Magyar News, 2001. szeptember-2002. augusztus (12. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2002-06-01 / 10. szám
before landing. She remembered that the field was level and smooth, and covered with grass. Whitehead often selected hillsides and breezy locations to fly his planes. Bob Kranyik knows the place she referred to, as many years later he and his friends flew their model airplanes on the very same field. The Significance of Gustave Whitehead's Accomplishments. For nearly a century the Wrights have been recognized as the fathers of powered flight, and Gustave Whitehead's name is almost unknown. Nevertheless, for much of the past century, efforts have been going on to establish Gustave Whitehead as the inventor of powered flight so that this larger than life character might be recognized as a predecessor of the Wright Brothers. The work of the late Stella Randolph of Garrett Park, Maryland and Major William O'Dwyer of Fairfield, Connecticut has been especially significant. And, other volunteers, including Andy Kosch have continued to search for documentation. Thus far, in spite of a significant amount of data uncovered, the effort to have Gustave Whitehead recognized as the first to fly has been unsuccessful. However, Whitehead has been recognized as the "Father of Connecticut Aviation", and his work has been the subject of at least three books and many articles. The Whitehead story is significant because it opens the possibility to change American history if substantiated in a way acceptable to historians. With appropriate corroboration of existing testimony, particularly regarding the flights of 1901, Gustave Whitehead's achievements might receive the recognition that an increasing number of individuals think is his due. To Bob Kranyik, it is important because he grew up on Tunxis Hill where Whitehead had earlier flown his plane. Bob's Grandmother, Agnes Tobis Krajnyik, was a friend of Mrs. Whitehead, the former Louise Tuba, who visited the Krajnyik house from time to time to enjoy tea and Hungarian conversation. Although the Whiteheads' first home was on Pine Street, their second home and aircraft workshop were on the comer of Marlborough Terrace and Ridgely Avenue, diagonally across from the home of Bob's Great-Grandfather, Paul Krajnyik in Fairfield. It was also adjacent to the home of a man thought to have been of great technical assistance to Whitehead, Anthony Suelli. This Whitehead house was later purchased by the Filep family, and the local boys understood that Filep's grape arbor had been partially constructed of wood from Whitehead's planes. The third Whitehead home was on Alvin Street, further up the hill near McKinley School. It was at McKinley School that Bob came to know Bob Whitehead, Marilyn Whitehead, and Norman Baker, all grandchildren of Gustave and Louise. The question of who invented the airplane was settled very early for many of students at that school - it was Gustave Whitehead! Andy Kosch believes that the Whitehead story is so important that he has not only flown a replica of a Whitehead plane, but continues to seek evidence that Gustave Whitehead was the first to fly a powered and controlled flight. A very interesting aspect of this story is that many of the people who worked with Gustave Whitehead on the development of his various aircraft at Bridgeport and later, Fairfield, Connecticut, were of HUNGARIAN background, as were many of the witnesses and helpers who transported and helped launch the planes. Their role in this noble effort has never been widely publicized. Perhaps now is the time. So, let us now move on to "Whitehead's Hungarian Helpers". Hungarian Helpers In addition to his Hungarian wife, Louise Tuba, who struggled to support the family since Gustave spent a good deal of his income on his aircraft. Whitehead worked with and among Hungarian immigrants. He was assisted by dozens of Hungarian residents in the heart of the Hungarian enclave in Bridgeport on Long Island Sound, known to many in those days as "Hunktown" or "Little Hungary". Those immigrants played significant roles in the design, creation, and operation of his monoplanes numbered 21 and 22, which made the earlier flights. Other Hungarian immigrants assisted by carrying or pushing the planes by hand (some of the planes had wheels) or by horse and wagon to the several elevations in Bridgeport and Fairfield from which flights were made. And, still others witnessed several of the flights. Anton Pruckner was bom and educated in Hungary. He served as Whitehead's close assistant. Others close to Whitehead in the early days at Bridgeport were Junius Harworth, Andy and Bert Papp and Louis Lázay. Still other Hungarians helped in the shop including Charles Galamboshe (Galambos), John Kedves and a person named Wargo. Hungarian names just flow through the story beginning on Pine Street and extending up to Tunxis Hill. (Bear in mind the distorted spelling of the original Hungarian names.) There were the witnesses - Joseph Ratzenberger, John Fekete, John W. Leskó, Michael Werer, John S. Leskó, and Mrs. Elisabeth Köteles, who was interviewed at age 94. And, there were helpers - Louis Bailey (Balogh), Joseph Youhouse, Joseph Vecsey, John Cigiár, and Paul Krajnyik, Bob's Grandfather also Gustave Whitehead's neighbor on Tunxis Hill, who helped carry airplanes in his wagon. Hungarians all, and it is likely there there were many Page 4 Gustave Whitehead Anton Pruckner A glider with Hungarian helpers from the neighborhood
