Hawley Bowlus

Hawley Bowlus will be inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame Class of 2019, tonight at the San Diego Air an Space museum, along with someone named Bezos. Bowlus, an icon of the Golden Age of Flight, Bowlus’ efforts in glider design dominated from 1911-1929. He was an American engineer, designer and builder of aircraft (especially gliders). Bowlus was the first to break Orville Wright’s 1911 soaring duration record in an American designed and built sailplane. Renewing an earlier friendship with T. Claude Ryan, Bowlus joined Ryan Airlines in 1924 to lead the production of its M-1 and M-2 transports. The success of those aircraft led Charles Lindbergh to order production of the “Spirit of St. Louis� in 1927. Bowlus was the lead engineer on the project, creating the famous aircraft in less than three months. An expert at soaring flight, Bowlus trained many glider pilots and actually gave lessons to Charles and Anne Lindbergh in Bowlus sailplanes in San Diego in 1930.