HENRY C. "POP" KELLER 1877-1928

Photo Courtesy of Ken Folse

 

	Civilian Flying Instructors 1918	Paul Hemke's Album	Online Resources

 

CIVILIAN FLYING INSTRUCTORS GONE FROM RICH FIELD WACO, TEXAS Departure Was Due to Order of War Department.        On December 3lst, 1918, the remaining four civilian flying instructors at Rich Field were discharged from the service of the United States by a War Department order. They took their last flight, were given a hearty send-off by the officers and enlisted men of the field, and Rich Field knew them no more.        But the honorable record which they have made will stand as long as Rich Field graduates foregather -- and no four names will have more mention in future reunions of flyers from Waco than those of Henry C. (Pop) Keller, George B.(Rock) Weaver, James P. (Jock) McGrath and A. Walter Claverie.

 

Henry C. Keller        Henry C. Keller, dean of them all in point of age, and familiarly known as "Pop" Keller, was born in Pittsburg, Penn., September 14, 1877, and his home address is 3434 Melrose street, Chicago, Ill.        He began building airplanes in 1907, and made his first real flight in 1911, at Cicero Field, Chicago, Ill. He conducted a school st Cicero and at Ashburn Fields from 1911 to 1915, where civilians were taught to fly.        Entering the government service June 8, 1917, at the first government school at Chicago, "Pop" Keller went to Rantoul, Ill., July 1, 1917. In October he was transferred to Mt. Clemens, Mich., and reached Rich Field on December 10, 1917. Last summer "Pop" was promoted from junior civilian flying instructor to senior civilian flying instructor. He was a tester of airplanes from the very first, and almost every ship that Rich Field flew and many of those that will be flown in the coming months he personally tested.        "Pop" Keller tested more than three hundred Rich Field ships. In his experience he has flown ten different types of machines and is regarded as a flyer par excellence.

Photo Courtesy of Ken Folse

 

George E. Weaver        George E. Weaver, called "Buck" by his friends. and pupils, was born in Chicago, Ill., June 14, 1895, and learned to fly in 1914 and 1915 at the Aero Club, of Illinois Field at Chicago. His home address is 7134 Harvard Avenue, Chicago, or Aero Club of Illinois, Auditorium Hotel, Chicago. "Buck" spent three summers on . . .   . . . Rich Field Flyer, undated, p. 40   Editor's Note: The picture and article were kindly submitted by Henry's great-nephew, Ken Folse.

 

October 10, 1917 Photo from collection of Lester Bishop Courtesy of David Balanky

Ashburn Field Photo from collection of Lester Bishop Courtesy of David Balanky

Waco, Tex., 1918 Photo from collection of Lester Bishop Courtesy of David Balanky

 

HENRY KELLER ON THE AeroFiles WEBSITE You will find a reference to Henry on the AeroFiles website. You can visit that reference by clicking on: Henry Keller and using the "Find" function on "Keller" Plan to spend some time on this wonderful site.

 

Henry Keller was killed in a crash, July 12, 1928   Editor's Note: If you have any more information on this Early Bird, please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper   Back