Philip Orin Parmelee
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Philip Orin Parmelee (1887 – June 1, 1912) (also written as Philip Parmalee) was a pioneering aviator trained by the Wright brothers.
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[edit] Birth
He was born in 1887 in Matherton, Michigan to Charles W. Parmelee. Philip's mother was killed by a runaway horse. Parmalee grew up in nearby St. Johns, Michigan, where he developed an interest in mechanical engineering.
[edit] Machinist
In Michigan he built a steam auto, using an old horse buggy body and bicycle wheels. He designed his own steam boiler to power the auto. He took a job in Maucelons, Clinton County, Michigan operating a motion picture machine at night and working in a machine shop during the day. The owner of the machine shop had a brother, who worked at the Buick auto plant in Flint, Michigan, find a job for Philip. During the summer Louis Chevrolet's racing car came to the plant for repairs and Phil "borrowed" the car and drove to Flushing, Michigan, about 19 miles, in the moonlight. After several months with the Buick plant, Phil was chosen as a mechanic for an entry on the Glidden tour driven each year from the south to New York City. The winning car was the one supervised by Parmelee.
[edit] Aviator
In 1910 he submitted an application and was then chosen to join the Wright Flying School run by Wilbur Wright and Orville Wright. After training he joined the Wright Exhibition Team. On November 7, 1910, he was the first pilot to transport cargo when he carried silk ribbons worth between $800 and $1,000 to the opening of a store. He was also the first pilot to drop live test bombs from a plane, and search from the air for criminals. He married Edith Deitz around 1910.
[edit] Death
On June 1, 1912, in North Yakima, Washington, Parmalee's plane crashed and he was killed. He was buried in East Plains Cemetery in Clinton County, Michigan
[edit] Timeline
- 1887 Birth in Matherton, Michigan
- 1900 US Census
- 1910 US Census
- 1910 Carried first cargo shipment on November 7th
- 1910 (circa) Marriage to Edith Deitz
- 1912 Death in crash in North Yakima, Washington on June 1st
[edit] External links
[edit] Reference
- New York Times; June 2, 1912; Aviator Parmelee Plunges to Death; Caught by Treacherous Gust of Wind While Giving Exhibition Flight in Washington State. North Yakima, Washington, June 1, 1912. Philip Parmelee, the aviator, was killed here today while giving an exhibition flight from the fair grounds. Parmalee was the flying partner of Clifford Turpin, whose airship flew into the grandstand at Seattle Thursday, killing two persons and injuring fifteen.
