Earl Akin, 99, hometown pioneer aviator - who tried to fly in the same time period as the Wright Brothers were attempting to get their craft off the ground, died at his home in Fort Worth.
Akin was born in the Post Oak Community of Stephens County, Texas.
He married Eula Mae Estill in 1921. She preceded him in death earlier this year.
At the age of four years, Akin did not even known what an airplane was but he was building some sort of apparatus that would enable him to understand the flight of birds. He built wings of turkey feathers and attempted to take a flight off the barn roof.
A graduate of Breckenridge High school in 1915, Akin went to Texas A&M for three years. He was at Texas A&M when World War I broke out, and during World War II, he was inspecting war planes in Fort Worth.
Akin was known as an inventive genius and had a shop in Breckenridge just west of the courthouse. He was a well known pilot and built his first airplane in Breckenridge.
He was the first person to mark off the current site of Stephens County Airport in the early 1920s - for a place to take off and land his handmade aircraft - and, as a result, he was often referred to as the "Father of Stephens County Airport."
Akin was a true pioneer in the world of aviation. Akin built airplanes and flew them. He crashed six or seven times, including one in the middle of Walker Street in down town Breckenridge, and made many forced landings, such as one in the top of a tree.
He received many honors throughout his life and met many famous people. One of those honors was setting the world record by flying a glider he made which was towed aloft by an engined aircraft.
Akin continued to work at his shop in Fort Worth through this year and had plans to attend the 1994 Breckenridge Air Shop.
Akin was born in the Post Oak Community of Stephens County, Texas.
He married Eula Mae Estill in 1921. She preceded him in death earlier this year.
At the age of four years, Akin did not even known what an airplane was but he was building some sort of apparatus that would enable him to understand the flight of birds. He built wings of turkey feathers and attempted to take a flight off the barn roof.
A graduate of Breckenridge High school in 1915, Akin went to Texas A&M for three years. He was at Texas A&M when World War I broke out, and during World War II, he was inspecting war planes in Fort Worth.
Akin was known as an inventive genius and had a shop in Breckenridge just west of the courthouse. He was a well known pilot and built his first airplane in Breckenridge.
He was the first person to mark off the current site of Stephens County Airport in the early 1920s - for a place to take off and land his handmade aircraft - and, as a result, he was often referred to as the "Father of Stephens County Airport."
Akin was a true pioneer in the world of aviation. Akin built airplanes and flew them. He crashed six or seven times, including one in the middle of Walker Street in down town Breckenridge, and made many forced landings, such as one in the top of a tree.
He received many honors throughout his life and met many famous people. One of those honors was setting the world record by flying a glider he made which was towed aloft by an engined aircraft.
Akin continued to work at his shop in Fort Worth through this year and had plans to attend the 1994 Breckenridge Air Shop.
Earl Akin, 99, hometown pioneer aviator - who tried to fly in the same time period as the Wright Brothers were attempting to get their craft off the ground, died at his home in Fort Worth.
Akin was born in the Post Oak Community of Stephens County, Texas.
He married Eula Mae Estill in 1921. She preceded him in death earlier this year.
At the age of four years, Akin did not even known what an airplane was but he was building some sort of apparatus that would enable him to understand the flight of birds. He built wings of turkey feathers and attempted to take a flight off the barn roof.
A graduate of Breckenridge High school in 1915, Akin went to Texas A&M for three years. He was at Texas A&M when World War I broke out, and during World War II, he was inspecting war planes in Fort Worth.
Akin was known as an inventive genius and had a shop in Breckenridge just west of the courthouse. He was a well known pilot and built his first airplane in Breckenridge.
He was the first person to mark off the current site of Stephens County Airport in the early 1920s - for a place to take off and land his handmade aircraft - and, as a result, he was often referred to as the "Father of Stephens County Airport."
Akin was a true pioneer in the world of aviation. Akin built airplanes and flew them. He crashed six or seven times, including one in the middle of Walker Street in down town Breckenridge, and made many forced landings, such as one in the top of a tree.
He received many honors throughout his life and met many famous people. One of those honors was setting the world record by flying a glider he made which was towed aloft by an engined aircraft.
Akin continued to work at his shop in Fort Worth through this year and had plans to attend the 1994 Breckenridge Air Shop.
Akin was born in the Post Oak Community of Stephens County, Texas.
He married Eula Mae Estill in 1921. She preceded him in death earlier this year.
At the age of four years, Akin did not even known what an airplane was but he was building some sort of apparatus that would enable him to understand the flight of birds. He built wings of turkey feathers and attempted to take a flight off the barn roof.
A graduate of Breckenridge High school in 1915, Akin went to Texas A&M for three years. He was at Texas A&M when World War I broke out, and during World War II, he was inspecting war planes in Fort Worth.
Akin was known as an inventive genius and had a shop in Breckenridge just west of the courthouse. He was a well known pilot and built his first airplane in Breckenridge.
He was the first person to mark off the current site of Stephens County Airport in the early 1920s - for a place to take off and land his handmade aircraft - and, as a result, he was often referred to as the "Father of Stephens County Airport."
Akin was a true pioneer in the world of aviation. Akin built airplanes and flew them. He crashed six or seven times, including one in the middle of Walker Street in down town Breckenridge, and made many forced landings, such as one in the top of a tree.
He received many honors throughout his life and met many famous people. One of those honors was setting the world record by flying a glider he made which was towed aloft by an engined aircraft.
Akin continued to work at his shop in Fort Worth through this year and had plans to attend the 1994 Breckenridge Air Shop.
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Pioneer Aviator of Stephens County, Texas
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