Curtiss Flying School facts for kids
The Curtiss Flying School was a famous place where people learned to fly airplanes a long time ago. It was started by a clever inventor named Glenn Curtiss. He wanted to create a school that was just as good, or even better, than the one run by the famous Wright brothers. The very first Curtiss Flying School opened in San Diego, California.
The Wright brothers were very interested in what Curtiss was doing. They even sent someone to check out his school in New York. This was because they had a legal disagreement in 1914.
In 1915, Curtiss opened another big school called the Atlantic Coast Aeronautical Station. It was located near Newport News, Virginia. Many students, including some from Canada, learned to fly there. These students later became pilots in World War I. Famous people like Victor Carlstrom and Gen Billy Mitchell trained at this school. It closed down in 1922.
Students at the school worked hard to earn their pilot's license from the Aero Club of America. Learning to fly was quite expensive back then. In 1917, during World War I, the U.S. Army took over the school's operations. After the war ended, Curtiss got control back. He then closed the Newport News school in 1922.
The school used many different types of airplanes for training. Most of these planes were designed and built by Curtiss himself. Some were even still being tested while students learned to fly them. One special plane was the first aircraft ever to take off from water.
By 1929, a group called the Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce started overseeing aviation schools. Curtiss schools were officially registered. They had to provide two weeks of classroom lessons for new pilots before they even got into a plane.
Where Were the Schools Located?
The Curtiss Flying School had several locations over the years:
- 1910 San Diego, California. Here, students trained using the Curtiss Model D airplane.
- 1912 Miami, Florida. The city of Miami provided two large airstrips for the school. They also helped pay to bring in four training airplanes. This was the first school to offer flying services. It was later given to the Naval Air Base.
- 1913 Hammondsport, New York.
- 1915 Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This school was at the Long Branch Aerodrome. Students learned to fly the Curtiss JN-3 plane.
- 1915 Newport News, Virginia Harbor. This location trained pilots for the Canadian Royal Flying Corps. It closed in 1922.
- 1918 Camp Claudio, Parañaque, Philippine Islands. This school trained pilots for the Philippine National Guard Air Service. It also trained pilots for the Philippine Constabulary Air Corps. These groups were the early versions of the Philippine Army Air Corps and Philippine Air Force.
- 1929 Stratford, Connecticut. This school soon became the Curtiss-Wright Flying School. The historic Curtiss Hangar [1] is still standing today. Famous aviators like Howard Hughes and Charles Lindbergh visited this hangar. Amelia Earhart even kept her plane there. It was also home to the first version of the Vought F4U Corsair airplane. Lindbergh was a test pilot for the Corsair.
Who Taught at the School?
Here are some of the instructors who taught at the Curtiss Flying School in 1915:
- Walter Edwin Lees
- Victor Carlstrom
- Victor Vernon
- Jimmy Johnson (aviator)
- Carl Batts
- Steve MacGordon
- Ted Hequemburg
- Lawrence Leon
- Bertrand Blanchard Acosta
- Andrew Cogswell
Famous Students
Many people learned to fly at the Curtiss Flying School. Here are a few notable students:
- Agustín Parlá Orduña (1877-1946) in 1912.
- Fred Banbury (1893-1918) in 1916.
- Lincoln Beachey (1887–1915) in 1910.
- Joseph Bennett (aviator).
- Morris Maxey Titterington (1891–1928) in 1914.
- Harold Frederick Pitcairn (1891-1960) in 1916.
- Arthur Whealy (1895-1945) in 1916.
External links
- The Mariners' Museum and Park - World War I
