“There is a peculiar thing about this man Stites.”
-Grand Forks Evening Times
He was an early aviation pioneer. A millennial of his own time, Stites moved from a rural Indiana farm to Los Angeles in 1903, the same year as the world's first flight. He moved here for all the same reasons we do now; to make a more exciting life for himself. Stites eventually died on the backlot of Universal Studios at 33 years-old doing what he loved- flying.
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Francis (Frank) Marion Stites was born February 28th, 1882 in Grass Township, Spencer County, Indiana. His dad, George Washington Stites, a farmer, died when Frank was 5.
According to his death certificate, Stites moved to Los Angeles in 1903; the same year as the first flight by the Wright brothers when he was 21.
He married Jessie Maude Nelson (Jessie Stites/Jessie Maude Caldwell) July 15th, 1905 in Los Angeles. She was 17 and Stites was 23. She moved to California before Stites did between 1900-1902 from Iowa. She lived in Long Beach in a house that is no longer there.
Stites and Jessie had one child together:
-Jack Stites Caldwell - born September 15th, 1911 in Los Angeles at 3am at home. His birth certificate says Francis Marion Stites Jr. as he wasn't named yet. (Jack also has his own story - a pharmacist who had the house he lived in demolished in the 1940s when they constructed highway 101 through Hollywood, California).
According to the 1910 Census, Stites and Jessie lived at 4425 Crocker Street in Los Angeles (built in 1907) where he lived the rest of his life. The house is still there, do not disturb occupant. Stites’ occupation at the time was a, “Sacker,” which I believe to have been for citrus farmers.
1908 is the first report of Stites flying.
Frank Stites - National Air and
Space Museum Smithsonian
“One of the leading birdmen in the country.”
-Viroqua Vernon County Censor Newspaper
Stites self-taught himself how to fly in 1908. He started out as an amateur flier, building his own planes. He brought one of his self-built planes to the first Los Angeles Aviation Meet at Dominguez Field, January 10th-20th, 1910. His plane was not able to fly as it was damaged during the event by Santa Ana winds. He had multiple crashes and mashups of mechanical troubles.
Later in 1910, he built a Curtiss-type biplane and entered this new plane in the amateur events of the Second Los Angeles Aviation Meet at Dominguez Field, December 24th, 1910-January 2nd, 1911 as Aviator 23. Stites and C. M. Crosson were, “the stars of the event.” Stites, Aviator #23, experienced two minor mashups at this event while he was flying low altitudes. His last mashup, people thought he was seriously hurt, but was found sitting quietly in his seat after the dust had settled.
On June 11th, 1911 Stites was performing at another air show at Dominguez Field. His wing accidentally hit the ground when attempting to take off. A chorus of screams from women in the grandstands declared, "he's been killed!" As the dust died down, Stites was seen sitting complacently in his pilot's seat viewing the wreckage. "One minute of flight- two weeks of work" said Stites.
Stites started flying for the city of Long Beach in 1911. Being the second person ever to fly upside down, he would charge $5,000 for his, "loop the loops!" He also obtained his professional aviator license on December 23rd, 1911 from the Aero Club of America.
From left to right; Frank Champion, Harry Holmes, Frank Stites, Earl Daugherty (Seated pilot), and three "judges." Specific event not noted. Circa 1910's
“One of the most daring men in the
country and says that he is not a bit superstitious.”
-Fargo Forum
January 26th, 1912, Stites was injured midair in the rain due to being striked by a piece of a broken cylinder during the 3rd Los Angeles air meet at Dominguez Field. He was flying his signature built Curtiss biplane at 250 feet. He successfully landed however and his injuries were not serious. Two days later at the same airshow, he had an emergency landing in a beet patch south of Compton. His wife watched as his plane rapidly descended. Stites and his plane were unharmed.
Stites taught Victor Carlstrom how to fly at Griffith Park Aviation Field during February and March of 1912. Carlstrom served as a mechanic for Stites on some flying assignments in the LA area.
In Winter/Spring 1912, Stites broke the world record for 30 days flying.
Stites right before landing in San Bernardino, California 1912. He nicknamed his plane, "Pegasus."
In February 1912, Stites flew for the San Bernardino Sun as a part of a promotion and dropped gratis newspapers, souvenirs from The National Orange Show, info about a voting contest and rodeo tickets from his plane. Stites also flew a real life Princess from India, Her Royal Highness Matilija CaBabi, "gowned in her Indian garb, with which she flies."
On April 18th, 1912, Stites was flying over Venice Beach where he, "ran into a big wave," and wet one of his plane's wings. He luckily escaped from being thrown into the water.
“His flying has got the right sort of stuff in him.”
-Grand Forks Evening Times
Stites was set to deliver the first airmail to Catalina Island on May 11th, 1912. He was managed by Squire 'Razzle Dazzle' DuRee of Long Beach. The mailbag used for this trip is autographed by members of the DuRee family and is in the Smithsonian Institution.
Upon hearing of this, aviator Glenn L. Martin, decided to beat Stites’ record and the day before Stites’ scheduled journey to Catalina, Martin made the trip instead through thick marine layers, thus receiving the credit for the world’s first water-to-water flight and the first trip of airmail to Catalina Island on May 10th, 1912.
Stites was contracted by the City of Long Beach to do aerial exhibitions over it's beaches in 1912. In May 1912, Stites injured himself in a smashup there. He recovered enough to fly a 136 mile race to and from Dominguez field.
On June 1st, 1912, 2:45pm in Long Beach (present day Ocean Avenue between Chestnut and Magnolia Streets), Stites was hospitalized for breaking his left wrist and spraining his back after being thrown from his aeroplane after a wing striked the sand. He was thrown 50 feet from his seat onto the sand and his machine landed partially on him, while his engine was still running! "Hundreds of hands" lifted the wrecked aeroplane off of Stites and it's reported that "the flight and accident was witnessed by several thousand people."
Stites' broken arm caused him to not be able to finish some contracts. His contract in Long Beach was finished by fellow aviation pioneer, Frank Champion. "The aviators did not forget me when I was flat on my back...I remembered that and when I heard of the accident to Stites I wanted to help him all I could. That his contract might be fulfilled for the two flights I 'made good' for him. He needs the money now more than ever and I am mighty glad that I could make the flight."
On June 7th, 1912, fellow aviation pioneer Earl Daugherty, fulfilled Stites' contract to fly in Planada, California in front of thousands of spectators. He used Stites' machine to fly.
Stites had a contract to fly in Butte and Billings, Montana, July-September 1912. He was paid $8,700 for 90 days of work. He did not fly again there as he discovered that the altitude was too much for his health. He stated that flying in those altitudes required more plane surface, more powerful engines and change in a plane's rudder.
Frank Stites - Long Beach Library - Early Aviation 1910s Collection
In January 1914, Stites was a part of a promotion for Los Angeles' new residential housing subdivision; Olivedale. It was located one block north of Sunset Boulevard and Coronado Street (present day Echo Park). He dropped from his aeroplane $200 in gold coins and gift certificates from the clouds above to the public below.
"He is a good fellow and a splendid aviator and as fearless as it is possible for a man to be."
Fred K. McCarver, Venice Daily Vanguard
Stites' plane north of the Ocean Park Bath House on the beach in Venice, California 1914
I believe Stites to be the man holding the propeller wearing the white shirt, dark pants. I believe the man in the foreground to be Stites' friend, aviator Lincoln Beachy. I cannot confirm this.
Through 1914, Stites was contracted with the Abbot Kinney Company, to bring more people to the city of Venice, California (known then as Venice of America). At 2:30PM on Sundays, Stites would do exhibitions over Venice Beach, amid the waves of clapping and handkerchiefs waving. He always took off on the sand north of the then Ocean Park Bath House (Venice), where Clubhouse Avenue meets the beach. It's the exact same place where the current Venice Beach Live Cam is located.
On March 14th, 1914, Stites landed his plane in the surf on Venice beach when his plane and a breaker wave met at the same time. "The aviator's feet were soaked and foam dashed around his hip pockets."
In April of 1914, Stites flew over the opening of Venice's baseball park and dropped a regulation baseball from his aeroplane at the height of 300 feet for a baseball catcher to catch. That was the first time a stunt of this kind had been made.
On May 10th, 1914, Stites successfully dropped parachutist William N. Morton from a height of 2,500 feet, witnessed by 20,000 people. "It was one of the prettiest parachute drops ever seen...Immediately he was surrounded as was Stites by thousands who wanted to congratulate him."
"I have posted a big sign on my office door which reads: 'All Parachute Droppers Go to Frank Stites,' and I have told Stites to do with them what he thinks best."
-Fred McCarver, Stites' boss for Venice
On May 17th, 1914, parachutist Rose Arnold went up in the air with Stites to jump out of his aeroplane at 2,500-3,500 feet. She had already completed a private jump with Stites prior on April 26th, 1914 successfully.
Stites' take-off point was changed at the last minute and he felt that he was unable to clear trees. The abrupt descent and following landing sent Arnold flying out of her seat. She sustained no serious injuries and didn't blame Stites.
"If I had kept on going and struck the trees with the 'plane it would have been worse. There were many reports started and among them was one that she had lost her nerve; another that her back was broken. Both of these were started by some gossiper and are untrue, for that girl has a lot of it; and her back is not broken," said Stites.
While Arnold was hospitalized, Stites flew over the hospital and dropped from the air an, "immense bouquet of roses," and a note enclosed on the hospital steps. When hearing about this, she insisted on being propped up on pillows so that she could see him fly over. She was 20 years old.
“FOOLS OF THE AIR”
-Santa Ana Register
As of May 1914, Stites held the world-record for the highest aviation in flight.
Stites was seriously injured on June 19th, 1914 in Venice when he purposely crashed into a one story brick building to avoid people at the beach. The building had to be partially demolished after this smashup. He was performing a “loop a loop” stunt. At the time Stites and Lincoln Beachy were the only two pilots in the US who could do this. Stites' engine went dead at 200 feet and the beach-goers kept cheering for him, thinking it was a part of the stunt. Stites was unconscious when rescued and had a broken leg below his knee.
That was not the only crash he had in Venice.
“...escaped death in Venice, California in one of the most dramatic accidents in aviation history. Falling from an estimated height of 250 feet...Frank Stites narrowly escaped death this afternoon when his aeroplane plunged into the ocean several hundred foot from the shore. The cool-headed aviator climbed into the rig of his air craft as soon as the engine trouble began and managed to lift the elevator vanes by hand. This saved him from crashing into the Ship Cafe, which he cleared by fifty feet. The Plunge was Terrific!”
-The Grand Forks Evening Times
Frank Stites himself stated to “several newspaper men” while soaking wet with the Pacific ocean dripping from him still:
“I am bound to have trouble with my engine, but I’ll not disappoint the crowd...The downward rush and the plunge into the ocean took but a minute. I saw that the only thing to do was to turn my elevator vanes by hand. I shorted the vanes this morning, so when I tried to trip them up from my seat I found it impossible. That is why I left the wheel and clambered back to the rear. I felt confident that I would clear the Ship Cafe and I felt no fear at the prospect of striking the water. I jumped to avoid the possibility of being hit with the engine.”
“The man is absolutely fearless and will do anything that he happens to think of that is dangerous in the game. This man claims that he has never lost a dollar because he failed to appear and deliver ‘the goods.' "
-Grand Forks Evening Times
Sadly, people of color were banned from public beaches until 1927. So almost everyone who got the privilege to see Stites and the other great aviators on the beaches were most likely white. Imagine all of the possible interests in science, aviation and daredeviltry that could have been fostered in others if only they were allowed to witness it.
On New Years Day 1915, Stites flew the Mayor of Culver City over the Pasadena Tournament of Roses parade with their first, "aerial float."
Stites, along with Martin and Beachy, flew aerials for the Famous Players/Paramount film, The Girl of Yesterday (1915), starring Mary Pickford. Directed by Allan Dwan, it is regarded as the first film to integrate US military aviation (they shot some scenes down at North Island, San Diego). Stites’ scenes were shot at Martin’s Griffith Park Airfield, Los Angeles. The scene involved kidnapping Pickford’s character Jane Stuart and taking her away in a plane. The pilot shown on film was Martin.
Sadly, according to the Pickford Foundation, this film was among the 75% of silent films that were “lost” due to deterioration, melting down for nitrate, etc.
"I was not born to be killed by an aeroplane."
-Frank Stites
Stites died March 16th, 1915 in Universal City, California around 4:30PM after he ascended at 4:12PM. He was recreating a scene for the opening of Universal City, Clalifornia that he had already successfully shot for a short film called, The Mysterious Contragrav (1915, 26 minute short, Universal/101 Bison) reviewed as;
“...filled with thrills of the most sensational characters. Aviators pursuing each other while flying at 60 miles per hour, throw bombs and grenades, one of which brings an aeroplane crashing to the ground. Incidentally Frank Stites the noted aviator was killed while filming this picture- to add interest an auto crashes over a steep cliff into the ocean. O yes there's a story here and a wonderful story at that.”
There are many accounts of his death.
“Then he climbed through the rigging and jumped to the ground. He was literally mashed to a pulp.”
-Ronan Pioneer Newspaper
“Practically every bone in his body was broken.”
-Centralia Daily Chronicle Examiner
“He was literally mangled to a pulp, his arms and legs having been horribly crushed.”
-Humboldt Times
“The Picture shows Stites' machine as it headed for the earth. Before it struck the ground it turned completely over."
-Review of The Mysterious Contragrav
For the scene, there was a dummy plane suspended from wire between two hills, 20-250 feet from the ground. Stites was directed to drop a fake bomb on the dummy plane below him while flying over it. The dummy plane had a powder magazine attached with wire to a battery on the ground. It is reported that he flew 300 feet high that tragic day and fell from 60-150 feet and that 500-2,000 people watched him die. There are mixed reports as to if he died immediately upon impact or on the way to the hospital on the lot. Multiple sources stated Stites had a broken leg and internal injuries. His death certificate states that Stites' cause of death was, "Fracture of the skull accidentally falling to ground from aeroplane." It is reported over multiple sources that his body hit the Earth before his plane, which crashed less than 10 feet away from him.
Screenwriter Grover Jones let Stites borrow one of his caps for the shoot. Jones told Stites that if he got grease on it, "there would be hell to pay." Just before he took off, Jones shouted, "Don't forget where you got that cap, you louse!" Stites replied, "What goes up must come down." Grover described Stites as, "coolly loosing the straps that held him in the plane," before he jumped. According to Grover, Stites landed 10 feet from him. "My cap was ruined alright, but it was blood and not grease," Grover said.
Stites also mentioned to Universal Director, Henry McRae the day he died that he felt that his tail gear, "was in need of slight repair."
Stites' friend, Beachy died two days prior to Stites in a plane crash at the Panama Pacific International Exposition event in San Francisco. Stites had attempted his theatrical flight the day prior to his own death, however it was postponed due to air conditions and his mental distress causing him to not leave the ground. It is reported that Stites felt distraught on his last day alive and when he died, he had in his pocket a newspaper article about Beachy's death. He mentioned Beachy's death prior to take-off adding, "I guess I'll be the next one." Beachy was buried the morning of the same day that Stites died.
Stites' body was taken to the undertaking parlors of Gates & Crane (formerly at 1724 Highland Avenue, Hollywood), where he remained until he was buried.
His funeral was March 18th, 1915 at 2pm. It was a public funeral. Carl Laemmle did not attend his funeral but instead sent a, "mammoth amount of flowers."
He is buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Los Angeles in the La Ramada/Sierra section.
Stites' story of his death and featured image and artwork from LA Times 3-17-1915.
Actress, Mabel Normand, had a desire to learn how to fly. She was taught over the years by five aviators, all who died in flight: Lincoln Beachy, Frank Stites, Charles Niles, Silas Christofferson, Joseph Boquel. Normand stated when asked if she still had ambition to learn to fly;
“Just now, with the shock of poor Joe's death upon me, I feel that it would be taking too much of chances. But I felt the same way after Beachy died and the desire to come back; and I felt the same way after Stites died and after Niles died and the desire to come back. Christofferson died just a few days before Boquel and the two deaths affected me very much...at the present time with Boquet’s death of Beachy, Stites, Niles and Christofferson, I feel afraid, but the fascination of flying still possesses me.”
Universal exploited the death of Stites by taking the filmed footage of his real-life death, opened the already in-the-can short that he originally filmed the scene successfully for- and added the real-life footage of his crash and death in the film to add interest. Universal advertised locally in the Los Angeles area the film as, "Frank Stites' Last Flight."
Jessie Stites sued Universal Film Manufacturing August 19th, 1915 and won $5,000. It was determined that Stites was flying straight-away and not stunt flying at the time of the prop bomb dropping direction. Universal Film Company took the position, "aviation was in itself so hazardous an occupation that any one following it was foolhardy and placed himself outside the provisions of the workmen's compensation act." According to these court documents, a vacuum of air was created when the prop plane exploded underneath Stites, causing his plane to rapidly descend to earth, thus causing his death. Stites was paid by Universal a fixed sum for each flight and a daily wage. $5 for the use of his own machine, $75 for the first flight and $50 for each subsequent flight. He was a contracted player and not an independent contractor. His first date of employment with Universal was February 1915.
Stites crashed his plane specifically where the present-day Sign Shop is located on the Universal Studios backlot. The video that I made to explain this discovery is here:
This is the last image ever taken of Frank Stites alive. Taken by U. K. Whipple, staff photographer for the Animated Weekly. He developed the photographic plates 4 1/2 miles away from the scene of the accident, all in a half an hour after the crash. Stites is the pilot flying above, the smoked dummy plane below.
Frank Stites deserves to be remembered and recognized for his contributions to both early aviation and flying in cinema.
