PILOT STORIES: Lewis,
William E.*
| Air
Mail Service Began: |
January 3, 1921 |
| Air
Mail Service Ended: |
February 22, 1921 |
| Assignment: |
Reno |
William Lewis' airmail career is a tragic
tale. On February 22, 1921, he took part in the historic first
day and night cross-country airmail flights. Lewis had been
an Air Mail Service pilot for just over a month when he was
given the honor of flying the mail between Elko, Nevada to
Salt Lake City, Utah.
Lewis took off at 9:38 a.m. His de Havilland
aircraft stalled at 500 feet during takeoff, before plummeting
to the ground, killing Lewis instantly. He had just rented
an apartment in Elko, where he planned to move after his marriage
the next month to a young woman from San Francisco.
|
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