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1911-1913 Our First Military Aviators:
While many of our first military aviators came to the field after years of ballooning experience, some were simply fascinated by the possibilities of what it must feel like to fly. These daring young men became the heroes of their time, with the media immortalizing their every move.
When the Signal Corps officers took on this assignment, they didn't realize that they would also become instant celebrities, sought out for both political and social engagements which kept them often in the public eye. For many of those young men, their flights and trainings at this field were just the beginning of long and notable careers in the military.
These young pilots were breaking ground for all those that would come after them. If they didn't realize the enormity of their task when they came to College Park, it quickly became apparent to them. While the media exposure was perhaps unexpected, these aviators were very aware of the seriousness of their flight training. Aviators such as Lieuts. Frank Lahm, Benjamin Foulois and later Henry Arnold, Thomas Milling, and others, set the standards for excellence for military aviators. They went on to become some of the most significant individuals in aviation history after gracing the grounds of this College Park Airfield. |