Events in the History of Flight
in New Hampshire

1850: July 4, 1850 Balloonist Eugene Goddard made an ascension over Manchester on the back of a horse

1860: Thaddeous S.C. Lowe flew balloons for the Union Army during the American Civil War

1903: The Wright Brothers make the first flight

1910: The first flight in New Hampshire at the Rochester Fair.

1911: June 19, 1911 Harry Atwood flew a Burgess-Wright bi-plane from Waltham, MA to Nashua, Manchester and Concord .

1913: Miss Ruth Bancroft Law, world's record for an Aviatrix. 5,500 feet made daily flights at the Rochester Fair.

1917: Lt. Thomas E.P. Rice of Meredith instructs French & American pilots in combat flying

1918: New Hampshire sends one hundred and seventy six aviators to serve in World War l

1918: Wylie Apte Sr. of Conway flew at the front in France

Walter Armory of Walpole was shot down while searching for a friend behind German Lines

William H. Cheny of Peterborough St. Lt. A.S. , SORC first American to win the Italian military Flying Beret.

Willis D. Thompson Jr. of Concord served in the Naval Air Corps, France

Robert S. Fogg became the instructor of advances flying and aerobatics in the U.S. Signal Corps

1919: May Lt. Albert Cushing Read of Lyme was named to command NC-4 on the first transatlantic flight

1920: July 4, 1920. Robert C. Fogg becomes the first resident of NH to own an airplane and lands in Concord in his Canadian WW I "Jenny"

Robert C. Fogg opens the first fixed base operation in NH at the National Guard Muster Grounds in Concord.

A local aviation committee in Concord is formed to raise money to purchase and "aviation field."

The state's first airport was developed at the State Muster Grounds on the Merrimack River in Concord

1923: The Balsams Resort Hotel becomes the first corporate aircraft owner flying three Curtiss Orioles from Garden City to Dixville Notch delivering fresh fish, fresh cut flowers and newspapers from Boston, New York and Philadelphia in time for breakfast.

Robert C. Fogg establishes Winnipesaukee Aire Service, Inc. Sea plane base at the Wiers and was granted the country's first RFD airmail service contract.

1926: Concord Airport Corporation is formed and petitions state legislature and effective council for use of property for concord airport.

1927: July 25, 1927 Charles Lindbergh lands at Concord in the Spirit of St. Louis on his U.S. tour .

Aug 2, 1927 Manchester Mayor and aldermen approve $15,000 loan for the construction of MHT.

October, Board of Recreation and Aviation is formed in Manchester

The first passenger airplane lands at MHT Bob Fogg pilot, James O'Neil passenger

1928: Asahel Putnam forms the NH Aviation and Marine CO. In Keene

Lee D. Bowman starts flight operations at Twin Mountain.
Russell Hilliard launched the first scheduled air service in the state with his partner E.L. Gadbois.

First hangar at Concord is built.

Northeast Airways makes the first round Trip flight from Concord to Manchester, to Boston.

1929:Lillian Putnam becomes the first female licensed pilot in NH.

Bernice Blake becomes the first female licensed commercial pilot in NH.

NH State Legislature passes the Federal Air Commerce Act and the right of municipalities to take land needed for airports by eminent domain and to register aircraft and airmen.

The NH Public Service Commission is empowered with regulating aeronautics.

1930:
August 1, 1930 Public Service Commission records the first number of airmen and aircraft in NH totaling 55 pilots and 48 aircraft.

Russell Hilliard is instructing aeronautics at UNH a

1931 :NH State Legislature requires that all landing fields used for commercial operations be registered.

24 airports are registered in the state.

1932: Pete Goldsmith opens and FBO at Manchester

1933: Amelia Earhart lands in Manchester

The first state airport engineer Russell Hilliard is hired the guide the development of airports.

1934: Nashua establishes an aviation commission and Construction begins for Nashua airport

Ten municipal airports were funded under the ERA and CWA programs.

Jan 1934 Laconia dedicates funds for the purchase of an airfield on Belknap county farm land

1936: Aviation Syndicate of Concord sell the land to the City.

1937:Construction of the present Concord Airport facility begins.

Site is chosen by the State to construct an airfield in Lebanon

1938: First national celebration of air mail see: Postage stamp of air over Manchester.

1939: NH State Legislature passes the Aeronautics Act expanding the work of the engineer of Public Works Division.

Concord, Nashua and Manchester have paved runways and considered safe for commercial use.

Russell Hilliard becomes ground instructor for the CPT program at St. Anselm's College in Manchester.

1940: Lee Bowman opens a FBO at Keene

October 3, 1940 The War Dept names Manchester Municipal Airport as an Army Air Corps Base.

1941: Jan 1, 1941 civilian operations cease as the U.S. Air Force takes over MHT

May 1941 the first enlisted men arrive at Manchester

Dec. 6, 1941 the first squadron of A-20 attack aircraft arrive at Manchester

Jan 1941 construction of Laconia Airport begins

The General Court establishes the NH Aeronautics Commission to direct the progress of aviation and interest airlines in providing scheduled passenger service.

Winter: Air Force B-18 crashes on Mount Waternomee

1942: Jan 2, 1942 Alma Gallagher solos at Laconia airfield

Aug 4, 1942 Bill Champlain moves his FBO from Portsmouth to Skyhaven.

Lebanon votes to purchase 750 acres of land for $26,900 to construct an airport

Construction of Keene Airport begins

Jan 23, 1942, Manchester Airport is renamed Grenier Field by the War Dept.

1943: Concord terminal building housing FAA Flight Service and the National Weather Service was constructed.

Nashua airport is re-dedicated and named Boire Field in honor of Ensign Paul Boire first Nashua casualty in WWII

November Keene airport is officially opened

1944: Lee Bowman moves his FBO to Keene Airport

1945: Hampton Airfield opens
Skyhaven Airfield in Rochester opens

1946: Richard Putnam of Hanover forms Dartmouth Airways and offers charter flights from Lebanon airport.

Berlin Airport provides services in the area north of Mt. Washington

Northeast Airlines provides the first scheduled service from Berlin

NH Air National Guard is established

Daniel Webster Airways in Merrimack is incorporated

1947: Cooney Atherton becomes the first FBO at Lebanon Airport.

Betty Condict operated the Bass Point Seaplane Base on Blaisdell Lane with Lillian Putnam as the flight instructor.

Hooksett Airfield opens

1952: May 1952, House Armed Services Committee approved construction of Portsmouth Air Force Base in the city of Portsmouth and the town of Newington

1953: May: Eight jet fighters salute the Convocation of UNH at Durham with a fly by.

Jan 6, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, Chairman of Eastern Airways and World War II Veteran aviator, sent snow gathered from the mountains of New Hampshire to the Capital island of San Juan to give children there a "White Christmas."

1954: A new world helicopter altitude record of 24,000 ft. Has been set by the XH-39 Sikorsky helicopter, piloted by Warrant Officer, Billy W.O. Webster. A new helicopter speed record is also set by the same pilot at 156.05 mph in August, 1954
Dec. 1, 1954 Northeast Airlines DC-3 crashes on approach to Berlin.

1955: Shirley Mahn comes to Whitefield to set up a FBO
and become the airport manager

1956: June 30, 1956 Portsmouth Air Force Base officially opens

The 100th BMW arrives at Portsmouth Air Force Base

1957: Lebanon Municipal Airport is rated the "Busiest" in NH for passenger travel.

The Aviation Association of NH is founded in Concord.

1958: September 7, 1958 Portsmouth Air Force base is renamed Pease Air Force Base in honor of Capt. Harl
Pease, JR.

December 1958: the 509th Bombardment Wing arrives at Pease Air Force Base.

1959: NH General; Court passes legislation creating the Lebanon Regional Airport Authority.

NH State Legislate established the Manchester Airport Authority to operate the facility as a civilian airport.

Feb 21, 1959 three physicians are killed in a crash at Berlin on their way to visit a patient.

1960: Winnipesaukee Aviation launches scheduled commuter service to Boston

Aug. 19, 1960 Doc Martin dies in a crash on Mr. Kearsarge

1961: Nashua Airport Authority is established

December Roscoe Ammon Terminal is opened at MHT

Alan Shepard from Derry becomes the first American in space

1962: Roger Crowley becomes the second director of NH Aeronautics Commission

Judge Kenneth McLaughlin of Nashua founds Hawthorne College in Antrim to become the first college in NH offering coursed in aeronautics

1963: March 31, 1963 The Boston Air Traffic Control Center is opened in Nashua

1965: New England Aeronautical Institute is founded on Nashua Airport

1966: NH Air National Guard moves from Manchester to Pease Air Force Base.

1967: Daniel Webster Junior College is founded in Nashua

1968: John Sweeney becomes the third director of NH Aeronautics Commission

Aug. 25, 1968 the worst disaster in NH aviation history: Northeast Airlines Yellowbird FH-227 crashed on Moose Mountain killing 32 people.

1970: NH State Legislature enacts The Airports and Airways Development Act; The Air service Deregulation Act authored by John Sweeney, director of the NH Aeronautics Commission.

NH State Legislature creates the Department of Transportation and the Division of Aeronautics to serve as a liaison between those involved in aviation and the D.O.T.

1971: International convention of the Ninety Nines is held at Bretton Woods

1972: Nashua tower is constructed and dedicated to Nicholas Tamposi

1975: March 5, 1975 Mary "Babs" Nutt of Etna sets a world record reaching an altitude of 35, 463 feet over Pike's Peak in her multi-place Schweizer 2-32.

1978: MHT is renamed MHT

Daniel Webster Junior College and New England Aeronautical Institute merge to become Daniel Webster College offering bachelor of science degrees in aeronautics.

1981: August 31, 1981 263 of the 318 air traffic control agents strike at Nashua Boston Center

1985: New Maintenance hangar is constructed at Nashua and dedicated to Kenneth C. Howe.

1984: Christa McAulliffe from Concord was chosen to become the first teacher in space.

Production of the Great Lakes is attempted in Claremont

1987: Hawthorne College closes

1990: June 1, 1990 NH State Legislature passed law creating the Pease Development Authority.

1991: March 31, 1991 Pease Air Force Base is scheduled to close

1993: MHT new terminal is built

October Lt. Col. Richard Searfoss pilots the space shuttle Columbia