Charles F. Willard (1883-1977) was a pioneer aviator taught to fly by Glenn Curtiss in 1909. Willard participated in the 1910 Dominguez Air Meet, where he won the spot landing award. Among his flying accomplishments was that he was the first to fly in Vermont After his exhibition flying career ended in 1911, he remained involved in aviation as an engineer. He worked for a number of aviation companies, including Wright-Martin Aircraft Aircraft Co; Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Co; LWF Engineering Co; and the Aeromarine Plane and Motor Company. He was a founder member of the Early Birds.
This collection consists of newspaper articles, correspondence, the publication by Martin Cole and H. L. Schreiner entitled, "Charles Willard: The Exhibition Years," and three photos related to Charles Willard's aviation career.
No arrangement; just one folder.
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at
No restrictions on access
Byron Walls, Gift, 2018, NASM.2018.0014
Charles F. Willard Biographical Material, NASM.2018.0014, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Arranged, described, and encoded by Patti Williams, 2019.