Arizona, pilots, and flying oh my!!

1883-1966

Robert Grant Fowler: The First to Cross the U.S. by Air

Robert Grant Fowler was the first person to travel across the United States by air, from the West Coast to the East Coast.

On October 25, 1911, Robert Grant Fowler became the first pioneer aviator to land in Arizona. He touched down in what is now Yuma, Arizona, flying a Wright Model B, which he called the “Cole Flyer.” He purchased the aircraft from Orville and Wilbur Wright, who also taught him how to fly it.

Fowler began his journey in Santa Monica, California, and during the flight, he decided to land in Yuma near a ballpark between 1st and 3rd Streets on 4th Avenue. After staying in Yuma for about four days, he took off again on a downhill run on 3rd Street, with the help of local residents. Forty-nine days later, Fowler landed on the East Coast at San Pablo Beach, Florida, becoming the first pilot to traverse the country.

Fowler was also the first person to make a nonstop transcontinental flight over the strip of land between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, known today as Panama, famous for the Panama Canal. During his April 27, 1913, flight from the Pacific to the Atlantic, Fowler was accompanied by Ray Duhem, who filmed the journey. Duhem’s footage included scenes of the unfinished Panama Canal, which were later turned into the movie Panama and the Canal from an Aeroplane.

Though the film was groundbreaking, it stirred up trouble because the Panama Canal was a military project at the time. However, the case against Fowler and Duhem was eventually dropped due to a lack of evidence.

Fowler went on to operate flying schools, manage public airports, and even design and manufacture his own planes. In 1915, he teamed up with Edward Lowe Jr. and Charles F. Willard to establish the Lowe, Willard & Fowler Engineering Company in Long Island, New York, which manufactured airplanes. A year later, Fowler and Willard left the company, and the name was shortened to L-W-F Engineering Company. The company didn’t last long, as Edward Lowe took full control due to his role in financing the business.

In 1918, while still involved in aviation during World War I, Fowler founded The Fowler Airplane Corporation in San Francisco. Located on Howard Street, the company produced Curtiss JN-4D models for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Unfortunately, a fire destroyed the building, and the company relocated to Folsom Street before dissolving in March 1921.

During this period of his life, Robert married Leonore around 1920.

Fifty-two years later, Fowler returned to Yuma for the dedication and unveiling of a monument in his honor. Today, a historic marker commemorating the “100th Anniversary of Flight in Yuma” stands in front of the Yuma Landing Restaurant—the very site of Fowler’s original touchdown.

On June 15, 1966, Robert Grant Fowler passed away at his home in San Jose, California, due to a heart attack. He is buried in Santa Clara, California.

Fun Facts:

• Panama and the Canal from an Aeroplane is a silent film that captured the construction of the Panama Canal.

• Charles Willard had worked for Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, as well as Aeromarine.

• You can see the Fowler-Gage biplane at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.