|
FIRST
FEARLESS FLIGHT REMEMBERED
Duluth
One -
The Beginning of Duluth’s Aviation History
Duluth
One
started bravely from the ice on the lake on February 26, 1913.
Near the immediate vicinity of Third Avenue East, pilot Rosto
"rose like one of the early spring birds. He went for a
quarter of a mile and the flying was fine, if rather cold."
Duluth Herald Feb. 27, 1913
Oliver
Andre Rosto is Duluth’s first pilot and aircraft designer. Of
Norwegian dissent, Ole Augustinussen Rosto arrived in America
aboard the RMS Celtic of the White Star Line. Just 21 years old,
he entered the port of New York to pursue the promise of
America. He settled in Duluth at 1012 East First Street, what is
now St. Luke’s Hospital, with his new name, Oliver Andre Rosto.
He lived in Duluth from 1907 to 1917. He then went to Europe to
train pilots for war effort.
From
1907 to 1913, he designed and built the Rosto monoplane in the
Duluth YMCA and the Duluth Auditorium. The monoplane was made
with hickory, elm, silk, rubber, piano wire, and a Curtis 45
horsepower motor. Rosto is believed to be one of the first
designers to cover an aircraft fuselage. The 1913 cost of the
monoplane was $1,500 or $44,000 in current dollars.
During
the winter of 1913, he successfully made 12 flights from skis
off the frozen Duluth harbor and Lake Superior. There were no
airports and the ice on St. Louis Bay and Lake Superior became
his runway. His monoplane reached a speed of 40 mph and a height
of 100 feet. He christened his monoplane Duluth One after
his new country and home.
Rosto
is an "Early Bird of Aviation", one of only 600
international pilots who flew before 1916. His pilot license is
number 131.
He
continued his aviation career after his war service. From 1922
to 1953, he worked for the Civil Aeronautics Administration. The
dynamic new aircraft industry and economy needed organization
and oversight.
He christened his monoplane
Duluth One after
his new country and home.
In
1952, Rosto was decorated "The Civil Aeronautics
Administration Medal for Distinguished Service to International
Aviation". In 1954, he was awarded the "American Order
of Merit" for his contributions to civil aviation. From
1930 to 1950, he was a member of the United States Air Force
Reserve and retired a Colonel. He died at the age of 90 from a
stroke.
The
legacy of the Oliver Rosto and the Duluth One is a
pioneering spirit, a visionary perspective, and a lifetime of
achievement.
|
