Archibald Hoxsey

Archibald Hoxsey (October 15, 1884 – December 31, 1910) was an early pioneer aviator for the Wright brothers.

He was born in Staunton, Illinois on October 15, 1884, and used the name Arch Hoxsey. He moved with his parents to Pasadena California as a child. Not much is known about Hoxsey's early life. By his early twenties he showed an interest in the new technology of automobiles and became a fine automobile mechanic and chaeuffeur. By 1909-1910 this mechanical ability led to a meeting with the Wright Brothers through their manager Roy Knabenshue. In March 1910 Orville Wright opened a school in Montgomery Alabama to teach new aspiring aviators how to fly. Hoxsey signed up to be trained and joined Wright at Montgomery. Hoxsey became such an adept pilot that Wilbur later considered him one of his favorites. These aviators were to be the select pilots for the new Wright Exhibition Team scheduled to hit the road as a troupe in the summer of 1910. Hoxsey was amongst one of the first Wright pilots to fly the Wrights' new Model B aircraft after having been trained by Orville on the model A-B which was a transitional aircraft.

The troupe's aircraft would consist of a consortium of models: a few left over A-Bs, the new B, a few one seater Baby Wright machines. After hitting the road with the Wright Exhibition Team Arch began to set a few records of his own in aircraft and flew from Springfield, Ohio to Saint Louis, Missouri, to set a new non-stop distance record, of 104 miles. On May 25, 1910 he made the first nighttime flight in the United States at the Wright Flying School near Montgomery, Alabama. Hoxsey piloted the plane with fellow Wright pilot Walter Brookins as passenger. The Montgomery Advertiser described the aeroplane as "glinting now and then in the moonlight" during flight. Hoxsey also brought the first aeroplane, a Wright model B, to Grand Forks, North Dakota and made the first flight in the state on July 19, 1910.

On October 11, 1910 at Kinloch Field St. Louis he took Theodore Roosevelt up in an airplane, the first flight by a U.S. President. This was a history making event nevertheless the Wright Brothers nearly fired Arch as they considered flying a VIP like Roosevelt as being a risky stunt. Because of their dueling altitude record attempts, he and Ralph Johnstone were nicknamed the "heavenly twins". Archibald's life was cut short at 26 when he died in a crash on December 31, 1910 in Los Angeles, California after spinning into the ground from 7,000 feet. He was trying to set a new flight altitude record. Upon his death condolences poured in to his mother. He was killed the same day as fellow aviator John Moisant just a few hours after sending a telegram of condolence to Moisant's family. A Hoxsey street was established in his memory in Los Angeles not long after his death. The street survived up until at least the 1970s but is no longer in existence.

External links

* [http://richard.arthur.norton.googlepages.com/archibaldhoxseybibliography Archibald Hoxsey bibliography]
* [http://www.earlyaviators.com/ehoxsey.htm Early Aviators: Archibald Hoxsey]
* [http://www.prairiepublic.org/programs/datebook/bydate/06/0706/071906.jsp North Dakota first flight]
* [http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mbrsmi/trmp.4087 Video of flight with Theodore Roosevelt in 1910]
* [http://about.upi.com/AboutUs/index.php?ContentID=20051018121141-32491 Hoxsey's own description of Roosevelt flight October 12 1910 United Press International]
* [http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Explorers_Record_Setters_and_Daredevils/early_exhibition/EX7G7.jpgPhoto of Arch Hoxsey & President Roosevelt seated in Wright Flyer prior to their flight]
* [http://worlddmc.ohiolink.edu/History/Previews?oid=1540123&asset=1540123&format=list&results=12&sort=creator&collection=all&year=any&searchstatus=17hits=0&count=0&p=1&searchmark=0&viewno=0 Another camera angle of Hoxsey & President Roosevelt in Wright aeroplane before their flight]
* [http://dmc.ohiolink.edu/cgi/i/image-idx.?q1=theodore+roosevelt&rgn1=ic_all&type=and&xc=1&c=nurfc&c=ley&c=wbc&c=kentmay4&c=scripps&c=sanborn&c=akronmap&c=maya&c=squeezes&med=1&g=historyic&view=thumbnail Arch Hoxsey & Colonel Roosevelt ready to fly] image from Wright State University( [http://dmc.ohiolink.edu for pic click on 'history & archives' section then type in Theodore Roosevelt's name).

References

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*New York Times, August 20, 1910; Airmen Play Tag With Moonbeams; Hoxsey And Johnstone Unexpectedly Make Two Night Flights At Asbury Park. Asbury Park, New Jersey, August 19, 1910. With no one to watch them save the night birds and a few invited friends. Arch Hoxsey and Ralph Johnstone, the young Wright airmen, winged their way up among the moonbeams between 10:00 and 10:30 o'clock tonight.
*New York Times, October 9, 1910; Flight Of 104 Miles Is Made By Hoxsey; In Wright Biplane He Goes From Springfield To St. Louis With A Detour. St. Louis, Missouri; October 8, 1910. After making the longest continuous aeroplane flight recorded in America, Arch Hoxsey, who soared aloft in a Wright biplane at Springfield, Illinois, at 11:56 this morning, landed upon the lawn of the St. Louis Country Club shortly before 3 o'clock this afternoon, Although the distance to St. Louis from Springfield is only 88 miles, Hoxsey made a detour that brought his continued flight up to 104 miles.
*New York Times, Sunday, January 1, 1911; Wrights Deplore Hoxsey. He Was One Of The Most Promising And Intrepid Of Aviators, They Say. Dayton, Ohio; December 31, 1910. The announcement of the death of Arch Hoxsey at Los Angeles today came as a terrible shock to Wilbur and Orville Wright, but they emphatically declared that they did not care to discuss the accident until they had heard further details and had received a statement of the conditions under which it occurred from some experienced aviator who witnessed it.
*Time (magazine); Monday, June 11, 1928; I have a picture of President Roosevelt seated in a plane which was of the "pusher" type: Beneath the picture is the following notation: "Colonel Roosevelt in a Wright Aeroplane at St. Louis. Archibald Hoxsey, who carried the Colonel twice around the Park, a distance of 4½ miles, is seen talking to Mr. Roosevelt, who was most enthusiastic over his experience, declaring he never felt a bit of fear. This picture shows the Colonel as he took his seat. Before starting he took off his hat and put on a cap." Unfortunately the picture is not dated but the information may be of interest to those who are debating the "Rough Rider's" courage anent leaving terra firma.