36:
156:
reported that Gunn fell from a height of several hundred feet, saying "that he was not killed outright is little short of marvelous." Gunn's jaw was dislocated and his body was covered in severe lacerations. He was taken to the
Oakland Central Hospital, where his doctor described his chance of
169:'s children and General Lan Tien Wei. After watching Gunn make four flights around the airfield, Wei went for a ride in Gunn's plane. Wei "expressed himself as delighted with the experience" upon landing, and recommended that the Chinese government recruit Gunn as a pilot.
97:
Gunn was born in San
Francisco on October 13, 1890. He had at least three sisters and at least one brother. He attended the Oakland Polytechnic High School (also known as Central High School). There, he took classes in engineering and met his future fiancé, Lily Tong.
89:(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.
146:
On
February 22, 1912, Gunn's plane crashed at the Emeryville meet, dropping 150 feet to the ground. The plane was destroyed, and the building it crashed into was badly damaged. Gunn's manager,
186:
Gunn had been offered a commission as a captain in the
Chinese army, though he intended to spend his first six months in the country making freelance exhibition flights. However, new president
197:
By 1913, Gunn had built six different types of plane. He preferred to fly planes he had made himself, explaining that "I always understand a machine I build myself much better."
277:
183:, where he planned to stay for a month before traveling to China. On July 13, 1913, in front of a crowd of thousands, he carried his first Hawaiian passengers.
780:
165:
Gunn officially received his pilot's license on June 19, 1912. On August 4, 1912, Gunn demonstrated his flying skills for three of
Chinese president
252:
Gallery, Smithsonian
Institution Asian Pacific American Center Capital; Maryl, Suite 7065 600; Avenue; Washington, S. W. (2014-06-25).
795:
200:
Gunn died in a rickshaw accident in China in 1925. There is speculation that his death may have been an assassination in disguise.
253:
190:, fearing that Gunn intended to side with his political rivals, put a bounty of 5,000 dollars on his head. Gunn traveled to the
727:
800:
130:
On
February 19, 1912, Gunn made his first public flight at the international aviation meet in Emeryville, California.
668:
448:
331:
785:
302:
153:
131:
474:
254:"Young Historians, Living Histories Tom Gunn Chinese American Aviator | Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center"
221:
790:
615:
589:
503:
643:
360:
534:
119:, Horace Kearney, and Glen Martin. His nephew, Curtis Joe, recalled hearing that Gunn had learned to fly in
417:
475:"Tom Gunn Drops Hundred and Fifty Feet and is Buried Beneath Wreckage of Machine at Oakland; Will Recover"
391:
775:
770:
138:
and other pilots were apprehensive because Gunn was relatively inexperienced, but he landed safely.
696:
560:
134:
reported that hundreds from San
Francisco's Chinese-American community turned out to see him.
271:
201:
204:, who claimed to have known him, said, he "died for his ideals, a martyr to 'winged China'."
147:
135:
116:
112:
764:
173:
176:
for China in June 1913, but promised to return for Tong at the end of eight months.
191:
187:
166:
120:
124:
180:
172:
In May 1913, Gunn and Lily Tong announced their engagement. Gunn left
35:
728:"Aviation Pioneer Tom Gunn Exhibit at the Pacific Aviation Museum"
644:"Tom Gunn, Noted Chinese Aviator, May Give Exhibition While Here"
449:"Beachy Makes Dazzling Flights With Hands Removed From Wheel"
150:, said the accident was due to the plane's motor stalling.
194:
instead, where he was credited with introducing air mail.
113:
Lincoln
Beachey at the Curtiss School in Hammondsport, NY
76:
64:
45:
21:
303:"Chinese Aviator Smashes His Plane Into Building"
750:Princess Der Ling, "How China Went Air Minded,"
222:"New Pacific Aviation Pioneers exhibit to open"
8:
392:"Tom Gunn Was Born An Airman And Admits It"
276:: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
669:"Gunn Carries Passengers In Sunday Flight"
34:
18:
332:"Tom Gunn Will Take Bride On Return Home"
59:San Francisco, California, United States
616:"Chinese Airman Gives Up Love For Duty"
213:
721:
719:
717:
691:
689:
269:
638:
636:
584:
582:
529:
527:
525:
498:
496:
7:
781:American aviators of Chinese descent
443:
441:
439:
386:
384:
382:
355:
353:
326:
324:
297:
295:
293:
291:
289:
287:
247:
245:
243:
535:"Chinese General Rides In Airship"
258:Young Historians, Living Histories
179:On June 10, 1913, Gunn arrived in
14:
418:"Birdmen In Spectacular Flights"
111:Gunn was mentored by aviators
1:
726:WarbirdsUpdate (2013-07-05).
703:. 12 November 1914. p. 7
590:"Aeroplane Wedding Suggested"
549:– via newspapers.com.
432:– via newspapers.com.
817:
650:. 13 June 1913. p. 17
453:The San Francisco Examiner
307:The San Francisco Examiner
154:The San Francisco Examiner
132:The San Francisco Examiner
697:"Chinese Beauty To Marry"
675:. 14 July 1913. p. 9
622:. 21 June 1913. p. 1
504:"Mishaps Do Not Mar Meet"
361:"May Make War In The Air"
107:Training and First Flight
33:
28:
796:Aviators from California
561:"Signal Honor For Flyer"
226:Honolulu Star-Advertiser
479:The Albuquerque Journal
422:San Francisco Chronicle
673:Honolulu Star-Bulletin
648:Honolulu Star-Bulletin
620:Pensacola News Journal
594:Honolulu Star-Bulletin
565:The San Francisco Call
539:The San Francisco Call
396:Honolulu Star-Bulletin
336:Honolulu Star-Bulletin
801:Aviators from Hawaii
701:Wood County Reporter
80:Aviator and inventor
16:Aviator (1890–1925)
510:. 23 February 1912
481:. 23 February 1912
455:. 19 February 1912
424:. 19 February 1912
398:. 18 December 1913
367:. 26 February 1912
309:. 23 February 1912
157:recovery as good.
786:Aviation pioneers
567:. 2 December 1912
202:Princess Der Ling
161:Travels and Death
84:
83:
72:(aged 34–35)
808:
791:Chinese aviators
755:
754:, November 1929.
748:
742:
741:
739:
738:
723:
712:
711:
709:
708:
693:
684:
683:
681:
680:
665:
659:
658:
656:
655:
640:
631:
630:
628:
627:
612:
606:
605:
603:
601:
586:
577:
576:
574:
572:
557:
551:
550:
548:
546:
531:
520:
519:
517:
515:
500:
491:
490:
488:
486:
471:
465:
464:
462:
460:
445:
434:
433:
431:
429:
414:
408:
407:
405:
403:
388:
377:
376:
374:
372:
357:
348:
347:
345:
343:
328:
319:
318:
316:
314:
299:
282:
281:
275:
267:
265:
264:
249:
238:
237:
235:
233:
218:
142:Emeryville Crash
71:
56:October 13, 1890
55:
53:
38:
19:
816:
815:
811:
810:
809:
807:
806:
805:
761:
760:
759:
758:
749:
745:
736:
734:
725:
724:
715:
706:
704:
695:
694:
687:
678:
676:
667:
666:
662:
653:
651:
642:
641:
634:
625:
623:
614:
613:
609:
599:
597:
588:
587:
580:
570:
568:
559:
558:
554:
544:
542:
541:. 5 August 1912
533:
532:
523:
513:
511:
508:Oakland Tribune
502:
501:
494:
484:
482:
473:
472:
468:
458:
456:
447:
446:
437:
427:
425:
416:
415:
411:
401:
399:
390:
389:
380:
370:
368:
359:
358:
351:
341:
339:
330:
329:
322:
312:
310:
301:
300:
285:
268:
262:
260:
251:
250:
241:
231:
229:
220:
219:
215:
210:
163:
148:Warren S. Eaton
144:
117:Warren S. Eaton
109:
104:
102:Aviation career
95:
69:
60:
57:
51:
49:
41:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
814:
812:
804:
803:
798:
793:
788:
783:
778:
773:
763:
762:
757:
756:
743:
713:
685:
660:
632:
607:
596:. 28 July 1913
578:
552:
521:
492:
466:
435:
409:
378:
365:The Pantagraph
349:
338:. 20 June 1913
320:
283:
239:
228:. 12 July 2013
212:
211:
209:
206:
162:
159:
143:
140:
108:
105:
103:
100:
94:
91:
82:
81:
78:
74:
73:
66:
62:
61:
58:
47:
43:
42:
39:
31:
30:
26:
25:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
813:
802:
799:
797:
794:
792:
789:
787:
784:
782:
779:
777:
774:
772:
769:
768:
766:
753:
747:
744:
733:
732:Warbirds News
729:
722:
720:
718:
714:
702:
698:
692:
690:
686:
674:
670:
664:
661:
649:
645:
639:
637:
633:
621:
617:
611:
608:
595:
591:
585:
583:
579:
566:
562:
556:
553:
540:
536:
530:
528:
526:
522:
509:
505:
499:
497:
493:
480:
476:
470:
467:
454:
450:
444:
442:
440:
436:
423:
419:
413:
410:
397:
393:
387:
385:
383:
379:
366:
362:
356:
354:
350:
337:
333:
327:
325:
321:
308:
304:
298:
296:
294:
292:
290:
288:
284:
279:
273:
259:
255:
248:
246:
244:
240:
227:
223:
217:
214:
207:
205:
203:
198:
195:
193:
189:
184:
182:
177:
175:
174:San Francisco
170:
168:
160:
158:
155:
151:
149:
141:
139:
137:
133:
128:
126:
122:
118:
114:
106:
101:
99:
92:
90:
88:
79:
77:Occupation(s)
75:
67:
63:
48:
44:
37:
32:
27:
20:
751:
746:
735:. Retrieved
731:
705:. Retrieved
700:
677:. Retrieved
672:
663:
652:. Retrieved
647:
624:. Retrieved
619:
610:
598:. Retrieved
593:
569:. Retrieved
564:
555:
543:. Retrieved
538:
512:. Retrieved
507:
483:. Retrieved
478:
469:
457:. Retrieved
452:
426:. Retrieved
421:
412:
400:. Retrieved
395:
369:. Retrieved
364:
340:. Retrieved
335:
311:. Retrieved
306:
261:. Retrieved
257:
230:. Retrieved
225:
216:
199:
196:
185:
178:
171:
164:
152:
145:
129:
110:
96:
87:Tom Tak Gunn
86:
85:
70:(1925-00-00)
40:Gunn in 1913
776:1925 deaths
771:1890 births
192:Philippines
188:Yuan Shikai
167:Sun Yat-sen
121:Los Angeles
765:Categories
737:2019-04-14
707:2019-04-14
679:2019-04-14
654:2019-04-14
626:2019-04-14
263:2019-04-14
208:References
93:Early life
52:1890-10-13
125:San Diego
545:13 April
485:13 April
428:13 April
313:13 April
272:cite web
181:Honolulu
23:Tom Gunn
600:9 April
571:9 April
514:9 April
459:9 April
402:9 April
371:9 April
342:9 April
232:9 April
136:Beachey
29:Tan Gen
752:Flyers
602:2019
573:2019
547:2019
516:2019
487:2019
461:2019
430:2019
404:2019
373:2019
344:2019
315:2019
278:link
234:2019
123:and
68:1925
65:Died
46:Born
767::
730:.
716:^
699:.
688:^
671:.
646:.
635:^
618:.
592:.
581:^
563:.
537:.
524:^
506:.
495:^
477:.
451:.
438:^
420:.
394:.
381:^
363:.
352:^
334:.
323:^
305:.
286:^
274:}}
270:{{
256:.
242:^
224:.
127:.
115:,
740:.
710:.
682:.
657:.
629:.
604:.
575:.
518:.
489:.
463:.
406:.
375:.
346:.
317:.
280:)
266:.
236:.
54:)
50:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.