13 - Aviation's Adventuring Years

WAYSIDE PANEL TITLE: Aviation's Adventuring Years
PANEL DESCRIPTION: The wayside faces south, on the southern side of the trail.

VIEW FROM WAYSIDE: The wayside faces the green grass of Crissy Field. On the far side of the field, you can see three-story Stilwell Hall, with its rows of windows and tall columns.

TEXT: Crissy Field 1919-1936. Like information technology today, aviation grew by leaps and bounds during Crissy Field's heyday. In the 1920s, the Air Service promoted military aviation with many news-making flights that involved Crissy Field, including aerobatic stunts and air races. Most significant were a series of long-distance flights. By 1936, airliners were crossing the nation regularly, and aviation was no longer only for daredevils.

DESCRIPTION OF IMAGE: A black and white photograph at the center of two biplanes flying in profile with Crissy Field in the background. Buildings and natural features on the ground are small and indistinct from this vantage.

CAPTION: De Havilland's from Crissy Field pass over the Main Parade Ground of the Presidio in the 1920s. Note the dangling radio antenna, which is being used to pass a message from one airplane to another.

DESCRIPTION OF IMAGE: A black and white photograph of a biplane on the ground, being pushed backwards by five men, who stand at intervals along its wings.
CAPTION: Air Service men of the 91st Observation Squadron push a De Havilland DH-4B biplane into a hangar alongside Crissy Field in 1923.

DESCRIPTION OF IMAGE: A black and white photograph of three biplanes flying in profile with a snow-capped mountain peak behind them.
CAPTION: Planes from Crissy Field participated in dedication ceremonies at Lassen Volcanic National Park in 1931.

TEXT: Pushing the Envelope of Flight. In October 1919, the Army launched 61 fabric-covered, open-cockpit biplanes on a transcontinental flight to test the limits and potential of air power. Fifteen "ships" lifted off this field to fly east, and 46 departed Long Island westbound for San Francisco. Only nine planes finished, and nine men died trying, one was Major Dana H. Crissy. These pilots' courage and the risks they took helped pave the way for future commercial air travel.

DIRECTIONS TO NEXT STOP: Walk west 280 feet to arrive at the next wayside on the northern side of the trail.