JOHN SCHWISTER 1882-1927

John Schwister Contributor Bob Wylie from Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame

 

WISCONSIN'S FIRST HOME-BUILT FLYING MACHINE

On June 23, 1911, near this location, Wasau native John Schwister became a pioneer of Wisconsin aviation. Research indicates that on this date Schwister flew the state's first home- built airplane capable of sustained, powered flight. Constructed of wooden ribs covered with light cotton cloth and powered by an early-model aircraft engine, Schwister's biplane flew for several hundred feet at a mmaximum altitude of twenty feet. Calling his plane the Minnesota-Badger, Schwister began the design and constructon of his "flying machine" in St. Paul, Minnesota, but finished it in Rothschild, Wisconsin. Initially, Schwister flight-tested his biplane as a glider, towing it behind an automobile like a kite. He also built his own airplane hangar here. Schwister made many flights in 1911, including a 27-mile flight in which he soared to 2,000 feet, higher than nearby Rib Montain. In 1912, Schwister was seriously injured in a plane crash, yet he continued to construct and fly his own airplanes making he Wisconsin's first- successful "home-builder." WAHF photo by Rose Dorcey from Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame>

 

Schwister Badger Biplane Kirkham Motor Collection of J. B. Blanchard, 10-12-07

 

Schwister Badger Biplane Collection of J. B. Blanchard, 10-18-07

 

Crash of Schwister's Biplane - 1912 Collection of J. B. Blanchard, 10-18-07

 

ONLINE RESOURCES      If you search for "John Schwister " +aviation, using the Google search engine, (10-12-07), you will find about 43 links, all them being very helpful.

 

John Schwister      This page on the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame website offers three beautiful photographs of John and his plane, along with a brief biography of his life and career. You can access the site by clicking on the title above.      If you are not already familiar with this site, and if time permits, I suggest that you sample some of its offerings and enjoy the many resources it provides. If you click on the "Hall of Fame" banner, you will find a list of some 64 honorees, some with familiar names, many others relatively obscure, all of them worthy of note.

 

John Schwister died in 1927

 

If you have any information on this pioneer aviator please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper

 

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