Cromwell Dixon
Encyclopedia
Cromwell Dixon was the first person to fly across the Continental Divide.
. As a boy, Dixon showed his inventing skills by building a rollercoaster for the neighborhood kids; in 1903 he built his own motorcycle. When he was 14, he was dubbed "the youngest aeronaut in the world" when he won first prize for dirigibles in the 1907 International Balloon Race in St. Louis, Missouri
with his home-made, human-powered dirigible he called the "Sky-cycle." He flew eight miles and crossed the Mississippi River
on the way. After this success, he issued stocks to finance a mechanical version of his dirigible. On his seventeenth birthday, he flew in a self-made dirigible balloon over Dayton, Ohio
. He continued to show his airships across the United States and Canada well into 1910. On September 4, 1910, he nearly crashed into the sea with his motor-powered dirigible when the engine failed at a height of 500 feet during a flight at the Harvard aviation meet in Boston, Massachusetts. He eventually landed only 10 feet from the water's edge.
By 1911, Dixon had switched to heavier-than-air craft, flying a Curtiss, and he received his air pilot license (#43) on August 6, 1911.
In September 1911, he performed in his Curtiss "Pusher"
plane at the Helena, Montana
fair. On September 30, he flew from Helena to Blossburg, some 15 miles to the west, through the Mullan Pass
. The flight took 26 minutes, and by completing it Dixon became the first aviator to cross the Continental Divide. The same day, he flew back to Helena. The return flight proved to be more difficult; Dixon had problems reaching the necessary altitude, and the flight took 43 minutes. His achievement earned him $10,000, presented to him by Governor Edwin L. Norris
.
when his plane crashed at the Interstate Fair. Billed as the youngest licensed aviator in the United States, he made his first flight of the day at 3PM, after having had some engine trouble. In front of 12,000 spectators, he fell from 100 feet because of a strong downwind. He died less than an hour later at the hospital.
Biography
Cromwell Dixon was born in 1892 in San Francisco; later his family moved to Columbus, OhioColumbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. As a boy, Dixon showed his inventing skills by building a rollercoaster for the neighborhood kids; in 1903 he built his own motorcycle. When he was 14, he was dubbed "the youngest aeronaut in the world" when he won first prize for dirigibles in the 1907 International Balloon Race in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
with his home-made, human-powered dirigible he called the "Sky-cycle." He flew eight miles and crossed the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
on the way. After this success, he issued stocks to finance a mechanical version of his dirigible. On his seventeenth birthday, he flew in a self-made dirigible balloon over Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
. He continued to show his airships across the United States and Canada well into 1910. On September 4, 1910, he nearly crashed into the sea with his motor-powered dirigible when the engine failed at a height of 500 feet during a flight at the Harvard aviation meet in Boston, Massachusetts. He eventually landed only 10 feet from the water's edge.
By 1911, Dixon had switched to heavier-than-air craft, flying a Curtiss, and he received his air pilot license (#43) on August 6, 1911.
In September 1911, he performed in his Curtiss "Pusher"
Curtiss Model D
|-See also:-External links:...
plane at the Helena, Montana
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
fair. On September 30, he flew from Helena to Blossburg, some 15 miles to the west, through the Mullan Pass
Mullan Pass
The Mullan Pass is a mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of Montana in the United States. It sits on the continental divide on the border between Powell County, Montana and Lewis and Clark County, Montana, west of Helena, Montana in Helena National Forest at a height of .The Northern Pacific...
. The flight took 26 minutes, and by completing it Dixon became the first aviator to cross the Continental Divide. The same day, he flew back to Helena. The return flight proved to be more difficult; Dixon had problems reaching the necessary altitude, and the flight took 43 minutes. His achievement earned him $10,000, presented to him by Governor Edwin L. Norris
Edwin L. Norris
Edwin Lee Norris was a Montana politician who served as the fifth Governor of Montana.Norris moved from Kentucky to Montana in 1889. He practiced law in Dillon, Montana and was city attorney there for five years. Norris was elected to the Montana State Senate in 1896 and served until 1900. From...
.
Death
He died 2 days later, on October 2, 1911, in Spokane, WashingtonSpokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
when his plane crashed at the Interstate Fair. Billed as the youngest licensed aviator in the United States, he made his first flight of the day at 3PM, after having had some engine trouble. In front of 12,000 spectators, he fell from 100 feet because of a strong downwind. He died less than an hour later at the hospital.