Philip Orin Parmelee

Philip Orin Parmelee, a noted early aviator born in 1887 in Matherton, Michigan, grew up in nearby St. Johns in Clinton County, where his interest in mechanical devices led him to join the Ohio flying school run by Orville and Wilbur Wright. After training, he became a famous flier for the Wright Exhibition Team and achieved several firsts in aviation, becoming the first pilot to transport merchandise, drop live test bombs from a plane, and search from the air for criminals. Nicknamed "Skyman," he held world endurance, speed, and altitude records and performed at flying exhibitions until he was killed in a plane crash during a flight on June 1, 1912, in North Yakima, Washington. He was buried in East Plains Cemetery in Clinton County. Through constant experimentation with primitive planes, Parmelee and other early fliers helped advance the science of aviation that became the forerunner of today's sophisticated and safe air travel.

Lansing, Michigan · United States