rss feedA century later, remembering Feng Ru, aviation pioneer on the U.S. West Coast
Considered the father of aviation in China, Feng Ru was the first person to fly a self-propelled, mechanized airplane on the U.S. West Coast - on Sept. 21, 1909. Photo source: earlyaviators.com
The name Feng Ru might not ring a historic bell in the United States.
But as author Bill Wong, who is my uncle, points out, the Chinese-born inventor who once lived in Oakland, Calif. holds a high place among aviators, historians and ordinary people in China – especially as his 100-year-old accomplishment is remembered.
On Sept. 21, 1909, Feng became the first person to fly a self-propelled, mechanized airplane – a biplane – on the U.S. West Coast. He was only 26.
He accomplished this feat over the skies of Piedmont and Oakland, two cities east of San Francisco. He brainstormed and tinkered in a tiny work area in Oakland’s Chinatown or in space in the area.
Community members and historians will gather Saturday at 1 p.m. at Laney College, 900 Fallon St. in Oakland, to remember Feng’s contributions to aviation history. As part of the ceremony, a bronze bust of Feng will be presented.
Historian Patti Gully has said that the United States impressed Feng, who studied machines and mechanical knowledge while he was here. The Wright brothers also were an inspiration.
Feng became so well known that Sun Yat-sen, the founder of modern China, invited him back to the country to continue aviation research.
Today, people in China still refer to Feng as the “Father of Chinese Aviation.”
Feng apparently inspired, at least to an extent, those who started China’s space program.
My uncle, who also is a journalist, notes that the Saturday event commemorating this fascinating slice of history involved a cross-section of community efforts.
In his report, my uncle includes digital reproductions of newspaper articles from the era that covered Feng’s flight. A photo gallery of Feng can be found here.
Feng died in 1912 and is buried in the Guangzhou Uprising Martyrs’ cemetery – a place I actually visited years ago.
But I did not know he was there.
I appreciate that my uncle wrote about this man and told me about Feng’s place in history.
As I’ve said before, exposure broadens the mind.
