One 100th Anniversary of the 1911 Vin Fiz celebration
Aim : A Historic Celebration of the First airplane , the Vin Fiz, to fly across the continent .The Vin Fiz’s first landing was in Middletown, New York , Sept 17,1911
Date for Celebration- Sat and Sunday, Sept 17 and 18, 2011 ( exactly 100 years )
Focal Point of Celebration –The Vin Fiz replica antique airplane from Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome Museum
Location – The Galleria Mall, Crystal Run, Middletown on the 2nd floor ,in front of Dick’s Sporting Goods
There will be special Events at the Centennial Celebration at the Galleria Mall to celebrate the lst coast to coast flight of the Vin Fiz
Handouts of the history of the Vin Fiz and Cal Rodgers will be given out
Dvd about the history of the Vin Fiz and Cal Rodgers will be shown .
CDs of the music of 1911 “the Sound of 1911” will be played.
Also additional events
OCCC band will perform a concert of early 1900 ‘s music at the Galleria Mall,
OCCC Engineering students will display a l0 ft model of Vin Fiz which they constructed. Professor Wolbeck will also speak about the Vin Fiz
There will be choral groups singing popular songs circa 1911 and the Aviation Rag ( ragtime music) dedicated to Cal Rodgers.
There will be a Lecture and slide presentation by physicist teacher and researcher James LLoyd who flew Cal Rodgers route across the U.S at the 75th anniversary in 1986
Local Author, Vincent Begley will speak about his new book “Flying Lessons” at the Mall. The book tells the story of Calbraith Perry Rodgers and the airplane race to reach the coast . A 12 year old Middletown student Joe , follows this contest with his classmates in Middletown. Although Joe is a fictional character the recounting of the Coast to Coast air race, Cal Rodgers the pilot of the Vin Fiz and many of the characters in the book were real people who lived in Middletown in 1911. This book is appropriate for Middle School and Elementary Schools and will educate and involve the students in the celebration.
Contact # 845-651-0051 ,Edward Dubin, 139 Village Drive, Florida, New York, 10921
eldubin@optonline.net Web site( a work in progress) www.vinfizcentennial.com
The story of the lst Transcontinental Flight 1911 Vin Fiz, the aeroplane
Clabraith P Rodgers – the aviator
Sept 17,2011 is the 100th year anniversary of the flight of the Vin Fiz. In 1911 William Randolph Hearst put up a $50,000 prize for the first airplane pilot to fly from coast to coast in 30 days. Calbraith Rodgers was the only one to fly from coast to coast in his airplane, named the Vin Fiz.It was so named because the Armour Meat Company was promoting a new soft drink called Vin Fiz.The airplane was a flying billboard , a first in commercial advertizing. The Vin Fiz was accompanied by a train with a box car full of spare parts and mechanics. The last car contained the living quarters for Cal, his wife and mother. Calbraith Rodgers was a direct descendant of 2 naval commanders, Oliver Hazard Perry famous for the the Battle of Lake Erie , War of 1812 and Matthew Calbraith Perry, who was sent by President Fillmore in 1853 to open Japan to western trade in 1852.On Sunday, Sept 17,1911 the Vin Fiz took off from a racetrack in Sheepshead Bay . Brooklyn and landed in Middletown , 2 hours later ,to a crowd of 9,000 at a racetrack called the Pleasure Grounds,now the intersection of Bennet and Dolson Ave. Cal Rodgers planned to navigate across the country by following the railroad tracks ( the Iron Compass) which lead from Middletown to California. On Sunday morning, Sept 18 he took off from the Pleasure Grounds, and crashed after a short flight ,into a chicken coop at the backyard of a house at 92 Fulton Street. It took 4 days to rebuild the airplane and for Cal to recover from the crash. Forty nine days later he landed in Passadena, California after having made some 80 landings and 15 crashes across the U.S but Cal still had not reached the Pacific On route to his last destination , Long Beach , California he crashed again at Compton suffering serious damage to himself and the Vin Fiz . Three weeks later he finally was able to fly to Long Beach , California and the Pacific Ocean. His coast to coast flight had taken 84 days and he had flown a distance of 4,231 miles . Calbraith Perry Rodgers had become famous. His picture was on the front pages of all the newspapers, he received a medal from President Taft and he lead the Rose Bowl Parade. However, several months later he was killed flying over the California Coast when a seagull became embedded in the plane’s engine. The first successful coast to coast flight led to the development of our commercial aviation industry and our airforce and is an example of American Exceptionalism.
This event received world wide coverage by the Hearst newspaper chain and in some ways was a rehearsal for the Lindbergh flight in 1927. Middletown played a pivotal role in this historic event.
As a result of the publicity surrounding the flight ,people all over the world became aware of Middletown and its location . A Centennial Celebration planned for Sat, Sept 17 & Sun Sept 18,2011 of this historic event will again put Middletown in the news.
Why do we want to celebrate this event?
1.We want everyone to learn about the first coast to coast flight of the Vin Fiz,an important event in American and Aviation history which lead to the development of airplanes and airports
2.We would like everyone to learn about Calbraith Rodgers who was a great American hero
and should be listed in the annuals of American history along with Charles Lindbergh,
Chuck Yeager and Neil Armstrong
3.It happened right here in Middletown, New York, The City of Middletown played a pivotal par tin early pioneer aviation. The first landing of the Vin Fiz was in Middletown on Sept 17,1911.
Most important we hope to educate young people about the achievements of the past and inspire them to want a career in science, engineering, aero-nautical engineering and aero space.
Contributors, Ed Bloomfield,real estate, William Siegel, PCA, Jonah Mandelbaum,MJJCrp Grant from The Orange County Historian,Cornelia Bush &Retired Historian, Ted Sly, June Simpson,Retired Nurse and Pilot Dee Dee Backus, Minisink Historical Association, Half Moon Post Card Club Patricia M Carroll,Women’s Club, Middletown
Supporters
Rosa Boyd,Past Director of the Interactive Museum , Middletown, Barbara Holtzman, Director, Einstein Interactive, Marie Pillmeier,Educator, John Ward, Supervisor, Town of Wallkill LouisaM Ingrassia, Town of Wallkill, Town Clerk Mayor DeStefano of the City of Middletown,Orange County Legislators, Dan Depew, Jeff Berkman, Assemblywoman Annie Rabbitt, Congressman Ben Gilman, Supt of Middletown Schools, Richard Del Moro,
Asst Supt of Schools Middletown, Dr. Bill Richards, President of Orange County Community College and Mike Albright Public Relations OCCC,Town of Wallkill Historical Association,President Dan Dirr , Past President, Howard Card,
Middletown Historian ,Peter Laskaris, Henry Gitner Philatelists Inc, Vincent Begley, author of children’s books,Judge Peter Barlett, Atty., Kimberly Harrison, Director of Marketing, The Galleria Mall at Crystal Run,& Mgr of GalleriaMall, Kevin Kennedy
James Lloyd –Professor Nano Technology,Albany ( flew Cal Rodgers route across the U.S. on the 75th anniversary in the Vin Fiz 11) in 1986, Middletown,Times Herald Record, reporter Heather Yakin and Free lance author and member of the Orange County Pilots Association, Gloria Smith,.Orange County Pilots Association,
Special Thanks to Dan Depew . Legislator for the Town of Wallkill, airplane enthusiast Mgr of Wurtsboro Airport and candidate for Supervisor, Town of Wallkill, for his innovative ideas and many efforts and help. in planning the Vin Fiz Centennial Celebration, to be held on Sept 17 & 18th in Middletown, New York. at the Galleria Mall .