Belvin Maynard
Belvin Maynard | |
|---|---|
 Maynard in 1919 | |
| Born | (1892-09-28)September 28, 1892 Morven, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | September 7, 1922(1922-09-07) (aged 29) Rutland, Vermont, U.S. |
| Known for | Winning the 1919 transcontinental air race |
| Spouse |
|
| Children | 4 |
| Aviation career | |
| Full name | Belvin Womble Maynard Sr. |
| Air force | United States Army Air Service |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
Belvin Womble Maynard Sr., known as the Flying Parson (September 28, 1892 – September 7, 1922) was an American aircraft pilot who won the United States Army's 1919 transcontinental air race from Mineola, New York to San Francisco.
Early life
Maynard was born in Morven, North Carolina on September 28, 1892. After completing high school, he enrolled at Wake Forest College as a Baptist ministerial student.[1]
Military service
World War I broke out during Maynard's junior year at Wake Forest. As a divinity student, he was exempt from conscription under the Selective Service Act of 1917. However, in June 1917, he chose to enlist in the United States Army Air Service.[2] He served as a trainer and a test pilot at Romorantin.[3] After seventeen months abroad, he was reassigned to Hazelhurst Field as chief test pilot.[1]
In September 1919, Maynard, flying a de Havilland with a Liberty motor, finished third in an international air derby from Mineola to Toronto and back.[4] The following month, he won the Army's transcontinental air race from Mineola to San Francisco, flying 2701 miles over 21 flights in a time of 24 hours and 59 minutes. He was accompanied on the trip by his mechanic, Sergeant M. E. Cline, and a seven-month old German Shepherd named Trixie.[5] On his return trip, Maynard encountered six snowstorms, dodged a mountain peak, and was forced down by a broken crankshaft.[6]
On December 5, 1919, Maynard was the first pilot to land on the runway of the new airfield in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The airstrip, which was the first commercial airfield in North Carolina, was named Maynard Field in his honor. It closed in the 1930s when air traffic moved to the nearby Miller Municipal Air Field.[7]
Post-military flying career
Maynard was discharged from the Army on May 8, 1920. He accepted a position with the BrooklynYMCA and hoped to resume his education after a year or two and become a minister.[8] He continued to fly, running a successful aerial photography business and participating in flying exhibitions.[3] On April 14, 1922, Maynard flew a Fokker over New York City while passengers Thais Magrane and Jeanette Vreeland performed a radio benefit concert for the Veterans' Mountain Camp.[9] In August 1922, he performed a marriage ceremony for fellow pilot Lloyd W. Bertaud and Helen Virginia Lent while flying a seaplane over the Hudson River.[10] Maynard was also a frequent speaker in churches.[1]
On September 7, 1922, Maynard was performing a flying exhibition at the Rutland State Fair in Rutland, Vermont. His plane nosedived while attempting a tailspin at a low altitude. His mechanic Charles Mionette and passenger Lieutenant I. R. Wood were killed instantly. Maynard survived the crash, but died before he could be transported to a hospital.[3]
References
- ^ abcMcDannald, Alexander Hopkins, ed. (1923). The Americana Annual: An Encyclopedia of Current Events. The Encyclopedia Americana Corporation. p. 517. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^"Flying Parson Had Danger Job In War". The Boston Globe. October 12, 1919.
- ^ abc"Flying Parson Maynard Killed At Rutland, Vt". Providence News. September 8, 1922. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^"American Flyers First". The Free Lance. September 2, 1919. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^"Lieutenant Maynard Completes Record Dash At Presidio". The Sunday Morning Star. October 12, 1919. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^"Winning Trans-Continental Race Made Maynard Famous". The Boston Globe. September 8, 1922.
- ^Sparks, Jim (May 19, 2008). "Maynard airstrip honored with historic marker". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^"Maynard Quits Air Service". The New York Times. May 9, 1920.
- ^"Concert From Plane Aids Veterans' Camp". The New York Times. April 15, 1922.
- ^"Aviator Wedded While Flying 60 Miles Hour". The Dawson News. August 29, 1922. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
