Thor Solberg
Thor Solberg (March 28, 1893 – February 26, 1967) was a Norwegian-born aviation pioneer who made the first successful flight from the United States of America to Norway in 1935.
Early life
Thor Simonsen Solberg was born on his family's farm (Solberg på Årebrot) at Florø in Sogn og Fjordane, Norway.[3][4] He had ten brothers and sisters, including Halfdan and Lars Solberg.[3][5] Solberg was interested in motors and aviation from an early age and was a "daring" motorcyclist in his youth. He was also interested in artistic picture framing in his youth.[6][7] Solberg participated in a number of motorcycling speed events during his early years. He also rode from Oslo to Paris in 48 hours in 1923.[3]
Early flying career
Solberg received his pilot's training in Germany in the years following World War I. He took a pilot's license in 1919 and became one of Norway's aviation pioneers.[6]
Solberg, inspired by aviators such as Charles Lindbergh, was to be the first person to fly from Norway to the United States solo, receiving some aid and advice from Roald Amundsen.[3][4][6]
Solberg lived in the United States from 1925 or 1928. Upon arriving in the United States, Solberg worked at various jobs, such as proprietor of an art studio and picture framing store in Brooklyn, while planning his flight.[4][6] Solberg flew over much of the United States in his Bellanca CH-200 Pacemaker while preparing for the flight.[3]
Flight to Norway
In preparation for his flight to Norway, Solberg practiced
After managing to convince the
On July 18, 1935, Solberg made a second attempt with a different plane, an
Later flying career
In 1939, Solberg founded the
Personal life, death, and legacy
Solberg was a Knight of the Order of St. Olav.[6] He was also a notable member of the Norsemen Lodge, an organization which was composed of people of Norwegian birth or descent. Additionally, he was a life member of the Explorers' Club in New York.[7]
Solberg died in Branchburg, New Jersey at the age of 73 and was buried at the churchyard in Florø.[4]
Legacy
- The Loening C-2-C Air Yacht piloted by Thor Solberg in 1935 is presently on display at the Oslo, Norway.
- A statue of Solberg was erected at the Florø Airport in 1985 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his flight.[12]
See also
References
- ^ The Hunterdon County Democrat, retrieved April 16, 2015
- ^ a b Meg Goldewski (June 29, 2014), "KN51 in the middle of a tug of war", General Aviation News, retrieved April 16, 2015
- ^ a b c d e f Henry Goddard Leach (1936), The American-Scandinavian Review, Volume 24, p. 58
- ^ a b c d Henry Goddard Leach (1960s), The American-Scandinavian Review, Volumes 54–55, retrieved April 19, 2015
- ^ Rob Mulder (June 16, 2010), Thor Solberg and his expeditions, retrieved April 16, 2015
- ^ a b c d e f The Norseman, 1966, p. 51, retrieved April 19, 2015
- ^ a b c A.N. Rygg, Full text of "Norwegians in New York, 1825–1925", retrieved April 19, 2015
- ^ ISBN 9780486148007, retrieved April 19, 2015
- ^ Rob Mulder (June 16, 2010). "Thor Solberg and his expeditions". europeanairlines.no. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
- ^ Silver commemorative spoon; Thor Solberg, retrieved April 19, 2015
- ^ "Not In My Backyard", Flying, Flying Magazine, p. 45, July 2000, retrieved April 19, 2015
- ^ "Thor Solberg statue". Florø Lufthamn (Airport. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
External links
- Bellanca K Roma re-named Enna Jettick
- Leif Eiriksson Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology
- Solberg Airport
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