Silas Christofferson

Silas G. Christofferson (1890 – October 31, 1916) was an American aviator. He was the brother of Harry Christofferson, a fellow Early Bird, and the husband of aviator and X-ray technician Edna Christofferson.

Silas Christofferson
Christofferson in 1912
Born	1890 Des Moines, Iowa
Died	October 31, 1916(1916-10-31) (aged 25–26) Redwood City, California
Cause of death	Plane crash

Christofferson was born in Polk County, Iowa in 1890.[1] When he was six, his family moved to California.[1] He had six brothers, four of whom also became aviators.[2] The most notable of these was Harry Christofferson.[2]

By 1908, Christofferson had moved to Los Angeles, California, where he worked as a chauffeur.[3]

In 1910, Christofferson co-founded the Bennett-Christofferson Airship Company in Portland, Oregon.[4] Also named on the incorporation papers were Fred and Mabel Bennett.[4] The company started out with a capital stock of 3000 dollars.[4] By 1911, Christofferson and Fred Bennett were making practice flights on the artillery drill grounds of the Vancouver Barracks.[5] They were only permitted to fly in the early morning and after 4 PM to avoid spooking the mules at the barracks.[5] On at least one of these flights, Christofferson took a passenger, Edna Becker.[6] Becker and Christofferson married on November 19, 1912.[7]

In 1912, Christofferson flew eight miles[8] from the roof of the 150-foot-tall[9] Multnomah Building in Portland, Oregon to the Vancouver Barracks in Vancouver, Washington.[8] The flight took him twelve minutes and was observed by a crowd of over 45,000.[8] Upon landing, he said that "[w]hile my trip was not as pleasant as some might think, I enjoyed it immensely."[8] The Oregonian declared it a record-setting feat, claiming Christofferson was the first to "[trust] his heavier-than-air machine in a start from the midst of a business section of a great city."[9]

In 1914, Christofferson reached an altitude of 15,728 feet in a flight over Mount Whitney, setting a national record.[10] It was his second attempt of the day to fly over the mountain: his first attempt, at 5:21 AM that morning, was unsuccessful due to strong winds.[11]

On October 31, 1916, Christofferson was testing a new biplane prototype to demonstrate its safety.[12] Two hundred feet above the ground, his engine died.[12] He was rushed to the Redwood City Hospital by Edna and Harry.[12] A few hours after the crash, Christofferson died of internal injuries.[12] He was buried beside Lincoln Beachey in Cypress Lawn Cemetery.[12]