PILOT STORIES: Davison, Dan

Before pilots were trusted with the mail, they were required to practice takeoffs and landings, and to trail seasoned airmail pilots on the route they would be flying. On December 7, 1918, Davison was trailing airmail pilot Maurice Newton while flying from the Belmont Park, Long Island field to Elizabeth, New Jersey. When they arrived, Davison was sent back and told to fly another airplane to the field. He left Belmont at 3:40 with 60 gallons of gas. According to a telegram received by Second Assistant Postmaster General Otto Praeger, Davison "arrived to the south of this field about 4 pm, passed onto the west and came back approached the field again and then headed south again going out of sight. About 4:50 I received a telephone from him that he was down at Grant City, Staten Island. Landing gear broken, propeller and two lower wings broken, radiator broken."

Davison said he became confused over Staten Island and "while endeavoring to find fixed the air pressure on the main tank failed and I cut in the gravity [fuel tank], the gas line of which was evidently obstructed as motor missed and slowed down, it becoming necessary to land which I did at 4:40, on a golf link breaking landing gear and both lower wings, radiator and propeller." Amazingly, Davison lasted another six weeks in the service before being fired.