blériotmonoplane

Earle Lewis Ovington (December 20, 1879 - 1936) was an American aeronautical engineer, aviator and inventor, and served as a lab assistant to Thomas Edison. Ovington piloted the first official airmail flight in the US in 1911, from Garden City, New York to Mineola, New York. He delivered 640 letters and 1,280 postcards, including a letter to himself from the United States Postal Service designating him as "Official Air Mail Pilot #1." Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earle_Ovington Frank Harris Hitchcock (October 5, 1867 – August 25, 1935), was chairman of Republican National Committee from 1908 to 1909. He was then Postmaster General of the United States under President William Howard Taft from 1909 to 1913. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Harris_Hitchcock The plane is instantly recognizable as a Blériot XI. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bl%c3%a9riot_XI

Other Bain/LOC photos of Earle Lewis Ovington, the first U. S. Airmail pilot:

Photo taken Nassau Boulevard Aerodrome Garden City, Long Island, New York. Notice hangars, helpful in identifying Nassau Boulevard Aerodrome

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earle_Ovington

LOC also has posted Bain's closeup view of the Ovingtons: In 1911, Earle Ovington earned the distinction of becoming America's first airmail pilot. Long Island, New York, has a road named for him: Earle Ovington Boulevard. Wikipedia tells the story: "Earle Lewis Ovington (December 20, 1879 - July 21, 1936) was an American aeronautical engineer, aviator and inventor, and served as a lab assistant to Thomas Edison. Ovington piloted the first official airmail flight in the United States in a Blériot XI [on September 23,] 1911. He carried a sack of mail from Garden City, New York to Mineola, New York. He circled at 500 feet and tossed the bag over the side of the cockpit and the sack burst on impact, scattering letters and postcards. He delivered 640 letters and 1,280 postcards, including a letter to himself from the United States [Post Office] designating him as 'Official Air Mail Pilot #1.'"

The Smithsonian has posted a photo of Ovington in his Bleriot monoplane, with the mail pouch: www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Government_Role/Pre-1918... More photos of Ovington have been posted on Flickr, by the San Diego Air and Space Museum:

A Bain/LOC photo shows Ovington receiving the sack of mail from the Postmaster General of the United States, Frank Harris Hitchcock. Hitchcock had expected to be a passenger on this symbolic, three-mile flight, and was disappointed when Ovington showed up with a single-seater Bleriot monoplane. Hitchcock almost called off the flight until a two-seat plane could be arranged, but was persuaded to press on, regardless. Another Bain/LOC photo of the handoff of the mail sack to Ovington: The man at left is Edward M. Morgan, Postmaster of New York City, who had begun his career as a humble letter carrier: Bain/LOC photo of Ovington, airborne:

Earle Ovington never received a license from the Aero Club of America. Ovington obtained his license from the Aero Club of France, Pilot # 440 March 3, 1911 The Ovington airmail flights were conducted from the Nassau Boulevard Aerodrome, Garden City , Long Island, New York. This airfield existed only 1911-1912

Earle Ovington, America's first airmail pilot, with his wife:

Other Bain/LOC photos of Earle Lewis Ovington, receiving the first pouch of U. S. Airmail for delivery, from U. S. Postmaster General Frank Harris Hitchcock :