. Four years ago he took up ballooning and in 1909 began aeroplaning. Last February at Los Angeles, Cal., Gill fell seventy-five feet. |
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Victor Carlstrom Knocked Unconscious by 100-Foot Drop, Not Seriously Wounded, Officials of Meet, Which Has Already Cost Two Lives, Criticized by Aviators Four Special Prizes Are Awarded, Aviator Gill, of Baltimore, Dies of Injuries French Airman Slightly Hurt. Knoxville Journal and Tribune, September 17, 1912, Chicago, Ill., Transcribed by Bob Davis - 3-29-06 The scene of the meet was transferred today from the Cicero flying field to Grant Park, on the lake front, and thousands of spectators stood in Chicago's streets and watched twenty aviators circle over the city like a flock of birds. Before leaving Chicago four special prizes were awarded for duration events. Anthony Jannus won prizes for carrying three passengers the greatest height and the longest distance, while De Lloyd Thompson won a prize in the one-passenger endurance contest, his time being 1:01:15, Max Lillie won the two-passenger event. Officials of the meet, which has cost the lives of two men, were critized today by aviators George Metasch, lying in a hospital recovering from wounds received when he fell after colliding in the air with Howard Gill, and in which accident Gill was killed," said: "I blame the officers of the Aero Club of Illinois for two reasons. First, they never should have permitted biplanes to ascend while a monoplane, so much faster than any biplane, was in the air. Second, it was foolhardy for them to attempt to run a race after it had become so dark. I was assured by an official of the meet that I would have the course to myself." Otto Brodie, an aviator, said: "The accident happened after 6 o'clock and it was too dark for flying. I personally heard Metasch protest that the monoplanes were forced to race each day in the dark, and at times when the biplanes were in the air," William Burns, for two years associated with Howard Gill, today said: "Gill did not hit Metasch, as has been said. The wreck of the two machines tells the story. The entire rigging biplane was tangled up with the chassis of the monoplane. Probably Metasch did not see the outline of Gill's machine until he was right on it. Officials of the meet certainly are the only ones who can be blamed for allowing flying at that hour.". |
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If you have any more information on this Early Bird, please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper 
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