Richard J. Goodrich

The "Flightiest City": How Aviation Put Los Angeles on the Map

On May 20, 1908, the Los Angeles Times ran a short promotional article, inviting aviation-minded men to the inaugural meeting of what became the California Aero Club. Although America's aviation experiments had largely been clustered on the East Coast, local enthusiasts believed that their city offered a superior climate for experiments with flying machines, and, given the proper support, Los Angeles could become the center of American aviation.

Based upon his new book, L. A. Birdmen, historian Richard Goodrich recounts the Aero Club's struggle to compete with the rest of the country and promote Los Angeles as aviation's preeminent city. This effort culminated in early 1910 when, under the leadership of local promoter Dick Ferris, the city hosted the Los Angeles International Aviation Meet—America's first airshow and an event that jump-started California's aviation industry.