Centennial Remembrance for "The Boy Aviator" Thaddeus Kerns
Tuesday, July 16th, marked the centennial of Thaddeus Kerns' tragic accident in Chico, California. He was 19 years old at the time of his death in 1913 and had become world famous as probably the youngest aviator in the entire United States at the time. Having built an airplane himself at 17 years old, he went on to build two more and competed at many aviation exhibitions in California and across the midwest, inspiring many young people and children alike - the next generation of aviators. Very few "non-aviators" realize the dangers these pioneer aviators faced every time they flew. Remembering his love for flight and the centennial of his all-to-early "flight west" has prompted me to share part of his story here.
My connection: Thaddeus was my great-grandfather's brother, and I grew up with my grandpa telling me what he knew regarding our "family legend." Before my grandfather's passing, he gave me a momento that once belonged to Thaddeus, and I have kept it with a booklet published in 1972 about Thaddeus' life. Recently, a family relative has researched across the United States and found even more articles and photos about this "legend." Several aviation museums have assisted us and are archiving his story for others to read about. His story has even inspired me to dream of flying, and a childhood dream of mine was to visit EAA Oshkosh, having read about it in a Boys Life magazine in the early 1970's. My family moved from California to Wisconsin in 2004, and I have made it a point to attend EAA Oshkosh every year, and even became a member of EAA two years ago. A "Google" search of "Thaddeus Kerns" will yield many informative articles and pictures about this "Boy Aviator" and his love of flying. Perhaps one day someone in my family will be able to carry on this wonderful legacy and inspire others to fly as Thaddeus did.
