Biography Floyd Bennett

1 biography

1.1 north pole flight
1.2 post north pole flight
1.3 bremen flyers

biography

bennett born in warrensburg, new york, in 1890. automobile mechanic before enlisted in navy in 1917, during world war i. bennett attended flight school, learned fly , rated aviation pilot. bennett served richard e. byrd on aviation survey of greenland in 1925, on byrd came respect ability pilot.

north pole flight

byrd named bennett pilot attempt reach north pole air in 1926. expedition financed john d. rockefeller, jr., edsel ford, vincent astor , t. f. ryan.

bennett @ controls on may 9 2 men made attempt, in fokker tri-motor called josephine ford. returned airfield in spitzbergen on day. during flight, aircraft s engine developed oil leak. bennett advised turning byrd decided continue flight. although members of european press skeptical of claim (because seemed plane had been away spitzbergen briefly have reached north pole), byrd , bennett lionized heroes in america.

both bennett , byrd received medal of honor feat. subsequent discovery of byrd s diary of flight, erased (but still legible) sextant readings, has been considered evidence might not have reached north pole.

post north pole flight

after returning united states, bennett flew josephine ford on goodwill tour of america, balchen co-pilot. later in life balchen claimed bennett confessed him , byrd did not reach north pole but, instead, flew around in circles. balchen go on pilot byrd south pole in 1929, became highly decorated army air forces officer during second world war , retired united states air force colonel.

byrd , team had been leading candidates win large orteig prize in 1927, awarded first nonstop flight between france , united states. once again, byrd named bennett pilot attempt. however, bennett injured during practice flight , airplane, fokker f-viib-3m named america, badly damaged when crashed on take-off. byrd , fellow pilot george o. noville injured in crash. following failure bennett , byrd, charles lindbergh won orteig prize, flying long island, new york, nonstop paris, france.

bremen flyers

the ford trimotor used in bremen rescue

the crew of bremen stranded in greenly island, canada following non-stop flight attempt europe. floyd bennett , bernt balchen flew ford trimotor provide relief downed pilots. bennett had developed pneumonia following previous crash, , succumbed fever while in flight on april 25, 1928. balchen flew remaining 8 hours, , paid $10,000 effort, amount passed bennett s widow. bennett s remains buried in arlington national cemetery.