JOHN CYRILL PORTE 1883-1919 AKA John Cyril Porte

LIEUT. PORTE Library of Congress Collection, 7-13-08

 

John Cyril Porte - 1914 Collection of Roy Nagl

John Cyril Porte - 1914 Library of Congress Collection, 3-18-08

 

LIEUT. PORTE & CABIN OF TRANSATLANTIC FLYER Library of Congress Collection, 3-18-08

 

LAUNCHING OF THE AMERICA Porte - Hallett - Curtiss - Masson Library of Congress Collection, 5-13-08

 

GROUP CLOSEUP Porte - Hallett - Curtiss - Masson Library of Congress Collection, 5-13-08

 

Lieut. Porte - Glenn Curtiss Library of Congress Collection, 7-13-08

 

The America Lieut. John Cyrill Porte and George Hallett Collection of Roy Nagl

CURTISS H-1 FLYING BOAT "AMERICA"      "The Curtiss H-1 flying boat America, which was built, in 1914, for Rodman Wanamaker, to be used for an attempted non-stop transatlantic crossing, which the London Daily Mail newspaper had offered a £10,000 prize for. This flight, which was abandoned with the start of World War I, was going to have one American crewmember, who was George Hallett, and one British crewmember, who was Lieutenant John Cyrill Porte and the pilot of the aircraft." From ANCIENT SEAPLANES Photo and text courtesy of Roy Nagl Editor's Note: These beautiful photographs are only two among the many which are available on Roy's website, "Ancient Seaplanes." You will be well rewarded by visiting the site and viewing the many other outstanding entries. You may notice these are only two of the very many which Roy has graciously shared with us and which have so greatly enriched this website over the years.

"Attempted Flight Across the Atlantic" Knoxville Journal and Tribune, Knoxville, Tennessee: June 20, 1914, Transcribed by Bob Davis - 3-2-07 "New York, June 19. - The aeroplane now building for Rodman Wanamaker, in which an attempt will be made to cross the Atlantic ocean, will carry three pilots, according to the announcement today. Lieut. John C. Porte, of the British navy who had been selected by Mr. Wanamaker to attempt the flight, will have Aviator Hallett in the flying boat with him from New Foundland to the Azores islands, where the first stop will be made. At the Azores it is planned to pick up John Lansing Callan. The distance from St. Johns, N. F., to the islands is 1,190 miles and Lieut. Porte reckons he can do it in twenty hours. The consumption of gasoline on the flight ot the Azores will lighten the load to such an extent that Callan's weight will make no difference. Lieut. Porte said today that he thought the craft could be taken to Lake Keuka Saturday morning. It will require four hours to assemble the machine according to Porte, and the launching will take place Saturday afternoon if the present plans do not miscarry."

 

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES Via email from Colin Fenn, 6-28-07 Hi I noticed that you were requesting information on Col John Cyril Porte, the flying boat pioneer on your web site, a while ago. Our family has have always had a soft spot for flying boats, my father used to watch them, and the High Speed Flight, being tested at Felixstowe between the wars. Porte succumbed to tuberculosis in 1919 and is buried in our local cemetery, and I wonder whether your contact is still looking for details? If so can you pass on my contact information. As a member of the Friends of West Norwood cemetery, we keep an index and biography of a lot of the notable people interred here, and it would be interesting to swap notes. With best regards, Colin Fenn London

 

ONLINE RESOURCES - 1      Using the Google search engine on "John Cyrill Porte", (6-28-07), you will find about 40 links. FELIXSTOWE F.2A      This page of the Roden Model Kits company, offers a description of a model of the seaplane and includes a very interesting story of the development of the plane and of Porte's role in the project. You can access the site by clicking on the title above.   ONLINE RESOURCES - 2      Using the Google search engine on "John Cyril Porte", you will find about 42 links. Many of them are duplicates.

GLENN H. CURTISS Editor's Note: Following the death of Jack Carpenter a few years ago, this outstanding resource disappeared from the net. However, through the foresite and generosity of the "WAYBACKMACHINE" organization, an archived copy of the entire website is available. Should other links you try have become obsolete, and disappear, if you can't find a new URL for them, by using one of the search engines, you will probably find that the Waybackmachine organization will have a copy for you. Just copy the old URL and paste it into the program.      This website offers a remarkably comprehensive and fascinating resource to our online community of aviation buffs. It must be the definitive source for information on Glenn Curtiss, his life, the company, and many of his contemporaries. It is an absolutely priceless collection of photographs, documents and commentary on this unique pioneer of aviation and you will be amply rewarded by visiting it.

With regards to John Cyril Porte, you will find five very fine photographs of him, along with the seaplane "American" and several other pioneer aviators the section entitled: Photographs 1914 "Dreams of Flying the Atlantic" "Cradle of Naval Aviation"      If your time is short and you want to see just the photos in which he is shown, you may want to use your "FIND" function on "Porte." However, I hope you find time to enjoy each of the pictures on the page. You can access it by clicking on the title immediately above.        I suggest that as time permits, you visit each of the other sites which are available from the Google search.

 

WINDOWS ON WARWICKSHIRE Unlocking the Past      This is quite a remarkable resource and offers sixteen very nice photographs, four of B.C. Hucks, three of Claude Graham-White, two of Lt. J.C. Porte, one of Gustav Hamel, and several miscellaneous. You can access the pages by clicking on the title above.      If time permits, I think you will enjoy going to the homepage and sampling some of the many other offerings.

 

REQUEST FOR HELP via email from Pete London, 4-14-04 Hello Ralph I came across your notes on John Porte just now while surfing. I am looking into Porte's life with a view to a book on him and his aeroplanes. I'm a bit of an aeronut, with several previous books under my belt, and while researching on British flying-boats generally, became interested in Porte. I'm particularly keen to learn of his domestic life, although of course his aeronautical activities are the main area of enquiry. Happy to swop/share information. Hope to hear from you. Best regards Pete London Editor's Note: If you can help Pete in his search for more information, please contact me and I will forward your response to him. Thank you.

 

John Cyril Porte is said to have died at the age of 36, one year after the end of WW I. from the FELIXSTOWE F.2A website above.   Editor's Note: If you have any information on this pioneer aviator please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper

 

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