aviator

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Rickenbacker

William Avery Bishop (1894-1956) www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2035406

On the Berengaria on Oct 3, 1925. San Antonio Light. October 03, 1925, HOME EDITION, page 1 chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85060004/1925-10-03/ed-... "BRITISH ACE LANDS IN N. Y. BY PLANE NEW YORK, Oct. 3 (AP) —Colonel Bishop, famous English ace, arrived on the Cunard liner Berengeria was met at quarantine by Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, noted American flier, taken aboard a plane and carried to the home of Harry P. Davison at Glen Core, L.I. He is said to be the first passenger thus to have disembarked at New York."

Thanks [https://www.flickr.com/photos/danuneken], Richard Norton, and swanq. We'll update the catalog record.

Some context for the photograph. Billy Bishop travelled to New York for the National Air Races at Mitchel Field, which was essentially an air show with many international pilots. Billy Bishop was a Canadian WWI ace who flew for the Royal Air Force. The Canadian government actually removed Bishop from a combat role in June 1918 considering the effect on national morale if Bishop was to be killed. Air show source: Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.), 04 Oct. 1925. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. (chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1925-10-04/ed-...) "Greatest Flyers to vie for Honors" (left)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_K._Hamilton
'Charles Keeney Hamilton (May 30, 1885 – January 22, 1914) was an American pioneer aviator 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.'

Could be the biplane in 1910 photo
digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/...

The plane is the Curtiss No. 2 "Reims Racer" in which Glenn Curtiss won the 1909 Gordon Bennett Cup. He sold the plane to Hamilton and put him under contract in January 1910. But by August 1910, after missed payments and disagreements about prize money he foreclosed and reclaimed the plane. That gives a nice 8 month window to date the photo.

Who wore it better?

Thanks swanq and Seuss.. We'll update the catalog record.

This photo probably goes with another Bain photo, www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2014688251/, as it has the same first Bain number, 2039.

During transition training days at Tuskegee, Alabama in B-25s.
Code TU (not FU) and aircraft 101.
They were all intended for the 477 Bomb Group (renamed Composite Group).
Unit never left the mainland USA.
Stig