Archibald Hoxsey

Archibald Hoxsey (October 15, 1884 – December 31, 1910) was an aviator for the Wright brothers.

Biography

He was born in Staunton, Illinois on October 15, 1884. He moved with his parents to Pasadena, California and by 1909-1910 his mechanical ability led to a meeting with the Wright Brothers. In March 1910 the Wright brothers opened a flight school in Montgomery, Alabama and Hoxley was a teacher there. There he became the first pilot to fly at night.^[1]

On October 11, 1910 at Kinloch Field in St. Louis he took Theodore Roosevelt up in an airplane.

Because of their dueling altitude record attempts, he and Ralph Johnstone were nicknamed the "heavenly twins".

On December 30, 1910 Hoxley set the flight altitude record of 11,474 feet.

He died on December 31, 1910 in Los Angeles, California after crashing from 7,000 feet. He was trying to set a new flight altitude record. The Wright Brothers paid for the funeral.^[2]

External links

• Archibald Hoxsey bibliography
• Early Aviators: Archibald Hoxsey
• North Dakota first flight
• Video of flight with Theodore Roosevelt in 1910
• Hoxsey's own description of Roosevelt flight October 12 1910 United Press International
• Photo of Arch Hoxsey & President Roosevelt seated in Wright Flyer prior to their flight
• Another camera angle of Hoxsey & President Roosevelt in Wright aeroplane before their flight
• Arch Hoxsey & Colonel Roosevelt ready to fly image from Wright State University([http://dmc.ohiolink.edu for pic click on 'history & archives' section then type in Theodore Roosevelt's name).

References

Further reading

• Hoxsey trading card
• New York Times, August 20, 1910; Airmen Play Tag With Moonbeams; Hoxsey And Johnstone Unexpectedly Make Two Night Flights At Asbury Park. Asbury Park, New Jersey, August 19, 1910. With no one to watch them save the night birds and a few invited friends. Arch Hoxsey and Ralph Johnstone, the young Wright airmen, winged their way up among the moonbeams between 10:00 and 10:30 o'clock tonight.
• New York Times, October 9, 1910; Flight Of 104 Miles Is Made By Hoxsey; In Wright Biplane He Goes From Springfield To St. Louis With A Detour. St. Louis, Missouri; October 8, 1910. After making the longest continuous aeroplane flight recorded in America, Arch Hoxsey, who soared aloft in a Wright biplane at Springfield, Illinois, at 11:56 this morning, landed upon the lawn of the St. Louis Country Club shortly before 3 o'clock this afternoon, Although the distance to St. Louis from Springfield is only 88 miles, Hoxsey made a detour that brought his continued flight up to 104 miles.
• New York Times, Sunday, January 1, 1911; Wrights Deplore Hoxsey. He Was One Of The Most Promising And Intrepid Of Aviators, They Say. Dayton, Ohio; December 31, 1910. The announcement of the death of Arch Hoxsey at Los Angeles today came as a terrible shock to Wilbur and Orville Wright, but they emphatically declared that they did not care to discuss the accident until they had heard further details and had received a statement of the conditions under which it occurred from some experienced aviator who witnessed it.
• Time (magazine); Monday, June 11, 1928; I have a picture of President Roosevelt seated in a plane which was of the "pusher" type: Beneath the picture is the following notation: "Colonel Roosevelt in a Wright Aeroplane at St. Louis. Archibald Hoxsey, who carried the Colonel twice around the Park, a distance of 4½ miles, is seen talking to Mr. Roosevelt, who was most enthusiastic over his experience, declaring he never felt a bit of fear. This picture shows the Colonel as he took his seat. Before starting he took off his hat and put on a cap." Unfortunately the picture is not dated but the information may be of interest to those who are debating the "Rough Rider's" courage anent leaving terra firma.