Harold R. Harris was a pioneering American test pilot and U.S. Army Air Force officer who held 26 flying records during his remarkable career. Born on 20 December 1895, Harris was at the forefront of early aviation innovation and achievement.
He was among the first American pilots to fly over the Alps, charting a course from Italy to France, and played a key role in testing the world's first pressurized aircraft. Harris also made aviation history on October 20, 1922, when he became the first airman to safely bail out of a disabled aircraft using a free-fall parachute. The incident occurred while he was piloting a Loening monoplane with a modified aileron, which began to oscillate uncontrollably. When the control stick was ripped from his hands, Harris jumped from the aircraft, landing in a backyard grape arbour with only minor injuries.
In his post-military career, Harris helped establish the first aerial crop-dusting business, a precursor to modern agricultural aviation. He later joined American Overseas Airlines, and following its 1950 merger with Pan American Airways, became Vice-President in charge of the Atlantic Division.
Harold R. Harris passed away at his home in Falmouth, Massachusetts on July 28, 1988, at the age of 92. His legacy endures as one of the early aviators who helped shape the course of modern flight.
.jpg)
