Floyd Bennett

Aviator, born near Warrensburg, New York, USA. He left school at age 17 and ran an automobile garage before enlisting in the US Navy (1917), where he learned to fly. In 1925 he flew with Richard Byrd on an expedition to Greenland, and on 9 May 1926 was at the controls as the two men made the first flight to the North Pole. He received the Congressional Medal of Honor for this feat and became a national hero, but on the early stage of a long-distance flight he died prematurely of pneumonia.

Floyd Bennett (25 October 1890 – 25 April 1928). He served with Byrd on an aviation survey of Greenland in 1925, where Byrd came to respect Bennett's abilities as a pilot.

Byrd named Bennett as his pilot for an attempt to reach the North Pole by air in 1926. During a practice takeoff with Bennett alone in the heavily-laden airplane, a ground loop injured Bennett severely and badly damaged the airplane.

Aviation Machinist Bennett died at Quebec, Canada, 25 April, 1928 from pneumonia that developed following extensive injuries from that crash. Byrd was devastated by the loss of Bennett, blaming himself for Bennett's death.

Floyd Bennett Field, New York City's first municipal airport, and the destroyer, USS Bennett (DD-473), were named in his honor.