Hans Fleischer Dons was a naval

Navy

A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...

 officer and the first Norwegian to fly in Norway

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

.

Dons was born in Eiker

Eiker

Eiker is a traditional district in the county of Buskerud, Norway.-History:Eiker consists of the municipalities of Nedre Eiker and Øvre Eiker . The area is located in the southern part of Buskerud county....

, Norway and from 1909 he served as second in command on board Norway's first submarine the Kobben (the Seal). On June 1, 1912 Dons performed the first flight in Norway, in a Etrich Taube monoplane named Start

HNoMS Start

Start was the Royal Norwegian Navy's very first aeroplane. It was bought in Germany and arrived in Horten 25 May 1912. The cost was 30 000 Norwegian kroner and the funding came from private contributions after a speedy initiative from the commander and officers of the submarine HNoMS Kobben . One...

 made in Germany by Edmund Rumpler

Edmund Rumpler

Edmund Rumpler was an Austrian automobile and aircraft designer.Born in Vienna, then Austro-Hungarian Empire , he worked mainly in Germany.Lyons 1988, p.73 An automotive engineer by training, he collaborated with Hans Ledwinka on the first Nesseldorf , the Präsident, in 1897.By age 30, in 1902, he...

. Few days later, 7th of June, Dons flew from Borre over Horten

Horten

is a town and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway—located along the Oslofjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Horten. The municipality also includes the villages of Borre, Åsgårdstrand, Skoppum, and Nykirke....

, crossing the Oslo-fjord to Moss

Moss

Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...

 and Fredrikstad

Fredrikstad

is a city and municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Fredrikstad....

 – covering a distance of 48 km in 35 minutes.

In 1935 Dons published his book: "Start". En norsk flyvehistorie fra 1912-13. ("Start". A Norwegian aviation history from 1912-13.)

See also

• Aviation in Norway
  Aviation in Norway
  -Early attempts:In the early days of Norwegian aviation the Norwegian enthusiasts lacked an engine and were therefore unable to perform real flights. The first engine powered aircraft was ordered during the world's first air show in Reims and came to Kristiania in December 1909. It was purchased by...