 | ||
| First | Prev. |  |
Next |
| Lieutenant Erik Nelson, 36, was pilot of the New Orleans. Born in Sweden, he sailed twice around
the world before coming to the U.S. in 1909 at age 21. Highly experienced as a young seaman, he captained large
racing sailboats and luxurious motor yachts for wealthy Americans and spent 1911 at the Indian Harbor Yacht Club
in Greenwich, CT before becoming a swimming instructor in New York City. He became a U.S. citizen in 1914 and
traveled to Florida with his cousin to start an automobile and aircraft repair shop which was not successful.
After several rejections, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Service upon its entry in the Great War. He was quickly
recognized as a brilliant engineer, mechanic, and pilot, and became a bomber flight instructor. As engineering
officer on the first successful flight to Alaska in 1919, he had been prepared to continue that flight around
the world before it was recalled by the U.S. State Department. Nelson was analytical and logical, with an
intuitive practical understanding of the aeronautical requirements of long distance flights. | ||
|
|
||
 Home |
||
| 1803 Lindbergh Lane, Port Orange, FL 32128 Tel: (386) 795-1062 email:info@firstworldflight.com | ||