Local Flight Pioneers Highlighted in Stratford Library Talk Jan. 8

On Sunday, Jan. 8 at 2 p.m. at the , Bridgeport historian Charles Brilvich will discuss the "Lordship Flying Grounds" and the early flights of Gustave Whitehead that took place there from 1901-02. 

According to some aviation historians, Bridgeport resident Gustave Whitehead built and flew a mono plane with a four cylinder, two-cycle motor on a flight of a mile and half in 1901, two years before the Wright Brothers' more famous flight.

Brilvich will begin with a brief history of Lordship and a description of its appearance at the beginning of the 20th century and the barnstormers who utilized this natural landing field during the first quarter of the last century. He will also describe the development of Bridgeport Airport from the time of its inception through the 1950s, the arrival of Igor Sikorsky in 1928, and the long list of aviation firsts that his company was responsible for.

Charles Brilvich has a long personal history helping to document and preserve the vital history of the Bridgeport area. Brilvich served as official Historian of the City of Bridgeport from 1990 to 2003 and as Historian of the Golden Hill Paugussett Tribe. He is the author of "History of the Golden Hill Paugussett Tribe," (History Press, 2007). Brilvich has been profiled in Historic Preservation Magazine, the official publication of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.