26 September 1911

Aviation, ,
Lieutenant Thomas Dewitt Milling at the controls of a Wright Model B, 1911. (Library of Congress)
Lieutenant Thomas DeWitt Milling at the controls of a Wright Model B, 1911. (Library of Congress)

At  the Aero Club of America Meet on 26 September 1911, at the Nassau Boulevard Aerodrome on Long Island, New York, Lieutenant Thomas DeWitt Milling set a world endurance record of 1 hour, 54 minutes, 42.6 seconds with two passengers, for which he was awarded the Rodman Wanamaker Endurance Trophy.

Burgess-Wright biplane taking off at the Harvard-Boston Aero Meet, August-September 1911. (Anthony Philpott/Wright State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives, Item Identifier Number ms338_02_02)

The Daily Local News reported:

     Lieut. Milling was the hero of the day when he alighted with his Burgess Wright biplane and passengers, Paul Revere and William Ecke, both of Company L, Twenty-ninth Infantry. The three men had been in the air 1 hour 54 minutes 4 2 seconds, which beats by 16 minutes 2 seconds the world’s duration record with two passengers established by M. Mamet at Rheims, France.

     George W. Beatty was the only other aviator who started in the weight carrying duration contest. His crank case broke after he had been in the air 29 minutes an 18 seconds and he had to descend.

ARMY OFFICER GETS $1,000 PRIZE

     The weight of the two privates with Lieut. Milling was 252½ pounds. They circled around the pylons in a high wind between 4 and 6 p.m. Lieut. Milling won the $1,000 prize and the applause of 8,200 spectators. The army aviator won the tri-State aeroplane race and $7,500 several week sago in Boston. It was only two months ago that he learned to fly an aeroplane.

—Daily Local News, West Chester, Pennsylvania, Vol. XXXIX, No, 267, Wednesday, 27 September 1911, Page 1, Column 1

A Burgess-Wright biplane flying at the Harvard-Boston Aero Meet, August 26–September 4, 1911. (Anthony Philpott/Wright State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives, Item Identifier Number ms338_08_07)

The trophy is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

The Rodman Wanamaker Endurance Trophy on display in the Early Years Gallery of the National Museum of the United States Air Force. (U.S. Air Force)
The Rodman Wanamaker Endurance Trophy on display in the Early Years Gallery of the National Museum of the United States Air Force. (U.S. Air Force)

© 2024, Bryan R. Swopes

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About Bryan Swopes

Bryan R. Swopes grew up in Southern California in the 1950s–60s, near the center of America's aerospace industry. He has had a life-long interest in aviation and space flight. Bryan is a retired commercial helicopter pilot and flight instructor.

3 thoughts on “26 September 1911”

  1. Mr. Swopes, do you have any further information concerning this event? “26 September 1958, a USAF B-52D set a world speed record of 561mph over a 10,000km (5,400 nm) closed circuit without a payload. The same day, another B-52D established a world speed record of 598mph over a 5,000km (2,700 nm) closed circuit without a payload. “

    2. James, the FAI does list two records for a B-52D set on 26 September 1958. #8498 is for speed over a closed 10,000 kilometer circuit without payload, Victor L. Sandacz and Kenneth G. Wolf, 902.369 km/h (560.705 m.p.h.) mph); #8499 is for speed over a closed 5,000 kilometer circuit without payload, Cholett Griswold and E.V. Godfrey, 961.867 km/h (597.676 m.p.h.). The aircraft is/are not identified, so one B-52 could have set both records, or they could be different B-52s. Further research will be necessary to see if I can find enough information to write a post. Thanks for the question.—Bryan

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