Photo source: https://tucson.com/promo/homepage/photos-history-of-aviation-in-tucson/collection_4260f07a-320c-11df-a634-001cc4c03286.html#1
(Editor's Note #1: Godfrey Sykes is an Arizona Legend and happens to be one of our personal Heroes. In 1910, Godfrey was camped at the base of Tumamoc Hill about 1.5 miles from Elysian Grove. He was employed by the historic Desert Laboratory. Godfrey was literally a Master Mechanic and fascinated by any sort of machine. It's no surprise he was in a sweet spot to capture the quintessential photo of the first flight over Tucson! Additional discussion about Godfrey is near the end of this article.)
(Editor's Note #2: Look closely in this photo and you can see the dim but signature horizon of the Catalina Mountains in the background. See also the elevated "stand" below the left wings of the aircraft.)
In this photo you can see that elevated stand looming above the port side wings of the aircraft.
Taken together with the Godfrey Sykes photo, plus the one below, there is no doubt the aircraft took off to the south. We will discuss this with more detail in the map section of this post.
Pilot Charles Keeney Hamilton was nicknamed the "crazy man of the air". He was, in the words of the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission, "known for his dangerous dives, spectacular crashes, extensive reconstructive surgeries, and ever present cigarette" and was "frequently drunk". He survived more than 60 crashes.
Tucson's first flight came about directly as a result of a pioneering Airshow in Phoenix just 9 days before the Tucson milestone. The show cost Phoenix boosters $12,000, plus 25% of the gate. Adjusted for inflation, $12,000 in 1910 would be well over $300,000 in today's dollars! Pilot Hamilton is shown with the presumed Money Men of that air show. People paid hard-earned big money to see an air plane fly in 1910 and the show was a major financial success.
We zoomed in and did a screen clip on Pilot Hamilton. He certainly looks a lot younger than he does in his June 1910 photo above. Perhaps he had one or more of his 60 crashes between Phoenix and when his photo was taken!
Photo Source: https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/digital/collection/ahfrein/id/29/rec/3
Supposedly in The February 10, 1910 Phoenix Air Show, Hamilton beat a Studebaker automobile in a five mile race at the Fairgrounds hose race track!
Photo source: https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/digital/collection/ahfrein/id/5/rec/1
Meanwhile back down in The Old Pueblo, here a great shot of Hamilton lifting off from Elysian Grove. Coupled with the other two above key photos, there's no doubt he was lifting into the typical prevailing SW winds at the time.
We zoomed in and did some color & contrast with with this photo to show you Pilot Hamilton as he lifts off from Elysian Grove.
Elysian Grove was actually pretty hard to find. "The are was once owned by Leopoldo Carrillo in the 1870’s who developed the Carrillo Gardens. The area was then purchased by Emmanuel "Manny" Drachman and Alex Rossi in 1903 after Carrillo’s death. Drachman developed the Elysian Grove Amusement Park which was known for its ponds, trees, picnic areas, zoo, dancing and moving pictures. The popular garden attracted high quality entertainers for its time and dignitaries such as Theodore Roosevelt in 1912. The park closed in 1915 due to financial problems caused by the onset of Prohibition. Source: https://www.loc.gov/item/sanborn00180_005/
Once we found the site of the old Elysian Park we were able to determine its perimeter length and 18 acre area. There's virtually NO doubt that Pilot Hamilton staged in the far upper right corner of the park on the east side of the property and took off heading nearly due south. Some have said he had a half mile for take off. Nope. He had less than 800 feet! But a lightweight aircraft frame could have easily lifted off in such a short distance.
Source: Editor's work on Google Earth.
Here's how Elysian Park fits into modern day Tucson. It's just another non-descript neighborhood
Source: Editor's work on Google Earth.
This is a vintage view of the aircraft that first flew over Tucson on February 19. 1910. It is now known as a "Curtiss Pusher". The video and web links below will help you better understand this historic aircraft.
https://youtu.be/PXP13vicq70
https://youtu.be/PXP13vicq70
An airborne V-8 engine in 1910 was a legit Big Deal!
https://youtu.be/PXP13vicq70
https://youtu.be/PXP13vicq70
A 1909 Curtiss Pusher has been restored to flyable condition. Heart Waring stories here!
Photo source: https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/digital/collection/ahsdinazh/id/578/rec/50
"Ruth Reinhold (then Chalmers) and Loyal Penn with Jimmy Angel's "Flamingo." Three inches of snow fell that day and closed Sky Harbor for two hours." Circa 1937
We made extensive use of Ruth Reinhold's book "Sky Pioneering" published by the University of Arizona Press in 1982. Ms. Reinhold passed on in 1985.
Well, what can we say about Our Hero Godfrey Sykes? YIKES! This Man Among Men has long captivated our Heart & Imagination. For Godfrey to be On The Spot and capture THE BEST photo of Tucson's First Aerial Exhibition is SO Godfrey! We highly recommend you obtain his book.
Source: Page 277 "A Westerly Trend" by Godfrey Sykes University of Arizona Press,
All of our information about Old Elysian Grove is from the recollections of Roy Drachman (right above) . Roy spent decades in show biz and he's a famous Tucson Icon. Roy did stuff NOBODY else could get away with. His book "From Cowtown to Desert Metropolis" is a genuine classic.
https://tucson.com/news/local/july-today-in-arizona-history/article_ba2af550-3355-11e1-b978-0019bb2963f4.html
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