Professor Bonnette | New England Aviation History

Claremont, N.H. – October 10 1907

March 15, 2015

Sullivan County Fair Grounds Near Claremont, New Hampshire – October 10, 1907.

A balloonist by the name of Professor Bonnette was giving an exhibition at the Sullivan County Fair grounds when his balloon suddenly tore open as he was 200 feet above a crowd of onlookers. It had been his intention to jump from the balloon with a parachute, but when the accident occurred he hadn’t achieved sufficient altitude. Bonnette fell from the balloon while it was still 100 feet in the air and landed amidst the crowd. His back was broken in the fall, and he lapsed into unconsciousness. He was transported to Claremont Cottage Hospital.

Source: New York Times, “Aeronaut Falls 100 Feet”, October 11, 1907

St. Johnsbury, VT – September, 1910

December 24, 2015

St. Johnsbury, Vermont – September, 1910

The newspaper source of this incident gave no specific date of occurrence.

Sometime during the month of September, 1910, Chester Karyman was test-flying an airplane belonging to Professor Clarence C. Bonnette over St. Johnsbury. The aircraft had reportedly reached “a considerable height” when it began to be buffeted by winds. As Karyman was bringing the plane down to land, he shut the engine off too soon, causing the craft to abruptly drop from the air and smash into the ground. The plane was badly damaged, but fortunately Karyman escaped with minor injuries.

The aircraft involved in this accident was a Curtis-type airplane named Vermont, or Vermont 1, because it was the first to be constructed in the state of Vermont. It was built by Professor Bonnette the previous winter, and test flights had begun in August, 1910.

Sources:

The Barre Daily Times, “Aeroplane Vermont Made Short Flight And Then Bumped The Earth.” September 29, 1910, Pg6

The Barre Daily Times, “Vermont’s First Aeroplane”, August 30, 1910