Logan Archbold "Jack" Vilas (May 25, 1891 - May 15, 1976) was an aviation pioneer and a member of the Early Birds of Aviation

Early Birds of Aviation

The Early Birds of Aviation is an organization devoted to the history of early pilots. The organization was started in 1928 and ultimately accepted a membership of 598. Membership was limited to those who piloted a glider, gas balloon, or airplane, prior to December 17, 1916. The cutoff date was...

. He was inducted into the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame in 2000.

Biography

He was born in Chicago, Illinois on May 25, 1891 to Royal Cooper Vilas and Carrie Logan Ward.

In the spring of 1913 Vilas visited Glenn Curtiss

Glenn Curtiss

Glenn Hammond Curtiss was an American aviation pioneer and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle then motorcycle builder and racer, later also manufacturing engines for airships as early as 1906...

 in Hammondsport, New York

Hammondsport, New York

Hammondsport is a village in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 731 at the 2000 census. The village is named after its founding father.The Village of Hammondsport is in the Town of Urbana and is northeast of Bath, New York....

 and made a down payment on his Hydro-Aeroplane and enrolled in the Curtiss Flying School

Curtiss Flying School

left|thumb|A Curtiss Jenny on a training flightThe Curtiss Flying School was started by Glenn Curtiss to compete against the Wright Flying School of the Wright brothers...

. He graduated in four weeks becoming a certificated pilot, holding U.S. Hydro-License No. 6 from the Aero Club of America

Aero Club of America

The 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...

. He became the first person to fly across Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...

 when he completed a 64 mile over-the-water flight from Silver Beach Amusement Park

Silver Beach Amusement Park

Silver Beach Amusement Park was located in St. Joseph, Michigan. The small amusement park operated between 1891 and 1971.-History:Silver Beach opened as a resort in 1891 when local businessmen in boat building Logan Drake and Louis D. Wallace built vacation cottages as Silver Beach Amusement and...

 in St. Joseph, Michigan

St. Joseph, Michigan

St. Joseph is a city in the US state of Michigan. It was incorporated as a village in 1834 and as a city in 1891. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,789. It lies on the shore of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the St. Joseph River, about east-northeast of Chicago. It is the county...

 to Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

 on July 1, 1913. In 1914, he flew to Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...

 with the Wisconsin Aero Club and, in the summer of 1915, he was hired by the Wisconsin Conservation Commission to fly fire patrol over the Northwoods in his Curtiss Model F flying boat

Flying boat

A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...

.

He died on May 15, 1976 in Bonita Springs, Florida

Bonita Springs, Florida

Bonita Springs is a city in Lee County, Florida, United States. The population was 43,914 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Cape Coral–Fort Myers Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is located on the southwest coast of the state....

.