First Air Flight Over Nevada Nevada June 23, 1910
Carson City, Carson City, Nevada
Marker Inscription
First Air Flight Over Nevada Nevada June 23, 1910. The first air flight in Nevada took place on the old Raycraft Ranch immediately to the west. The flight was of national interest, not only because an air journey had never before been made at such an altitude (4,675 feet), but also because Ivy Baldwin, a nationally-known parachutist and balloonist, would make the flight.This was a trial flight, as stipulated by the Sagebrush Carnival Committee of Carson City. It was followed by exhibition flights on July 3, 4 and 5 at the Carson City racetrack.Baldwin made the flight in a 48-horsepower Curtiss Paulham biplane, reaching a height of 50 feet and covering one-half mile before returning to the starting point.HISTORICAL
Erected by Nevada State Historic Preservation Office
The Story
On June 23, 1910, aviation pioneer Ivy Baldwin—already famous as a balloonist and parachutist—lifted a 48-horsepower Curtiss biplane off the old Raycraft Ranch west of Carson City, making the first airplane flight in Nevada. The trial run, staged for the Sagebrush Carnival, drew national notice partly because it happened at an unusually high 4,675-foot altitude. Baldwin climbed to 50 feet and covered half a mile before circling back, a modest hop that heralded a new age.
Why it matters
Coming barely six years after the Wright brothers first flew, this flight marks how quickly powered aviation spread from Kitty Hawk to the far corners of the American West.
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Related people
- · Ivy Baldwin
Related events
- · First airplane flight in Nevada
Themes & tags
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