# Hans Dons

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hans_Dons
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hans_Dons.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Dons
> Source revision: 1290994315
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

**Hans Fleischer Dons** (13 June 1882 – 28 October 1940) was a [Royal Norwegian Navy](/source/Royal_Norwegian_Navy) officer. He is most associated with the first manned flight in [Norway](/source/Norway).[1][2]

## Biography

Dons was born in [Øvre Eiker](/source/%C3%98vre_Eiker), Norway. He was the son of Johannes Albrecht Dons (1839–1921) and Johanne Marie Fleischer (1850–1943). He attended the [Royal Norwegian Naval Academy](/source/Royal_Norwegian_Naval_Academy) (1901–05) and [Technische Hochschule Charlottenburg](/source/Technische_Universit%C3%A4t_Berlin) (1907–08). From 1909, he served in the [Royal Norwegian Navy](/source/Royal_Norwegian_Navy) as second-in-command of Norway's first submarine, [HNoMS *Kobben*](/source/HNoMS_Kobben_(1909)). He was a naval attache at the Norwegian Legation in [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington,_D.C.) (1917–19) and held the same position in [London](/source/London) and [Paris](/source/Paris) (1927–30). Dons was the head of the submarine fleet and served on the Admiral Staff[clarification needed] (1929–35).[3]

On 1 June 1912 Dons piloted the first manned flight in Norway in a [monoplane](/source/Monoplane) named *[Start](/source/HNoMS_Start)*. The [fixed-wing aircraft](/source/Fixed-wing_aircraft) was designed by [Etrich Taube](/source/Etrich_Taube) and was made in [Germany](/source/Germany) by [Edmund Rumpler](/source/Edmund_Rumpler). On 7 June, Dons flew from Borre over [Horten](/source/Horten), crossing [Oslofjord](/source/Oslofjord) to [Moss](/source/Moss) and [Fredrikstad](/source/Fredrikstad) – covering a distance of 48 kilometres (30 mi) in 35 minutes.[4]

In 1935 Dons published his book *Start: En norsk flyvehistorie fra 1912-13* (Oslo: Cammermeyers, 1935).

*Start* is on display at the [Norwegian Armed Forces Aircraft Collection](/source/Norwegian_Armed_Forces_Aircraft_Collection) located at [Gardermoen](/source/Gardermoen), north of [Oslo](/source/Oslo), [Norway](/source/Norway).[5][6]

## See also

- [Aviation in Norway](/source/Aviation_in_Norway)

## References

1. ["Flyr Dons rute på 100-årsdagen"](https://www.f-b.no/nyheter/nyheter/flyr-dons-rute-pa-100-arsdagen/s/2-2.952-1.7376669). Fredrikstad Blad. 31 May 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2018.

1. ["Flyet Start og Hans Fleicher Dons"](http://www.forsvaretsmuseer.no/Marinemuseet/Dokumentasjonssenter/For-laerer-og-elev/100-aar-siden-Dons-ble-foerst-i-luften/START-og-DONS). forsvaretsmuseer.no. Retrieved February 1, 2018.

1. ["Hans Fleischer Dons"](https://lokalhistoriewiki.no/wiki/Hans_Fleischer_Dons). lokalhistoriewiki.no. Retrieved February 1, 2018.

1. Vera Henriksen. ["Hans Dons"](https://nbl.snl.no/Hans_Dons). Norsk biografisk leksikon. Retrieved February 1, 2018.

1. ["Løytnant Dons - Norges første flyger"](https://tv.nrk.no/program/f%C3%98st70000392/loeytnant-dons-norges-foerste-flyger). NRK. Retrieved February 1, 2018.

1. ["Norges "Start" – Den første norske flyvningen"](http://luftfartsmuseum.no/norsk-luftfart-100-ar/). *Norsk Luftfartsmuseum*. luftfartsmuseum.no. Retrieved February 1, 2018.

## Related reading

- John Andreas Olsen (2014) *European Air Power: Challenges and Opportunities* (Potomac Books) ISBN 978-1612346816

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Hans Dons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Dons) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Dons?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.