Springfield Aviation

Download or read book Springfield Aviation written by Job Conger and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2008-09-15 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Citizens of Springfield first witnessed human flight, a balloon ascent, on July 5, 1858. In 1861, the capital citys most famous resident, Abraham Lincoln, then residing in the White House, authorized the creation of the first U.S. air force, a balloon to observe Confederate troops. Springfields interface with aviation has been a steady stream of hot-and-cold-running enthusiasm since airplanes began flying from the state fair racetrack infield about 1910. Springfield Aviation chronicles that flow and concludes with photographs from Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in early 2008. It presents photographs of memorable airplanes, airships, and prominent aviators from the authors extensive collection, augmented by contributions from Springfield Airport Authority, Lincoln Librarys Sangamon Valley Collection, and many others.