View source for Tom Gunn

{{short description|Aviator (1890–1925)}}
{{Infobox person
| name        = Tom Gunn
| image       = Tom Gunn.jpg
| caption     = Gunn in 1913
| native_name = Tan Gen
| birth_date  = {{Birth date|1890|10|13}}
| birth_place = San Francisco, California, United States
| death_date  = {{death date and age|1925|||1890|10|13}}
| occupation  = Aviator and inventor
}}
'''Tom Tak Gunn''' (1890–1925) was the first Chinese-American pilot in the United States graduating from the Curtiss School of Aviation class of 1911 and earned pilot's license no. 131 on June 19, 1912. He popularized passenger flight in Hawaii and became the head of the Chinese air force.
== Early life ==
Gunn was born in San Francisco<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29533442/new_pacific_aviation_pioneers_exhibit/|title=New Pacific Aviation Pioneers exhibit to open|date=12 July 2013|work=Honolulu Star-Advertiser|access-date=9 April 2019}}</ref> on October 13, 1890.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|last1=Gallery|first1=Smithsonian Institution Asian Pacific American Center Capital|last2=Maryl|first2=Suite 7065 600|last3=Avenue|last4=Washington|first4=S. W.|date=2014-06-25|title=Young Historians, Living Histories Tom Gunn Chinese American Aviator {{!}} Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center|url=http://smithsonianapa.org/yhlh/2014/06/25/tom-gunn-chinese-american-aviator-by-pacific-aviation/|access-date=2019-04-14|website=Young Historians, Living Histories|language=en-US}}</ref>  He had at least three sisters<ref name=":5">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30576016/chinese_aviator_smashes_his_plane_into/|title=Chinese Aviator Smashes His Plane Into Building|date=23 February 1912|work=The San Francisco Examiner|access-date=13 April 2019}}</ref> and at least one brother.<ref name=":6">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30439281/tom_gunn_will_take_bride_on_return_home/|title=Tom Gunn Will Take Bride On Return Home|date=20 June 1913|work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|access-date=9 April 2019}}</ref>  He attended the Oakland Polytechnic High School (also known as Central High School).<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18068321/tom_gunn_nsgs_la_lodge_aviator_to/|title=May Make War In The Air|date=26 February 1912|work=The Pantagraph|access-date=9 April 2019}}</ref>  There, he took classes in engineering<ref name=":0" /> and met his future fiancé, Lily Tong.<ref name=":6" />
== Aviation career ==
=== Training and First Flight ===
Gunn was mentored by aviators [[Lincoln Beachey|Lincoln Beachey at the Curtiss School in Hammondsport, NY]], [[Warren S. Eaton]], Horace Kearney, and Glen Martin.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29533363/tom_gunn_was_born_an_airman/|title=Tom Gunn Was Born An Airman And Admits It|date=18 December 1913|work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|access-date=9 April 2019}}</ref>  His nephew, Curtis Joe, recalled hearing that Gunn had learned to fly in [[Los Angeles]] and [[San Diego]].<ref name=":4" />
On February 19, 1912, Gunn made his first public flight<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30577150/birdmen_in_spectacular_flights/|title=Birdmen In Spectacular Flights|date=19 February 1912|work=San Francisco Chronicle|access-date=13 April 2019|via=newspapers.com}}</ref> at the international aviation meet in Emeryville, California.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29533132/bright_skies_and_risks_of_death_attract/|title=Beachy Makes Dazzling Flights With Hands Removed From Wheel|date=19 February 1912|work=The San Francisco Examiner|access-date=9 April 2019}}</ref>  [[The San Francisco Examiner]] reported that hundreds from San Francisco's Chinese-American community turned out to see him.<ref name=":2" />  [[Lincoln Beachey|Beachey]] and other pilots were apprehensive because Gunn was relatively inexperienced, but he landed safely.<ref name=":2" />
=== Emeryville Crash ===
On February 22, 1912, Gunn's plane crashed at the Emeryville meet,<ref name=":5" /> dropping 150 feet to the ground.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30576868/tom_gunn_drops_hundred_and_fifty_feet/|title=Tom Gunn Drops Hundred and Fifty Feet and is Buried Beneath Wreckage of Machine at Oakland; Will Recover|date=23 February 1912|work=The Albuquerque Journal|access-date=13 April 2019}}</ref>  The plane was destroyed, and the building it crashed into was badly damaged.<ref name=":5" />  Gunn's manager, [[Warren S. Eaton]], said the accident was due to the plane's motor stalling.<ref name=":5" />
[[The San Francisco Examiner]] reported that Gunn fell from a height of several hundred feet, saying "that he was not killed outright is little short of marvelous."<ref name=":5" />  Gunn's jaw was dislocated and his body was covered in severe lacerations.<ref name=":5" />   He was taken to the Oakland Central Hospital,<ref name=":7">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29533169/two_aviators_recover_after_accidents/|title=Mishaps Do Not Mar Meet|date=23 February 1912|work=Oakland Tribune|access-date=9 April 2019}}</ref> where his doctor described his chance of recovery as good.<ref name=":7" />
=== Travels and Death ===
Gunn officially received his pilot's license on June 19, 1912.<ref name=":4" />  On August 4, 1912, Gunn demonstrated his flying skills for three of Chinese president [[Sun Yat-sen]]'s children and General Lan Tien Wei.<ref name=":8">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30576621/chinese_general_rides_in_airship/|title=Chinese General Rides In Airship|date=5 August 1912|work=The San Francisco Call|access-date=13 April 2019|via=newspapers.com}}</ref>  After watching Gunn make four flights around the airfield, Wei went for a ride in Gunn's plane.<ref name=":8" />  Wei "expressed himself as delighted with the experience" upon landing,<ref name=":8" /> and recommended that the Chinese government recruit Gunn as a pilot.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29533207/signal_honor_for_flyer/|title=Signal Honor For Flyer|date=2 December 1912|work=The San Francisco Call|access-date=9 April 2019}}</ref>
In May 1913, Gunn and Lily Tong announced their engagement.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29533388/aeroplane_wedding_suggested_tom_gunn/|title=Aeroplane Wedding Suggested|date=28 July 1913|work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|access-date=9 April 2019}}</ref>  Gunn left [[San Francisco]] for China in June 1913, but promised to return for Tong at the end of eight months.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.newspapers.com/clip/30578678/chinese_airman_gives_up_love_for_duty/|title=Chinese Airman Gives Up Love For Duty|newspaper=Pensacola News Journal|date=21 June 1913 |page=1 |language=en|access-date=2019-04-14}}</ref>
On June 10, 1913, Gunn arrived in [[Honolulu]], where he planned to stay for a month before traveling to China.<ref name=":9">{{Cite news|url=http://www.newspapers.com/clip/30577441/tom_gunn_noted_chinese_aviator_may/|title=Tom Gunn, Noted Chinese Aviator, May Give Exhibition While Here|newspaper=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|date=13 June 1913 |page=17 |language=en|access-date=2019-04-14}}</ref>  On July 13, 1913, in front of a crowd of thousands, he carried his first Hawaiian passengers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.newspapers.com/clip/30577827/gunn_carries_passengers_in_sunday_flight/|title=Gunn Carries Passengers In Sunday Flight|newspaper=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|date=14 July 1913 |page=9 |language=en|access-date=2019-04-14}}</ref>
Gunn had been offered a commission as a captain in the Chinese army,<ref name=":3" /> though he intended to spend his first six months in the country making freelance exhibition flights.<ref name=":9" />  However, new president [[Yuan Shikai]], fearing that Gunn intended to side with his political rivals, put a bounty of 5,000 dollars on his head.<ref name=":10">{{Cite news|url=http://www.newspapers.com/clip/30578573/chinese_beauty_to_marry/|title=Chinese Beauty To Marry|newspaper=Wood County Reporter|date=12 November 1914 |page=7 |language=en|access-date=2019-04-14}}</ref>  Gunn traveled to the [[Philippines]] instead,<ref name=":10" /> where he was credited with introducing air mail.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web|url=http://warbirdsnews.com/aviation-museum-news/tom-gunn-exhibit-pacific-aviation-museum.html|title=Aviation Pioneer Tom Gunn Exhibit at the Pacific Aviation Museum|last=WarbirdsUpdate|date=2013-07-05|website=Warbirds News|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-14}}</ref>
By 1913, Gunn had built six different types of plane.<ref name=":1" />  He preferred to fly planes he had made himself, explaining that "I always understand a machine I build myself much better."<ref name=":1" />
Gunn died in a rickshaw accident in China in 1925.<ref name=":11" />  There is speculation that his death may have been an assassination in disguise.<ref name=":11" /> [[Princess Der Ling]], who claimed to have known him, said, he "died for his ideals, a martyr to 'winged China'."<ref>Princess Der Ling, "How China Went Air Minded," ''Flyers'', November 1929.</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
<references group="Official Aero blue Book of pilots 1919, page 148" />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gunn, Tom}}
[[Category:1890 births]]
[[Category:1925 deaths]]
[[Category:American aviators of Chinese descent]]
[[Category:Aviation pioneers]]
[[Category:Chinese aviators]]
[[Category:Aviators from California]]
[[Category:Aviators from Hawaii]]