Massachusetts Aerospace Firsts
Massachusetts has many significant "firsts" including:
October 13, 1860-First aerial photograph in the U.S. was taken by James Wallace Black of Boston
March 31, 1909-The first air marking on record was installed on the campus of Amherst College
June 20, 1909-first balloon honeymoon -Roger and Eleanor Burnham flew from Woods Hole to Holbrook
February 16, 1910-The Boston Aero Show the first major, all aviation exhibition, held in the U.S.
February 11, 1911-The Burgess and Curtis Co. of Marblehead, the first licensed aircraft manufacturer
May 28, 1911-The first Intercollegiate Glider Competition organized by the Harvard Aeronautical Society.
June 3, 1911-The first Intercollegiate Balloon Race started from North Adams, MA. Williams College Aeronautical Society was the sponsor and Dartmouth, Williams and M.I.T. entered balloons in the event.
September 23, 1911-Earle L. Ovington of Newton MA delivers the first U.S. Air Mail in New York, on a flight from Nassau to Mineola, Long Island, NY.
May 22, 1912-Birthday of Marine Corps Aviation. 1st Lt. Alfred A Cunningham USMC was ordered to the Burgess Co. Marblehead, MA- the first Marine Corps officer was assigned to flight instruction
January 13, 1913-First Aerial Parcel Post Service flown by Harry M. Jones from Franklin Park in Boston to Governor’s Island, New York
April 1914-The first aeronautical engineering course at a college is established by M.I.T.
June 14, 1914-A candidate for the Sixth Congressional District of MA, A. Piatt Andrew was the first politician to use an aircraft in a political campaign.
September 17, 1914- A Burgess-Dunne built in Marblehead, MA was the first aeroplane purchased by the Canadian military services.
December 12, 1915-Grover C. Loening of the Sturtevant Aeroplane Company of Jamaica Plain, MA designed, built and flight-tested the first aeroplane with a fabric covered all-steel airframe with wooden wing spars.
April 17, 1917- The U.S. Government purchases its first monoplanes. U.S. Army ordered two Albree Pursuit Monoplanes, designed by George Norman Albree. These aeroplanes were manufactured by the Pigeon Hollow Spar Company of East Boston, MA and assembled in Swampscott, MA.
October 2-3, 1918-Godfrey L. Cabot, pilot, scientist and engineer, tested his invention the first Aerial Pick Up System with his personal aircraft; picking up a 155-pound package from a moving sea sled in Boston Harbor.
August 13, 1923-The first Naval Air Reserve Unit was established at the new Naval Air Reserve Base, NARB Squantum, MA.
March 16, 1926-first liquid fuel rocket flight traveled 184 feet in 2.5 seconds and reached an altitude of 40 feet at a speed of 60 mph. The flight was made from Aunt Effie’s Farm in Auburn, MA under the direction of Professor Robert Hutchins Goddard of Clark University-The Father of Modern Rocketry.
July 1, 1926- first official U.S. airline contract airmail service (C.A.M.-1) was flown from Hadley Field, New Brunswick, NJ to Boston by a Colonial Air Transport Fokker Universal.
April 1, 1927-first U.S. night scheduled passenger flight, was flown by a Colonial Air Transport Fokker Trimotor from Hadley Field NJ to Boston MA.
April 4, 1927-The first regularly scheduled, and continuing airline passenger service in the U.S. was established between Boston and New York City by Colonial Airlines.
September 3, 1928-Boston is the port of entry for the first Ship to Shore Airmail from Europe flown from the liner "Ile de France" by its "on board" seaplane.
May 1, 1929-The first Commuter Air Tickets placed on sale by Colonial Airlines for Boston to Newark flights.
August 18, 1929- Ralph S. Barnaby on a 15 minute 6 second glider flight from Corn Hill, North Truro, MA became the first American to win an international soaring certificate. The flight was also the first official flight to exceed the U.S. gliding record set by Orville Wright at Kitty Hawk NC, October 24,1911.
May 22, 1930-Goodyear delivered the first dirigible for private commercial operation to the New England Airship Company of New Bedford, MA. Bird and Son, E. Walpole, MA then chartered the airship. As a goodwill messenger it made 1308 flights and carried more than 6000 passengers over New England.
April 17, 1935- The first Radio-Meteorograph transmission of temperature data from an airplane was received at Blue Hill from an altitude of 17,000 feet.
December 23,1935 The first Radio-Meteorograph transmission of pressure and temperature data from a balloon was received at Blue Hill Observatory from a height of 52,500 feet.
February 13, 1942-Northeast Airlines military air cargo flights across the North Atlantic to Scotland were the first overseas flights by a U.S. domestic airline.
April 18, 1942-General Electric's I-A Jet engine was tested and achieved the design test specifications at the River Works in Lynn MA. This was the first successful operation of a jet engine in the United States.
May 29,1944- U.S. Navy airships of ZP-14 completed the first transatlantic crossing by nonrigid airships. Flight left from NAS South Weymouth, MA and after 80 hours and 2 stops at Argentia and the Azores, they landed on June 1,1944 at Port Lyautey, Morocco.
October 23,1945- First Commercial Landplane non-stop service to Europe inaugurated by American Overseas Airlines from Boston utilizing the DC-4 aircraft “New England” with the first departures from Hanscom Army Air Field in Bedford, MA.
July 15, 1952-First transatlantic helicopter flight- Two U.S.A.F. Sikorsky H-19s (S-55) "Hop-A-Long" and "Whirl-A-Way" flew from Westover AFB, Chicopee, MA to Wiesbaden, Germany) and arrived on Aug. 4, 1952. (51 hours 55 minutes flight time, with 6 stops in 21 days)
May 2, 1959-The first Sport Parachuting Center in the U.S. was dedicated at Orange MA. The Center was designed and built under the direction of the noted parachutist Jacques-Andre Istel.
