GUATEMALA 1914-1915

Dante Nannini Sandoval & C. Murvin Wood      This photo is from my files. The date is June 30th, 1914 during the official start of the aviation school. Nannini is the second from left and Murvin Wood is the first from right. The place is Campo Marte in Guatemala City Collection of Carlos Escalante, 7-20-06

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES via email from Juan Manuel Quesada F. 11-11-04      Nannini Sandoval returned to Guatemala, along with the Moisant instructor Murvin C. Wood and the mechanic E.N. Bang, to establish the first aviation school in Guatemala. From June 30, 1914 to June 1915, he made several flights in a Blériot XI aeroplane, which he had bought from Moisant, thus becoming the first Guatemalan to fly solo in our country. When Nannini Sandoval and Murvin C. Wood retired after June 30 of 1915, Shakir Saliba Jerwan, who had been an instructor for Moisant, came to Guatemala where he continued teaching in a Blériot XI until June 30 of 1918. ( date absolutely confirmed )      However, the accident that Jerwan had in Guatemala, happened not in a Blériot XI, but in an airplane re-constructed in Guatemala from the remains of a Nieuport, which had also been purchased from Moisant.      In 1916, Minerly Wilson, another U.S.A. pilot, came to Guatemala to show a new airplane, the "Moisant Blue Bird", but the ceiling of this airplane was 3,600 ft., and our city is at 5,000 ft., so he crashed and suffered serious injuries.

 

NANNINI SANDOVAL - 1914      This photograph was taken in Guatemala during the fiestas patrias on June 30, 1914, when the president of Guatemala, Dr. Manuel Estrada Cabrera, congratulated C. Murvin Wood and Nannini Sandoval for the flights they made that day.       Nannini Sandoval put "SMILING" on the photograph below which reflected their feelings on that day.      The photograph was published in the " Diario de Centroamérica" newspaper of July 3, 1914

 

C. MURVIN WOOD - 1914      Wood can be seen hatless near the center of the crowd. The photo was taken on the same occasion as the one above.

 

GUATEMALA - 1914 Photos and comments in Spanish courtesy of Juan Manuel Quesada F.      Estas dos fotografías fueron tomadas en Guatemala durante las fiestas patrias del 30 de Junio de 1914, cuando el presidente de Guatemala Dr. Manuel Estrada Cabrera felicitaba a Murvin C. Wood y a Nannini Sandoval por los vuelos que efectuaron ese día. Murvin C. Wood se encuentra en la fotografía No. 62 y Nannini en la No. 55.      Nannini Sandoval le ponía "RISUEÑO" a algunas fotografías que sin duda han de haber sido las de su predilección.      La fotografía de Nannini fue publicada en el " Diario de Centroamérica" del 3 de Julio de 1914 del que te mandaré copia cuando te envíe más fotografías. Al ver dicho diario, me sorprendí de que la misma fotografía aún la conservaba yo. Juan Manuel Quesada F. 5ª. Calle 35-22 zona 11, Utatlán II Guatemala, Centro América Tel. 54394611

 

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