J. Clifford Turpin
James Clifford Turpin | |
|---|---|
 Thomas DeWitt Milling and Turpin in 1912 | |
| Born | 6 May 1886 |
| Died | January 1966 |
| Resting place | Lothrop Hill Cemetery, Barnstable, Massachusetts |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Purdue University |
| Occupation | Pilot till 1912 |
| Employer | Wright Exhibition team |
| Known for | Aviation pioneer and exhibition flyer |
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James Clifford Turpin (6 May 1886 – January 1966) was a pioneer aviator with the Wright Exhibition Team.[1]
Biography[edit]
He was born on May 6, 1886.
He attended Purdue University, the first graduate (class of 1908) to receive a pilot's license. Turpin joined the Wright Exhibition team in 1910, flying demonstrations across the country. The group was disbanded in 1911. In May 1912, Turpin rented a Wright Model C for his own exhibitions. While flying his Fowler-Gage biplane in a Seattle stadium, Turpin clipped an iron railing whilst avoiding a cameraman, and veered into a grandstand, killing two spectators.[2] After the death of his flying partner, Phil Parmalee, in Yakima, Washington, Turpin quit flying.
He died in January 1966. He was buried in Lothrop Hill Cemetery in Barnstable, Massachusetts. Turpin reputedly was the father of one daughter.[3]
External links[edit]
- J. Clifford Turpin at Find a Grave
- Washington's first airplane fatality occurs at the Meadows Race Track in Georgetown on May 30, 1912.
References[edit]
- ^ Air and Space Magazine, February 2016 : "Clifford Turpin, King of the Air" by Paul Glenshaw, Retrieved August 18, 2017
- ^ "Premier Performer". Air & Space. April 2008.
- ^ "James Clifford Turpin". Early Aviators. Retrieved 2010-11-04.