Barrington natives James Allen (1824-1897) and his younger brother Ezra Allen (1840 – 1902) distinguished themselves through a lifelong commitment to aeronautics in the 19th century.
James & Ezra Allen
Richard Warren Blackman
Alabama-born Richard Warren Blackman (1939—2013) made a major contribution to aviation in RI through
his lengthy service with the Civil Air Patrol (CAP).
RADM Richard E. Byrd Jr.
Richard E. Byrd (1888-1957), after retiring early from the Navy in 1916 because of an ankle injury, was assigned to be the Inspector-Instructor of the RI Naval Militia in 1916. He supervised the Militia’s acquisition of its first seaplane, and helped usher this state into military aviation. He then became the Militia’s last commander, serving […]
Civil Air Patrol (CAP)
The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a congressionally chartered, federally supported non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded membership that includes people from all backgrounds, lifestyles, and occupations. In 2017, RIAHOF helped to honor the RI CAP on […]
Edson Fessenden Gallaudet
Edson Fessenden Gallaudet (1871-1945), Aviation Pioneer/Aircraft Manufacturer In 1898, four years before the Wright Brothers, he constructed and flew a glider, now in the Smithsonian, which embodied the principle of the warping wing. In 1911 he learned to fly at the Wright school, earning US pilot’s license #32 and a similarly low number in France. […]
CW5 (Ret) Joseph A. Lopes, USA
RI Army National Guard helicopter and fixed wing pilot; during the Vietnam War he flew clandestine CIA missions in Laos with Air America for six years. After civilian postings to Iran and Saudi Arabia, he finished his career as Maintenance Officer for Army Aviation. He accrued more than 11,000 flight hours over his 43 years […]
LT George Merlyn Power O’Keefe, RFC
LT George Merlyn Power O’Keefe, RFC (1898-1954) Royal Flying Corps reconnaissance and observation pilot, World War I; early proponent of aviation in RI; Office of Price Administration automotive manager for RI during WWII. Prominent auto dealer and political influencer.
LT Norman Prince
LT Norman Prince (1887-1916) was the 55th American to earn a pilot’s license (1911). He is best known as one of the founders of the famed Lafayette Escadrille, the group of American volunteer pilots who flew for France before the US entered World War I.
Richmond Viall
Richmond Viall (1896-1973) was born in Providence on June 26, 1896; his father was second-in-command at Brown & Sharpe Manufacturing Company when it was a global force in the machine tools business. He attended Williams College, but left in 1917 to join the British forces in Canada. He joined the Royal Canadian Flying Corps as […]