HARRY D. COPLAND 1896-1976 AKA Harry Depew Copland

Pioneer Aviator 1917

 

	Biography	Augusta Chronicle Article	Resources

 

HARRY D. COPLAND, PIONEER AVIATOR BY HAROLD E. MOREHOUSE      Harry D. Copland was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, April 17th, 1896, where he attended grade and Rindge Technical schools. He became interested in aviation at an early age and started making model airplanes. This led to his meeting Norman Prince, whose father had given a Chanute-type glider, with which they both made some hops at Franklin Field, Boston in 1909.      Shortly after this his parents moved to Detroit, Michigan, where Copland assisted Herbert Buchbinder in building a Curtiss-type pusher bipand equipped with a 30-40 H.P. maximotor engine. There on August 25th, 1911 Copland made his first straightaway hop with this machine on the Ferry Farm near what is now the intersection of Grand River Avenue and West Grand Boulevard in Detroit. He continued his practice and succeeded in learning to fly. In September, 1911 he qualified for the Aeronautical Society Flying Certificate when he made a brief flight with his plane in a field near the Continental Motors Corporation plane in East Detroit. During this period Copland was also interested in wireless telegraphy and operated an amateur station. from The Early Birds of Aviation CHIRP, January, 1969, Number 75   Editor's Note: If you have any information on this pioneer aviator please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper   Back