Lloyd W. Bertaud
Encyclopedia
Lloyd W. Bertaud was an American
aviator
. Bertaud was selected to be the copilot in the WB-2 Columbia attempting the transatlantic crossing for the Orteig Prize
in 1927. Aircraft owner Charles Levine wanted to fly in his place, and a injunction by Bertaud against Levine prevented the flight. The prize was won by the aviator Charles Lindbergh
.
. As a boy, he built and flew in a glider from Popular Mechanics plans. He was a licensed pilot at the age of 18. In World War I, Bertaud served in the U.S. Air service as a lieutenant.
Pulitzer Race, Omaha, Nebraska
– In 1921, Bertaud flew a 400 hp Ansando Curtiss A-1 Balilla against Bert Acosta
, placing fourth.
Kansas City Derby, Kansas City, Kansas
– In November 1921, Bretaud won the American Legion Aerial Derby over a 140-mile course in 1 hour.
Following the flight, Bertaud attempted to have Bellanca, the designer of the Columbia, build a transatlantic plane for an non-stop attempt on Rome in spite of Levine. The aircraft could not be built in a timely manner. Instead, an agreement was made with Phillip Payne, editor of the William Randolph Hearst
paper the Daily Mirror, for a Fokker VIIA aircraft, and a spare seat for Payne, in exchange for the publicity rights.
In 1928, the Ontario Surveyor General named a number of lakes in the northwest of the province to honour aviators who had perished during 1927, mainly in attempting oceanic flights. These include Bertaud Lake (50.90°N 90.71°W), Hill Lake (50.56°N 90.77°W) and Payne Lake (50.85°N 90.54°W).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
. Bertaud was selected to be the copilot in the WB-2 Columbia attempting the transatlantic crossing for the Orteig Prize
Orteig Prize
The Orteig Prize was a $25,000 reward offered on May 19, 1919, by New York hotel owner Raymond Orteig to the first allied aviator to fly non-stop from New York City to Paris or vice-versa. On offer for five years, it attracted no competitors...
in 1927. Aircraft owner Charles Levine wanted to fly in his place, and a injunction by Bertaud against Levine prevented the flight. The prize was won by the aviator Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
.
Early life
Bertaud was born in Alameda, CaliforniaAlameda, California
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Farm Island portion of the city is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. At the 2010 census, the city had a...
. As a boy, he built and flew in a glider from Popular Mechanics plans. He was a licensed pilot at the age of 18. In World War I, Bertaud served in the U.S. Air service as a lieutenant.
- Air Mail, Bertaud flew mail routes along the famous "Hells Stretch" between ClevelandCleveland, OhioCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
and Hadley Field.
- Air racing
Pulitzer Race, Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
– In 1921, Bertaud flew a 400 hp Ansando Curtiss A-1 Balilla against Bert Acosta
Bert Acosta
Bertrand Blanchard Acosta was a record setting aviator. With Clarence D. Chamberlin they set an endurance record of 51 hours, 11 minutes, and 25 seconds in the air. He later flew in the Spanish Civil War in the Yankee Squadron. He was known as the Bad Boy of the Air...
, placing fourth.
Kansas City Derby, Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
– In November 1921, Bretaud won the American Legion Aerial Derby over a 140-mile course in 1 hour.
- Endurance record, Roosevelt field – In January 1922, Bertaud and Eddie Stinson won the Aviation medal of merit of the Aero Club of AmericaAero Club of AmericaThe Aero Club of America was a social club formed in 1905 by Charles Glidden and others to promote aviation in America. It was the parent organization of numerous state chapters, the first being the Aero Club of New England. It thrived until 1923, when it transformed into the National Aeronautic...
for their 27 hour world endurance record flown during a snowstorm in the Larson JL-6 on December 30, 1921. The aircraft flew 2500 miles, also breaking the French-held world's record for distance.
- Orteig Prize Charles Levine, owner of Columbia Aircraft CorpColumbia Aircraft CorpThe Columbia Aircraft Corp was a United States aircraft manufacturer, which was active between 1927 and 1947.-Formation and operations:Columbia Aircraft was founded in December 1927 by Charles A. Levine as chairman and the aircraft designer Giuseppe Mario Bellanca as president. The initial name...
, and the sole Wright-Bellanca WB-2 sought after by pilot Charles LindberghCharles LindberghCharles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
, bumped Bertaud from his copilot position on an attempt at the Orteig prize. Bertaud was promised a settlement to his family if they crashed, and the prize money if they completed the flight, but Levine refused to sign the document before the flight. Bertaud first objected, then later offered to purchase the Columbia for himself. Bertaud, filed an injunction, and stalled the flight. Lindbergh took off before Levine, winning the prize. Levine took off shortly afterward, completing the second non-stop transatlantic flight flying from New York to Berlin.
Following the flight, Bertaud attempted to have Bellanca, the designer of the Columbia, build a transatlantic plane for an non-stop attempt on Rome in spite of Levine. The aircraft could not be built in a timely manner. Instead, an agreement was made with Phillip Payne, editor of the William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst was an American business magnate and leading newspaper publisher. Hearst entered the publishing business in 1887, after taking control of The San Francisco Examiner from his father...
paper the Daily Mirror, for a Fokker VIIA aircraft, and a spare seat for Payne, in exchange for the publicity rights.
- Transatlantic Flight – On September 6, 1927 Bertaud and fellow air-mail pilot J.D. Hill flipped to see who would pilot the Fokker monoplane, the "Old Glory". Hill won. Bertaud, Hill and Payne took off in the overweight plane over the Atlantic. The plane did not make it to the destination, and only a 34-foot section of wing was found 700 miles east of Cape Race, Newfoundland. Bertaud was lost at sea.
In 1928, the Ontario Surveyor General named a number of lakes in the northwest of the province to honour aviators who had perished during 1927, mainly in attempting oceanic flights. These include Bertaud Lake (50.90°N 90.71°W), Hill Lake (50.56°N 90.77°W) and Payne Lake (50.85°N 90.54°W).