Theodore Roosevelt and the Flying Machine (Amazing Video Footage)
On October 11, 1910 (101 years ago today) Theodore Roosevelt became the first President (he was a former president at the time) to fly in an airplane. The flight took place at Kinloch Field in St. Louis, The pilot was Archibald Hoxsey, who worked for Orville and Wilbur Wright at the tune, This was a history making event nevertheless the Wright Brothers nearly fired Hoxsey as they considered flying a VIP like Roosevelt as being a risky stunt.
The Wright exhibition team was performing at an air meet in St. Louis when pilot Arch Hoxsey crossed paths with Roosevelt on October 11, 1910. At the time, Roosevelt was campaigning for Missouri’s state Republican party. In this silent clip, Roosevelt initially refuses Hoxsey’s invitation to fly, but changes his mind. Hoxsey put the biplane into three steep dives, pulling up sharply each time. I wonder if TR was scared and whether he let on that he was, or whether he displayed his characteristic bravado?
I managed to find a video of this momentous event. I hope the embed code works, because this is very amazing footage. It's only about three and a half minutes long, but it shows TR getting onto the flying machine and it also shows the three steep dives that the plane takes.
The Wright exhibition team was performing at an air meet in St. Louis when pilot Arch Hoxsey crossed paths with Roosevelt on October 11, 1910. At the time, Roosevelt was campaigning for Missouri’s state Republican party. In this silent clip, Roosevelt initially refuses Hoxsey’s invitation to fly, but changes his mind. Hoxsey put the biplane into three steep dives, pulling up sharply each time. I wonder if TR was scared and whether he let on that he was, or whether he displayed his characteristic bravado?
I managed to find a video of this momentous event. I hope the embed code works, because this is very amazing footage. It's only about three and a half minutes long, but it shows TR getting onto the flying machine and it also shows the three steep dives that the plane takes.