Jimmie Angel
| Jimmie Angel | |
|---|---|
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| Born |
James Crawford Angel August 1, 1899 Cedar Valley, Missouri |
| Died | December 8, 1956 (aged 57) Panama City, Panama |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Pilot, explorer |
| Known for | Landing on Angel Falls |
James Crawford "Jimmie" Angel (August 1, 1899 – December 8, 1956) was an American aviator after whom Angel Falls in Venezuela, the tallest waterfall in the world, is named.
James Crawford Angel was born August 1, 1899 near Cedar Valley, Missouri, the son of Glenn Davis Angel and Margaret Belle (Marshall) Angel. Because his grandfather, James Edward Angel, was living, he was called Crawford to avoid confusion in the Angel family during his younger years. In his 20s he adopted the nickname Jimmie by which he was known for the rest of his life.
The falls, which cascade from the top of Auyantepui in the remote Gran Sabana region of Venezuela, were not known to the outside world until Jimmie Angel flew over them on November 18, 1933 while searching for a valuable ore bed.
On October 9, 1937, he returned to the falls with the intention of landing. On board his Flamingo monoplane that day were his second wife Marie, Gustavo Heny, and Miguel Delgado, Heny's gardener. He attempted a landing, but despite a successful touchdown, his El Rio Caroní aircraft nose-dived when it hit soft ground at the end of its landing run - the wheels sank in the mud, making take-off impossible.
The passengers were unharmed but had to trek across difficult terrain and with low food supplies for 11 days to make their way off the tepui and down to the nearest settlement at Kamarata. When word got out of their exploits, international interest in the Gran Sabana region increased dramatically, leading to in-depth scientific exploration in the following years.
His aircraft remained atop Auyantepui until 1970, when it was disassembled and brought down by Venezuelan military helicopters. Today, an El Rio Caroní can be seen outside the airport terminal at Ciudad Bolívar. The airplane was re-assembled in the city of Maracay's aviation museum.
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