Today is ‘National Aviation Day’

ALASKA — The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities will celebrate the history and development of aviation in Alaska today by observing National Aviation Day on Aug. 19.

On July 3, 1913, Aviators James and Lilly Martin demonstrated the first aircraft flight in Alaska when they introduced the “Martin Tractor Aeroplane” in Fairbanks. The biplane was shipped from Seattle to Skagway by steamship and then to Whitehorse on the White Pass Railroad. From there, it went down the Yukon River, then up the Tanana River to Chena and on to Fairbanks via the Chena Slough. Hundreds of onlookers gathered at a Fairbanks ballpark to watch Martin fly over Fairbanks at an altitude of 200 feet and speeds of up to 45 miles per hour. While not a financial success, the event increased public awareness of aviation in Alaska.

The ADOT&PF Division of Statewide Aviation has released two videos illustrating the vital lifeline aviation provides for communities statewide and demonstrating some of the unique project and fiscal challenges faced while developing aviation infrastructure in Alaska. Both videos can be viewed online at bit.ly/1pAEC1F, or bit.ly/1oKpPTo.

Organizations promoting aviation history year-round include the Alaska Aviation Museum in Anchorage and the Pioneer Air Museum in Fairbanks.