White, Henry J., 1892-1962

Biographical/Historical note

An early pilot in 1911, Henry White of Baltimore instructed the famed Charles Lindbergh in seaplane operations. He served as a salesman and flight instructor for Lockheed and as a test pilot and sales manager for the Sikorky Company. A linguist, White served also served as a translator for Wernher von Braun and helped with his novel, The Mars Project and Life On Mars.

White was an appointee to the Naval Academy in Annapolis and qualified as a pilot at just 19 years of age, becoming one of the youngest aviators of the time. He was also a United States Naval seaplane pilot. He was the test pilot for Sikorsky’s giant amphibian which weighed about 9,000 pounds. He set an unofficial altitude record with passenger load when he flew to a height of 18,500 feet with nine people on board. He was also the test pilot for the self-landing plane, which was a success in his demonstrations to the public.

From the guide to the The Papers of Henry James White (1892-1962), Bulk, 1939-1953, 1936-1956, (San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives)