First Air Mail Marker

First Air Mail Marker
Engraved plaque on a boulder
First Air Mail Marker, along Ohio Drive
Map
TypePlaque
LocationWest Potomac Park
Nearest cityWashington, D.C.
Coordinates38°52′53.1″N 77°02′36.42″W / 38.881417°N 77.0434500°W / 38.881417; -77.0434500
FoundedMay 15, 1958
OwnerNational Park Service
First Air Mail Marker is located in the District of Columbia
First Air Mail Marker
Location of First Air Mail Marker in the District of Columbia
First Air Mail Marker is located in the United States
First Air Mail Marker
First Air Mail Marker (the United States)

The First Air Mail Marker is a plaque in West Potomac Park, Washington, D.C. It is located on east shore of the Potomac River beside Ohio Drive. The marker commemorates the first regularly scheduled United States airmail service flight. On May 15, 1918, Lt. George Boyle departed Washington in a Curtiss JN-4H biplane in front of a crowd that included President Woodrow Wilson. Bound for Philadelphia, Boyle became disoriented and landed in a Maryland field. The marker was erected on the flight's fortieth anniversary, May 15, 1958.[1][2][3]

  • Cover flown on the first flight.
    Cover flown on the first flight.
  • The first flight takes off from Washington, D.C.
    The first flight takes off from Washington, D.C.
  • Maj. Ruben Fleet by Lt. Boyle's Jenny before the take off from Washington.
    Maj. Ruben Fleet by Lt. Boyle's Jenny before the take off from Washington.

References

  1. ^ "First Air Mail Marker". National Park Service. United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  2. ^ Post, Augustus (March 1918). "The Proposed New York-Philadelphia-Washington Aerial Mail Route". Flying. Vol. 7, no. 2. Flying Association at the Office of the Aero Club of America. p. 148. Retrieved September 25, 2024 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Palmer, John R. (1938). "Part 24: Airmail". Bibliography of Aeronaustics. Institute of Aeronautical Sciences. p. 104. Retrieved September 25, 2024. The Proposed New York-Philadelphia-Washington aerial mail route