Zurilgen, H. W., Lt. Col.

Biographical/Historical note

Captain Roy N. Francis, born 1886 in Santa Clara County to Octave Francis, is considered one of the "early birds" of American aviation. In 1911, he took off from Cow Flat near the Presidio of San Francisco, and made a successful flight in a biplane of his own design. On November 18, 1912, his twin-tractor plane made the first passenger flight over the San Francisco Bay carrying local theatre member Vivian O'Brian, taking off from Alameda and landing near Cliff House. Later he partnered with Charles Patterson in Patterson-Francis Aviation Company, San Francisco. They produced a two-engine tractor flying boat, which Francis flew in the 1913 Great Lakes Reliability Tour, and a Twin-Tractor plane designed by Francis.

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