 |
< back to 1919
Belvin W. Maynard (1892-1922)
 While
a student preparing for the ministry at Wake Forest College (now
University), Belvin Maynard became attracted to flying and he pursued
both interests with equal vigor. At the outbreak of World War I
he enlisted in the Army Signal Corps, using his skills as aviator
and mechanic as a test pilot for DeHavilland aeroplanes at Romorantin,
France. Here he set a world record for loop-the-loops, performing
318 without losing altitude. In 1917-1918 he tested over 100 aeroplanes,
analyzed their performance and cleared them for combat duty.
At war's end, the U.S. Army launched a series of aerial contests
to determine reliability and endurance, including a transcontinental
air race. Maynard won the race, setting a new record for transcontinental
flight [83 hours, 20 minutes], earning him national celebrity as
"The Flying Parson." In the fall of 1919 he returned to his native
North Carolina to promote aviation, landing wherever feasible, and
often stopping to teach Sunday School classes or deliver sermons.
At that time, only one commercial airfield existed in North Carolina,
the first non-military airport in the South, yet unfinished. It
was completed in time for Maynard to give the dedicatory address
in December 1919, which was named Maynard Field in his honor.
Within a few months Maynard left the Army to launch a pioneering
effort in aerial photography services. He continued his role as
promoter of aviation and joined the ranks of barnstormers, interspersed
with broadcasts of sermons from his airplane and performing marriage
ceremonies in-flight with the bride and groom on board.
An increasing carnival atmosphere ensured large crowds at any event
featuring "The Flying Parson". At Rutland, Vermont, a "Flying Circus"
attracted a crowd of 30,000 (the largest assemblage in the state's
history and including the governor), at which Maynard took fairgoers
for daredevil rides. Circling over Mt. Killington, Maynard's plane
"went dead" and plunged 10,000 feet, killing Maynard and the two
passengers.
Well aware of Maynard's flying skill and status as a war hero,
newspaper editors nationwide viewed the incident as an indictment
of laissez-faire aviation policies. They called for Federal regulation
of aviation, culminating in the Air Commerce Act of 1926. Among
other items, the Act instituted air traffic rules, pilot licensing
and certification of aircraft.
|
