EDITOR, The Tribune.
Thank you for your Editorial (Tribune, Feb 25, 2014) about Bahamian-born Dr Albert E “Bert” Forsyth, who made aviation history, at 5:54pm on November 9, 1934, when he landed his Lambert Monocoupe, single-engine landplane, on a road in Westward Villas. Bert’s co-pilot was a very accomplished American, named Charles Alfred “Chief” Anderson, who is recognised as “The Father of Black Aviation”.
The United States Postal Service has just issued a brand new postage stamp, in recognition of “Chief’ Anderson’s contributions to aviation, and I thank you for supporting my hope that our fellow Bahamians will find a way to acknowledge the pioneer achievement of Bert Forsyth.
In 1903, the Wright Brothers flew for the first time, but New Providence didn’t have a land airport until January 8, 1940, when Oakes Field opened (although the Bahamas Airways Douglas Dolphin had already made a test-landing there, on November 27, 1939). Before that, seaplanes and amphibians were the flying workhorses of the Bahamas, operating from the Pan American base, on the shoreline, just west of the Sir Sidney Poitier bridge.
When Bert and “Chief’” landed, on terra firma, they were feted as the first pilots to land ON the island and the first blacks to be received at Government House, where they were photographed with HE The Governor, Sir Bede Clifford. Since your Editorial brought this to the public eye, I have received several phone calls and emails, mostly from friends and relatives of Bert Forsyth’s, agreeing that he deserves public recognition; a bust or, better still, a statue, at our new airport, being considered most-appropriate. Failing that, a postage stamp. Wouldn’t it be fitting to issue that stamp on November 9, 2014, the 80th anniversary?
May I use your columns to ask the public to support this proposal?
PAUL C ARANHA
Bahamas Pilot Licence #34
Nassau,
February 27, 2014.
Comments
Required 10 years, 1 month ago
Forsyth and Anderson cannot have been the first pilots landing ON the island of New Providence, and it may also be inaccurate to call Oakes Field the first land airport.
On November 10th, 1934, The Tribune reports their arrival as follows: "Straight as a bullet came the bird of peace, the flyers displaying unusual navigation skill which was only to be equalled a minute later by what has been described as the most magnificent landing witnessed in Nassau on a difficult field which has been the scene of several catastrophes in the daylight."
The field was named Westward Villas Flying Field.
Surely, this is more than just a road, even if it may have also functioned as a road, it was obviously designated for aviation activity, and has clearly seen aircraft movements before that day.
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