Washington

Even before there were runways, the area south of the city of Seattle was Washington's aviation hub. Charles Hamilton, a daredevil dubbed "Crazy Man of the Air," became the first flyer in the state when he coaxed his Curtiss biplane into the sky over Meadows Racetrack in 1910. He promptly crashed. With the help of William Boeing and his growing aviation company, Boeing Field opened in 1928. In those early days, brave air travelers could hitch a ride along with bags of mail in cold, noisy biplanes. Bigger, better aircraft soon followed, but wartime intervened. Thousands of Flying Fortress bombers emerged from Boeing's Plant 2 at the edge of the airfield and winged off to war. In the years after, Boeing Field served a dazzling array of winged machines--from the smallest Piper Cub to Air Force One.

Interested in aviation as early as 1910, William Boeing waited until 1914 for his first airplane ride. In 1916, he founded the airplane company that put Seattle on the aviation map. Before Boeing, Seattle featured aircraft builders like Eugene Romano, G. T. Takasou, Tom Hamilton, and Herb Munter. Boeing emerged during World War I and, by the beginning of World War II, had become a world leader. In those years, lesser known individuals like Eddie Hubbard, Percy Barnes, Vern Gorst, the Becvar brothers, Elliott Merrill, Jim Galvin, and Lana Kurtzer influenced commercial aviation around Seattle. Drawing on photographs from around the area, Seattle's Commercial Aviation: 1908-1941 illustrates the early days beginning with dirigible flights, recognizes the arrival of commercial airmail and the airlines, salutes the local operators, and marks Seattle's emergence as the aviation gateway to Alaska.

Paine Field was named in honor of hometown hero Topliff Olin Paine, an Army Air Corps pilot during World War I. Located 6 miles south of Everett and 20 miles north of Seattle, Paine Field-- known as Snohomish County Airport--got its start as a WPA project in the 1930s. Situated on 1,000 acres, this airport was shaped by numerous events, such as World War II, the Korean War, and the arrival of Boeing, as well as social, political, and environmental issues that continue to influence its destiny. Throughout its 77-year history, Paine Field has continued to evolve into a thriving aviation community. At the heart of its success has been the key role of general aviation. A rags-to-riches story, Paine Field has grown from a small regional airport into an aeronautical complex that garners worldwide attention.

Pearson Field, part of the Vancouver National Historic Reserve, is one of the oldest continually operating airfields in the United States. From the first arrival of an airship in 1905 and the flying of a plane off the Multnomah Hotel in 1912, Pearson has achieved numerous aviation milestones. The first official interstate airmail landed here in 1912, and during World War I it was the site of the world's largest spruce mill. Pearson was selected to serve as Portland's first airmail terminal, and two of America's most notable women pilots--Dorothy Hester and Edith Foltz--first took to the skies from the bustling Vancouver field. Pearson was also in the world spotlight when the 1937 Soviet transpolar flight landed in 1937. After 100 years, Pearson continues to serve as one of the region's preeminent general aviation centers.