Van Lear Black
Encyclopedia
Van Lear Black was an American
Publisher and civil aviation pioneer.
as part of a wealthy family with a linage to the American Revolution
. He married Jessie Gary and had four children. Gary was the daughter of James A. Gary, Postmaster General
under McKinley. In 1910 Black bought the estate "Folly Quarter" in Ellicott City, Maryland
now known as the Shrine of St.Anthony. He restored it to its original condition and used it to entertain 500-700 political and publishing guests at a time, later selling it in 1924. Black was insured for $750,000 at the time of his death during the Great Depression
. Black's wife died at the age of 73 in Baltimore. Black was considered to be the wealthiest person in Maryland at the time of his death.
while he also campaigned politically.
In 1915 Black became Chairman of the Board of A.S. Abell Company, Sunpapers publishers
until his death in 1930. Black worked side by side with his brother Harry bringing the newspaper to profitability. Harry C. Black took over after Van Lear Black's death until 1956, and Van Lear's son, Gary Black Sr. took over until 1984.
provided by Black. When approached again for Byrd's Antarctic flight, Black considered the flight to risky, and instead offered to pay Byrd's widow $25,000 if he did not return. Byrd later sued Black's estate for the money for the completion of the trip after Black's death at sea.
On 15 June 1927, Black charters a KLM monoplane for a 18,707 mile flight from the Netherlands
to Batavia
and back in 27 days, the first international charter flight. Most flight occurred in a Fokker F.VII
, (registered H-NADP) a high wing monoplane powered by a single 440hp Gnome-Rhone Jupiter IV engine and extended range tanks good for 1250 miles of range. The aircraft was brought into KLM's hanger on the 13th, and refitted with a overhauled engine and a four seat configuration two days before the trip. The trip was told by newspapers as uneventful, yet while in Burma, wild elephants charged Black's aircraft. On 29 June 1927, Black became the first paying passenger to land in Singapore
after 86 hours of flight time and 14 stops. The Queen of Holland presented Black with the Cross of Knighthood of the Order of Orange-Nassau
on return to Holland. Black's return reception in Baltimore included 500 guests including his friends, Herbert C. Hoover, Commander Richard Evelyn Byrd, Anthony H. G. Fokker, Owen D. Young, Franklin D. Roosevelt.
A 1928 flight from London to South Africa was canceled in route at Khartom due to aircraft trouble.
In 1929 Black traveled from London to the Cape of Good Hope and returned in his new Wright Whirlwind powered Fokker "Maryland Free State". The aircraft was intended to be painted with Maryland Flags and be registered to England for part of the trip, and registered in America when in the states. A month later he attempted an extended route from London to Tokyo. His Fokker aircraft crashed at DumDum airport, and then destroyed at Calcutta India by a cyclone
without injuries to the crew. Black traveled back to England by train, and ordered a new "Maryland Free State".
As a passenger, rather than a pilot, Black flew with ease despite crashing in Genoa and India. A American Trimotor pilot noted that when he asked why his aircraft was not flying level on a flight to Cleveland, he was pointed to a failed motor on the wing. He quietly sat down without fuss all the way to the landing.
In February 1930, Black commissioned a Fokker VIIb trimotor aircraft G-AADZ "The Maryland Free State" to fly from London to Tokyo to Java. He created his own company for the flight, VLB ltd. The flight included stops in Venice, Italy, and Athens, Greece, landing in Tokyo, Japan on 7 April, 1930. The aircraft was disassembled for the Pacific voyage to San Francisco, then reassembled for the final flight to Baltimore on 18 May, A 16,000 mile trip.
Van Lear Black was considered to have flown more miles as a passenger than anyone else of the time and had future air tours planned.
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Black purchased the USS Sabalo (SP-225)
for use as a pleasure yacht in 1921. On August 18, 1930 While in route from the New York Yacht Club
to Baltimore, Black fell to his death of the back of the Sabalo off the coast of New Jersey
. He had a dangerous habit of sitting on the rail while smoking. His loss prompted an all out air-sea search by four amphibious airplanes, the Coast Guard and the Zeppelin USS Los Angeles (ZR-3)
called upon by Black's personal friend, New York Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt
. Only his cap was found washed onshore at a New Jersey beach. Black's newspaper staff worked diligently to obscure his guest Mrs. J. Walter Lord, as a elderly cousin to avoid scandal.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Publisher and civil aviation pioneer.
Early life
Black was born in Cumberland, MarylandCumberland, Maryland
Cumberland is a city in the far western, Appalachian portion of Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Allegany County, and the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,859, and the metropolitan area had a...
as part of a wealthy family with a linage to the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. He married Jessie Gary and had four children. Gary was the daughter of James A. Gary, Postmaster General
Postmaster General
A Postmaster General is a postmaster responsible for an entire mail distribution organization . The term may refer to:* Postmaster General of the United Kingdom* The head of the Hongkong Post...
under McKinley. In 1910 Black bought the estate "Folly Quarter" in Ellicott City, Maryland
Ellicott City, Maryland
Ellicott City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Howard County, Maryland, United States. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The population was 65,834 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Howard County...
now known as the Shrine of St.Anthony. He restored it to its original condition and used it to entertain 500-700 political and publishing guests at a time, later selling it in 1924. Black was insured for $750,000 at the time of his death during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Black's wife died at the age of 73 in Baltimore. Black was considered to be the wealthiest person in Maryland at the time of his death.
Businessman
Black got his start in banking at the age of eighteen as a clerk with the Fidelity Trust and Deposit Company, eventually becoming president in 1926. Black became involved with the Consolidation Coal Company as a director from 1906 to 1927. In 1920 he employed his connected friend Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
while he also campaigned politically.
In 1915 Black became Chairman of the Board of A.S. Abell Company, Sunpapers publishers
The Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore Sun is the U.S. state of Maryland’s largest general circulation daily newspaper and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries....
until his death in 1930. Black worked side by side with his brother Harry bringing the newspaper to profitability. Harry C. Black took over after Van Lear Black's death until 1956, and Van Lear's son, Gary Black Sr. took over until 1984.
Aviation explorer
Black was not inclined to fly in the aircraft owned by his newspaper, but he changed his mind about aviation over time. He provided financing for Byrd's expedition flight to the North Pole in 1926. In each Byrd flight, he carried a Maryland flagFlag of Maryland
The flag of the state of Maryland consists of the heraldic banner of George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore. It is the only state flag in the United States to be based on English heraldry. The flag of the state of Maryland consists of the heraldic banner of George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore. It is...
provided by Black. When approached again for Byrd's Antarctic flight, Black considered the flight to risky, and instead offered to pay Byrd's widow $25,000 if he did not return. Byrd later sued Black's estate for the money for the completion of the trip after Black's death at sea.
On 15 June 1927, Black charters a KLM monoplane for a 18,707 mile flight from the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
to Batavia
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
and back in 27 days, the first international charter flight. Most flight occurred in a Fokker F.VII
Fokker F.VII
The Fokker F.VII, also known as the Fokker Trimotor, was an airliner produced in the 1920s by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker, Fokker's American subsidiary Atlantic Aircraft Corporation, and other companies under licence....
, (registered H-NADP) a high wing monoplane powered by a single 440hp Gnome-Rhone Jupiter IV engine and extended range tanks good for 1250 miles of range. The aircraft was brought into KLM's hanger on the 13th, and refitted with a overhauled engine and a four seat configuration two days before the trip. The trip was told by newspapers as uneventful, yet while in Burma, wild elephants charged Black's aircraft. On 29 June 1927, Black became the first paying passenger to land in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
after 86 hours of flight time and 14 stops. The Queen of Holland presented Black with the Cross of Knighthood of the Order of Orange-Nassau
Order of Orange-Nassau
The Order of Orange-Nassau is a military and civil order of the Netherlands which was created on 4 April 1892 by the Queen regent Emma of the Netherlands, acting on behalf of her under-age daughter Queen Wilhelmina. The Order is a chivalry order open to "everyone who have earned special merits for...
on return to Holland. Black's return reception in Baltimore included 500 guests including his friends, Herbert C. Hoover, Commander Richard Evelyn Byrd, Anthony H. G. Fokker, Owen D. Young, Franklin D. Roosevelt.
A 1928 flight from London to South Africa was canceled in route at Khartom due to aircraft trouble.
In 1929 Black traveled from London to the Cape of Good Hope and returned in his new Wright Whirlwind powered Fokker "Maryland Free State". The aircraft was intended to be painted with Maryland Flags and be registered to England for part of the trip, and registered in America when in the states. A month later he attempted an extended route from London to Tokyo. His Fokker aircraft crashed at DumDum airport, and then destroyed at Calcutta India by a cyclone
Cyclone
In meteorology, a cyclone is an area of closed, circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth. This is usually characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotate anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth. Most large-scale...
without injuries to the crew. Black traveled back to England by train, and ordered a new "Maryland Free State".
As a passenger, rather than a pilot, Black flew with ease despite crashing in Genoa and India. A American Trimotor pilot noted that when he asked why his aircraft was not flying level on a flight to Cleveland, he was pointed to a failed motor on the wing. He quietly sat down without fuss all the way to the landing.
In February 1930, Black commissioned a Fokker VIIb trimotor aircraft G-AADZ "The Maryland Free State" to fly from London to Tokyo to Java. He created his own company for the flight, VLB ltd. The flight included stops in Venice, Italy, and Athens, Greece, landing in Tokyo, Japan on 7 April, 1930. The aircraft was disassembled for the Pacific voyage to San Francisco, then reassembled for the final flight to Baltimore on 18 May, A 16,000 mile trip.
Van Lear Black was considered to have flown more miles as a passenger than anyone else of the time and had future air tours planned.
Disappearance
USS Sabalo (SP-225)
The first USS Sabalo was a United States Navy patrol vessel in commission from 1917 to 1919.-Construction, acquisition, and commissioning:...
for use as a pleasure yacht in 1921. On August 18, 1930 While in route from the New York Yacht Club
New York Yacht Club
The New York Yacht Club is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. The organization has over 3,000 members as of 2011. ...
to Baltimore, Black fell to his death of the back of the Sabalo off the coast of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. He had a dangerous habit of sitting on the rail while smoking. His loss prompted an all out air-sea search by four amphibious airplanes, the Coast Guard and the Zeppelin USS Los Angeles (ZR-3)
USS Los Angeles (ZR-3)
The second USS Los Angeles was a rigid airship, designated ZR-3, that was built in 1923-1924 by the Zeppelin factory in Friedrichshafen, Germany, where it was originally designated LZ-126...
called upon by Black's personal friend, New York Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
. Only his cap was found washed onshore at a New Jersey beach. Black's newspaper staff worked diligently to obscure his guest Mrs. J. Walter Lord, as a elderly cousin to avoid scandal.
Namesakes
- Mount BlackMount BlackMount Black is a prominent mountain, high, with a gentle snow-covered slope on its southwest side and a steep rock face on its northwest side, forming a part of the polar escarpment just west of Bennett Platform and the upper reaches of Shackleton Glacier. It was discovered and photographed by R...
in Antarctica was named for Black by Richard Evelyn ByrdRichard Evelyn ByrdRear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd, Jr., USN was a naval officer who specialized in feats of exploration. He was a pioneering American aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics...
for financing his 1928 Antarctic expedition. - The town of Van Lear, KentuckyVan Lear, KentuckyAccording to the census of 2000, there were 2,106 people, 807 households, and 625 families in the ZIP Code Tabulation Area for Van Lear's ZIP code .The racial makeup of the community was 99.7% White, 0.0% African American, and 0.3% Asian....
is named after Black during his involvement with Consolidation Coal CompanyConsol EnergyConsol Energy is an energy company headquartered in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, suburb of Cecil Township, in the Southpointe complex. It is one of the US's largest coal mining companies, along with Peabody Energy and Arch Coal...
. - The Crater class cargo shipCrater class cargo shipCrater-class cargo ship is a category of freighter that was constructed for use by the United States Navy during World War II under Maritime Commission EC2-S-C1 type....
SS Van Lear BlackUSS Allegan (AK-225)USS Allegan was a commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone....
was named after Black.