Allen P Bourdon (1888-1972) was an aviation pioneer and WWI instructor pilot; he also flew with Amelia Earhart. He moved to RI in 1917 to learn to fly at Gallaudet Aviation in East Greenwich. He became a designer and test pilot for Gallaudet and later set up his own manufacturing plant at Hillsgrove. Bourdon Aircraft Corporation produced the Kitty Hawk in 1928, the first commercial aircraft built in New England. He was a Vermont native who had a lengthy career as a Civil Aeronautics Board accident investigator.
Bourdon was the recipient of the 2022 Galkin Award, named for the RI Aviation Hall of Fame’s most generous benefactors. This award, first given in 2017, is named after Warren and the late Robert Galkin, and is given to an individual whose contribution to aviation includes an advancement of the field though technology, design, implementation, exploration, bold initiative or risk-taking.
