# Harry J. Brooks

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American test pilot (1902–1928)

Harry J. Brooks Harry Brooks c. 1928 Born Harry Joseph Brooks (1902-12-02)December 2, 1902 Southfield, Michigan Died February 25, 1928(1928-02-25) (aged 25) Melbourne, Florida Cause of death Aircraft crash Occupation Test pilot

**Harry Joseph Brooks** (December 2, 1902 – February 25, 1928) was an [American](/source/Americans) [test pilot](/source/Test_pilot). His crash of the [Ford Flivver](/source/Ford_Flivver) for the [Stout Metal Airplane Division of the Ford Motor Company](/source/Stout_Metal_Airplane_Division_of_the_Ford_Motor_Company) in 1928 was cited with the [Great Depression](/source/Great_Depression) as a factor in [Henry Ford](/source/Henry_Ford)'s exit from the aviation business.[1]

Brooks piloted the Ford 4AT Trimotor.

## Early life

Brooks grew up in [Southfield, Michigan](/source/Southfield%2C_Michigan), and became interested in aviation at an early age. At age nine, he saw the [Wright brothers](/source/Wright_brothers) and one of their [aircraft](/source/Wright_Flyer) at a state fair. Brooks began pursuing his interest in aviation, taking flying lessons at a local airstrip, where he was observed on several occasions by Henry Ford. His father played the violin at dances at a local inn and met Ford. The elder Brooks invited Ford home for dinner and introduced him to his son.[2]

Ford hired Harry to work in one of his auto plants. Several months later, Ford gave Harry a job as a test pilot for the Stout Metal Airplane Division of the Ford Motor Company. Although still very young, Brooks soon became Ford’s top pilot, as well as a close friend whom Ford nicknamed "Brooksie". Brooks demonstrated the capabilities of the new monoplane [Ford Trimotor](/source/Ford_Trimotor) to biplane maker [William Boeing](/source/William_Boeing) by handing him the controls and sitting back in the passenger cabin. For the first night flight of a Ford Trimotor, Brooks flew [Charles Lindbergh](/source/Charles_Lindbergh)'s mother from Detroit to Cleveland. Brooks was also the pilot that flew Lindbergh's mother to Mexico, alongside the *[Spirit of St. Louis](/source/Spirit_of_St._Louis)* in their 1927 publicity trips.[3] On February 10, 1927, Brooks flew the first aircraft guided solely by a radio-beacon system.[4]

Harry Brooks piloting the first Ford Flivver, c. 1927

## Ford Flivver

When Ford released the new [Ford Flivver](/source/Ford_Flivver) in 1926, Brooks used the prototype to fly to his home just north of [Ford Airport](/source/Ford_Airport_(Dearborn)).[5]

A third prototype, [tail number](/source/Aircraft_registration) 3218, with "long" wings[6] was built to win a long-distance record for light planes in the 200 to 400 kg (441 to 882 lb) "C" class.[N 1] The race was set from Ford Airport in [Dearborn](/source/Dearborn%2C_Michigan), Michigan, to [Miami](/source/Miami), [Florida](/source/Florida). A first attempt, launched on January 24, 1928, witnessed by Henry Ford, landed short in [Asheville](/source/Asheville%2C_North_Carolina), [North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina). In a second attempt, flying the second prototype, witnessed by [Edsel Ford](/source/Edsel_Ford), Brooks launched from Detroit on February 21, 1928, but landed 200 miles (322 km) short in [Titusville](/source/Titusville%2C_Florida), Florida, where the [propeller](/source/Propeller) was bent, but still achieved a distance record of 972 mi (1,564 km)[8]

Memorial for Harry J Brooks in Southfield Cemetery in [Southfield](/source/Southfield%2C_Michigan), [Michigan](/source/Michigan).

During his overnight stay at Titusville, Brooks repaired the aircraft using a propeller from the forced landing. He also placed wooden toothpicks in the vent holes of the fuel cap to prevent moist air from entering and condensing overnight. On February 25, 1928, Brooks took off to complete the race and circled out over the [Atlantic Ocean](/source/Atlantic_Ocean), where his motor quit, and he crashed into the sea and was killed off [Melbourne](/source/Melbourne%2C_Florida), Florida.[9] The wreckage of the Ford Flivver washed up, but Brooks' body was never found.[10] Investigation of the wreckage disclosed that the toothpicks had plugged the fuel cap vent holes, causing an engine stoppage.[11]

Brooks was slated to be a pilot for [Richard Evelyn Byrd](/source/Richard_Evelyn_Byrd)'s expeditions.[12]

## References

### Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** The Ford Flivver would compete in the FAI C-1a/0 class, i.e., piston-engined aircraft of less than 300 kg (661 lb).[7]

### Citations

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** McCarthy 2003, p. 47.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** *Sport Aviation*. **43**. 1993. {{[cite journal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_journal)}}: Missing or empty |title= ([help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:CS1_errors#citation_missing_title))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Stout, William Bushnell and James Gilbert. *So Away I Went!* North Stratford, New Hampshire: Ayer Company Publishing, 1979. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-40512-205-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-40512-205-7).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Holden 2011

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Ford 1997, pp. 168–169.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Ford, Ford-Stout](http://www.aerofiles.com/_ford.html)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Powered Aeroplanes World Records."](http://www.fai.org/record-powered-aeroplanes) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160510092701/http://www.fai.org/record-powered-aeroplanes) 2016-05-10 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) *Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.* Retrieved: August 5, 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Forever_9-0)** "Ford Flivvers Forever." *Skyways,* October 1995.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Smoot, Tom. *The Edisons of Fort Myers: Discoveries of the Heart.* Sarasota, Florida: Pineapple Press, 2004. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-56164-312-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-56164-312-7).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** *Chronicle*. Vol. 24–26. Historical Society of Michigan. {{[cite magazine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_magazine)}}: Missing or empty |title= ([help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:CS1_errors#citation_missing_title))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["The Ford Flivver."](https://archive.today/20130127122621/http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-0420-flying-cars-pictures-001,0,782048.photo) *Los Angeles Times,* April 19, 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Rodgers 1990, p. 149.

### Bibliography

- Corn, Joseph J. *The Winged Gospel: America's Romance with Aviation.* Baltimore, Maryland: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-80186-962-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-80186-962-4).

- Davis, Michael W. R. and James K. Wagner. *Ford Dynasty: A Photographic History.* Mount Pleasant, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2002. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-7385-2039-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7385-2039-1).

- Ford, Richardson Bryan. *Beyond the Model T: The Other Ventures of Henry Ford* (Great Lakes Books Publication). Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1997. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-81432-682-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-81432-682-4).

- Holden, Henry M. *The Fabulous Ford Tri-Motors.* Los Angeles, California: Black Hawk Publishing Company, 2011.

- McCarthy, Kevin M. *Aviation in Florida*. Sarasota, Florida: Pineapple Press, 2003. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-56164-281-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-56164-281-6).

- O'Callaghan, Timothy J. *The Aviation Legacy of Henry & Edsel Ford* (Michigan). Livonia, Michigan: First Page Publications, 2001. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-92862-301-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-92862-301-4).

- Pauley, Robert F. *Michigan Aircraft Manufacturers* (Images of Aviation). Mount Pleasant, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2009. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-73855-218-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-73855-218-7).

- Rodgers, Eugene. *Beyond the Barrier: The Story of Byrd's First Expedition to Antarctica.* Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1990. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-87021-022-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-87021-022-8).

## External links

- [The Planes: 1926 Ford Flivver](https://web.archive.org/web/20120804015458/http://www.thehenryford.org/exhibits/heroes/entrepreneurs/flivver.asp)

- [Ford Flivver 3218 (1928)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2rAFY-IZas) on [YouTube](/source/YouTube_video_(identifier))

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